Deeper than the physical.

Kennedy Donovan and Dreux Edwards secretly yearned for each other since high school, but neither of them was ready to take the leap from friendship into something more.

Until one summer night in college changed everything. And they cut ties with each other.

When fate brings them back together years later, the feelings they thought had faded came rushing back to the surface. Despite Kennedy being married to her college sweetheart and Dreux navigating a budding relationship of his own, nothing can extinguish the fire that sparked between them long ago.

But when the timing has always been wrong, will Kennedy and Dreux finally take the risk? Or will they let history repeat itself, letting each other go for good?

","format",{"_167":125,"_33":73,"_229":230,"_231":64},"publisher","Twelve24","page_count",286,"duration","published_date","September 1, 2026","pub_date","September 1","isbn","9798991336055","asin","B0GZZ4LD2W","hex_code","#f8f878","language","English","purchase_links",[],"playlist_links",[],"cover","https://cdn.blackauthored.com/books/5775i/afdd8684-489d-4fd5-bcb6-14e615faf733/1787892171.jpg","thumb","https://img.blackauthored.com/?preset=poster_thumb&image=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.blackauthored.com%2Fbooks%2F5775i%2Fafdd8684-489d-4fd5-bcb6-14e615faf733%2F1787892171.jpg","user_review","type","print","audio",{"_167":233,"_33":143,"_198":234,"_235":-5,"_236":-5,"_237":42,"_238":239,"_240":47},"704bd93c-50bf-49af-88a6-b32ce7c35f64","853-chantal-bookal","biography","image","books_count","roles",[241],"in_catalog","author","2e6cab9a-2e81-4ff9-84bc-573f060e224b",5524,"4.63",84,[],[267],"Just Like Summer: A Los Oceania Love Story","6df6630e-0801-4558-ad83-cdb291817ad3","Aug 2026","2026-08-16",5,18,"5620-just-like-summer","Grief is the final act of love. - Ocean Voung
For Kamilla Palmer, grief had swallowed her whole, and escape seemed to be a light at the end of a never-ending tunnel. From Greenwood to Los Oceania, Kamilla is existing until a near-death experience shocks her back to life.
Cairo Hendrix is a lot of things — Azul heart, zealot of chaos, musical genius. However, under the layers of gang life, he’s struggling to walk in his purpose. Crossing paths with Kamilla brings it all full circle.
But life in L.O. isn’t safe when the motto is stay dangerous. Can the lost souls remain anchored or will their worst nightmares come to fruition?
",{"_167":68,"_33":77,"_229":266,"_231":64},455,"August 16, 2026","August 16","B0HFGDLLNQ","#ba7644",[],[],"https://cdn.blackauthored.com/books/5524i/6df6630e-0801-4558-ad83-cdb291817ad3/1786903764.jpg","https://img.blackauthored.com/?preset=poster_thumb&image=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.blackauthored.com%2Fbooks%2F5524i%2F6df6630e-0801-4558-ad83-cdb291817ad3%2F1786903764.jpg","digital",{"_167":268,"_33":145,"_198":269,"_235":20,"_236":-5,"_237":270,"_238":271,"_240":47},"7006e412-80b2-4362-b470-30ad90109ec4","48-aubree-pynn",91,[241],"33609ac4-0a03-4585-96e4-945764490900",1020,"4.69",109,[],[301],"The Art Of Hood Love: Savvy","71599e02-0d3d-4cd0-bfb4-bbbc2719c2a8",{"_21":298,"_167":299,"_300":42},2022,"Oct 2022","2022-10-30",4,14,"1024-the-art-of-hood-love","It’s a cold world for Savvy Madden. With few people in her corner and family secrets that have shaped her upbringing for the worse; she’s searching for a way out but only digging deeper holes in the process. A night out with her big cousin, Michi, introduces Savvy to Shabu Blaise—a pragmatic hustler that shows her the art of love in a way she’s never experienced. Just when Savvy feels her safest, life reminds her that past decisions always have unavoidable repercussions.

