#BlackLoveMatters. February is known for Valentine’s Day and Black History Month. Can't be "Drunk In Love" like Beyoncé and Jay-Z? Not holding down 33 years of marriage like Barack and Michelle Obama? Well, you can read timeless Black love stories about Black characters written by Black authors. Because representation what? Matters.
Check out recently published “kissing books” by Black authors below. Happy Love Day!
Looking for a read that feels like a binge-able dramatic TV series? Look no further. Only for the Week by Natasha Bishop is a wedding love story – but not of the bride and groom. The wedding is set in Tulum, between Amerie Cross and Arnold Hightower but the real romance is between Janelle Cross, maid of honor sister, and Rome Martin, best man best friend. From a spicy start on the dancefloor to sweet, secluded time together reading – yes, reading! – Janelle and Rome’s blooming romance is hotter than Tulum’s climate.
Kristina Forest’s The Love Lyric is a low-stakes forbidden romance – music to a fluff reader’s ears! Iris, a single mother working at a beauty company, doesn't think she will love again after her husband’s passing. Enter the so perfectly named gospel-turned-pop R&B singer: Angel. Where does the forbidden romance come in? Angel happens to be the beauty company’s new cosmetics influencer. A reader who likes fuzzy feelings without conflict will love this read like a love song. The scenes where Angel writes songs for Iris? Totally swoon-worthy.
Do opposites truly attract, or are conflicting companions barking up the wrong tree? Pardon My Frenchie by Farrah Rochon follows a “grumpy x sunshine” dynamic that readers will fall for within the first few pages. Ashanti Wright, a bubbly dog daycare owner and dog treat maker meets Thaddeus Sims, a surly former army officer who wants nothing to do with dogs. As if there couldn’t be more tension between the two, Thaddeus buys a building to flip into a sports bar – the same building Ashanti wanted to level-up her doggy daycare. Fond of social media influencer pets and bantering-turned-flirting? Pardon my Frenchie is the perfect “puppy love” read for dog and romance lovers alike.
A Legend in the Baking by Jamie Wesley is a “second chance romance” joy. August Hodges is a football player and cupcake baker at Sugar Blitz. Sloane Dell is a social media manager seeking employment. The two had an undeniable connection but missed their chance when August tried to stick out a romance with his high school sweetheart – which ultimately failed. Full of emotional and meaningful flashbacks, spice, and more hard-hitting themes like combating toxic masculinity and exploring gentrification, A Legend in the Baking is a dessert of a romance novel. The substantial messages folded into the narrative are the icing on top.
Kiki Banjo is a quick-witted and feisty podcaster at Whitewell University – and one of the most interesting modern characters I’ve read in a while! From her reads of the male sex to quippy name-calling like, “Erykah Ba-don’t,” this main character carried Bolu Babalola’s slow burn romance, Honey and Spice. While set in college, post-grad readers will not feel polarized but, instead, invited in to either reminisce or imagine a college experience different from their own. Both Afro-Caribbean and British, funny, and smart, Honey and Spice gives readers a taste of the college lifestyle in a story that follows not only romantic relationships but female friendships too.
Do you have a favorite Black Romance book or author to share? Comment below!
Add a comment to: Black Romance for Valentine’s Day