9 of the Best Black Romance Books (That I Have Read)
Sometimes I hate superlatives. The word “best” really carries a lot of weight, and there’s a difference between “best” and “favorite”—one is supposed to be more objective than the other. And with fiction, you can’t really be objective about what really counts as the best of something. Is it the best, technically speaking? Is it perfectly put together, down to sentence structure and word choice? Does it cause the best emotional reaction, the best reader satisfaction? Does it have the most fully developed characters; does it create an unforgettable setting? What about *vibes*? *Feels*?
And when it comes down to coming up with the best books in a category like “Black Romance”, you have to consider not only what makes it a great romance, but what makes it a great Black romance. Does it have to be steeped in social justice? Of course not; the mere act of openly and honestly proving love and joy in this terrible world is its own act of resistance for Black people. Does it need to tell a story that is authentically, unapologetically, and unmistakably Black? I would say yes. Determining what authors and stories do this best? I mean… *vibes*.
But then, of course, there are my own shortcomings as a reader that cause problems with this word “best”. Have I read every book? No. Have I even read every Black book? I wish. There are storied, celebrated authors with decades’ worth of books under their belts who I haven’t had the chance to read, or maybe just read deeply enough. Maybe they write heavily in themes or tropes that I haven’t been interested in, or maybe they’re sitting on my shelf and I just haven’t gotten around to them. (Because between my print and digital shelves, I own well over 5000 unread books. It’s a problem.) Authors like Donna Hill, E. Lynn Harris, Rochelle Alers, Francis Ray. Or the indomitable Brenda Jackson, who has written well over 100 category romances. Authors who have been publishing for a minute, whether in traditional or indie publishing, but who I have only recently discovered—people with cult followings and ridiculously-high Goodreads ratings like JL Seegars, AE Valdez and Kimberly Brown. Authors who I haven’t found yet, but who I will love when I do.
A year from now, will my list be the same? Or will a completely different crop of books, new and old, hedge this short list out? Only time will tell.
(Also, I find it necessary to include a small reminder: Black Romance = romance in which all protagonists and love interests are Black; this is different than romance by a Black author, in which characters can be a combination of any races.)
Okay! Now, let’s talk about some amazing Black romances! (These are not in any particular order.)
Something Like Love by Beverly Jenkins
We can’t talk about the best Black Romance without mentioning the great Ms. Bev. I would have agonized over which book to include in this list if I hadn’t heard her specify Something Like Love as her best book with my own ears. This is one of her classic Kansas-set romances, in which a young woman runs away from her family to set up a new life as a seamstress, only to be accosted by train robbers on her way to Kansas. And then, one of them just keeps turning up. This one has excellent pacing, intriguing characters, and the classic banter Ms. Bev is known for. I can see why she claims it as her best.
Demon’s Dream by Elle Kayson
An urban romance that is damn near 800 pages captured hold of Black women throughout 2024, and I finally joined in after hearing about it for months. Friends, I understood why folks who read it couldn’t stop talking about it. The story isn’t going to be every reader’s cup of tea: the titular Demon is a violent man who works as a clean-up guy for his brother, the leader of a crime organization. Dream is the daughter of a rival and ends up acting as a pawn between the families. There is on-page murder and lots of other sordid details. But there is also rich inner dialogue, a lovely romance, and a prominent secondary couple who don’t quite steal the show but come close. This is one of those priceless books that make it so you’re surprised it’s so long, because the pages turn like butter. And there’s nothing else quite like it.
Seven Days in June by Tia Williams
It’s hard to determine the best when you’re talking Tia Williams, but there is just something about Seven Days in June. It grabs your heart and flings your body around with it until it lovingly settles you back on the ground, and the love story is definitely at its core. While A Love Song For Ricki Wilde is a gorgeous love story, Ricki’s growth is as much a central element to it. Seven Days in June introduces us to Eva and Shane, both authors who have a shared past. Through an alternating timeline, we see them come to love each other as teenagers and have to navigate trauma and misunderstandings as adults. Every sentence is a revelation, and you want these two very broken people to win.
Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan
It’s rare that a divorced couple gets a second chance in romance novels, but Yasmen and Josiah deserve theirs. After a traumatic experience that slowly desiccates their marriage, Yasmen and Josiah continue their life as parents and business partners, but not lovers. It’s time to move on to the next stage of life, but what if that really means finding their way back to each other? Eveyr word in this book is necessary—and if you are an audiobook listener, those words are expertly presented by Wesleigh Siobhan and Jakobi Diem. Kennedy Ryan is a master manipulator of emotions and feelings, and this is her at her best. (A close second is Reel, which is particularly fantastic in audio—there is music.)
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Crimes of Passion by Jack Harbon
Novellas are hard. Audio-first novellas are harder. And audio-first novellas that have a satisfying love story are the hardest. A satisfying love story and an interesting true crime subject? Darn near impossible. Jack Harbon can pull it off, though. Kevin Free and Ron Butler hilariously narrate the story of two rival podcast hosts, Emery and Calvin, who are coerced into partnering on a project. Their personalities clash in all the worst (best?) ways, and neither wants to be there. But you know what happens with forced proximity and all that jazz. Jack does great work with the limitations of time, space, and medium, and I still hold out hope that she ends up doing more of these.
You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi
This book will forever draw debate as to whether it counts as a Capital R Romance, but I don’t care. Akwaeke Emezi put their foot in this book, and every page is better than the one before it. This is a messy ass book, and I love it. I also acknowledge my own hypocrisy in discounting Ricki Wilde for the central character growth when Feyi’s is at the core of this book. But the flashbang of the evolving romance in this book, and its hopeful but unconventional ending, represent the evolution of the romance and the romance character while also not disrespecting the conventions of a romance novel.
The Tenant by Katrina Jackson
Katrina is another master of the craft who had a lot of books I could have included on this list. I was between including this one or Back in the Day, but The Tenant is something truly unique in the world of romance, and I want more people to read it. When Noel discovers he’s inherited a house in Louisiana, he sees it as a sign to pack up and leave his dead-end life. But that house is haunted, and Ruby isn’t about to let one of them take occupancy in her house. After a few tense encounters, though, the pair come to appreciate each other and pursue a relationship that, yes, does have a HEA (even if it’s not what you might expect).
Something Like Love by Christina C. Jones
No, that’s not an error. There are two books called Something Like Love on this list of best Black romance novels. With an average Goodreads rating of over 4.5, this is among Christina C. Jones’s best books—and she’s written a lot of books. This is also one of my favorites, featuring a pair of bi disasters who mask their attraction to each other by sniping, but everyone in the neighborhood knows what’s up. Jones is great at world-building; her universes are dynamic and interesting, and you always know where you are when you pick up one of her books. Her characters are fun and flawed, and the pacing of her books makes it so you come away satisfied but wishing for more. (Spoiler alert: you can almost always get more.)
That Could Be Enough by Alyssa Cole
Originally published as part of a trio of novellas inspired by Hamilton, That Could Be Enough is a quiet, angsty romance between Mercy, a no-nonsense maid in Eliza Hamilton’s 1820s household, and Andromeda, a larger-than-life woman who comes to tell her grandfather’s Revolutionary War story in his stead. There’s an immediate connection, but circumstances of both of their individual lives and their shared experiences as Black women in a society that has not yet seen the end of chattel slavery all lead to the pair avoiding a potential future together, whatever that might look like. Alyssa Cole is great at longing and despair, and her historical novels always remind us (much like Ms. Bev’s do) that we have always been here, and we have always lived rich, full lives in spite of the work of those who have been historically centered.
The lack of New New books on this list does not indicate anything about the quality of new releases; I am merely incredibly behind. Tell me what I should be reading This Very Instant, and I’ll do my best to get to it!
Best is subjective, but if you’re looking for more romance to read, check out this list of the best romance books you haven’t read yet. And of course, make sure you’re subscribed to Kissing Books to get all the romance right in your inbox.
