It started out like any other morning on the train - until I became mesmerized by the guy sitting across the aisle. He was barking at someone on his phone like he ruled the world. Who did the stuck-up suit think he was...God? Actually, he looked like a god. That was about it.

Meet Omari, a gorgeous, hardworking 28-year-old man from the South Side of Chicago. No matter how hard he works at his job at UPS, it is never enough to take care of himself and his long-term girlfriend. After continuous pressure from his older cousin, Ching, Omari finally trades in busting his ass for working under Ching, hustling three major blocks on the West Side. All is good as Omari juggles work and the drug game - until Ching involves him in the murder of someone who ends up being the governor's nephew.

You're not supposed to want the one who torments you. When my stepbrother, Elec, came to live with us my senior year, I wasn't prepared for how much of a jerk he'd be. I hated that he took it out on me because he didn't want to be here. I hated that he brought girls from our high school back to his room. But what I hated the most was the unwanted way my body reacted to him.

What do you do when a sexy older man moves into your family’s summer rental? Well, apparently, you make a fool of yourself - over and over. Things didn’t exactly get off on the right foot with Noah Cavallari. Our first encounter was embarrassing, to say the least. But despite that, I found myself waking up every day with a newfound energy. Nothing exciting ever happened on the lake - not until Noah moved into the small boathouse on our property. When my mother became ill, I inherited the responsibility of making sure our guests were well taken care of.

Brooklyn Johnson had it all - money, jewels, designer clothes, a successful modeling career, and men falling at her feet. Now she's struggling to keep up the facade. When life was good, she wasn't always good to those around her. Even as she developed a drug addiction and struggled to maintain her sanity, she never felt she needed anyone. Now that an illness has turned her life upside down, she finds herself having to make amends with all the people she's wronged.

Diner waitress Allison Abraham has no idea her mundane life is about to change dramatically the day she serves a devastatingly handsome customer. Allison is immediately captivated by the mysterious man who stares through her soul with his electric-blue eyes. After he abruptly leaves the restaurant, she can't get him out of her head. She has no idea that he actually came on a mission to find her. Cedric Callahan wasn't expecting to fall in love at first sight with the pretty waitress he'd set out to find.

When Ellery moved to New York with her boyfriend, she thought they’d live happily ever after in their small New York apartment. She never thought he’d pack his bags and leave because he “needed space”. With her newfound single status and fear of being alone, Ellery buries herself in her artwork and paintings until one night she helps a mysterious intoxicated stranger get home safely. Little did she know the mysterious stranger is none other than CEO and millionaire Connor Black.

First rule of being a nanny? Don’t fall for the single dad, even if he is smoking hot. But that’s exactly what happens when grumpy small-town sheriff Asher Whitlock reluctantly hires me to take care of his daughter for the summer. Neither of us is thrilled with the arrangement, but he’s desperate for help, and I need the money for grad school this fall.

As Hurricane Katrina ravages New Orleans, attorney Tully Badeaux's life follows suit when betrayal leads to heartbreak. Tully Gaston Badeaux might be successful in the courtroom but at home her relationships with her partner, Dr. Jessica Badeaux, and their children are falling apart.

Emily has the life every woman dreams of. But when Louis mysteriously starts pushing Emily away, becoming distant and secretive, she is forced to search for the truth among the lies, scandal, and heartbreak of his past that threaten to shatter her world. What she finds out will test the strength of her love and her vows to the man of her dreams. Can Emily and Louis rewind far enough back to a time when life was simpler and love was all they needed?

"I'm in love with my best friend's boyfriend." It seems to be a trend, but for 25-year-old Matise Jackson, it is an ugly truth. When she told her college best friend the type of woman she thought he should be with, she was describing herself, but instead of falling into her trap and becoming her Prince Charming, he shows up at her doorstep with a new princess. As much as Matise wants to hate Lia, she can't. They're so much alike that gradually they become the best of friends. Still, no sisterhood can stop Matise's heart from wanting the thing she desires most - Jordan.

Liz: I’m an 18-year-old high school graduate who has just experienced my first...well, everything. I would give anything to hold on to Cooper, but we made a decision. After 30 hours of falling in lust, we’re parting ways. I’m starting college and can’t be distracted. Besides, he has his own life to get back to.

Brooks showed up to be our best man the night before our nuptials. After drinks and too much reminiscing, I ended up in bed with the wrong brother. To avoid the humiliation and the fact that I'd ruined all of our lives, I left Branch and the only family I'd ever known.

Audrielle Freeman hasn't really been dealt a fair hand when it comes to love. After having her heart broken for the last time, she decides to take a breather from relationships and focus on the thriving shoe store she owns with her sister, Ariana. Cairo Broussard isn't looking for love, but at the same time, he's open for it to happen if it comes. He never thought in a million years that he'd practically fall in love at first sight after walking into the custom shoe store one of his players told him about.  

Ellis Renois is at the top of the fashion world and has built the Renois Company into a success that dominates the runways of the world. Ellis loves creating clothes, and she loves the beautiful women who wear them. While Ellis deals with design, she leaves the business aspect to others. It's a mistake that could cost her more than just her life's work. Charlotte Hamner has worked her way through school and is ready to make a better life for herself and her daughter Sawyer.

