6 days ago
Jasmine Guillory Defies Dating Stats With Romance Books
If you're a big fan of romance novels, then there's a pretty big chance that you've read or heard of Jasmine Guillory. Her debut novel, The Wedding Date, became an instant hit, and soon earned widespread acclaim on BookTok and morning shows while also topping several book lists.
The Wedding Date turned into a series, which includes six books in total: The Wedding Date, The Proposal, The Wedding Party, Royal Holiday, Party of Two, and While We Were Dating.I've read all of them, and I love the mushy feeling they gave me, but The Proposal will always be my favorite. Jasmine has made me fall in love with her characters and the unique worlds they live in, time and time again.
Jasmine has helped reclaim the romance spotlight for women, particularly Black women, and expanded what representation looks like when it comes to this genre by giving them permission to see themselves at the center of joyful, sexy, soft, and aspirational love stories. She's assisted in shifting the cultural lens in the genre so that it doesn't depict a narrow image of womanhood. Instead, it's become a space where Black women are seen, desired, and cherished.
So, when I heard she was teaming up with Liquid I.V. to quench our thirst after writing such steamy scenes, I knew I had to chat with her about her writing and the complexities that come with it!
Your protagonists are often professional, ambitious Black women. Was that a conscious response to maybe a lack of what you were already seeing in romance/fiction, or was it just something that you wanted to be the center focus of your stories?
I love that you touched on the theory that Black stories don't sell because it's been proven wrong time and time again. But did it ever deter you from writing Black characters because that notion has been out in the world for so long, or did it only encourage you to write about them more?
Romance often gets dismissed as "light" or "fluffy" — a genre that shouldn't be taken too seriously, but your books have weighty, emotional, and cultural undercurrents. What do you wish more people understood about not only writing love stories, but writing them well?
You've said before that seeing Black women centered in love stories meant everything to you. What does "representation" actually look like to you, beyond just casting or characters?
During the height of dating apps, Black women were viewed as the least desirable and were the least likely to be swiped on. So, can you tell me how you approached writing about Black romance, despite some of the negative realities Black women have experienced with dating?
Okay, let's switch it up a bit. I'm going to give you a scenario, and I want you to give me book recommendations that you think would fit. Someone's going through a really bad breakup, which book or books should they immediately pick up?
What would you recommend to fans of the "fake dating" trope?
If one of your characters could walk off the page and give you dating advice, who would you choose and why?
Lastly, why did you want to partner with Liquid I.V.?
Thank you so much for chatting with me, Jasmine! You were such a delight.
