32 BIPOC Books I’d Read If I Was New to Romance

Octogenarian matchmakers, deathbed matchmaking, and NYT Bestsellers

Apr 16, 2024

If you talk to a lot of romance readers, their reading preferences have changed a lot over the years.

Maybe their tastes have expanded to embrace subgenres they haven’t before (I’m looking at you monster romance) or maybe they’ve firmly decided that some content warnings put a book in the “not for me” category. Over time you discover what an “absolutely for you” book looks like. For me that’s women of color following their passions and being loved hard. If there’s a child or elder that provides significant sources of laughter, I’m all the more here for it.

I didn’t discover these things accidentally though. I discovered them by reading widely and feeding my mood reader gene. If I was starting over though, I’d tear through a list that looked like this to find the stories that most spoke to me. And then I’d keep going.

I’d also be okay with not liking something. It doesn’t mean that the book or the author aren’t great. It just means the horned seven-foot green alien subgenre doesn’t hit your on button. That’s okay and it doesn’t mean that the people who do like it are weird.

Also not weird is liking things that are entertaining. You can read and enjoy novels that are not up for Pulitzers’ or heralded by fancy news people who make fancy book lists. Just because others don’t see the beauty of the time-traveling wolf shifter who finds her peace in her Viking wolf shifter husband in the 1700s, doesn’t mean you can’t either.

As always, please check your trigger warnings before diving into these books!

Note: If you purchase books linked here via Bookshop, I may receive a small commission.

1) Rom-Coms: Romance deserves a side of laughter.

Chloe’s chronically ill and all but married to her house when she decides to make a list to get to the next stage of her life. And luckily her new neighbor Red is up for helping her embrace her new life. Both outside and behind bedroom doors. (Get a Life, Chloe Brown, Talia Hibbert)
Two octogenarian grandfathers con their grandchildren: Kamilah, a Puerto Rican chef, and Liam, an Irish-American whiskey distiller into a fake engagement. Hijinks ensue. (A Proposal They Can’t Refuse, Natalie Caña)
In this meetcute, Liza B., a Black D.C. native plans to protest the property developer at a party in their honor. Only she accidentally tells the developer, Dorsey, a Filipino transracial adoptee, exactly what she’s going to do. And so begins the back and forth that is this Jane Austen retelling. (Pride and Protest, Nikki Payne)
Zoey is burning out from trying to find a cure for the cancer that didn’t kill her younger sister. Davy is a K-Pop star in psuedo hiding on his pseudo animal sanctuary off the coast of Canada. She bombards her way into his life and in just a week it feels more natural than circumstance. (Wild Life, Opal Wei)

2) Contemporary Romance: Love stories so real that the passion heals as much as the pain.

Lily started a penpal-ship with a mysterious author that spanned many months and even more emails. Then he ghosts her. Months later, totally absolutely over it, she’s enamored with the new guy across the hall. And that guy is none other than, Nick the his former penpal who instantly recognizes her. Did I mention she never saw his face? And then also ropes him in to help her find a date for her sister’s wedding. (The Neighbor Favor, Kristina Forest)
Kaliya and Danny dated in college and then didn’t. Danny’s spent the last 7 years making a name for himself as an in demand movie director while Kaliya’s a sorta in demand film studio receptionist. They reunite as coworkers and then grow into more. Their love is beautiful and passionate. The beauty here is that we get to see these characters make themselves whole against the backdrop rebuilding of their love. (When I Think of You, Myah Ariel)
When Rachel catches her husband of 13 years having an affair via misdelivered text messages, she quickly agrees to stay together long enough to get him reelected. In exchange for an advantageous divorce settlement of course. With a new leash on life, she seeks to redefine herself in a way that doesn’t scream trophy wife and finds two things: her old love of art and a twenty-something artist, Nathan. (The Art of Scandal, Regina Black)
An accident causes Alejandro, an award-winning photographer, to return home to Key West for the first time in forever. The girl he left behind Anamaría, a firefighter and personal trainer, is none too pleased. Mostly because seeing him makes her realize she never really got over him. (Anchored Hearts, Priscilla Oliveras)

3) Historical Romances: Badass, rule breaking women and the men (or partners) that are absolutely wild for her.

