Loreli Winters never imagined she'd end up a "mail-order bride" in middle-of-nowhere Kansas -- until the two adorable orphan nieces of a dusky dream named Jake Reed beg her to be their new "mama." And one look at the dark, devastatingly handsome man is enough to entice her to abandon her California plans and stay put for a while in this one-horse frontier town.

Strong, sensible Jake was hoping for a wife to help him raise his girls, but Loreli may be more than he can handle. He can't stop wondering what it would be like to hold the fiery enchantress close and kiss her deeply. Surely he could never compete with the sophisticated gents she has known, yet he intends to try. But will his honest passion be enough to take a chance on a long-shot called love?

She’s a preacher’s daughter, a runaway bride and now the (not quite) qualified nanny for a sexy tattoo artist with a beautiful daughter—and a dirty mouth.

What’s a bad boy to do with a woman like her?

Everything…

Aaliyah Montgomery isn’t just ditching her wedding. She’s also fleeing her suffocating small town and her family’s expectations. She’s got plans—for college, for finding herself. But landing a job in Chicago that fits her schedule isn’t easy. Good thing Von Howard is desperate to find a live-in nanny. Bad thing that he’s a gritty, grumpy, gorgeous tattoo artist carrying as much baggage as he has ink.

Von’s new hire is inexperienced and a fire hazard in the kitchen. She’s also all thick curls, thicker curves, and a distracting mix of innocence and sensuality. After the upheaval of a divorce, he just needs a nanny, not a sneaky link. Meanwhile, Aaliyah is bonding with his seven-year-old and showing an unexpected flair for tattoo art. Who could resist?

Yet deep down, Aaliyah’s still running—from her feelings and her fear of losing herself to someone else’s expectations again. Even as their pasts return to haunt them, their undeniable heat says maybe it’s time to stand and fight for a love they didn’t see coming.

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

Out of Office by A.H. Cunningham

Manila Takes Manhattan by Carla de Guzman

Fake Flame by Adele Buck

Serenity Allen was looking for an uneventful summer. Her plans included – work, stack her money, and stay unscathed by the hood of Los Oceania. Unfortunately, her brother’s urge to move in and save money puts a dent in her agenda.
Geoffrey Pryor is fresh out, looking to restart life quietly. For him, the game is a slippery slope that keeps beckoning him back to its shore. When a familiar spirit moves across the street and his friend gives him strict instructions, he finds himself going against everything he said he wouldn’t do.
Falling in love in Los Oceania has always been easy with the cool breeze, but does it stay or fade with the wind?

*ships or ready for pick up in 5-10 days*

“I couldn’t put down this page-turner. . . . The new When Harry Met Sally . . . a warm, smart, sexy, and absolutely charming debut.”—Colleen Hoover A teacher with big dreams joins forces with a no-nonsense engineer to survive an ex's wedding and escape matchmaking pressure from their Indian families. Their plan? Faking an engagement, of course. Meghna Raman defied her parents’ wishes and followed her life’s passion, becoming a theater teacher and aspiring playwright. When she discovers that her beloved writing partner, best friend, and secret crush, Seth, is engaged—and not to her—she realizes he’s about to become the one-that-got-away. Even worse, he’s asked her to be his best man. And worse than that, she’s agreed. Determined to try and move on, Meghna agrees to let her parents introduce her to a potential match. Maybe she could marry the engineer that her parents still wish she’d become. Grumpy engineer Karthik Murthy has seen enough of his parents’ marriage to know it’s not for him. He agreed to his mother’s matchmaking attempts to make her happy, never dreaming he would meet someone as vibrant as Meghna. Though he can’t offer her something real, a fake engagement could help Meghna soothe the sting of planning Seth’s wedding festivities and Karthik avoid the absurd number of set-ups his mother has planned for him. As the two find common ground, grow protective of each other’s hearts, and start to fall for the traits they originally thought they hated, an undeniable chemistry emerges. But soon, their expectations and insecurities threaten something that’s become a lot more real than they’d planned. Say You’ll Be Mine is a delightful trip back to the heyday of swoony romantic comedies from the nineties, but with a deep and poignant look at the effects of culture and family in our most intimate relationships.

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.

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...

Returning to her hometown was not in the plans, and neither was falling for her former best friend…

Briyana Hayes can’t seem to catch a break.

The job offer she expected after taking an unpaid internship at a major shoe company didn’t come through. The friend who’d offered her a place to stay suddenly gave her forty-eight hours to vacate after a misunderstanding. And when she’s forced to move back to her hometown to live with her father and his mistress-turned-wife, it almost seems impossible for things to get any worse… until she runs into her former best friend who’s only gotten fine with time.

With his sixth season as the starting linebacker for his hometown Houston Skyhawks on the horizon, the only thing Lance Hawkins is looking forward to is another year of getting paid and chasing accolades. But when he discovers that the girl he once considered his best friend is back in the city, he quickly finds himself intrigued by a different kind of pursuit after seeing how attractive she’s gotten.

Even with the fallout of the past, their undeniable chemistry as friends makes it impossible for the two of them to remain distant. And once romantic feelings get involved, it doesn’t take long for Briyana and Lance to find themselves on a journey of not only reestablishing what once was, but also exploring what could be.

Faking this relationship should be a piece of cake.
Retta Majors is having a bad day. But that’s to be expected when your ex gets engaged to your cousin. Instead of (totally) freaking out, Retta decides to attend the wedding with her amazing, faithful, and handsome boyfriend. One problem...He doesn’t exist.

Duncan Gilmore is living his dream. His boxing gym is open for business, and he’s focused on success. The last thing on his mind is a relationship. That is until the beautiful baker next door makes him an offer so bizarre, he can’t refuse. One weekend of pretending to be Retta’s boyfriend should be easy.

