5 Must-Read Romance Novels
Let’s talk books by Black authors!
We’re over half-way through 2022 and I have been eating up these books like good food. Each have left their mark on me and I hope you’ll give them a chance! Let’s dive in!
1) Fake it Till You Bake it by Jamie Wesley
A beautiful cover for a beautiful book…..
As a book lover, I’m sure you know what it’s like when you have some time to kill and a bookstore is around; you just plan to pop in and browse, next thing you know, you have a book in your hand, with a slew of others with great covers, silently pleading with you to take them along. This book was definitely one that I carried around as I wondered through the self-help section, knowing full well that this would be a summer heavily laden with juicy, romantic fiction.
This book was full of laughs and was a modern take on the traditional love story: boy meets girl, boy and girl can’t stand each other, then boy and girl realize that they complement each other quite well. Full of witty banter twists in the story line, this book did not disappoint.
As a book lover, I’m sure you know what it’s like when you have some time to kill and a book store is around; you just plan to pop in and browse, next thing you know, you have a book in your hand, with a slew of other with great covers, silently pleading with you to take them along. This book was definitely one that I carried around as I wondered through the self-help section, knowing full well that this would be a summer heavily laden with juicy, romantic fiction.
Jada and Donovan are quite a pair in this book, which explores touchy topics such as fame, family approval, and self-acceptance. A learning difference even makes its appearance in this book, warming my little ESS teacher’s heart. While Donovan is a famous football player navigating the mean streets of entrepreneurship, Jada is a free spirit, looking to make her mark in the world of dramatics known as acting.
One aspect of the book that stood out to me—and I promise there are no real spoilers here—was the way it was written. Each character was well developed, and they meshed well in the microcosm that the author created. No two characters were alike, and they all had a very important part in the overall development of the story. Donovan and his handsome friends may have been football players, but they certainly seemed like down-to-Earth people with a love of family and friendship that oozed from the pages.
WHAT WAS MY OVERALL IMPRESSION OF THIS BOOK?
I am an extreme fanatic of romance novels by Black authors and this book made my heart smile. I loved the characters—in fact, see what I have to say about Donovan in this post—couldn’t stop re-reading the dialogue, and thought the storyline was truly unique. I didn’t want to put it down and it kept me laughing and thinking about a lot of deep questions. A rather timely book, Fake it Till You Bake It brought in the gigantic role that social media plays in our lives today.
I highly recommend this book. Grab your copy right here!
Need more convincing? Check out this post of a few reasons why I loved this book.
2) The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon
Doesn’t this title just pull you in? It makes me think it’s an experiment where you get to design the prototype of the perfect boyfriend. Although that’s undoubtedly the premise behind a super cool sci-fi movie, it is not quite what goes on in the first installment of a series of three books. Like a weirdo, I read this book second, when it should have been first. Don’t be like me! Grab all three books in the series at once! I contemplated adding this book third, but realized that didn’t make sense and I wanted to see you do better than me out here in these literary streets. See? I’m looking out for you!
This book chronicles Samiah’s adventures with navigating the tech world, after having gone viral through no fault of her own. Can you imagine having all your business aired out on social media without your consent? Well, Samiah found herself in this predicament, but walked away with two amazing sister-friends after it was all said and done.
Samiah does well for herself, but she has an idea for an app that can make her do even better. As she’s focusing on making that app a reality, in walks a fine specimen of a human being known as Daniel. Not only is Daniel incredibly handsome, but he is also very intelligent, having finagled his way into a job that some could only drool over. We love a handsome brainiac over here, don’t we y’all?
Daniel and Samiah get close….real close before we all learn something that makes us shake our heads and wonder why men do the things they do, but not in the usual way you’d think. Listen, I can understand some of what Daniel was thinking, however, I’d LOVE to hear how you feel about it after you read the book.
The name “Samiah” is not one that you see in a book often and I LOVE it! This yet another reason why I love books by Black authors! We get to write our own stuff about our own people. We recognize and identify with the characters in authentic ways.
3) The Dating Playbook by Farrah Rochon
This book featured a learning difference, as well, but I won’t spoil where it shows up. You’ll have to check it out for yourself. More and more authors are featuring such complex topics in their work, contributing to the diversity in our literature. We all learn differently and it is becoming easier than ever to assist those with finding their learning style and helping to love learning despite any difficulties that they may face.
Boy oh boy did Taylor face some difficulty as she navigated the often treacherous terrain of entrepreneurship! Striving to be a successful personal trainer, this young lady meets a sexy pro-football player—Jamar Dixon-- who’s willing to pay top dollar for her expertise. But, will it end with just an innocent work-out? Hmmm….you’ll have to check it out to see.
This book featured a learning difference, as well, but I won’t spoil where it shows up. You’ll have to check it out for yourself. More and more authors are featuring such complex topics in their work, contributing to the diversity in our literature. We all learn differently and it is becoming easier than ever to assist those with finding their learning style and helping to love learning despite any difficulties that they may face.
