Guaranteed happy ever afters and “spicy” scenes. Welcome to the romance genre! Also known as the junk genre. You won’t get anything but mindless reading here!

Most of the popular books you have probably seen on TikTok and Instagram are romance novels. The ones with the cute cartoon covers that are actually just pages and pages of filth (allegedly). Does that ring a bell? Some titles you may recognize are Icebreaker, Bride, or The Pumpkin Spice Café. Of course, due to social media and the increase in people in the bookish space, many see the trending suggested videos and posts and assume that this is all the romance genre has to offer. The new covers have even sparked debate online, with kids starting to pick up these books. The cute cartoon covers give an innocuous appearance, so it’s not far-fetched to assume it’s an innocent read, right? The OG covers featured a shirtless man, a couple posing closely, or a woman scandalously posed. You knew what to expect and that it was not for kids. 

However, the covers never gave away the deeper topics that were discussed. What if I told you that romance books used to (and still do) hold more substance than you might think?

Don’t be like me when it comes to romance. I grew up assuming what my grandma read was frivolous. It wasn’t until I took an African American literature course that I learned how the romance genre can be used to tackle social issues. An author I’ll never forget learning about in this class is Pauline Elizabeth Hopkins. She came to be known during the time between Reconstruction and the New Negro Renaissance. Her main genre may have been romance, but the typical themes she would cover were racial prejudice and the struggles of interracial relationships. Her works are heavy reads but hold purpose, especially during the time they were written. Colorism and racism are prevalent themes in her work, conveyed by the use of a mixed-race woman who is depressed (tragic mulatta trope) as the main character to emphasize the mistreatment of Black women and other societal troubles, such as interracial relationships. A good start would be the short story Talma Gordon.

Let’s not forget the romantic classic, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Everyone knows it’s a romance and thinks nothing else of it, but Austen critiques 19th-century English society. Using the romance genre, Austen touches on social class and societal expectations, such as the importance of reputation and the pressure to get married. Austen curates a heartfelt novel with romantic interests, prompting readers to engage with these topics. 

Now you may be thinking, “Where are the modern romance novels that are like this?” Don’t worry, it is still possible to find substance today! First, I present Beverly Jenkins’ novels. You may recognize her name from the books you’ve seen your mom or grandma read. She’s most known (in my household) for writing historical romance, exploring topics of race, class, elitism, colorism, and more. Even better, the female main characters go against the grain to resourcefully address or circumvent these issues and advocate for themselves. I’d recommend starting with Forbidden; that’s where I started. Forbidden follows Eddy Carmichael, leaving her small town and her sister and nieces for the West. While on her way, she runs into trouble and instead ends up in a Nevada settlement. The man she falls in love with, Rhine, is a passing Black man, which leads to a slew of issues as the book progresses. After you finish this one, I’d recommend continuing on to the nieces’ stories in Breathless and Tempest.

Still doesn’t seem modern enough? There’s Sex, Lies and Sensibility by Nikki Payne. The plot features a local government issue surrounding land use, video revenge, and the beauty of cultural exchange. The main characters are a Black woman and a Native man. Nora deals with repercussions from a sex tape her ex posted some years before. As the story progresses, the reader gets to learn about Bear’s Abenaki culture and the constant battle against a dam project written by Maine’s local government that would take away fresh water from his community. Through their personal issues and budding romance, they learn not only about one another but also about each other’s cultures.

Still not your cup of tea? Maybe try The Lillys series by Xio Axelrod. The first book, The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes, follows Toni, who is from a small town, going into the big city and coincidentally reconnecting with her childhood sweetheart. He left her behind in their rundown town and never went back, but she gets the opportunity of a lifetime when she auditions for The Lillys. Now she has to work with the man who said he loved her but left town without a goodbye. Both main characters had difficult childhoods, but while Toni seems to be healing, Seb has tried again and again unsuccessfully. There’s also a band member, Candi, who has an addiction, and it’s hurting not only herself but also the band as a whole. This is the one you should read if you want something real and full of angst. Next in the series is Girls with Bad Reputations. It follows Kayla, the drummer of the band. She’s living a double life, hiding her rockstar persona from her parents, specifically her mom. But she’s learning to live in her truth. Then there’s Ty, who got caught up in an academic scandal and started driving for the Lillys. Their relationship is gradual and organic to read. Ty’s relationship with his grandfather made me cry (only at the end, I promise). If you want all the feels and a realistic but cozy romance, this is the one! 

Leaning more towards an LGBTQIA+ read? Try A Dash of Salt and Pepper by Kosoko Jackson. It’s a gay romance with an age gap on the surface but delves into identity, societal pressures, coparenting, and authenticity. I’m positive this one also had me in tears by the end (happy tears!), but there are a lot of funny moments, too. Xavier, a Black man who was recently let go from his job, has to move back to his small hometown. It’s not ideal, nor is it a scenario he thought would happen. However, he gets some good news. He’s been accepted into an amazing one-year-abroad business program but has to get the money in a short amount of time. Having to get a part-time job to pay the program fees, he meets his love interest, Logan, a single dad with a teen daughter. As Logan and Xavier get closer, Xavier slowly unlearns societal expectations and finds himself, not the made-up version he’s been for survival in his field. On Logan’s side, the reader gets a glimpse into his difficulties of balancing raising a teen girl and running a restaurant. 

Lastly, Once Upon a Time in Dollywood by Ashley Jordan. This recommendation came out recently and was a beautifully emotional read. Be sure to check the content warnings before reading! This is more than a romance; this is reality. Eve has a strained relationship with her parents and is having fertility issues. This causes her romantic relationship to collapse and leads her into a deeper depression. With these intense emotions, she decides to go to the mountainous region of Tennessee to work on her next play, but she ends up finding more there. Her next-door neighbor is recently divorced and has an 8-year-old son. As they get to know each other, they learn to create healthy boundaries and start healing from their past. 

Some pretty good romance books with a capital R are out there. Don’t let mainstream conceptions of the genre fool you. It’s a versatile genre that can touch on a plethora of topics that pertain to the real world. Earlier romance novels were written by women to make social commentary. That has not changed, even if the covers seem to show otherwise. So much can be found in a romance novel. Don’t forget that. 

*The recommendations listed do contain sex scenes at various levels. 

Spice rating:

• Beverly Jenkins: ⅖ – ⅗ 
• Sex, Lies and Sensibility: ⅗ 
• The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes: ⅗ 
• Girls with Bad Reputations: ⅖ 
• A Dash of Salt and Pepper: ⅗ 
• Once Upon a Time in Dollywood: ⅘