BookCon returned to the Javits Center in New York City and played host to thousands of eager bibliophiles looking to make up for lost time. The conference made its highly anticipated comeback after a six-year hiatus and the sold out status and wrap-around lines offered a glimmer of hope amidst the growing literacy crisis plaguing our country (21% of adults in the U.S. were found to be illiterate as of 2024).
There were a handful of phenomenal Black women romance authors present amongst the slate of more than 200 writers exhibiting across the two-day event, but the representation gap only further reinforced the growing appetite for more diverse storytelling in the genre.
1. Met with a studio about my already shot romcom and they won’t buy it until
They see how You, Me & Tuscany does2. Met with an exec about a romance script I have, they won’t buy it until
They see how You, Me & Tuscany does3. Go see this film!
— nina lee (@NinaSerafina) March 25, 2026
We’re already seeing this play out in real time in Hollywood, ignited by the rallying cry from filmmaker Nina Lee, imploring people to support the big screen release of You, Me & Tuscany, starring Halle Bailey and Regé-Jean Page. Lee had no involvement in the project, but studio execs made it clear that the success of this film would directly impact whether or not her own Black-centered rom-com projects would move forward.
Think about that for a second: The first Black-led rom-com to hit the big screen in over a decade is going to determine the future of representation for an entire demographic, as if we haven’t been subjected to countless mediocre or downright bland big-screen releases from white counterparts over the years.
Are we surprised by any of this? Sadly, no. Naturally, this led me to wonder if the literary genre would eventually fall victim to the same small-minded thinking. I certainly hope not, and if current audience trends offer any indication, there are some bright spots. But we must put our full-weighted support behind Black romance writers if we want to have more diverse representations of our stories and lived experiences.
The romance genre generates over $1 billion year over year in sales, and yet, Black stories are still willfully underrepresented. According to a 2024 study from The Ripped Bodice, an independent romance bookstore in New York and L.A., authors of color accounted for 11% of traditionally published romance authors in 2024, which is only about a 5% increase since 2016. And since that number isn’t specific to Black authors, we can likely assume that the percentage for Black romance writers alone is probably even smaller.
The audience is there (hello, Black Romance Festival, we see you!), and we deserve more. And while some people like to dump on the romance genre as unrealistic, overly dramatic fluff and low-brow smut, there’s real art and serious talent that goes into crafting stories that give readers a safe space for escapism, sexual exploration, and the audacity to believe that they’re deserving of the type of love they desire. So if you’re new to the genre and don’t know where to start, here are some recommendations to help get you in the mood.
Cannon Reads
- Night Song by Beverly Jenkins
- Tonight and Forever by Brenda Jackons
- Friends and Lovers by Eric Jerome Dickey
‘90s Nostalgia
- How Stella Got Her Groove Back by Terry McMillan
- Careless Whispers by Rochelle Alers
Modern Love
- The Skyland Series by Kennedy Ryan
- Seven Days in June by Tia Williams
- Flirting Lessons by Jasmine Guillroy
- Love in Colour by Bolu Babalola
Upcoming Spring and Summer Releases
- Score by Kennedy Ryan
- A Harlem Wedding by Tiffany L. Warren
- The Ties Between Us by Chencia C. Higgins
- Love is a Contact Sport by Frederick Smith
- The Missed Connection by Tia Williams
- Revive Me: Part Two by J.L. Seegars
- Hearts on the Fly by Toni Shiloh
- A Deal at Dawn by Vanessa Riley
- Breakup for Two by E.M. Wilson
Get these reads and more Black-authored romance novels on Amazon.
Kayla Conti is a Brookly based reader, writer and newly-liberated woman in tech. You can find more of her musings on Substack at TLDR Things, where she discusses books, travel, fashion and life as a 30-something year old Black woman. Kayla also curates a monthly book club for Black women who enjoy reading fiction by other Black and brown women. And when she’s not reading and traveling, you can find her enjoying wine with friends or geeking out over Formula 1, fitness and breakfast foods.