Contemporary African American Fiction

Teagan Montgomery, an independent acquisitions curator, enjoyed negotiating for her clients and returning those prized possessions to the people those treasures belonged to. With a fulfilling balance between her business and her family, Teagan’s life feels complete. She firmly believes in leaving the past behind, convinced that it should remain where it belongs. But when Simeon Banks' involvement challenges the status quo, the past is suddenly the present, stirring long-dormant emotions within and challenging her resolve to keep history at bay.

Aspen is used to getting whatever and whoever he wants, and he doesn’t expect that to change when he meets Malaysia, the sister of the woman his brother is pursuing. Though the attraction and chemistry between Aspen and Malaysia are immediate, there is one thing standing in their way—Malaysia’s boyfriend. When things grow toxic between Malaysia and Peyton, Aspen steps in as her protector. Protecting her physically provides the opportunity for Aspen to prove he can protect her heart and mind as well.

Business and pleasure are two things that shouldn’t be mixed. Detective Gavyn Garrett doesn’t believe this rule applies to him. He is determined to live life on his terms, even if that means having a thing for his boss. Sharae Chapman is a sergeant with the Ribax Police Department who lives to uphold her squeaky clean and blemish-free image. Sharae never imagined how an instantaneous yes to hiring a new detective would rock her steady foundation. What happens when two people with an oath to uphold the law find themselves teetering the line between conflict of interest and what feels right?

Ever had a man to put you first? Prioritize your presence. Emphasize your existence. Maintain his focus... on you? Over everything? As if it was nothing? I hadn’t either, not until him. Not until Harlem Knight.

Audriana Escobar, a.k.a. Audi, is the 18-year-old leader of the Gucci Girlz - a crew made up of her closest friends. Growing up in poverty, their only current goal is to find a way out of the poor town of Aetna and achieve a life of happiness, love, and luxury. When they cross paths with another crew named the Tru Aetna Boyz, all of their wants and desires seem to be coming true.

Legend is on a mission, and it happens to be one he can’t speak about. Always a man of little words, keeping things close to the heart has never been a problem. Or at least it never used to be until January began to occupy that space. Now he’s fighting a battle between his mind and his heart, and unlike any battle he’s ever fought before, this is a war that no matter how it ends, sacrifice will be required.

Life has never been easy for Pastel Saint, but she isn't afraid of hard work. This has always been Pastel's attitude until the load she's carrying threatens to break her. One day she's on the verge of falling to pieces when an unlikely party presents her with a silver lining in the form of a proposition.

Ariella and Caleb were never meant to last… She’s the ambitious workaholic constantly trying to prove herself. He’s the charming bad boy with a troubled past. Their love story could only ever have been temporary. But when Ariella’s company faces a crisis, Caleb is the only one who can save it. Now they’re forced to work together, fighting their attraction, and the pain of their old wounds. With her heart torn and her career on the line, Ariella must decide who to trust and what she truly wants.

The crew is back for one final round. Everything about this series has been absolutely insane. We've witnessed deceit, heartbreak, and a whole lot of betrayal. There have been good times too. The love between these characters has been nothing short of amazing and definitely something worth fighting for. A whirlwind of emotions has been on the rise since this series started, but in the end, everyone will rightfully receive the ending that they deserve. Take one last ride with these characters, and witness how everything unfolds.

Dismayed at what she now has to consider her life, Loriana tries her best to balance it all. The unforeseen death of her mother has her suffocating in grief, feeling as if she’s lost it all. While struggling internally, she smiles on the outside to save face. That’s until she can no longer keep up her façade. When she least expects it, the breath of fresh air she was desperately gasping for is given. On a rollercoaster with her emotions, wondering how her first love became her first heartbreak, she finds herself. Those good days she prayed to God for had finally came around.

Jakari Bolton: protector and provider… He takes on those roles when his father gets incarcerated for hideous crimes that are still bothering him ten years later. Jakari is so busy taking care of those he loves he forgot that he needed care too. Anger, guilt, and hurt have guided his life’s trajectory, and he doesn’t know any other way to be. So when he has to pick up his cousins from school and runs into librarian, Yendi Odom, he doesn’t know how to handle her.

Aphrodite Greer is finally starting to see better days. She's slowly accepting that she can have a beautiful life despite her daughter being dead without feeling guilty. That beautiful life has a name and it's Goal Navarro—the persistent head of the Navarro Cartel. Goal Navarro sees what he wants and goes after it. Being a man who's always on the move, he's finally found the lady that keeps him grounded. Running the Cartel that was snatched from his father and handed to him by his Abuelo, nothing can stop the sexy Colombian.

Holland Davenport is ready to go beyond her small-town existence. Her plan involves moving into an apartment in Charleston—not inheriting a run-down brownstone in Brooklyn from a relative she never knew. Yet in a burst of daring, Holland meets the challenge head-on, moving to New York to learn more about her family and renovate the place. Add to that a gorgeous next-door neighbor who turns out to be a board member at her new job, and she’s definitely out of her depth.

With the amount of lows that happened back to back in this series, you would think that the worst is now over, but it's honestly just begun. One of the biggest lows of this series has to be Emilia's and Ramonte's betrayal of Carmen. We all know that Carmen is very short-tempered, and it doesn't take much for her to lash out. To know that a cousin of hers, who's also her best friend, is pregnant by Carmen's baby's father is a situation where Carmen will be well within her rights to handle it however she wants to.

Aphrodite Greer was born and raised in the bricks—projects in Jagoda Bay. She met the love of her life, Baguette, on that very soil. The ghetto goddess had her entire life mapped out for her, and just like most life plans, things took a turn for the worse. Infidelity, losing her baby girl Athena, and constant fights with her lover's mistress turned her from a rigid, dope boy's queen to a soft, put-up businesswoman. With five years between their failed relationship, Baguette and Aphrodite remain best friends, and since Baguette has moved on, his current girlfriend has also joined their circle.

Dakota Buck, a rough-around-the-edges music executive, strides through life calling the shots with an aura of grit. Yet beneath his rugged exterior lies a complex man shaped by a past marred by betrayal and disappointment, leaving him guarded against true connection and trust. Although willing to open his heart, Dakota yearns for a bond that transcends the superficial or nothing.

Cali falls in love, fast and hard. It’s intense, emotional, and then he is gone. This is what happens when you give your heart to a man who lives recklessly. Months pass and she finds herself falling again. This time will be different, but there’s something about this man that feels familiar. Something about him that makes her feel safe. He’s not the love she lost but he is someone who makes her feel alive. Someone who makes it easier to smile, to breathe, to exist.

For Nyla Holmes, life is never easy. Two steps forward always end up turning into ten steps back. As the coldest female barber in Elite Cutz, Nyla wants to own her own shop. She plans for years and has set her sights on the perfect building. Disappointment settles in once again when she finds out that her dream has to be put on hold. The one person Nyla believes will never hurt her does the unthinkable.

She loved and lost. Losing him shattered her to pieces. She can be whole again. He’s the reason. He’s also the reason why her life fell apart. Now, she needs him more than she needs air to breathe.

Coparenting is easy for Elias and Amanda. Having sex is even easier. When Amanda begins to feel the tether of their bond loosen, she prepares for things to change between her and her baby’s daddy, though her heart has always belonged to him. For Elias, Amanda was too shallow to take seriously as a romantic partner. However, lust joined them for life because of their son. He’s sure they will always be friends and nothing more, until a failed romantic relationship shows him the woman that’s always been by his side—Amanda.