Grieving and starting over, a marketing research manager finds herself drawn to the one man she shouldn’t want in this soul-stirring, unconventional romance by BriAnn Danae.

Shyriq Hendrix is no stranger to success. As the heir to a legacy distillery and a man with wealth, status, and discipline, he’s built a life most would envy. But in the quiet moments when he’s not managing his multimillion-dollar empire, he’s aware that something is missing.

Then Nhuri Coleman steps into his life . . .

Nhuri has her reasons for keeping a low profile after relocating to Kansas City for a reset. After a chance encounter with Shyriq—the reserved but undeniably attractive owner of Great Hendrix Distillery—she accepts a job she hadn’t been pursuing, offered by a man who sees her worth before she’s ready to believe in it herself. She only expects a steady check and quiet routine, but instead, she experiences undeniable soul-stirring chemistry.

Their early exchanges are strictly professional. But how he watches, listens, and shows up without expectation catches her off guard. Just as their connection begins to deepen, the sudden appearance of her ex-boyfriend pulls Nhuri back into the past. Shyriq, not one to chase, finds himself wanting more than just her time—he wants her trust. And he learns quickly that loving someone who’s learned to survive alone isn’t about fixing them. It’s about staying when everything else says leave.

Open a book. Read a spell. Whoop, there he is... a demon.

The last single friend in her group and tired of being stood up by her girls, a drunken Rayna turns to her first love, a book. After jokingly casting a spell her favorite character used to conjure a loving boyfriend, the results aren't nearly as funny.

Because the damn spell worked, just not in the way she thought it would!

Now she has a brooding demon who she needs to sever the magical bond with if she ever wants to live a normal life again.

Lovers of monster romance will enjoy this new book from USA Today Bestselling Author, Jessica Cage!

Order your copy today!

You can’t keep a sizzling little secret in a town like Peachtree Cove…

For a place that just won an award for Best Small Town, Peachtree Cove sure has a big rumor mill. And Tracey Thompson is tired of being at the center of it. She’s worked hard to make her bed-and-breakfast a success—only to have her soon-to-be ex’s very public affair with her business partner result in a shocking pregnancy…and the biggest scandal around.

If the whole town is going to talk no matter what she does, maybe it’s time that Tracey stopped trying to be perfect. Maybe she should start doing things for herself—like having a little fun. And Brian Nelson, the sexy nursery owner who supplies plants for all her special events, is more than willing to help.

Fresh out of a bad marriage, Brian is done with drama. Ever since high school, he’s admired Tracey’s strength and sass, and a friends with benefits deal sounds perfect. But now everyone in Peachtree Cove is talking. And they can all see what Brian and Tracey don’t want to admit, even to themselves…that nothing complicates a simple arrangement quite like love…

Peachtree Cove

Book 1: The Secret to a Southern Wedding
Book 2: Waiting for Friday Night
Book 3: Frenemies with Benefits

Fransisco ‘Faxx’ Wellington saw Crescent at Myth and knew she would become his obsession.
Their connection created a soul tie he wasn’t prepared for. But secrets and hidden agendas reveal themselves, leaving Faxx teetering on the edge of darkness that only Cresent can pull him from.

Crescent ‘Cent’ Johnson is questioning the authenticity of her connection with Fransisco. Deep-seated doubts and insecurities from her past plague her heart, casting a shadow over their vibrant connection. Forced into close proximity with him, it begins to get harder and harder to hide her sordid past. She doesn’t want the ghost of her past to show up on his doorstep, but it already looks like she’s too late.
Will they be able to deal with their individual demons and prove their connection can stand strong through it all?

Lakyn ‘Link’ Moore is determined to ensure he forgets all things Mala, but a chance encounter at Myth as the Black Wolf changes everything. Standing before a woman, lying with her hands tied above her head, waiting for him. When he heard the safe word was ‘Kite,’ that could be explained away, but when the woman lying before him moaned his name, he knew exactly who lay behind the mask. Payback was the sweetest revenge, and Link would ensure that payback included making Malikita remember the name “The Black Wolf.”

