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African American Fiction December 2025 |
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Champagne Taste on a Bad Boy Budget: A Spicy Opposites Attract Romance about Redemption
by Zuri Day
Perfectly balancing sweetness and steam.--Publishers Weekly, starred review, on Stuck in the Country with YouShe's a good girl trying to rebuild her restaurant. He's a felon trying to rebuild...everything.Second chances have never been so sweet.For Jamilah Carver, a by-the-books entrepreneur with refined tastes, running her own restaurant has been a dream come true. Until she's buried in debt and without a chef, her once-bustling eatery on the brink of collapse. Enter Rashad White, a newly released ex-con who happens to be a culinary genius...and likes to play by his own rules.With nothing in common but their love for food, the two clash at every turn. But when they're not bickering over menu items or cooking methods, neither can deny the attraction that simmers between them. After Rashad proposes a daring plan, they'll have to put their differences aside to work together--that's when things really start heating up in the kitchen.Can two completely different people, from two completely opposite worlds, find the perfect recipe for a fresh start...and maybe even love?Champagne Taste on a Bad Boy Budget is a spicy, fast-paced romance you can read in one sitting.
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Sparks Fly
by Zakiya N. Jamal
When Stella Renee Johnson's roommate invites her to a sex club party only to bail, Stella decides to use the opportunity to finally cash in her V-card. But just when things are heating up between Stella and a sexy stranger, the fire alarm goes off and Stella, taking it as a sign this wasn't meant to be, flees. Frustrated in more ways than one, Stella is shocked to learn that the digital media website where she works is partnering with an AI company. She's even more shocked when the alluring man from the previous night walks in. Max Williams is the CEO's brother and the creator of the AI program now threatening her job. Despite the conflict of interest, Stella and Max can't resist their magnetic attraction towards each other, and agree to keep their personal lives separate from what's happening at work. But the more similarities they discover at home-both Black, booksmart, and bisexual-the more they butt heads at work. Stella and Max must decide whether to think with their heads and walk away from their budding relationship, or follow their hearts and take a chance on love, no matter the cost-- Provided by publisher.
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The Mysterious Death of Junetta Plum
by Valerie Wilson Wesley
At the darkly glamorous height of the Roaring 20s, an independent Black intellectual and her bi-racial foster child are immersed in the vibrant world of the Harlem Renaissance - and a shocking murder on Striver's Row - in this thrilling Jazz Age mystery for reader of Nekesia Afia, Jacqueline Winspear, Avery Cunningham's The Mayor of Maxwell Street. 1926: Harriet Stone, a liberated, educated Black woman, and Lovey, the orphaned, biracial 12-year-old she is bound to protect, are Harlem-bound, embarking on a new, hopefully less traumatic chapter in their lives. They have been invited to move from Connecticut by Harriet's cousin, Junetta Plum, who runs a boardinghouse for independent-minded single women. It's a bold move, since Harriet has never met Junetta, but the fatalities of the Spanish flu and other tragedies have already forced her and Lovey to face their worst fears. Alone but for each other, they have little left to lose--or so it seems as they arrive at sophisticated Junetta's impressive brownstone. Her cousin has a sharp edge, which makes Harriett slightly uncomfortable. Still, after retiring to her room for the night, she finally falls asleep--only to awaken to Junetta arguing with someone downstairs. In the morning, she makes a shocking discovery at the foot of the stairs. What ensues will lead Harriet to question Junetta's very identity--and to wonder if she and Lovey are in danger, as well. It will also tie Harriet to five strangers. Among them, Harriet is sure someone knows something. What she doesn't yet know is that one will play a crucial role in helping her investigate her cousin's murder . . . that she will be tied to the others in ways she could never imagine . . . and that her life will take off in a startling new direction. . . .
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Sweet Little Hearts
by Shanora Williams
From New York Times bestselling author Shanora Williams comes a deeply heartfelt romance about the tragedies that put our lives on hold--and the love that makes us want to start again.Javier Valdez hasn't had much luck with nannies, and he can't imagine this one will be any different. Octavia Klein is all sass to his stoicism, free spirit to his hard work. But he's a widower, and with a career in the NBA, he can't keep doing this alone.Despite Javier's reservations, Octavia turns out to be the best thing for his four-year-old daughter...and for him. But he's reluctant to admit it. Javier swore off love after his wife died, and Octavia has her own reasons for avoiding relationships.As their bond deepens far past professionalism or even friendship, it's hard to deny the crackling tension of something more. They're both toeing lines they said they wouldn't cross--and when their pasts come rushing back, there's no telling which way they'll fall.With old wounds reopened, can Javier and Octavia overcome the pain once again? Or will their future together become just another scar?
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