J.J. Murray

Nurse Trina Woods never really expected to make the reality-show cut for Rich Man, Lucky Lady. She's used to losing in love, and past believing in fairy tales. So she's sure the handsome plain-talking man she encounters on her lunch break is just a shy eccentric...Until he turns out to be reclusive award-winning musician “Art E.” Soon his unique sensitivity and gentle ways are inspiring her to stand up for herself, take risks, and try one last time for her happy ending. Tony Santangelo's special way of seeing the world helps him make connections others don't—and turn them into mega-hit songs. But he never realized how lonely he was until he got a glimpse of Trina's honesty and caring nature—and went way out of his comfort zone to find her. Suddenly they’re the media's hottest new Cinderella story. And coping with his overprotective brother and overwhelming celebrity means he and Trina must face trouble head on, insist on their dreams, and write their own one-of-a-kind forever-after song...

No Ordinary Love

Something Real

The Date

The Sound of my Soul

Featured as an Editor’s Pick for Summer Must Reads 2015 in Ebony magazine! At Smith’s Sweet Treats and Coffee, you’ll find Brooklyn’s best house blend and the freshest homemade pastries. It’s more than a business to owner Angela Smith. It’s her home and her refuge—one she stands to lose thanks to her gouging landlord. Then a new regular offers to cover her rent increase if Angela lets him meet his clients there. If Matthew McConnell weren’t such a persuasive lawyer—and so sweet, funny, and sexy—she wouldn’t dream of letting him in. Since he left a high-paying, soul-sucking legal firm to go solo, Matthew has been striking out, professionally and personally. The best part of his love life is regaling Angela with date-from-hell stories over steaming, fragrant coffee. Behind her captivating smile is a smart, sensual woman he’d love to get close to. And when a secret from her past is suddenly exposed, he gets a chance to prove he’s the man she needs, in every way that matters... “An endearing journey of heartfelt love...Unusual characters will inspire readers of this emotional yet joyful story.” --Publishers Weekly

Until I Saw Your Smile

When recently widowed Joe Murphy "meets" Shawna Mitchell in an online forum, all he's seeking is advice on keeping his home and his family together. Shawna's compassionate e-mails become his lifeline, and as months pass their correspondence grows deep and warm. Discovering that Shawna lives only blocks away. . .well, it feels like more than luck. It feels a lot like hope. With three children to raise, Shawna has no interest in getting close to another man, let alone one who's got three kids of his own. And the fact that Joe's white can only complicate matters more. But now, as they navigate family dates and vacations and their own doubts and fears, Joe and Shawna find themselves moving toward a future that's bright, new, and totally unexpected. . . Praise for the novels of J.J. Murray "Hilarious. . .Murray's dialog sparkles and the characters are witty and fun." --Booklist on She's The One "Thoughtful and well done." --Library Journal on Original Love

Too Much of a Good Thing

It’s been eight years since Hope Warren had her heart broken on Christmas Eve, but she still detests the holiday, and celebrations in general. Wasting her time, and her art degree, at a job she clearly hates, the only thing she’s longing for is a dream home way out of reach. So when outgoing Irishman Dylan Healy keeps getting in her face, she’s sure there’s a catch. He’s kind, charismatic—and challenging her idle creativity. It may be her least favorite time of year, but suddenly she’s willing to try everything and anything—especially Dylan himself. Dylan has enough on his plate between launching his online greeting card company at the height of the season and starting an art-themed daycare center. But he can’t resist teasing Hope out of her holiday cynicism, turning her ideas into crazy profits—or wanting more of the vibrant, sensual woman she truly is. And with the days counting down to Christmas Eve, he’s willing to put everything on the line to convince her that what they have is the gift of a lifetime...

