Being a BBW has never been easy for Reagan while growing up, but that never stopped her confidence either. Reagan knew she was fine, from the thickness of her thighs to her caramel complexion baby doll face. Because of that, she never had a problem getting a man and she knew how to finesse them and leave them, until she met her match.

I had my chance at love and I threw it away. I don't deserve another. I've dedicated my entire life to my community. There's no time for anything else. But then I met her. Ciara Jeffries is everything I told myself I didn't want but she might be everything I need. If I can just hold on to her.

Thaddeus Patrick Lourie saw her, wanted her, and declared that he would have her. No person, thing, or beast would stop him from having his rightful mate. As the next in line for the top, there were expectations set. What happens when the set expectations go against his destiny of having her? Will he stick to the expectations or show his teeth and move toward his destiny?

Meet Trent Bailey, who is fighting for the right to continue his stellar professional football career after enduring striking legal woes in the recent past. Trent cannot and will not blow his second chance for anyone; after all, this is the blessing he's been praying for. After receiving confirmation that staying focused is all he needs, it's what he aims to do. No distractions. That's until he bumps into two unexpected overnight guests.

I’m a professional. I have strict rules of conduct when it comes to my business, Taylar Made Events. My number one rule? Don’t flirt with the groom. But … What about the groom’s moody, but hot brother?

What happens when gang loyalty is tried by a generation of children who are loyal to a fault? Savion Saint and Gianna Lewis fall into a situation and quickly realize that everything they’ve been taught can be defied with one act of love. With Savion Saint naturally filling into the shoes of his late father and Gianna Lewis being the gateway to all the answers he has, they learn that everything isn’t black and white. Can the love that Savion and Gianna found blossom while being on opposite sides of the tracks? Take the ride with them and find out.

In the club, with flashing lights and loud music, seeing him across the room is a scene out of a movie. We lock eyes and sway to the beat—instantly connecting. He nudges his head, calling me to the other side. Me? Of all the women in the club, this sexy man wants me to join him in VIP. So I do. And then I realize how tall he is, and the other guys surrounding him are also. Wait. This guy was on the basketball court at the game I watched the night before. The guys standing around him are his teammates on the Houston Outlaws.

It started with a proposition (in a hotel bar of all places). The brooding drug lord. The beautiful damsel with jagged edges. You know the rest, right? It’s a page straight out of a hood fairy tale. But our story is far from a classic romance. Because Ahsan Patton isn’t your typical gangsta. He’s the kind that’ll order a hit then rearrange your guts to a slow jam. So, tell me why I agreed to be his fake girlfriend again?

One random encounter. One electrifying conversation. One night of passion. Is that all it takes for two strangers to fall in love?

She's a go-getter who walks to the beat of her own drum, ready to ride for her sisters whenever and wherever, and taken by a man who would rather she play housewife than CEO. He's an undisputed king in his city, a man who commands the attention of any room he walks into, and unconcerned with matters of the heart. Thyri Wright and Killian Miller are next on Cupid's hit list. And one thing about Cupid's arrow? It never misses its target. Once Thyri and Killian's worlds collide, nothing will be the same ever again.

What started as a night out, letting her hair down, turned into a night Gianna would never forget. The moment she saved his life, she felt a connection with him. But when bad news hits her family, she might push away her future before it begins. Take a ride with the baby of the Parker sisters and see how one night changed her whole life.

Legendary King lives up to his name: a true legend and a king in the streets. His life was perfect with his dream woman by his side. That was until tragedy struck, causing him to lose it all and end up behind bars. His only plan when he gets out is to get back to the life that he worked so hard to build, but it doesn't take him long to realize nothing will ever be the same. He's haunted by the night that changed his life, and simple tasks, like breathing, prove to be difficult. He does all he can to shake the nightmare, but nothing helps. That is until he comes across the rough beauty.

After the untimely death of his father, Rosier "Zoo" Boudreaux rightfully inherits Boudreaux Enterprises. Although he anticipated being in charge his entire life, he could have never prepared for the dark secrets, dirty money, and unethical practices that lived after his father's demise. Though thrown for a loop, he wastes no time claiming his seat at the head of the table and demanding the respect of his constituents. After all, Zoo was trained for it.

Halani Henley experienced a shocking and devastating loss. At six months pregnant, she loses the child she is carrying, and it turns her entire world upside down. To make matters worse, she feels she is the only one taking her miscarriage as seriously as it is. Her boyfriend of three years, Onyx Sawyer, is moving through life as though he hasn't just lost a child as well. When a secret comes out, Halani is faced with the fact that she may not have known her man as well as she thought she did.

He's an Oxonian, licensed therapist, and man of faith, preparing to take over the largest Pentecostal church in New York. She's an around-the-way girl from Harlem, struggling with three jobs and school to make ends meet for so many.

Legendary King lives up to his name: a true legend and a king in the streets. His life was perfect with his dream woman by his side. That was until tragedy struck, causing him to lose it all and end up behind bars. His only plan when he gets out is to get back to the life that he worked so hard to build, but it doesn't take him long to realize nothing will ever be the same. He's haunted by the night that changed his life, and simple tasks, like breathing, prove to be difficult. He does all he can to shake the nightmare, but nothing helps. That is until he comes across the rough beauty.

