10 Sweet & Steamy Romances by Black Authors to Read This Valentine’s Day (And All Year Long!)

Are you looking for a great romance this Valentine’s Day? Check out these sweet, steamy romances by Black authors ASAP!

Each week, Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl hosts Top Ten Tuesday, a way to collectively celebrate our love of books via lists. This week’s topic is anything love-related. Most of the book-related content I post is focused on middle grade and YA books, but I also LOVE a good romance novel! Since February is not only the month of Valentine’s Day, but also Black History Month, I thought it would be a great opportunity to highlight some amazing romances by Black authors. If you, like me, are a big romance reader, make sure to check out these 10 romance books by Black authors today!

The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon

Goodreads summary: Samiah Brooks never thought she would be ‘that’ girl. But a live tweet of a horrific date just revealed the painful truth: she’s been catfished by a three-timing jerk of a boyfriend. Suddenly Samiah – along with his two other ‘girlfriends’, London and Taylor – have gone viral online. Now the three new besties are making a pact to spend the next six months investing in themselves. No men, no dating, and no worrying about their relationship status…

For once Samiah is putting herself first, and that includes finally developing the app she’s always dreamed of creating. Which is the exact moment she meets the deliciously sexy, honey-eyed Daniel Collins at work. What are the chances? When it comes to love, there’s no such thing as a coincidence. But is Daniel really boyfriend material or is he maybe just a little too good to be true?

My two cents: I love a good fuckboy takedown, which is how this whole book begins. Aside from that Samiah is a total badass, and I love the friendship that develops throughout the story alongside the romance. As soon as I finished this one, I immediately checked out the second book in the series, The Dating Playbook, and I am anxiously awaiting book #3, The Hookup Plan, which comes out in August!

Digging Up Love by Chandra Blumberg

Goodreads summary: Alisha Blake works her magic in the kitchen, creating delectable desserts for her grandfather’s restaurant in rural Illinois. Though Alisha relishes the close relationship she has with her family, she can’t help but dream about opening a cookie shop in Chicago. She may be a small-town baker, but Alisha has big ambitions.

Then a dinosaur bone turns up in her grandparents’ backyard. When paleontologist Quentin Harris arrives to see the discovery for himself, he’s hoping that the fossil will distract him from a recent painful breakup. Instead, he finds Alisha—and sparks fly. The big-city academic and the hometown baker seem destined for a happily ever after.

But Alisha is scared to fall in love. And Quentin’s trying to make a name for himself in a competitive field, which gets even more complicated when the press shows up at the dig site. For love to prevail, the two may have to put old bones aside—and focus on the future.

My two cents: Full disclosure, I haven’t read this one yet! But I love any book featuring baking/cooking, and I’ve never seen a book with a paleontologist! So I think it’s an interesting premise and I’m looking forward to reading it soon.

Fake It Till You Bake It by Jamie Wesley

Goodreads summary: Jada Townsend-Matthews is the most reviled woman in America after turning down a proposal on a reality dating show. When she comes home to lick her wounds, Jada finds herself working at San Diego’s newest cupcake bakery, Sugar Blitz, alongside the uptight owner and professional football player Donovan Dell.

When a reporter mistakenly believes Jada and Donovan are an item, they realize they can use the misunderstanding to their advantage to help the struggling bakery and rehabilitate Jada’s image. Faking a relationship should be simple, but sometimes love is the most unexpected ingredient.

Fake it Till You Bake It is a sweet confection of a novel, the perfect story to curl up with and enjoy with a cupcake on the side.

My two cents: What’s that, you say? A baking book AND a fake dating book all in one? PLUS someone was on a reality show! YES PLEASE. Sadly, this one doesn’t come out until June of this year, but if you, like me, are obsessed with fake dating and/or baking, preorder it!

I’m So (Not) Over You by Kosoko Jackson

Goodreads summary: It’s been months since aspiring journalist Kian Andrews has heard from his ex-boyfriend, Hudson Rivers, but an urgent text has them meeting at a café. Maybe Hudson wants to profusely apologize for the breakup. Or confess his undying love. . . But no, Hudson has a favor to ask–he wants Kian to pretend to be his boyfriend while his parents are in town, and Kian reluctantly agrees.

The dinner doesn’t go exactly as planned, and suddenly Kian is Hudson’s plus one to Georgia’s wedding of the season. Hudson comes from a wealthy family where reputation is everything, and he really can’t afford another mistake. If Kian goes, he’ll help Hudson preserve appearances and get the opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the biggest names in media. This could be the big career break Kian needs.

