All Zarinah wanted was to fall in love. Growing up, she had kissed her fair share of frogs. When an unconventional situation leads her to Lawson, her wishes might become reality. Lawson is the new CEO of his family's hotel casino chain. He's tired of aimless dating and women just wanting his money. When he meets Zarinah, he instantly feels like she's the one.

All Jerzey wanted was a family of her own. After things don't work out with her ex-husband, she takes matters into her own hands. Being a foster mom isn't easy, but having her best friend by her side to help makes it a little easier. That is, until the two blur lines and suddenly a friendship isn't enough.

Skylar Addison is one of the best sports attorneys in the city, so when the firm she worked for 鈥渞eallocated鈥� her out of a job, she felt as if the rug had been snatched from up under her. Finding out that her ex had her terminated after she decided that she no longer wanted to be in a relationship, only made matters worse. After a pity party at a local bar and grill, Skylar found herself falling for the type of man she swore she would never think twice about.

Known playboy and award-winning R&B singer Wesley Johnson Jr. puts his dating rules to the side when he has a second chance encounter with the woman he can鈥檛 stop thinking about. Finding himself in unchartered territory, he realizes he can鈥檛 rely on his fame to earn the affection of this one special woman. Will his new ways be enough for her to let her guard down, or will someone from his past ruin their chances together?

The job offer she expected after taking an unpaid internship at a major shoe company didn鈥檛 come through. The friend who鈥檇 offered her a place to stay suddenly gave her 48 hours to vacate after a misunderstanding. And when she鈥檚 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鈥檚 only gotten fine with time.

Can a good girl find love in a thug? For Lei Fifer, that鈥檚 the hundred-thousand-dollar question. When Lei, an introverted homebody, invites her girls over for a spa day, she isn鈥檛 expecting their conversation to shift to men in prison. As an advocate for rehabilitated people receiving the love, companionship, and support those who haven鈥檛 committed crimes receive, Lei doesn鈥檛 hesitate to put her money where her mouth is and bet that she can find a good friend or great love with someone through the pen pal program her father created.

Ashira, a belle from the suburbs, is the wealthy acting CEO of her father鈥檚 booming building firm. That's when she鈥檚 not the dancer on the Gram and TikTok, dating the latest Black Hollywood shooting star. To her, Jas, a construction laborer, is a walking conundrum. He鈥檚 fruitlessly ambitious yet steadfast in his spiritual convictions. He鈥檚 enigmatic, well-read, regimented, and poor. Oh, and a felon. An incredibly disarming parolee who wants no connection to her. Until he does.

You met them in the Valentine and Rose series. In this prelude, I will formally introduce you to Malik Anthony Clark, Tristian Neil Clark, and Langston Jamal Clark.

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.

She鈥檚 an angel. And she doesn鈥檛 mind dancing with a demon. That鈥檚 why I鈥檇 move mountains, dry seas, and hydrate the desert if it made her happy. She brought goodness to the world. It was only right that I made it hers, along with the two tiny beauties that shared her hazel eyes and perfect smile. For them, I鈥檇 do whatever. For them, I鈥檇 become whoever.

Sometimes, you just need someone to help you see things in a different light. A shift in the angle.

Zahi was young and living life to the fullest. Then, he was thrust into fatherhood and forced to change his outlook on life, love, and happiness. The self-proclaimed bachelor did not expect to be swept up in emotions he'd never felt. However, caring for his daughter, Zuri, charged a part of his heart that he thought was dead. The spark awakened a need for more out of life. From the moment he laid eyes on India, he was drawn to her. The pull was so intense, and no matter how many times he told himself to stay away from her, he just couldn't follow his own command.

Elias Omari exists in the darkness that clouds his mind. Cress Devereaux exists in the light that inspires her soul. Together, they create beautiful shades of gray. An arranged marriage forces two families to smooth the edges of their jagged past with the hopes of a new beginning. But can a union tainted with secrets and uncertainty promise an unbreakable alliance? The one thing that Elias and Cress share in common is family over everything, but should they continue to fight for family when that same family has never truly fought for them?

