By Hudson Lin
There are a lot of reasons why it’s a good idea to start 2025 off with a romance genre reading challenge. First, there have been a lot of things to be sad, worried, and angry about recently. The world is on fire with conflicts both physical and ideological; society is becoming more polarized by the day; and for many, the outlook for the year ahead is dire.
Second, stories about marginalized folks are often mired in trauma and tragedy. Don’t get me wrong, stories about oppression and prejudice are important and need to be told, but those shouldn’t be the only stories that get attention. People from marginalized communities can and should have happy stories about triumph, joy, and love.
That’s where romance comes in. Romance novels have a guaranteed happily ever after (HEA) where the main characters agree to be in a committed relationship with each other. This HEA can take many forms and sometimes they are hard-won. But having an HEA is what makes a romance a capital-R romance. And when we have romances that feature BIPOC characters, queer characters, characters with disabilities, we’re saying that they deserve to find love and acceptance and belonging. They deserve to be happy.
Romances are inherently uplifting and hopeful. And isn’t that what we need most these days? Stories that warm our hearts, that help us see the best in others, and that promise that everything will turn out okay. I can’t think of a better way to start the new year.
1) Ayesha At Last by Uzma Jalaluddin (HarperAvenue)
As one of the FOLD’s 12 Books that Shaped the Way We Read, Uzma Jalaluddin’s Ayesha At Last, is a must-read this month. Ayesha is a strong, independent Muslim woman who has set aside her own dreams to serve and support her family. When she meets Khalid, she’s torn–she’s attracted to the man, but finds him too conservative and judgmental. As the story progresses, both Ayesha and Khalid have to reassess their own values and priorities in order to find their HEA.
Ayesha At Last gives readers a peek into modern Muslim culture, including complicated family politics, life in and around the local mosque, and the tension between a traditional, conservative lifestyle and the influence of Western culture. This romance is at times moving and hilarious, all while challenging readers’ expectations of the genre.
2) Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie by Jackie Lau (Atria/Emily Bestler Books)
Jackie Lau is an expert at the “well-meaning, but meddling family members” trope, and she demonstrates that skill once again in Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie. Emily is the last unmarried daughter in her family, so to evade her mother’s matchmaking attempts, she proposes a fake dating arrangement with Mark. Mark’s kind of stuffy and a little uptight, so it’s surprising when he agrees. Cue the hijinks. Family friends keep showing up on their fake dates, which forces Emily and Mark to prolong their charade. But the more dates they go on, the less fake the dates become.
Similar to Ayesha At Last, Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie brings readers into the nuanced dynamics of an immigrant family where cultural expectations sometimes clash with individual aspirations. It showcases the delicate and often hilarious balancing act so many people of colour have perfected in order to live at the intersection of cultures.
Lastly, as with all of Lau’s books, the city of Toronto is a character in and of itself. Whether you’re a Torontonian or you’ve never stepped foot in the city, you will appreciate the way local neighbourhoods are featured in this romantic comedy.
3) Lady Kidlat Meets Her Match by Jaclyn Q. Martinez
Talk about nuanced characters with complicated pasts! In, Jaclyn Q. Martinez’s Lady Kidlat Meets Her Match, museum educator Kat is a confidently plus-sized woman who has sworn off love after seeing her parents’ relationship dissolve. She has a one night stand with psychologist Jake, who is struggling to come to terms with his recent divorce. When the two start working together on a series of art therapy workshops, they find that each is the perfect antidote to the other’s wounds.
Lady Kidlat Meets Her Match is nerdy and steamy and feel-good. The book is a perfect demonstration of how even those of us with the messiest lives still deserve to find love.
4) Hard Sell by Hudson Lin (Carina Press)
In Hard Sell, Danny is battling burnout as a successful executive at a finance company. Many years ago, he had a one night stand with his best friend’s younger brother, Tobin, after which they went their separate ways. Now they find themselves on the opposite sides of a high stakes business deal. Sparks fly and though they are more than compatible in bed, circumstances with their families threaten to keep them apart.
The intersection of being a person of colour and being queer is a topic that is very close to my heart. Which is why I felt it was important to include a queer POC romance in this month’s list of recommendations. People of colour experience queerness differently than their white peers, just as those who identify as LGBTQ+ experience their own cultures differently than their straight family members. It’s a complicated and nuanced identity that I’ve tried to do justice in this book.
Hudson Lin