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.

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.

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.

Skylar Addison is one of the best sports attorneys in the city, so when the firm she worked for “reallocated” 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.

The job offer she expected after taking an unpaid internship at a major shoe company didn’t come through. The friend who’d offered her a place to stay suddenly gave her 48 hours to vacate after a misunderstanding. And when she’s 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’s only gotten fine with time.

At twenty-one, Ason ‘Ace’ Williams Jr. knows all about inevitable endings. He’s formerly famous, a popular rapper’s muse, the son of a three-time NBA champ, and a little… complicated. After a disturbing scandal and loss rocks his world, he’s left to deal with both in a city that doesn’t quite feel like home. It’s a place filled with old family friends he’s never met, reminders of all the endings he’s had to endure, and even worse—he’s stuck there after his dad takes a job no one ever imagined him taking.

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.

Tiffany, Tyrisha, and Mezzie all have one thing in common: putting up with men who don't deserve them. While demanding what they're worth, they all end up in a web of deceit, drama, and betrayal.

Samad Baker has always been comfortable existing in the shadows. Allowing others access places Samad and the ones he loves in jeopardy. Nilou finds conflict with her heart and the life she chooses while Samad has conflict with his troubled past. If two conflicted hearts collide, there is bound to be an emotional explosion and when the smoke clears, there’s no guarantee that either will still be whole.

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.

Royal St. Claire was drawn to Gemma Jacobsen from the start. It was an instant connection–one he’d never had with another woman. But he has it with her. With Gemma.

As a plant scientist, Shana thought she had all the skills she needed to run her grandmother’s plant shop. But when she received the foreclosure notice for the store, she realized it would take more than a love of plants to bring in the cash. When her cousin suggested a plan for her to revive the failing business, she’s on board—until she realizes it involves a major social media campaign. The problem is that she’s anti-social in real life, and on the internet.

Zany and vivacious Nissi Richards always had her sights set on one goal—her career. As the youngest doctor at Optimal Dentistry, Nissi is the epitome of Black Girl Magic and a #GoalCrusher. Dating, however, was a different topic, or rather more of a non-existent headline. Despite her best friend's botched matchmaking attempts and her meddlesome sisters who insist she hook a man, love and marriage were never on Nissi's to-do list—at least not that she'd admit.

Earning a man’s trust and then setting him up has reluctantly become like second nature to Saylor Finch. After her parents and the father of her unborn baby tragically die, leaving her all alone, she has to do what she can to feed her daughter and put herself through school. When her boss forces her to set up Preston Wolfe, a known kingpin, things take a sudden shift. Feelings develop, and lies are thrown around, creating a web so tangled Saylor might not make it out alive.

Can a good girl find love in a thug? For Lei Fifer, that’s the hundred-thousand-dollar question. When Lei, an introverted homebody, invites her girls over for a spa day, she isn’t expecting their conversation to shift to men in prison. As an advocate for rehabilitated people receiving the love, companionship, and support those who haven’t committed crimes receive, Lei doesn’t 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.

Life has been a relentless storm for Kavalli, each tragedy crashing over her like a wave, leaving her battered and bruised. Just when it seems like the sun might finally peek through the clouds, the unthinkable happens, and her world is shattered once again. Years later, she's learned to make peace with the wreckage of her dreams. Her life may not be what she once imagined, but she clings to the hope that those who've wronged her will one day face the consequences of their actions.

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.

Shaunie had beauty. Shaunie had brains. Shaunie had a successful career as a real estate agent. But Shaunie felt empty, missing out on the one thing that would make her life complete—a child. After her ex betrayed her in the worst way, she embraced life as a single woman and moved forward with making her dream of motherhood a reality.

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.

Alana Powers is a triple threat. Brains, beauty, and intelligence. As a smart and savvy businesswoman, Alana's drive and passion for ensuring the success of Powers Construction is unparalleled. Nothing and no one can get in her way—except marriage. Noah Tate is caring, compassionate, and driven by his need to succeed. Fresh out of jail, past mistakes are now behind him, and Noah is determined to prove that he has learned valuable lessons about life. This time, he refuses to allow anything to stand in his way. Unfortunately, his record is proving to be more of a hindrance than he expects.

Alistair Duston is for the streets of Leakston, Mississippi. That means nothing when he and his family owned them, literally. As heir to the Duston Dynasty, he never had to worry about anything but his horses, cattle, and dogs. How things can change in the bling of a signed contract. When he is forced into an impossible position, will he remain faithful to the streets or commit to one that might be able to give him the world?

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.

Donovan Barron, aka Young, is Southside to the heart, and nothing can change that, not even an NBA career. Refusing to conform has led to Young being dubbed as "Atlanta's Bad Boy". Living lowkey and making money are his only priorities until he is forced to switch it up. Stony Dorrian refuses to let anyone tell her how to live her life any longer! For too long, she has allowed her parents to control everything in her life. Officially fed up, a chance meeting allows Stony to live a carefree for once, and it just might change her life forever.

Knowledge Toussaint was exposed to a fast life of grittiness. Being forced to maneuver through a life based on survival at the tender age of ten, he depended on a mother whose life was driven by addiction. All it took were two bullets to change Knowledge's life forever. When he was forced to leave his mother behind, he was taken in by one of the most prestigious hit men in Miami, Booney. As Booney leads Knowledge through an underworld of darkness, he also shines light by teaching him how to play the game of life called 'Chess.'

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.