Honey Williams doesn鈥檛 trust men. Between her father and last lover, a part of her struggles with resenting the entire species. She鈥檚 spent the past six months hidden in the safety of her parents鈥檚 home hoping her kind heart will never be the cause of pain and misfortune again. That seems possible until a cranky client causes chaos 鈥� which leads to her meeting Mr. Librarian.

Siyanna Cassidy was overjoyed to find that she was pregnant only one month behind her twin sister, Summer. The two had done life together on so many levels, including marrying twin brothers. However, in a brutal twist of tragic events, Siyanna is forced into early labor on the heels of the shocking loss of her sister. As if she hadn't been heartbroken enough, the shooting death of her husband follows swiftly. Suddenly a single mother and widow, she partners with her brother-in-law to raise their children.

Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of best-selling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish. Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity's notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn't expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read.

Ryder, Garrett, Kenzo, and Diesel - The Vipers. Their deals are as sordid as their business, and their reputation is enough to bring a grown man to his knees, forcing him to beg for mercy. They are not people you mess with, yet my dad did. The old man ran up a debt with them and then sold me to cover his losses. Yes, sold me. They own me now. I鈥檓 theirs in every sense of the word. But I鈥檝e never been meek and compliant.

Beckett: If you鈥檙e reading this, well, you know the last-letter drill. You made it. I didn鈥檛. Get off the guilt train, because I know if there was any chance you could have saved me, you would have. I need one thing from you: get out of the army and get to Telluride. My little sister Ella鈥檚 raising the twins alone. She鈥檚 too independent and won鈥檛 accept help easily, but she has lost our grandmother, our parents, and now me. It鈥檚 too much for anyone to endure. And here鈥檚 the kicker: there鈥檚 something else you don鈥檛 know that鈥檚 tearing her family apart.

We're not free to give into this. She's 19, and I'm 38. And I'm her boyfriend's father. Unfortunately, they both just moved into my house.

After watching my mother succumb to a mysterious illness, I promised myself two things. I'd find the cure for what ravaged her and leave the godforsaken city where she abandoned me. Four years later, I received an acceptance letter from Dracadia University, one of the oldest most prestigious schools in the country. Nestled on a secluded island off the coast of Maine, it's rumored to be haunted by the souls of the mental patients exiled there centuries before, those whose bones are said to make up the island's white sandy shores. And restless ghosts aren't even its most daunting peculiarity.

Putting herself first is what Jordana Evans knows how to do best. She鈥檚 at the top of her game in her career and no longer haunted by memories of her past threatening to steal her joy. In her mind, being in love is a want, not a need, and she鈥檚 convinced that she鈥檒l be just fine without it. Having intimate relations with the opposite sex is something she鈥檚 willing to do for one night only. But then came along鈥�i>him.

For Nalani Stark, legacy matters鈥� maybe more than most things. Important enough that when that legacy 鈥� inextricably tied to her mother鈥檚 memory - is challenged, she鈥檚 forced to consider even the most undesirable options鈥� Such as a match made in hell with Orion Sterling. The heir to the competitor she grew up being warned about. Orion is a man well-accustomed to getting exactly what he wants. Other than opportunities to grow the family business, he鈥檚 moved by very few things.

All Zarinah wanted was to fall in love. Growing up, she had kissed her fair share of frogs. When an unconventional situation leads her to Lawson, her wishes might become reality. Lawson is the new CEO of his family's hotel casino chain. He's tired of aimless dating and women just wanting his money. When he meets Zarinah, he instantly feels like she's the one.

Meet Heaven: a young girl who is loving, submissive, and beyond appreciative of her husband, Ross. As a teenager, Heaven lived solely for her sister, Divine, and her daughter, Sunshine. Because her mother is mentally ill and her father ran off, Heaven had to do some unimaginable things just to feed the family. Then came Ross, and everything changed. He wasn't some filthy rich, dope boy that some young girls dream of, but Heaven felt like Ross was her blessing.