Diner waitress Allison Abraham has no idea her mundane life is about to change dramatically the day she serves a devastatingly handsome customer. Allison is immediately captivated by the mysterious man who stares through her soul with his electric-blue eyes. After he abruptly leaves the restaurant, she can't get him out of her head. She has no idea that he actually came on a mission to find her. Cedric Callahan wasn't expecting to fall in love at first sight with the pretty waitress he'd set out to find.

From the New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal best-selling author Sandi Lynn, comes the continuation of Ian & Rory's love story.... After Rory Sinclair suffered a brutal attack, she fell into the arms of millionaire Ian Braxton. He took her in, healed her, and they both gave each other something they never had: love.

Ainsley came into my life in a flurry of vibrant colors, lighting my world up when all seemed lost. It wasn't our quiet nights by the creek or stolen kisses surrounded by a sea of cotton that saved me. It was her. She was my comfort when life threw one ugly tragedy after another at me. Until she dealt me the greatest blow. Now, abandonment, betrayal, and death darken every corner of my life. Anger and hurt burn bright where love and trust once lived. But now she's back.

Have sex with a stranger in a foreign country. It was on my list. It was something I'd never done before, and I wasn't sure if I could go through with it. But I did. That one night was the best night of my entire life. He was sexy, intense, and made me feel things I had never felt before. The next morning, the thrill was over, and he was gone before I woke up. What happened in London should have stayed in London, but it didn't. I was never supposed to see him again, but the universe had other plans.

Lark Williams leads a fast-paced life, always on the edge of danger. Running from his past and fighting to keep his present life a secret, he keeps his heart out of reach from love. The walls he built around himself come crumbling down when he meets Azurdee Emerson. Azurdee lives a peaceful life in the small town of Wimberley, Texas. Her tame world quickly becomes heated as she begins to fall in love with Lark.

Nero is the king of Legacy Prep, living a life of power. Elle is the school's punching bag, living a life of fear.

Venus Johnston has a great job and a long-term, live-in boyfriend who happens to be a drop-dead gorgeous doctor. She also has a weekly beauty-parlor date to keep her long, nappy hair slick and straight. But the tedious hours and harsh chemicals in the salon have long grated on Venus. One frustrating day, she trades in the long hair for a dramatically short, natural cut and sends her commitment-balking boyfriend packing. It's a bold declaration of independence and one that has effects she never could have imagined.

I couldn't do broken. Broken is what he was. Broken is what I will always be. To his eyes, that held so much despair, I couldn't look for long. To his fist, that clenched so tightly, like he was locking away the sorrow. To his lips, that never uttered a word, from the years of heartbreak. And despite it all, I couldn't stay away from him. It was like he was drowning in an ocean, and I wanted to grab his face, and whisper to his lips, "Don't forget to breathe."

Every time I step on stage, I feel alive. But that doesn't compare to the way I feel when I'm with Evie. She's an angel, so f*cking innocent. My story is written plainly in the lyrics I write; I'm an ex-con with the ghosts of my past everywhere. A man like me will ruin a girl like her. The record deal I dreamt of was just handed to me, the life I should want is mine for the taking. But the only thing I want is the girl I can't have.

In Suspicions, author Sasha Campbell pens a provocative tale about the trouble that can arise when a person ignores the past for too long. Because Noelle Gordon owns the hottest beauty salon in the area, she hears a lot about her clients’ private lives. But when a baby is abandoned on her doorstep, Noelle finds that she is the one at the center of all the drama.

Fresh off a divorce from a Hollywood hotshot, Madison Atwood needs an escape. With the paparazzi fresh on her heels and her love life splashed on every tabloid, she runs away to a swanky retreat in Northern California. Avalon Springs is the mountainside haven she needs to find herself again. Luke Dawson lives off the grid, preferring solitude to society. When he finds a beautiful woman soaking in the hot springs on his property, he can't stop himself from watching her. She captures his attention, but she's just a city girl - a beautiful distraction disturbing the peace.

Alyssa's modeling career came to an abrupt end when her manager boyfriend emptied her bank account and ruined her professional reputation. Now she's heading to a new town in Montana to rebuild her life - if she can even get there (stupid delayed planes!). But things are looking up when she's upgraded to first class, and a mysterious stranger sits down next to her. Jackson Whitman doesn't believe in love or commitment or forever - not since he lost his wife and daughter.

Ellis Garrett is dumping her critical boyfriend, opening a plus-size clothing store, and starting a blog-all to spread the word that fashion shouldn't require a size-two body and that happiness should allow for the occasional cupcake. Or two. But is indulging fantasies about her sister's long-ago ex, the still-hunky Michael Edwards, biting off more than she can chew? Mike must be losing his detective's touch. He doesn't recognize Ellis when he bumps into her at Size Me Up.

Beau Emerson is no gentleman. Those hazel eyes. That filthy mouth. That greedy, hard body. It all equates to one thing. Irresistible. One look and I know he'll bruise my lips and scar my knees. He'll give me the best nine days of my life while ruining me in the most beautiful way imaginable. And I'll let him, because he has the power to talk me into anything. Except one thing. Staying. I have no choice. The things I desire from him will destroy me in the end.

Momma's Baby Daddy's Maybe is an Essence best seller by popular author Jamise L. Dames. This steamy tale revolves around the lives of the three Jacobs siblings: wild Kennedy, corporate Simone, and handsome Derrick.