Showing results by narrator "Lauryn Nichols" in All Categories

“Triumphantly Black, queer and contemporary… The dialogue snaps and shimmers.” —New York Times Book Review on D’Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding Music producer on the rise Cyn Tha Starr knows what she likes, from her sickening beats in the studio to the flirty femmes she fools around...

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.

After being in a relationship for three years, Noelle Frost is faced with the reality that she was definitely the better half. Her friends, ecstatic she's dropped the dead weight of a cheating boyfriend, urge her to get away for the holiday and take some time for herself. Not sure if that'll fix anything, but willing to try, she books a last-minute trip to the world-renowned Mistletoe Mountain Resort. Noelle boards the plane with the promise of peace and relaxation on the horizon.

Babi is holding her incarcerated man, Too Low, down. She loves him dearly, but is now questioning their future, as she realizes that he's never going to change. Then just as she begins to reexamine her relationship, she ends up laying hands on an associate, damaging a certain somebody's car in the process. Now, Face, the car owner, wants Babi to pay up, and we're not talking monetarily. What will Babi do when she faces temptation? Will she fold when a rich man wants her? Or will she remain loyal to her first and only love?

Havoc has always been a protective, dominant force in Rogue's life, a fierce friend who shields her from the shadows that haunt their world. Rogue, strong-willed, and unapologetically bold, knows Havoc's depths better than anyone. She's seen the darkness that lies within him and craves the thrill of stepping closer, even when she knows she's playing with fire. Their relationship has always been filled with unspoken tension, a slow burn of hidden glances and stolen touches.

The decision to pack up and move to Arizona for her father's ailing health came easily. She left her entire life in New Orleans behind, along with her family and her man. She embraced her new surroundings until tragedy forced her back into familiar territory—and into a complicated situation that will test every heart involved. Maverick loved Remi, but he moved on once she moved away. He was happy with the family that he created and the business that he built. He was over whatever they had in the past—or so he thought.

Rule number one: do to these men how they do to you. That was the rule Savanhi put into place after love and loyalty were shattered, or at least what she thought was love and loyalty. A rule she was hellbent on upholding until she crossed paths with Noble Paulson, Jr. Captivating and assuring, Savanhi dived into the depths of him, just for a night and a mutual agreement—no vested interest. If Noble knows anything about rules, they're made to be broken. His return home was ushered in by several uncertainties. However, there was one constant—he needed to be back in Savanhi's space.

Aspiring hairstylist, Logan Taylor, has put her dreams on hold to see her sister through school, per her parents' last wishes. Stressed and working two jobs—barely making ends meet and on the brink of burnout, she's faced with no other choice; get another job and hope things let up… soon.

Darian King enjoys the glamorous fruits of his success until unexpected changes alter his carefree bachelor lifestyle. Needing help to navigate uncharted waters, he leans on his lifelong friend, Eva Chavez. Though Eva is distracted by turbulence in her relationship, she agrees to support Darian during this transition. As they spend more time together, Darian and Eva begin seeing each other differently. Laughing through chaotic days and cozy nights, feelings long-buried start to surface when their guards are down.

In the heart of a grim and relentless quest for vengeance, Reaper is a man driven by the shadows of his tragic past. Ruthless, grimy, and irresistibly sexy, he is determined to destroy anyone who stands in his way. His heart, long hardened by pain and loss, knows only the cold embrace of revenge. Yet, amidst the chaos and carnage, a beacon of forbidden beauty captures his eye—Lotus. She is everything he never expected: stunning, untouchable, and trapped in a world as dark as his own. Their attraction is forbidden, a dangerous dance neither can resist.

Maximus Burton is home after four years of sitting in the state penitentiary for a crime he didn't commit. While time passed him by, he devised a plan to get his money up and to finally stand in his light. Waynesville might be crawling with affluent citizens, but Trae Way is one hundred blocks of crime, murder, and deceit. Where family is foes, and foes want your life. Eden Sage is trying to get out and stay out of Trae Way by any means necessary. She's attempting to leave her past of stripping and hustling men behind her and looks forward to the future.

