Rumi "Rue" Monroe was a girl who grew up too quick and too soon. When her parents died, all she had left was herself, her overworked aunt, and bills they could never quite outrun. Fresh out of a relationship after catching her man in bed with another woman, Rue is exhausted working herself to the bone, drowning in responsibilities, and done with men altogether. She keeps her head down, minding her business, praying life gives her something better than struggle and disappointment. She isn't looking for love, danger, or anything that can break her again. Until she meets him. Nazir "Naz" Creed is the coldest man in the city a quiet storm with a reputation that speaks louder than he ever needs to. Running the streets with his brothers built him an empire people fear and respect in equal measure. Naz moves with precision, loyalty, and violence when necessary, and he's never cared about much outside money, power, and keeping his circle alive. But then he sees Rue. What starts as a chance encounter turns into a collision neither of them can walk away from. Rue's sweetness clashes with Naz's darkness, her broken hope meets his guarded heart, and suddenly the city's coldest man finds himself warming to the one girl who wasn't looking for him in the first place. And the streets? The streets don't like when the wrong people start caring about each other.

A quiet young girl grows up feeling unseen in her own world until she meets a woman whose kindness changes everything. She isn't her mother by blood, but somehow her words, her presence, and her light become the safe place the girl never knew she needed. As the years pass, that connection teaches her about healing, purpose, and what love can look like in unexpected people.

After losing her daughter's father to gun violence in their Memphis hometown, Fatima faces a storm of grief and complicated emotions. Torn between resentment and forgiveness, she finds herself at a crossroads, but through her baby girl, she receives a beautiful, unexpected sign from beyond; a reminder that all he ever wanted was for her to find happiness and peace. With this message, Fatima begins to heal, embracing hope and the possibility of brighter days ahead.

Desire has no age limit. But secrets always have consequences.

Will these two best friends take their relationship to the next level or let fear stand in the way? What happens when your so-called friends try to stop your growth? What happens when exes decide they don't want to let go? Will Zac and Fatima come out on top with a love that surpasses all understanding? Find out in this slow-burn urban fiction, rom-com drama where healing and true love wins over all the bullshit. This book will have mature content: explicit language, unfiltered passionate sex scenes, illegal acts, and talks of traumatic experiences, therapy sessions.