He's every woman's dream. Thanks to his humble beginnings, he's edgy, outspoken, and determined to win. Holt is also the highest-paid wide receiver in the league and well worth the money he's paid. Not only is he worth millions, but he's also physical perfection. That alone has every woman willing to do any and everything he asks. Well鈥� every woman except one, Sutton Kelly.

The day Lisara Compton caught her husband in a rather compromising position changed her life in a way neither she nor her sons ever saw coming. Realizing too late that divorcing him would cause a domino effect of turmoil, she is now forced into an uncomfortable life that she can't seem to stay afloat in. With her eldest son acting out and a nonexistent ex-husband, Lisara feels things can't get any worse. That's until her ex betrays her and their son in a way that leaves her in need like never before. It seems she just can't catch a break, until she meets him.

I am not a drug dealer. I am not a seller鈥� I am not a handler鈥� I am not an abuser鈥� I am not a promoter鈥� I am not a smuggler鈥� However, I understand that I can not save the world or the people who have chosen those paths. So, making substances safer, grander, and extremely unique is my life鈥檚 work. What I have created can鈥檛 be duplicated, stepped on, or mistaken for anything else.

A tragic beginning to life led Jah and Shauka Disciple to homelessness and poverty at such a young age that they grew into men before their time. Yet, they turned their hunger, abandonment, and suffering into diamonds, mansions, and power. The natural hustler instinct they鈥檇 inherited from their father was their driving force. Yet, this story starts when Messiah turns 18 and is finally freed from his adoptive parents. Reluctantly, he leaves his twin sister behind as he, Jah, and Shauka run the streets and break yearning hearts along the way.

Contains books one, two, and three of the Luke Brothers series: Unexpected Expectations, Unexpected Second Chances, and Unexpected Challenges.

Yonas 鈥淣as鈥� Kadir is a man of few words. He has learned the art of never showing his hand, which is a valued asset for a man who balances his life between dark and light. There鈥檚 not much he desires that isn鈥檛 as good as promised to him, which is why Dae Richardson can fight the attraction but will ultimately fall for his good looks and undeniable charm, or so he hopes.

Xiomara's bad and she knows it. She's not only a cute face; she's working on her degree as well. Left with scars from her past, she's only focused on her money and building her brand. After encountering Jrue in the club, she's offered a job that unknowingly changes things for her, causing her to look at her choices differently.

Rude, uncaring, and sexy all at the same time, Mission is who he is unapologetically. Nothing comes before his money or his business. Now that he has conquered the illegal world, his cousin urges him to cross over to the legit side. Not liking change, Mission resists this new venture until he realizes the connection it has with someone he wants鈥擳ayah Nolan!

Dr. Ezekiel Green is ready to make a fresh start in a new city after the divorce from his high school sweetheart. What was supposed to be a professional business dinner with a future colleague quickly transformed into a love at first sight encounter, or so he thought. Dr. Jemma Holiday was spirited, brilliant, beautiful, and another man鈥檚 wife.

Tori McNabb and Ashton Spencer, based on appearances, believe they have no reason to breathe the same air. But when startling circumstances align their paths on the campus of Blakewood State University, the two have no choice but to look beyond their exteriors. McNabb is a fighter in life as well as in the ring. She knows what she鈥檚 capable of...and she doesn鈥檛 want to be tested. Her only goal is to never return to Millville, New Jersey. Spencer, the most popular athlete on campus, is well on his way to success as a professional athlete....

When souls are tied, it's never goodbye. A boy I was that summer evening I met you, pulling your belongings out of the truck and into your new home. I knew it was love then. A whole man I was the day that you met me at the altar and agreed to love me until death do us part. A shell of a man I've become since it did, unable to move on, move forward, or progress in any way until I discovered that not even death was permanent enough to keep us apart. A better man I'm destined to be, knowing that, at some capacity, you're still with me. Our love is one that never dies.