Task #10: A romance novel by or about a person of color

[Brian]

Thanks for the suggestions! I appreciate it. I tend to stick to reading fiction. I love fantasy, historical fiction, sci-fi genres mainly, but do read mysteries and almost all types of fiction.

[Mandie]

I just read this brilliant graphic novel, Bingo Love, that just came out for this category.

[Jenn]

Melissa wrote: "You might try When Dimple Met Rishi. It's a YA book, so it reads really fast, but I didn't find it all gushy."

The Zen Cho is actually a pretty good recommendation. I think all her books are excellent.I don't remember magic/fantasy in this one, but it's pretty witty. And also short, so if you hate it, it won't be too much to slog through.

[Kimberley]

Willaful thank you for your insight. It wasn’t the best but also not the worst! I’m trying to not buy books as much as possible so being able to get it from the library was a big draw, and in the end it was a middlingly entertaining read.

[Ana]

Forbidden
I'm not a reader of romance novels at all so this was a first for me. I liked the unique premise and voice even though some parts were predictable. I actually liked learning about the historical aspect and what POC were facing at that time. I am happy with my pick and wouldn't be against picking up another by Beverly Jenkins for a "beach read."
(copied from finished tasks post)

[Sheneve]

My original plan was to read Orange Mint and Honey for this task, but the book is more about a Mother/Daughter relationship than it is about a romance. So, I'll use a book a read earlier this year, Americanah.

[Octavia]

I read The Japanese Lover by Isabel Allende for this and it was wonderful. Not at all like some of her other work (also wonderful, just very different.) It sort of bounced between historical flashbacks and the modern day, about two kids, Alma and Ichimei, best friends who get separated when Ichimei's family is sent to the Japanese internment camps in WW2 America. They meet up again as adults and it doesn't work out, then they meet up again much later and it does. Lovely to see a romance between elderly characters, and it had such a sweet and touching ending.

[Stephanie]

I'm definitely counting When Dimple Met Rishi for this. I checked out the audiobook via our library's overdrive and finished it fairly recently, and I'm STILL thinking about how wonderful it was! It was hilarious, because right before I read this, I read a harlequin book (lady travelers guide to scoundrels and other gentlemen) because of another reading challenge I have and because the book had an interesting premise. That book failed SO HARD for me. The main characters were uninteresting, had no lives outside of each other, and the promise of adventure in the title was COMPLETELY unfulfilled. In the pages of When Dimple Met Rishi you have characters who have hopes and dreams and desires outside of each other and the romance doesn't take away all agency, and tired "women who don't like to dress pretty are failures as women hahaha let's make them over and suddenly they'll be the most pretty hahaha" tropes don't happen.
When Dimple Met Rishi is a pretty quick read with a lot of charm. I definitely recommend it.

[Tiffany]

Grazi wrote: "Hi Guys. i was wondering if The Blood of Flowers
By: Anita Amirrezvani would fall in this category. thank you"

I would say it is light romance. The majority of the story is about her family's dire finances and being sold to the shah, but she does end up having feelings for the shah so kinda.

[willaful]

Ana -- you can always count on Beverly Jenkins for interesting historical aspects. Through the Storm (the book before Forbidden) is particularly good.

[Rachel]

Well, now I'm on the fence. I had Let's Talk About Love in mind for this one, but I also really, really want to read The Wedding Date.

[Mya]

Rachel wrote: "Well, now I'm on the fence. I had Let's Talk About Love in mind for this one, but I also really, really want to read The Wedding Date."

Rachel - I had the same quandary. Since I read a fair number of romances anyway, I decided to embrace the power of AND, & will be reading both. :)

Plus Courtney Milan has a new book in the Cyclone series coming out in November or December that I've been looking forward for ages, & I haven't yet read her Turner series. It may end up being comfort or vacation reading sometime this year.

[willaful]

A black author I wasn't familiar with: Evangeline Holland. Writes historical romance. Which reminds me of Beverley Kendall, who writes mainstream historical romance with white characters.