However, shared kisses and some flirting start to blur the lines in their fake relationship. When their performance draws to a close, will they go their separate ways or return for an encore?

This novel can be read as a standalone.

After a rough breakup, gay romance author Renny Ross heads to the Bay Area for a fresh start. His new gig writing the anniversary story for a local university is supposed to be a fresh chapter (thanks to university president Dr. Taylor James). But Renny didn't expect to run into a familiar face from his past.

After dropping off his youngest child at college, recently divorced Brent D. King DuPree, is on a journey to freedom, liberation, and living the life he put on hold for over twenty years to raise his family. Figuring out life as a newly out and newly single man, Brent is hesitant about stepping into the Bay Area gay scene until a chance reunion with his first real crush, and the guy he never quite forgot, his peer mentor and tutor in college: Renny Ross.

Neither man expected a second chance. But working together at the same university stirs up feelings that never really faded. Their love doesn't have to be a secret anymore, but will they get it right this time?

Sports agent Jackie Miles is a petite powerhouse who has built her empire on killer instincts, designer stilettos, and tough skin. Her client roster is legendary, her temper is hotter than Georgia asphalt, and aside from her French bulldog PeeWee and her "boss chick village," she's perfectly content flying solo. Then Antonio Steele walks back into her life, and all hell breaks loose. The towering former football star turned rival agent has always known exactly which buttons to push. Just when Jackie thinks she can handle their explosive chemistry and complicated past, she mysteriously loses her voice. But this isn't ordinary laryngitis; a cryptic stranger's message implies that Jackie must "quiet her tongue and listen with her heart" to lift whatever spell she's under. With a career-defining client trip to Mexico looming, and only the devastatingly handsome Antonio as backup, Jackie must learn to let go-if only she could trust him to catch her. Struck Speechless is book two in the Boss Chicks Village Series, following the hit romcom Losing Sight.

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.

The end of my marriage was the beginning of my happily ever after.

What happens when you hear your husband putting dents in your mattress with another woman?

Leave and never look back!

Easier said than done when you're a stay-at-home mom, share two kids with the no-good cheater, and have a savings account that laughs in your face on the daily.

I want out and agree to an outrageous separation agreement to avoid a showdown in court with a man standing on his wallet, waiting for me to fall. The mission is next to impossible, but I would rather attempt a full split on a hibachi grill after a Brazilian wax than stay in a marriage I should've ended years ago.

Morgan, my best friend, offers a gorgeous townhouse her family owns to get me back on my feet. Eight months rent-free equals one step closer to Divorced AF.

I didn't expect moms gone wild at my divorce party, but one fruity cocktail led to me staying out past my bedtime and the steamiest dream with a man straight from fantasies.

Every kiss, every caress, made me feel worshipped. Adored.

When Morgan offered this Georgetown home, she failed to mention it belongs to her younger brother, one of DC's most eligible bachelors. He's very fine, not a dream, and back early from time away in London.

Now, we're staring at each other, dumbfounded and turned on.

Ella Gets the D is a standalone divorce romantic comedy perfect for lovers of cinnamon roll heroes, a tired mom getting her groove back, tacos, and lots of spice (we kick the door wide open). This isn't your fluffy rom-com. Somebody might catch a case.

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!

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. ***

Paperback Release Date - 11/3/2026

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.

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?

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

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

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?

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?

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.

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?

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.

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....

From Wall Street Journal bestselling author Dylan Allen writing as Lucy Wilson-Tagoe comes the first story in her new Blurred Lines Duet series…

Who gets to tell this story?
The sinner who lived it?
Or the saint who stole it?

Sin Sackey is driven by the same hardwired need as every eldest first-generation daughter—to make her family proud. And she built her career and chose her partners with that single goal as her north star.

Everyone said she had it all. And for more than twenty years, Sin let herself believe they were right.

Until a near-death experience makes the truth impossible to deny.

Her relationship is on life support. Her journalism career is in freefall. And the city she thought she’d conquer has chewed her up and spit her out.

With everything to prove—and everything to lose—Sin moves back home to Washington, DC, determined to start over. No more chasing shadowy criminals. And no more men who look too good to be true.

But on the eve of the first day of the rest of her new life, the saying about old habits proves painfully accurate.

A new lead falls into her lap, and Sin dives back into the story that nearly cost her everything.
Then, when a man who is all the things she’s sworn to avoid invites her to dinner, she says yes.

After everything she’s been through, it’s reckless.

But this story could resurrect her career—and take down an entire black-market empire. She’s closer than ever to catching its elusive leader, and she can’t let go now.

And this man—who makes her blush, makes her laugh, and understands things she usually has to explain—could be the one. So, she lowers her walls just enough for him to climb over.

But just when it seems her gamble might pay off, her lead starts to feel more like a trap. And the man she’s let herself love appears to be the one who set it.

To Catch a Sinneris a steamy, suspenseful friends-to-lovers romance between a relentless journalist and a mysterious lawyer with a complicated shared past. Set against a fictionalized Washington, DC, this fast-paced, high-stakes story explores reclaiming identity, challenging power, and the pursuit of a new American dream.

She's a good girl.

And she has a thing for bad boys.

It's the reason I had to let her go. I knew that I was a mistake she was willing to make over and over, again. I loved her too much to hurt her, but that didn't give anyone else the right to. She's too pure and too precious. And, I'd do any nigga dirty that dared to play with her heart. I wasn't even the exception when it came to her. That's why I knew I had to get my shit together and cater to her heart the way only I could. And until she was mine again, I'd go to war with any n*gga, empty my bank accounts, ignite fires between us, sing every love song known to man, and grovel at her feet. Because I wouldn't rest until she belonged to me.

He's a heartbreaker.

And I'm still recovering from that time he broke mine.

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

*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.

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.