Once upon a time, authors like Ann Allen Shockley and E. Lynn Harris offered insightful looks into the Black queer experience of their day, sometimes letting their characters fall in love, always making them fight for their right to express that love and keep it. Sometimes, that last bit didn’t happen, other times it did — at least until the sequel. As the decades passed, and romance became a bigger machine under both the traditional and independent umbrellas, we got tiny hints of romance here and there featuring queer Black characters, especially when it comes to actual BLACK Black romance — romance in which everyone involved is Black, instead of interracial romance. But it’s only been in the past five years or so that we’ve seen an upswing in the number of romances in which Black folk have been casually queer and falling in love in regular ways. Sure, thanks to the socially conservative bent many Black people have experienced with family, friends, and neighbors, sometimes there is conflict in which their queerness has a role, but it’s usually a problem for other people, not the protagonists. All this to say: there are some really great queer Black romances out there, y’all. They’re sweet, and often sexy, and feel a lot like you’re hanging out with family. Some are hilarious; others are a little darker. But they all will make you feel things, and that’s what we go to romance for, right? So here are some to try! Some are newer, some a little older, but all are excellent! There can always be more queer Black romance. (Seriously. Publishing. Get on that. The indies are beating y’all to death.) But these are a great place to start, and most of these authors have more books to check out, whether they’re Black romance or interracial. (Transparency note: Kosoko is a contributor in a book I edited.) (If you’re looking for an Alyssa Cole experience outside of the Antebellum period, Check out Once Ghosted, Twice Shy or How to Find a Princess, both of which are contemporary fiction.) Also, can we talk about the gorgeous dark-skinned woman on this cover? (Transparency note: Katrina is a contributor in a book I edited.) (Transparency note: Adriana is a contributor in a book I edited.) (Transparency note: Christina C. Jones is a contributor in a book I edited.) If you liked this post, check out these 2021 Black LGBTQ Books and Black Authors of LGBTQ Books. Looking for more Black and/or queer romance? Dig into our romance archives, subscribe to the Kissing Books newsletter, or hang out with us on the When In Romance podcast!
