Black Love Matters: Real Talk on Romance, Being Seen, and Happily Ever After

This is not entirely an academic book, but it includes some essays by academics (half of whom are also romance authors) as well as authors (in which respect it's similar to Dangerous Men and Adventurous Women).

I've given individual entries to chapters which seemed more academic in their approach/are by academics and/or discussed research or teaching. Where a tag used for one of these entries applies primarily to it and not to other entries in the collection, I've not included it in the tags for the book as a whole.

Here's the abstract:

Romantic love has been one of the most essential elements of storytelling for centuries. But for Black people in the United States and across the diaspora, it hasn’t often been easy to find Black romance joyfully showcased in entertainment media. In this collection, revered authors and sparkling newcomers, librarians and academicians, and avid readers and reviewers consider the mirrors and windows into Black love as it is depicted in the novels, television shows, and films that have shaped their own stories. Whether personal reflection or cultural commentary, these essays delve into Black love now and in the past, including topics from the history of Black romance to social justice and the Black community to the meaning of desire and desirability. 
 
Exploring the multifaceted ways love is seen—and the ways it isn’t—this diverse array of Black voices collectively shines a light on the power of crafting happy endings for Black lovers. 

Here's the list of contents. Essays with individual entries are in bold:

Introduction - Jessica P. Pryde

A Short History of African American Romance - Beverly Jenkins

Imprint - Allie Parker

I'm Rooting for Everybody Black: Black Solidarity, Black World-Building, and Black Love - Carole V. Bell

Finding Queer Black Women in Romance. Finding Bits and Pieces of Me - Nicole M. Jackson

Writing in the Gaps: Black Latinx in Romance - Adriana Herrera

How a Black Author Found Her Romance History - Margo Hendricks

Food of Love - Jasmine Guillory

Black Cultural Studies and Black Love: Why Black Love Matters - Julie E. Moody Freeman

Please, Sir, Can I Have More: How Bread Crumbs of Queer Characters in Entertainment Helped Me Establish My On Sense of Self -  Kosoko Jackson

In Search of the Black Historical Hottie Hero: The Sad Situation of the Black Hero in Historical Romance - Piper Huguley

Interracial Romance and the Single Story - Jessica P. Pryde

Romance Has Broken My Dichotomous Key - Sarah Hannah Gómez

(Black) Love Is ... (Black) Love Ain't - Da'Shaun Harrison

Black Indie Romance - Christina C. Jones

"We've been doing this a long-ass time": A Postscript