February is Black history month and during that time we like to do whatever we can to elevate Black voices any way we can. That includes the literary world. BookTok the subcommunity on the popular app TikTok is very well known and has been growing consistently over the last two years. Just in case you don’t know what BookTok is, it’s exactly what you think it is-TikTok for book lovers.
As we mentioned, BookTok has been around for a while now. It really began to take shape in 2020 when TikTok user @caitsbooks book reviews started getting noticed. Pretty soon after that, others took to the app to post their book reviews and more. As someone who doesn’t use TikTok very often, it was actually neat to see people sharing their love for books again. One of the best things about BookTok has been that authors are being discovered or re-discovered by readers. There is a downside to this though.
I’m sure you’re thinking “what could possibly be a downside to BookTok?” Well, let’s discuss, shall we? BookTok is great. I love to read and I think BookTok is one of the best things because for once we can see something other than those dumb TikTok challenges. My issue is that once again we’re seeing yet another platform that only elevates one demographic.
I know I sound like I’m getting on my soapbox right now but hear me out for a minute, would you? As we all know Romance is a very lucrative genre and it’s one that has gained traction because of BookTok. The problem is BookTok is not elevating Black Romance authors. You may think it is but its just not. I actually asked a few people to list off some authors whose books they see being talked about on BookTok and not a single author named was Black. I saw Colleen Hoover, Penelope Douglas, Elle Kennedy, and I could go on and on.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of all of the women I mentioned above but, there are several Black Romance authors out there who are just as good and deserve recognition. It’s disheartening to see that Black authors are still not getting their props. I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I have gone into my local Barnes and Noble to check the BookTok table. There are no Black authors on that table. None. I’ve even name dropped several to the people working there and have even posted about it on my own bookstagram quite a few times. The message obviously isn’t being received.
Some of you reading this might think I sound like I’m ranting or whatever, but I’ve actually been quietly observing this for a while, and I just felt like now was the right time to do this. I realize the effort to get those Black Romance authors noticed also falls on those of us in the Black community to keep posting and sharing everything we can. That also creates a second issue which is the lack of diversity in the bookstagram community which I won’t get into now because that’s a conversation for a different day.
I will say this, it’s very hard to be a bookstagrammer who is a person of color. The bookstagram community has been saturated with creators and those creators also fit a certain demographic that gets more notice than most. It is a two-way street though in the book world. Authors also have to do their part for one another.
I don’t see nearly enough white authors sharing books by Black authors. Seriously, step out of your comfort zone and try a new author for a change because it may be one you start obsessing over like the rest of us. I want to see more diversity out there but until then, I’m going to do MY part to lift those authors up.
I leave you with this list of Black Romance authors you need to check out and their TikTok accounts as well.
1. Santana Blair
Bio: Santana Blair has always been a storyteller. Even at an early age, she would spend hours losing herself in world building and creating stories to ensure even her Barbie dolls had the most enthralling lives. Ask any of her childhood friends and they’ll tell you it wasn’t uncommon for her to spend her days creating origin stories and legacies for all of their play sessions. All of her imagination was fueled and/or enhanced by her lifelong love of books and writing.
Now, she’s all grown up and using the same passion for storytelling to create worlds of words. She’s always been a sucker for a good love story in any form, so when she’s not reading or writing you could probably find her curled up with her favorite blanket and a good movie on a screen. Her idea of a good time includes long walks through bookstores & stationery aisles.
Why We Love Her: Santana Blair writes stories that give you all the warm fuzzies you can feel. Her books make you will make you laugh, cry and smile. Her characters are so relatable, and you won’t be able to put her books down once you start one. Something else we love about her is that she really does her part to elevate other women in the writing community. She does that with her special WCW author chat and Interview posts on her website.
Book We Recommend: Sticks and Stones
TikTok: authorsantanablair
2. Brittainy C. Cherry
Bio: Author Brittainy C. Cherry is an Amazon #1 bestselling author. She has been in love with words since the day she took her first breath. She graduated from Carroll University with a bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts and a minor in Creative Writing. Her novels have been published in 18+ countries around the world. Brittainy lives in Brookfield, Wisconsin with her fur babies.
Why We Love Her: Brittainy is another author who writes Romance that gives us all the feels. Her stories are touching, and she’s also got relatable characters as well.
Book We Recommend: The Wreckage of Us
TikTok: brittainycherry
3. Nyrae Dawn
Bio: Writing has always been Nyrae Dawn’s passion. Nyrae gravitates toward character-driven stories. She loves going on emotional journeys with characters whether it be reading or writing. And yes, she’s a total romantic at heart and proud. When she’s not with her family, you can be pretty sure you’ll find her with a book in her hand or her laptop and an open document in front of her.
Why We Love Her: Okay, so Nyrae is not on TikTok but we can still have her on this list because her books are amazing. So much angst and lots of relatable characters you will fall in love with.
Book We Recommend: Searching For Beautiful
4. Whitney G.
Bio: Whitney G. is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author. Her books are currently published in over a dozen languages. She lives deep in the Tennessee woods and spends most of her time drinking coffee while penning dirty-talking alpha males. In addition to publishing books, Whitney runs an inspirational and motivational site for indie-authors called The Indie Tea.
Why We Love Her: Whitney’s Romance books are so good. The stories are unexpected, and they have a whole lot of steam that we just love. Whitney G. also isn’t on TikTok but you can follow her on Instagram.