\n **This is an urban, three-part series**\n",{"_167":68,"_33":77,"_229":266,"_231":64},273,"October 30, 2022","October 30","B0BL13Z51Q","#363446",[],[],"https://cdn.blackauthored.com/books/1020i/71599e02-0d3d-4cd0-bfb4-bbbc2719c2a8.jpg","https://img.blackauthored.com/?preset=poster_thumb&image=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.blackauthored.com%2Fbooks%2F1020i%2F71599e02-0d3d-4cd0-bfb4-bbbc2719c2a8.jpg","The Art Of Hood Love","236fc525-4bfd-4f57-a404-301dc8756061","order",{"_167":302,"_33":141,"_198":303,"_235":-5,"_236":-5,"_237":304,"_238":305,"_240":47},"0c868636-6972-46a6-9f08-6c770b515d49","84-antoinette-sherell",78,[241],"cbbe31aa-1491-4ce6-a435-c6f9e72d1c2d",7669,"4.5",[],[328],"Satisfaction Guaranteed: A Werewolf Romance","5a523dc1-7b54-45f1-ad0a-a22b5a7bd4a6","Oct 2026","2026-10-01","7822-satisfaction-guaranteed","

\"If I don't get laid before my next birthday, I'm burying myself alive in the desert.\"

Alana Darling has a good life. A great one, some might say. At just twenty-seven she owns the most popular bakery in her small mountain town, has a mostly positive relationship with her family, and a roster of friends that she can count on to hide a body if the need arises. Her biggest problem? She's still...a total virgin. Because, as luck would have it, even in a world inhabited by witches and vampires and minotaur-no amount of magic can seem to save her sex life.

Between the strings of disappointing dates, her grandmother's ever-present lectures, and her birthday less than a month away, Alana is left feeling fed up and over waiting for her \"Mr. Right\". So when another particularly unsatisfying night of self care leads to an ad for services offering a sexy thrill of a paranormal kind (werewolves, and sirens, and shifters, oh my) Alana takes it as a sign to take charge of her own wants. It's Satisfaction Guaranteed, or her money back.

But what happens when the anonymity she was hoping for isn't quite what fate had in mind?

Enter Cyrus Castillo, a southern heartthrob with a secret side gig as one of the area's most sought after monster \"escorts\". He's made a total career of keeping things casual and his attachments at a distance. But when the cute, curvy baker he visits damn near every day unexpectedly shows up on his client list? Well, now everything he knows about control may go up in smoke.

",{"_167":42,"_33":75,"_229":230,"_231":64},304,"October 1, 2026","October 1","9798996893201","B0H8JLZNZ2","#580818",[],[],"https://cdn.blackauthored.com/books/7669i/5a523dc1-7b54-45f1-ad0a-a22b5a7bd4a6/1788824885.jpg","https://img.blackauthored.com/?preset=poster_thumb&image=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.blackauthored.com%2Fbooks%2F7669i%2F5a523dc1-7b54-45f1-ad0a-a22b5a7bd4a6%2F1788824885.jpg",{"_167":329,"_33":144,"_198":330,"_235":-5,"_236":-5,"_237":42,"_238":331,"_240":47},"4b307ce2-3924-4a3e-a7d6-5a99b844174d","1329-samone-bailey",[241],"139633ba-621d-469f-bc69-3087d8c7c0af",8059,"4.38",42,[],[355],"Absolute Fulfillment","f3734296-da4d-420d-997e-a6032d7d1dcd",2025,"Jul 2025","2025-07-30","8222-absolute-fulfillment","Change is inevitable, even when we’re set in our ways. Life always has a way of transforming those plans.

Rennix has spent most of his life playing game after game until he just wanted solitude. Then out of nowhere he’s blinded by siblings he never knew existed, and a woman who refuses to give him the time of day. Gentleman’s club owner by night, and human craving something else by day. He and his twin Reminisce are far from home, in a new city with new rules. A change he didn’t see coming is on the horizon, because for once he realizes that what he thought he wanted he didn’t.

Caya is healing…or at least trying to. Her goal is to give her son what she never had. However healing isn’t linear, and everything happens in its own time. The last thing she intended was to find herself craving the very man she knew would challenge her healing. Propositioned for one night, she turns him down … Only then forced to see him in a new light. One she didn’t see possible until he was lying in her bed telling her to go to sleep.

