It's worth noting that despite the title including "Black Love", this collection of essays is more broadly focused on Black representation (or lack thereof) in different portions of the romance genre. While a couple essays do specifically focus on Black love (a romance between two or more Black people) that is not all that this book is trying to do. I imagine readers who go in expecting something exclusively about Black love might be disappointed. That said, I thought this was a very strong, thought-provoking collection that is well worth the time of romance readers.

I really loved this anthology about Black Love. These perspectives were wonderful to read and to understand. Each essay was such an incredible insight and I am very glad that I read this.

An essential, thoughtful essay collection from some of the best voices in romance out there. Truth be told, I was surprised that some essays were shorter than others — I would’ve gladly read longer versions! Most of them felt most appropriate for the overall theme (at least one that other reviewers have already mentioned seemed slightly out of place here), but I was grateful to finally pick this one up after finding a physical copy in the wild earlier this month.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book contains some excellent essays and the book itself is much-needed in today's society. Even though I'm not a Black person, this book moved me a lot. I'll be recommending it for sure.

Essay collections about romance novels that are geared toward a trade audience and not an academic one are still incredibly rare. Ones that center Black readers, authors, and scholars are rarer still. If you know Black romance, you’ll be agog at the powerhouse list of names here. If you don’t know Black romance, the contributors here are the best list of names to start with that I’ve ever seen. Insightful, important, and not to be missed.

I know this probably sounds like a low bar bc I don't read a ton of nonfiction, but this is EASILY one of the best nonfiction books I've ever read. There was not one bad essay in this collection, it was easy to read, there was a variety of topics covered and all of them were interesting and well fleshed-out, and I loved the unique voice and perspective that each writer brought to their essay. A must-read for every romance reader, and as a bonus it added quite a few books/authors to my TBR!

Pros: fascinating, culturally relevant, and easy to read without being overwhelming
Cons: literally the only thing I can think of is that Beverly Jenkins' essay was on the shorter side and I would happily have read much more from her
CW: racism, sexism, misogyny, ableism, fatphobia, classism

I loved this essay collection! Each essay provided a unique take and importance of seeing Black love represented in books, and I especially loved seeing author Alyssa Cole’s Reluctant Royals series mentioned, as well as How To Catch A Queen.

*many thanks to Berkley and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the authors for this ARC in exchange for a honest review!

Black Love Matters was exactly what I expected and I really liked it. As many are doing as well, I have been making a point to read more books by black authors and as someone who loves reading romance books, this was a perfect book to read. I liked hearing from these authors about their experiences as romance authors and the struggles they have had to deal with in order to get their books out there in the world. There were several stories in this anthology that made me laugh and my favorite thing about this book was that I found new authors that I am very excited to read and explore.

Highly recommend this book!

An interesting collection of essays on Black love in romance across various mediums (books, TV, movies). As with any collection, some of the essays were extremely riveting (Beverly Jenkins) and some fell a little flat for me. (I won't call out any names...) and then Jasmine Guillory's story just felt like it should have been part of another collection entirely (though very well written and interesting!) I especially appreciate the suggestions for books to read - my TBR overfloweth!!

Short stories from the romance genres most prolific writers. Of course in these collections some stories are stronger than others (Ms. Bev's is fantastic), but overall I enjoyed the scope and variety of the compilation. Definitely worth the read.

This was an excellent essay collection. I loved the array of authors that were brought together around this one topic. I was impressed by the talent of each, and the new voices that were in this collection as well. This is a must read collection for anyone studying Black Love and Romance.

Here are the best parts of this book:
-Jasmine Guillory writing about food and love
- Julie E. Moody-Freeman on teaching black love in academia
- Christina C. Jones about indie romance
- Kosoko Jackson and Sarah Hannah Gómez are possibly the funniest people on earth, to an extent that if you read them I am pretty sure you will suddenly realize that I am not and have never been funny, especially by comparison, and the realization will be like when people wake up from nightmares in movies. Sitting bolt upright in the middle of the night full-on horrified.

And here are the worst parts of this book:
- A lot of this is in direct response to readers and reviewers, who are paraphrased and quoted, in one case with their initials, website, and other details disclosed. I know that when you consider racial dynamics, the author/reader relationship is different, but authors calling out reviewers very identifiably in print made me uncomfortable
- Not a complaint about the book, but about the publisher: I read a lot of Berkley e-ARCs, and this got noticeably less editorial love and support and hugs and kisses, which is upsetting.

The end of my thoughts!

I should write reviews like this more often. The picture of convenience.

