Don’t we just love love?
It’s the very foundation of society. It’s something humans naturally seek and it’s an emotion I adore with my whole heart. February being the month of love just makes so much sense to me.
A few years ago, I made a list of the Best Romance Books by Black Authors. Since then, I have read SO many Black romances (traditionally published and self published), and they all deserve some sort of praise in some way.
So below – please find a list of just some of the romance books I have really enjoyed by Black authors! Enjoy!
The Kingmaker by Kennedy Ryan
In a world of haves and have-nots, Maxim Cade’s family and their oil empire have it all…and he wants nothing to do with it. At odds with his mogul father, he’s determined to build his own empire, even if it means traveling far from home, painted as the black sheep.
Lennix Hunter is the exception to every one of Maxim’s rules. At a protest for the oil pipeline that threatens to mar her ancestral land forever, they meet in a flurry of stars and sparks, and that one moment changes everything. But Maxim’s family is the one stealing from hers, and his father is the man she hates most. He has to lie in order to have her once, and despite the truth, he’ll do anything to keep her.
Even though Lennix tries to hate Maxim, too, their hearts are pointed in the same direction. The inexorable pull between them, across miles and years, will not be denied.
And neither will Maxim.
Reel by Kennedy Ryan
For months I stood by, an understudy waiting in the wings, preparing for my time to shine.
I never imagined he would watch in the audience that night.
Canon Holt.
Famous film director. Fascinating. Talented. Fine
Before I could catch my breath, everything changed. I went from backstage Broadway to center stage Hollywood.
From being unknown, to my name, Neevah Saint, on everyone’s lips.
Canon casts me in a star-studded Harlem Renaissance biopic, catapulting me into another stratosphere.
But stars shine brightest in the dead of night.
Forbidden attraction, scandal and circumstances beyond my control jeopardize my dream.
Could this one shot – the role of a lifetime, the love of a lifetime – cost me everything?
Hook Shot by Kennedy Ryan
She’s not the plan he made, but she’s the risk he has to take.
A single, divorced dad in the final years of his basketball career, Kenan Ross’s perfect life has blown up in his face. He’s still picking up the pieces when he meets Lotus DuPree. A wildflower. A storm. A kick to his gut and a wrench in his plans from the moment their eyes meet. He promised himself he’d never trust a woman again, but he’s never wanted anyone the way he wants Lo.
At twenty-five, Lotus is finally living out her dream, becoming a force in New York’s fashion scene. Focused on her future and not looking for love, she’s seen where trusting a man leaves you. Kenan is the last thing she needs. But from the moment they meet, she’s drawn in, even if he’s eleven years her senior and her opposite in every way.
When Kenan moves to New York for the summer to be near his daughter, Lotus can no longer avoid the attraction that pulses between them-but she still won’t let him in. Not after what she’s been through. Except Kenan wants her so badly, he’ll do anything to knock down her defenses.
He won’t give up on her…and soon, she’s no longer sure she wants him to.
Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan
Their love was supposed to last forever. But when life delivered blow after devastting blow, Yasmen and Josiah Wade found that love had its limits… it couldn’t save their marriage.
Yasmen wasn’t prepared for how her life fell apart, but she’s finally starting to find joy again. She and Josiah have found a new rhythm: co-parenting their two kids and running a thriving business together. Yet, like magnets, they’re always drawn back to each other, and now they’re beginning to wonder if they’re truly ready to let go of everything they once had.
One stolen kiss leads to another . . . and then more. It’s hot. It’s illicit. It’s good – until it starts to hurt again. As old wounds reopen, Yasmen and Josiah wonder if it is too late for them to find forever.
Or could they be even better, the second time around?
The Situationship by Taylor Dior-Rumble
When the love of her life shows up with a girlfriend, Tia decides it’s time to put herself out there.
Expectations of dating apps are low, so it’s a surprise when she instantly connects with handsome photographer Nate. He’s everything she’s looking for; he makes her feel safe, seen, and desired.
