Urban Reviews - Newly Released African American Fiction
Discover the latest in African American fiction with Urban Reviews! Read expert critiques and insights on newly released urban books, featuring top authors and must-read titles in contemporary Black literature.
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When I Get Where I'm Going
by Cheryl Robinson
Three estranged sisters are brought together by an earth-shattering discovery, a lucky lottery ticket, and a near-fatal encounter, as each learns the undeniable value of family.
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Welfare Wifeys
by K'wan
After the deaths and arrests of his entire crew and an informant-fueled investigation into his past, the man known on the streets as Animal relocates to Texas and finds fame and stardom as the newest act signed to the notorious Big Dawg Entertainment. His girlfriend, Gucci, is thrilled when she gets the news that he's coming back to New York on a promotional tour, but when she discovers the hidden agenda behind his homecoming nothing can prepare her for the life-altering consequences that will come of it. There goes the neighborhood . . . again.
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The Golden Hustla
by Wahida Clark
"Nina Coles makes a home in Atlanta hoping to turn her life around. But she'll learn that you can't run from trouble"--Provided by publisher.
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Natural Born Hustler
by Nikki Turner
The reigning Queen of Hip-Hop Lit, Nikki Turner returns with a fresh and fierce tale sure to satisfy longtime fans and create new ones. Desember Day is beautiful, confident, and smart. She has more game in the streets than a basketball player does on the court, and her boyfriend, Fame, loves every single inch of her. But unlike her mother, who has been in one bad relationship after another, Desember is not going to wait on a knight in shining armor to save her, and even her love for Fame can’t stand in the way of Desember selling anything and everything—legal or illegal—that can turn a profit, so that she never has to depend on a man. The only thing Desember feels she’s lacking is a father to call her own. And her mother refuses to tell Desember who he is. When Fame finds himself at the wrong end of a gun, fighting for his life, Desember wants nothing more than to stand by her man, but Fame warns her from his hospital bed that she isn’t safe. Desember wonders if she was the real target. Her mother, concerned for Desember’s safety, arranges for her daughter to travel to Richmond, Virginia, to live with Desember’s father and his wife.And when her father’s identity is finally revealed, Desember learns that she is a Natural Born Hustler. But are her troubles really over? Or is the worst yet to come?
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Hell's Diva
by Anna J
When Mecca's parents are killed in front of her by a family friend, she learns that true friends are few and far between. She is taken in by her aunt and soon finds out who is really riding for her and who is just around because they fear the wrath of Aunt Ruby. But it's not long before her beloved Aunt Ruby is snatched away from her and Mecca is forced to fend for herself. She learns to play with the hand she was dealt, but who will be left standing in the end? In Mecca's world, everyone is suspect and no one can be trusted, not even family.
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What's His Is Mine
by Daaimah S. Poole
Searching for the kind of happiness only money can buy, four women, all of whom are involved with pro athletes, discover that the price of wealth is higher than they ever could have imagined. Original.
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'Til Death
by Miasha
“ I couldn’t care less what anybody thinks of me. They don’t pay my bills. And there’s nothing wrong with using what your mama gave you to get exactly what you want . . .” Celess knew she had to stop living the fast life and settle down, maybe even start a family—if she could find a man who could get past her secret. But you know what they say: Once you go bad, you can never go back. And if beauty is pain, Celess has suffered more than most and she knows how to use her looks to her advantage. She hooks up with well-connected Miami bad girl Sienna, and together they move with one purpose—get money. When modeling and bit parts in movies aren’t enough, Celess and Sienna leave L.A. and head to Italy to open what quickly becomes the fastest-growing escort service in the world. They have it all—looks, style, and a six-months-long waiting list. Life is good, but they know the deal—there are always haters on the way to the top. Celess and Sienna are ready for the backstabbing and drama that come with money, power, and sex, but they’ll be surprised by just who will turn on them. Be careful who you trust . . .
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Getting to Happy
by Terry McMillan
A sequel to the best-selling Waiting to Exhale picks up 15 years later to find Savannah contemplating divorce, Bernadine succumbing to painkiller addiction after a second husband's swindle, Robin falling into shopaholism and Gloria confronting profound change after a fateful event. By the NAACP Image Award-winning author of How Stella Got Her Groove Back.
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Eye for an Eye
by Dwayne S. Joseph
When Lisette, who ruins marriages at the request of desperate, wealthy wives who will pay anything to get back at their husbands, is hired by Shante Hunter who wants to prove to her sister that the man she married is no good, she thinks it's just business as usual until someone from her past returns, determined to get revenge. Original.
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Smooth Operator
by Risque
A #1 "Essence"-bestselling author is back with a sensual new novel--the story of a single mother and part-time student who hosts a steamy Internet site to earn some extra cash.
