{"id":3878,"date":"2026-07-16T14:27:19","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T14:27:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/silvybrand.com\/?p=3878"},"modified":"2026-07-16T14:27:19","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T14:27:19","slug":"the-best-black-romance-books-for-your-summer-beach-reads","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/silvybrand.com\/?p=3878","title":{"rendered":"The Best Black Romance Books for Your Summer Beach Reads"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Most of us don\u2019t want to think too hard about our beach reads<\/a>. We want to pick up the latest romance or airport book and completely turn our brains off. The escapism that comes with a summer book is something we all deserve, whether we’re diving into vacation reads<\/a>, poolside reads, or just books to take on our commute. Unfortunately, it\u2019s much harder to enjoy a lighthearted book when you realize that the authors and protagonists shaping the summer escapism we crave still lack diversity. Only 11 percent of books published in the romance genre are written by BIPOC authors, according to research from The State of Racial Diversity in Romance Publishing Study<\/a>.<\/p>\n

BookTok creator Dorothy (@whatsdozdoing<\/a>) says the romance genre is underrated and underestimated. It’s a genre all about possibility. \u201cFiction is so important in our ability to imagine and hope for better,\u201d Dorothy said, which is why she believes romance books can be a political tool just as much as an indulgence. Romance can often use its trademark tensions to interrogate questions of race, class, sexuality, and more, all while making the reader swoon.<\/p>\n

We know that romance as a genre is exploding across bookshelves for more reasons than one. And this summer, I’ve been more intentional about the ones I choose to add to my TBR. Romances by Black authors with Black characters are filling up my beach bag<\/a>. Read on to find the best ones I\u2019ll be perched by the pool reading all summer.<\/p>\n

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Exclusive Libro.fm offer!<\/h2>\n

Use code ‘TheEverygirl’ to get 3 books for the price of 1 with a new Libro.fm membership<\/a>!<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\n \"Crash <\/a>\n <\/div>\n
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Robinne Lee<\/div>\n
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\n Crash Into Me <\/a>\n <\/div>\n
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The latest from the author of the acclaimed Idea of You<\/em> is finally here. Crash Into Me<\/em> is about two women who crash into each other, literally, and are forced to confront their messy pasts. It\u2019s been 20 years since Cecilia Chen last saw the enigmatic model Anouk Ferrand during a photo shoot in Mexico, and both their lives have changed, prompting them to question their relationships and desires. This sophomore follow-up promises the summer escapism, glamor, and sex appeal Lee is known for across lush settings and through complex characters. Not your traditional summer romance, but you\u2019ll be hooked all the same.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

\n Buy on Bookshop.org<\/a>
\n Buy on Amazon<\/a>
\n Buy on Libro.fm<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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\n \"They <\/a>\n <\/div>\n
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Haili Blassingame<\/div>\n
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\n They All Fall in Love at the End <\/a>\n <\/div>\n
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A deliciously voicey debut from Haili Blassingame, They All Fall in Love At the End<\/em> is about a woman navigating an open relationship and a love triangle with the only two people who are off limits: her boyfriend\u2019s best friend and his girlfriend. For fans of Writers and Lovers and Luster<\/em>, this novel is about going for what you want, even when it\u2019s the only thing you can\u2019t have.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

\n Buy on Bookshop.org<\/a>
\n Buy on Amazon<\/a>
\n Buy on Libro.fm<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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\n \"If <\/a>\n <\/div>\n
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Amy DuBois Barnett<\/div>\n
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\n If I Ruled the World <\/a>\n <\/div>\n
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Dream of living life like Sex & the City<\/em> or The Devil Wears Prada<\/em>? This novel follows Nikki Rose, the only Black editor on the staff of a prestigious fashion magazine, as she seeks to save her magazine and protect her heart. Set in the glamorous world of 90s New York, Nikki navigates the fashion and music industries through parties and feature stories, all this while butting heads with her married, powerful ex-boyfriend and former boss, who\u2019s determined to destroy her and her magazine.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

\n Buy on Bookshop.org<\/a>
\n Buy on Amazon<\/a>
\n Buy on Libro.fm<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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\n \"The <\/a>\n <\/div>\n
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Tia Williams<\/div>\n
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\n The Missed Connection <\/a>\n <\/div>\n
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Lovers of a second-chance romance will see themselves in Sasha Cruz. As a casting agent, she is always looking for a real-life meet-cute. When Sasha\u2019s seated next to a mysterious, broodingly handsome Italian man on the way to a work trip in Paris, sparks fly\u2014but they miss the chance to exchange contact information. Now, convinced that she\u2019s lost out on her soulmate, Sasha is on a manhunt to find Seat F. Williams fans will love this romp across the world from the author of Seven Days in June<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

