Celebrate Black History Month With These Romances

Journalist Kian Andrews hadn’t heard from his wealthy ex Hudson Rivers for months when he suddenly hit Kian up, pressing him to meet up at a café. Kian thought Hudson was trying to slide back in, but turns out, he just wants a dinner date for his parents showing up in town. Kian agrees, but that agreement turns into him going to the wedding of the season in Georgia. Now, being able to hobnob with wedding guests will certainly boost Kian’s fledgling career, but he and Hudson are going to need to reevaluate somethings. I haven’t read this one yet, but it promises to be a fun and sweet rom-com, and I’m always down for more M/M romances!

Book Riot’s very own Jessica P. Pryde just released this wonderful collection of essays (🎉!) that explore this aspect of Black life that has not yet gotten its due in the media. The last 400 years of Black history as it relates to romantic love are explored, with many of the writers enhancing said history with personal accounts. This combination of the personal with the academic makes this collection such a wonderfully complex and fully realized examination of a topic that has been so central to a lot of human experiences since our existance, but that Black people have largely not been presented within the context of: love.

Cherisse has sworn off men on account of her f-boi cheating musician boyfriend. Now, she’s channeling her energy into running her pastry chef business. Minding my business has always worked for me, but Cherisse’s mom isn’t having it as far as her daughter is concerned, and insists on trying to match her up with someone. And, unfortunately, Cherisse’s little sister getting married isn’t providing the distraction for her mom she thought it would. Then she starts coming into contact with the always aggravating Keiran King, who’s best friends with the man her sister is marrying. Keiran and Charisse have never seen it for each other, but things are different now. This has the added benefit of taking place in Trinidad, and features a sensitive male lead. We stan a sensitive (Keiran) King!

*whispers* also, the steamy scenes are A++ *ahem*

Y’all. I did not know I’d love this series as much as I do. It’s about Chloe, a computer whiz who suffers from chronic pain and has become determined to start experiencing life for real once she almost kinda dies. She moves out of her parents’ house and is trying to cross things off her get-a-life list when she comes into contact with her building’s super, Redford, who she doesn’t really vibe with at first. As they come to be around each other more, she learns more about why he isn’t as active in the art world any more, and he learns about the issues she’s had with relationships— both platonic and romantic— in the past. The lady who plays Lady Danbury in Bridgerton, Adjoa Andoh, narrates the audiobook. And with some of the scenes here being so… zesty… let’s just say that I’ll be reminded of things every time Lady Danbury speaks on season two of Bridgerton.