From the moment they laid eyes on one another, Kane and Serenity wanted forever with one another, flaws and all. That was before they realized that they were on separate pages in life. Undoubtedly, the two souls love one another deeply. But as time passes, their chosen diverging paths begin to strain their relationship. Serenity's unwavering dedication to her dreams leads her to make a difficult decision—to move to New York and pursue her career on a grander scale. Their separation is painful, and the distance between them shatters the love they once shared.

I shouldn't have felt this way about her. She's my brother-in-law's first love. She was forbidden fruit. Ain't shit ever been forbidden for me. I take what I want, and I want her. I shouldn't have these strong of feelings for a woman I just met. I wanted to lay every man who even thought about looking her way… including my brother-in-law. Erin was mine before she even knew it. Our paths were meant to cross, our futures to intertwine.

Life should be sweet for him and his wife, Malayah. However, the universe is throwing Lynx's world on its axis and stirring up trouble. Issues that were supposed to be buried resurfaced and could potentially threaten his happy home. Lynx also has to deal with the law trying to creep into his life. He rules his empire with an iron fist, and if he can be connected to any crimes within his organization, Lynx could be put under the jail and never again see the light of day.

Jashae Rodgers thought her life was all planned out and her happily ever after was within her reach, but tragedy strikes, leaving her with nothing but pieces of her life to pick up. After being thrust into single motherhood, she focuses on being the best mother she can be while struggling with grief she’s convinced she’d never recover from. But an unsuspecting spark from a man makes her consider the impossible.

Julius Gallalucci's plans have all fallen through, leaving him stressed and scrambling weeks before his album release and tour announcement. When the pressure becomes too much, he and his team duck off to Eastover to revamp and recharge. What he didn't plan for was his world to clash with a wide-eyed beauty who would prove more of a muse than a distraction.

Solomon takes care of his people. All he expects in return is for everyone on his team to remain solid. Anyone who refuses to show loyalty no longer earns his favor, and family is not exempt. Kaori Randall embraces one concept: love and be loved. She is raised by parents and grandparents, who are examples of happy, healthy relationships. Kaori has high expectations when it comes to her own happiness, which makes the failure of her own love life a huge disappointment.

Twenty-three-year-old Denver James: worry-wart, protector, beautiful, loyal, headstrong. When she was a teenager, her entire life was planned out, including marrying her high school sweetheart, Hazel Ford, after he completed his six-year prison bid. However, years later, life has other plans for her, especially the addition of becoming a mama to her younger siblings. With her heart on lock, Denver doesn't entertain other men—until a handsome but rude customer catches her eye

Lies. Speculation. Deceit. Trust Ashley James went from being on top of the world to under it in less than eighteen minutes. With his back against the ropes, he had no choice but to isolate until further notice. When he returns to the ring, he’s a new man. A better man. A man that one woman had been praying for all along.

For years, Kalvin Wise's only focus was making sure his baby sister Ciara was safe and loved. Being the product of a toxic union, Wise and Ciara were left to their own vices to survive in the world. Wise refused for his sister to feel the same emptiness he did growing up, which meant survival by any means necessary to provide balance for himself and his sister. Forced to leave her past situation alone, Noa finds herself circling back into the single life. Going with the flow and refusing to settle, she also decides that her approach to love has to change.

Legacy, a former hustler turned successful security entrepreneur, has fought his demons specifically to reclaim his life, family, and Bless. No matter the time that has passed, his love for and obsession with Bless never wavered. But old wounds keep him longing for her from afar. Bless, a resilient and devoted mother, has battled her own fears and doubts. She stood by Legacy’s side through his darkest moments. But that loyalty weighed so heavily on her that she had to walk away from the man she will forever crave.

DaVinci is a fighter, fighting for more than just a title, but to stay out of the shadows of a family he didn't choose. Fighting was all he had until he encountered a woman just as driven and unfulfilled. Aria has never believed in happily ever afters or that mushy love that turned people into whole different folks. Instead, she was grounded, photographing by day and cuddling up with her bulldog by night. Surely that isn't a life, but it and her on and off again fling with an ex seem to be enough. That is until the fighter finds himself jabbing into her life.

Amara, a determined professional from New York, finds herself at a crossroads in her career. As she prepares for the next phase of her life, she is suddenly faced with unexpected feelings for Jordan, a proud Atlantan who has always known what he wants—Amara.

Nari Collette finds herself on the brink of homelessness after a crushing betrayal. Desperate for stability, she reluctantly agrees to an unconventional proposal from the attractive and enigmatic Kincaid Akel. Determined to reclaim his seat as heir of a dangerous criminal enterprise, Kincaid needs a wife to solidify his position, but he never expected his carefully selected bride to ignite such fierce desire. As Nari awakens feelings he long thought dead, Kincaid struggles to maintain control.

In the second book of the Courageous Love Series, Elise McDonald kept one eye out for her next adventure and one on the calendar counting down to her new job as an associate professor.