[willaful]

Some other names of authors of color that might not have come up before: Bella Andre, Grace Calloway, Monica McCarty, Shelly Laurenston.

(There's a big discussion on racism in the RITAs on Twitter right now, so I'm learning a bunch.)

[Bonnie G.]

willaful wrote: "Some other names of authors of color that might not have come up before: Bella Andre, Grace Calloway, Monica McCarty, Shelly Laurenston.

(There's a big discussion on racism in the RITAs on Twitte..."

I met the woman who writes under the name Bella Andre, and she does not appear to be a POC. How does she identify?

[Mya]

A couple years ago I read Sex in the Sanctuary, by Lutishia Lovely. The Hallelujah Love series is set within the Baptist church - all of the characters are very religious, & many are already married (some happily, some not). It focused more on the struggle of faith & commitment & maintaining sexual attraction in a long-term relationship, than anything to do with flirting, or the chase. A very different take on romance than what I usually read. I was deeply troubled by how the author handled a character with mental illness, so I didn't read any farther in the series, but just realizing this sub-genre exists was interesting.

[willaful]

Bonnie -- I couldn't say. She was reported to be Asian. (Presumably Asian-American.)

[Rachel]

Mya wrote: "Rachel wrote: "Well, now I'm on the fence. I had Let's Talk About Love in mind for this one, but I also really, really want to read The Wedding Date."

Rachel - I ha..."

I'm trying to read both also, but it's hard to find another place where it might fit (even with doing multiple prompts-based challenges).

[Jenn]

Does Americanah count as romance? One of its most populated shelves is "romance," but having read it, I don't think I'd categorize it as one.

The definition of "romance" that I'm working with is "love story that's romanticized/unlikely to play out that way in real life; a love fantasy."

Americanah is a love story, but it's a realistic one.

[Min Blossoms]

I like RWA's definition:

.A Central Love Story: The main plot centers around individuals falling in love and struggling to make the relationship work. A writer can include as many subplots as he/she wants as long as the love story is the main focus of the novel.

An Emotionally Satisfying and Optimistic Ending: In a romance, the lovers who risk and struggle for each other and their relationship are rewarded with emotional justice and unconditional love.

So you're right to say that Americanah wouldn't fit, but it is a great book anyway!

[Bonnie G.]

Min Blossoms wrote: "I like RWA's definition:
.A Central Love Story: The main plot centers around individuals falling in love and struggling to make the relationship work. A writer can include as many subplots as he/sh..."

I like the RWA description too. A happy ending does not mean an unrealistic ending. Yes, a little sunnier than reality, but in my experience (and I am old and have a short attention span) there is all sorts of happiness to be found in love in real life, its not just a fantasy -- maybe not forever for most people, but a sequence of mostly very happy experiences. Regardless of whether Americannah is realistic, it is not at its core about a love relationship. Its great, but the love stories exist only to show us how depraved or indifferent people can be -- no one in that book is in love with their partners.

[Jenn]

Oh yeah, I'm not saying love can't be happy or optimistic; I'm saying that romances, as I define them and as they seem to be defined by a lot of publishers, are far-fetched with lots of questionable logic involved.

For example, the opening sentences of the synopsis of Trade Me (a book that's been recommended to fulfill this RHC requirement) go: "Tina Chen just wants a degree and a job, so her parents never have to worry about making rent again. She has no time for Blake Reynolds, the sexy billionaire who stands to inherit Cyclone Technology."

That's what I mean when I say unlikely. It's love, romanticized. Hard. And I'm not totally sure it's love.

[willaful]

You made me chuckle a bit, because I was curious enough to look up my review of Trade Me and found this sentence: "If I had to choose one word for the story, it would be loving."

(http://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/ov...)

Milan is a pretty down to earth writer. The story is far more realistic than you'd get from the blurb.

[Bonnie G.]

Jenn wrote: "Oh yeah, I'm not saying love can't be happy or optimistic; I'm saying that romances, as I define them and as they seem to be defined by a lot of publishers, are far-fetched with lots of questionabl..."

