7 Black Books Changing How We Think About Love

  Black authors are dropping titles, making us rethink how we approach relationships this season. These Black books expose the transactional nature of human interaction by writing frankly about the financial and mental cost of ethical mishaps, and we are here for it! They are also highlighting the highs and lows of power gaps.  These stories are not sucking the magic out of romance. Instead, they’re expanding its boundaries. By showing that it is possible to fall in love with an idea, a calling, a friend, or your reflection, they are taking readers to new places. By blending historical references and information with the latest technologies, their storytelling has us locked in.  Standing on business is tough, but it’s easier with a good book by your side. Curl up with stories that expand your worldview instead of doom-scrolling or obsessively checking your DMs. Your group chat will have all the tea on the relationship hard launches, and pregnancy reveals tomorrow. Tonight, mix a mocktail or a cocktail and chill with a good book in the crib you’re paying all that high rent for.  RELATED ARTICLES: 10 Children’s Books Every Black Child Should Own Taraji P. Henson Wrote A Children’s Book – And Here’s Why

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Take a trip to eras with a new approach from a familiar author that is as mysterious as it is hilarious. Revisit correspondence that will convince you it is never worth wasting your life waiting around for a Wyd text. Follow the journey of a single comedian from scrappy upstart with low self esteem to a confident star with firm boundaries. See a single woman reassemble her career while catching the eye of a cute co-worker. There’s no shortage of page-turners to keep you company while you’re waiting for a reason to pop out on date night. Check out 7 Black books changing how we view love below.

1. Come And Get It – Kiley Reid

The author behind Such A Fun Age returns with another thoughtful examination of how race and class impact personal relationships. Set on a college campus, it features a variety of important perspectives. It highlights common methods of emotional and financial exploitation that we’ve normalized. 

2. A Love Song for Ricki Wilde – Tia Williams

This mystical love story is more about discovering the self than sinking into someone else. Set against flourishing Black communities in two different time periods, this novel from the Black romance heavy hitter will make you holler out loud at the familiar moments she recreates with precision. If you have ever slipped into bed with a hotep or watched somebody do something flagrant for a celebrity selfie, you’ll appreciate this read. The story is sweet but the details are where it shines. 

3. Hello Friends!: Stories of Dating, Destiny, and Day Jobs – Dulce Sloan

The funny woman we fell for during her time on The Daily Show takes us through the broke d*ck she suffered through on her way to the top. It’s an important story of self-love full of fun. 

4. Sugar Baby – Celine Saintclare

Different types of love are on full display in this bold depiction of what it looks like to provide the girlfriend experience. Religious trauma, sibling connections, and weird friendship dynamics pack a punch in this story. It is a must-read! 

5. Homebodies – Tembe Denton-Hurst

The situationship that you have been glorifying since it started might look different after this read. This hit novel forces us to see everything we want for what it really is. It follows a creative returning to her hometown after a sudden career bump and crashing into 

6. Black Love Letters – Cole Brown and Natalie Johnson

If they wanted to they would comes alive in this collection of beautiful correspondence. It features adoring letters between Black lovers. Original illustrations that demonstrate Black love are also featured. Remember the beauty of these words when you are evaluating your next BLK or Hinge message. 

7. F the Fairy Tale Rewrite the Dating Myths and Live Your Own Love Story – Damona Hoffman

Hoffman asks readers to drop the myths about romance and face the facts about modern dating. Using the four pillars of “goals, values, communication, and trust,” she walks her audience through the new courting norms.