\n Buy on Bookshop.org<\/a>
\n Buy on Amazon<\/a>
\n Buy on Libro.fm<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

READ: Goodreads Just Revealed the Best Romance and Romantasy Books of 2026 So Far<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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\n \"Score\" <\/a>\n <\/div>\n
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Kennedy Ryan<\/div>\n
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\n Score <\/a>\n <\/div>\n
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Another recent release from a beloved author just in time for summer. Kennedy Ryan, known for Before I Let Go<\/em>, is back with Score<\/em>, a story for all the yearners out there. More than a decade after their disastrous breakup in college, Verity Hill and Wright “Monk” Bellamy must work together on the set of an epic Harlem Renaissance biopic. This once-in-a-lifetime project could catapult them both to new heights, but they must put the past behind them as they battle old feelings.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

\n Buy on Bookshop.org<\/a>
\n Buy on Amazon<\/a>
\n Buy on Libro.fm<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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\n \"Honey <\/a>\n <\/div>\n
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Bolu Babalola<\/div>\n
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\n Honey & Spice <\/a>\n <\/div>\n
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A Reese\u2019s Book Club pick and Sunday Times Best Seller, Honey & Spice<\/em> by Bolu Babalola is a genre-defining college romance novel. It follows Kiki Banjo, a witty college radio host, who enters into a fake relationship with Malakai Korede to save her reputation. But when he seems deeper than she thought, Kiki has to ask herself if she\u2019s ready to open herself up to something deeper. Read this one fast to get to the sequel, Sweet Heat<\/em>, which follows the couple two years later.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

\n Buy on Bookshop.org<\/a>
\n Buy on Amazon<\/a>
\n Buy on Libro.fm<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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\n \"With <\/a>\n <\/div>\n
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ReShonda Tate<\/div>\n
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\n With Love from Harlem <\/a>\n <\/div>\n
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Move over, 1920s Paris, give me Black historical fiction set in the culturally rich world of Harlem in 1943. Inspired by real people and real events, this fictional account imagines the life of Hazel Scott, a jazz prodigy, glamorous film star, and fierce advocate for civil rights, as she meets the married Adam Clayton Powell Jr.\u2014Harlem\u2019s most electrifying preacher-turned-politician. The ensuing narrative careens through the city in the summer, featuring icons like Billie Holiday, Langston Hughes, and James Baldwin.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

\n Buy on Bookshop.org<\/a>
\n Buy on Amazon<\/a>
\n Buy on Libro.fm<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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\n \"Only <\/a>\n <\/div>\n
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Natasha Bishop<\/div>\n
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\n Only for the Week <\/a>\n <\/div>\n
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A destination wedding? A messy romance in Mexico? Yes please. Dr. Janelle Cross is the sister of the bride and the ex-girlfriend of the groom. When the best man, Rome, proposes they give in to their undeniable chemistry, Janelle agrees, under one condition: their affair can only last a week. As the wedding brings them together, every kiss, adventure, and stolen moment feels right. Janelle and Rome agreed to live in the moment, but are they willing to risk it all for forever?<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

\n Buy on Bookshop.org<\/a>
\n Buy on Amazon<\/a>
\n Buy on Libro.fm<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Want more book recs?<\/h2>\n

Visit The Everygirl Book Club’s Bookshop.org storefront<\/a> to load up your TBR.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\n \"Flirting <\/a>\n <\/div>\n
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Jasmine Guillory<\/div>\n
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\n Flirting Lessons <\/a>\n <\/div>\n
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By the author of Reese’s Book Club selection The Proposal<\/em>, Flirting Lessons<\/em> is a queer romance set in Napa Valley over the summer. Fresh off a Breakup, Avery Jensen is on a mission to flirt more and enlists Taylor Cameron, Napa Valley’s biggest flirt and champion heartbreaker, for weekly flirting lessons. A fun twist on fake dating and friends-to-lovers.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

\n Buy on Bookshop.org<\/a>
\n Buy on Amazon<\/a>
\n Buy on Libro.fm<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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\n \"The <\/a>\n <\/div>\n
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Kristina Forest<\/div>\n
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\n The Neighbor Favor <\/a>\n <\/div>\n
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Think Book Lovers<\/em> meets You\u2019ve Got Mail<\/em>. Shy, bookish, and admittedly awkward, Lily Greene is looking for a date to her sister’s wedding. And the perfect person to help her is Nick Brown, her charming, attractive new neighbor, whom she feels drawn to for unexplainable reasons. Little does she know that Nick is an author\u2014her favorite fantasy author. Nick, who has his reasons for using a pen name and for pushing people away, soon realizes that the beautiful, quiet woman from down the hall is the same Lily he fell in love with over e-mail months ago. This sweet summer romance conjures nights on fire escapes and a character coming into her own confidence.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

