15 Times Black Authors Wrote About Black People Falling in Love

A fresh take on the classic enemies-to-lovers story, A Love Hate Thing follows the evolving relationship between bad boy Tyson Trice and golden girl Nandy Smith. Forced to live together for the summer, their hate quickly turns to an unexpected romance, with Trice bringing Smith out of her shell and Smith helping soften Trice's hardened heart.

A tale of paranormal romance, A.C. Arthur's Awaken the Dragon follows its protagonists as they meet in the human world and fall in love. Next in line for the Drakon throne, Theo Masters's family destiny is to protect the dark entity that is currently wreaking havoc on a small African village. Shola N'Gara's, a citizen of said village, is to kill it. Ultimately, they are both faced with a decision: N'Gara with whether her mission is more important than her heart and Masters with whether his new lover is worth fighting his own father to the death.

Barbara and Tobias both have powers they have worked tirelessly to hide. But when their world comes under threat of a 400-year-old witch's revenge, the pair must decide whether to embrace their gifts or let their secrets destroy them.

Binding Shadowsis the first book in the Tooth & Spell trilogy and takes place in the same world as Jasmine Silvera's other series, Grace Bloods. It can be read and enjoyed as a standalone or in conjunction with the author's other work.

JT Blake is a rich and powerful sports agent. Reese Anthony is a partner in his family's multimillion-dollar company, a lawyer, and a former cop. After the investigation of a murder in the world of LA football brings the two closer together, Anthony suspects a threat to Blake's life. In the erotic suspense novel Deadly Sexy, he dedicates himself to protecting her — and pleasing her — all night long.

An NAACP Image Award nominee and USA Today bestselling author, Beverly Jenkins is no stranger to the world of Black romance.

Ezra Posner and Candace Garret have been in love since they shared a New Year's kiss at just 18 years old. The first book in Katrina Jackson's Love at Last series, Every New Year tells the story of their decades-long "right person, wrong time" struggle. After 20 years of shared Dec. 31 kisses with no followup, the pair finally decide to let go and move . . . only to run into each other on their flight out.

At only 222 pages, Finding Joy is the short yet beautiful story of Desta Joy Walker and Elias Fikru. Walker finds himself back in Ethiopia after years of avoiding a return, and Fikru struggles to accept the chance to pursue his doctoral studies in the US. The pair embarks on a journey of self-discovery and acceptance, but a threat to their future leaves them to decide whether they are ready to put everything on the line for love.

When what was supposed to be a short family visit turns into an extended stay, India Robidoux must face the one person she wants to avoid: Travis Strickland, her sister's ex-husband with whom she once shared a steamy summer night. The pair is forced to work together on a political campaign and Strickland grapples with two options: come between Robidoux and her sister or let love pass him by a second time.

Forbidden Promises is just the first book in Synithia Williams's Jackson Falls series, which also features a prequel and two sequels!

The sexy, soulful tale of four friends on a search for happily ever after, Friends and Lovers follows Leonard, Tyrel, Debra, and Shelby as they experience the ups and downs of adult life, love and loss, and the messiness that often ensues when friendships turn romantic.

The first installment of The Brown Sisters trilogy, Get a Life, Chloe Brown is a romantic yet comedic telling of what happens when chronically ill computer geek Chloe Brown recruits bad boy Redford "Red" Morgan to help her "get a life."

Rethinking her boring life choices after a near-death experience, Brown is ready to live life on the edge. The pair embarks on a hilarious journey to self-discovery, forming a bond and learning things about each other that they'd never imagined.

Written by New York Times bestselling author, Nobel Peace Prize nominee, and overall political badass Stacey Abrams (under her pen name, Selena Montgomery), Hidden Sins follows troublemaker Mara Reed as she finds herself cornered in an alleyway and seconds from death. To her surprise, forensic anthropologist Dr. Ethan Stuart becomes her unlikely savior. Now, he needs her help to investigate a series of 50-year-old murders — and she needs his protection.

Book one of the Love Sisters trilogy, I Think I Might Love You chronicles the whirlwind love story of Jaclyn Love and Kadan Davenport. Jaclyn's life is full of chaos, and Kadan is determined not to get involved. But after a disastrous first meeting, it becomes increasingly difficult for the pair to avoid each other in their small town. With each additional encounter, they each begin to wonder: why are they fighting the attraction?

When Marleen Harper finds out her NFL boyfriend of 10 years has been unfaithful, she vows to never date another athlete again. That is, until quarterback Gavin Pope enters her life. Between Gavin's determination to win her over and the other football wives' obsession with taking her down, Marleen has her work cut out for her, discovering that love is the only way through.

One of NPR's Best Books of 2018, Alexa Martin's Intercepted is a sports romance bound to sweep you off your feet.

Retta Majors needs a wedding date, and neighbor Duncan Gilmore is the perfect man for the job. After the two spend the weekend pretending to be the perfect couple, they begin to wonder if their fake love is becoming more real than they intended. Mimi Grace's Make a Scene follows the pair as they decide whether to go their separate ways or embrace the newfound romance.

Years ago, Denver and Kensa took the vows "for better or worse." Sometime along the way, the pair landed in a couple's worst nightmare: a dwindling flame, a breakdown in communication, and questions of commitment. The first in yet another series by author Christina C. Jones, Maybe Next Time is a story of love, passion, and betrayal wrapped in a neat bow of erotic, Black romance.

From the author of The Proposal, The Wedding Date is a charming rom-com following a groomsmen (a pediatric surgeon named Drew) and his last-minute date (Alexa, the chief of staff for the mayor of San Francisco) as their fake romance quickly turns real. The problem, though, is that neither of them are ready to admit it. This is the first book of five in Guillory's Wedding Date series.