Contemporary – Page 141 – Trigger Warning Database

Black Girls Must Be Magic by Jayne Allen

Black Girls Must Be Magic by Jayne Allen

For Tabitha Walker, her grandmother’s old adage, “Black girls must die exhausted” is becoming all too true. Discovering she’s pregnant–after she was told she may not be able to have biological children–Tabitha throws herself headfirst into the world of “single mothers by choice.” Between her job, doctor’s appointments, and preparing for the baby, she’s worn out. And that’s before her boss at the local news station starts getting complaints from viewers about Tabitha’s natural hair.

When an unexpected turn of events draws Marc–her on and off-again ex-boyfriend–back into her world with surprising demands, and the situation at work begins to threaten her livelihood and her identity, Tabitha must make some tough decisions about her and her baby’s future… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Racism

Black Girls Must Die Exhausted by Jayne Allen

Black Girls Must Die Exhausted by Jayne Allen

Tabitha Walker is a black woman with a plan to “have it all.” At 33 years old, the checklist for the life of her dreams is well underway. Education? Check. Good job? Check. Down payment for a nice house? Check. Dating marriage material? Check, check, and check. With a coveted position as a local news reporter, a “paper-perfect” boyfriend, and even a standing Saturday morning appointment with a reliable hairstylist, everything seems to be falling into place.

Then Tabby receives an unexpected diagnosis that brings her picture-perfect life crashing down, jeopardizing the keystone she took for granted: having children. With her dreams at risk of falling through the cracks of her checklist, suddenly she is faced with an impossible choice… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Attempted suicide
Infertility
Police brutality

Swan Peak by LB Alexander

Swan Peak by L.B. Alexander

The Wolfe is hungry for more…

Entranced by the exquisite delights introduced to her by William Wolfe, April Ekdahl eagerly joins him on a luxurious winter holiday at his alpine estate.

But as she opens her mind to unfathomable new experiences, April finds her heart aching as deep fractures in her prince’s façade are revealed. Despite the demons that still haunt her, William accepts her.

But will he allow her to embrace his darkness in return?

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Rape mentioned
Eating disorder (anorexia nervosa)
Anxiety

Swan Lake by LB Alexander

Swan Lake by L.B. Alexander

Doubts and fears of her own making have kept April a prisoner of her mind for far too long. Her promising ballet career was halted after a violent attack, forcing her into a rehabilitation facility to cope with her crushing emotional pain. Now, eager for a fresh start, she battles to hide her daily struggles under an ill-fitting mask of control.

Until she meets William. Underneath his intoxicating guidance, April explores exquisite freedoms that unlock a powerful side of herself she never knew existed. But the handsome billionaire has a dark side of his own, and may not be the modern-day prince the world believes him to be. Plagued by labels of both good and evil, will he be her salvation? Or her ultimate undoing?

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Rape mentioned
Sexual assault mentioned
Eating disorder (anorexia nervosa)
Suicide
Suicidal ideation
Bullying

I Kissed a Girl by Jennet Alexander

I Kissed a Girl by Jennet Alexander

Lilah Silver’s a young actress who dreams of climbing out of B-list stardom. She’s been cast as the lead in what could be her breakout performance…but if she wants to prove herself to everyone who ever doubted her, she’s going to need major help along the way.

Noa Birnbaum may be a brilliant makeup artist and special effects whiz-kid, but cracking into the union is more difficult than she imagined. Keeping everyone happy is a full-time job, and she’s already run ragged. And yet when the beautiful star she’s been secretly crushing on admits to fears of her own, Noa vows to do everything in her power to help Lilah shine like never before. Together they can take the world by storm…but can the connection forged over long hours in the makeup chair ever hope to survive the glare of the spotlight?

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Bimisia & internalised bimisia
Stalking

The Voting Booth by Brandy Colbert

The Voting Booth by Brandy Colbert

Marva Sheridan was born ready for this day. She’s always been driven to make a difference in the world, and what better way than to vote in her first election? Duke Crenshaw is so done with this election. He just wants to get voting over with so he can prepare for his band’s first paying gig tonight. Only problem? Duke can’t vote.