Tia assumes they’re on the same page – the only catch? They’re yet to have The Talk.
In a generation that’s normalised competing over who cares the least, can Tia overcome her fears and lay her cards on the table, in the pursuit of something real?
Truth or Dare by Danielle Allen
With all nine of my best friends reunited for a destination wedding, I was not surprised someone suggested we play Truth or Dare. The secret exposing truths and the harmlessly fun dares bonded our close-knit friend group in college and kept us close throughout the years. So, when Kingston Wright was dared to kiss me, I didn’t think anything of it. Harmless kisses were always a part of Truth or Dare.
But there was nothing harmless about that kiss.
I felt something between us that I shouldn’t have.
Truth or Dare can be risky when you’re twenty.
But when you’re thirty, it can be reckless.
Rhythm’s Blues by Kimberly Brown
Being the girlfriend of a successful rapper isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Rhythm Baker, a successful occupational therapist, held it down for Raheem, her boyfriend of three years, without much complaining. After moving across the country to support his career and their relationship, Rhythm has grown increasingly uncomfortable with Raheem’s inappropriate behavior and inflated ego. Feeling disrespected, unappreciated, and unheard, she moves out of the home they share, ending their relationship. Despite his recent moves, Raheem isn’t willing to let her go so easily.
Channing Watson, a renowned music producer, meets Rhythm by chance when he’s called by his mother to change a flat tire at her therapy clinic. With their connection unknown and instant attraction fueled by lust, a one-night stand becomes inevitable. Though she thought it was over, Rhythm and Channing continue to run into each other, and feelings become just as inevitable as the night of passion they shared. Complications arise when they discover that Channing is in fact Raheem’s new producer and Rhythm is his ex.
Though their entanglement is messy, Rhythm and Channing’s connection only grows deeper as they navigate the potential fallout that’s sure to come. With Raheem unwilling to let go or do right, Rhythm is ready to move on and be happy, but will the solace she finds in Channing’s presence be ruined once their relationship comes to the light?
Only for the Week by Natasha Bishop
You are cordially invited to the wedding of Amerie Cross and Arnold Hightower.
A destination wedding in Tulum should be a breeze, but Dr. Janelle Cross—the sister of the bride and the ex-girlfriend of the groom—can’t catch a break. Between her maid of honor duties, her sister’s Bridezilla antics, and her family tiptoeing around her non-existent feelings for her ex, Janelle is desperate to let off some steam. So, when the best man, Rome, proposes they give into their undeniable chemistry, Janelle agrees, under one condition: their affair can only last a week.
What happens in Tulum doesn’t always stay in Tulum . . .
For Rome Martin, Janelle has always been off limits. She’s his best friends ex, and Rome is nothing if not loyal. But he’s never been able to get her off his mind, and now he might finally have a chance to win her over.
As the wedding brings them together, every kiss, adventure, and stolen moment feels right. Janelle and Rome agreed to live in the moment, but are they willing to risk it all for forever?
On Merit Alone by Adorabol Huckleby-Ordaz
Love can be hard, but sometimes it just comes easy.
Merit is used to being alone. She made it to the professionals all on her own, made it to the top of her game on her own, and has made it through life—you guessed it, on her own.
So why does the city’s star basketball player suddenly keep showing up everywhere she goes? And more importantly, why doesn’t she ask him to stop, but instead does the worst possible thing—ask him for help?
After injury steals an entire season of the game she loves, Merit is eager to come back better than ever. But what is she supposed to do if that comeback gets off to a rocky start?
Enter Ira. The most legendary player to ever play the game in the Mountaineer Stadium. He’s qualified, he’s confident, and he just so happens to have suffered from the same injury as Merit years ago.
But does all that mean he’s fit to become her haven for advice, or more terrifying, friendship?
Merit knows it’s dangerous to let herself be close to anyone and yet, with Ira King, she can’t help but do it anyway.
Behind the Scenes by Christina C Jones
Perfect.
Privileged.
Strong.
Spoiled.