Malikita ‘Mala’ Samuels was living a lie she couldn’t escape.
Her heart beats only for Link, a man who had intensely captured her soul when they were teens. Their connection was undeniable, and while their love blossomed, promises were made, only to be broken. At eighteen, Mala found herself trapped in a web of obligations and deceit, torn between her desires and the damning evidence that her now fiancé, Charles, held against Link. Mala’s heartache grew with each passing day, torn between the love she craved and the fear of the consequences that would bury them.

Will Mala risk it all, defy Charles, and embrace a love that burned with an intensity that could never be extinguished? Or will she sacrifice her own happiness to keep the man she loves safe?

*** This book contains explicit language, graphic violence, and strong sexual content. It is intended for adults. ***

The next book in the New Haven series, interconnected standalones featuring second chances, fiery passion, and Black heroines who get their happily ever afters. This is part two of the Revive Me trilogy.

Mallory

The day Christopher Johnson decided to kill me, I already knew what it was like to die. I had already experienced it once. Having the life leeched from my body, blood stolen from my veins, oxygen pulled from my lungs.

When he decided to walk back into my life, I was in the middle of my third resurrection, healing from the loss of my brother when I was still raw from losing him.

It wasn't going well.

I guess the human heart can only stop so many times, can only take so much damage before it questions whether it's worth it to be revived. My heart is on its last leg, but even that can't stop me from seizing the chance to have him again.

Even if it's just for a little while.

Chris

Walking away from Mallory Kent is one of the hardest things I've ever done.

The devastation that marred her features that night still haunts me. Refusing to let me forget that the knife I plunged into her heart to protect her had pierced mine as well. Dogging my steps as I walked through my miserable life without her.

Coming back had always been a part of the plan. Even as I gave in to the forces hellbent on tearing us apart, I knew we weren't done. I just didn't know we'd come back together like this: under a cloud of unexpected grief with the pain of our stolen future lingering just beneath the surface.

This time together was never supposed to happen. I hadn't accounted for it when I started working to clear a path back to her, but I'm thankful for it. For the opportunity to comfort her in a way no one else can. For the chance to hold her until the demons in my life force me to walk away again.

Troubled, Beset by problems or conflict. Kylo Lewis. A boss. A menace. Directly beside his name in the dictionary, you’ll find the word unhinged. Under the layers is a sweet little boy that longs for healing. Kylo craves what he never had, Joy.

Innocent, not guilty of a crime or offense; not responsible for or directly involved in an event yet suffering its consequences. Innocent Doucet is everything but her name. She, too, is a boss that faces both mental and physical adversity. Behind closed doors, she craves security and peace.

Enough, is what Kylo and Innocent have to be. Being written off at a young age is a matter these two can relate to. Certain lines were never meant to be crossed, but sometimes red flags resemble rollercoasters. The “terrible twos” phase has nothing on the trouble this duo is bound to create. Their similarities could be their strength or ultimately lead them toward their downfall. Can troubled souls really tie? Will their bond cause the most beautiful train wreck? What happens when twin flames conjoin? 

Love. The Streets. Identity.

Secrets emerge and romance sparks in this irresistible romance from the USA Today bestselling author Kennedy Ryan.

Kerris Moreton should be the happiest woman in the world: She has a successful business and is about to start the family she's always wanted. But the man of her dreams--the one whose green eyes see straight into her soul and whose gentle hands make her body hum with pleasure--is not hers.

Each secret moment with Walsh Bennett serves to remind Kerris of what she's missing. And every stolen hour makes it harder to see her future without him. But being with Walsh would betray a sacred promise and upend her perfect life. When tragedy strikes, the razor's edge between love and loyalty grows sharper than ever. And Kerris must decide where her heart will fall . . .

Don't miss the beginning of Kerris and Walsh's story in When You Are Mine.

After years away from home, Summer Graves is back in Austin, Texas, to accept a new teaching position. Of all the changes to the old neighborhood, the most dispiriting one is the slated demolition of the high school her grandmother founded. There’s no way she can let developers destroy her memories and her family legacy. But the challenge stirs memories of another kind.

On the architectural team revitalizing the neighborhood, hometown girl Aiko Holt is all about progress. Then she sees Summer again. Some things never change.

Neither can forget the kiss they shared at their senior-year dance. Neither can back down from her unwavering beliefs about what’s right for the neighborhood.

For now, the only thing Summer and Aiko are willing to give in to is a heat that still burns. But can two women with so much passion—for what once was and what could be—agree to disagree long enough to fall in love?