Still reeling from a messy divorce, kindergarten teacher Venus Thibodeaux is on a self-proclaimed healing journey and adamant that she's done with love. She's determined to move on from her toxic past with a fresh start in a new city, but starting over isn't as easy as it sounds. Anthony "Nuney" Nunez is young. He's unpolished, unpredictable, and according to his daughter's kindergarten teacher—a lousy parent. In fact, the two can't see eye to eye on anything except the strange attraction they have for each other every time their paths cross.

By day, Andre "Dre" Boudreaux is the poised and ruthless second-in-command of Boudreaux Enterprises, negotiating multi-million dollar construction deals with a cold, calculated charm. But by night, Dre becomes something else entirely—a shadow in the dark, a silent executioner tasked with eliminating threats to the family empire before they ever come to light. His latest assignment takes him deep into Milly Grove, a neighborhood buzzing with tension, secrets, and silent wars.

The unexpected always had a way of finding Orielle, and at this point in her life, she was drained. After a betrayal that fractured her heart and eroded her mental peace, she redirected her energy to what grounded her the most. As a rising, talented R&B singer with a growing fan base, there was nothing like heartbreak that made her unleash her best work. Or maybe it was the man who'd unintentionally become her muse? Fresh out of jail and on a mission to redeem himself, Najee unknowingly became the inspiration behind Orielle's passionately raw lyrics.

I never asked for life to be this brutal, but when it came down to survival—for me and my sister, British—I did whatever it took. Every single day proved to be a battle just to stay above water. I thought I'd seen the worst the world could throw at us... until a single choice pulled me into something much bigger—and into the arms of someone I never expected to see again. But just as the ground beneath us started to shift, a stranger appeared, making the British question everything we thought we knew. Turns out, survival was only the beginning.

When 28-year-old Honey Lake arrives at a secluded luxury island for an exclusive entrepreneur retreat, she's focused on securing funding to turn her struggling beauty brand into an empire. But money like that doesn't come easy—until she crosses paths with 41-year-old Legend Waters, a dangerously wealthy, tattooed boss who always gets what he wants. He sees something he likes in the ambitious beauty and makes her an offer—for the rest of the weekend, she belongs to him. No rules. No limits.

I'm the illegitimate son of a mafia boss and a natural-born killer. As my father's enforcer, my assignments are dark and demented. I'm willing to cross any line for my family. Until her. She's everything I shouldn't want—innocent and timid with a smile that makes me forget to breathe. She's a walking angel in designer heels and the daughter of my family's sworn enemy. On command, I took her like a thief in the night. Now she's mine—even if she doesn't want to accept her new reality.

Sarai King has the answer to a problem that has landed right on the King family's doorstep. All it will take to fix it is just one proposition: an illicit affair with cocky resort CEO Khyri Hamilton. Their resorts may compete in business, but only Sarai knows how explosively their attraction burns. When Khyri sabotages her mother's deal to force Sarai back into his bed, she refuses to surrender control. Instead, Sarai makes a proposition: an alternating week of pleasure and fantasy orchestrated according to each other's deepest desires.

North King has always been quieter and more reserved, but the youngest of the three King brothers is ready to take his place on the throne. Content with fading into the background, North just goes through the motions of life, enjoying his family and his work. That is, until he meets the quick-witted, charismatic Aspen Frost. Everybody knows her, but only a few see her for who she truly is, a deep well with dreams and plans of her own. Ready for a different pace, she decides to forge a path she never saw coming... or maybe she never let herself see. Until now.

After the devastating loss of her child's father, Leerah struggles to piece her life back together. Despite her best efforts to keep her distance, she finds herself entangled in a complicated situation. Trying to resist her growing feelings for her baby father's godbrother, Cree, Leerah grows overwhelmingly confused with mixed emotions.