Summer is hot, and what better way to quench one’s thirst than to grab a cool drink, a grown and sexy read, and book that cozy beach stay. In addition to February, due to Valentine’s Day, romance novels see an increase in sales during June, July, and August. Generally, during the summer months, the pace of life tends to slow down, even if just for a short while. And what stillness brings is the space to examine the voids that may need filling, and clarity about desires and hopes that need fulfillment. It’s not a coincidence that readers love to take books to the beach, a quiet park, a cozy coffee house, and even a corner of a bustling room. Books and summer go together, and adding more romance titles to your reading roster just makes sense!
At a recent Dreamy Summer Reads literary and beach event promoting hydration for summer with Liquid I.V.’s Dreamy Reads at Club Quench in Montauk, NY, ESSENCE had the opportunity to speak with romance writer Jasmine Guillory, author of books like Drunk on Love, Flirting Lessons, While We Were Dating, The Wedding Party, among others about the romance genre, the makings of New York Times bestsellers, the importance of crafting characters that look like people in real life, and shared some of the Black Romance authors who inspire her currently. Guillory was in attendance to read an exclusive excerpt for Liquid I.V.’s Orange Vanilla Dream flavor that she created, entitled Dream Sequence. Guillory has had several romance books become bestsellers, and she believes, and I concur, that there’s an innate ability that stories about love and romance have that helps to propel humanity forward.
“I found that growing up Black in America and having always been a huge reader, there were so many of the stories that I read about other Black people that weren’t stories of joy, and of love,” Guillory said. “As I started writing, I realized that those were the stories that I wanted to tell. I didn’t start writing until I was a little later in life. And, I think partly, because I felt like the only stories that anyone wanted from Black people were about struggle, pain, and hardship. And, those weren’t the stories that I wanted to tell. And, when I realized that maybe other people out there want Black stories about love, I started writing them.”
“It’s not that there weren’t Black people and Black women writing stories like this before,” Guillory further shared. “It’s that publishing didn’t really fully recognize it, and didn’t understand that we wanted those stories. In the past few years, publishing has opened its eyes to that to a certain extent. I think that the more we write stories that showcase beautiful Black people and love, the more we encourage other people. And, with that, we are going to have more great books.”
This romance-centric book listicle highlights Black women authors while showcasing Black contemporary romance books with Black and brown lead protagonists/characters of color as the main love interests. The themes in the books center on love, sex, romance, fun, and joyful living. And, the titles have been chosen to appeal to lovers of the romance genre who are Gen Z, older millennials, 40-somethings and mature readers as well. The list includes romance book series, one-offs, urban lit, and contemporary romance, because reading books filled with beautiful people making connections, or falling in love, never gets old.
Talia Hibbert has written several bestselling romance novels that have been optioned for television and film, and she has established herself as a witty and fun writer in the romance genre. While it’s not her newest title, Act Your Age, Eve Brown is a part of The Brown Sisters book series, which also includes: Get a Life, Chloe Brown, and Take a Hint, Dani Brown. Act Your Age, Eve Brown is a definite must-read for summer, because it’s a light-hearted and lofty read that centers on Eve, a wonderful Black woman with a great personality who just can’t seem to get her life in order. But, in the chaos that seems to follow her, there’s a beautiful light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak! I love the message in this book that you don’t have to be perfect for things in life to fall into place for you.
Online dating can be hard, but it’s even harder when you’re a beautiful, Black, curvy woman. Engraved in Aaliyah’s head is the idea that she must find a boyfriend before her 30th birthday, so after all else fails, she turns to the lying, catfishing, and fetishizing world of online dating. On her journey to find love, she ends up finding someone she never expected.
While we’ve recently learned a thing or two about the art of flirting in her latest title, Flirting Lessons, I wanted to highlight Drunk on Love, because I love the themes of returning to a simpler life after being burned out from a high-profile job, the pressures that come along with family being proud of you, and the beautiful depictions of wine country in this book. If you’re in need of escaping into a book that has an essence of ease coupled with a steamy romance, this is an absolutely lovely read for you.
Elsie B. Washington has been credited with writing one of the first romance novels. With her book Intertwined Destinies, Washington was one of the first Black authors to write a romance with Black main characters. A former journalist and editor, Washington has been hailed as a trailblazer in “ethnic romance novels”. Kathy Godwin is a reporter, and Lloyd Craig is an oil executive, and while they seem to be opposites, and him a bit standoffish towards her initially, a brooding romance ensues, but can Lloyd truly give her the love she deserves, after he has been hurt in the past? This book is very well written, and though you may have to do some digging to get your hands on a copy, it’s well worth it! There’s a theme on expats, or Americans living in other countries for work, and definitely provides representation for classy, successful Black professionals.
