Make a Date with These Romances Black Romance Books! New 2025 Releases

Octavia Marie: 00:00:39

Hey, y'all.

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Welcome back to Culture Lit, where

we celebrate Black women, Black

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love, Black romance novels, and

all the stories that bring us joy.

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I'm your host, Octavia Marie,

and today we're talking about

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upcoming 2025 releases that'll make

you want to fall in love again.

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Whether you're coupled up, situation

shipping, and girl you know you

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need to leave that situation ship at

the curb, but that's another story.

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Or living your best single life, I've

got the perfect reads just for you.

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But before we get into that, let me

tell you about how I'm practicing some

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self love and self care this weekend.

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You know your girl has gotten into

romanticizing every moment of life,

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whenever and however I can, right?

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Well, let me tell you what

this Sunday looks like for me.

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I'm planning a day of

absolute luxury this Sunday.

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We're talking staying in my pajamas

all day reading some of the incredible

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books I'm about to share with you.

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And yes, I'm watching the Kendrick

Lamar concert I mean the Super

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Bowl, but you get what I'm saying.

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And because your girl believes

in elevating Every experience.

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Let me share some of my

luxury snack menu with you.

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First up, I've got some late July

organic nacho cheese tortilla chips with

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some creme fraiche and osetra caviar.

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Because, as Tabitha Brown

says, that's my business.

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I'm pairing that with a long

Perrier hominy champagne.

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And then, because, you know, Why not?

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Variety is the spice of life.

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I've got some zaps voodoo chips and

then I also made a homemade olive dip

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and then I have some Annie's homegrown

cheddar squares paired with a Bolognese.

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and yeah, I'm gonna sip my sparkling wine.

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Well, since my surgery, I haven't

been able to drink as much.

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So I also invested in this amazing

Coravin sparkling wine system.

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Y'all, it preserves the bubbles

when you just want one glass.

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Now that's what I call

self care and luxury.

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Now let's get into these new

: 2025

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to make your heart skip a beat.

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First up, 2021.

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I've got Just Our Luck by Denise Williams.

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And the thing I love most about Denise

is that every book she writes is both

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one of a kind and something special.

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This one offers a fresh and delightful

spin on the fake dating trope with donuts.

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Yeah, you heard me.

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Donuts.

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A lottery ticket and a rich

cast of side characters.

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Nope, unintended.

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So here's the tea.

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Sibyl Sweet has always been lucky,

but lately she can't catch a break.

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After years of bouncing from job to

job and man to man, she's worried that

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she's the directionless, flounding

daughter her family thinks she is.

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All she really wants now is a little

financial stability and carb comfort.

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Is that too much to ask for?

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Lucky for her, she's got just enough

in the bank to buy a lottery ticket.

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And the late night donut

shop store is open.

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Enter Kieran Anderson, who put his

dreams of becoming a doctor on hold to

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take over running his family's bakery.

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After fighting a losing battle to save

the place, he's exhausted, broke, and

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no closer to getting back to school.

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But when Sybil leaves behind her

winning lottery ticket, Kieran's

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attempt to return it goes viral

sending sails through the roof.

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Y'all, I stayed up to 3am reading

this one because I needed to know

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if Sybil was going to get her

happily ever after with Kieran.

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The way Williams writes those

donut shop scenes, let's just say

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I had to make me an emergency run

to my local bakery the next day.

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Didn't have quite the same

results, but it was still worth it.

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For this sweet read, I recommend pairing

it with your favorite artisanal donuts.

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I'm talking the fancy kind with

the creative glazes and a glass

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of mue and Shandon rose, imperial.

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Trust me, you'll want something sweet

and bubbly while reading this one.

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Now let's talk Audra and Bash

by Tia Williams and y'all, I

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need to tell you something.

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I am not typically a YA reader, but when

I tell you this book had me invested.

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We first met Audra in the New York

Times Best Seller, Seven Days in June.

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And now she's starring in her own story.

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Let me tell you about Audra, she's the

junior class president, debate team

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captain, and unofficial student therapist,

who's desperately in need of a good time.

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When she meets Bash, the mysterious

new senior, everybody's crush, tall,

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floppy, with great taste in jewelry,

and the king of having a good time.

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Everything changes.

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On the last day of school at Cheshire

Prep, Brooklyn's elite academy.

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Audra's life is a mess.