A chance to rewrite their ending is worth the risk in this swoony romantic comedy from Kosoko Jackson.

It’s been months since aspiring journalist Kian Andrews has heard from his ex-boyfriend, Hudson Rivers, but an urgent text has them meeting at a café. Maybe Hudson wants to profusely apologize for the breakup. Or confess his undying love…But no, Hudson has a favor to ask—he wants Kian to pretend to be his boyfriend while his parents are in town, and Kian reluctantly agrees.

The dinner doesn’t go exactly as planned, and suddenly Kian is Hudson’s plus one to Georgia’s wedding of the season. Hudson comes from a wealthy family where reputation is everything, and he really can’t afford another mistake. If Kian goes, he’ll help Hudson preserve appearances and get the opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the biggest names in media. This could be the big career break Kian needs.

But their fake relationship is starting to feel like it might be more than a means to an end, and it’s time for both men to fact-check their feelings.

Ships in 7-10 Business Days

Agreeing to go to a wedding with a guy she gets stuck with in an elevator is something Alexa Monroe wouldn't normally do. But there's something about Drew Nichols that's too hard to resist.

On the eve of his ex's wedding festivities, Drew is minus a plus one. Until a power outage strands him with the perfect candidate for a fake girlfriend....

After Alexa and Drew have more fun than they ever thought possible, Drew has to fly back to Los Angeles and his job as a pediatric surgeon, and Alexa heads home to Berkeley, where she's the mayor's chief of staff. Too bad they can't stop thinking about the other....

They're just two high-powered professionals on a collision course toward the long distance dating disaster of the century--or closing the gap between what they think they need and what they truly want....

The next book in the New Haven series, interconnected standalones featuring second chances, fiery passion, and Black heroines who get their happily ever afters. This is part one of a trilogy.

Mallory

The first time I kissed Christopher Johnson, I knew he would be my biggest mistake. It didn't stop me from wanting him though, and when the ghosts from my past came barging into the present, it didn't stop me from agreeing to let him help.

It was supposed to be a simple business arrangement, a few months of playing a role that came far too easily to the both of us, but it wasn't long before it became more.

Love. Devotion. Heartbreak in its truest form.

Some people say life is for the living, but I say life is for the prepared. For the planners who know that controlling every piece on the board is the only way to get the result you want.

To avoid unfortunate complications like having your heart broken by a man past experiences taught you, you never should have trusted in the first place.

Christopher

There's nothing in this world I wouldn't do for Mallory Kent.

I think I knew it the first time I laid eyes on her, and it's remained one of my unspoken truths for the two years that I've known her. But I never thought I'd get the opportunity to do anything about it because Mallory is one of those people who doesn't need anyone.

She's strong, serious, and always in control of every situation around her, which is why the second I see her looking panicked and uncertain in the arms of a figure from her past, I don't think. I just act.

I had no idea that one small decision would lead to this. A fake relationship―designed to solve her problems and mine―turned real. An earth shattering love torn apart by the very forces that led to its conception. Forces that turned me into the source of our destruction.

There's nothing in this world I wouldn't do for Mallory Kent, including break her heart to save her soul.

DELUXE LIMITED EDITION features stenciled edges, color endpapers, and a unique jacket that reveals an alternate case cover illustration when removed. Available for a limited time while supplies last.

From New York Times bestselling author Akwaeke Emezi comes a steamy paranormal romance set in the Black South--a bold new foray that takes us on a journey of magic and fantasy, from the whispering creeks outside the city of Salvation to the very depths of Hell itself.

Tenderhearted Galilee was raised by the Kincaids, a formidable clan of Black women sequestered deep in the weeping willows and dark rushing creeks of their land. Galilee has always known that she's different--that there is an old and unknowable secret around her very existence. It has been a hollow ache inside her since her childhood, something she assumes she will always have to live with.

Until she meets Lucifer Helel. He's fronting as the head of security for her wealthy friend Oriaku's family, protecting a mysterious, ancient artifact, but from the moment she lays eyes on him, Gali knows he's not human. From her first incendiary touch, Lucifer knows something even Gali herself doesn't--that she isn't human either.