She told herself he wasn’t the kind of man she needed in her life— outspoken, rude and owned a strip club. The thing is her body had a plan of it’s own. Not only that, but the beginning of a friendship neither of them knew they needed brings forth a boatload of transition? The type of change neither of them saw coming until it was too late.",{"_167":68,"_33":77,"_229":266,"_231":64},"KMP","July 30, 2025","July 30","B0FKMDHLFK","#280818",[],[],"https://cdn.blackauthored.com/books/8059i/f3734296-da4d-420d-997e-a6032d7d1dcd/1788890907.jpg","https://img.blackauthored.com/?preset=poster_thumb&image=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.blackauthored.com%2Fbooks%2F8059i%2Ff3734296-da4d-420d-997e-a6032d7d1dcd%2F1788890907.jpg",{"_167":356,"_33":146,"_198":357,"_235":20,"_236":-5,"_237":358,"_238":359,"_240":47},"310a7827-2e07-44ad-861c-da578fe1cdfb","371-kennedy-b",65,[241],"d67cb233-d3a9-439a-a2d8-4754b3a41fd2",8984,"3.71",[],[380],"The Way We Used To Be","53e8e475-7b57-4822-8829-a7cdcbfb2268","2026-08-15","9201-the-way-we-used-to-be","

After walking away from her soul-sucking corporate job, Amara Singleton is finally chasing the dream she’s held since childhood—opening a boutique dedicated to her own plus-size clothing designs.

There’s just one problem.

The only storefront she can afford is falling apart and is in desperate need of renovations.

When she unfortunately runs into Theo Sinclair, her childhood best friend—and first love—who disappeared from her life without a trace eight years ago, he makes her an offer she can’t afford to refuse. He’ll renovate the boutique for free… if she gives their friendship another chance.

Working side by side forces them back into the easy rhythm they once shared, and the more time Amara spends with Theo, the harder it becomes to ignore the feelings she never truly left behind.

She finds out Theo’s been carrying a life-altering secret for eight years—one that could destroy the fragile second chance they’re building. Now Amara must decide if some wounds are too deep to heal…or if love is worth the risk of breaking her heart all over again.

",{"_167":68,"_33":77,"_229":266,"_231":64},308,"August 15, 2026","August 15","B0H14297RQ","#cea083",[],[],"https://cdn.blackauthored.com/books/8984i/53e8e475-7b57-4822-8829-a7cdcbfb2268/1789074051.jpg","https://img.blackauthored.com/?preset=poster_thumb&image=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.blackauthored.com%2Fbooks%2F8984i%2F53e8e475-7b57-4822-8829-a7cdcbfb2268%2F1789074051.jpg",{"_167":381,"_33":142,"_198":382,"_235":383,"_236":384,"_237":125,"_238":385,"_240":47},"8010fd6b-2cbf-454e-92ea-e7a6a96a4c14","1545-amarie-wheeler","

","https://cdn.blackauthored.com/nkd3ocijxawnmvr6713aaolonkny",[241],"d1635ec2-662a-42de-9491-88393ab7e30a",11356,"4.17",[],[410],"Mission Accepted","d3023440-93b2-4a7b-8e7c-08d946c775a6",{"_21":408,"_167":409,"_300":125},"Mar 2026","2026-03-16","12078-mission-accepted","

NiaI’ve spent the last two years beside Dante Ross, my best friend and the man my heart begged me to love. But I never told him. Not because I don’t feel it, but because I can’t imagine a man like him wanting someone like me. Being best friends with the son of the Atlanta Ventures’ owner has taught me a lot – like how to handle a man who’s charming, frustrating and utterly irresistible. As I dig deeper into a government corruption case that threatens everything I believe in, I start uncovering more than just ugly truths about power and control. So when he asks me to be his fake girlfriend, I say yes … with rules. And these rules can never break, no matter how much Dante tempts me.

DanteI’ve loved Nia since the very moment we met. Smart, fierce, and beautiful, she’s the one I’ve been waiting for even if I never let her know that. Pretending to date her was supposed to protect my career, and maybe finally make her see what she means to me. We set rules. We tried to keep our hearts in check, but maybe some feelings aren’t meant to be controlled. Every stolen glance and every heated touch makes the line between fake and real blur. I’ll do whatever it takes to help, protect, and stand beside her—even if it means getting tangled in Atlanta’s mess right along with her. Can we convince the world we’re just pretending, or will this mission reveal feelings that are too powerful to ignore?

