Books like A sinful calling by Kimberla Lawson Roby

Dillon Whitfield Black, the secret son of Reverend Curtis Black, returns home and founds a church in his living room, now leading a congregation of over a thousand. Behind his pastoral facade, Dillon struggles with the same corrupt impulses as his father—a fixation on money, power, and numerous women. His family forgives him yet keeps a cautious distance. Alicia, daughter of Curtis, joins the church after leaving their family’s prior congregation; she had married former drug dealer Levi Cunningham, whose presence remains a subtle tension. When Alicia’s husband proves unwelcome to her family, she withdraws further. Meanwhile, Queen Raven seeks a higher role in the church, and Alicia hides a troubling secret, nudging the family toward unexpected turmoil. The novel explores themes of faith, betrayal, and the fragile nature of trust amid personal and communal conflict.

First publish date: 2016