So I had planned to do all of the authors in one post with my YA post that I did yesterday, but since I read so much YA, I decided to separate out into two separate posts like this. My reading of black authors of adult romance has only started more recently, and I think part of that is just due to how the romance publishing world has been, not always the opportunities to read them because of lack of actual traditionally published books, or even I just wasn’t stepping out of my own comfort zone. But I have to say I have found some great authors the past couple years and I look forward to more books by them, as well as other authors that I want to try.
First I want to mention the most recent book I read and loved, Upsy Daisy by Chelsie Edwards. Thanks to Smartypants Romance, we got this awesome book that was a great origin story for Penny Reid’s Green Valley world, but also had such great historical context in it. I loved it so much that since I’d consider it more of a New Adult book than a straight adult title, I purchased to add to my school library for my students. Just the parts about the HBC are something I think my students would definitely be interested in reading. Yes, I am at a high school, but when you have books by Terry McMillan and E. Lynn Harris, I don’t think this book is inappropriate at all. This is the author’s debut novella, but I can’t wait for more! I’m hoping she’ll be doing more of this same family for future Smartypants Romance launches.
Been There Done That by Hope Ellis is yet another awesome book from the Smartypants Romance series. I believe she is another debut author, but again, I cannot wait for more books from her, especially in this series as well.
I’ll be honest with you on this one, The A.I. Who Loved Me. While I didn’t think the audiobook was the best I’d ever heard, I loved the story idea behind it. I think maybe I’d have enjoyed reading this as opposed to listening to this story by Alyssa Cole. Since she has many other books already available, I’ll have to check some others out. She has some about royals that sounds pretty good!
So this is one that I’d been seeing around the bookstore where I work whenever I was “straightening” the romance book aisle, which usually meant I was browsing. But this book, Intercepted, came highly recommended by my fellow romance reader employee, so I bought it and read it and loved it! Of course I’m behind on my series, and I know that I need to read the rest of them by Alexa Martin as well!
Now an author I’ve only read short stories by in anthologies like Cocktales, Team Player, and Team Player 2 is Kennedy Ryan. I was lucky enough to meet her at Book Bonanza in 2019, but I have been following her on social media for a long time. She also has a short story in the charity anthology Australia, but I’ve just begun that and haven’t reached her story yet. Based on the short stories I have read, I do recommend her, and I know I need to read more of her books myself!
Giveaway:
To help spread my love of these authors, I have a giveaway to go with this post. I can order you any book by any of these authors from The Book Depository to ship to you, even internationally, (if you are US I may ship from either Barnes and Noble or Amazon based on cost) all I ask is that you choose one under $20. All you have to do is leave me a comment below and click that choice on the Rafflecopter! There are some other options for extra entries, but nothing has to be done other than leave me a comment about this post or your favorite black author.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I haven’t read a straight-out romance by an African-American author before. I haven’t read *all* that many romances, and to remember the one by a person of color I read (listened to on audiobook CDs) I had to type into Google Images “romance novel by asian-american author on the autism spectrum.” That was, as you probably already remember, “The Kiss Quotient” by Helen Hoang.
I’ve thought for a while now that Alexa Martin’s books have great, memorable covers, but of the books/authors shown, I would be most apt to read “Been There Done That” by Hope Ellis, or “Upsy-Daisy” by Chelsie Edwards. I like the conventionally adorable chick-lit covers, and the higher-education settings sound like they could have a bit of a satirical edge!
I have seen romance books by African-American authors online that are probably in a pretty conventional Harlequin-style mode, with a super-dashing hero on the cover wearing an expensive suit and he’s an African prince and/or billionaire businessman who has the world at his mercy, but (I assume) something is missing from his life…. So those look like fun.
Yeah, I’ve seen the Harlequin ones around a lot. I’m so glad to see some that are more like the ones I like. Thanks so much for stopping by!
The AI who loved me sounds awesome!
It was a unique and fun story with some fun narrators on it! Mindy Kaling was the “Alexa” voice for the story. Thanks for visiting!
Thanks for sharing these!! I haven’t read any of them, but I do want to read more romance by black authors. I have Get A Life, Chloe Brown on my list.
-Lauren
http://www.shootingstarsmag.net
Get a Life, Chloe Brown is on my list as well! So many books, but so little time! Thanks for stopping by!
I don’t read many adult books as YA and MG have been my favorites. I do have a copy of Intercepted which I’ve heard is fun. As far as black authors, all my recs are in YA, MG, or picture books.
As you can tell from my YA post I did yesterday, most of mine have been as well. Thanks for stopping by!
Have you read Trevor Noah’s Born a Crime? I learned so much about South Africa. It’s amazing that he grew up in the same time I did.
That is one that I need to read. I read so little nonfiction these days, but I should bump that one up. I wonder if it is available as an audiobook from my library? Thanks for visiting!
Yes, definitely listen to the audiobook if you can as the author narrates.
Good to know! Thanks!
I love finding new authors to read! Thanks for the info.
Thanks for stopping by!
I love the illustrated covers, especially of The A.I. Who Loved Me and Intercepted.
Same, I heard a discussion about how illustrated makes it hard to tell if it is a “sweet” romance or not, but I just really like those covers! Thanks for visiting!
Been There Done That sounds like a great summer read. I’ll have to check it and these other titles out. Thanks.
It is a good one! Any book in the SmartyPants Romance collection is highly recommended by me! Thanks for stopping by!
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