Enter: Leviathan. As Lucifer's most trusted prince of Hell, Levi is ruthless and determined to eliminate the intolerable danger that is Galilee before she brings death and disaster to those he loves. While unseen battles rage between Hell, Heaven, and earth, Lucifer and Galilee's attraction threatens to bring all the structures of their existence crashing down around them.

Soon, loyalties will be shattered and reformed as Kincaid secrets clash with the princes of Hell, driving even the most powerful to their knees. Galilee Kincaid must decide if she will step into herself and embrace the consequences of power in this astonishing, seductive, and wildly original fantasy.

She's a gem.

And on an entirely different level than the women I'm accustomed to.

She's loyal and about her paper. That's why I'd sacrifice the only friendships I'd ever known, wait for however long it took her to be ready, and happily sever ties with anyone who didn't agree with or was against our union. Because the little spoiled brat that I once considered off-limits had given me a taste of her forbidden fruit and there was nothing I'd stop at to maintain the privilege of burying my seeds in her garden.

He's a friend.

And doesn't mind risking it all for me.

The truth is, I just can't get enough of him...

New York Times bestselling author Eric Jerome Dickey, “one of the most successful Black authors of the last quarter-century”* explores the depths of desire in this sensual blockbuster.

Born in Trinidad and living in Atlanta after a relationship gone bad, Nia Simone Bijou is an ambitious writer who has it all. Except for the one thing that'll give her the control she craves-and the power she deserves: absolute, uninhibited sexual satisfaction. Now, in the sweltering days and nights of summer, the heat is on. Nia's fantasies will become a reality-with man after man after man. She will shatter the limits of erotic love. She will open herself up to experiences she never dared before. And as her fantasies begin to spin out of control, she'll discover the unexpected price of the extreme.

*The New York Times

Christopher Rossmore has one dream: to run Rossmore Wineries, the vineyard that has been in his family for generations. Despite preparing for the role since birth, Christopher finds himself competing with his estranged father's gold digging fiancee for the job.

In order to become CEO, he has to convince celebrity couple Michaela Hamilton and Hunter Lawrence to hold their star studded nuptials at the vineyard.

He can run a business with his eyes closed, but public relations is not his jam.

He's gonna need some help.

Isobel Brooke Taylor has one dream: to run Taylor Made Hair Care, the family run hair care brand currently helmed by her father. Despite traveling all over the world to solidify Taylor Made's status as an international brand, the board is worried that her reputation as a party girl & socialite would make her unsuitable to take over.

In order to get the top job she has to convince the board that she can balance business & pleasure.

Walking into a crowded party and walking out with everyone eating out of the palm of her hand? Easy. Doing the same thing in the boardroom? Not so much.

She's gonna need some help.

When Izzie and Chris discover that Michaela and Hunter are hosting a couples only retreat, the perfect plan emerges. These childhood best friends will pretend to be lovers, while Izzy helps Chris woo the future Lawrences and Chris helps Izzy woo the board.

But, can Christopher and Isobel get through the retreat without wooing each other?

*ship in 7-10 business days

For fans of My (Not So) Perfect Life and Jasmine Guillory’s While We Were Dating, a disarmingly fun debut novel follows Carlisa Henton as her life comes undone after a chance meeting with a rising pop star.

Carlisa “Carli” Henton is a musician and songwriter hoping to follow in her father’s musical footsteps. But, biding her time until she makes it big in the music industry, she works as a junior account manager at a big-name media company to cover her New York City rent. Carli meticulously balances her work with her musical endeavors as a songwriter—until a chance meeting with rising star Tau Anderson sends her calculated world into a frenzy. Their worlds collide and quickly blur the strict lines Carli has drawn between her business and her personal life, throwing Carli’s reputation—and her burgeoning songwriting career—into question.

A smart, timely, energizing romance, Good Morning, Love shows us what the glamorous New York’s music scene is really like and takes us into the lives of a rising but somewhat troubled R&B star and a promising protégé who knows her job better than she knows herself.

With fresh and honest prose, Good Morning, Love examines the uncertainty of being a new professional looking to chase a dream while also trying to survive in a world that’s not always kind to ambitious women.

A Taste of Sin is the stunningly emotional and dangerously sexy conclusion to the Passion and Politics duet.

Months after suffering a devastating heartbreak, Selene Taylor finds herself navigating the complexities of her new role as First Lady while longing for the two men her husband is determined not to let her have—Secret Service agents Callan Drake and Lance Beckham.

