Article
Black Love
These selections, offered during Black History Month and with Valentine’s Day in mind, are about black love. These include romances about black characters, romances written by black authors, and nonfiction books about love and relationships written by black people for black people.
These selections, offered during Black History Month and with Valentine’s Day in mind, are about black love. These include romances about black characters, romances written by black authors, and nonfiction books about love and relationships written by black people for black people. There is joy, heartbreak, and sound advice in these selections: there is something for everyone. Some of these books are historical fiction as well – a good reminder of the history of African Americans in this country. Digital book (DB), braille (BR), audio-described DVDs (DVD), or large print (LT) copies of these titles are available from the Perkins Library or the Worcester Talking Book Library. Please contact the library to order any of these books.
Prepared by Katie Means
Reader Advisor
Perkins Library
Monster in the Middle
by Tiphanie Yanique
DB 105660, Available as BARD Download
When Fly and Stela meet in New York City, it seems like fate. He’s a Black American musician who knows all about heartbreak. She’s a Catholic science teacher from the Caribbean, looking for lasting love. But are they meant to be? The answer goes back decades. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2021.
Drunk on Love
by Jasmine Guillory
DB 110411, Available as BARD Download
Margot Noble needs some relief from the stress of running the family winery with her brother. Enter Luke: sexy, charming, and best of all in the too-small world of Napa, a stranger. The chemistry between them is undeniable, and Margot is delighted that she lucked into the perfect one-night stand she’ll never have to see again. That is, until the winery’s newest hire, Luke, walks in the next morning. Margot is determined to keep things purely professional, but when their every interaction reminds her of the attraction still bubbling between them, it proves to be much more challenging than she expects. Luke Williams had it all, but when he quits his high-salary tech job in Silicon Valley in a blaze of burnout and moves back to Napa to help a friend, he realizes he doesn’t want to tell the world–or his mom–why he’s now working at a winery. His mom loves bragging about her successful son–how can he admit that the job she’s so proud of broke him? Luke has no idea what is next for him, but one thing is certain: he wants more from the incredibly smart and sexy woman he hooked up with–even after he learns she’s his new boss. But even if they can find a way to be together that wouldn’t be an ethical nightmare, would such a successful woman really want a tech-world dropout? 2022.
Seven Days in June
by Tia Willaims
DB 103670, Available as BARD Download
Brooklynite Eva Mercy is a single mom and bestselling erotica writer, who is feeling pressed from all sides. Shane Hall is a reclusive, award-winning literary author. Shane and Eva had a brief relationship in high school, and when they meet again unexpectedly at a literary event, sparks fly. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2021.
Super Sad True Love Story
by Gary Shteyngart
DB 71732, available as BARD Download
Lenny Abramov lives in futuristic Manhattan with his younger Korean lover Eunice Park, marketing eternal life to those who can afford it. He describes their chaotic world in an old-fashioned diary while Eunice confides in e-mails. Strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. Bestseller. 2010.
Indigo
by Beverly Jenkins
DB 94126, Available as BARD Download
As a child, Hester Wyatt escaped slavery. Now a conductor on Michigan’s Underground Railroad, she agrees to hide injured Galen Vachon, fellow agent of the network known as “Black Daniel,” who has a price on his head and an arrogance that ensures he and Hester clash. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 1996.
The Hookup Plan
by Farrah Rochon
DB 109479, Available as BARD Download
Successful pediatric surgeon London Kelley just needs to find some balance and de-stress. According to her friends Samiah and Taylor, what London really needs is a casual hookup. A night of fun with no strings. But no one–least of all London–expected it to go down at her high school reunion with Drew Sullivan, millionaire, owner of delicious abs, and oh yes, her archnemesis. Now London is certain the road to hell is paved with good sex. Because she’s found out the real reason Drew is back in Austin: to decide whether her beloved hospital remains open. Worse, Drew is doing everything he can to show her that he’s a decent guy who actually cares. But London’s not falling for it. Because while sleeping with the enemy is one thing, falling for him is definitely not part of the plan. 2022.
