At twenty nine, Rue returns to her hometown of East Harlem New York to check on her family and honor the late birthday of her childhood best friend, Emari ". Now a famous makeup artist , Rue has built a life far from the city she once ran from but being back brings up memories she tried to bury. What she doesn't expect is to see Azriel, an old childhood friend she hasn't spoken to since he went to prison years ago. Struggling with the loss of Emari, Rue fled the city without thinking about how deeply her absence would hurt him. Left alone to face jail and life without anyone in his corner, Azriel accepted the consequences of the streets. Years later, he's no longer the boy she knew but a world known boxer. With unresolved pain, guilt, and feelings neither of them ever truly let go of, Rue and Azriel are forced to face the past.

Junior nudged her leg with his foot and tilted his head while he watched her groan in her sleep. She was covered in all kinds of cuts, and there was blood all over the floor. He watched as her eyes fluttered open, before she moved fast. She scrambled backwards and her heel skidded uselessly, as she threw herself back into the corner. Her hands shot up in defense, "I didn't take anything, I swear to God, please." Her voiced cracked not wanting to look at the man that was towering over her.

"𝐒𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐒𝐍'𝐓 𝐀 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐍, 𝐍𝐄𝐈𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐇𝐄 𝐀 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐒. 𝐁𝐔𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐁𝐄𝐂𝐀𝐌𝐄 𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐈𝐃𝐃𝐋𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐎𝐒." _ _ _ _ _ _ _ When twenty-one-year-old Saniya moves from Virginia to Philadelphia to live with her cousin Miracle, she's searching for a fresh start - independence, freedom, and the chance to figure out life on her own terms. What she doesn't expect is to catch the eye of Nasir "King" Carter, a man already legendary in his city. At twenty-five, King is one of Philly's hottest up-and-coming music producers. He's worked with the biggest names, owns multiple businesses, and never forgets to give back to the neighborhood that raised him. Untouchable, successful, and fiercely focused, King has never let a woman into his world - until Saniya. Their first encounter is brief, a fleeting glance at a community event, but it's enough to spark something neither can ignore. When fate brings them together again, King isn't letting her slip away. What begins as a guided tour of the city slowly becomes something deeper. Saniya is cautious but intrigued, drawn to the man behind the power. King, used to guarding his heart, finds himself captivated by her softness, her voice, her presence - the one thing money and influence can't buy. But love in Philly comes with its risks. With King's name carrying weight in the streets, Saniya must decide if she's ready to step into his world - and King must face whether opening his heart is worth putting everything he's built on the line. A story of love, loyalty, and finding something real in a city that doesn't forgive mistakes.

Solei came to college to get her degree, not lose herself in a man she couldn't have. Books, grades, and minding her business - that was the plan. Until she started slipping in her hardest class and ended up needing extra help from one person she should've stayed far away from. Basim Hart is everything she should avoid - intelligent, composed, and carrying an energy that makes people pay attention without him saying a word. One tutoring session turns into something neither of them can ignore, and suddenly Solei is caught between what's right and what feels too real to walk away from. But there's more to Professor Hart than the campus knows... and Solei starts to feel it long before she understands it. His past. His power. His secrets. All of it shadows the connection growing between them. As lines blur and temptation rises, Solei realizes she might be stepping into something deeper than a forbidden love and lesson - something that could change everything she thought she knew about him... and herself. A quiet girl. A complicated man. A love neither one of them saw coming. Secrets, tension, and danger - but you won't know how deep it goes until you turn the page.

"Solè, why'd you stay?" "Because, Zaire... you the first thing that ever felt worth staying for." ❀ 🝳 ❀ Harlem held the noise. Solè gave Zaire the quiet. Zaire Knox, Harlem's quiet storm, known for his ties to the streets and a gaze that read people faster than they could lie to him. Respected. Feared. Loved. With scars buried deeper than his tattoos, he never planned to love soft. Until a Harlem vinyl shop left behind by his late grandfather forces him to slow down, to breathe, to find his real purpose in the world beyond the streets. Solè Sinclair, soft but unbreakable, raised by her father after loss. By day, she serves warmth behind the counter of a café. By night, she disappears into her art, trying to paint the parts of herself no one ever sees. When their worlds cross, the city shifts. What starts off tense and unexpected turns tender. Together, they learn love can hold you just as fierce as the streets ever did, and softer, too. But love in Harlem always asks one question: what are you willing to risk when the heart wants more than the streets ever offered? A Harlem story. A hood love. A soft place to land. ❀ 🝳 ❀