With their hearts on the line and threats pressing in from all sides, the forbidden trio is faced with the challenge of wading through the webs of lies and shadows of deceit to find their way back to each other. For good.

I am Rather Childers...

I am one of seven women...

I am one of eight siblings ...

I am the daughter of Richie & Rhea...

And, I am wanted by the federal government...

I traded my career and livelihood for a life of leisure in St. Catana that guarantees my freedom and eliminates the chances of extradition. Not only for me but for my family as well. Two years ago, our superior's freedom was on the line. To secure his rightful place amongst his siblings, a sacrifice had to be made.

I was the sacrifice.

And, in ninety days, I am set to marry a Valentine who hunts, kills, and deals for a living. His head is as hot as it is large. He's a troublemaker. He's a liability to his family and mine. My job? Turn him into an asset before the government turns him into bait.

While that job might be simple, due to my extensive background in mental and emotional health, getting down the aisle isn't. Because he's not the only man's mind I'm willing to infiltrate. Past affiliations lead me down a dark, sinister path that emphasizes my betrayal, dishonesty, and disobedience. In the end, I'm left scrambling to make good on the promises my family made. The only issue is that I could easily sacrifice my body. It was my heart that troubled me.

I am a therapist.

I am The Therapist.

And, I am, in fact, a traitor.

Married For Money

Raimond Le Veq needed to marry to gain his inheritance and restore the fortunes of the House of Le Veq, the proud Black New Orleans family whose wealth had been ravaged by the War Between the States. Still wounded by the double-cross of the only woman he ever came close to loving, he gave the choice of bride to his mother. But he never be expected that she would pick Sable Fontaine--the beautiful former slave he could not allow himself to trust again.

Freed By Passion

Betrayed and sold to a cruel neighbor, Sable did whatever it took escape. With the spirits of her royal African ancestors guiding her, she made a bold bid for freedom, and won. But along the way she had to hurt the charming Union Major Le Veq, who had romanced her and championed her. Now fate has brought them back together in a marriage of convenience. Can she convince Raimond she was never a Rebel spy, and that this time, she'd choose him above all else?

A delicious debut rom-com about a plus-size sweetheart who gets a full-life makeover after a brutal breakup.

Savvy Sheldon spends a lot of time tiptoeing around the cracks in her life: her high-stress and low-thanks job, her clueless boyfriend and the falling-apart kitchen she inherited from her beloved grandma—who taught her how to cook and how to love people by feeding them. But when Savvy’s world starts to crash down around her, she knows it’s time for some renovations.

Starting from the outside in, Savvy tackles her crumbling kitchen, her relationship with her body, her work–life balance (or lack thereof) and, last but not least, her love life. The only thing that doesn’t seem to require effort is her ride-or-die squad of friends. But as any home-reno-show junkie can tell you, something always falls apart during renovations. First, Savvy passes out during hot yoga. Then it turns out that the contractor she hires is the same sexy stranger she unintentionally offended by judging based on appearances. Worst of all, Savvy can’t seem to go anywhere without tripping over her ex and his latest "upgrade." Savvy begins to realize that maybe she should’ve started her renovations the other way around: beginning with how she sees herself before building a love that lasts.

She exposed his marriage scandal on live radio. He swore he'd never forgive her. But when they start talking anonymously online...

Bellamy Barnes just wants to forget the mess that cost her everything. Her radio show, her reputation, and any shred of faith in emotionally unavailable men. The last thing she needs is her sister's infuriating neighbor—professional basketball star Cole Howard—calling her "Bella" and looking at her like she's the enemy.

Cole Howard has one rule after his very public, very expensive divorce. No drama. Which means staying far away from his neighbor Bellamy, the journalist who made a career out of exposing scandals exactly like his. She's beautiful, sharp-tongued, and everything he should avoid.

But online? That's different.

Cole escapes through an anonymous culinary account where he shares his passion for food with a stranger who sees him for more than his jump shot.

Bellamy finds refuge in late-night conversations with an anonymous cook who makes her believe in connection again.

Neither knows who's on the other side of the screen.

As their messages turn from flirty to something deeper, their real-world clashes grow more heated. When the truth comes out, will they choose the connection they built in secret—or let old wounds destroy their second chance?