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Playing the Hand You're Dealt
by Trice Hickman
Meet Emily Snow, a beautiful, kind-hearted, bohemian Âżgood girlÂż whoÂżs always played by the rules, made good decisions, and done the right thing. EmilyÂżs quiet and rather uneventful life takes a dramatic turn when her mother dies, leaving her devastated and heart-broken. Ready to heal from her grief, and with coaxing from her best friend and city-slicker, Samantha, Emily decides to make a fresh start, moving from her hometown of Atlanta, to the hustle of Washington, D.C. There, she fights to build a new life and tame a quiet demon thatÂżs been gnawing at her for years. As Emily struggles with the dilemma of doing whatÂżs right, versus doing what she wants, she must confront her longing for the one thing sheÂżs always desiredÂż.her best friendÂżs father! Meet Samantha Baldwin, a true daddyÂżs girl, and the ultimate rebel, not necessarily with a cause! Wild, bold, and unabashedly free, she does what she wants without a second thought. From her poor choices in bad men, to her questionable parenting skills, to her tumultuous relationship with her own mother, Samantha has always run from truth and into trouble. But when the only man sheÂżs ever loved comes back into her life, and her best friend betrays her in a way sheÂżd never imagined, it forces Samantha to tap into an inner-strength she never knew she had, and hold together a family she realizes is worth fighting for.
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Inside Rain
by Monique D. Mensah
2010 BEST BOOKS AWARD WINNERRain grapples with memories of a horrific past that leaves her far from unscathed. After witnessing her mother s gruesome murder as a child, she is now left piecing together the fragments of her shattered psyche as an adult. Quickly, she is drowning in years of frustration and confusion with no promise of relief. Sinister visions and undying spirits haunt Rain relentlessly, driving her deeper into darkness and lunacy. Rain s grandmother, GiGi, tries her best to help Rain face the truth, urging her to confront her past, but the past is too painful it s easier to hide. As Rain struggles desperately to define herself, she's forced to brave her live-in siblings: a violent and narcissistic brother, Danny, who resents her weakness and Carmen, her promiscuous and hostile older sister, who wishes Rain would disappear. In her fragile mental state, Rain is ill-equipped to handle the chaos of their ruptured lives. When Rain, Carmen, and Danny are submerged into the horrors of prostitution, drug-addiction, domestic violence, and murder, Rain is left alone to face her internal demons and find her identity, with no one to answer to, but herself.
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Killing the Competition
by Kennedy Shaw
Talk about trouble; Kyra Chase is knee deep in it. She's on assignment in Wright City to find the story behind the previous summer's cocaine scandal. Barely 24 hours after her arrival, a murder occurs and since she and the deceased are from the same city, she becomes a suspect. When a second body shows up a few days later, Sheriff Kevin Johnson believes the killings have everything to do with the reporter's famous father. Against all odds, the city girl falls in love with the sheriff, who finds out falling in love with Kyra is anything but simple.
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Price of Fame
by Amaleka McCall
Searching for redemption, Detective Brice Simpson investigates the murder of a 14-year-old girl--a case that may cost him everything he has worked for.
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Right Package, Wrong Baggage
by Wanda B. Campbell
Will the man Micah Stevenson used to be prevent single mother Pamela Roberts from loving the man he is now?
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Baltimore Chronicles
by Treasure Hernandez
Two brothers, separated by the foster care system, meet on opposite sides of the law--one a head detective of a Baltimore narcotics unit and the other the head of the narcotics trade.
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Becoming Tara
by Tammy Fournier
While in prison, Tara, the daughter of a professional booster and a pimp, calls in favors to be back in charge, but someone has other plans for her, while her lover, Julio, doing Federal time, is forced to gain respect the hard way. Original.
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Mr. High Maintenance
by Nishawnda Ellis
Follows the exploits of three single men--Jerome Hart, Lamant James, and Marcus Hill--as they deal with their personality issues and the women who leave them because of their high maintenance needs.
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Material Girl
by Keisha Ervin
Dylan Monroe is the kind of chick females love to hate, but children and dogs mysteriously adore. She's a material girl, living in a material world filled with diamonds, furs, limousines, celebrities, and private planes. To the world, she has it all, but behind closed doors, she has nothing. Almost bankrupt, she finds solace with State, a wealthy entrepreneur with a heart of steel, the man who breaks her heart time and time again. When State leaves her heart in shambles, she turns to Angel, her best friend's brother. She's had a secret crush on him for years. Swept off her feet by her new love, but still mending from the pain of the old one, Dylan finds herself caught up in a web of lies, lust, love, and betrayal. National bestselling author Keisha Ervin delivers a sophisticated love story filled with laughter, witty banter . . . and excessive shopping!
