Romance has always been one of the most popular literary genres. Between the palpable yearning and blush-inducing intimacy making its way into books these days, there are almost too many love-filled novels to choose from.
What’s interesting is the way books with Black main characters don’t receive nearly as much attention as their white counterparts. Black women experience the same types of positive and fulfilling romantic connections as other groups do. Their characters deserve to be included in conversations about the genre, especially when the books in question avoid negative tropes and fetishization.
This Valentine’s Day, I’m giving the rundown on three books that showcase Black women getting the love they want and deserve.
“Seven Days in June” by Tia Williams (2021)
I’d be remiss if I didn’t include a novel by Tia Williams on this list. Although she has numerous books to her name, she’s most known for “The Perfect Find,” an age-gap, workplace and forced-proximity romance that readers loved so much it was adapted into a Netflix film in 2023.
Rivaling “The Perfect Find” to take the number one spot in Williams’ catalog is “Seven Days in June.” Eva Mercy is a single mother and bestselling erotica author who is caught between writing for the fans who made her famous and writing from her heart. She meets Shane Hall, a withdrawn award-winning writer, at a literary event. Their attraction is undeniable and their connection is tangible, but no one knows about the week they spent in love twenty years ago.
Now, they’ll spend another seven days together in the heat of the Brooklyn summer, with Eva hesitant to trust Shane despite yearning for them to reveal all of the things that went unsaid before. Deeply passionate, at times frustrating and incredibly beautiful, “Seven Days in June” will make you feel every emotion and then some.
“Sex, Lies and Sensibility” by Nikki Payne (2024)
This one is for my current and former English majors. Nikki Payne is best known for her Jane Austen-inspired romances, which she hopes bring new life into classic storylines and appeal to the hopeless romantics of the world. It’s only right to feature her incredibly steamy remix of “Sense and Sensibility.”
Nora Dash and Ennis “Bear” Freeman become unlikely business partners in the hilarious, sexy and wild ride that is this novel. Nora and her sister Yanne arrive in Maine, tasked with renovating the dilapidated inn they received in their father’s will. The catch? They have less than a year to make repairs or they lose their inheritance. Bear, an Abenaki eco-tour guide who was using the property as his business’ unofficial headquarters, initially writes Nora off before seeing her determined spirit.
With out-of-this-world chemistry, a shared love for running and stifled sexual desires that are evident every time they’re near each other, Nora and Bear’s story is intense, sensual and emotional. Nora, still awash with embarrassment after explicit videos of her were posted online, and Bear, guilt-ridden and anxious over what happened with an ex, struggle to trust each other and confront their issues head-on. In the end, they’ll have to face their pasts if they want a shot at happily ever after.
“The Kiss Countdown” by Etta Easton (2024)
Etta Easton may be new on the literary scene, but she came out swinging last year with her debut novel, “The Kiss Countdown.” While employing many familiar tropes, the likable characters and balance of lighthearted and serious moments make for a wonderfully-paced book with mature writing.
To avoid being spotted by her ex and his new girlfriend at her favorite coffee shop, Amerie Price, an unemployed event planner, pretends to date Vincent Rogers, an astronaut living in town until his next mission. As books with fake dating typically build on, Amerie’s impromptu lie turns into a three-month arrangement of pretending to date Vincent. At first, it’s a simple win-win situation: Vincent saves face in front of his overbearing relatives, and Amerie lives rent-free in his house so she can scrape together money for her start-up. However, as you might’ve guessed, their feelings don’t remain platonic for long.
This pick is for book lovers who don’t need authors to reinvent the wheel to craft a good love story. So sit back and enjoy the budding relationship between two characters who must balance the all-too-real reality of their competing individual needs with the uncertainty of the future.
Romance novels are fun, but they are also complex and deserve to be appreciated. Thus, books that display Black women in a positive light, with dynamic storylines that don’t diminish their racial identity while also not relying too heavily on stereotypes, are gems that we need to cherish and support. These works arguably carry increased significance in a time when society continues to portray Black women as unworthy and undeserving.
So, this week and every week after, remember to celebrate Black authors who bring these stories with the perfect mix of angst, tension and intimacy to life.
