Once upon a time, in the kingdom of Miami, there lived two princesses, Symphony and Harmony Haveras. The daughters of the king of Miami have everything that a girl could wish for—beauty, class, and the admiration of everyone in the land—except they both feel incomplete. Symphony has plans to rule the music industry, of course. Out singing grown women from the moment she could talk, Symphony is a force to be reckoned with and has won the love and admiration of not only her parents, but also everyone she meets. However, such love comes with a price—the loneliness she feels when watching everyone around her fall in love. Convinced that she may never meet her prince charming, along comes the infamous Carter, a street god turned rapper. A modern-day Tupac, Carter gives Symphony the confidence that she needs to conquer the world the same way she conquers his heart. Harmony, on the other hand, has plans that involve her stepping out of the shadow her sister has created. With no remarkable talent of her own, Harmony finds herself searching for her own niche in the Haveras family, and it starts when she gives away the power of the Haveras name. Surrounded by drugs, poverty, and on a quest for the almighty dollar, Harmony will do anything to make sure that she comes out on top. Even if it means turning on her flesh and blood. With a sibling rivalry straight out of the history books, Crowned by the King of Miami asks the eternal question: if blood is thicker than water, can DNA handle a little grime?
From the age of twelve, Jonessy Price has been the backbone of her family, picking up where her mother left off after walking out on her father seventeen years ago. Unlike most of the women her age, Jonessy is burdened with caring for her mentally handicapped sister, Persia, and hustling up law school tuition for the middle Price, Mali, while running Price Funeral Home. Jonessy isn't content with the life she leads, but she sticks to it because she knows her sisters need her. However, one night and four bullets change her entire family’s dynamic. When tragedy strikes, Jonessy is forced to lean on a trio of infamous family friends, the notorious Damage Wilde and his trigger happy twin brothers, Casanova and Casablanca. What starts as a promise to a loyal friend to keep his daughters safe quickly turns into a love story. With an unorthodox takeover story, the Wilde Brothers have reigned over Brooklyn for over a decade. Their reach spans further than the borough, with solidified relationships throughout the city’s underworld that make them a force to deal with in the financial world. At the helm of the operation is Damage, whose mysterious nature is felt more on the streets than he is seen. Casablanca is a moving shadow, content with being the action behind his brothers’ words. A trap ethicist with a trigger finger as lethal as his heart, Casanova Wilde lives up to his surname, commanding the streets with a presence that the reclusive Damage lacks and picking up the role of mouthpiece that Casablanca has rejected. When Damage proposes they take in the Price Sisters after the murder of their father, Casanova is convinced the trio moving in will make for an uncomfortable living situation. His assumption proves to be right; there’s static between him Jonessy from the jump. What he doesn’t bank on is that static turning into the pursuit of the first woman to ever leave a warm impression on his cold heart. In the midst of Casanova and Jonessy’s love affair is an unknown enemy hiding in plain sight. Leon's death acts as not only the end of life as the Price Sisters know it, but the beginning of a war standing to destroy everything the Wilde Brothers have built.
Some wounds never heal, and for Jonessy Price, the reemergence of her mother is a unscabbing scar, rejecting time’s insistence that it heals. Though she can woo Mali with old memories and acting as the mother Persia has always desired, Jonessy isn’t moved by Willona Price. However, she has no choice but to rearrange her life for the Price Matriarch. As if dealing with her mother isn’t troublesome enough, Jonessy struggles to become whole after a piece of her was taken away abruptly. She throws herself into taking care of everyone, neglecting herself. The one place she finds solace is in her artwork. Although slow, her healing begins, and just as she makes strides they come to a halt at the possibility that the person responsible for shattering her world is alive, flittering in and out of her life in an unexpected way. Jonessy’s best friend Envy has gone from writing the book baes of her dreams to sleeping with a nameless, faceless one referred to as “Stranger.” What she doesn’t know is that he’s the catalyst for past and future events. Casanova Wilde’s identity has revolved not around his money, the harem of women he once entertained, or even the respect he garners on the street. Without the use of his legs he struggles with being a man, specifically being the man he promised Jonessy Price he would be. No longer the source of affection for most and a threat to the rest, Nova navigates life searching for his purpose, only to find his condition hasn’t changed his circumstances; he has. Refusing to stand in his own way, Casanova Wilde works on returning to full form, which he realizes doesn’t mean reverting to his old ways, simply amplifying the same heartless thug Jonessy fell in love with. As Nova goes on a journey to match his mental and physical, Blanc discovers the detriment to keeping the world on his shoulders. Chaos unfolds as Casablanca Wilde searches for Leon Price’s killers, leaving a path of chaos and destruction. In the midst of it, Blanc learns the cost of being the hero when his loved ones are placed in the line of fire due to his careless mistakes. With no one to turn to, an unlikely ally teams up with the coldest Wilde Brother to complete a story of sex, money, and murder. At the center of the impending war between the Wilde and Hines Brothers is Mali Price, who pays for her sins at every turn. Walking the tight rope between doing the right thing and remaining complacent for the sake of acceptance, Mali has her own traumas to unpack, especially when they threaten the very people who have kept her head above water whenever she was drowning. Will she risk everything to absolve herself of her previous transgressions? Or is it too little, too late?
