Most Historical Romance Novels Feature White Characters. But Authors are Bringing Color to the Genre

'When Netflix's Bridgerton Season 2, it swept the internet into the kind of frenzy that only a juicy love story can. The show takes place in an alternate past — an imagined history in which people of color occupy positions of power within English nobility. Bridgerton garnered praise for its inclusive casting and depiction of interracial romance. But in reality, the show's source material features exclusively white main characters, as do the majority of historical romance novels. New fans hoping to pick up a juicy romance novel may find themselves disappointed by the lack of representation within the plotlines. However, some authors of color write historical romance about people of color, centering them and their experiences within the historical context of the story. One of those authors is Beverly Jenkins. Known for her multicultural romance novels, Jenkins has been writing love stories about 19th-century Black Americans since the 1990s.'