Uptight.
Useless.
If there’s any one thing Pierre and Logan have in common, it’s their ability to invite snap judgements based on shallow views of who they are.
Logan is the privileged only daughter of a respected family whose legacy runs long and deep.
Pierre is the moody, orphaned son of big screen royalty who couldn’t possibly live up to the prestige of his pedigree.
Or maybe not.
Perhaps they’re just two people trying to navigate the pressures of a world hellbent on telling them what they should be, and eschewing the limits of other people’s expectations.
Maybe what they need most is somebody who can see beyond the shallow first impressions – just one person they can allow to see behind the scenes of who they are.
Maybe they have more in common than it seems.
Relationship Goals by Christina C Jones
Everyone is a stranger at some point, right? Pulled by an explicable, undeniable thread of… something… Nick and Noah find themselves keen on becoming more. Hashtags and flights and late-night text sessions lead to a connection neither has experienced, or expected. Beyond the shiny veneer of social media, further than the shallow depths of a good selfie, down to the real, for real stuff that relationships are made of… can Nick and Noah actually reach their prematurely awarded goal?
A Worthy Love by A.E. Valdez
Publicly humiliated, Marisa Banks is blindsided by the news that the man she’s been dating for months is married. Being called names she wouldn’t wish on anyone in front of a room full of people by her boyfriend’s wife is enough to shake her identity to its foundations. In an attempt to rebuild, she makes a few questionable decisions.
Asher Blaine is one of them. He’s intelligent and sexy, but the pedestal he’s got himself up on is unshakeable. Or so he thinks. Marisa asks for the one thing he can’t deny her, even if it’s the craziest thing he’s ever done.
She wants one night, his best eight hours. And damn if he doesn’t deliver. The next morning, her bubble is shattered by his loud mouth, and Marisa retaliates with a stiletto and a remote. The best night of her life is over, and she’s more than happy to walk away a free woman.
Asher’s job sends him to Marisa’s city, and when they cross paths again, it’s Asher’s turn to make an offer. And just like him, she can’t refuse.
Will her worst nightmare and his complicated past ruin what they’re building, or can they lean on one another to make it through?
Dear Amelia by Asia Monqiue
Dear Amelia, I love you…
Advice columnist, Amelia Reinhardt, had been told her entire life that she was destined for greatness. After gracing the cover of a popular magazine that highlights black professionals, Amelia knew she’d finally made it. Now that her career was taking off, she no longer had an excuse to ignore the storm brewing between her and the man she’s known her entire life.
Real estate mogul, Israel Holloway, has worked tirelessly his entire adult life to get to where he wanted to be. So, working hard to get who he wanted to be with was a task he had no problem taking on. Israel longed to be the number one man in his best friend’s life, and in an attempt to win her heart, he turns to the one thing he knows will get her attention and keep it. But will it?
Signed, someone very close to you.
In This Moment by K. Lashaun
Love, in all its forms, is a foreign concept to Garryn Taylor.
After being let down one too many times by nearly every person in her life, she’s sworn off the elusive emotion to focus solely on her career.
When tasked with locating and obtaining a rare collection of artifacts for her most important, yet difficult client, she finds them in the possession of self-made millionaire CEO and music mogul, Verse Presley.
To her surprise, he refuses to part with the valuable collection, sending her on an uncomfortable journey of going above and beyond to change his mind. Weeks of back and forth finally result in Verse requesting much more from her than just the millions being offered by her client.
Through it all, Garryn fights to remain indifferent towards Verse and all his charming ways, while the multi-layered man works on breaking down each of her carefully constructed walls, giving her much more than she bargained for…
Let The Games Begin by Rufaro Faith Mazarura
Summer can only mean one thing: the Olympics.
And Zeke and Olivia are there to win.
Zeke Moyo is the star athlete of Team GB. He’s in Athens to claim the title of fastest man in the world. Olivia Nkomo has landed a career-making internship, finally earning her seat at the table.