From USA Today bestselling author K.C. Mills comes a scorching romance about a ruthless crime boss who discovers his greatest weakness may be the woman he vowed to protect—a gripping tale of power, protection, and the kind of love that breaks all the rules.

“You Could Do Damage Too weaves a delicious tale of romance, arranged marriage, and family secrets. The character development, storytelling, and romance showcase K.C. Mills’s talent and the power of her stories. This is a must read!” —DANIELLE ALLEN, USA Today bestselling author of Curvy Girl Summer

In a world where power and survival intertwine, Nari—a resilient former foster child—finds herself unexpectedly married to Kincaid Akel, a ruthless businessman with a complicated past.

What begins as a calculated arrangement transforms into a passionate and dangerous journey of love, loyalty, and survival. Kincaid’s fierce devotion to Nari is matched only by his willingness to eliminate anyone threatening her safety. But when the shadows of their past—including Nari’s criminal father, Eli Manchester—begin to close in, their marriage is tested in ways neither could have imagined.

Pregnant and caught between her husband’s dark world and her own search for identity, Nari must decide how much she’s willing to sacrifice to protect the life they’re building together. With enemies lurking and secrets threatening to destroy everything, Kincaid and Nari must trust each other completely . . . or risk losing everything they’ve fought so hard to create.

Trying to put past hurts behind you is hard when your ex is a fool, but buoyed by child support and alimony, Jo Walker is moving forward with her life, pursuing a career, raising her little girl, and trying to live in peace. She believes she has all the bases covered in her world. But what about her heart? Rap legend Everett “Big South” McClain is divorced, too, knows all about failed relationships, and has relegated his love life to casual connections rather than pursuing something real. That is, until he lays eyes on Jo. She’s exactly what he never knew he needed. He’s what’s been missing from her world. Will she accept what he has to offer and let him love her?

He didn’t need a date - he needed her. She wasn’t planning to stay long - but she got caught in his web... again. Universes clash again and what was lost is quickly found.

A small-town woman’s journey of self-discovery takes an unexpected detour when she inherits a Brooklyn brownstone—complete with one hot next-door neighbor—in this sexy, emotional contemporary romance.

When you least expect it, love comes knocking…

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.

Noble Washington is the successful CEO of a company he spent a decade building. But his carefully ordered life begins to unravel the second he meets fiery social worker Holland—and spends one unforgettable night with a woman who should be off-limits.

There’s a wall and a world of differences lying between them. But the sheltered Southerner and the ambitious native New Yorker feel a pull that just won’t be denied…

From showing up to glowing up, the characters in Afterglow Books are on the path to leading their best lives and finding sizzling romance along the way. Don’t miss any of these other fun titles…

Frenemy Fix-Up by Yahrah St. John

Church Girl by Naima Simone

Out of Office by A.H. Cunningham

USA Today bestselling author Kennedy Ryan delivers a scorching romance where one man must earn the trust of a woman with diamond-hard defenses in order to win her heart.

The world knows her face . . .

Mean girl. Goddess. Bitch. Supermodel Sofie Baston has earned those labels . . . yet they don't scratch the surface of who she really is. Before she can follow her own dreams, Sophie must do her daughterly duty and reel in a "fish" for her father's business-a tall, brown-eyed entrepreneur who immediately hooks her. He's a big guy with an even bigger heart . . . but will that heart be open to Sofie once her darkest secret is revealed?

. . . but only one man knows her heart

To Trevor Bishop, Sofie is a beautiful mystery he would gladly spend his life solving. He figures her tough demeanor is armor against a world that's hurt her too many times. Then Sofie's deepest wounds are reopened by the powerful, ruthless man who made them. When she musters the courage to take him down, her world shatters. Now Trevor is determined to help Sofie pick up the pieces so they can build a future together. The challenge will be convincing his ice princess that it's safe to melt in his arms . . .

Reclaiming Possession is a collection of second chance short stories set in the Houston Skyhawks Universe.

In The Off-Season (A Two Minute Warning Spin-off), a run-in at a party leads former lovers Gianna and Amari to question if their relationship deserved more than just a summer.

In Hail Mary, dessert shop owner Mara is solely focused on running her business until newly hired Skyhawks coach - and the only man she's ever loved - Quincy O'Neal walks through the door with a proposition.

