It's that time again — time for new romance recs!
Helping you beat the Bad Take Romance Blues in February.
It’s February, and readers of romance have come to expect what that means when people are surrounded by so many markers of love — chocolate and hearts and chocolate in heart-shaped boxes, etc. Usually, that means that at least one or more news outlets will try to run a romance-themed story (in tandem with Valentine’s Day, although technically, February is also Romance Awareness Month) and at least one of several things will happen: 1) they’ll list all of the preconceived notions they have about romance right from the jump, including outdated references to the era when the model Fabio was appearing on covers left and right; 2) they’ll include some subtle dig about the “bad writing” or the “over-the-top sex scenes” or the “unrealistic situations”; 3) they won’t necessarily leave their assignment any more convinced about the validity of romance novels than when they started.
So why are outlets in 2021 still assigning these stories, especially to journalists who don’t have a vested interest in actually exploring the genre? The cynical (and still unemployed) part of me wants to say it’s for easy clicks, even with a take as old and stale as that one. The other part of me senses it’s because websites just don’t have enough people writing for them who read romance, so they farm out these assignments to whoever’s halfway willing and that’s how we get that garbo Slate article from earlier this week. (Don’t go looking for it; you’ll be happier this way.) But I do think there’s also an inherent laziness — or at least a ready willingness — to rely on assumptions when writing about romance, especially with reporters who have never covered the genre at all, and especially in a day and age when being quick on the draw is maybe more valued over researched, long-form articles.
All this is to say that I wholeheartedly believe outlets can strike a balance between giving these assignments to writers who don’t approach the genre with respect and only exclusively glowing coverage of romance now until the end of time, forever and ever. But it is time to abandon those tired and frankly unoriginal approaches to romance. It’s freakin’ 2021. Romance is what keeps the lights on in publishing; let’s stop treating it like the disgraced woman of fiction.
Romance-related links you might enjoy reading this week:
Black Kiss-tory, NPR.com; NPR’s Code Switch podcast dropped an episode all about Black romance this week, and it is excellent. Give this one a listen to hear from fantastic voices in romance like Carole Bell, Piper Huguley, Alyssa Cole, and Ms. Beverly Jenkins herself.
Romance Fiction Has a History, Wordpress.com; Steve Ammidown, who many of you know from his work as a former archivist at the Browne Popular Culture Library at Bowling Green State University, is working on compiling his deep-dive Twitter threads about the history of romance into a blog for those interested in researching the subject.
Romance author Beverly Jenkins on writing her first cinnamon roll hero, EW.com; Ms. Bev talks about her newest book, Wild Rain, and reveals a little more about the status of that Forbidden TV show.
Your Next Romance Read, Based On Your Favorite Rom-Com, Vulture.com; hey! It’s me at Vulture again, and this time they let me recommend romance reads to pair with some of the most classic romantic comedies ever (but also there are just some really good books in here, not that I’m biased or anything).
Shipped by Angie Hockman
(contemporary romance; content warnings for mention of abusive relationship (not heroine or hero), hero dealing with the death of a parent)
I don't know why I always get it in my head that enemies-to-lovers is not my exact catnip, but when it comes to something contemporary — especially in regards to a scenario that involves two people competing in the workplace for professional recognition — it just manages to hit that sweet spot for me, and this book, in particular, was really fun and cute and funny, which isn't always the case for me with books that appear to be marketed particularly in a “rom-com” sort of vein. Marketing manager Henley Evans is bogged down between her job at a cruise line and taking night classes for her MBA, but when she hears about the possibility of a promotion at work, she jumps at the chance to show what she can do. Unfortunately, she’s not the only one up for the job; her professional nemesis, Graeme Crawford-Collins, social media extraordinaire and remote pain-in-her-ass, is also vying for the position. When they have to draft a proposal on how to boost bookings in the Galapagos Islands, their boss sends them there on assignment… together. Being trapped on a cruise ship with Graeme sounds like a nightmare at first, but the more time they spend together, the more Henley discovers her loathing for her co-worker may not be loathing at all.
If the Boot Fits by Rebekah Weatherspoon
(contemporary romance; content warnings for emotional abuse between employer/employee, fat shaming towards heroine)
If you’re a romance reader, chances are you’ve heard of Rebekah Weatherspoon — and if you haven’t, then I’m here to tell you all about how great this book is from start to finish. It’s a loose Cinderella retelling about what happens between a personal assistant and an actor when they have a semi-anonymous hookup after his Oscar win and then run into each other when her friend gets married on his family's ranch in northern California. Amanda Queen definitely doesn’t expect to lay eyes on up-and-coming actor Sam Pleasant again, but when they come face-to-face, all of the reasons she thought she could keep their relationship a one-and-done start to fly out the window. The only question is: will he still want her when he finds out she’s only just a PA to a demanding diva of an actress, or will their relationship withstand the odds? It's a cowboy romance that doesn’t feel overwhelmingly like a cowboy romance (even if Sam does wear a hat several times, including a memorable bedroom scene); mostly, Weatherspoon manages to weave together threads of family, friendship, and romance with a homey ranch setting as the backdrop. It’s a comforting, worn-in story — like the perfect boot! I liked the first book in this series, but I LOVED this one.
The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon
(contemporary romance; content warnings for mentions of parental death (off-page), mentions of spousal death from cancer (off-page))
One of the things I love most about romance is when an author clearly has such a personal love for something that it shines through in the story — and this book felt like as much of a tribute to the importance and value of public radio and podcasting as it did a sparklingly perfect love story. Shay Goldstein and Dominic Yun are professional rivals who decide to fake a relationship (and subsequent breakup) to host a new radio show in order to save their jobs. However, in order to fake ever having dated, they’ll have to get to know one another more intimately (an experience which is capped off when their boss sends them on a weekend getaway to become more comfortable together!). If you’re wondering if these two actually start to develop real feelings for each other, your instincts would be correct. This was, quite frankly, the perfect blend of sweet, funny, and steamy, with delightful radio transcript and social media interludes interspersed throughout. I’ve never read Solomon’s work before, but as of now, she’s become an author to watch for me.
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