Then Zeke and Olivia collide – literally – on the first day of the games, and something unexpected (and fiery) begins. But the competition is stirring up uncomfortable memories from Zeke’s past. And Olivia’s dream job is turning into a nightmare.
Will love become a hurdle? Or could running beside the right person change the whole game?
Honey and Spice by Bolu Babalola
As host of radio show Brown Sugar, Kiki Banjo’s mission is to protect her listeners from heartbreak. Which puts Whitewell College’s newest student, handsome ‘player’ Malakai Korede, at the top of her hitlist.
But when Kiki’s dream summer internship in New York depends on finding a fresh angle for her radio show, she must make an unlikely bargain with Malakai himself – to put their simmering clashes aside to form a fake relationship, something sweet and spicy enough to win over the whole campus.
However, close proximity to the notorious heartbreaker brings everything Kiki thought she knew about her own heart into question. Why does throwing out her stringent romantic rulebook suddenly so tempting?
Will she find it in her to resist?
Confessions of An Alleged Good Girl by Joya Goffney
Monique lives a perfect life – a preacher’s daughter and the girlfriend of the town’s golden boy. But it’s not that simple. She’s torn between her parents who want the pure virginal daughter, and her boyfriend, Dom, who wants to explore the more intimate side of their relationship.
Tired of waiting, her boyfriend breaks up with her, spurring Monique to discover she has a medical condition that makes her far from perfect and she concocts a plan to fix her body and win him back.
With the help of her frenemy, Sasha, the overly zealous church girl Monique’s mum pushes her to hang out with, and Reggie, the town’s bad boy, Monique must go on trips to unknown and uncomfortable places to find the treatment that will help her. But in doing so, she must face some home truths: maybe she shouldn’t be fixing her body to please a boy, maybe Sasha is the friend she needed all along and maybe Reggie isn’t so bad at all.
This is a powerful story about the journey towards loving yourself, told with heart, humour and a delicious love triangle.
You Bet Your Heart by Danielle Parker
Sasha Johnson-Sun might not know everything–like how to fully heal after her dad’s passing or how many more Saturdays her mom can spend cleaning houses. But the one thing Sasha is certain of? She will graduate this year as Skyline High’s class valedictorian.
At least, she was sure before the principal calls Sasha and her cute, effortlessly gifted ex-best friend, Ezra Davis-Goldberg, into his office to deliver earth-shattering news: they’re tied for valedictorian and the scholarship attached…
This outcome can’t be left to chance. So, Sasha and Ezra agree on a best-of-three, winner-take-all academic bet. As they go head-to-head, they are forced not only to reexamine why they drifted apart but also to figure out who they’ve become since. With her future hanging in the balance, Sasha must choose: honor her family’s sacrifices by winning (at all costs) or give her heart a shot at finding happiness?
Only for the Holidays by Abiola Bello
City girl Tia Solanké is dreading the festive period. She’s on a break with her boyfriend and the last thing she wants to do is spend Christmas away from London. Arriving at Saiyan Hedge Farm, Tia takes an instant disliking to it. She falls in horse manure, is chased by sheep and the Wi-Fi sucks. How is she meant to stalk her ex now and concoct a foolproof plan to win him back?
Country boy Quincy Parker and his family run the farm, and this year they’ve been selected to host the biggest event in the town’s calendar – the Winter Ball. Preparations are underway, and Quincy is working around the clock to make it a success. The only problem is, he’s told everyone he has a date to the ball, when in reality that couldn’t be further from the truth.
At first, Tia and Quincy don’t see eye to eye, until they realise they both have something to gain by pretending to be a couple. But when a snowstorm threatens to cancel the Winter Ball, their fake relationship is put to the test. Will Tia and Quincy be able to keep up the pretence and save the day, or will real feelings get in the way?
And that’s a wrap! The beauty of these lists is that they’re getting longer and longer. I’m sure I’ll be back with another Best Romance Books by Black Authors Part 3 in the next year or so. If you missed my previous posts – check them out below:
