New York Times bestselling author Mary Monroe-s extraordinary novel celebrates life, love, and the power of sisterhood-proving that friends, like fine wine, only get better with age-

Gorgeous, successful executive Teri Stewart spends her days working for L.A.-s hottest record company-and her nights all alone. Her best friend Nicole is determined to find Teri a man, but she hasn-t had much luck...because Teri wants more than Mr. Maybe. She-s holding out for Mr. Right and won-t settle for anything less. Just when Teri is ready to give up, a man from her past returns to reignite their romance. With his sultry smile and easy-going charm, radio DJ Harrison Starr is one-of-a kind-and Teri can-t deny she-s fallen hard for him again.

With her life finally falling into place, Teri thinks her dreams might come true after all. But Harrison may have a secret that could change everything-...

Sequel to God Don't Like Ugly

An Essence Bestseller
A Selection of the Black Expressions Book Club

In this haunting and powerful new novel, national bestselling author Mary Monroe revisits Annette Goode, Rhoda Nelson, and the other unforgettable characters from God Don't Like Ugly. After a five-year separation, Annette is ready to take tentative steps to re-establish her friendship with Rhoda, but has her troubled girlhood companion come to terms with her past?

Group Discussion Guide Included....

An Essence(r) Bestseller

In this exciting and suspenseful new novel from acclaimed bestselling author Mary Monroe, Trudy Bell, a restless young woman, thinks she's found a free ride to happiness and adventure. Facing a marriage that seems to promise nothing but dullness and drudgery, Trudy decides to make some changes. Unfortunately, her choices may land her in prison - or worse . . ....

"Nightmare in Paradise" by Mary Monroe

Good-looking and as dutiful a wife as she is a devoted friend, reserved and respectful Renee Webb always does the right thing. So when she gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to let her hair down on a Caribbean vacation with her uninhibited friend Inez, Renee is more than ready to let go. But the sun-splashed isle of Paraiso is not what it seems, and Renee finds out that doing the wrong thing--a sizzling night of pleasure with a sexy stranger--might cost her more than she ever imagined...

"Bad Luck Shadow" by Victor McGlothin

Bad luck's been shadowing handsome Baltimore Floyd ever since he hopped a train out of New York City. On the run from some of Harlem's baddest hitmen, Baltimore's luck takes a turn for the worse after he murders a big-time white businessman and gets thrown off the train in Kansas City. Alone and on the lam, Baltimore's got only one shot to get out alive--the biggest heist in KC's history. Lucky for him, Henry Taylor's got his back, and he'll have to use every trick he knows to save Baltimore from going down for good......

From Mary Monroe, beloved author of God Don't Like Ugly and God Still Don't Like Ugly, comes the entwined stories of two lifelong friends, their secrets and lies, and a new challenge that could destroy their relationship once and for all...

With a handsome husband, a beautiful daughter, and a lovely house to come home to every night, forty-five-year-old Annette Goode finally has it all. Heaven knows she paid her dues--from a childhood filled with abuse to a rocky start as an adult. Annette's friend Rhoda knows too, for Rhoda has been both her savior and her greatest fear. Their erratic relationship has survived some serious bumps in the road. But now that things are good, someone apparently thinks they're a little too good...

When Annette receives an anonymous--and menacing--birthday gift, it's just the beginning of a slew of hostile letters, vicious phone calls, and vile packages from a female who is obviously disguising her voice. Gaining comfort from the support of Rhoda and Rhoda's teenage daughter, Jade, Annette hopes that somehow the problem will go away. But when the threats extend to her little daughter, Annette realizes the situation is dire. And she's right, for soon her tormentor reveals exactly what she wants--and how it could destroy everything Annette has built...

...

An Essence(r) Bestselling Author
A Black Expressions Book Club Selection

From the bestselling author of God Don't Like Ugly comes a powerful and passionate new novel about six unique women who share life on the streets of San Francisco - under the control of one charismatic man. With humor, style, and empathy, Mary Monroe lets us in on their hopes and dreams, their laughter - and their limits....

Sequel to God Don't Like Ugly

An Essence Bestseller
A Selection of the Black Expressions Book Club

In this haunting and powerful new novel, national bestselling author Mary Monroe revisits Annette Goode, Rhoda Nelson, and the other unforgettable characters from God Don't Like Ugly. After a five-year separation, Annette is ready to take tentative steps to re-establish her friendship with Rhoda, but has her troubled girlhood companion come to terms with her past?

Group Discussion Guide Included....