Before I Let Go
by Kennedy Ryan
DB 111356, Available as BARD Download
Their love was supposed to last forever. But when life delivered blow after devastating blow, Yasmen and Josiah Wade found that love alone couldn’t solve or save everything. It couldn’t save their marriage. Yasmen wasn’t prepared for how her life fell apart, but she is finally starting to find joy again. She and Josiah have found a new rhythm, co-parenting their two kids and running a thriving business together. Yet like magnets, they’re always drawn back to each other, and now they’re beginning to wonder if they’re truly ready to let go of everything they once had. Soon, one stolen kiss leads to another…and then more. It’s hot. It’s illicit. It’s all good-until old wounds reopen. Is it too late for them to find forever? Or could they even be better, the second time around? 2022.
The Neighbor Favor
by Kristina Forest
DB 112968, Available as BARD Download
Shy, bookish, and admittedly awkward, Lily Greene has always felt inadequate compared to the rest of her accomplished family, who strive for Black excellence. She dreams of becoming a children’s books editor, but she’s been frustratingly stuck in the nonfiction division for years without a promotion in sight. Lily finds escapism in her correspondences with her favorite fantasy author, and what begins as two lonely people connecting over email turns into a tentative friendship and possibly something else Lily won’t let herself entertain-until he ghosts her without a word. Months later, Lily is still crushed, but she’s determined to get a hold of her life, starting with finding a date to her sister’s wedding. And the perfect person to help her is Nick Brown, her charming, attractive new neighbor, who she feels drawn to for reasons she can’t explain. But little does she know, Nick is an author-her favorite fantasy author. Nick, who has his reasons for using a pen name and pushing people away, soon realizes that the beautiful, quiet girl from down the hall is the same Lily he fell in love with over email months ago. Unwilling to complicate things even more between them, he agrees to set her up with someone else, though this simple favor between two neighbors is anything but-not when he can’t get her off his mind….” 2023.
Honey and Spice
by Bolu Babablola
DB 109265, Available as BARD Download
Sweet like plantain, hot like pepper. They taste the best when together…. Sharp-tongued (and secretly soft-hearted) Kiki Banjo has just made a huge mistake. As an expert in relationship-evasion and the host of the popular student radio show Brown Sugar, she’s made it her mission to make sure the women of the African-Caribbean Society at Whitewell University do not fall into the mess of “situationships”, players, and heartbreak. But when the Queen of the Unbothered kisses Malakai Korede, the guy she just publicly denounced as “The Wastemen of Whitewell,” in front of every Blackwellian on campus, she finds her show on the brink. They’re soon embroiled in a fake relationship to try and salvage their reputations and save their futures. Kiki has never surrendered her heart before, and a player like Malakai won’t be the one to change that, no matter how charming he is or how electric their connection feels. But surprisingly entertaining study sessions and intimate, late-night talks at old-fashioned diners force Kiki to look beyond her own presumptions. Is she ready to open herself up to something deeper? 2022.
Love Sisters
by Christina C. Jones
DB 109295 Available as BARD Download
Three contemporary romance novellas featuring three African American sisters. In I Think I Might Love You, Jaclyn Love is a magnet that attracts both trouble and sexy veterinarian Kaden Davenport. Also includes I Think I Might Need You and I Think I Might Want You. Strong language and explicit descriptions of sex. 2019.
American Sweethearts
by Adriana Herrera
DB 99788, Available as BARD Download
Priscilla Gutierrez and Juan Pablo Campos were childhood friends who both dreamed of a career in the NYPD. Juan Pablo took a different path, choosing a career as a physical therapist. They are thrown together again at a mutual friend’s wedding in the Dominican Republic. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2020.
Invisible Life
by E. Lynn Harris
DB 38731, Available as BARD Download
Raymond Tyler, a black college senior, is dating his “hometown honey” when he is approached by bisexual Kelvin Ellis. Raymond’s horror turns to surprise at his own attraction. When Raymond moves on to law school and a career in New York, he becomes more openly bisexual. As he falls in love twice, first with a man and then with a woman, he learns that Kelvin’s fiancee has AIDS. Strong language and explicit descriptions of sex. 1991.
Giovanni’s Room
by James Baldwin
DB 12503, Available as BARD Download
Homosexuality and the physical aspects of male love are explored in a Paris setting where the narrator, a young American, is involved both with a woman and man, and is eventually compelled to make a choice. 1956.
Reel
by Ryan Kennedy
DB 106980, Available as BARD Download
Understudy actress Neevah Saint never imagined famous film director Canon Holt would be in the audience the night she took the stage. Before she could catch her breath, Neevah went from backstage Broadway to center stage Hollywood. Strong language and explicit descriptions of sex. 2021.
