Soft Love Series by Lakia

Essex Hunter was once knee deep in the game, riding high with his wife by his side. Retirement was never a question until tragedy struck. When his wife is murdered and he is falsely accused of being the perpetrator, everything changes. Even after his name is cleared, the damage is done. Whispers follow him. Suspicion lingers. Haunted by grief and rage, Essex retreats into a self-imposed isolation, leaving his house only to run his auto body shop and occasionally intimidate the neighbors... moreEssex Hunter was once knee deep in the game, riding high with his wife by his side. Retirement was never a question until tragedy struck. When his wife is murdered and he is falsely accused of being the perpetrator, everything changes. Even after his name is cleared, the damage is done. Whispers follow him. Suspicion lingers. Haunted by grief and rage, Essex retreats into a self-imposed isolation, leaving his house only to run his auto body shop and occasionally intimidate the neighbors. Nariyah Smith is the only neighbor not intimidated by the grieving widower. She is a divorced single mother with an unbreakable spirit and a reckless mouth. When her son racks up a debt to Essex, the pair find themselves sharing space daily. As the walls come down, Nariyah’s warmth challenges Essex’s cold exterior, while Essex’s hidden soft side pulls Nariyah in. Will Essex soften his cold exterior and allow love to infiltrate his heart again? Or will his guilt keep Nariyah at arms length? less

As the sheltered daughter of a small town pastor, Elise has spent her entire life conforming to impossible expectations, purity sermons, and the constant fear of embarrassing her parents and the church. Following her heart and dreams were never an option. Wanting him was a temptation she knew to bury. Rashawn has been a constant in Elise’s life since elementary school, her brother’s best friend, the man who chose the streets over salvation... moreAs the sheltered daughter of a small town pastor, Elise has spent her entire life conforming to impossible expectations, purity sermons, and the constant fear of embarrassing her parents and the church. Following her heart and dreams were never an option. Wanting him was a temptation she knew to bury. Rashawn has been a constant in Elise’s life since elementary school, her brother’s best friend, the man who chose the streets over salvation. He was everything Elise was taught to avoid and everything her heart refuses to forget. Their secret began with one reckless summer that her mind and body tried hard to forget. Fear of judgement and devotion to appearances keep her away. Now she is left to reckon with the cost of obedience, the pain of silence, and whether faith was meant to act as a cage instead of a choice. Step into this African American Urban Romance where faith, family secrets, and forbidden love collide. less