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My Son's Ex-wife
by Shelia E. Lipsey
When Pastor Chauncey Graham's health declines, his family is forced to come together and deal with plenty of unfinished business, including a broken marriage and accusations of sexual abuse, in order to move on with their lives. Original.
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Never Been to Me
by Gigi Gunn
After years of being in love with Brad Shelton, a married man, Persi Sinclair moves to Paris where she finds love, marries, and lives happily until Brad shows up announcing that he has finally left his wife.
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Soon After
by Sherryle Kiser Jackson
The newly unified Pleasant Harvest Baptist Church is put to the test when its co-pastors, Willie Green and Vanessa Morton, are drawn into an arson investigation and an overzealous reporter sees this as an opportunity to make her career. Original.
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Midnight Kisses
by Wayne Jordan
His faith shattered by loss, Daniel Buchanan has built a cocoon around his heart, spending his days counseling troubled teens. But his life changes the night he meets Renée Walker. The dedicated social worker reawakens something in him, her kisses igniting a firestorm of desire that takes the widowed minister by surprise. After being left at the altar, Renée isn't ready to love and lose again. But how can she fight such a powerful attraction? Spending time with this caring, sensual man and his close-knit family is starting to make her believe in second chances. Alone together in a tropical sanctuary of passion and healing, will Renée and Daniel find the love they desperately crave?
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The Millionaire's Ultimate Catch
by Michelle Monkou
After a daring, headline-making rescue, basketball star Naomi Venable accepts Zack Keathley's invitation to spend a week recuperating at his sprawling country estate. The sinfully sexy millionaire could have his pick of any woman in the world. But once he sets his sights on Naomi there's no way she can resist this rugged alpha male's charms…. Zack owes Naomi for coming to the aid of his baby sister. But grateful isn't all the driven developer feels for the sleek and sultry pro athlete. And once he makes up his mind, there's no stopping the aroused penthouse playboy! Caught in Naomi's seductive spell, can Zack convince this fearless sorority sister that their passionate paradise is meant to last forever?
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Once Upon a Holiday
by Beverly Jenkins
No matter what the thermostat says, the holidays can be the hottest time of year when you're curled up with these unforgettably sexy stories from three of romance's most sizzling talents…. Holiday Heat by Beverly Jenkins For Eve Clark, winter usually means long cold nights spent alone, until she's persuaded to attend a masked ball. Abandoning her inhibitions, she shares a blissful tryst with a mysterious partner. Though she runs from their hotel room the next morning, Leyton Palmer is determined to track Eve down and show her that the night neither can forget was only the start of something sensational…. Candy Christmas by Adrianne Byrd Peace on earth and goodwill to all men? Not if the man in question is drop-dead-sexy Montel Starks, Candy Lahane's competitor since he started at their ad agency a year ago. But on a business trip to Europe, rivalry gives way to a red-hot, explosive affair that makes Candy realize that what she really wants for Christmas is right in front of her, just waiting to be unwrapped…. Chocolate Truffles by Kimberly Kaye Terry It started as an innocent drink with a stranger to celebrate her promotion. It turned into the most erotic night of Camille Jackson's life. But the man she was sure she'd never see again is now her instructor in a two-week managerial workshop, and Gideon Taber is making it clear that he'd love to relive every delicious detail of their encounter, again and again….
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Seduced on the Red Carpet
by Ann Christopher
Discovered at sixteen, supermodel Livia Blake has lived a life most women only dream of. But beneath the glitz and glamour is a small-town girl who yearns for babies, a permanent home—and the man to go with it. Then she meets Hunter Chambers at his family-owned Napa Valley winery. The sexy single father tempts Livia with a desire she's never known…and with a dream she was afraid wouldn't come true. Hunter knows Livia's type…and she's not his type at all. But he can't deny the passion surging between them. But what happens once Livia jets off to her next photo shoot, taking Hunter's heart with her? Is their love strong enough to create their own private paradise, far from the glare of the spotlight?
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When the Sun Goes Down
by Gwynne Forster
After their father dies without revealing the whereabouts of his will, his three adult children hire a private investigator to locate the will, as each comes to terms with the conflicts and secrets of their past and the need to support each other as family.
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Do Not Blame the Devil
by Pat G'Orge-Walker
Singer Delilah Dupree Jewel, who is more concerned about keeping up appearances than anything else, must rely on her faith in God when her old flame, an ex-convict who has traded in his gangster ways for a Bible, threatens to expose Delilah's shocking past. Original.
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Family Ties
by Ernest Hill
D'Ray Reid returns home to reconcile with his mother, but gets caught up in seeking justice for his younger brother Little Man, who has just escaped from prison and gone into hiding after getting convicted for a crime he didn't commit.
