Romance Literature: African-American Chick Lit

From the acclaimed bestselling authors of Living Large and A Whole Lotta Love come four romantic and sexy stories celebrating big, bold, and beautiful women.

Cinderella remixed: an uninhibited, unputdownable novel about a small-town girl and the music mogul determined to turn her into a megastar.

exy restaurant owner Brandon Grayson is the next child on his mother's matchmaking hit list: she'd like him married off, and quick, just like his two brothers. Determined to thwart her plan and hold on to his freedom, Brandon decides to go celibate, forgoing dating altogether. When a leaky pipe in his apartment must be repaired, he puts up at the hotel run by Faith McBride, one of his oldest friends and the little sister of one of his best buddies. What Brandon doesn't know is that Faith has been in love with him since she was a self-conscious teen, and she's got a plan to snare him.

Gynecologist turned sex therapist Lecia Calhoun, aka Dr. Love, is reveling in the success of her new book, The Big O, "a lighthearted but factual look at women's orgasms and how to achieve them," even if she's having trouble practicing what she preaches. NFL quarterback Anthony Beals, aka T, is living in a nightmare ever since that compromising photo of him and a hooker hit the tabloids and his brand-new wife sued for divorce. Their paths cross on Jay Leno's show—Anthony's there to proclaim his innocence; Lecia's there to flog her book—and sparks fly when T accuses Lecia, who once ran into his estranged wife, of messing up their marriage. Will Anthony clear his name? Will Lecia get her mojo back?

She's bored, for one thing. She's thirty years old and in a rut -- and best friend, Pam, thinks it's time Claudia got her freak on. It's time to inject a little action, adventure, and good old-fashioned lust into this sister's life. But practicing what Pam is preaching and going buck wild could have some serious consequences, especially when tall, dark, and dangerous Cody is added to the mix.

When it comes to women, Harper Reynolds has decided he can live without them, especially one by the name of Ava Daniels. He hasn't spent any quality time with her since they were teens, when Ava befriended Harper and his Aunt Flossie. But when Flossie passes away, she leaves her beautiful Victorian house to Ava and Harper, forcing them to share the same digs.
Harper is dazzled when he sees the luscious lady Ava has become. The skinny little kid-who had a monster-size crush on him-has been replaced by a drop-dead gorgeous Halle Berry look-alike...

Ava, who thinks she's finally overcome her jones for Harper, is hurled back to square one. Harper is hotter than she remembered-a lot hotter! Flossie always hinted that she thought Ava and Harper belonged together. The trouble is, neither is looking for love. But living together-with only a thin wall separating their bedrooms-has a way of turning up the heat on a man and a woman. And it won't be long before Harper finally discovers...

Moni Lawrence can't believe her good fortune! Thanks to an unexpected inheritance, she's leaving her tiny Virginia hometown in the dust and heading west to spread her wings and fly free. But she makes more of a splash than she intended in San Diego, when she's so distracted by the sight of a naked man, she drives her car through his fence and into his swimming pool. It's understandable, since Grant Forrest is so fine he'd turn any woman's head. And when it's been decided (in court!) that Moni has to personally repair the damage -- and is going to be around him a lot -- she knows she'd better keep her passion in check, or else she might end up uttering those deadly, reedom-suffocating words, "I do!"

Of course, Grant's been disastrously down that aisle twice already and isn't looking for Mrs. Number Three. Besides, he obviously thinks Moni's just a sexy, perky, destructive featherhead and serious trouble.
But what's that glint in his dreamy dark eyes?

The courage to change doesn’t come easy. When Opal Sullivan walks out on an abusive husband after fifteen years, she has only her dreams in her pocket. Her new beginning starts in Appalachian River country, where she sees a bit of herself in a graceful but dilapidated house. Like Opal, the house is worn-out and somewhat beaten up, but it still stands proudly and deserves a second chance.

After leaving an advertising career to start a family, Serena McDaniels finds things don't always go the way we plan. When she has to help a good friend escape an abusive relationship, Serena finds she has to postpone her dreams once more." -- Library Journal

Tonya Lewis Lee and Crystal McCrary Anthony's Gotham Diaries is a savvy, witty, and intriguing expose of the upper echelons of New York's African American society. At the center of the story is Manny Marks, an ambitious native of Alabama who finds success as the realtor to elite clients including Lauren Thomas, wife of billionaire Ed Thomas, whose wandering eye makes Lauren doubt her worth as a wife and a woman. Things heat up when Tandy Brooks, a widowed socialite, finds herself broke and desperate, and calls on Manny to help cure her of her financial woes.