Books like A Murmur of Rain by Patricia Vaughan are why I adore the romance genre. This 1996 novel published by Pocket Books caught me by surprise with its exquisite storytelling. I was entranced from the very beginning. 5 Stars
Genre: Black or Afro American Romance
Black or Afro-American romance novels feature black heroes and heroines and are written by black authors.
Beverly Jackson, Francis Ray, Brenda Jackson, Patricia Vaughn, Sandra Kitt, and Shirley Hailstock were some of the prominent black romance writers of the 20th century.
In 1994 Pinnacle books launched their Arabesque line, which was wholly devoted to Black romances.
Hidden Gems & Crown Jewels: The Rise of Black Historical Romances in the 1990s
The rise of Black romance novels–especially historicals–provided a platform for diverse representation in a genre that had long ignored this socio-demographic. The last decade of the twentieth century was a time of great change and progress for African American fiction in general.
Historical Romance Review: Through the Storm by Beverly Jenkins
Beverly Jenkins’ Through the Storm is a romance about a former slave finding love during the American Civil War and Reconstruction Era with a man from a proud and established Louisiana family of Haitian descent. 3 stars
Contemporary Romance Review: Tonight and Forever by Brenda Jackson
Brenda Jackson’s Tonight and Forever is her first published book and the first in her long-running series of the Madaris family. It’s a Pinnacle Arabesque romance from 1995, which are category romances but are not numbered, at least not to my knowledge. What propels Tonight and Forever into a “better than good” zone is that it isn’t just a romance about the healing power of love, it’s a book about the power of love itself. 3 1/2 stars