But their fake relationship is starting to feel like it might be more than a means to an end, and it’s time for both men to fact-check their feelings.

My two cents: So this one doesn’t actually come out until February 22nd, and I haven’t read it yet! BUT I do love a good fake dating romance, so you know it’ll be at the top of my TBR as soon as I get my hands on a copy.

Intercepted by Alexa Martin

Goodreads summary: Marlee thought she scored the man of her dreams only to be scorched by a bad breakup. But there’s a new player on the horizon, and he’s in a league of his own…

Marlee Harper is the perfect girlfriend. She’s definitely had enough practice by dating her NFL-star boyfriend for the last ten years. But when she discovers he has been tackling other women on the sly, she vows to never date an athlete again. There’s just one problem: Gavin Pope, the new hotshot quarterback and a fling from the past, has Marlee in his sights.

Gavin fights to show Marlee he’s nothing like her ex. Unfortunately, not everyone is ready to let her escape her past. The team’s wives, who never led the welcome wagon, are not happy with Marlee’s return. They have only one thing on their minds: taking her down. But when the gossip makes Marlee public enemy number one, she worries about more than just her reputation.

Between their own fumbles and the wicked wives, it will take a Hail Mary for Marlee and Gavin’s relationship to survive the season.

My two cents: I feel like I’ve seen pretty steady love for this book and the rest of the series over the years, but for some reason I’ve never felt quite like picking it up myself. I don’t always love books featuring professional athletes. However, if that is your think, you should definitely pick up this book and the others in the series (Fumbled, Blitzed, and Snapped), and maybe this will be the year I read it too!

Meet Cute Club by Jack Harbon

Goodreads summary: Jordan Collins doesn’t need a man.

What he needs is for his favorite author to release another one of her sexy supernatural novels and more people to sign up for the romance book club that he fears is slowly and steadily losing its steam. He also needs for the new employee at his local bookstore to stop making fun of him for reading things meant for “grandmas.”

The very last thing he needs is for that same employee, Rex Bailey, to waltz into his living room and ask to join Meet Cute Club. Despite his immediate thoughts—like laughing in his face and telling him to kick rocks—Jordan decides that if he wants this club to continue thriving, he can’t turn away any new members. Not even ones like Rex, who somehow manage to be both frustratingly obnoxious and breathtakingly handsome.

As Jordan and Rex team up to bring the club back from the ashes, Jordan soon discovers that Rex might not be the arrogant troll he made himself out to be, and that, like with all things in life, maybe he was wrong to judge a book by its cover.

My two cents: This is another one I haven’t read yet, and, to be honest, anything in the vein of enemies to lovers tends not to be a favorite, but also, a book about a romance book club just sounds super cute and great to read around Valentine’s Day.

A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole

Goodreads summary: Between grad school and multiple jobs, Naledi Smith doesn’t have time for fairy tales…or patience for the constant e-mails claiming she’s betrothed to an African prince. Sure. Right. Delete! As a former foster kid, she’s learned that the only things she can depend on are herself and the scientific method, and a silly e-mail won’t convince her otherwise.

Prince Thabiso is the sole heir to the throne of Thesolo, shouldering the hopes of his parents and his people. At the top of their list? His marriage. Ever dutiful, he tracks down his missing betrothed. When Naledi mistakes the prince for a pauper, Thabiso can’t resist the chance to experience life—and love—without the burden of his crown.

The chemistry between them is instant and irresistible, and flirty friendship quickly evolves into passionate nights. But when the truth is revealed, can a princess in theory become a princess ever after?

My two cents: Royalty is another thing that will pretty much always get me to pick up a book, and this one, which features SECRET royalty, is even better! I truly loved the plot and the romance in this book, and if you like it too, there are two more books and two novellas in the series as well.

Real Men Knit by Kwana Jackson

Goodreads summary: When their foster-turned-adoptive mother suddenly dies, four brothers struggle to keep open the doors of her beloved Harlem knitting shop, while dealing with life and love in Harlem.

Jesse Strong is known for two things: his devotion to his adoptive mom, Mama Joy, and his reputation for breaking hearts in Harlem. When Mama Joy unexpectedly passes away, he and his brothers have different plans on what to do with Strong Knits, their neighborhood knitting store: Jesse wants to keep the store open; his brothers want to shut it down.

