Contemporary African American Fiction

A menace, I was, the duration of my life. Unsure of what was next, who was next, or where I was headed next. The only for-sure shit in my world was my paper and my people. The ice around my heart was still intact, never being penetrated or as much as tapped.

Ava couldn’t believe she’d let her best friend talk her into coming to a mind numbing holiday party on the night before Christmas. As Ava counts the minutes before she can leave, all she can think about is how much she wants to snuggle up on the sofa with a crappy holiday movie and drink too much eggnog (with rum). That is, until an old classmate, Elias Young, sits next to her at the party. Elias is way too charming to be any good for her, but fate forces Ava to put that tired theory to the ultimate test. Is it happenstance? Serendipity?

Hearts are broken and healed. Scars, both physical and emotional, are formed. Happiness is found, then lost, then found again. Over the course of a year, these sisters face shattering blows and remarkable triumphs as they embark on a journey, figuring out that pesky little thing called love.

Lyle DeLeone has always had the mentality of a hustler. Having grown up with a weak, drug-addicted mother and an ignorant, misogynistic father, she had to learn early on to protect herself and handle her own. Unfortunately, her ways caused those around her to deem her unlovable. So, it was no surprise that when she met the handsome Rashawn, she quickly snatched him up, hoping to prove that she, in fact, could be loved by a man. Married life with Rashawn isn't bad, but it isn't good either.

In Crush, three of today’s hottest romance authors offer tempting tales about crushes that compel women to risk it all for love. In Wanted: You by Lutishia Lovely features a man receiving erotic letters at his place of employment that shock his assistant. In White Mocha by Michele Grant, a woman who’s normally conservative about romance gets all fired up after enjoying an eyeful of a handsome coffee shop owner. And Cydney Rax’s From One Lover to Another stars a woman who shows her badgirl side when her ex refuses to take no for an answer.

"We'd had to be cut free of our mother's womb. Abby and I were fused, you see. But here's the real kicker; Abby had the magic, I didn't." Now adults, Makeda and Abby still share their childhood home. The surgery to separate the two girls left Makeda with what feels like an even worse deformity: no mojo. The daughters of a celestial demigod and a human woman, Makeda and Abby were raised by their magical father. Today, Makeda has decided it's high time to move out and make her own life.

A historic Upstate New York snowstorm traps Michelle's high school bully, star quarterback Duke Callahan at her house. She can't bear to look at him after what he did to her. He's cruel, remorseless and an utter sociopath...Michelle wants nothing to do with his confession of love, even from the chiseled, popular and effortlessly charming Duke.

This fearless debut novel explores racism, injustice, and self-expression through the story of a promising Black football star in Louisiana. The system is rigged. For guys like Russell Boudreaux, football is the only way out of their small town. As the team’s varsity tight end, Rus has a...

Before there was E.L. James’s 50 Shades of Grey, there was Zane’s Addicted. Once described as “the hottest paperback in the country” by The New York Times and now a major motion picture, this wildly popular novel by the Queen of Erotica follows one woman’s life as it spirals out of...

The first of two steamy and entertaining romance novels, published under the beloved and distinguished author’s real name for the first time You never know what’s going on behind someone’s groove. New York City, April 2002: Geneva, Crystal, Noah, and Chevy, a close friend group, are all...

Sometimes the power of love . . . A.J. Grayson has come a long way from adopted orphan to fast-rising executive at a cutting-edge technology firm. Now an anti-terrorist agency wants to use the revolutionary artificial intelligence system she developed to thwart a plot against Jafir's...

"If you're looking for an easy charmer, this is the novel for you."—Shondaland When their foster-turned-adoptive mother suddenly dies, four brothers struggle to keep open the doors of her beloved Harlem knitting shop. Jesse Strong is known for two things: his devotion to his adoptive mom...

The high priestess of the hood, Nikki Turner, is back with the novel fans have been feenin’ for: the sequel to her #1 bestselling novel, A Hustler’s Wife. Des, Virginia’s slickest gangsta, is about to become a dad when he is charged with the murder of his own attorney. But with Yarni, his...

A humorous and heartwarming bounce-to-the-beat underdog story about a young rapper whose rhymes help bring his community together, from America's favorite rapping teacher. As featured on Good Morning America! Eleven-year-old Simon Barnes dreams of becoming a world-famous rapper that everyone...

**A New York Times Best Romance Book of the Year** A swoony, heart-melting YA romance from beloved author Rebekah Weatherspoon about two awkward teens who decide to practice dating in order to be good at the real thing. Perfect for fans of Nicola Yoon and Jenny Han. Sixteen-year-old Bethany...

A LIBRARYREADS BONUS PICK! “This romance has it all—flirty banter, deep emotion, and a smart, sassy heroine.”—JENNIFER PROBST, New York Times bestselling author She’s brilliant, beautiful…and tired of being the only Black woman in the room. Two years ago, Kennedy Mitchell was...

An extraordinary new novel about family, legacy, and an inherited curse, from National Book Award–nominated author LaToya Watkins Set across Texas and spanning four generations, The Book of Chuck is a gimlet-eyed investigation into birthright and belonging through the story of one family in...

"Brenda Jackson writes romance that sizzles and characters you fall in love with." —Lori Foster, New York Times bestselling author Sometimes one hot night simply isn’t enough. Two years ago, Zara Miller found herself heartbroken and stranded in a New Orleans hotel bar with a sexy stranger...

Life at the Houston Report for investigative journalist Desiree Stevens is no longer a fulfilling one. She's contemplating moving back to Chicago where her family resides, but Desiree can't deny that returning to her hometown for the sake of employment isn't her only reason. Just a few weeks prior, Desiree had the pleasure of meeting philanthropist Julian Alexander Rose, awkwardly enough, at the hospital. And since the strange encounter, getting Julian off her mind has been Desiree's biggest failure.

“A heartfelt opposites-attract romance...” —Publishers Weekly Total opposites. Totally irresistible. Mickey Chambers is an expert at analyzing modern literature. But when it comes to figuring out her own story, she’s feeling a little lost. At thirty-three, she’s an adjunct instructor...