Communion
by Bell Hooks
DB 111899, Available as BARD Download
Intimate, revealing, provocative, Communion challenges every woman to courageously claim the search for love as the heroic journey we must all choose to be truly free. In her trademark commanding and lucid language, hooks explores the ways ideas about women and love were changed by the feminist movement, by women’s full participation in the workforce, and by the culture of self-help, and reveals how women of all ages can bring love into every aspect of their lives, for all the years of their lives. Communion is the heart-to-heart talk every woman – mother, daughter, friend, and lover – needs to have. Some strong language and some descriptions of sex. 2002.
In process.
Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man
by Steve Harvey with Denene Millner
DB 68612, Available as BARD Download
Host of the Steve Harvey Morning Show draws on his experience fielding questions from women–and men–to describe the male mindset and advise women on ways to use it to their advantage. Covers dealing with mama’s boys and cheating men and introducing the kids to a potential mate. Bestseller. 2009.
In the Meantime
by Iyanla Vanzant
DB 46360, Available as BARD Download
An inspirational speaker explains how to prepare for a loving relationship while waiting for that special someone. She describes how to do spiritual cleansing, eliminating “the stuff” that prevents an open love experience. Bestseller. 1999.
Church Folk
by Michele Andrea Bowen
DB 93002, Available as BARD Download
1961. On his way home from preaching at a revival, the Reverend Theophilus Simmons meets cook Essie Lee Lane at a barbecue joint. He starts courting her and she eventually accepts his proposal. Essie faces challenges as the church’s new first lady, but grows into the role. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2001.
Choose Me
by Xenia Ruiz
DB 61444, Available as BARD Download
Divorced Afro-Puerto Rican mother Eva is celibate because of a renewed interest in religion. African American Adam, suffering from cancer, is cautious about dating. When the two meet they gradually work out a relationship with the help of God. 2005.
The Pastor’s Wife
by ReShonda Tate Billingsley
DB 67645, Available as BARD Download
Houston. Twenty-nine-year-old Terrance Ellis, pastor of Lily Grove Missionary Baptist Church, was raised by his aunts Eva, Dorothy Mae, and Mamie after his grandmother’s tragic death. Now the sisters are determined to find him a wife. Terrance falls for misunderstood church member Savannah McKinney, but his aunts disapprove. 2007.
If Beale Street Could Talk
by James Baldwin
DB 58492, DVD 1799, Available as BARD Download
Bittersweet love story between nineteen-year-old African American Tish Rivers and her lover, Fonny, who met on the streets as children. Tish is pregnant with their child and remains hopeful, while Fonny, an artisan wrongly accused of rape, awaits trial in jail. Strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. 1974, DVD 2019.
Waiting to Exhale
by Terry McMillan
DB 35862, BR 19137, DVD 382 Available as BARD Download
Phoenix, Arizona, 1990. Four black thirty-something girlfriends commiserate over the lack of appealing eligible men. Bored with Denver, Savannah has moved to town at the urging of her friend Bernadine, whose wealthy husband has just left her for his young white bookkeeper. Robin jumps from one loser to another, while Gloria tries to ignore her nonexistent love life by focusing on her son. Strong language and explicit descriptions of sex. Bestseller. 1992, DVD 2001.
Insert Groom Here
by K.M. Jackson
LT 22298
When her fiancé backs out of their wedding on air and cameraman Aidan Walker makes sure her private meltdown goes viral, Eva Ward, to save face, stars in a new find-a-groom reality segment that forces her to work with Aidan, who shows her a different side to him that changes everything. 2021.
What Men Want
DVD 1815
DVD. Ali Davis is left on the outside by her fellow sports agents because she is a woman in a male-dominated profession, but she acquires an unexpected edge when she develops the ability to hear men’s thoughts. Starring Taraji Henson, Wendi McLendon-Covey and Max Greenfield. Rated R for strong language and sexual content. 116 Min. 2019.
The Gravity of Sunlight
by Rosa Shand
BR 13545
In 1970s Uganda, with political upheaval as background, an American clergyman’s wife explores her feelings about love, fidelity, and sexuality. Agnes is attracted to a Polish friend of her husband who loves Africa as much as she does, but loyalty to her three children creates conflict. 2000.
