Episode 92: We Need Inclusive Romance!

In this episode, jumping off our presentation at the Massachusetts Library Association conference in May, we discuss inclusive romance novels we’ve read and are looking forward to reading. The official genre of Bellwether Friends is Historical Romance. This episode is brought to you by Fake Dating with a side of Getting It Out Of Our System.

Links
LA Review of Books: Romance, Compassion, and Inclusivity (Or: How Romance Will Save the World)
Why We Need Asexual Romances
Reading romance as an asexual & aromantic person

Courtney Milan Cyclone series
Sherry Thomas
Jeannie Lin
Alyssa Cole An Extraordinary Union, A Princess in Theory, A Duke by Default
Jasmine Guillory The Wedding Date, The Proposal

Helen Hoang The Kiss Quotient, The Bride Test
Jackie Lau Grumpy Fake Boyfriend (May 2018), Mr. Hotshot CEO
Alisha Rai Forbidden Hearts series
Camille Perri When Katie Met Cassidy (June 2018)

[LESBIAN ROMANCE SIDEBAR]
Bold Strokes Books, Bella Books

BookRiot: Native American Romance Novels by Native Authors
V. S. Nelson
Evangeline Parsons Yazzie
Laura Brown Signs of Attraction
Margaret Locke The Demon Duke
Amanda Quick Deception
Julia Quinn To Sir Phillip, With Love
Karin Kallmaker
Claire O’Dell A Study in Honor

Jamie Wesley Slamdunked by Love
Cathy Yardley Level Up, One True Pairing
Sonali Dev A Bollywood Affair, The Bollywood Bride, A Change of Heart
Alexis Hall How to Bang a Billionaire, How to Blow it With a Billionaire, Glitterland, Looking for Group
Mia Sosa Acting on Impulse
Ruby Lang Acute Reactions
The Ripped Bodice: The State of Racial Diversity in Romance Publishing Report
Jeevani Charika A Royal Wedding
Alexis Daria Take the Lead
Pema Donyo Revolutionary Hearts
Talia Hibbert A Girl Like Her
Priscilla Oliveras His Perfect Partner
Cat Sebastian
KJ Charles

E. E. Ottoman
J. K. Pendragon
Damon Suede
Yolanda Wallace Tailor Made
Rebekah Weatherspoon So Sweet

K. M. Jackson Insert Groom Here
Beverly Jenkins (we totally forgot to talk about her but she should be on this list)

WOC in Romance
Read Harder: Romance Novels By or About a Person of Color
Romance Novels in Color
A List of the Best Contemporary Romance Books Featuring Women of Color
Diverse Romance
The New York Times: In Love With Romance Novels, But Not Their Lack of Diversity
The New York Times: The Changing Face of Romance Novels

Obsessions
Alene and Anna: To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before; Crazy Rich Asians

Musical Obsessions
Alene: “Money (That’s What I Want)” by Cheryl K feat. Awkwafina from the Crazy Rich Asians soundtrack
“Material Girl (200 du)” by Sally Yeh from the Crazy Rich Asians soundtrack
“Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Kina Grannis from the Crazy Rich Asians soundtrack
(Bustle article)
Anna: “Yellow” by Katherine Ho from the Crazy Rich Asians soundtrack (LA Times story)

 

Episode 78: Holiday Romance Films with @helenstwin

We brought in holiday romance expert Cory (and her mom) to help us sift through the offerings from the 2017 season. We talked about diversity, Lifetime vs. Hallmark, nude nail polish, royalty, adorable moppets, and more, using our Holiday Romance Movie Checklist as a baseline. See our spreadsheet of the 38 movies the Bellwether Friends team watched this season here.

Links
Episode 41: We Love Historical Romance!
Episode 56: Romantic Christmas Movies
Episode 74: Horror Project Checkup and Holiday Romance Checklist
#BFHolidayRomance

Enchanted Christmas (the one with ballroom dancing)
Wrapped Up In Christmas (the one with Tatyana Ali)
The Nine Lives of Christmas (the one with cats)
Fametracker/previously.tv
The Christmas Cure (the one with Bobby from Dallas)
[The Librarians]
The Twelve Trees of Christmas (the one where she saves the library)
Sound of Christmas (the one where he is going to buy the music school)
Annie Claus is Coming to Town (the one with a third skinny redhead)
Looks Like Christmas (the one with Anne Heche)
Kristin’s Christmas Past (the one with Elizabeth Mitchell and time travel)
Sleigh Bells Ring (the one with the aunt’s antique shop)
My Christmas Love (the one with the guy Alene likes)

Sharing Christmas (the other one about a mall/with the guy Alene likes)
Snowed-Inn Christmas (the one with competing journalists)

The Mistletoe Inn (the one with romance writers)
My Christmas Prince (the one that isn’t A Christmas Prince)
The Perfect Christmas Present (Cory’s favorite)
[ASMR videos]
Fir Crazy (one of the ones with a Christmas tree farm)
Christmas Festival of Ice (one of the ice sculpture ones)
Farewell Mr. Kringle (the one with Christine Taylor and an early kiss)

Christmas Getaway (the one with a double booked cabin)
The Christmas Cottage (the one with a magic cabin)
Christmas List (the one with the earliest kiss)
12 Men of Christmas (the one with sex!)
A Boyfriend for Christmas (the one with Santa waiting twenty years to grant a wish)
A Christmas Kiss (the one that starts with a kiss)
A Gift to Remember (the one where the guy gets amnesia)
One Starry Christmas (the one with the cowboy)
Christmas Dance (the one with Andrew McCarthy)

Christmas Connection (the one with Tom Everett Scott)
Romance at Reindeer Lodge (the one with a Christmas themed ranch)
Candace Cameron Bure
Last Chance for Christmas (the one with the delicious reindeer farm)
Christmas Parade (the one with texting and driving)
A Rose for Christmas (the one with the Rose Parade)
All About Christmas Eve (the one with Haylie Duff)
Christmas Belle (the other one with Haylie Duff)
Christmas at Holly Lodge (the one with a developer trying to buy the inn)
Finding Father Christmas (the one with a secret missing dad)
Engaging Father Christmas (the sequel to Finding Father Christmas)
[Hallmark Movies and Mysteries channel]

Christmas Miracle (the one with letters to god)
Finding Santa (the one with Jodie Sweetin)
Once Upon a Holiday (the one with a runaway princess)
The Mistletoe Promise (the one with Lemon from Hart of Dixie)
All I Want for Christmas (the one with a kid asking for his mom to get a new man)
The Flight Before Christmas (the one with Mayim Bialik)
Hitched for the Holidays (the one with Joey Lawrence)
[Harpers Bazaar: 20 Nude Polishes For Every Skintone]

Readalikes:
Debbie Macomber
Shannon Stacey
Bella Andre
Alice Clayton
Jill Shalvis
Belladonna Ink

Obsessions

Cory: Check, Please! Beards and Bondage series (Haven) by Rebekah Weatherspoon, Black Panther
Anna and Alene: Proud Mary

Musical Obsessions

Anna: “Proud Mary” by Tina Turner
Alene: “Proud Mary” by Leonard Nimoy
Cory: [What is Punk?, What is Hip-Hop?] “I’m the One” by The Descendents, “Wildflowers” by Dolly Parton