Black Love Matters, Jessica P. Pryde
Black Love Matters, Jessica P. Pryde
List: $17.50 | Sale: $12.25
Club: $8.75

Black Love Matters
Real Talk on Romance, Being Seen, and Happily Ever Afters

Author: Jessica P. Pryde

Narrator: Jessica P. Pryde, Gina Daniels, Julienne Irons, Angel Pean, André Santana, Tashi Thomas

Unabridged: 7 hr 41 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Published: 02/01/2022


Synopsis

An incisive, intersectional essay anthology that celebrates and examines romance and romantic media through the lens of Black readers, writers, and cultural commentators, edited by Book Riot columnist and librarian Jessica Pryde.
 
Romantic love has been one of the most essential elements of storytelling for centuries. But for Black people in the United States and across the diaspora, it hasn't often been easy to find Black romance joyfully showcased in entertainment media. In this collection, revered authors and sparkling newcomers, librarians and academicians, and avid readers and reviewers consider the mirrors and windows into Black love as it is depicted in the novels, television shows, and films that have shaped their own stories. Whether personal reflection or cultural commentary, these essays delve into Black love now and in the past, including topics from the history of Black romance to social justice and the Black community to the meaning of desire and desirability. 
 
Exploring the multifaceted ways love is seen—and the ways it isn't—this diverse array of Black voices collectively shines a light on the power of crafting happy endings for Black lovers. 

Jessica Pryde is joined by Carole V. Bell, Sarah Hannah Gomez, Jasmine Guillory, Da’Shaun Harrison, Margo Hendricks, Adriana Herrera, Piper Huguley, Kosoko Jackson, Nicole M. Jackson, Beverly Jenkins, Christina C. Jones, Julie Moody-Freeman, and Allie Parker in this collection.

About The Author

Jessica Pryde is a Contributing Editor for Book Riot, where she is the co-host of the When In Romance podcast and writes about bookish things of all kinds. Having earned an AB in the Interdisciplinary Project in the Humanities at Washington University in St. Louis and her MLIS at San Jose State University, she is now a librarian for a public library system in Southern Arizona, where she lives with her husband and an ever-growing collection of Funko!Pops. Black Love Matters is her first book.


Reviews

Goodreads review by emma on March 01, 2022

Here are the best parts of this book: -Jasmine Guillory writing about food and love - Julie E. Moody-Freeman on teaching black love in academia - Christina C. Jones about indie romance - Kosoko Jackson and Sarah Hannah Gómez are possibly the funniest people on earth, to an extent that if you read them I......more

4.5 stars rounded up It's worth noting that despite the title including "Black Love", this collection of essays is more broadly focused on Black representation (or lack thereof) in different portions of the romance genre. While a couple essays do specifically focus on Black love (a romance between tw......more

Goodreads review by Mara on December 03, 2021

This is exactly my cup of tea when it comes to literary studies for romance! There was a nice balance of personal essay, history of the genre, and in depth analysis of specific texts (my favorite was the section talking about Alyssa Cole's HOW TO CATCH A QUEEN). The section from Ms. Bev was unsurpri......more

Goodreads review by Jess on February 25, 2022

3.5 Some of these essays were amazing: Beverly Jenkins, Christina C. Jones, and Adriana Herrera were standouts to me. Jasmine Guillory though… spoiler alert: is short, and about food. It doesn’t take about Black love so it doesn’t seem fitting at all. Especially to the essays that came before her pie......more

Goodreads review by Jess on January 25, 2022

Obviously I'm gonna give this five stars LOL I have a separate reader account so you don't see that I'm the author but I'm the author. I'm also the editor so I got to read multiple versions of all the essays and I love them to death. I'm so glad I got to do this with amazeballs people.......more


Quotes

"The collection's strength is in its thoughtfulness and wealth of perspectives. The result is as unique as it is heartfelt."—Publishers Weekly

"Black people falling in love and getting their happily ever after is just one reason why Black Love Matters is a necessary read...Black romance is hope, but it’s also so much more. It’s a promise and a means of liberation for a people who were never meant to survive. In a world full of intense hatred, Black Love Matters is one form of resistance we all need."—USA Today