While the article specifically highlights authors and publishers specific to audiences like Young Adult and Children's book enthusiasts, they're far from the only ones undergoing some measurable changes. In particular, the Romance genre has been making room and taking a stand, across several different popular series and authors... and the trend started a lot earlier than just five years ago. The rise of the African-American period romance - thanks in no small part to Beverly Jenkins - began in the '90s, and has since carved out a path in what was otherwise a fairly White genre, while more and more casts of multiracial, varied-perspectived characters can be found throughout shelves every year, like in Alisha Rai's Hate to Want You series (a personal favorite). These developments not only serve to better the plots of stories, and the perspectives of their reader, but also lay the groundwork for increased diversity and visibility for authors across publishing in the future.
However, dissenters abound, as they do in opposition to every major movement, and these kinds of new, necessary stories have their haters, too. What was wrong with the way things were? Romance, as a genre, has long been held up as a haven of escapist fiction... could inviting complicated discussions of things like race, jeopardize that status, or turn off new readers?
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| The lady herself! |
Enter Jasmine Guillory. Conversations about racial differences are an expected subject in each of her novels, and yet, they're lauded by everyone from the best-seller charts, to Reese Witherspoon. Her books are wonderful, and draw a stark line through such criticisms of the #WeNeedDiverseBooks initiative. Why? Because they're not just well-written romances, with compelling plots, quick pacing, and a lovable fleet of characters, but because she approaches her subjects with a stunning degree of empathy, tact, and understanding. In short, her books are so good, and her moves so subtle, that you might not even realize you're reflecting on these kinds of issues while reading.
Here are just a few of the ground-level ways Jasmine Guillory uses her books - like The Wedding Date and The Proposal, as well as recent release The Wedding Party - to prioritize intersectional feminist narratives within the Romance genre:
- Each of her books is led by a black woman main character, which not only centers race in the narrative, but provides plenty of room for empathizing and personalizing situations that arise over the course of the story.
- For instance, during The Wedding Date - when the lead character Alexa gets an unexpected invite by a stranger to be his "plus one" for, you guessed it, a wedding - one of the questions she asks, is whether there will be anyone else who looks like her at this event. The answer is no, and the plot progresses from that point with ease... but it's a question that brings attention to that detail, and emphasizes a social point which, up until she asks, might not have even been on the reader's radar. The fact that the answer is a negative, highlights a mental cue for the reader to observe and understand.
- Meanwhile, in The Proposal, Nikole ends up meeting Alexa while on a double date, and excitedly asks her confused love interest why he didn't mention to her that the other woman in question would also be black. Any confusion as to why she'd need that information, is answered when Nikole and Alexa share a sweet bonding moment, specifically referencing their shared perspectives. While it wasn't a point of importance for either of their dates, its a vital one for them.
- At the same time, this is also an example of Guillory's ability to write characters whose internal monologues realistically reflect on their own identities in real-time, which, in turn, effects how they approach these interactions, or make decisions that affect other people.
- In The Wedding Date, Alexa undergoes a series of difficult situations, as men from various social events she attends specifically target her for her race: an inebriated wedding guest makes unwanted sexual overtures involving her status as a black woman, while attending a party results in a conversation containing the cringe-y "Where are you from?" question. In both situations, we watch Alexa reckon with her personal feelings, and attempt to navigate the resulting differences as gracefully as possible, in a way that feels transparent and clear enough to translate to those who have never had to undergo those kinds of experiences.
- In The Proposal, we see Nikole grapple with why her boyfriend of only five months, dopey blonde actor Fisher, has asked her to marry him in a embarrassingly public display (the Jumbotron at a Dodgers game, on which her name is misspelled). Not only does Nik reflect on what her relationship with him was like, but her mental re-organization of how both of their backgrounds played into his decision to propose, highlights why this difference was important. In the end, Fisher acknowledges this himself: he confesses that no one takes him seriously as an actor, and that he thought being with Nik - a successful black writer - raised his reputation and credibility.
- Guillory has received plenty of accolades for centering her romances around black heroines, but her entire cast is similarly filled with compelling and relatable side characters from a wide variety of backgrounds, all approached with the same level of care. With special attention paid to diversity in perspectives across race, gender, sexuality, etc., each of the cast is involved and empathetic in regards to the romantic plight, defying tokenization and playing key roles in the development of the primary relationship.
