My Spirit Demands More POC Romances

Hi y’all! I hope you are holding up as well as you possibly can! So, if you follow me on Twitter, you may have seen that I went on a bit of a rant about wanting more POC romances…and you know what, I’ve been dying to say that out loud for a hot minute! Like, I literally think this at least 5 times a day so it’s been sitting heavy on my Spirit and couldn’t contain it any more! See Exhibit A below.

Not too much on Biracial romances because they exist and are more than valid (I’m not here for erasure) but EYEEEEEEEE really want to see more romances where POCs seek and desire other POCs. Is that asking too much? Is that an irrational request? To see myself & my friends desired by someone who could have similar backgrounds and experiences? I really don’t think that this an an unrealistic ask. I understand when an author is biracial themselves or is in a biracial relationship (namely, Black & White) but there are so many narratives pushed about white desirability and it’s a fantasy I can’t ever get with…I really really can’t folx, nor do I want to to keep it 100%.

On the real, there is nothing like reading a romance where the MCs sit and talk about their experiences in their Black/AAPI/Latinx/Indigenous/Immigrant households. When I read scenes like that, I feel like I’m there because I’m Black & grew up in an Immigrant household with most of my friends who are Black & Latinx and either are immigrants or are children of immigrants. Like, I just really want more of that with lots of loving & adoring gazes, kissing and steam (in adult because I’m not a creeper asking for that in YA) woven in.

So, with all of that being said, I’m going to give y’all a list of recent YA and adult books that give us just that because it’s what we all deserve! I did a post earlier in the year with a few romance suggestions, but I wanted to give you a list with more recent reads.

• Young Adult
  • The Holiday Switch by Tif Marcelo
  • Loveboat, Reunion by Abigail Hing Wen
  • An Arrow To The Moon by Emily X.R. Pan
  • My Sister’s Big Fat Indian Wedding by Sajni Patel
  • Confessions Of An Alleged Good Girl by Joya Goffney
  • Cafe Con Lychee by Emery Lee
  • A Summer Between Bitter And Sweet by Jen Ferguson
  • Nate Plus One by Kevin Van Whyte
  • The Lesbiana’s Guide To Catholic School by Sonora Reyes
  • Once Upon A K-Prom by Kat Cho
  • Love Radio by Ebony LaDelle
  • Finding Jupiter by Kelis Rowe
  • Flip The Script by Lyla Lee
  • My Mechanical Romance by Alexene Farol Follmuth
  • Private Label by Kelly Yang
  • Zyla & Kai by Kristina Forest

A Note: I just want to apologize in advance of you reading the adult list because it is a heteronormative list. I’ve been working on broadening my reading horizons and do have some LGBTQIA+ reads in my ARC TBR but have not gotten to them yet and in this case, I want to be sure that the romances both POC MCs & Love interests.

• Adult (The spice levels vary, for those who care about that but I’m not commenting on that because that’s not what this post is about…ask me in the comments if you really wanna know)
  • Kamila Knows Best by Farah Heron
  • Dating Dr. Dil by Nisha Sharma (this book is perfection)
  • Savvy Sheldon Feels Good As Hell by Taj McCoy
  • Business Not As Usual by Sharon C. Cooper
  • What A Match by Mimi Grace
  • Sari, Not Sari by Sonya Singh
  • By The Book by Jasmine Guillory
  • The Emma Project by Sonali Dev
  • Off Script by Ashley Marie
  • Fake It Till You Bake It by Jamie Wesley
  • On Rotation by Shirlene Obuobi
  • Good Morning, Love by Ashley M. Coleman

On the real y’all, I really wish these lists were longer & I hope that they will be in the future (I know a few authors who are working on this, thankfully). I don’t just want this for myself but for others who want to see themselves adored & desired by someone who looks like them or as a similar background to them, teens and adults alike.

Am I alone in this sentiment? Let me know if I’m alone in this or if you have any recommendations in the comments or on social media on Instagram @bookishgirlmagic, Twitter @bookishgrlmagic and Clubhouse @bookishgrlmagic where you can find me mostly in book centered clubs/rooms (primarily on Tuesdays and Fridays). Also please subscribe to this blog if you haven’t already because it makes me feel like I’ve read a bunch of romances with POC MCs & Love Interests! Yet again, thank you so much for being here and hope you continue to be! As usual, I’m sending you tons of bookish love and wish you happy reading!