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Her dad canceled her annual summer visit

to his Malibu beach house, and now she's

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stuck in a claustrophobic apartment with

her mom, stepdad, and the goblin baby, a.

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k.

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a.

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her one year old sister.

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Under these conditions, she'll never

finish writing her self help book.

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The key to winning over

Stanford's admission board.

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So what does our girl do?

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She hires Bash to be her fun consultant.

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So His job?

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To help her complete the

experience challenge.

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Her list of five wild dares designed

to give her juicy book material.

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She'll get inspo.

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He'll get paid.

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Everybody wins.

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But can they stay professional

despite their obvious connection?

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For this delightful YA romance, I'm

pairing it with fancy mocktails.

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Like a sparkling pomegranate

juice with fresh mint.

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and those amazing rainbow macaroons

from your local French bakery.

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It's giving young love,

but make it luxury.

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next up on my list is Candidly Yours

Carnival Chronicles by Reece Ryan.

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Y'all, this story had me planning my

next adventure in a carnival baby.

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Layla St.

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John has the talent, creativity, and

drive to start her own clothing line.

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What our big hearted

entrepreneur lacks is capital.

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When celebrity photographer, Quincy

Johnson, Offers to connect her with

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investors if she'll let him feature

her in his photography series

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about Caribbean Carnaval culture.

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It's a deal she can't refuse.

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But here's where it gets juicy.

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Quincy is her little brother's former

best friend and way too young for her.

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He spent the past 10 years making a

name for himself as a photographer and

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avoiding complicated relationships.

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But when an impromptu trip to his small

hometown leads to a chance encounter with

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the woman he's been crushing on since he

was a kid, Baby, Quincy gets a taste of

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the deep connections he's been missing.

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this one was the perfect escape.

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The way Ryan writes

about carnival culture.

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Had me feeling like I was right there

in the middle of the festivities.

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For this one, I paired it with

a Passion Fruit Rum Punch and

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Coconut Crusted Plantain Chips.

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this next one I've discussed before,

the Love Lyric by Christina Forrest.

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I've been a huge fan of Forrest's work

so I was itching to read her latest

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and last In the Green Sisters series.

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After a whirlwind courtship, marriage,

and a baby, Beauty executive Iris finds

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herself widowed with a darling daughter.

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Romance is the furthest thing from

her mind when she spots superstar

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singer Angel at her sister's

wedding and she literally swoons.

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Later, when a beauty campaign

thrusts them into a professional

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collaboration, sparks fly.

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Does their chemistry test

the bound of professionalism?

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Absolutely, and it makes for a delicious

will they or won't they romance.

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For this one, I paired it with

a glass of Verve Clicquot Rich

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Rose and Dark Chocolate Truffles.

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You need something rich and

decadent for a story this delicious.

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Moving on to Breakpoint by Yara Seyjohn.

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And if you're a fan of sports romances,

this one's going to be just for you.

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Falling in love costs Teagan

her tennis career and her heart.

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But when her rival returns, they've

got one last chance for a rematch.

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That is, if they can keep

the game on the court.

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Teagan Williams knows how to take a loss.

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Especially a big one.

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After the spectacular collapse

of her tennis career and her

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romantic relationship with

Dominic Fletcher, she put down her

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racket and started her life over.

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but now, she's been asked to

compete in her country club's

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tournament, and who shows up?

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You guessed it.

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The spotlight stealing almost

love of her life himself.

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As someone who just knew she

was gonna be the next Serena and

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tried to play tennis in college.

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Very badly, mind you.

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This story kind of hit different.

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The tension both on and off

the court had me sweating.

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And for this high stakes romance, I went

with a Runaer Blanc des Blancs and those

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fancy protein balls from Whole Foods.

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Trust me, you'll need the energy

to keep up with these tennis pros.

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Ooh, and the next one on my list?

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Now, this next book, Losing Sight, by

Tati Richardson, this book is my second

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from this author and it blends magic

and romance in a story about a sports

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reporter whose failing eyesight leads

her to an enchanted pair of glasses and

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into the arms of a charming optometrist.

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Tanika Nikki Ryan is at the top

of her game until she isn't.

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After losing her coveted Thursday

night football spot and nearly losing

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her life in an accident, she finds

herself in the office of handsome,

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widowed optometrist Gideon Miles.

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What makes this tale shine is Richardson's

balance of wit and tenderness as she

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explores grief and second chances.