When Marva sees Duke turned away from their polling place, she takes it upon herself to make sure his vote is counted. She hasn’t spent months doorbelling and registering voters just to see someone denied their right. And that’s how their whirlwind day begins, rushing from precinct to precinct, cutting school, waiting in endless lines, turned away time and again, trying to do one simple thing: vote. They may have started out as strangers, but as Duke and Marva team up to beat a rigged system (and find Marva’s missing cat), it’s clear that there’s more to their connection than a shared mission for democracy.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Racism & racial profiling
Grief & loss depiction
Death of a brother in a gang shooting recounted

The Only Black Girls in Town by Brandy Colbert

The Only Black Girls in Town by Brandy Colbert

Beach-loving surfer Alberta has been the only black girl in town for years. Alberta’s best friend, Laramie, is the closest thing she has to a sister, but there are some things even Laramie can’t understand. When the bed and breakfast across the street finds new owners, Alberta is ecstatic to learn the family is black-and they have a 12-year-old daughter just like her. Alberta is positive she and the new girl, Edie, will be fast friends. But while Alberta loves being a California girl, Edie misses her native Brooklyn and finds it hard to adapt to small-town living.

When the girls discover a box of old journals in Edie’s attic, they team up to figure out exactly who’s behind them and why they got left behind. Soon they discover shocking and painful secrets of the past and learn that nothing is quite what it seems.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Racism
Cheating mentioned
Pregnancy
Bullying

The Revolution of Birdie Randolph by Brandy Colbert

The Revolution of Birdie Randolph by Brandy Colbert

Dove “Birdie” Randolph works hard to be the perfect daughter and follow the path her parents have laid out for her: She quit playing her beloved soccer, she keeps her nose buried in textbooks, and she’s on track to finish high school at the top of her class. But then Birdie falls hard for Booker, a sweet boy with a troubled past…whom she knows her parents will never approve of.

When her estranged aunt Carlene returns to Chicago and moves into the family’s apartment above their hair salon, Birdie notices the tension building at home. Carlene is sweet, friendly, and open-minded–she’s also spent decades in and out of treatment facilities for addiction. As Birdie becomes closer to both Booker and Carlene, she yearns to spread her wings. But when long-buried secrets rise to the surface, everything she’s known to be true is turned upside down.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Racism & racial profiling
Parental abandonment mentioned
Familial estrangement
Substance addiction
Alcohol consumption
Recreational drug use & abuse
Death of a parent from cancer mentioned
Physical assault recounted
Bullying mentioned

100 Days of Sunlight by Abbie Emmons

100 Days of Sunlight by Abbie Emmons

Terrified that her vision might never return, Tessa feels like she has nothing left to be happy about. But when her grandparents place an ad in the local newspaper looking for a typist to help Tessa continue writing and blogging, an unlikely answer knocks at their door: Weston Ludovico, a boy her age with bright eyes, an optimistic smile…and no legs.

Knowing how angry and afraid Tessa is feeling, Weston thinks he can help her. But he has one condition — no one can tell Tessa about his disability. And because she can’t see him, she treats him with contempt: screaming at him to get out of her house and never come back. But for Weston, it’s the most amazing feeling: to be treated like a normal person… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Ableism and ableist language
Sexual assault
PTSD
Depression
Hospital
Amputation
Temporary loss of vision
Graphic car accident recounted

From Twinkle, with Love by Sandhya Menon

From Twinkle, with Love by Sandhya Menon

Aspiring filmmaker and wallflower Twinkle Mehra has stories she wants to tell and universes she wants to explore, if only the world would listen. So when fellow film geek Sahil Roy approaches her to direct a movie for the upcoming Summer Festival, Twinkle is all over it. The chance to publicly showcase her voice as a director? Dream come true. The fact that it gets her closer to her longtime crush, Neil Roy-a.k.a. Sahil’s twin brother? Dream come true x 2.

When mystery man N begins emailing her, Twinkle is sure it’s Neil, finally ready to begin their happily-ever-after. The only slightly inconvenient problem is that, in the course of movie-making, she’s fallen madly in love with the irresistibly adorkable Sahil. Twinkle soon realizes that resistance is futile: The romance she’s got is not the one she’s scripted. But will it be enough?

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Racism
Parental neglect
Death of a grandmother recounted
Bullying