American Contemporary

Phate (/fāt/) - a strong feeling of resentment toward a member of the opposite sex, which eventually compels both parties to be drawn to one another in love. Ze’Cheray walked into her first class of senior year thinking it was going to be a breeze. She walked out believing she made the worst mistake of her life. De’Veon’s deep chocolate skin, penetrating eyes, and edge of silent confidence made Ze’Cheray think the new guy just might break her out of her most recent bout of singleness. Until he opened his mouth. From that day forward, for some reason, De’Veon saw Ze’Cheray as ...

🔥 Enemies to lovers. Unfinished business. A battle of hearts and minds. 🔥 Betty Bingham has spent years dedicated to her career and family, leaving little room for romance. After a painful divorce, she’s vowed to never fall for the wrong man again—especially not a white man. But when she challenges the infuriatingly charming Dr. William "Billy" Watson during a heated academic debate, sparks fly in ways she never expected. Billy is a well-respected historian, used to commanding the room—until Betty calls him out in front of a packed audience. He should be annoyed. Instead, he's ...

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.

Gideon “Gee” Powers has one hundred and eighty days to secure his rightful place as head of the family. Rhian Barnes has one hundred and eighty days to complete a bucket list. One night in Sin City blurs the lines and two become one.

In 1970, one of Mississippi's more colorful weekly newspapers, The Ford County Times, went bankrupt. To the surprise and dismay of many, ownership was assumed by a 23 year-old college dropout, named Willie Traynor. The future of the paper looked grim until a young mother was brutally raped and murdered by a member of the notorious Padgitt family. Willie Traynor reported all the gruesome details, and his newspaper began to prosper.

Mary Monroe is the author of Essence best-sellers including The Upper Room. Here, she examines the emotional webs that are woven between friends, lovers, and families. Carmen Taylor is absolutely dependable; she feels responsible for everyone she knows. It will take one reckless night to make Carmen realize that she might be able to lay her burdens down and take a chance on real happiness.

Faith can Move Mountains… Sasha has battled depression in the past but has been blessed to overcome it for the most part. With her thirtieth birthday around the corner, she feels stuck in life. While her siblings are thriving in successful careers, she's only been able to find work as a low-paid cashier and lives in her parents' basement. Her parents' disappointment only adds to her frustration and self-doubt. But when a handsome stranger with a genuine love for Christ steps into the picture and shows her unexpected kindness, things begin to turn around for Sasha. For once, she starts to ...

Ashley and JaQuavis introduce listeners to London, a beautiful immigrant from Trinidad. She was given to her husband by her father in order to settle a debt. Standing by her husband's side to make him the envy of his associates is a day in the life, but behind closed doors, their relationship becomes cold, and the abuse that she encounters has her looking for a way out.

Faith... She's got plenty of that! A Great Career... She's cinched it in the bag! Fiancée... She finally has one! Yep, that had definitely been Alicia’s story until her life’s narrative changed almost overnight. When this gorgeous engineer with a big heart loses it all, will her faith keep her grounded and get her back on track? Despite circumstances, will she end up living the charmed life she’s always dreamed of?

Jazlyn is a successful event planner whose main goal in life is to honor God in her work. She absolutely loves the Christmas season, so it's no surprise that she likes to get a head start on celebrating the holiday every time it rolls around. But when Christmas approaches this year, Jazlyn’s heart tells her that it wants to find one thing in her stocking: a soulmate. When Jazlyn is tasked with working with a handsome youth minister at her church, maybe she’ll discover that God performs some of His best miracles during the holiday season!

The Road Beasts: Bear – A Gritty, Mature Romance 🔥 A gruff biker. A fierce, independent woman. A fire that changes everything. 🔥 Brandon "Bear" Kodiac doesn’t believe in fate—until the night he charges into a burning house and pulls Lica Nichols to safety. As a former biker turned contractor, he’s used to fixing broken things, but nothing prepares him for the fiery, stubborn woman who refuses to be saved. Lica Nichols has spent her life proving she doesn’t need anyone’s help. Legally blind but fiercely independent, she’s built a successful career and a life on her own ...

