C. Smallwood

True never guessed that life would be this hard. Being only 25 years old, she should have been being wild, reckless, and having fun, not fighting the hardest battle of her life, alongside a husband who no longer loved her. After their divorce, True wanted to be free and enjoy every day. Falling in love was not in the plan. She most definitely hadn't foreseen falling in love with an arrogant, womanizing hustler like Coop. Yet, she did. However, as soon as True tells him all her truth, he'll revert back to that unbearable goon that wreaked havoc on the streets of Chicago.

When I envisioned the life that I wanted for myself, I pictured myself sitting in a rocking chair in the nursery me and my husband had spent months designing. I pictured looking down at a baby that resembled the both of us, and thanking God that he chose me to be their mother. My reality was that I was staring down at another negative pregnancy test and realizing the possibility that I had failed another cycle of IVF, alone. There was no husband here to comfort me, or a nursery that I could sit and sob in. Each time that one line appeared, a small piece of me always died inside.

Every day I turned my camera on, sat in front of my tripod, and recorded myself doing my makeup, hair, or getting ready for an event. My supporters watched wishing they had the newest designer bag that I had just worn, or the mountains upon mountains of PR every brand sent to my front door. They wanted to be Harlym J., and I mean, I couldn’t blame them. I made this lifestyle look like a piece of cake with three cherries on top.

Six months before aging out of foster care, 17-year-old Tori meets a local hustler who makes her an offer she can’t refuse. At first, she enjoys the benefits of being Ricky’s “new girl,” but it’s not long before he’s looking for a return on his investment. After a confrontation with Ricky spirals out of control, Tori goes on the run. Halfway across the country, she meets Dana, a street-wise woman in a similarly desperate situation. The two become quick friends and hatch a plan to move to Reno. But soon Tori is on her own again - and out for revenge.

Donovan Barron, aka Young, is Southside to the heart, and nothing can change that, not even an NBA career. Refusing to conform has led to Young being dubbed as "Atlanta's Bad Boy". Living lowkey and making money are his only priorities until he is forced to switch it up. Stony Dorrian refuses to let anyone tell her how to live her life any longer! For too long, she has allowed her parents to control everything in her life. Officially fed up, a chance meeting allows Stony to live a carefree for once, and it just might change her life forever.

Logic is doing his best to stay focused on just living. After the death of his brother, he decides to leave the streets alone. He can't imagine his mother having to bury another son or visit him in jail. But the idea of letting his brother's killer go free is really weighing heavily on him. Especially knowing his brother's killer was the one person he used to trust the most. Joy has been watching Logic for months and knows that she has to have him. This man is everything. There is a certain mystery about him that pulls her in and won't let go.

Ocean was the driver's name, and it fit her perfectly. Just looking at her, he knew that her beauty was endlessly deep, and behind the allure in her eyes was violent turbulence. She was beyond her curves, chocolate skin, and artistic features. Despite her youth, life had dealt her a bad hand. She had the eyes of a fighter—determined and unafraid. Her pain was evident in the creases of her brow and the natural pout of her full lips. Her amazing eyes revealed a broken soul, fighting to put itself back together.

Eight years after moving away from her hometown of Miami, Cherokee is back home to take care of her sickly grandmother. While trying to stay low and off the scene, she puts all her focus into her job and her family. That is, until the man who broke her heart many years ago unexpectedly walks into her life once again.

Past relationships have left Nova scarred. Finishing up school and opening her boutique were her main focus until she ran into Grayson. Grayson was worried about being a great father and his photography career when Nova ran into him, in the most literal sense. While Nova tries to run from Grayson, afraid he'll turn out like the rest of the men who broke her heart, Grayson is determined to show her different. Not one to let go without a fight, he's determined to show her the beauty he sees behind the lens.

Alexis Griggs has worked hard to get where she is in life. She owns several clinics that service people in need and is a pillar of her community, but looks can be deceiving. Alexis and her brother, Jace, are both leading double lives, which are both illegal and deadly. It leaves little time for Alexis to have a personal life; that is until she has a chance encounter with single father Kevell Farrell.