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Reverend Curtis Black Books in Order

Part ofKimberla Lawson Roby Books in Order

Explore the Reverend Curtis Black series by Kimberla Lawson Roby with books in order, character notes, series background, and guidance on reading the novels.

Last updated: December 24, 2025

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Publication Order

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15 books

1

Better Late Than Never

by Kimberla Lawson Roby

2018

In the final Reverend Curtis Black novel, Curtis’s carefully managed life unravels when his estranged sister falls seriously ill and forces him to confront the abuse and neglect he endured as a child. At the same time, his youngest daughter Curtina’s rebellious behavior explodes, and Curtis must finally face how his past has shaped his family and whether real healing is still possible.

2

Sin of a Woman

by Kimberla Lawson Roby

2017

Raven Black and Porsha Harrington built New Vision Christian Center into a flashy mega church, but both women are driven more by greed and ego than by calling. As rivalry over money, power, and men intensifies and Raven tells a devastating lie on social media, their choices put careers, relationships, and lives at risk.

3

A Sinful Calling

by Kimberla Lawson Roby

2016

Dillon Whitfield Black, Curtis’s once hidden son, has turned himself into a successful pastor with a fast growing congregation, but his hunger for money, attention, and women mirrors the worst parts of his father’s past. When Alicia leaves her father’s church to follow Dillon and both she and Dillon begin hiding explosive secrets, the entire Black family is pulled into a new spiritual and emotional storm.

4

The Ultimate Betrayal

by Kimberla Lawson Roby

2015

Years after divorcing her unfaithful second husband, Alicia Black is overjoyed when ex husband Philip Sullivan agrees to marry her again, believing they have both changed. When former lover Levi Cunningham walks out of prison determined to win her back and her best friend Melanie slides into an eating disorder and marital crisis, Alicia finds that fresh betrayal can come from every side.

5

The Prodigal Son

by Kimberla Lawson Roby

2014

Curtis Black has not spoken to his son Matthew since Matthew left Harvard to marry Racquel and care for their baby, and both sides are nursing old wounds. As Matthew struggles with fatherhood and temptation, and Curtis’s newly discovered son Dillon fights for a place in the family, jealousy and secrets push the two young men toward a dangerous clash.

6

A House Divided

by Kimberla Lawson Roby

2013

Life looks nearly perfect for Curtis and Charlotte Black until their teenage son, Matthew, and his girlfriend, Racquel, announce they are expecting a baby. Charlotte’s feud with Racquel’s mother explodes into open warfare, putting dangerous stress on the young couple, pushing Racquel into early labor, and forcing the whole family to choose sides.

7

The Reverend's Wife

by Kimberla Lawson Roby

2012

Months after learning that Charlotte cheated on him, Reverend Curtis Black lives under the same roof but plans to file for divorce once their son graduates. Charlotte is desperate to save their marriage, while a flirtatious church member sees her chance to become the next Mrs. Black, and one reckless decision could end the union for good.

8

Love, Honor, and Betray

by Kimberla Lawson Roby

2010

When Curtis’s longtime mistress dies, he and his wife Charlotte take in their toddler daughter, Curtina, bringing a living reminder of his infidelity into their home. Charlotte’s resentment toward the child pushes her toward an old flame, while Curtis faces his own temptations, and the couple risk losing both their marriage and the family they fought to hold together.

9

Be Careful What You Pray For

by Kimberla Lawson Roby

2010

After a failed first marriage, Alicia Black believes God has answered her prayers when she marries charismatic Pastor JT Valentine, who leads a thriving church of his own. As rumors of JT’s affairs and hidden motives grow harder to ignore, Alicia must confront the truth about the man she chose and the danger of mistaking status for blessing.

10

The Best of Everything

by Kimberla Lawson Roby

2009

Alicia Black Sullivan swore she would never repeat her father Curtis’s mistakes, and she truly loves her husband, assistant pastor Philip Sullivan. But Alicia also craves designer clothes and a lifestyle far beyond their means, and her spiraling debt and bad decisions threaten to wreck both her marriage and her relationship with her family.

