Yes, yes, yes Natalie!! I'm so grateful to you for writing this piece and Chelsey for hosting it. I remember vividly the bookstagram community's discussions in 2018 around these books and the massive way they sparked conversations about representation AND mainstreaming of the genre. Those discussions seem quaint to me now, but also were vital and I'm happy to have been a part of them way back in the day ;-) I think I also mentioned in your piece this week, Natalie, that books like The Wedding Date may have been labeled "chick lit" in the past and now owned their romance labels.
I started reading Jasmine Guillory during early lockdown days in 2020 and I always say her books provided some light in my life! I never stopped reading romance but I certainly started reading them more again in the last 5 years.
Yes, yes, yes Natalie!! I'm so grateful to you for writing this piece and Chelsey for hosting it. I remember vividly the bookstagram community's discussions in 2018 around these books and the massive way they sparked conversations about representation AND mainstreaming of the genre. Those discussions seem quaint to me now, but also were vital and I'm happy to have been a part of them way back in the day ;-) I think I also mentioned in your piece this week, Natalie, that books like The Wedding Date may have been labeled "chick lit" in the past and now owned their romance labels.
I started reading Jasmine Guillory during early lockdown days in 2020 and I always say her books provided some light in my life! I never stopped reading romance but I certainly started reading them more again in the last 5 years.
I loved this piece! I am one of those readers who got into romance through Jasmine Guillory.