\n Buy on Bookshop.org<\/a>
\n Buy on Amazon<\/a>
\n Buy on Libro.fm<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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\n \"Curvy <\/a>\n <\/div>\n
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Danielle Allen<\/div>\n
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\n Curvy Girl Summer <\/a>\n <\/div>\n
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This novel is billed as Bridget Jones\u2019s Diary<\/em> meets Survival of the Thickest<\/em>, so I\u2019m all in. Curvy Girl Summer<\/em> is about trying to have your best Hot Girl Summer while navigating the ups and downs of the dating app scene. Aaliyah James might be ready to move past casual hookups, flings, and situationships, but is true love on the apps? Or closer than she might think?<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

\n Buy on Bookshop.org<\/a>
\n Buy on Amazon<\/a>
\n Buy on Libro.fm<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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\n \"I'm <\/a>\n <\/div>\n
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Kosoko Jackson<\/div>\n
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\n I’m So Not Over You <\/a>\n <\/div>\n
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This rom-com is as funny as it is sweet. Kian Andrews asks his ex-boyfriend, Hudson Rivers, to pretend to be his boyfriend while his parents are in town. Suddenly, Kian is Hudson\u2019s plus-one to Georgia\u2019s wedding of the season. But their fake relationship is starting to feel like it might be more than a means to an end, and it\u2019s time for both men to fact-check their feelings.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

\n Buy on Bookshop.org<\/a>
\n Buy on Amazon<\/a>
\n Buy on Libro.fm<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

READ: The Biggest Book Trends of 2026: What\u2019s In and What\u2019s Out, According to 12 Authors<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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\n \"The <\/a>\n <\/div>\n
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Alanna Bennett<\/div>\n
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\n The Education of Kia Greer <\/a>\n <\/div>\n
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A coming-of-age romance set in the glamorous world of celebrity. Growing up in the public eye, Kia is seeking an escape from the external judgment of her life as the daughter of a reality star. When she meets Cass, he offers a glimpse at ordinary life\u2014until his own star rises, trapping them in rumor and speculation. Can their relationship and Kia\u2019s fledgling sense of self survive?<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

\n Buy on Bookshop.org<\/a>
\n Buy on Amazon<\/a>
\n Buy on Libro.fm<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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\n \"If <\/a>\n <\/div>\n
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Zakiya N. Jamal<\/div>\n
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\n If We Were A Movie <\/a>\n <\/div>\n
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For anyone who worked (or is working) a summer job and wishes it were more romantic. Also, for movie lovers yearning for cinematic love. Set at a Black-owned movie theater. Rochelle “the Shell” Coleman is laser-focused on only three things: becoming valedictorian, getting into Wharton, and, of course, taking down her annoyingly charismatic nemesis and only academic competition, Amira Rodriguez. When Rochelle gets an opportunity to work at Horizon Cinemas, the beloved Black-owned movie theater, she begrudgingly jumps at the chance to boost her chances of getting into her dream school. There’s only one problem: Amira works there… and is also her boss. But Horizon’s in trouble, and it\u2019s up to the employees to solve the mystery before it’s too late.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

\n Buy on Bookshop.org<\/a>
\n Buy on Amazon<\/a>
\n Buy on Libro.fm<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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\n \"Even <\/a>\n <\/div>\n
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Taj McCoy<\/div>\n
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\n Even If the Sky is Falling <\/a>\n <\/div>\n
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The definition of finding love in a hopeless place, this novel follows multiple couples as they navigate the so-called end of the world. When an international warning siren accidentally goes off, convincing everyone that a meteor shower may just be the end of life as they know it, six couples\u2014friends, exes, crushes and rivals\u2014must take shelter. Inhibitions are abandoned, confessions are made, and love blossoms, but what happens when the world doesn\u2019t end?<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

\n Buy on Bookshop.org<\/a>
\n Buy on Amazon<\/a>
\n Buy on Libro.fm<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\n \"langa\n <\/div>\n
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR<\/div>\n
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Langa Chinyoka, Contributing Writer<\/h3>\n

Langa is a Los Angeles-based writer and strategist. She is currently an editor and content strategist at a marketing agency. Her work has appeared in The Paris Review, British Vogue, Highsnobiety, Eyeswoon, Camille Styles, The Good Trade, and more.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

READ LANGA’S FULL BIO<\/a><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The post The Best Black Romance Books for Your Summer Beach Reads<\/a> appeared first on The Everygirl<\/a>.<\/p>\n