",{"_167":68,"_33":77,"_229":266,"_231":64},330,"March 16, 2026","March 16","B0G3CXXD7D","#584828",[],[],"https://cdn.blackauthored.com/books/11356i/d3023440-93b2-4a7b-8e7c-08d946c775a6/1790314640.jpg","https://img.blackauthored.com/?preset=poster_thumb&image=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.blackauthored.com%2Fbooks%2F11356i%2Fd3023440-93b2-4a7b-8e7c-08d946c775a6%2F1790314640.jpg","The Mission Series","1d1d0161-0ff6-4743-8fd2-e4a0a59a7378",{"_167":411,"_33":147,"_198":412,"_235":-5,"_236":-5,"_237":68,"_238":413,"_240":47},"2e0a4b68-4b56-485c-a6b2-336212c98cce","2060-luna-night",[241],"0000b66c-6f7d-4c20-b38c-04a1fcd020e2",11675,"4.92",22,[],[434],"4 Corinthians","d31ff56c-0101-496f-9807-b38261fcb1e5","2026-09-26","12398-4-corinthians","

To understand their love, you have to start from the beginning...only then will you be able to hear the whispers from two hearts that were always destined to be one.

",{"_167":68,"_33":77,"_229":266,"_231":64},"September 26, 2026","September 26","B0H7XR7BGL","#182838",[],[],"https://cdn.blackauthored.com/books/11675i/d31ff56c-0101-496f-9807-b38261fcb1e5/1790464112.jpg","https://img.blackauthored.com/?preset=poster_thumb&image=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.blackauthored.com%2Fbooks%2F11675i%2Fd31ff56c-0101-496f-9807-b38261fcb1e5%2F1790464112.jpg",{"_167":435,"_33":149,"_198":436,"_235":-5,"_236":-5,"_237":417,"_238":437,"_240":47},"115a4807-d446-40b2-8329-4f62e4d38b7d","72-aubry-j",[241],"8d073e20-0bd6-47bd-8cea-b5e716ca3b0a",12478,"4.75",[],[460],"The Ninth","ab816b13-0a1f-4ca8-bb6a-53d213c22899",{"_21":458,"_167":459},"2026-10-05","13229-the-ninth","

From the State of Betrayal Universe. An interconnected standalone that can be read before or after the series.

Our Chicago native, Cassie, welcomes her cousin Devyn to stay with her. Neither are prepared for exactly what's to follow from that simple gesture. Especially not Devyn.

Dropped into a world of drama, lies, secrets, and heartbreak, Devyn learns that Chicago is a test that she will be forced to take. As the women navigate love, upsets, family, and the consequences of their actions, they both end up on a journey that's anything but easy.

One things for sure: they have each other.

The chaos puts us right back into that State of Betrayal feel. It will take Cassie and Devyn coming together to confront the chaos around them, discover who they are as women, and fight to hold onto the autonomy they worked so hard to find.

The Ninth is about friendship, growth, healing, and sisterhood that never fails to show up.Also mess, of course. I wrote it.

Come on in!

",{"_167":68,"_33":77,"_229":266,"_231":64},"October 5, 2026","October 5","B0HM2752FF","#040a24",[],[],"https://cdn.blackauthored.com/books/12478i/ab816b13-0a1f-4ca8-bb6a-53d213c22899/1791240952.jpg","https://img.blackauthored.com/?preset=poster_thumb&image=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.blackauthored.com%2Fbooks%2F12478i%2Fab816b13-0a1f-4ca8-bb6a-53d213c22899%2F1791240952.jpg","Related to: State of Betrayal Series","e94e2dfe-8d5c-4b5c-8dfd-853a50d6d819",{"_167":461,"_33":148,"_198":462,"_235":-5,"_236":-5,"_237":89,"_238":463,"_240":47},"8e23bce9-004e-4f86-9a51-2ec31d1b1e68","319-a-denise",[241],139,"Mutual Pining","category","trope","mutual-pining-a6cd2ef2-ac3b-412a-a1da-0cc115f3885d","/tropes/mutual-pining-a6cd2ef2-ac3b-412a-a1da-0cc115f3885d","selectable","sensitive","position","parent","isLoggedIn",["P",475],"result",{"_21":484,"_23":485,"_19":486,"_487":488,"_25":489,"_490":491,"_27":492},"user","themePreference","light","storedTheme","gaId","G-Z1HVZ17GZ3","Blackauthored","%s","Find your next Black authored read and connect with readers with the similar taste.","handle","@blackauthored","https://blackauthored.com","robots",{"_503":64,"_504":64},{"_29":30,"_31":493,"_33":484,"_494":495,"_496":497,"_25":489},"Organization","logo","https://cdn.blackauthored.com/images/og-image.png","sameAs",[498,499,500,501,502],"https://twitter.com/blackauthored","https://facebook.com/blackauthored","https://instagram.com/blackauthored","https://youtube.com/blackauthored","https://tiktok.com/@blackauthored","noIndex","noFollow"]