Normani Pope has always dreamed of the day she would be able to live a life out of an Urban Fiction novel. An endless bankroll, access to the latest designer clothes, and the envy of every chick on the block are all part of her fantasies when she meets Ward, an up and coming dope boy. When Ward stakes a claim to the beautiful Normani, she accepts without hesitation, a decision she makes without considering the consequences that comes with dating a dope boy. The lifestyle Ward provides is as lavish as Normani expects, but she soon pays the price for being a thug’s solace when she’s the victim of a botched murder-suicide. Unable to return home, Normani is sent to live with her estranged aunt in Brooklyn. It is there that Normani lays eyes on a shiny red Lamborghini with no idea that its owner was going to change her life for better and worse. Uriah “Urban” Mackenzie has always been held in a high esteem throughout the streets, and not because of his charismatic charm, deep chocolate eyes, and politician’s smile. Urban is the head of “The Trust,” a prestigious crime organization known for running guns, human trafficking, and funneling millions of dollars in cocaine throughout the East Coast. Urban leads The Trust with an iron fist, refusing to allow anyone to one up him lest they deal with his wrath. He has New York City in the palm of his hand, with everyone bending to his will, except a bold and brazen Normani. Love has never been on Urban’s radar—even with a longtime girlfriend on his arm—but Normani’s beautiful eyes and damaged smile pulls him in. Soon Urban finds that he's willing to risk the life and legacy he’s built to see if the grass is truly greener on the other side.
Zeus Townsend has always held it together for his brothers. Being the oldest of four, Zeus was not only their older brother, but a father figure after the jailhouse murder of their father nearly fifteen years ago. However, with the Assan Brothers gone for good, Zeus is able to start building the life he sacrificed for the sake of holding his family down. Three years later, he has done exactly that: his position as connect has brought him wealth, he has the woman of his dreams by his side, and for the first time since he was younger, he's happy. Unfortunately for the eldest Townsend Brother, happiness can only be short lived. In a twist of events, Zeus’ blissful existence is ruined by a secret that was supposed to be taken to the grave. Forced to move on without the love of his life, Zeus is convinced that he’ll never love again until he meets the mysterious Quincy Burton. She's the best thing he never knew he needed, yet their connection goes deeper than between the sheets. She's an Assan Sister and while her intentions are pure, her bloodline isn’t. While Zeus focuses on starting over, his brother, Hasani, and sister-in-law, Gia, are newlyweds maneuvering marital problems made for veteran unions. When it comes to remaining faithful to his fiancée, Hasani Townsend has come a long way from the remorseless adulterer he once was. Too bad for him, his history is known to someone who threatens to not only take down his family, but ruin his marriage before it even begins. One drunken night at his bachelor party is the first nail in the coffin of their dying marriage. Two fatal gunshots change the trajectory of their entire relationship, placing a deep crack in an already shaky foundation. Three years of relationship building is destroyed at a discovery made by Hasani, causing him to wonder if he wasn’t the only one sneaking and creeping. However, for all of their marital lows, Hasani and Gia remain connected through their ability to push aside their issues and be the rock each other needs when life gets tough. But with all of their secrets and lies coming out, Hasani has to decide whether he's going to tough it out and remain with the woman he loves, or if it’s best to walk away. Born into the Luchesi Crime Family, Gianna Luchesi was raised with access to guns, money, and power. Instead of relying on her family name to create her legacy, Gia goes to medical school and uses her position as a front for her real job, which is running a lucrative arms business from New York City. While her position as an arms dealer brings her joy, Gia is constantly at odds with Hasani when it comes to her future. Hasani is supportive in every way possible, but aside from his past transgressions, he wants her to play it safe when the life she has chosen for herself is anything but. However, when an enemy targeting the Townsend Brothers places a bullseye on her back, Gia has no choice but to insert herself and everyone bearing her notorious last name into a war for the ages. Gia remains strong on the business side despite her personal life suffering. Her marriage to Hasani has taken several blows over a short amount of time due to enemies who wish to see her suffer, but when Gia discovers that the fatal blow was delivered by someone who was supposed to have her back, Gia has to save her marriage before Hasani throws in the towel. When a Heartless Thug Holds Me Close 4, a true love story, is filled with earth shattering secrets, volatile lies, and a reminder that like ghosts, real grudges never die.
