Jeremy Ferguson is caught between two worlds-the conservative, faith-based expectations of his Southern preacher father and his own ambitions to live the life of a model in New York City. Aura Vanderleigh is similarly trapped by her own battle for self-respect, her own family's expectations, and her dreams of a better life. As a plus-size woman, she's been indoctrinated with the belief that she doesn't deserve love, let alone the love of a beautiful white man. She is surprised-and intrigued-when Jeremy shows up at her church one day. And fate has something wonderful in store: true love. When...

For young Paris Branch, life is about to begin. Newly eighteen, she is ready to leave the limitations of her small-town life behind. Carson, Virginia, may be where she was born, but it's not where she sees her future. An inbound freshman at Howard University, she has her eyes on a bright, new life in the nation's capital. There, she will truly blossom into the woman she is destined to be. She can't wait to start her journey. For Billy, it is love at first sight. Paris is slightly older, and Billy slightly wiser; and a romance between two people of different races presents a complication. Both...

Maxine James has been broken. When she was just thirteen, an act of unspeakable violence ended the innocence of her childhood. She was abducted and violated on her way home from school. Now twenty-six, the terror of her teen years is never far from her mind. She fears she won't be able to overcome her past to enjoy a normal, healthy relationship with a man. She lives with her sister, Nadine, and her husband, Eric, and even though they are sympathetic to her trauma, home life is a challenge. Nadine's brother in law, Matthew has never been quiet about his feelings regarding his brother Eric's...