Book We Recommend: Reasonable Doubt
5. Nana Malone
Bio: Wall Street Journal & USA Today Bestselling author, Nana Malone writes Sexy Feel-Good Romance and loves of all things romance and adventure. That love started with a tattered romantic suspense she “borrowed” from her cousin. It was a sultry summer afternoon in Ghana, and Nana was a precocious thirteen. She’s been in love with kick butt heroines ever since. With her overactive imagination, and channeling her inner Buffy, it was only a matter a time before she started creating her own characters.
Why We Love Her: Nana Malone is such an amazing writer. We love her stories and she’s such a badass. When she couldn’t find Black women to put on her Romance covers (it’s harder than you think to find a good stock photo of Black women that doesn’t look like a fetish, trust me. I’ve scoured Shutterstock before.) She put herself on her book covers. That’s queen shit right there. Also, her Talk To Me Thursdays on her Instagram are so enlightening. She gets down to the nitty gritty of all things Romancelandia and you should check it out. We highly recommend grabbing any of her books because you won’t be disappointed.
Book We Recommend: London Bridge
TikTok: nanamalonewriter
6. B.B. Reid
Bio: B.B. Reid is the author of several novels including the hit enemies-to-lovers Fear Me. She grew up the only daughter and middle child in a small town in North Carolina. After graduating with a bachelor’s in finance, she started her career at an investment research firm while continuing to serve in the National Guard. She currently resides in Charlotte with her moody cat Ivan and enjoys collecting Chuck Taylors and binge-eating chocolate.
Why We Love Her: B.B. Reid has a way with words and her storytelling keeps you invested in each and every one of her characters. I’ve read every single book she’s written so far, and I regret nothing. Her Romance books are a little on the darker side but, if you like authors like Penelope Douglas, you should definitely give B.B.’s books a go.
Book We Recommend: The Peer and The Puppet
TikTok: bbreid
7. Kennedy Ryan
Bio: A RITA® Award Winner and Top 25 Amazon Bestseller, Kennedy Ryan writes for women from all walks of life, empowering them and placing them firmly at the center of each story and in charge of their own destinies. Her heroes respect, cherish and lose their minds for the women who capture their hearts. She is a wife to her lifetime lover and mother to an extraordinary son.
She has always leveraged her journalism background to write for charity and non-profit organizations but enjoys writing to raise Autism awareness most. A contributor for Modern Mom Magazine, Kennedy’s writings have appeared in Chicken Soup for the Soul, USA Today and many others. The founder and executive director of a foundation serving Atlanta families living with Autism, she has appeared on Headline News, Montel Williams, NPR and other media outlets as an advocate for families living with autism.
Why We Love Her: Kennedy is just literally a queen. Her books are phenomenal, and everyone should be reading them. Her stories are unique and incredibly beautiful with tons of diversity. If you love Romance with heart and stories that will pull at your soul and make you ugly cry, Kennedy’s got you covered.
Book We Recommend: Reel
TikTok: kennedyryanauthor
8. Q.B. Tyler
Bio: Write. Wine. Work. Repeat. A look inside the mind of a not so ex-party girl’s escape from her crazy life. Hailing from the Nation’s Capital, Q.B. Tyler, spends her days constructing her “happily ever afters” with a twist, featuring sassy heroines and the heroes that worship them. But most importantly the love story that develops despite inconvenient circumstances.
Why We Love Her: Q.B. Tyler writes unconventional Romance but that’s why we love her books. Romance doesn’t have to follow a specific formula because love can be found in the most unexpected places.
Book We Recommend: Forget Me Not
TikTok: author.qbtyler
9. Rebekah Weatherspoon
Bio: After years of meddling in her friends’ love lives, Rebekah Weatherspoon turned to writing romance to get her fix. Raised in Southern New Hampshire, Rebekah Weatherspoon now lives in Southern California where she will remain forever because she hates moving. Her BDSM romance At Her Feet won the Golden Crown Literary Award for erotic lesbian fiction.
Her novella FIT (#1 in the FIT Trilogy) won the Romantic Times Book Reviews Reviewers’ Choice Award for Best Erotica Novella, SATED (#3 in the FIT Trilogy) was nominated for the Romantic Times Book Reviews Reviewers’ Choice Award for Best Digital Erotic Romance and most recently SOUL TO KEEP VSS#3 won the 2017 Lambda Literary Award for Best LGBTQ Erotica. Her 2018 romantic comedy RAFE: A Buff Male Nanny received praise from both Entertainment Weekly and the New York Times.
Why We Love Her: Rebekah’s not afraid to tap into different genres with her writing. Her stories are very unique, and her characters are incredibly diverse. She writes characters with big personalities who are unashamed to be themselves.
Book We Recommend: Rafe: A Buff Male Nanny
TikTok: rebekaheeeek
10. Shanora Williams
Bio: Shanora Williams is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over thirty romance and diverse suspense novels. She currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina and is the mother of three amazing boys, has a fiercely devoted and supportive husband, and is a sister to eleven. When she isn’t writing, she’s spending time with her family, binge reading, or running marathons on TV streaming services while scarfing down something sweet and salty.
Why We Love Her: Shanora Williams is another author who writes unconventional Romance. Like her bio says, her books are diverse and really suspenseful. Some are on the darker side as well but they will definitely keep you entertained.
Book We Recommend: The Perfect Ruin
TikTok: theshanorawilliams
So, there you have it. These are just a few Black Romance authors we think you need to be reading and talking about.
