Saige Monet is almost there. Almost famous. Almost in love. Almost his. Her voice is rising, her name is catching buzz. But the man she shares her nights, and maybe even her heart, with still keeps her tucked in the background. Niko Landry prefers it that way. Behind the camera. Behind the chaos. Behind the walls he's never let anyone through. What they have isn't defined, but it's real. At least, it feels that way. Until it all starts to slip. When a trip back home resurfaces everything Niko buried, their already fragile worlds shatters. He's forced to choose between surviving his past...or building something that lasts. And Saige? She's left with a spotlight, a broken heart, and a future that no longer includes the one person she thought might be hers. Now, she's rising without him and he's learning how to show up for more than just the moment. Because what they had was never nothing. It was almost everything. Almost real. Almost forever. Almost his. Almost yours.

The dust of Mississippi still clung to Giselle "Stinger" Beaumont's boots, a subtle whisper of the bayou's dark secrets and the booming mafia enterprise she commanded. But now, the familiar, sweltering heat of Houston enveloped her, a stark reminder of the home she'd abandoned years ago. Stone wasn't back for sentimental reasons; the Beaumont family, once a tight-knit unit, was now little more than a distant memory. No, Stone had returned with a purpose, her mind meticulously mapping out new territories, new ventures, and new blood for her empire. Her stay was meant to be brief-a few weeks, just long enough to lay the groundwork for her ambitious plans and perhaps, a fleeting, awkward visit with the family who barely knew the hardened woman she'd become. Yet, Houston had a way of upending even the best-laid schemes. Among the familiar faces and forgotten alleys, Stone found herself drawn to a woman as untamed and captivating as the city itself, Stallion. In a world where loyalty was currency and power the ultimate prize, Stone was about to discover that some connections transcended business, and some returns home were destined to rewrite every rule she thought she knew.

par·a·digm shift a fundamental change in approach or underlying assumptions.

❝ are you aware that my heart is trying to crawl out of my chest to get to you? ❞ JUJU WATKINS x F!OC. ( completed. )

"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. ❀ 🝳 ❀

"You trust me?" he asked, eyes turning soft once they made contact. "Maj, I-I-" "I said do you trust me, Lucky?" he repeated, voice hard. "...yes," she breathed out, and his next words came without hesitation, sending a chill down her spine. "Then shoot."

new beginnings, new experiences, new friends. new betrayals, new lies, new guilt. same strength, same stubbornness, same heart. secrets might keep you close, but fires that burn in the quiet are much more likely to scar the ones closest to them. book one in the burnt series🕯️ #1 in bigmama feb'&may 26😏 #1 in kwn in mar&april '26💐 #1 in unreliablenarrator in mar '26 #1 in bi in may '26

when soleil takes a job working for a celebrity she already dislikes, she expects the worst. but billie isn't who she thought she was, and the line between professional and personal starts to blur. this is an enemies-to-lovers story about tension, timing, and what happens in between. will they cross the line?

the ties that bind.. #2 in kwn nov '25 💃🏼(unruly #1 😏) #2 in kehlani dec '25 ❤️