Romances Celebrating Black Love

Today I’m writing to you both as a founder and as an Asian American woman.

I, Thien-Kim Lam, believe that #BlackLivesMatter. 

This is not for discussion. Black Lives Matter now and forever.

I was not raised to believe this. I had to unlearn a lot of racism and unconscious bias. I am still learning. Being married to a Black man and raising Black children doesn’t mean I have a free pass. We have to speak up and stand in solidarity with the Black community.

One of my values is diversity and inclusivity. This core value is a cornerstone of Bawdy Bookworms.

Bawdy Bookworms stands against racism, bigotry, and hatred. As the solopreneur of this company, I stand with the Black community in love, support, and solidarity.

One of the reasons I created our Bawdy Quickie Boxes is to celebrate diversity. To prove that love is love is love. To show readers that everyone deserves a happy ever after.

This month I’m proud to highlight American Love Story by Adriana Herrera for our Bawdy Quickie Box, which features a very sex Black man on the cover. More of these please.

I implore you to use your voices and platforms as allies. Support Black businesses. Donate to Black Lives Matter or NAACP Legal Defense Fund. Volunteer for your local community.

How to help as a romance reader

As a romance reader, you can help by supporting Black authors and romances celebrating Black love stories.

• Purchase these books or gift them to a friend. Ask your libraries to add the books to their collection.
• Read them. Write reviews. Reviews are gold for authors.
• If you’d like to support a Black-owned independent bookstore, shop through Loyalty Books, my local indie store.
• Learn how to be an anti-racist by read non-romance books. Here’s a good place to start.

Romances Celebrating Black Love

Over the weekend, I asked my fellow Bawdy Bookworms Insiders to recommend their favorite Black romance authors and books. I’ve compiled their recs here. It’s not an exhaustive list. Please add your own recommendations in the comments. (The following links are affiliate links)

Most of these authors have an extensive backlist of books. You’ll have plenty to keep you busy. In no particular order, here we go:

Any and all of Talia Hibbert’s books. If you enjoy rom coms with adorable cat cameos, start with Get a Life, Chloe Brown. If you prefer to listen, the audiobook is absolutely charming. Talia Hibbert also writes paranormal romance.

Office Hours by Katrina Jackson was deemed fabulous by an Insider. Once you read it, her backlist will keep you busy.

Reese Ryan’s books has some of the sexiest covers I’ve ever seen. Her newest is Reunion of Rivals. Make sure you pre-order it now. If you love secret baby trope, check out The Billionaire’s Legacy, which we did a Pleasure Pairing for.

There are lots of Naima Simone fans in our group. Thanks to them, I know have  Only for the Night  on my TBR.

Nana Malone has a series of contemporary royal romances that look delightful including Protecting the Heiress  I’m pretty sure you can guess the tropes from the title.

Everyone needs to read Beverly Jenkins. She writes historical romances with fierce black heroines. Her latest is Rebel from the Women Who Dare series. 

When I saw that Charish Reid has Hearts on Hold, a romance with a librarian, I was sold! 

Paranormal romance readers need to read Moni Boyce’s The Oracle Chronicles. Awakened has vampires and forbidden love–catnip activated.

We’re big fans of J.N. Welsh since we featured Gigolo All the Way in a Quickie Box. She also has a rock star series, starting with In Tune.

Therese Beharrie’s newest is Marrying His Runaway Heiress. The heiress is also a journalist and she runs off to Italy. How fun does that sound?!

Real Men Knit by Kwana Jackson was recommended by several group members. Guys who play with balls (of yarn) are sexy AF.

Bedding the Enemy by LaQuette is a seriously sexy read. Like you might need new panties after. There’s still a few Breaking the Rules Boxes left if you want a luxury vibe paired with your copy. After you read this book, you’ll want to binge on the rest of her backlist.

Brenda Jackson is no stranger to sexy black heroes and heroines. Her latest is Claimed by Steele, but you’ll want to dive into all her books.

Let it Shine and The A.I. Who Loved Me by Alyssa Cole. Really, anything by her is fantastic.

Grumpy Jake by Melissa Blue is perfect for those who love enemies to lovers. You’ll want to add all the Melissa Blue and Dakota Gray (her pen name) to your TBR.

Queen Move by Ryan Kennedy also received accolades. It’s on my TBR. If you haven’t read The King Maker, you’re missing out. She ripped my heart apart and put it back together in her All the King’s Men Duet. (Read the Pleasure Pairing for The King Maker here)

Writing Her In by Holly Trent was such an emotional read. Holly Trent had me in my feelings and reaching for my vibrator. She has an extensive backlist with romances in several subgenres.

The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon is “cute and funny” according to an Insider. This New Orleans native has written sports romances, too.

Rebekah Weatherspoon has a range of books for whatever your catnip is: marriage of convenience in Xeni, hot male nanny, sexy cowboys, sugar daddy, and more.

Daughters of Saria series by Elysabeth Grace has insanely creative mythology and perfect for anyone who likes historical fantasy.

There are many, many more Black romance authors.

Whose books should we add to our TBR? Tell us in the comments.

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