11

Sin No More

by Kimberla Lawson Roby

2008

Determined to leave his reckless past behind, Curtis Black returns to his church and family promising fidelity. When his former mistress shows up with their baby daughter and demands he be involved, and an ambitious interim pastor threatens blackmail, Curtis and Charlotte are forced to confront old sins that could cost them their marriage and their son.

12

Love & Lies

by Kimberla Lawson Roby

2007

At last Curtis Black seems to be living right, writing bestselling books and raising two children with his wife, Charlotte. But Charlotte cannot shake her suspicion that Curtis has not truly changed, and while he is on the road she hides dangerous secrets of her own, including family troubles that could blow their carefully rebuilt life apart.

13

The Best-Kept Secret

by Kimberla Lawson Roby

2005

Trying to turn over a new leaf, Curtis Black launches Deliverance Outreach with his beautiful young wife Charlotte and their son, Matthew. But Charlotte’s hunger for a more glamorous life and her affair with Curtis’s best friend collide with Curtis’s own weaknesses, and the couple’s mounting secrets threaten to destroy both their marriage and the church they built.

14

Too Much of a Good Thing

by Kimberla Lawson Roby

2004

Back in the pulpit with a new wife and congregation, Reverend Curtis Black enjoys money, status, and the attention of women who ignore his wedding ring. As his appetite for power and affairs grows, Curtis’s lies endanger his marriage, his teenage daughter, and his church, until the women he has used decide he finally has to pay a price.

15

Casting the First Stone

by Kimberla Lawson Roby

2000

Tanya Black believes she has the perfect life with her charismatic husband, Reverend Curtis Black, pastor of a prominent Chicago church. When rumors of his infidelity and financial misconduct prove true, Tanya must face public humiliation, protect her young daughter, and decide whether to cling to a broken marriage or reclaim her own future.

Series background & context

The Reverend Curtis Black series follows a charismatic Baptist preacher whose talent for preaching is matched only by his weakness for money, power, and women. Starting with Casting the First Stone, Kimberla Lawson Roby drops readers into the life of Tanya Black, a wife who slowly realizes that her famous pastor husband is living a double life behind the pulpit.

Over the next books Curtis falls from grace more than once, remarries, and starts over at new churches in Chicago and the fictional suburb of Mitchell, Illinois. He courts wealthy congregations, enjoys a lavish lifestyle, and promises to change, yet his old habits with women and money keep pulling him back into scandal.

As the series moves forward, the spotlight widens to include the rest of the family. Readers watch his daughter Alicia chase status and disastrous relationships, his son Matthew wrestle with young fatherhood and anger toward his parents, and a long hidden son, Dillon, arrive determined to claim a place in the Black family and even start a rival church of his own.

Many of the stories revolve around the Blacks' home church communities, where Sunday services, deacon meetings, and building campaigns are as dramatic as any soap opera. Offering plates, book deals, and media appearances sit side by side with whispered rumors, jealous staff members, and church members whose loyalty is tested every time Curtis or one of his relatives makes the news.

Across fifteen novels, from Curtis's early betrayals to the later books set around his adult children, Roby blends big twists with issues that feel pulled from real congregations: pastoral infidelity, financial mismanagement, blended families, mental illness, addiction, body image, and the pressure to look perfect while falling apart inside. The tone is dramatic and fast moving, but it always circles back to questions of repentance, forgiveness, and what it means to genuinely change.

Because the books age the characters over time, reading the series in order lets you see Curtis grow older, watch his children repeat or resist his mistakes, and feel the weight of secrets that reach all the way back to his childhood, which finally comes into focus in Better Late Than Never. Taken together, the Reverend Curtis Black novels offer a long, messy, and ultimately hopeful portrait of one Black church family learning that grace is harder, and richer, than public image.

Edited by

Richard Reis

Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.

Anurag Ramdasan

Lead investor at 3one4 Capital whose startup expertise and love for books helped shaped MRB and its growth.

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15 Reverend Curtis Black Books in Order (Complete List 2026)