American Contemporary

Unsettled… That is the word Desire Chambries uses to describe how she feels. Although her preschool students bring her joy, her personal life needs resuscitating. She’d love to get married, but the dating scene lacks quality men. Most were barely boyfriend material and definitely not fit to be someone’s husband. At thirty-five years old, her hope of finding the man of her dreams and becoming a wife is fading fast, as is the idea of having children of her own. One lonely Friday night, after being stood up for the third time, she sees an ad for Arranged Hearts on social media.

Trina had spent the last three years in a perfect relationship with Brandon. Now after planning the perfect wedding with the man of her dreams, everything she had hoped for their lives together was on the brink of coming true. That is, until the day of the wedding when a very important guest didn’t arrive... the groom himself, Brandon. Now Trina is left to pick up the pieces of her life and figure out what went wrong. Why did Brandon leave her at the altar after everything they had been through? Trina wants answers and she won’t rest until she finds them. Her heart won’t let her.

For Taylour Wilde, life has been full of hardship and heartache since the day she was born. After growing up, depending solely on her older brother, becoming self-sufficient and successful enough to return the affection is her number one goal. Upon returning from college, she learns that her brother has found someone new to accommodate. When his vision gets blurred and lines get crossed, she’s forced to do the unthinkable in honor of him. But after he unexpectedly turns on her, she’s left feeling isolated and forced to search for new, meaningful relationships. Kato is like a breath of ...

Charmaine Heaton is a young, beautiful, God-fearing photo journalist with a feisty attitude, but a heart of gold. When she involves her best friend's brother Devin—a victim of a troubled childhood—in her plans to travel on assignment to war-torn Afghanistan, she discovers that he's the love of her life. But, will she be able to convince him that he is worthy to be loved and that their love is worth fighting for.

Yves worked so hard to build a better life and rid herself of her ex-husband. When she sees him in Vee’s kitchen, her entire world feels like it went back to the day her daughter died. With her ex-husband back in her life, she has to deal with all the past traumas that their marriage has caused. If Khalif re-entering her life isn’t enough, a blast from the past comes back into her life proving to still have the keys to her heart.

Colorado, 1918. World War I is raging overseas, but it’s the home front battling for survival. With the Spanish Flu rampant, Denver’s schools are converted into hospitals, churches and funeral homes are closed, and nightly horse-drawn wagons collect corpses left in the street. Sisters Helen and Lutie have moved to Denver from Ohio after their parents’ death. Helen, a nurse, and Lutie, a carefree advertising designer at Neusteter’s department store, share a small, neat house and each finds a local beau—for Helen a doctor, for Lutie a young student who soon enlists.

The "construction laborer" is really a wealthy felon with too many inexplicable circumstances to fathom for her narrow worldview. Will Jas share more of his complexities? Will Ashira be able to absorb them with understanding, leaving the judgment behind? Two souls, still galaxies apart, bound by love. The unanticipated UFO has collided with her world like a ferocious asteroid.

When Zara Thompson throws herself a divorce party to celebrate her freedom from her unfaithful husband, she expects it to be the beginning of her new life. What she doesn't expect is for Marcus, her soon-to-be ex-husband, to crash the party with revelations that threaten to shatter everything she thought she knew. In one explosive night, Zara's carefully planned celebration spirals into chaos. A suspicious photo, a drunk therapist, an outspoken exotic dancer, and a series of shocking truths force her to question six months of certainty.

When newly appointed Sheriff Shea Callahan and her college friends plan a girls' weekend in a secluded cabin on Misty Mountain, they expect laughter, wine, and memories of their last carefree days together. But the weekend takes a dark turn when a group of strangers notices their matching "Girls' Weekend" T-shirts at a small-town gas station. What begins as innocent curiosity quickly spirals into a harrowing game of cat and mouse as the women find themselves stalked and terrorized by men who seem to know every move they make. With the clock ticking and their lives on the line, Shea must ...

