A Devon's Cafe Book

In When Love Wins, Ashley glams us by conquering the world of high-end retailers, naughty nights out, and a cutie forever hanging on her arm. Natalie grounds us with her deep spiritual roots, tender, selfless love, and admirable tenacity. But both young women inspire us to meditate on how a mother’s influence sows the fabric of who we ultimately become.

When Lisa Doris makes the tough call to leave her new love interest and work things out with her ex, did she make the right one? Years after her decision, she’s carved out a new life that seemed to be divinely led. As a music journalist for a hip, Black-owned magazine, and a wife and mother expecting baby number two, her plate is full. How could she not have it all? Yet, for years, the behind-the-scenes turmoil from the estrangement of her mother and the nagging absence of her father remained buried. When her father returns to her life, old resentments relentlessly fly to the surface.

Devon’s Cafe is renowned for its charming bar stools, cozy ambiance, and lively, Friday night open mics that serenade the streets of Harlem, New York. But who was the man behind the cafe, before the cafe? Once a young, crisp college student, staunchly focused on his parents’ plan and smartly groomed for the American Dream, Devon was smooth sailing on the winds of life. But when turbulent storms hit on the heels of love and a whirlwind romance has him second-guessing his rock-solid future, will he sink or swim? Suddenly, everything that can be shaken is.