Recs if you like Honey & Spice...

this is your reminder to read books by Black authors all month, all year, every year— not just during Black History Month. it’s crucially important to be able to diversify your reading and your bookshelves. expand your mind, your perspectives, your knowledge, and your taste. if you don’t know where to start, here are some recommendations!

These books contain little to no spice🩷 Double checked by me, fellow reviewers, & romance.io, but if there's still a mistake, please do correct! Only 1 book per author

| 2026 | verity: october 2 sense & sensibility: october 16 sunrise on the reaping: november 20 dune messiah: december 18

| 2027 | children of blood & bone: january 15 the nightingale: february 12 beach read: may 7

| 2028 | cinder: november 3

Black girls deserve their happily ever after as well!

an engaging collection that captures the depth and diversity of African storytelling, blending tradition, history, and modern life through powerful voices.

sunny settings, or books that feel sunny and offer escapism from the winter blues in an eclectic blend of genres.

Editing to add: okay some of these books are SAD, my dudes, just like my seasonal affective disorder. But at the same time, they are soft and kind and a safe place for the big sad, if that makes sense?

Each month Reese Witherspoon picks books she loves with a woman at the center of the story.

reese's complete picks- trying to read as many of these as i can... but we shall see

Black love in all its glory

Books read by Prose Before Bros, a book club for women of color in PDX

forced proximity <3

A list of books from A-Z. I tried to include various genres to appeal to a wide array of readers. I wanted this to be a good reference list for anyone doing an alphabet reading challenge or anyone just looking for a new book to read!

Pretty covers, powerful women, zero apologies.

Books with black people in it (mostly as the mains characters)

Both Fiction and Non fiction books.

Collecting books that would categorise as romance/romantasy/fantasy with prominent romance subplot that booksandlala has rated 4 stars or higher.

Feel free to suggest more books that would fit into this list, correct wrongly added books or suggest improvements to this list ☺️

In An Academic Affair, Dr. Sadie Shaw is a professor of popular fiction. Here are her recommendations from the novel!

Romance books by British authors, ideally set in the UK. Very much an early stage WIP! aiming for romance first romance novels. Please suggest more or lmk if there are any wrong ones here! purposely excluded; anything I personally hated or dnfed because I wouldn't do that to you

Nigerian romance novels that I enjoyed and loved

romance books with black women as main characters that i want more people to read. [some may contain spice]

A list of all the books, or works referenced in "An Academic Affair" by Jodi McAlister.