New York Times bestselling author Mary Monroe-s extraordinary novel celebrates life, love, and the power of sisterhood-proving that friends, like fine wine, only get better with age-

Gorgeous, successful executive Teri Stewart spends her days working for L.A.-s hottest record company-and her nights all alone. Her best friend Nicole is determined to find Teri a man, but she hasn-t had much luck...because Teri wants more than Mr. Maybe. She-s holding out for Mr. Right and won-t settle for anything less. Just when Teri is ready to give up, a man from her past returns to reignite their romance. With his sultry smile and easy-going charm, radio DJ Harrison Starr is one-of-a kind-and Teri can-t deny she-s fallen hard for him again.

With her life finally falling into place, Teri thinks her dreams might come true after all. But Harrison may have a secret that could change everything-...

New York Times bestselling author Mary Monroe delivers a powerful and provocative new novel about one woman's search for love in a world where secrets don't always stay hidden, friends don't always have our backs, and the choices we make in one rash moment can change everything...If there's one thing Dolores Reese knows, it's how to keep a secret. It's a skill she learned early in life, watching her best friend Valerie Proctor do whatever it took to protect her family from her violent stepfather. Back then, Dolores was in foster care -- just like Floyd Watson, a local boy who intrigues Dolores from the moment they meet. Even in high school, Dolores knows with certainty that she and Floyd are soul mates. When one bad decision sends an innocent Floyd to prison for life, Dolores pays clandestine visits and -- out of a mix of love and pity -- promises to stick by him.While Floyd's world stands still, Dolores's horizons open up in exciting new ways when she lands a position working for a cruise line. There, she meets Paul Dunne, an accomplished businessman who promises her the kind of future she's always wanted -- the kind she once imagined having with Floyd. Dolores is sure she can continue to visit Floyd without revealing that she's now married to another man. But when Floyd is suddenly freed on new evidence, Dolores is torn and makes a fateful decision -- to live a double lie, devoting herself to two different husbands in two different cities. With Valerie as her confidante and accomplice, Dolores hopes to pull off the ultimate deception. But into this risky situation comes another man, one Dolores can't resist. And if she isn't careful, Dolores just might find out what happens when love, dishonesty, and dangerous jealousy collide......

The New York Times bestselling author of God Don't Like Ugly and God Still Don't Like Ugly, Mary Monroe has been hailed as "a real talent" (San Jose Mercury News) and as one of today's most provocative storytellers. In her sensational new novel, a beautiful, resourceful woman is caught in a high-stakes game of money, sex and betrayal--all in the name of a better future...

Once upon a time, Christine Thurman had the perfect marriage. A girl from the wrong side of the tracks, she made good by marrying Jesse Ray Thurman and helping him build a business worth millions. Together, they were the perfect couple--attractive, successful, and deeply in love. Christine was convinced she'd spend the rest of her life by her handsome husband's side.

But twelve years later, J.R. has become obsessed with building his video store empire and is taking his wife for granted. Feeling trapped and alone in a dead-end marriage, Christine finds herself tempted by her old haunts and the people she thought she left behind long ago. Suddenly, without J.R. even realizing it, their seemingly unshakeable bond has started fraying at the seams--and Christine will do anything to break free.

Enter Wade Eddie Fisher, a bad boy with good looks from Christine's past. Wade left their hometown long ago to follow his Hollywood dreams, but now he's back, penniless, and as tempting as ever. Even though Wade is far from dependable, he offers Christine something she can't seem to resist. Soon she's immersed in a sultry affair, and before she knows it, she's concocted a scheme so risky that it promises to deliver everything she could possibly want--or shatter the lives of everyone close to her......

New York Times bestselling author Mary Monroe delivers a powerful and provocative new novel about one woman's search for love in a world where secrets don't always stay hidden, friends don't always have our backs, and the choices we make in one rash moment can change everything...If there's one thing Dolores Reese knows, it's how to keep a secret. It's a skill she learned early in life, watching her best friend Valerie Proctor do whatever it took to protect her family from her violent stepfather. Back then, Dolores was in foster care -- just like Floyd Watson, a local boy who intrigues Dolores from the moment they meet. Even in high school, Dolores knows with certainty that she and Floyd are soul mates. When one bad decision sends an innocent Floyd to prison for life, Dolores pays clandestine visits and -- out of a mix of love and pity -- promises to stick by him.While Floyd's world stands still, Dolores's horizons open up in exciting new ways when she lands a position working for a cruise line. There, she meets Paul Dunne, an accomplished businessman who promises her the kind of future she's always wanted -- the kind she once imagined having with Floyd. Dolores is sure she can continue to visit Floyd without revealing that she's now married to another man. But when Floyd is suddenly freed on new evidence, Dolores is torn and makes a fateful decision -- to live a double lie, devoting herself to two different husbands in two different cities. With Valerie as her confidante and accomplice, Dolores hopes to pull off the ultimate deception. But into this risky situation comes another man, one Dolores can't resist. And if she isn't careful, Dolores just might find out what happens when love, dishonesty, and dangerous jealousy collide......

