Diversity in Romance..Recommendations?

LJD · Jan 27, 2015

For February (and maybe March) I have decided to only read romances in which either the hero or heroine (or both!) is non-white. I read so few of them, and I want to make more of an effort.

In 2014, nearly all the romances I had featured two white leads, with the exception of two historicals by Jeannie Lin (set in China) and two contemporaries that had mixed race characters.

So. Any suggestions? m/f contemporary or historical preferred.

I plan to start with The Bollywood Affair. I've also considered reading Trade Me or Back to the Good Fortune Diner.

Thanks!

Marian Perera · Jan 27, 2015

I've heard good things about Courtney Milan's Talk Sweetly To Me, a historical novella with a heroine of African descent. Anne Stuart's Ice Blue and Fire and Ice both have Japanese heroes.

And if it's OK for me to mention one of my books (though it's an m/f fantasy romance), Marked By You should be released by Loose Id in March. A black heroine, and the story is set in Africa.

Ravioli · Jan 27, 2015

Wait till mine's out. He's Arab, she's Ethiopian. In all seriousness, I would love to know, too. Authors seem to prefer interspecies, semi-beastilaity, and necrophilia over interracial couples. It's repulsive.

Hildegarde · Jan 27, 2015

Bounce by K.M. Jackson is one of my favorites.

It reads a little like women's fiction, but I just loved it. K.M has some others that are more traditional romance, but Bounce is my favorite.

KimJo · Jan 27, 2015

It's paranormal, but my m/f novel Beta Block has a Latino hero.

Jules Court · Jan 27, 2015

My contemporary, Guarding Her Heart, has a hero who's white/Native Hawaiian/Japanese. It's the 2nd in a series, but it stands alone (like the cheese).

Someone already mentioned Courtney Milan's historical, but she also just released a New Adult with a Chinese American heroine called Trade Me.

beckethm · Jan 27, 2015

Apologies if you've already read any of these:

I have Anna Richland's His Road Home in my TBR pile. The h/h are Korean-American and Hispanic.

Ruthie Knox's Roman Holiday serial (available in book form) featured a Cuban hero.

The hero is Molly O'Keefe's Never Been Kissed is mixed-race, African American and Filipino.

Wish I could think of more.

slhuang · Jan 27, 2015

The Perilous Life of Jade Yeo by Zen Cho.

SOOOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD

Also free on the author's website

Captcha · Jan 28, 2015

I really liked the scene-setting in Haveli, by Zeenat Mahal. It was a nice reminder to this Westerner that cultures blend and mix in other countries as well as in my own. So having the Pakistani heroine referring to Jane Austin characters made sense, once I got over my surprise.

The plot and interactions are also surprisingly Western, in a 'traditional romance' way that I didn't find all that satisfying (I hate alphaholes whether they're white or brown) but there were enough cultural variations to keep me interested and let me enjoy the story.

Ann_Mayburn · Jan 28, 2015

How hot do you like your romance?

LJD · Jan 28, 2015

Thanks everyone for your suggestions!

Ann_Mayburn said:
How hot do you like your romance?

Any heat level is fine, though lately I haven't been reading much that would qualify as erotic romance...

girlyswot · Jan 28, 2015

Piper Hugeley's historicals have AA characters. Shoma Narayanan's books for Harlequin/M&B set in contemporary India. Suleikha Snyder's books.

MsLaylaCakes · Jan 28, 2015

*cough*....ahem... *raises hand* (all my contemporaries save one, actually... my favorite is Operation Owl).

On a less self-promo-y note, and since you qualify for the LSB in-house author discount, Haley Whitehall writes a lot of interracial historical romances.

And umm...it feels a bit awkward since she's commented here, but Ann Mayburn is my go-to author for BDSM romance with diverse characters, if you feel like testing out the erotic side of the spectrum

Ann_Mayburn · Jan 29, 2015

(thanks Tara!)

There are so many IR/MC books out there that it's hard to narrow it down, so I asked my readers on my FB page what MC/IR authors they would recommend.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...59870653&type=1&theater&notif_t=photo_comment

LJD · Jan 29, 2015

Ann_Mayburn said:
There are so many IR/MC books out there that it's hard to narrow it down, so I asked my readers on my FB page what MC/IR authors they would recommend.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...59870653&type=1&theater&notif_t=photo_comment

Thanks, Ann!