In the wake of a devastating teen pregnancy that left her childless and heartbroken, Vashti Alcindor left Catalina Cove, Louisiana, with no plans to return. Now, more than a decade later, Vashti reluctantly finds herself back in her hometown after inheriting her aunt’s B and B. Her homecoming gets off to a rocky start when the new sheriff, Sawyer Grisham, pulls her over for speeding, and things go downhill from there.

Beautiful disaster. The first thing that comes to mind when I think of her. Who hurt you? The first question comes to mind when I open my mouth to greet her. Although it wasn't the easiest to reach, I knew her heart was pure. Gentle to the touch yet stubborn as a bull, she made it hard to resist her. Unintentionally, she sank her hooks in me. She was the calm before my storm. A thunderous, darkening storm with lightning that graciously exposed the paternity of my brother and me. Though the gloom of it all lingered above both our heads.

Two children from Sierra Leone, Liberty and A’shai, are brought together by chance, only to be forced apart by the most inevitable and tragic fate. Ashley & JaQuavis bring us this classic love story set against modern life’s most horrifying realities.

Ever felt like you had it all, and then in the blink of an eye, it’s all gone? What do you do when your whole family turns their back on you? Do you lay down or go get it? Moving all the way from California to Miami, Endia decided going and getting it was the best option for her if she wanted to maintain the lavish lifestyle she was used to living. Without her love, RahMeek, by her side or her wealthy parents, she had to learn how to make it on her own. Not being one to ask for handouts, she is hungry for success and feels that the life she was living now would all be worth it in the end,...

Dena Meadows is a professional woman, wife, and student working on her Ph.D. Her world is shattered when she finds that her husband has been cheating on her with a younger woman. Coming from a family of failed relationships and secrets, Dena is the first in her family to ever get a formal education. With all her knowledge however, she still seems paralyzed by her husband’s betrayal. Eric Allen is wounded beyond words when his wife Elise cheats on him. Eric was faithful, hardworking, and strived to be the best man he could be. Both are on a journey as they find their lives falling apart. ...

Is it ever meant for Tink to be found, or will she die before she can be captured? Roshaun had everyone out on a rampage, looking for Tink, but once it was discovered that she couldn’t be found, painting the city red wasn’t enough for him until he got the unexpected call. Passion’s past won’t allow her to live in the moment, which leads her back to her old ways, which was one thing, but for her to neglect her family was something Romeo could no longer take. Will they get it together for their family, or crash and end the engagement? Join Tink and the Collins for another ...

Everyone in the Rinaldi Mob has a job to do—a role to play—and newly appointed Mafian, Jisei Harper, is no exception. Jisei is used to slumming it out on her own. From birth, she was dealt a bad hand, but instead of dwelling on it, she smiled, rolled her shoulders back, and played her cards. After years of struggling, she meets Mocha, a rich daddy's girl, and Scarlett, a naïve hoodlum who had it worse off than Jisei. Little did she know, these two new friendships would lead her to the only blood relative she never knew existed.

As a curvy black nurse in a hospital filled with doctors who love skinny blondes, I was starting to wonder if I would ever find my true love and have the family I always dream of as a girl. Then one day, he walked in and my world changed in an instant. He is a handsome white man and he has a secret. I need to help him hide or everything will fall apart. But can I keep my emotions in check when I find out what he wants from me?

Ash shook off the images swarming his head and tried to focus on her again; it wasn’t hard. She was so beautiful, those plump lips naturally lined by a darker stain of pink as they blossomed into a cherry in the center, those wide eyes so rich and opaque he could stare into them for hours and never separate pupil from iris. The lashes kissing the delicate smattering of freckles on her mahogany cheek—“I can’t begin to tell you how much your friendship means to me,” Ash said, still drinking in her face. She was so close. It would take nothing to just come a little closer, just there...