- For instance, in The Proposal alone, Nikole's two best friends are Korean-American and plus size, and African-American and lesbian, while the love interest's family heritage is Mexican-American. Their backgrounds play deliberately into the plot, and all participate in openly reflecting on such elements of their own lives, while helping our heroine navigate hers. Their advice, reflections, and experiences benefit those of Nikole, and - despite the fact Guillory's audience might never have come into contact with anyone from those backgrounds before - they are realistic and relatable enough to connect to readers, as well.
- Destructive, anti-feminist tropes get a swift boot, via her uplifting and abundant emphasis on the importance of female friendships, as well as the robust and active career lives of women. Not only are Guillory's characters women, but they are strong, unique women, who are not afraid to confront not only racial discrimination or stereotyping, but also antiquated perspectives on catty competition, or gender roles.
- Positive relationships with women are a priority for Guillory, who spoke to Hello Sunshine Book Club earlier this year about why her own friends served as such strong influences in how she wrote The Proposal. Both Alexa and Nikole are surrounded by networks of ambitious, caring women, who challenge them out on their mistakes, and support them in the moments where they're needed most. Even situations that start out as fodder for the kinds of mean-girl moments that are romance novel bread-and-butter - like the bouquet toss of a wedding, or a party held by a new boyfriend's ex-girlfriend - end up progressing in meaningful ways, with new friendships made, instead of enemies.
- Both Alexa and Nikole are, individually and by their own effort, successful career women, and both ambition and female entrepreneurship serve as strong focuses among secondary characters. Alexa serves as the chief of staff of the mayor of Berkeley, who not only has the skills to succeed in her job, but lift others up with her, championing the cause for local community art projects for disenfranchised youth. Nikole's career as a freelance writer is thrown into jeopardy - due to the negative connotations associated with turning down a public, viral proposal - but not only is she able to navigate the situation with aplomb, but she write herself a comeback, by covering a female-owned gym that she has begun attending regularly for self-defense classes. Not only are they in strong job positions, but it is important for both to use these roles to lift up other women, as well.
- (There's a good reason for it, too: Guillory herself is a Stanford Law graduate.)
Clearly, Guillory has made intersectional feminism a focus of her personal writing style, and it makes for not only compelling and enthralling romance novels, but important reads for issues of that nature. Interactions between characters demonstrate effective problem-solving, and model productive conversations, about the intersections of race and relationships in a positive, easy to understand way, which readers can observe and empathize with. The women - and men - who fill the pages of these novels represent complex and multi-layered perspectives of race, gender, sexuality, socioeconomic background, etc., but none of those boundaries block any of them from pursuing the reason we covet this genre so much: True Love.
Intimate, personable, and immediately engrossing - like hearing about the new guy your friend's been seeing over drinks - the story drives forward because of how tangible the characters feel, no doubt helped by Guillory's tendency towards fully-fleshed, unique and understandable casts.There's definitely something effortless about the way Guillory writes romance, like in THE WEDDING DATE, but that's not to say that the plots themselves lack deliberate care. Instead, the realistic nature of the stress that tests her main characters' relationship - misinterpreting signals, lack of clear communication, focus on jobs and family - lends a sense of relatability to the proceedings, that almost make it was pulled from real life. Maybe it all feels so effortless, because it could have been inspired by any number of real relationships playing out across the LA area, like hers do.
THE PROPOSAL is an airy, un-bothered LA romance that was sunny and sweet, without requiring much mental exertion to keep the plot moving. The main characters are well-off and well-settled in their metropolitan landscape, and are free from any more intense issues plaguing their lives, than coping with bad press (which Nik does easily), and Carlos' cousin's difficult pregnancy (which resolves mainly without his input). This frees them both up to fall in love with each other rather easily.My one disappointment, was that I was a little bummed that the title event of the novel is tidily wrapped up within the first twenty pages or so. There is no lead up to the event at all, with the whole thing transpiring within the first few pages, and very little explanation as to why Nik and Fisher were together in the first place. Still, the event got its closure, in a way that was relevant to Guillory's theming, and it allowed Nik to move on... to a much, much happier ever after!
Have you read any of Jasmine Guillory's books before? Which is your favorite? Let me know, in the comments below!
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