You know, one thing I particularly want to read is books where non-white characters' families are important to the story. I just realized that of the two books I read last year with mixed race characters, their non-white parent died very young and the character had no contact with that side of the family.

Evangeline · Feb 1, 2015

The Year Without a Duke project is focused in diverse historical romance: http://www.yearwithoutaduke.com

Becky Black · Feb 2, 2015

Try Non-Stop Till Tokyo by K.J. Charles (who mostly does m/m romance, but this one is m/f.) It's contemporary romantic suspense, set in Japan, with a part European, part Chinese heroine and a Samoan hero. It's loads of fun.

Cathy C · Feb 2, 2015

Try anything by Kimani Romance, Harlequin's PoC imprint. I just read a terrific double edition called Rhythms Of Love by Beverly Jenkins and Elaine Overton. Both novelettes are about music. Terrific stories both!

aruna · Mar 1, 2015

LJD said:
Thanks, Ann!

You know, one thing I particularly want to read is books where non-white characters' families are important to the story. I just realized that of the two books I read last year with mixed race characters, their non-white parent died very young and the character had no contact with that side of the family.

**cough cough** My recently released The Small Fortune of Dorothea Q is a family saga with virtually all non-white characters; three alternating love stories, and the families are the whole point of the story!

gingerwoman · Mar 2, 2015

NaeimGiladisLegacy said:
Wait till mine's out. He's Arab, she's Ethiopian. In all seriousness, I would love to know, too. Authors seem to prefer interspecies, semi-beastilaity, and necrophilia over interracial couples. It's repulsive.

Well I have both, although it's a menage with a white hero and heroine and part African second hero. My book Wicked Safari coming out March 17th.

When I say I have both, I mean one of the heroes is a werelion. lol

stephsco · Mar 24, 2015

Thanks for some great recs in the thread. I like Jeannie Lin's romance set in Tang Dynasty China.

And I second Courtney Milan's New Adult book Trade Me. The next in that series will have an Asian male lead and she did a cover shoot for it after not finding any good stock images :/

Lil · Mar 25, 2015

I am in the middle of reading Sonali Dev's A Bollywood Affair, which is simply fantastic.

stephsco · Mar 26, 2015

Lil said:
I am in the middle of reading Sonali Dev's A Bollywood Affair, which is simply fantastic.

Cool! She's in my home chapter--and just got nominated for a RITA! I also found her book refreshing and different, but with all the elements that make a romance work.

I see some diverse authors and books made it into Rita this year too. I've already added more books to read.

Indubitably · Apr 11, 2015

Some great suggestions here! I love Jeannie Lin!

I'm reading Stone Cold Knockout by Lavender Parker, and it is awesome! Two boxers, Latina heroine, Russian love interest. I love that her family plays a role, and the writing's great!

Sunflowerrei · Apr 11, 2015

Sherry Thomas' The Hidden Blade and My Beautiful Enemy come to mind--they are one and two of the same story. The Hidden Blade is about the characters in their formative years. The heroine is a half-Chinese, half-English heroine who grows up in China with her mother and her amah. The hero is English and his family is not at all the traditional historical romance English family.

Mary Jo Putney's Thunder and Roses has a half-Romani hero.

I read a novella-length romance last year...A Dream Defiant by Susanna Fraser. Takes place in 1813, features a black hero falling in love with a white woman. Wish it was a full-length novel!

Diversity in Romance..Recommendations?

LJD

Marian Perera

starting over

Ravioli

Crazy Cat Lady

Hildegarde

A newb in the fog

KimJo

Outside the box, with the werewolves

Jules Court

beckethm

slhuang

Inappropriately math-oriented.

Captcha

Ann_Mayburn

Smutty McTitters

LJD

girlyswot

MsLaylaCakes

Playing the waiting game

Ann_Mayburn

Smutty McTitters

LJD

Evangeline

Twirling in a glass of champagne

Becky Black

Writing my way off the B Ark

Cathy C

Ooo! Shiny new cover!

aruna

On a wing and a prayer

gingerwoman

stephsco

Lil

stephsco

Indubitably

I Followed the Hair Loss Ads

Sunflowerrei