Beverly Jenkins has a beautiful intimidating backlog by nature of sustaining herself in the genre for decades. Start anywhere, like with one of her most highly recommended, Indigo.
Ailsa is a freeborn Black, yet currently enslaved Highlander who has her escape thwarted by fellow Black highlander Kallum. He’s on his Harriet Tubman-ish and insists he can escape better than her. So he kidnaps her, to freedom? (Never Cross a Highlander, Lisa Rayne)
Luz Alana travels from Santo Domingo to Paris in 1889 with an impressive amount of rum to offload. Only, the powers that be (the largely white male buyers and shippers) don’t want to work with a woman of color. Evan, a whiskey entrepreneur, needs a wife to keep his Scottish title. He also thinks Luz is really hot and wants to do sex things to her. (A Caribbean Heiress in Paris, Adriana Herrera)
Ana María is a Mexican heiress sent to London for safe haven from the French occupation of Mexico. Gideon is the grandson of a formerly enslaved woman and a politician looking to secure the votes to stop the Atlantic slave trade. They are united in lust and then purpose when they align forces to sway parliament. (Aná Maria and The Fox, Liana de la Rosa)
What do you do when your uncle is holding your inheritance hostage? Hire someone to fake kidnap you and request a ransom of course! This is exactly what Amalia does with the help of her kidnapper-for-hire Julian who is trying to be a gentleman when he only wants to be a rake around her. (Alliance with His Stolen Heiress, Lydia San Andres)

4) Paranormal Romance: Witches, aliens, and merpeople need love too. And are super helpful for when you need to dissociate.

Sage Flores totally talks to plants. Not in a green thumb kind of way but in a witch magically identifying almost extinct species kind of way. And that’s a skill Tennessee Reyes, the guy from back home who broke her heart, needs. And maybe her too. (Witch of Wild Things, Raquel Vasquez Gilliland)
Witches make wishes too, and sometimes those wishes backfire. Lucinda casts a spell with the side effect of not letting her say no. And then her high school crush, and merman, Alex moves across the street from her. And she finds herself saying yes, and only yes, to Alex. (Witchful Thinking, Celestine Martin)
A laugh out loud, mascara smearing story of an alien pirate, Rhork, and Deena, the human woman in need of an escape from other alien pirates. (Taken to Kor, Elizabeth Stephens)
Sometimes a lady needs to be saved from a chaotic evil merman gang by a chaotic good merman gang. Naomi is on the run when she gets taken in by the mermen motorcycle club. And then they all fall for her and she decides to keep a few and blow some things up along the way. (Queenie & the Krakens, Aleera Anaya Ceres)

5) Small Town Romances: These are Hallmark stories plus spice.

Noel, newly fired from his job as fast food restaurant assistant manager, jumps at the opportunity to move into the house he inherited in small town Louisiana. Only when he gets there, everyone seems to know something he doesn’t know. And then he meets Ruby, who comes with the house. Well, sort of. (The Tenant, Katrina Jackson)
Dr. Imani Kemp returns to her small Georgia hometown, Peachtree Cove, to stop her mother from making a terrible mistake. Marrying an almost stranger with a maybe shady past. Unluckily for her, the couple-to-be have a chief advocate, Cyril, aka son of the groom-to-be. He wants to protect their parents from Imani’s not-so-well wishes. And also to stop falling for her. (The Secret to a Southern Wedding, Synithia Williams)
Small town, second chance but make it Latine. Nora is a new horticulturist at Rancho Lindo, the family farm of Gabe Ortega. He’s a man who made her a promise a long time ago and she refuses to make the mistake of believing him. And he’s intent on changing her mind. (Second Chance at Rancho Lindo, Sabrina Sol)
A historic-ish, paranormal, deliciously funny, small town romance of a wolf (Felix) fated to a human (Brie) who thinks his love and devotion is a spell gone wrong. Funny how everyone in the small town can tell it’s true love, except for her. (That Time I Got Drunk And Yeeted A Love Potion At A Werewolf, Kimberly Lemming)

6) Queer/Poly/Why Choose Romances: Because Pride isn’t only in June.