LOL! Yes, that is definitely part of the genre (and embarrassingly books like this are books I occasionally like reading) but there are more realistic options. Not totally realistic, this is escapism after all, but more realistic. The Wedding Date was fun for this, and I really enjoy a lot of Courtney Milan, this blurb notwithstanding.

[Bonnie G.]

willaful wrote: "You made me chuckle a bit, because I was curious enough to look up my review of Trade Me and found this sentence: "If I had to choose one word for the story, it would be loving."

(http://dearauth..."

That was a great piece. Thanks for the link.

[Mya]

Jenn wrote: "For example, the opening sentences of the synopsis of Trade Me (a book that's been recommended to fulfill this RHC requirement) go: "Tina Chen just wants a degree and a job, so her parents never have to worry about making rent again. She has no time for Blake Reynolds, the sexy billionaire who stands to inherit Cyclone Technology.".."


Trade Me is a much better book than the blurb indicates. The blurb repulsed me, but enough friends whose taste overlaps with mine read it & loved it that I gave it a try. I am now somewhat in love with Courtney Milan & have read all current existing novels & short stories for the Cyclone series, & many of her other titles. Her heroines are smart & geeky & determined, & the male protagonists have to own their own flaws & vulnerabilities at large, not just secretly & stoically to The Woman They Love.

[Susan]

I tried to read An Extraordinary Union. Had it not been an ebook I would have flung it across the room. Anachronisms, gratuitous sex, unlikable characters, monotonous moralizing, a failure on so many levels. I truly disliked this book. Can you tell?

[Mya]

Susan wrote: "I tried to read An Extraordinary Union. Had it not been an ebook I would have flung it across the room. Anachronisms, gratuitous sex, unlikable characters, monotonous moralizing, a ..."


I can tell! :)

As a contrasting point of view, I read An Extraordinary Union today & loved it. OK, I didn't like the male protagonist very much, but I enjoyed the heroine. Admittedly I was reading while tired, but I didn't catch any anachronisms (with the caveat that I have no expertise in that specific era). I like books with sexy bits (& I specifically appreciated that both parties had power/agency in those scenes), & I didn't perceive it as moralizing.

I thought the author did a good job of turning a potentially horrible setup for a romance, one that could easily have been creepy, into something interesting & relatively balanced.

It's a good thing there are so many books in the world so everyone can find something they enjoy! :)

[Susan]

Mya wrote: "Susan wrote: "I tried to read An Extraordinary Union. Had it not been an ebook I would have flung it across the room. Anachronisms, gratuitous sex, unlikable characters, monotonous ..."
I am glad you enjoyed it and I can see from reviews that many others did too. Thank you for your thoughtful and pleasant reply. :)

[Mya]

Susan wrote: "Mya wrote: "Susan wrote: "I tried to read An Extraordinary Union. Had it not been an ebook I would have flung it across the room...."

I do find it disappointing that there's no good way to physically express contempt or frustration for ebooks. I don't find it particularly satisfying to poke a button to delete them. I wonder if some sort of bubble-wrap protector for Kindles & the like would be appreciated by people who read a lot of books & sometimes want to throw them across the room? :)

The other thing I miss with ebooks is that a book is no longer a means to open a conversation when sharing a public space. I discovered a lot of fascinating books by being able to see the book covers of what other people were reading, &, where circumstances were amenable & it wouldn't be interrupting, asking them what they thought.

[sea]

For this category, I chose to read When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon.

It was definitely fun to spread out my reading preferences, and the book wasn't disappointing, though I don't think it lived up to all it's hype.

I posted a full review on my blog if you're interested in reading it!

http://inkblottings.com/reader-review...

Have you read the book? What did you think?

[Tammy]

In case no one has posted this yet, here is a link to a Book Riot article about Native American romance novels: https://bookriot.com/2018/01/04/nativ...

[Megan]

I just finished When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon for this prompt.

[Kate]

You can always flip past the steamier parts in a romance novel - that's what I do. I prefer my romances on the PG-13 side but sadly there doesn't seem to be much available that isn't also YA. Which is fine, but sometimes a girl just wants a tame romance that features adults!