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Not a Good Look
by Nikki Carter
Sunday Tolliver has mad talent, her own singing group and high grades. She's this close to making her music industry career dreams come true - until her mother spends her entire college fund. Now Sunday's only chance to get to college means slaving as a personal assistant to her diva cousin, Dreya. And since Dreya just got the record deal of a lifetime and an upcoming tour with hip-hop's biggest rapper, Truth, Sunday is sure Dreya's ego-trip couldn't get any worse. But when bad-boy Truth starts hitting on Sunday, a jealous Dreya is on the warpath.
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Snitch
by Vegas Clarke
Drug boss Ceasar Lopez, known as "Drape" on the streets of Cleveland, finds his life with jewels, clothes, and money overflowing with serious problems when his girlfriend Diona starts giving him trouble and the FBI forces him to go against the code of the street and snitch on his own crew.
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Drama with a Capital D
by Denise Coleman
Lonnie, a strong, independent, career-minded sista isn't one for drama or unnecessary bull. In fact, she's not even sure if having a man in her life is worth the trouble it can cause. However, when she meets John, everything changes. She's in love and things couldn't be better. Then all hell breaks loose. John becomes the nightmare she can't wake up from. Then drama rears its ugly head yet again at her job. Lonnie goes from the put-together woman in charge to a petty, dramatic diva and soon she doesn't recognize herself--P. [4] of cover.
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You Showed Me
by Nahisha McCoy
Dating a hustler was never on Naheema's to-do list. But after the charming yet deceptive Mike sweeps her off her feet, dating a hustler is the least of her worries. Mike's sweetness turns sour when the abuse, cheating, and his street mentality kick in. But Naheema is learning from the best and soon the tables turn and she holds Mike's future in her hands--P. [4] of cover.
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Return of the Cartier Cartel
by Nisa Santiago
Cartier returns to Brooklyn, New York, with her husband to get revenge on the people responsible for gunning down two members of her gang, but her husband's latest affair and suspicions about other gang members lead to complications.
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Karma 2
by Tash Hawthorne
All the while, Karma has been forced to care for Money's daughter and their son by herself. Consumed by rage and post-partum depression, Karma is left questioning her and the kids' place in Money's life.
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Ask Nicely and I Might (Peace in the Storm Publishing Presents)
by Lorraine Elzia
A twisted game of bewildering intrigue proves positive that six degrees of separation bridge the gap between the sane and the insane. Alex Carlysle is a savvy homicide detective highly respected among her peers and on the fast track to make Captain. When her lover becomes the latest victim in a series of brutal murders, the investigation of the killings becomes personal for her. Not only has she lost the only man who ever understood her, but also catching the killer could be the break she has been waiting for concerning her career. Jade, on the other hand, resides on the opposite side of the law, abiding by a different set of rules - its Jade's way, or no way. Instead of enforcing the law, she is the thorn in its side. Motivated by an urge for revenge, she is a sexy enigma of a serial killer who taunts the police just for the pleasure of it while devouring her prey in the process. As the hunter becomes the hunted, two women, both at the top of their game, are destined for a massive head-on collision with each other. But the thrill of pursuit is not the only tie that binds them; they are also both driven by blood shed and a chain of circumstances that began in the subconscious mind. Ask Nicely and I Might is a racy thriller - fast, furious, and filled with sexy suspense. A wicked game of cat and mouse where time is rapidly running out and with the hunter and hunted lives on the line, they have everything to fight for . . . and everything to lose.
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A Kettle of Vultures
by Sabrina Lamb
Written with humorous abandon by popular satirist, former stand-up comic, and media commentator Sabrina Lamb, A Kettle of Vultures is a fictional romp which exposes the acerbic thoughts of image consultant Iris Chapman, her dysfunctional family, socially maladjusted clients, magical friends, and her adventurous journey toward self-acceptance. Unbeknownst to Iris Chapman, the Atlanta-based image consultant, a kettle of low-flying vultures convenes overhead as she boards the flight home to Opa Locka on the day of her brother’s controversial wedding. Following their customary bear hugs, Iris’ eccentric family launches into the inquisition, the visual and vocal assessment of Iris’ physical appearance. Iris is already attacked daily by her own inquisition, questioning her very existence. Self-acceptance is a long journey and it’s unclear whether or not she’ll get there as she attempts to seduce an uninterested man, moves cities, loses clients, and meets a man she’s not sure she can trust. Will Iris survive the onslaught by the vulturous characters in her life? Will her octogenarian grandmother, her superstitious mother who denunciates anything nappy, her hermit-like father, and irritating clients, push Iris over the edge of her own sanity? Will she learn to accept herself?