Diversity in Romance
2:15 PM - 3:00 PM
Sunday, November 17
Kirkus Tent
Fake relationships, hidden pasts, and irresistible chemistry: these two novels are reigniting the romance genre with diverse and refreshing perspectives. In The Next Best Fling, Gabriella Gamez tells the story of a heartbroken Latina librarian who watches the love of her life marry someone else—only to find herself in the arms of his irresistible, ex-NFL brother. Meanwhile, Nikki Payne's Sex, Lies, and Sensibility gives an Austen classic a modern twist, set in rural Maine, where a former Black college track star teams up with her sister and a stoic Abenaki tour guide to restore a rundown inn. Both authors bring fresh voices to the romance genre, highlighting BIPOC representation while crafting stories that explore love, heartbreak, and the complexity of relationships.
- Books: The Next Best Fling, Sex, Lies and Sensibility
- Book Type: Fiction
- Authors: Gabriella Gamez, Nikki Payne
- Moderator: Melissa Saavedra
- Book Signing: 3:15 PM at Main Signing Tent