He's a seasoned cowboy on a delivery mission. She's a resilient hobby farm owner braving the winter storm. Can Keith and Lindsay forge a bond in the heart of a tempest and find love in the calm that follows? Keith Whettstein is no stranger to life's challenges - a seasoned cowboy from the renowned Hammond Family Farm, he's weathered his fair share of trials. Yet, as he finds himself caught in the thick of a snowstorm, delivering a horse to the remote Lewis farm just days before Christmas, life takes an unexpected turn. When an unfortunate slip leads to Keith's injury and the horse falls ...

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.

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.

Rene is a force to be reckoned with after finding out her uncle Kingston Marshall has been shot. The entire family is out for blood. Rene will not rest until she finds Elizabeth Waters. Samuel Smith knows his wife will stop at nothing until Elizabeth is brought to justice. It’s time she pays for what she has done to their family. Samuel feels guilty. He knows he has to find Elizabeth before Rene finds out the truth about his love affair. Elizabeth will stop at nothing until she wins the heart of Samuel Jacobs. Playing mind games with him and everyone else, thinking she is unstoppable, ...

The very gorgeous, Dominique Wilson, was born to a crack-addicted mother. Despite that, she's risen above her upbringing and carved a decent life for herself. Nice home — check. Nice car — check. Friends who love her — check. She has all of those things and a half-decent boyfriend, too. However, an out-of-control night of partying leaves her in a situation that will impact her life forever. She knows that God is the only one who'll get her out of her precarious situation. Her faith is strong, and she believes that God always answers prayer. But sometimes even the strongest believers ...

Nicole Whittaker finds herself battling deep insecurities and her struggles with self-love while being haunted by a terrifying past. Ensnared in the web of her cheating boyfriend’s dark secrets, Whitney’s caught up in the midst of fighting for her life. Beautiful and successful, Tyra appears to have it all. However, beneath the façade there’s someone weighing her down. Someone that should be uplifting her the most. Can these three make it through the storms that are brewing? Or will they end up losing both their hope and lives along the way?

Congratulations is the story of Tiffany Garner and Thomas Anthony Young. After eight months of dating, Tiffany thinks that any day now, Thomas will propose to her. That is until they get into a senseless argument before Thomas leaves on a business trip. Tiffany is hurt by the words that are exchanged. To get her mind off her troubles, she decides to go a wedding with her best friend, Alicia. While there, Tiffany's world is turned upside down when she sees Thomas not out of town, but at the wedding.

See Jane smile. Thirty-nine-year-old Jane Osborne appears to the world like she has a charmed life. Her daughter attends private school. Jane chairs the PTA. Even her marriage to Dan, the handsome, prominent surgeon, is blissfully happy. Her universe is stable, and her future is fixed...just like that smile. Because it’s all a ruse. Unbeknownst to anyone, after eighteen years of marriage, Dan’s revealed that he’s been living a double life and is in love with a man. But for the sake of his career, Jane must keep that secret, secret.

When it comes to Jabari Hicks, competition is non-existent. With a keen focus on securing a championship ring, Jabari’s only competition is himself. On the court, he is deadly. Off the court, he’s a protector. And as a Lord, he’s fierce and loyal. Kinnidi Trent has a light that illuminates the dark spaces of her mind, but she can’t completely shine until she lands in a place of peace. When she escapes the restraints that stifle her creativity and happiness, Kinnidi finds herself in the right place at the right time.

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.

Carmen is a very beautiful sista. She's smart, resourceful, and has a lot going for herself. That all changes for the worse when she hooks up with the wrong boyfriend. Because of bad decisions on her part, she ends up with a broken spirit and a criminal record. Despite all of that, God's still in the blessing business. She's fighting hard to rise above the ashes of her past. Because of her strong faith, humble spirit, and beautiful determination, God might just be ready to hand her the man and the life of her dreams...all on the wings of a prayer.