Bottom line: Some great stuff, some bad stuff, almost all good!

To be Black in a white colonized world is to live a politicized life. So how does this affect personal matters like love? In this book of essays from acclaimed authors, professors, and publishing professionals edited by Jessica P. Pryde, Black love in romance books, tv shows, and movies is lovingly examined, observed, and honored by Black people.

Whew! When I tell you Black Love Matters: Real Talk on Romance, Being Seen, and Happily Ever Afters is a collection full of hittas, I mean it’s a collection of shots fired, points landed, and wounds thoroughly probed. Each hit comes with love that those in the Black community are greatly familiar with. From Carole V. Bell’s “I’m Rooting for Everybody Black: Black Solidarity, Black World-Building, and Black Love” to Margo Hendricks’ “How a Black Author Found Her Romance History,” essays within this book call on the wisdom of prolific thinkers like bell hooks and Patricia Hill Collins to articulate the nuanced ways love among Black folks has always been valuable, yet limited in cultural representation. Through the lens of Black unity and the centering of building or providing support where there is very little, each essay in the collection showcases the ways Black people will make a way out of no way while also pinpointing precisely what we should have available to us instead. For instance, Carole V. Bell shares the importance of Black romance built within worlds of Black interdependence which allows the characters to be wholly themselves within the community and with one another in a way that empowers the same community fiscally in “I’m Rooting for Everybody Black: Black Solidarity, Black World-Building, and Black Love.”

Several of the essays note how the publishing industry has a long-term problem with centering white readers to their own detriment given how multiple sources cite Black women as the bulk of many of their readerships. Hendricks expounds that this obsession with cradling whiteness not only means that stories are often written and edited to cater to the white gaze by including Black trauma, deprivation, or white saviors, they also prioritize interracial relationships over Black love. Christina C. Jones’ “Black Indie Romance” adds that we rarely see Black men as romantic partners to Black partners on streaming platforms—where they are more likely to be action heroes with very little romance. To be clear, Jessica P. Pryde’s “Interracial Romance and the Single Story” states:

“the problem is not the existence or popularity of interracial romance. The problem is that instead of taking space from overrepresented white narratives, Black romance gets pushed out. We deserve to see the relationships that created us—the relationships that we coveted and observed growing up—and the relationships where we’re reflected in this industry we love to consume.”

The same essay drives home this issue, outlining that the prioritization of the white gaze comes with little reward for Black people—it will never lead the recalcitrant towards valuing your humanity. There is no evidence that stories that include at least one Black person as a romantic interest will serve as an entryway into Black romance for those reluctant to see love between two Black people. All the reason then for the publishing industry to cater to a market craving Black love narratives rather than practicing a false narrative.

As is, Black folk—especially queer Black folk—are left dredging through the few examples of romanced offered across genre and media. In “Please, Sir, Can I Have Some More: How Bread Crumbs of Queer Characters in Entertainment Helped Me Establish My Own Sense of Self,” Kosoko Jackson talks about his very sparse list of queer Black characters that give him some semblance of representations, even while being inclusive of characters from television and movies. Each of these industries is so wide and accessible that the dearth of representation is a glaring choice. Nicole M. Johnson brings this loss a sense of profoundness by reflecting on her personal mission to create lists of books and authors that represent romance among Black queer women, instead of feeling a ‘dull ache’ in confronting the little that exists—not to mention that resists falling into detrimental tropes like Black women being forever alone or Burying Your Gays.

The means and availability of Black storytellers sharing stories of Black on Black love is abundant; however, the vehicle for making these stories available each time a reader encounters a bookshelf is not functioning to fulfill this purpose for all of the wrong reasons. Black Love Matters: Real Talk on Romance, Being Seen, and Happily Ever Afters is an essay collection that voices this failed dynamic while also showcasing the ways that Black writers move to fill a space they wish to see fulfilled themselves. Pick up this book to commiserate and push for the love we deserve to see.

Jasmine Guillory's name drew me into this book and I'm so glad I picked it up. These stories were so wonderful, relatable, and I could read individual books of them. Brava.

THIS BOOK!! I am leaning heard into the essay collections this year and this book did it for me. Every essay hit on a different topic surrounding Black love and every single one was perfection. Instead of giving ya'll my hot takes, here's my notes from reading:

- We've thought romance isn't a genre for us since we weren't represented. Does that mean love wasn't for us either?
- Beverley Jenkins discussing the enslaved man walking plantation to plantation after emancipation to find his wife I CANNOT WITH THE ROMANCE
- "Loving your skin is the greatest gift you can give yourself"
- Why do white people not want to see Black people in love? It's like it's looked at as impossible.
- Why aren't we seeing Black romance in traditional publishing? It's only interracial. Especially given how popular Black love is on tv, why is it not the case in book romance?
- Adriana Herrera: We assert that Black people are not a monolith, but then we must intentionally create space for them to blossom and grow.