Sandra Kitt has long been a force in the romance genre and has written more than 20 books. Kitt has also received the Zora Neale Hurston Literary Award, among others. One of her latest romance books, Finders Keepers, centers on Olivia Cameron, who inherits a house from her great aunt. As she’s renovating the home, Olivia discovers millions of dollars worth of vintage currency. An investigation soon ensues, but FBI Investigator Sloan Kendrick seems too good to be true. Will she get lucky twice, or will there be consequences? This book gently highlights matters of race, the tug of war between business and pleasure, new beginnings, and so much more.
Bestselling author Alexa Martin is known for bringing the heat when it comes to writing scorching hot romance novels like Mom Jeans and Other Mistakes, Snapped, and Next Door Nemesis. And, with her newest novel, How to Sell A Romance, she further cements herself as a force in the romance genre. When Emerson Pierce meets Lucas Miller, despite their chemistry, they resist the urge when they find out that Emerson is Lucas’s daughter’s teacher. Eventually, they must join forces when they both realize that Petunia Lemon, a beauty product company, is a scheme. This read is a steamy, page-turner, and the conversational prose makes it a perfect beach day read!
If you love a good, light-hearted fake romance trope, you will be head over heels for Williams’s Just Our Luck. Though usually very lucky, Sybil Sweet has recently bounced from job to job and can’t quite seem to sustain a relationship. Until one night, she enters a bakery and meets Kieran. When he learns that she left her lottery ticket in the bakery, his customers catch wind of his endearing gesture to return the ticket, and business at the bakery begins to take off. But that’s not the only thing that begins to take flight! A lottery ticket, a bakery romance, and much more make for a super sweet and sexy read, indeed! This book is great for lovers of love, charming characters, and happily ever afters.
Veterinarian Evie Williams leads a seemingly normal life until she finds out that her fiancé is cheating, and she loses her job. Unsure of what to do, and in what direction to go, she happens to run into Bryson Mitchell, her college crush, who’s also a very successful veterinarian surgeon. Can their love of animals and a desire to save the local animal shelter bring them closer together? This book is the perfect read for animal lovers and those who love to see representation of successful Black professionals in romance literature.
Something Old, Something New by Beverly Jenkins is not a new title, but with the theme of the book centering on a long-awaited marriage, and the very exuberant and vibrant people of Henry Adams, this book will definitely satisfy the longing of avid readers of Johnson’s The Blessings series who have missed the beautifully written characters from the previous books in the series. In Something Old, Something New, Lily Fontaine and Trent July are finally prepared to tie the knot, but when the wedding begins to get bigger than what they had bargained for, they start to question things. This book is one of my favorites from the series because it carries a nostalgia of that sweet, hometown feeling. The themes in the book highlight the topics of blended family, the benefits of having a strong, positive community, and actually provides space for readers to examine the reasons and motives why we plan and have big weddings. While there’s romance and love, this book poses some really important questions around the emphasis that we place on planning weddings.
Brianna Rodgers is a teacher with a passion for her school and students, and when her principal decides to spend the money that was intended for an upgrade to the school library, she decides to spend her summer with other teachers in a “Mars simulation”. All is well until the good-looking son of the principal, Roman Major, joins the simulation as well. This complicates things because Brianna can’t shake the feeling that maybe Roman was sent to spy on them. Nevertheless, The Love Simulation is a witty read that also subtly highlights a real issue–that schools need access to more resources. The Love Simulation is so suitable for teachers, science lovers, and anyone with a passion for education.
With titles like Audrey and Bash are Just Friends, A Love Song for Ricky Wilde, and Seven Days In June, Tia Williams is known for crafting fun, witty, and multidimensional characters that leap off the pages of her books and right into our hearts. But, there’s something about her title, The Perfect Find, that truly never gets old. Star-crossed lovers, second chances, and overcoming struggle, The Perfect Find is the perfect summer read, because it truly sends the message that it’s never too late to start over when it comes to love, and in life. And, if you are more of a visual person and haven’t seen the movie, be sure to add it to your must-watch list, too!
Reapers haunt 1926 Harlem as they have for the past three centuries; however, Layla Quinn turned just 5 years ago on a night of betrayal where she lost everything. Along with her humanity, Layla lost Elise Saint, the heir to the Saint family’s thriving reaper-hunting enterprise, who has been in Paris for the past 5 years. New anomalies, part human, part reaper, have emerged, and they’re leaving a trail of gruesome murders in their wake. After being framed, Layla is given a deal to work with Elise in order to solve this mystery that could lead to a reaper cure. Will working together bring up some unresolved feelings, or will the sinister threat consume every aspect of their lives alike? And, after you finish this intense and gloriously written book, be sure to add Hayley’s forthcoming book, Our Vicious Descent (October 2025, to your TBR list.