You Give Good Love

"A Good Man earns a place at the top of the to-be-read pile." --USA Today Sonya Richardson can't resist starring on a hit reality dating show to give America a taste of what a real black woman is like. The former celebrity pro athlete is breaking all of "Hunk Or Punk's" rules, refusing to bling-up like a diva, and tackling whatever drama her suitors have in store. But one contestant is throwing Sonya off her game. He's kind, way too easy to spill her secrets to--and giving her the type of hope she hasn't felt in a long time. . . Widowed former pastor John Bond knows he's the show's "designated white guy," expected to fail every challenge and be gone in a month. He also knows he has to take risks to find love again. Now Sonya is inspiring him to do whatever it takes to stay in the running, win her heart. . .and prove their dreams can be a reality. "Readers will be cheering for all of Murray's characters to find their joy." --RT Book Reviews (A TOP PICK) "Murray's wonderful characters, caring perspective, humor, and the story's fabulous ending make this a winning read." --Booklist "Deceptively light but ocean-deep. . .readers should brace for a three-hanky finale." –Publishers Weekly

A Good Man

Lauren Short dumped her cheating mega-star fiancé amid major viral media fallout. That was the easy part. Restarting her stalled career as a thirty-something actress. . .not so much. What she needs is advice from someone non-Hollywood. Someone like her surprising new online pen pal. He's a Brooklyn handyman who's understanding, honest--and daring Lauren to do one risky, sizzling reboot of her glamorous life. . . Lauren is the one woman Patrick Esposito has crushed on forever. He never dreamed they'd meet--much less that she could use his help. Or that she would be even more down-to-earth in person. But now their offline romance is making them the hot new celebrity couple. And between the secrets they didn't expect and the trouble they didn't see coming, Patrick and Lauren will need all the right moves to stay real, keep it together, and script their own happily-ever-after. . .

Let's Stay Together

Former boxing champion Dante "Blood and Guts" Lattanza is being featured in Personality magazine's "Sexiest Men Alive" issue, and reporter Christiana Artis has the scoop. There's just one hitch: she'll have to fly to her elusive subject's home in Canada. But once she lays eyes on Dante's chiseled physique and sultry Italian looks, she decides it was worth every mile. Too bad his icy demeanor doesn't match his hot body. Since he lost his last fight ten years ago, Dante never gives interviews. But now he's ready to prove to the world--and his ex-wife--that he can still win a championship. He gives Christiana an ultimatum: if she can perform five tasks, she can ask him five questions. And then she can be on her way. Yet Dante's always had a weakness for beautiful black women, and seeing Christiana everyday is enough to melt his defenses. Soon she's an intimate part of the very story she came to write. But when the line between personal and professional gets blurred, it can be difficult to see when you've found the real thing. . .. "A sexy story of interracial love that's long on charm, romance and humor." --Booklist

The Real Thing

For public library clerk Diane Anderson, reading romance novels and living vicariously is far easier than attracting a flesh-and-blood man of her own. It seems she's too voluptuous in the wrong places to attract the kind of black man her mama requires as a son-in-law. . .and just exotic enough to attract the kind of white man Mama forbids. But there's something about that lost-looking guy who comes into the library one afternoon. And when he reveals that Diane is his muse, well, she can't help being intrigued. . . After months spent mourning a personal tragedy, novelist Jack Browning is struggling to get back to work. Under pressure to write his second novel, Jack hits the library for ideas. The clerk who helps him is smart, sassy--and curvy in all the right places. He finds himself thinking of Diane as he creates the heroine of his book. And soon, she's knocking down the wall he'd built around himself, becoming the inspiration for his art. . .and maybe even for his life. . . "Murray writes a gentle romance about cultural differences and deep commonalities in a unique tale about white-black relationships." --Booklist

I'm Your Girl

There are worse places a saucy single gal could be stranded in the biggest winter storm to hit southwestern Virginia in years. Here at Luchesi's restaurant, Renee can fill up on hot breadsticks and spiked mocha cappuccino—and she can check out Giovanni Anthony Luchesi, the finest man this side of the Blue Ridge Mountains. But damn, if it doesn't stop snowing soon, she's gonna wind up in big trouble, what with all the amaretto and candlelight. Days later, the ice isn't all that's melting in Roanoke. Renee's gone and fallen for the whitest white boy she's ever met. Now she feels like she's living a Julia Roberts movie with an interracial twist and gentle Giovanni, with his slow, seductive hands and spicy kisses, as her leading man. Renee always was a sucker for happy endings. Now, with a make-do ring from Giovanni on her finger, her own seems guaranteed. What can possibly go wrong? Riotous, ardent, and packed with surprises, RENEE AND JAY is Romeo and Juliet for the millennium—a tale that proves true love can turn up in the last place—and face—where you'd ever expect to find it. . . "An update of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, with a twist."—Essence "Deeply explores the problems confronting interracial couples from within and from loving relatives who genuinely want the best for their beloved." —The Midwest Book Review

J.J. Murray

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