In Second Down, Christmas provides a backdrop for co-parents Lauryn Greer and Carmelo Calloway, running back for the Houston Skyhawks, to confront their messy past and indulge in an unexpected present that could change their future.

The next book in the New Haven series, interconnected standalones featuring second chances, fiery passion, and Black heroines who get their happily ever afters. This is part two of the Revive Me trilogy.

Mallory

The day Christopher Johnson decided to kill me, I already knew what it was like to die. I had already experienced it once. Having the life leeched from my body, blood stolen from my veins, oxygen pulled from my lungs.

When he decided to walk back into my life, I was in the middle of my third resurrection, healing from the loss of my brother when I was still raw from losing him.

It wasn't going well.

I guess the human heart can only stop so many times, can only take so much damage before it questions whether it's worth it to be revived. My heart is on its last leg, but even that can't stop me from seizing the chance to have him again.

Even if it's just for a little while.

Chris

Walking away from Mallory Kent is one of the hardest things I've ever done.

The devastation that marred her features that night still haunts me. Refusing to let me forget that the knife I plunged into her heart to protect her had pierced mine as well. Dogging my steps as I walked through my miserable life without her.

Coming back had always been a part of the plan. Even as I gave in to the forces hellbent on tearing us apart, I knew we weren't done. I just didn't know we'd come back together like this: under a cloud of unexpected grief with the pain of our stolen future lingering just beneath the surface.

This time together was never supposed to happen. I hadn't accounted for it when I started working to clear a path back to her, but I'm thankful for it. For the opportunity to comfort her in a way no one else can. For the chance to hold her until the demons in my life force me to walk away again.

From Christine Pride, the beloved coauthor of the Good Morning America Book Club Pick We Are Not Like Them, comes a dazzling solo debut novel about a woman who finds herself in the impossible situation of being in love with the same two men who won her heart in her early twenties again as she nears forty.

It’s 1999, TLC’s “No Scrubs” is topping the charts, y2k is looming on everyone’s mind, and Cora Belle has arrived at college ready to change her life. She’s determined to grow out of the shy, sheltered girl who attended an all-white prep in her all-white suburb. Cora is ready to conquer her fears and find her people, her place in the world, and herself.

What she’s totally unprepared for is Lincoln, with his dark skin, charming southern drawl, and that smile. Because how can you ever prepare yourself for the rollercoaster of first love with all its glorious, bewildering contradictions? Just when Cora thinks she’s got things figured out, a series of surprises and secrets threaten to upend everything she thought she understood about love and loyalty.

In the wake of these developments and a shocking tragedy, a new man enters Cora’s life—Aaron—further complicating everything. He’s the only one who seems to get her, and the letters she writes to him when the two are separated reveal the truth of their inescapable connection. There’s only one problem—how can she fall in love with one man when her heart belongs to another?

Twenty years later, and Cora is all grown up, or mostly, and has cloaked herself in loneliness like a warm blanket. It’s the safest choice. But then an unexpected reconnection and a chance encounter puts her right back where she started. The same two men, the same agonizing decision.

Finding herself in this position—again—will test everything Cora thought she knew about fate, love, and most importantly, herself. All The Men I’ve Loved Again is a big-hearted coming-of-age story for anyone who’s thought what if about a past love and what it would be like to have a second chance.

Celebrate the release of Janae Sanders’ Second Time Around with LaQuette!

EVENT DEETS

When: Wednesday, January 14 @ 6:30 PM

Where: Virtual! Sign up and we'll send you the link to the Zoom. 

How: RSVP ONLY to get the link to the Zoom! RSVP WITH BOOK to get a copy of each of the authors' book and support the bookstore!

ABOUT THE BOOK

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ABOUT THE CONVERSATION PARTNER

Nikki Payne is a Civic anthropologist From Houston, Texas building accessible government services for vulnerable populations, by night she dreams of ways to subvert Canon literature. Hailed as "incandescent" by the Washington Post, Nikki Payne's debut novel Pride and Protest was a Phenomenal Book Club pick And was selected by the Library of Congress to represent the District of Columbia for the National Book Festival. featured in the New York Times, NPR, Elle, Oprah Daily and BuzzFeed, Nikki Payne is writing black women into their happily ever after.