**** THIS IS A COMPLETE NOVEL! NO SEQUEL, NO CLIFF-HANGER! *** When Alex’s daughter’s father, Q, is murdered in cold blood, Alex is left picking up the shattered pieces of her life. Instead of crumbling like she has in the past, Alex decides to avenge him by getting revenge on Ahab Miller, the infamous club owner. She plans her revenge by any means necessary even if it means exploiting one of her closest friends, Shalaya, a woman with nothing to lose. With not a penny to her name and her rent almost past due, Shalaya Adams is in a situation no single mother wants to find herself in: crashing and burning for the enjoyment of her son's father, Mar, who wants nothing more than to gain custody of their son and whisk him away to another happily ever after that doesn't involve her. Her luck takes a turn for the better when she meets a handsome stranger who's looking for a fresh start. Everything starts to go her way when she gets a strange request from her best friend, Alex, asking her to date Ahab Miller. What Shalaya expects to be climbing into bed with a cold-hearted monster turns into a sensual love affair unlike any other. But what happens when Ahab isn't the monster Alex has made him out to be? Shalaya is forced to make the decision of a lifetime. Will her allegiance remain to Alex or will she turn her loyalties to Ahab and end up between his sheets?
Born in the heart of Brooklyn to a dope fiend mother and ghost of a father, Moette Henderson, aka Moe, learned at a young age that cash ruled all. Raised by her money hungry foster mother, Moe quickly became one of the best hustlers in the game, wooing some of the biggest kingpins in the game and hitting them where it hurts the most: their pockets. Moe has been hardened by the game, and the only thing keeping her sane was her little sister, Roni. It's Moe's dedication to making sure that Roni had the life she's always dreamed of that kept her pushing, and she's convinced that she's got it under control until she meets Savant, a bandit turned businessman. A born paper chaser with no fear of the law or losing his life, Savant is every woman’s dream and hustler’s nightmare. After being betrayed by the love of his life in a heist gone wrong, Savant has sworn off his trigger happy ways and decides to lay low while building an empire of his own. He's content with his playboy lifestyle until he meets Moe, a mysterious beauty that might make him a believer in love again. She's everything that he could ask for: smart, loyal, and a natural born hustler like himself. The problem? There's something about her that he can't quite put his finger on. When Moe’s best friend, Damaris, comes up with the idea to go from robbing hustlers to banks, Moe’s apprehensive until she gets a taste of that dirty money. With an insatiable taste for the thrill of heist after heist, Moe has to keep her lifestyle hidden from the reserved Savant. Forced to live two lives, Moe must decide whether to take a chance on a love that she never saw coming or to keep chasing the almighty dollar.
The cards have fallen where they may and in the final installment of When a Heartless Thug Holds Me Close, this true love story may come to a tragic ending if the Townsend Brothers are unable to dead their beef with the Assan Brothers once and for all. The confidence Yara restored in herself has come under fire after Ghetto’s vicious attack on her, leaving her body as well as her mind under duress. However, she doesn’t have to fight this uphill battle by herself because Quade is there for her, kissing her scars and healing old wounds that threatened to reopen. With the budding romance between her and Quade being placed in jeopardy, Yara returns the favor by becoming Quade’s solace throughout a war for the books. Her loyalty to Quade is enough to keep him from teetering over the edge, but when tragedy strikes the Townsend Brothers, Yara’s love might not be enough to tame Quade’s wild ways. Quade Townsend has always kissed death on the lips, played a game of tug-of-war with it, and thinks of it as a badge of honor to end his premature life. Fighting against the Assan Brothers has made him a friend of it as he gifts casualties of war over as fast as his deadly trigger finger can allow. But what happens when death stakes a claim to someone he loves and in return promises to return back for seconds after a bullseye has been planted on another? Quade finds himself trapped between guarding his life so he could have a future with Yara and sacrificing it for the sake of family. After making the decision with a heavy heart, Quade discovers that a new life is on the line and even if he manages to save it, his days with Yara will certainly be numbered. After being entangled in a bed of lies, Cash wakes up to the reality that her relationship with Savion is no longer salvageable. Her fears are confirmed after the betrayed Townsend Brother teaches her a hard lesson on the game she's never likely to forget. Cash quickly falls out of love with the game as she had once fell in love with it, vowing to go on the straight and narrow to pursue her styling business. She's finally achieved inner happiness at the thought of a life filled with normalcy when Savion returned offering her the opportunity of a lifetime. Unbeknownst to Cash, this deal comes with the return of an old flame that never quite ignited. Torn between a promising future with Mr. Right and her undeniable feelings for a heartless thug, Cash has to decide if she's going to go with her head or her heart.