You get the picture. If you're a romance reader, get into it!

Excellent collection of a variety of approaches to talking about Black love. This collection features cultural critiques, personal revelatory essays, and academic deconstructions of the concept of Black love. Unlike most anthologies, I found myself wanting to return to this anthology just to hear more of these brilliant voices. This highlights the importance of different types of Black love stories and the presence of Black love in general. I felt so seen and comforted while reading this anthology. There were several standout essays: “Imprint” by Allie Parker; “I’m Rooting for Everybody Black” by Carole V. Bell; “Finding Queer Black Women in Romance. Finding Bits and Pieces of Me.” by Nicole M. Jackson; “How A Black Author Found Her Romance History” by Margo Hendricks; and “Romance Has Broken My Dichotomous Key” by Sarah Hannah Gómez.

Summary: This was a great bland of touching personal stories, history, and thoughtful analysis.

When I first starting reading romance, I immediately loved how light and enjoyable the genre can be. Unlike nonfiction, where I’m often working to learn and retain new knowledge, I let myself relax into a romance, swept away by the characters’ emotions. However, I also immediately recognized that there was a lot of interesting content to discuss in a romance. This included topics like consent, equality, and respect in relationships. This book showed me that I was more right than I knew. This was an incredible collection of essays by people who write romance and/or professionally analyze romance novels, specifically those by or about Black people. I think it made a strong case for the value of romance and of representation within romance novels. It also highlighted the depth to be found if you take the time to really think about these apparently “light” novels.


Now, don’t get me wrong – this book isn’t all academic and the authors’ certainly appreciate the joy and escapism of romance. In fact, this book included a great mix of stories about the authors’ personal connections to the romance genre; the history of the genre; and analysis of specific books and trends. It made me think about romance in new ways and highlighted trends I hadn’t noticed or hadn’t thought about before.

Some of the essays were more optimistic about Black representation in romance and others less so. Sometimes we got several different perspectives on the same topic – interracial romances, for example. The collection felt quite well rounded. And – it’s always a wonderful surprise to say this about a multi-author collection – there wasn’t a single essay I disliked in the whole book. There were a ton of recommendations for books and authors to check out. I thought about highlighting them all, but was thrilled to see that these recommendations are already collected in a list at the end of the book. I must say, it’s been a great year already for essay collections and this is another one that I highly recommend!

This collection of essays, Black Love Matters: Real Talk on Romance, Being Seen, and Happily Ever Afters edited by Jessica P. Pryde, with contributors that are authors, academics, and lovers of romance examining black love in romance novels is everything.

I loved that the contributors of this collection have diverse backgrounds and the authors discuss, Black Latinx love in romance, the history of black romance and queer black love. In particular, I loved Jessica P. Pryde’s and Christina C. Jone’s examination of interracial relationships and who is allowed to be the romantic love interests in some of the bestselling romance novels. Ms. Jones also champions black indie romance, which is a subgenre I have overlooked, but will seek out more.

There is an essay from Julie E. Moody-Freeman titled, “Black Cultural Studies and Black Love: Why Black Love Matters” where she discusses a university course she teaches. I highlighted so many sections of that essay that I was practically ready to enroll in her course. For real, this collection has left with me a whole syllabus of romance authors and novels I plan on adding to my list.

I could go on and on about this collection, especially the essay where Jasmine Guillory talks about food as a love language. However, rather than me excitedly babble about this collection, I highly recommend checking this book out!

In a series of essays Jessica Pryde examines and celebrates Black romance/authors. I learned so much about the history of Black romance from the beginning to present day. There is discussion regarding interracial relationships and how publishing portrays them which was eye opening. I especially appreciated all the recommendations for Black romance reads including indie authors.

Although I diversify my reads all year, I feel like I choose only those books that are thrust in the spotlight with big publishing dollars. I will now seek out black romance that is not main stream and look for new to me indie authors.

Brilliant essays! Absolutely loved the range of different opinions, voices, and experiences in this. All of the essays speak to Black romance and the importance of the genre, but they do so in so many different ways. There are academic essays, essays from romance readers and writers, essays about representation, essays about personal experience. It's such a vibrant mix.