Boy oh boy did Taylor face some difficulty as she navigated the often treacherous terrain of entrepreneurship! Striving to be a successful personal trainer, this young lady meets a sexy pro-football player—Jamar Dixon-- who’s willing to pay top dollar for her expertise. But, will it end with just an innocent work-out? Hmmm….you’ll have to check it out to see.
Grab a copy of the book for yourself and let me know what you think.
This book is the second one in a series, featuring three wonderful ladies who decide to put dating on the back burner as they heal from a shared source of trauma and embarrassment. What happened? I can’t tell you! That would be a spoiler. To find out, you should check out the whole three book series here.
Let’s get just a tad deeper into this story….
Taylor is a hard-working young lady with big dreams of working as a personal trainer. She has no interest in going to school for this or going about any of this in an orthodox way. In my opinion, there’s nothing wrong with that; go your own way and keep your mind open for success.
I loved how the book described her fun outdoor workouts; I could literally see them happening in my local park. The book was modern and pulled you into situations that you could feel happening and that’s the type of book that gets my vote.
The book deals with real-life issues, such as survivor’s guilt. I love a book that is sappy with the romance but doesn’t overdo it. This book tackled difficult issues that one may see in life and took its time revealing how it affected one of its main characters.
Have you seen the cover of this book? I love Taylor’s high-top tennis shoes and holey jeans, as she gazes up into Jamar’s handsome face. Check out her braids and earrings! Jamar is looking really sexy in his dark teal sweater and khaki pants. Orange is certainly not a color that graces book covers often, so I had to pick it up and give it a read.
I can’t say enough great things about this book, nor can I say anymore without giving it away, so if this book sounds like it would tickle your fancy, grab a copy here. You can save a little money and grab the whole series right here!
4) Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert
I haven’t read very many books by British authors, but I definitely need to read some more. The humor and banter are right up my alley and this book kept me laughing. I LOVE a funny book. Don’t you?
Dani is our main character, and she is quite a special individual with her own style and flair. A college professor and busy PhD student, she is trying to stay focused on her work and not romantic foolishness, but they say that’s the best way to attract love into your life. I suppose I shouldn’t refer to it as foolishness, as love and romance are as important to me as the next girl, but I do feel that this the way Dani felt this way at this time in her life.
I haven’t read very many books by British authors, but I definitely need to read some more. The humor and banter are right up my alley and this book kept me laughing. I LOVE a funny book. Don’t you?
Dani is our main character, and she is quite a special individual with her own style and flair. A college professor and busy PhD student, she is trying to stay focused on her work and not romantic foolishness, but they say that’s the best way to attract love into your life. I suppose I shouldn’t refer to it as foolishness, as love and romance are as important to me as the next girl, but I do feel that this the way Dani felt this way at this time in her life.
In walks Zafir Ansari, a tall, dark, and no-nonsense bloke who Dani is attracted to, but won’t let herself say such a thing out loud. Dealing with his own issues, Zafir finds himself intertwined with Dani when he actually needed it the most.
This book addresses grief in a way that I have never seen it done before. It pulls in the raw emotion that many of us are afraid to show. There’s also an aspect of social media, seeing that it came out in 2020 and a book may be missing something without it…or would it?
Many of the books on this list share the common thread of social media, making me wonder what these books would be life without them. Is social media a character in and of itself, or is it more of a setting of sorts? I will have to ponder over these questions using a few of my favorite books. In the case of Take a Hint Dani Brown, I would say that social media was a character, but you’ll have to read the book yourself to see why.
5) A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole
Alyssa Cole has quickly become one of my favorite authors. Like a couple of the other epic ladies on this list, she has a series and I love connecting the dots between series of books.
Here’s a few reasons you should check out some series this year:
1) You get to see how characters develop over time.
In a book series, you can the characters are usually connected in some way. Their personalities make guest appearances in a way similar to that of a television show. The issue they faced in the book they stared in may be over, but life still goes on.
2) It helps support an author.
When we continuously read books by the same author, we encourage them to keep writing more of the same stuff. They can create spin-offs and updates of some of our favorite characters that we are already familiar with.
3) There’s a sense of accomplishment when you can commit to and read a series all the way through. I always want to know what happens next and a series can give me that.
This particular book is a part of the Reluctant Royals series, which stands by a few other series by the same author, where she explores romance between literal royalty. I’ve read this book twice now and I swoon over it each time.
This book is one of my favorites.
The book follows the life of Naledi Smith, a beautiful genius of a grad student who begins receiving these annoying emails that seem like a scam. They claim she is the long-lost fiancée to Prince Thabiso. Yes! This book is about African royalty, y’all! Naledi ignores the email for as long as she can, until the prince shows up in person.
What would you do if this was your life? Would you believe the email? I wouldn’t: I’m always trying to catch someone in a scam. I think I’d have a hard time believing the story. I love how this story takes the common annoyance of the email scam and spins it to illustrate what happens if you are a little too cautious.
Which one of these books are you ready to check out first? While Fake it Til You Bake It stands alone, the other four books are a part of a series. Are you looking to read a book on its own or get hooked on some epic romances that span across a few characters? The choice is yours and there are oh so many to choose from!
I hope you find joy in reading!