Four20 Bae (Sheryl Lister) Books in Order

Four20 Bae is a modern romance series that appears to use cannabis culture and adjacent nightlife as part of its shared atmosphere. That gives the books a contemporary, adult edge, but the romance still depends on familiar emotional stakes: hesitation, longing, chemistry, and the fear of trusting the wrong person twice.

It is more grown than gimmicky.

Sheryl Lister's Taste The Smoke centers Kenya Grant, a woman who has already decided commitment is more trouble than it is worth. Her rule is simple: if she dates at all, she keeps it light. Then Alonzo Bennett arrives and turns that rule into a challenge. He is sexy, caring, and exactly the kind of man who makes emotional distance hard to maintain.

The appeal of a series like this is that it can feel current without losing romantic warmth. Cannabis-themed branding might suggest pure vibe, but the actual hook in Taste The Smoke is emotional risk. Kenya is not flirting with Alonzo because the setting is trendy. She is being forced to ask whether guarding her heart is protecting her, or simply keeping her stuck.

Because these books are part of a connected world, the series likely works best as a cluster of linked adult romances rather than one long continuing plot. That means readers can come for the atmosphere and stay for the particular pairing that interests them most. In Lister's installment, the focus is on reopening to love after pain, which keeps the story accessible even if the series branding feels specific.

If you enjoy contemporary romance that feels modern, sexy, and slightly nightlife-adjacent, Four20 Bae may be a fun lane. Taste The Smoke looks like the kind of novella that uses a strong vibe to frame a very recognizable emotional story: a woman who wants control, a man who makes vulnerability look tempting, and the question of whether this time opening up might lead somewhere better than heartbreak.