When a battle of wills threatens to tear a family apart, a child shall lead them--straight to a shocking secret. Will they betray their faith--and each other--to keep it buried? After seven years of marriage, Paris Simmons-Holyfield and her husband, Andrew, are still childless. Now Paris is determined to adopt orphaned nine-year-old Jasmine Noble. Trouble is, Jasmine's in the custody of ex-stripper Gabrielle Mercedes. Worse, Andrew is vehemently against the idea--and he's not alone. Paris's father, Lawrence Simmons, a powerful politician, has vowed to shut his daughter down. The only man to even dare be on Paris's side is shady Darius Connors. Unemployed and not quite out of the dog house with his wife, Darius is more than happy to help the beautiful, vulnerable, yet undeterred Paris. . . Paris has her suspicions about why her husband and her father are so opposed to the adoption. But the reality is far more scandalous than she imagines. To get to the bottom of it, she'll have to deal with blackmail from the last person she ever expected--and battle Gabrielle, who'll fight with everything she's got--including the truth. Soon, all involved will learn just what's on the other side of dare. . . "I absolutely love Vanessa's unique writing style." --Mary Monroe

Paris Simmons-Holyfield is finally pregnant with the baby she's dreamed of for so long. There's just one complication: she's not sure who the father is. After a night of drinking with her ex-coworker Darius Connors, it could be him. Considering her husband's track record, chances are it is. Still, Paris keeps quiet and prays it's not, because Darius isn't ready to give up on his crumbling marriage.

Part Terry MacMillan, part Jan Karon, Blessed Trinity is the first book in an exciting trilogy from bestselling author Vanessa Davis Griggs. Faith Alexandria Morrell, the oldest of a mysterious trio of sisters, lives a troubled life and guards a horrifying secret. Yet few, least of all her new church family, would believe this always impeccably dressed woman is so utterly lost. But what lies beneath the surface of Faith's carefully constructed veneer could completely destroy her. Needing help, Faith and her sisters, Hope and Charity, join Followers of Jesus Faith Worship Center. This new mega church, led by the dreadlock-wearing, Holy Ghost-filled Pastor George Landris, just may offer the solace she needs. But Faith soon discovers that all is not well in her new church home. Vanessa Davis Griggs offers an incisive and affecting look at the inner-workings of mega churches and the transformative power of faith ...

From the award-winning author of The Turnout and Give Me Your Hand: the searing novel of friendship and betrayal that inspired the USA Network series, praised by Gillian Flynn as "Lord of the Flies set in a high-school cheerleading squad...Tense, dark, and beautifully written." Addy Hanlon has always been Beth Cassidy's best friend and trusted lieutenant. Beth calls the shots and Addy carries them out, a long-established order of things that has brought them to the pinnacle of their high-school careers. Now they're seniors who rule the intensely competitive cheer squad, feared and followed by the other girls -- until the young new coach arrives. Cool and commanding, an emissary from the adult world just beyond their reach, Coach Colette French draws Addy and the other cheerleaders into her life. Only Beth, unsettled by the new regime, remains outside Coach's golden circle, waging a subtle but vicious campaign to regain her position as "top girl" -- both with the team and with Addy herself. Then a suicide focuses a police investigation on Coach and her squad. After the first wave of shock and grief, Addy tries to uncover the truth behind the death -- and learns that the boundary between loyalty and love can be dangerous terrain. The raw passions of girlhood are brought to life in this taut, unflinching exploration of friendship, ambition, and power. Award-winning novelist Megan Abbott, writing with what Tom Perrotta has hailed as "total authority and an almost desperate intensity," provides a harrowing glimpse into the dark heart of the all-American girl.

How far will faith and love go when an ambitious man finds himself in the fight of his life--with a woman who knows the other side of goodness all too well. . . Fifty-year-old Alabama congressman Lawrence Rudolph Simmons will do whatever it takes to get re-elected--even switch parties from Democrat to Republican. With the political tide turning, Lawrence feels it's his best shot--along with his charisma, solid twenty-nine year marriage, and three great kids. But a buried secret from his past is about to be resurrected.. . . It's been eight years since Gabrielle Mercedes gave up her baby for adoption. But when she learns the child desperately needs a bone marrow transplant, she doesn't hesitate to contact the congressman. Like Lawrence, Gabrielle will fight for what she wants, even if it means the truth could ruin someone else's life and career. . .. "There are enough tears, hugs, and lessons learned before summer's over to appease readers, young and adult, who like a good dose of faith with their fiction." --Publishers Weekly on Ray of Hope "Griggs address[es] the challenges of living by Biblical rules with homespun humor. Fans will be pleased." --Publishers Weekly on The Truth Is the Light "A smart novel that addresses an issue that many in the church shy away from--divorce--with frank realism."--Library Journal on Practicing What You Preach "I absolutely love Vanessa's unique writing style. She is one of a kind." --Mary Monroe, New York Times bestselling author

Two years. One proposal. I walked away then, and I lost it all. He asked me to marry him–a question I wasn’t prepared for then. It changed everything. Two years later, a phone call sends me running back to the last place where I thought I’d be—Fortuity. The plan is to stay for a couple of weeks before I return to Chicago, keeping my head low and avoiding trouble. Problem is, Chase starts to make my walls crumble. I need to stay away, and he’s determined not to let me go. Only he’s not interested about the past. He insists we make one harmless deal— keeping the peace for as long as I’m here. ***This is the first book in a series. It can be read as a stand-alone with no cliffhangers. ------ Search terms: free romance book, free contemporary romance books, free romance books for adults for free no cliffhangers, free second chance romance, free first in series, free series starter, small-town romance, romantic comedy, mystery, former lovers, heartwarming, romance, danger, family relationships, full length standalone, HEA, no cliffhangers, free smalltown romance, free small-town romance, free romance books full length novel standalone, free romantic suspense, free heartwarming romance

“A voraciously readable page-turner of a novel.”—Cory Doctorow “A razor-smart sci-fi corporate noir nightmare. Dare to Know is what happens when Willy Loman sees through the Matrix.”—Daniel Kraus, co-author of The Shape of Water This mind-bending and emotional speculative thriller is set in a world where the exact moment of your death can be predicted—for a price. Our narrator is the most talented salesperson at Dare to Know, an enigmatic company that has developed the technology to predict anyone’s death down to the second. Divorced, estranged from his sons, and broke, he's driven to violate the cardinal rule of the business by forecasting his own death day. The problem: his prediction says he died twenty-three minutes ago. The only person who can confirm its accuracy is Julia, the woman he loved and lost during his rise up the ranks of Dare to Know. As he travels across the country to see her, he’s forced to confront his past, the choices he's made, and the terrifying truth about the company he works for. Wildly ambitious and highly immersive, this thought-provoking thriller explores the destructive power of knowledge and collapses the boundaries between reality, myth, and conspiracy as it races toward its shocking conclusion.