I make it my business to read queer books every day. Not just in June. I’ve stressed this, often. I don’t focus on June because reading books with queer characters is my every-month, every-year thing. But! I will only give you my queer and queer ONLY for June.
This is my first read by Nikki Clarke and I was pleasantly surprised. Not only did the steam deliver, but the plot was meaningful. Now, keep in mind, I don’t read dark romance (much) I’m not sure if this counts, but tonally? It is an off-black. With past traumas and hell-on-earth flashbacks of their time as slaves, I thought it was dark and heavy. Which, is fine. I often write about the same subjects when talking about vampires. If, I am writing urban fantasy.
Though the topic may be hard to read for some, don’t let that stop you. This is a story of BLACK LOVE and I for one, loved the moments between Noah and Li were cute and sooooo spicy. They served the latter up quick and in a hurry. Coming in at sixty-ish pages, Taste is a shorty but packed with life and love. I adored it and would categorize it as Erotic Romance. Though my knowledge of the subgenre is loose, I read HELLA erotica shorts. I enjoyed the story of everlasting love and vampires. That is my shit! It’s my bread, butter, jam (i hate jelly), and peanut butter! These two gave me fangs and blood in equal doses!
But again, read them Content Warnings! Pleeeeease. There is on- page, blood, memories of murder, and attempted murder. Also, I’m on the fence about the consent. I think Taste is a solid dubcon. I don’t read books with that trope much but I’m sure it fits.
I don’t care what y’all say. We belong in every trope and genre. We should have space in the fictional world. I hate how folks tend to erase our existence. I started reading a certain paranormal series and all the FMCs HAD to be fit and thin to become a mate. This turned me off. Because women come in ALLL shapes and sizes. And they should be represented. As an author, I understand, we are free to write what we want.
I know that.
And as readers, we are free to read (or not) whatever we want.
My issue here is not with the author, it’s with how thin and fat bodies are portrayed. Good vs Evil. It’s absolutely INFURIATING. Please, give me a good reason why. Beyond what others perceive as beautiful and what society has told you is an acceptable physique, why must a character be thin? Why?
This is why we write and are so vocal about body-positive representation. They want us to sit in a corner and be friends who never get the guy/girl/them. They’d rather we stay the funny fat friend and nothing more. I love how self-publishing has given us the freedom to be loud and happy.
Trad pubs hate footing the bill for us. Nowadays, since the movement is over and done (money-wise). They’re back to sneering at fat main characters. Well, I say fuck them and anyone else who thinks we don’t belong in certain genres.
FAT FMCs ARE ALLOWED TO EXIST IN A MIDDLE EARTH-DYSTOPIAN-WESTERN-RGENECY ROMANCE-SEASIDE-SCIFI ALIEN-HORROR BOOKS DAMN IT!
J. T. Frost 