To All The Thugs I Loved That Didn't Love Me Back 1

The first book in Jahquel J.’s dramatic and juicy urban romance series To All the Thugs I Loved that Didn’t Love Me Back, this story weaves a tale of love, redemption, and ambition perfect for fans of Empire.

Bless has always held his younger brothers down, even when one catches a drug charge and is sentenced to five years in prison. Bless continued to put his feet to the ground and build their empire in his brother’s absence. Bless had love once upon a time ago, and it was snatched away from him. He didn’t think he would find another like Shai...that is until Ace Saffrino comes waltzing into his life. When a video goes viral of Polite rapping in prison, every record label and manager in New York is beating down his door to sign him. At the visiting table with Bless, he makes his older brother promise to get out the game and use their money for good. Five years later, Polite is out of prison and ready for change. The same streets he used to run; he doesn’t feel the same excitement for. He’s also the co-owner of Raw Records, one of the hottest record labels in New York.

Ace Saffrino is a blogger from Brooklyn. She started her celebrity blog, Aced, while pregnant with her daughter. With her daughter and a celebrity tattoo baby father that she’s madly in love with, she has her hands full. Now a few years later, she has millions of followers and is making strides in the blogging community. When Ace gets an invite to attend a listening party for one of Raw Record’s artist, she never expects to run into slick-mouthed Bless Callaghan. Sinclair is a wedding planner, who had plans on becoming a singer. When singing didn’t pay the bills, she followed her parents advice, went to college and fell into her career—literally. When she goes with her best friend, Ace to a listening party, she runs into no other than Polite. When their worlds collide, nothing will ever be the same for Sin. Will Polite help her rediscover that love for music? Or will Sinclair continue to play it safe, like she has all her life?

© 2025 Simon Maverick (Audiobook): 9781668150146

Release date

Audiobook: September 2, 2025