In this richly drawn novel set on the streets, porches and in the parlors of 1960s Ohio, Mary Monroe brings to life the bond between two girls from opposite sides of the tracks--and the shattering event that changes their lives forever.

At the heart of the story is Annette Goode, a shy, awkward girl who keeps a terrible secret. Mr. Boatwright, the boarder her hardworking mother has taken in, abuses her daily. Frightened and ashamed, Annette withdraws into a world of books and food.

But the summer Annette turns thirteen, something incredible happens: Rhoda Nelson chooses her as a friend. Rhoda, who is everything Annette is not--gorgeous, slim, and worldly--welcomes Annette into the heart of her eccentric family, which includes her handsome and dignified father; her lovely, fragile, "Muh'Dear;" her brooding, dangerous brother Jock; and her colorful white relatives--half-crazy Uncle Johnny; sultry Aunt Lola; and scary, surly Granny Goose.

With Rhoda's help, Annette survives adolescence and blossoms into a woman. But after her beautiful best friend makes a stunning confession about a horrific childhood crime, Annette's world will never be the same.

"A moving tale of the intricacies of friendship, the awful devastation of silence, and the renewing spirit of survival."--Ebony

"Watch out Toni Morrison, there is a new sister in town."--Rapport...

In this gripping, unforgettable new novel by New York Times bestselling author Mary Monroe, forever friends Annette Goode Davis and Rhoda O'Toole are about to learn that even the rockiest relationships can survive just about anything-as long as you're there for each other when it matters most. . .

Annette Goode Davis is a survivor, and while life's obstacles have often knocked her down, she's never let them keep her there for long. To Annette, life is all about family and old friends like Rhoda O'Toole. And right now, Annette needs all the friends she can get. . .because her marriage is in big trouble, and she has no idea why. . .

Lately, her husband Pee Wee barely has the time of day for Annette and she suspects he may have fallen for another woman. Desperate to regain his affections, Annette goes on a crash diet, gets a total makeover, and looks hotter than she has for a long, long time. Everyone notices-everyone except Pee Wee.

Annette is ripe for the picking when she meets Louis Baines, a handsome young caterer who showers her with attention. Soon, Annette is embroiled in a full blown affair and spending money on Louis like there's no tomorrow. But when Annette learns a terrible secret about her new lover, she realizes she's in way over her head. Her life crumbling down around her, Annette turns to the only person she knows she can trust: Rhoda.

With Rhoda by her side, Annette's determined to find a way out of this mess. But when the truth finally comes out, Annette must face the fact that she may have destroyed the life she loved-and this time, not even Rhoda can help her make things right...

...

New York Times bestselling author Mary Monroe delivers a powerful and provocative new novel about one woman's search for love in a world where secrets don't always stay hidden, friends don't always have our backs, and the choices we make in one rash moment can change everything...If there's one thing Dolores Reese knows, it's how to keep a secret. It's a skill she learned early in life, watching her best friend Valerie Proctor do whatever it took to protect her family from her violent stepfather. Back then, Dolores was in foster care -- just like Floyd Watson, a local boy who intrigues Dolores from the moment they meet. Even in high school, Dolores knows with certainty that she and Floyd are soul mates. When one bad decision sends an innocent Floyd to prison for life, Dolores pays clandestine visits and -- out of a mix of love and pity -- promises to stick by him.While Floyd's world stands still, Dolores's horizons open up in exciting new ways when she lands a position working for a cruise line. There, she meets Paul Dunne, an accomplished businessman who promises her the kind of future she's always wanted -- the kind she once imagined having with Floyd. Dolores is sure she can continue to visit Floyd without revealing that she's now married to another man. But when Floyd is suddenly freed on new evidence, Dolores is torn and makes a fateful decision -- to live a double lie, devoting herself to two different husbands in two different cities. With Valerie as her confidante and accomplice, Dolores hopes to pull off the ultimate deception. But into this risky situation comes another man, one Dolores can't resist. And if she isn't careful, Dolores just might find out what happens when love, dishonesty, and dangerous jealousy collide......