"They say once a good girl’s gone bad, she's gone forever.” Nubia has been a victim for the past ten years of her life—a victim of circumstance, a victim of domestic violence, and a victim of life in general—but when she defeats Vincent in a battle for her life, she quits being a victim and becomes a warrior. From reclaiming her unknown legacy to being reclaimed by the special man in her life, Nubia blossoms into a woman that doesn’t take shit from anyone. Not from her uncle. Certainly not from her aunt. But if there is one situation that drives her back to her timid ways, it’s the target on the back of her head. Nubia’s luck is starting to run low with each attempt on her life hitting closer to home. Torn between the security of the game and his love for Nubia, Maine finds himself having to choose between either one at any given moment. However, that’s not the only choice Maine is forced to make. Maine promised Sampson that he would kill the little girl from ten years ago when the time was right. What he didn’t expect was to fall in love with her. Wedged between his loyalty to Nubia and Sampson, Maine toes a dangerous line that forces him to protect the love of his live while spurning the hand that once fed him. Can Maine save Nubia from her predetermined fate, or will the bond of his word be broken? With an old flame back from the grave, Shahani finds herself once again torn between the comforting past love she had with Lonzo and the tumultuous relationship she currently shares with Sampson. Shahani finds herself being constantly tugged between the two men at any given time, forcing her to play her cards close for the sake of her heart. Convinced that Sampson is hiding a huge secret from her, Shahani almost succumbs to the elusive Lonzo, only to find out that his reappearance into her life might not have been as innocent as she once thought. Both of the men in her life are out for blood and in the end Shahani must make a choice between backing her new love, staying loyal to an old flame, or choosing herself for once. In the final installment of His Savage was Her Weakness, love battles loyalty, fears are overcome by courage, and open wounds can finally heal. However, if Maine, Nubia, and Shahani can have the happy endings they deserve, they’re going to have to work for it.
After being left at the alter by his long time girlfriend, Gigi Romano hasn’t been quite the same. He’s vowed to never have his heart broken again and plunges himself into a world of nameless and faceless women. Ten years later, his player ways are still strong, but other areas of his life are growing weak, especially his relationship with his son. Gigi continually promises to change his ways but always finds himself succumbing to his sexual desires, whether it be with the sultry Diana or levelheaded Melissa. However, when Qui returns to New York City, Gigi believes that his first true love will be able to change him for the better—that is until he meets his Mystery Woman. Allowing her to slip through his grasp once, Gigi swears that if given the chance again he’ll give her everything her heart desires. However, when they meet again through a chance encounter, Gigi realizes that his all might not be enough. Life hasn’t been easy for Jade Romano either. Fresh out of a divorce, Jade finds herself the eye candy of every woman in New York City except for the one she really wants: her boss, Lia. With the face of a Creole angel, the body of a bombshell, and the vocals to match, it’s no wonder that Lia’s everything Jade could ever want. There’s only one problem—Lia can't stand her. Although Jade finds herself at the end of Lia’s cool glares and catty ways, it doesn’t stop her from wondering what’s underneath Lia’s marble façade. When she does have a peek, it’s enough to pull her in completely. The problem? Her ex-wife, Brandy. Armed with a poisonous secret and a deadly desire to take back what’s hers, Brandy barrels back into Jade’s life with promises to wreak havoc unless she returns to the place where the pain started. Home. Every love affair comes with a price and Gigi must pay for the actions of his past while Jade suffers for the choices she’ll have to make in the future. There’s no question that either of the Romano children are strong enough to handle it—the question is: in the end is it all worth it?
