Top 10 Must-Read Romance Books by Black Women

Are you in your reading era and looking for new books to read? You might be going to your favorite bookstore. Perhaps you found a few contenders in the romance genre. Maybe you’re curling up with your next read. After many travels (via books), here are ten highly recommended books by Black women authors. Feel free to add them to your TBR list.

If you’re someone who reads to understand your emotions, find stillness, or reconnect with joy, these books are for you. If you read as a means to see yourself in others, these books are for you. These are fiction books by Black authors that offer romance in all its messy, magical forms. It ranges from enemies or friends to lovers, second chances, spicy entanglements, and more.

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1. Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan

Do you know the song Before I Let Go by Beyoncé? That song fits well as the theme song for this book. This book will reach into your chest, break your heart, and mend it back together again in one sitting. It follows a couple navigating life after divorce while still co-parenting—and still loving each other in quiet, aching ways. It’s steamy, yes, but it’s also about grief, therapy, mental health, and the bravery of starting over. A must-read if you believe healing and passion can coexist.

2. Seven Days in June by Tia Williams

After receiving numerous recommendations about this book and reading it, I can confirm that it’s worth the hype! This story is intense, sexy, and deeply emotional. Two authors, both scarred by the past, reunite during a literary event. It’s about visibility, trauma, and what it means to be seen when you’ve spent a lifetime protecting yourself. This book contains many heavy topics, so a trigger warning is recommended. The lesson learned for this one: uncover your past to find your way back to the present (and your future).

3. Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

What a time to be alive as a Black girl or woman and to fully see yourself in a fantasy book! Legendborn blends the legend of Arthur with Black Southern ancestry. The world-building is intense while the romance simmers beneath the surface. The main character is both powerful and vulnerable at the same time, carrying the weight of these dual identities. The plot is full of twists and turns. The main character takes an interesting foray into love. Both aspects of this book keep you glued to every page.

4. The Idea of You by Robinne Lee

This book, now adapted into a movie, is a whirlwind. It is euphoric, passionate, and heartbreaking in the best way. It tells the story of a 39-year-old woman who falls for a younger pop star. The romance sweeps you off your feet, the tension is unreal, and the effects of this story will linger. The Idea of You is a bold and beautiful novel about what we sacrifice to love on our own terms.

5. Satin Doll by Karen Quinones Miller

This book shares the story of survival and finding yourself as many times as you need to. If you love gritty realism with a strong voice, you will enjoy Satin Doll. It follows a young woman navigating Harlem, love, betrayal, and loss. The romance is flawed and messy, but that’s part of the point: romantic love isn’t the whole story when it comes to love. The beauty as well as the ups and downs of female friendships are explored in this book.

6. This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan

This book by Kennedy Ryan will stay with you for a while. It shares reflections on self-love and being open to it when you’re ready. Choosing yourself before waiting for someone to choose you. Believing that you are enough for yourself. This book is a masterclass in emotional storytelling. Another beautiful part of this book was the author sharing love stories from a neurodiverse perspective. If you’re a neurodivergent person looking for romance books, this one is for you.

7. A Love Like the Sun by Riss M. Neilson

This book is a beautiful depiction of the friends-to-lovers trope. The yearning is on ten, the friendship is on ten, the sensuality and tension are on ten. The book also shares an important depiction of Black women’s health in the medical field. If you’re looking for romance that will sweep you off your feet while keeping you informed or learning something new, pick this book up asap.

8. I Accidentally Hooked Up With a Vampire by Jessica Cage

This book is a whole lot of fun and chaos is ready for takeoff as soon as you start reading. It’s fast-paced, incredibly sexy, and beautiful in so many ways. It showcases a woman learning about herself while also standing firmly in the core of who she is. If you’re into paranormal romance with unapologetically Black main characters, this book is for you. You will find wild plot twists. Be prepared for heat levels that will make you blush.

9. Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert

The characters in this book are hilarious, self-aware, and emotionally intelligent at the same time. This enemies-to-lovers trope has such a wonderful payoff and the journey makes the payoff worthwhile. The tension, angst, and chemistry in this book is quite on the spicy side. The main characters are developed very well and their growth as individuals and love interests makes you think deeply. It prompts reflection long after you finish the book. Another great romance recommendation for neurodivergent readers!

10. A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams

This is book feels almost like literal magic. If magical realism is one of your favorite genres, you will definitely enjoy this book. This book spans over a century and the journey from start to finish is satisfying. A man from the 1920s is cursed with immortality. A woman from 2024 is forging her own life on her own terms. She is also learning how to accept herself from the inside out. They meet up and falling in love is inevitable. The plot, subplot, and all of the characters involved make this an unforgettable story.

Audre Lorde once said, “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation…” There’s something powerful about love stories that center Black women. It is essential to have stories where Black women find safe spaces to land in relationships. It is revolutionary to share stories where Black women are cared for, cherished, valued, and loved on their own terms.

Now, it’s your turn: what’s a book by a Black woman author that deeply affected your life? What books by Black women authors are you looking forward to reading?

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Want Even More Book Recs by Black Women Authors?

If you’re enjoying this list and want to keep the magic going, I have something special for you. I created a free curated list of 25 books by Black women authors. It includes genres such as romance, literary fiction, fantasy, and more. It’s perfect if you’re stuck in a reading slump or want to be more intentional about what you read next. Download it here and keep your TBR list as full as your physical book collection.

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Hi, I’m Kerri Olivia, an author, fiber artist, entrepreneur, and founder of Sparks Unlocked Co. At Sparks Unlocked Co., we help fellow readers and crafters find beauty, comfort, and meaning in slow living through crochet and knitting tutorials, book recommendations, and storytelling. Join in on these conversations with me via my newsletter, YouTube, and Pinterest.

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