Jesse makes an impassioned plea to Kerry Fuller, his childhood friend who has had a crush on him her entire life, to help him figure out how to run the business. Kerry agrees to help him reinvent the store and show him the knitty-gritty of the business, but the more time they spend together, the more the chemistry builds. Kerry, knowing Jesse’s history, doesn’t believe this relationship will exist longer than one can knit one, purl one. But Jesse is determined to prove to her that he can be the man for her—after all, real men knit.

My two cents: I am actually reading this one right now, and am enjoying it so far. I lived in Harlem for a few years and really love reading books set there. I also enjoy complex sibling relationships and this has a second chance romance vibe as well, so if you like any of those things you’ll probably want to check it out too! And if you end up loving it, the second book, Knot Again, is expected to be out in July.

Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert

Goodreads summary: Danika Brown knows what she wants: professional success, academic renown, and an occasional roll in the hay to relieve all that career-driven tension. But romance? Been there, done that, burned the T-shirt. Romantic partners, whatever their gender, are a distraction at best and a drain at worst. So Dani asks the universe for the perfect friend-with-benefits—someone who knows the score and knows their way around the bedroom.

When brooding security guard Zafir Ansari rescues Dani from a workplace fire drill gone wrong, it’s an obvious sign: PhD student Dani and ex-rugby player Zaf are destined to sleep together. But before she can explain that fact, a video of the heroic rescue goes viral. Now half the internet is shipping #DrRugbae—and Zaf is begging Dani to play along. Turns out, his sports charity for kids could really use the publicity. Lying to help children? Who on earth would refuse?

Dani’s plan is simple: fake a relationship in public, seduce Zaf behind the scenes. The trouble is, grumpy Zaf’s secretly a hopeless romantic—and he’s determined to corrupt Dani’s stone-cold realism. Before long, he’s tackling her fears into the dirt. But the former sports star has issues of his own, and the walls around his heart are as thick as his… um, thighs.

Suddenly, the easy lay Dani dreamed of is more complex than her thesis. Has her wish backfired? Is her focus being tested? Or is the universe just waiting for her to take a hint?

My two cents: Yes, this is technically the second book in a series, but, after a lot of internal debate, I’m pretty sure that Dani is my favorite Brown sister (though honestly I love Eve so much too!), so I wanted to recommend this one from The Brown Sisters trilogy. Plus, fake dating! One of my favorite tropes! If you want even more Brown sisters in your life, definitely check out Get a Life, Chloe Brown and Act Your Age, Eve Brown too.

While We Were Dating by Jasmine Guillory

Goodreads summary: Ben Stephens has never bothered with serious relationships. He has plenty of casual dates to keep him busy, family drama he’s trying to ignore and his advertising job to focus on. When Ben lands a huge ad campaign featuring movie star Anna Gardiner, however, it’s hard to keep it purely professional. Anna is not just gorgeous and sexy, she’s also down to earth and considerate, and he can’t help flirting a little…

Anna Gardiner is on a mission: to make herself a household name, and this ad campaign will be a great distraction while she waits to hear if she’s booked her next movie. However, she didn’t expect Ben Stephens to be her biggest distraction. She knows mixing business with pleasure never works out, but why not indulge in a harmless flirtation?

But their lighthearted banter takes a turn for the serious when Ben helps Anna in a family emergency, and they reveal truths about themselves to each other, truths they’ve barely shared with those closest to them.

When the opportunity comes to turn their real-life fling into something more for the Hollywood spotlight, will Ben be content to play the background role in Anna’s life and leave when the cameras stop rolling? Or could he be the leading man she needs to craft their own Hollywood ending?

My two cents: It was super difficult to choose one of Jasmine Guillory’s 6 interconnected books in this The Wedding Date universe, because they are all amazing and they each have their own unique charms. However, one of my most favorite tropes is the famous person + not famous person meet and fall in love trope, so since this book has that trope, I had to highlight it! Nonetheless, if this one doesn’t sound up your alley, or if you prefer to read books in a series in order, even if they also stand on their own, feel free to check out the other books in the series too! (AND, bonus, she has a new romance novel, By the Book, reimagining Beauty and the Beast, out this May!)

I hope this list of romances by Black authors has given you plenty of reading material for the month (or foreseeable future)! Tell me-what romance novels would you recommend this month?

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