Months before her wedding, Brooklyn’s fiancé dies. Only he dies in the bed of Vaughn and Chris’s partner. They are both dealing with the complexities of grief and anger at the infidelity. And then they find each other. What was supposed to be a safe space to process together soon turns into something they never expected. And never needed more. (Harbor, Rebekah Weatherspoon)
Tatum, a college professor, is preparing for the passing of her husband after his lengthy illness. He decides his last act is to play matchmaker and set his wife up with someone close to him. Well, someONES close to him; his three best friends. And surprisingly enough, they all agree to pursue her. (The Oath, T.M. Richardson)
Kian and Jordanne, a sex worker couple in London, have a little secret. They've both been fantasizing over their flatmate and best friend, Luka Prince. They get caught get frisky in the living room by him one day and when he doesn’t jump and run, they choose to incorporate him into a scene. And it was only supposed to be one scene but no one seems to want to let each other go. (Just for the Cameras, Viano Oniomoh)
Manuela has one last summer to enjoy before she gets married to secure her family’s future. Cora, a duchess in her own right, has spent years competing with the old guard in business. When she puts in an offer on a parcel of land Manuela owns, she’s surprised by Manuela’s proposed trade. A summer of fun as Cora’s companion around the sapphic enclaves of Paris. (An Island Princess Starts a Scandal, Adriana Herrera)

7) Indie Romance: Self-published authors work hard and these stories work harder.

Ciara, an alpha and Olympic figure skater, revolves her love life around one-night stands. Except for the weeks she spent with fellow alpha Leith. He almost breaks down her walls before she returns home to her family in Seattle. Two years later, Leith and his new pack, alpha Enzo and omega Artie, find themselves in Seattle. They’re all trying to fight their attraction to Ciara who’s also found an alpha of her own, Wiz. (Heart On Ice, Calliope Stewart)
Three years after a betrayal by her boyfriend and best friend, Mariah fills out a profile for a reality dating show after the umpteenth bad date. And then she gets a call, SHE’S ENGAGED! She jumps head first into the reality show that’s a combination of Married At First Sight, Love Is Blind, and The Amazing Race. She’s partnered with Zion. And he’s more than determined to make this impromptu partnership work. (Instalove, Danielle Allen)
Nalani Stark show’s up for work at her family’s Whole Foods/Target grocery store and cultural centerpiece in the town of Blackwood only to find out her shady father has accidentally sold a controlling interest of the business to the competitor, Orion Sterling. Orion promises to give it back, if she marries him. (Hostile Takeover, Christina C. Jones)
Ely has just taken her dream job at her best friend’s business. At least it was a dream until she got stuck with a grumpy co-manager, Alex. Then he decides to quit. So of course they decide to have a one-night stand to get it out of their system. Only he changes hi mind and doesn’t go away! And then doesn’t seem content to leave her alone. (Done and Done, Leonor Soliz)

8) Black NYT List Bestseller: Enough Said.

BTW, I wish I had 4 books for this category but in the past 10 years THREE Black romance authors have made the New York Times list.

Surprise proposals shouldn’t be a complete surprise. And your name should absolutely be spelled correctly. Somehow, Nikole’s actor boyfriend doesn’t get that when he proposes via the scoreboard of a Dodgers game. Embarrassed on her behalf, Carlos decides to whisk her away from prying cameras. If this is their meet cute, imagine the love story! (The Proposal, Jasmine Guillory)
Eva Mercy is bestselling erotica writer. Shane is a reclusive, award-winning novelist. To the eyes of the public, they have very little in common but once they meet at a New York event, the sparks fly. As does the memories of seven days they spent together in their teen years. (7 Days in June, Tia Williams)
Soledad is a domestic goddess, wife, and mother of three girls in an Atlanta suburb. Her life is blown up when her husband decides he prefers doing things that can land him in orange than being a present participant in the life of his family. So she starts over and begins to make a life for her girls doing the things she loves. All the while fighting the urge to fall for the man who helped put her husband behind bars. (This Could Be Us, Kennedy Ryan)