[Bonnie G.]

Kate wrote: "You can always flip past the steamier parts in a romance novel - that's what I do. I prefer my romances on the PG-13 side but sadly there doesn't seem to be much available that isn't also YA. Which..."

Try A Gentleman's Guide to Vice ant Virtue. Wonderful and very chaste. I like my romance a bit on the smutty side, but I loved this book, and one half of the central couple is a person of color, though I believe the author is white.

[Chandie]

Melissa wrote: "I read Hurts to Love You by Alisha Rai for this task - she is one of my favorite author "discoveries" in the last year or so. This whole series (Forbidden Hearts) is excellent."

I finally read Hurts to Love You after seeing it rec'd a lot and it was excellent. Then I bought the next two books in the series.

[willaful]

Kate, I'm pretty sure there are some non-steamy adult romances mentioned earlier in the thread. I'm pretty sure Piper Huguley writes them.

[Caleb]

I don't usually read romance and tried several others before settling on my pick. Thought it would be interesting to read a romance with an aesexual main character - and really enjoyed Let's Talk About Love. Main character is bi, too, which is great. Quick, sweet, easy. I'd read something similar again.

[Rochelle]

I just finished Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan, can I count this book towards this challenge? I'm not sure what the exact parameters of "person of colour" are- does Chinese/Singaporean count as POC?

[willaful]

I'm sure it would count for the author, though I don't know if it's a romance.

[Bonnie G.]

Rochelle wrote: "I just finished Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan, can I count this book towards this challenge? I'm not sure what the exact parameters of "person of colour" are- does Chinese/Singaporean count as POC?"

Yes, I didn't think of it for this category (I did read it this year and loved it) but it totally works.

[Rachel]

I ended up reading The Wedding Date, and I enjoyed it although I thought the writing could have been a little stronger.

[willaful]

I DNF'd it... didn't care for the prose at all.

Haven't read it yet, but I'm hearing good things about The Kiss Quotient.

[Britany]

Finished by Sandhya Menon-- 4 Stars

This book was exactly what I needed-- now I want iced coffee! ;)

My Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Jenn]

Hope Never Dies

"This mystery thriller reunites Vice President Joe Biden and President Barack Obama for a political mashup full of suspense, intrigue, and laugh out loud bromance."


It counts. I'm reading it.

[Jolynne]

Perma Red out of print, too bad, it's a great story.

[Judith]

Jolynne wrote: "Perma Red out of print, too bad, it's a great story."

I read this books years ago when it first came out. It's really too bad this book isn't widely available for more people to read. Very good book.

[Sheri]

I read A Princess in Theory, it was alright. Romance in general isn't my favorite, and it had a lot of typical romance tropes that I'm not really a fan of. Also the plot was fairly predictable, I guessed what would happen within the first 10 pages or so. The writing was fine, and it was a quick read

[Stephanie]

willaful wrote: "Kate, I'm pretty sure there are some non-steamy adult romances mentioned earlier in the thread. I'm pretty sure Piper Huguley writes them."

I'm late to this thread but wanted to echo this - Piper Huguley writes historical romances focusing on black American experience that are very much romance but low/no heat (no explicit sex scenes).

Another author to consider is Vanessa Riley who writes historical black characters. She has some indie published books and a series with Entangled.

I just read Crazy Rich Asians and while there is a central romance, the ending is so left open it is kind of a hard sell to me to call it a romance, even though the movie looks like it is playing up the romantic comedy. Personally, I think in the spirit of the challenge, finding more of an overt romance would work better (but I understand the desire to check off that box!)

Sonali Dev's books are Indian protagonists and are all considered romance (mid-heat level). I've seen other great suggestions here so lots to choose from :)

[Karen]

I used Exit West for this category, and was glad I found it as the romance genre is without question my least enjoyed of the genres, and I would have had no issue with leaving this category blank rather than force myself to read something I would hate. If you feel similarly but would rather write something down that leave it blank, it's an okay book, short and easy to read, with a "magical" element to it that will either work for you or it won't.