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This modern fairy tale proves love

grows richer and steamier after 40.

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The way Richardson writes

about finding clarity in both

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sight and love, Pure magic.

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For this enchanting read, I paired

it with Earl Grey tea in my fanciest

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teacup and Lavender Shortbread Cookies.

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Something about that

combination feels magical to me.

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Just like those enchanted glasses.

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And now we have Frenemies with

Benefits by Cynthia Williams.

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If you love a slow burn romance with

the perfect mix of drama and chemistry,

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Then this is your next must read.

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this is book three in the Peachtree

Cove series, and when I tell

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you this small town has drama.

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Tracy Thompson has spent her life

as a town's favorite topic of

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gospel, but never in a good way.

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Now divorced after her husband's

scandalous affair with her bed

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and breakfast office manager,

which resulted in a baby no less.

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She's determined to rebuild

her life on her own terms.

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Enter Brian Nelson, a.

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k.

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a.

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Mr.

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Fine.

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He has his own baggage after

his wife cheated on him.

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Their solution?

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A no strings attached arrangement.

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Just benefits, no emotions.

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At least, that's the plan.

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but while they both fight their undeniable

chemistry, everyone around them can

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see what they refuse to acknowledge.

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They make the perfect couple.

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Y'all, I read this one during a

rainy weekend and let me tell you,

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I did not move from my reading note.

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For this small town romance, I

went full on Southern Comfort,

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peach bellinis and butter cookies.

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Trust me, you'll need something sweet

to balance out all that delicious drama.

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Now, while I normally feature Black

romance or romance novels written by a

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Black author, I'm also a very diverse

reader, and I love to share great

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reads from other authors of color.

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So before I wrap this episode, I

have to shout out A Tropical Rebel

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Gets the Duke by Adriana Herrera.

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The latest book in her Las Leonas

series is an absolute triumph.

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It pairs Aurora Maltebaum Wright,

a physician running an underground

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women's clinic in Paris with

Apollo Cesar Sinclair Robles.

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A newly minted duke still figuring

out his place among the town.

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Y'all, this book is packed full of

angst, yearning, enemies to lovers

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goodness, and well done research into

the plight of women in this time period.

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It was a deeply satisfying mix

of romance and adventure that had

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me speeding through the pages.

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this isn't a match the aristocracy

would approve of, and sinister forces

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are determined to keep them apart.

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the way Herrera writes their

electric, sexual, and intellectual

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chemistry while challenging racist and

misogynistic beliefs, mmm, chef's kiss.

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I paired this one with a French

75 cocktail and macaroons, keeping

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that Parisian luxury alive.

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Mmm.

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and if you can't get enough of the

lost Leones, the other books in

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the series are not to be missed.

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start with a Caribbean eras in Paris

and an Island Princess starts a scandal.

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You can thank me later.

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And lastly, there's The

Romance Rivalry by Susan Lee.

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If you love romance and consider yourself

a student of the genre, you have to read

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this one because it's such a smart and

swoony ode to all your favorite tropes.

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But don't worry, it won't feel

like going back to school.

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Susan writes with such heart and

gentle humor, the pages just fly by.

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And I truly love Aidan and Irene so much.

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For this Savvy Romance, I paired it

with a classic champagne cocktail

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and those cute little heart shaped

cookies from your local bakery.

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It's giving romance

student becomes the master.

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These books are teaching us

some valuable self love lessons.

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Like Tanika in Losing Sight,

sometimes self care means accepting

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help and letting others in.

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And like Tracy in Frenemies

with Benefits, it's about

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rebuilding life on your own terms.

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Now I wanna hear about your

luxury reading rituals.

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Drop me a DM on Instagram at

becoming Octavia, or email me

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at hello@culturelitpodcast.com.

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use hashtag culture lit.

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And tell me what's your favorite snack and

drink pairing for a cozy reading session.

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Are you team fancy champagne like me, or

do you have your own special combination?

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Share your ritual with me

using hashtag culture lit.

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I'll be reposting my favorites.

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And that's our episode for today.

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Next up, we're talking romance

featuring Black women over 40.

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Because baby, life, sex, and

love just keep getting better.

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you won't want to miss it.

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Remember, you can find all of

these books at the Culture Lit

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Digital Bookshop on Bookshop.

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org.

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Support those indie bookstores

while building your TBR list.

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Until next time, keep reading, keep

loving, and keep treating yourself

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like the main character you are.