by Jen Moyers (@jenlovesbooks)
One of our Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge categories this year is "Romance featuring a character with a disability." This area of representation is one I've seen increasing awareness about, and there are more and more options being published . . . but sometimes, I still have to be deliberate in looking for books that qualify.
At any rate, here are some options for meeting the category that I would recommend!
I'm going to start with some authors whose work consistently features characters with disabilities.
Talia Hibbert
We've talked about Hibbert on the podcast and the blog so much—she's a favorite. She writes amazing, vivid characters and is great at disability representation in romance. (Many of her novels also include representations of characters with neurodivergence.) I would recommend starting with Hibbert's Brown Sisters series: books 1, Get a Life, Chloe Brown (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), and 3, Act Your Age, Eve Brown (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), would both fit this category. Her books are fun and steamy (very open door!), and they're always high on our list of recommendations.
Helen Hoang
Like Hibbert's Brown Sisters series, Hoang's Kiss Quotient trilogy all fit this category and the category for characters with neurodivergence. These open-door romances run the gamut from light and fun to complete tear jerkers, but they're all so wonderful, with vivid, complex characters and strong representation. You can't go wrong with any of the three: The Kiss Quotient (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), The Bride Test (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), or The Heart Principle (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm). And check out our episode about The Heart Principle here.
Chloe Liese
Liese—whose book Two Wrongs Make a Right (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) is our Book Club pick this month—includes characters with disabilities in nearly every book. As someone with a disability herself, Liese has strong convictions about writing romance that represents all types of people. (Many of her books would also meet the category "Book about someone with neurodivergence.") The seven, open-door romances in her Bergman Brothers series all qualify, and I'd recommend beginning at book one, with Only When It's Us (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm). This enemies-to-lovers romance features a Deaf male protagonist, Ryder Bergman, who introduces us to the family.
Jean Meltzer
I've read three of Jean Meltzer's romances (I haven't gotten to her 2024 book yet!), and those three all include characters with disabilities. InThe Matzah Ball (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), which we covered on the podcast (here!), protagonist Rachel has myalgic encephalomyelitis (commonly known as chronic fatigue syndrome); in Mr. Perfect on Paper (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), Dara lives with generalized anxiety disorder; and in Kissing Kosher (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), Avital is dealing with chronic pelvic pain. All three books also feature Jewish characters, and all three have wonderfully comic moments amidst some dreamy romance.
Here are some additional titles to check out!
Alison Cochrun's The Charm Offensive
Alison Cochrun's The Charm Offensive (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) is SUCH a lovely, sensitive romance, centered on two seemingly complete opposites: Dev works behind the scenes on the dating reality show Ever After, coaching the female contestants, and has just broken up with his long-time boyfriend who also works on the show(!), and Charlie is the "prince" setting out to find his "princess." But Charlie isn't the typical romantic lead the show is looking for: he's awkward and anxious and needs a LOT of coaching . . . so the show's creator assigns Dev to work with Charlie.
It's no surprise that their relationship begins with coaching and develops into something else. Dev and Charlie have to navigate some major trust issues, Charlie's anxiety, and Dev's inability to be vulnerable, along with—of course—the fact that it's Dev's job to find a good female match for Charlie.
Roni Loren's Yes & I Love You
Roni Loren’s Yes & I Love You (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) is such a brilliant surprise of a novel. It’s a romance with steam, with heart, and with some brilliant characters—I couldn’t put it down.
Hollyn forces herself to go to the office every day. She makes her way through the crowded main floor, grits her teeth through her daily coffee order, and then flees to her office, where she stays in safety until it’s time to go home. Her therapist insists that it’s important for Hollyn to be around people, to work through the social anxiety that has plagued her since she was small, when she was the subject of bullying because of her Tourette’s syndrome.
Generally, she’s able to abide by the letter of her therapist’s advice without actually diving into the spirit of it: she doesn’t really interact with anyone. Instead, she dedicates herself to her written persona, Miz Poppy, a vibrant—and hilarious—entertainment critic whose witticisms shine as long as Hollyn can write them. Until Jasper.Â
Jasper has returned to New Orleans after a failure in Hollywood. He and his improv partner (and girlfriend) took their shot. She rose to success. He did not. So, he’s back in New Orleans in the hopes that the improv group he abandoned on the cusp of their big break will take him back.
These descriptions cover only the most surface elements of Hollyn and Jasper because Loren here has created real, nuanced individuals who change through the narrative as their growing relationship pushes each of them. There are new friends and some fake dating, steamy sex and sweet conversations, uncomfortable moments and times that each shines. As they reveal their full histories to each other, they also learn to work through their insecurities and to support the other through the worst of theirs.
Tia Williams's Seven Days in June
Tia Williams's Seven Days in June (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) is a multi-layered romance novel. I loved the deep backstory that Williams provides for main characters Eva and Shane; the great relationship between Eva and her daughter; and the fact that both characters are writers whose books are at the center of their story.
It was also fun to see Eva, who writes paranormal romance, take on the prejudices against the genre, and the subplot contrasting the reception of Shane's work with Eva's is just great. There are also tons of literary events—parties and conferences and panels—through the book, which were a great glimpse into the life of writers.
Williams provides a realistic portrayal of the impact of Shane's addiction on his life and his relationship with Eva, and the way that Shane has tried to mentor other young people, to help them avoid the experiences he went through, is powerful. Eva experiences chronic migraines, and watching her navigate their effect on her life and career is powerful.
This is an open-door romance novel, so there's plenty of steam, but's all grounded in the long-term relationship between these characters.
And just a few more!
Alyssa Cole's Can't Escape Love
Cole's Reluctant Royals series is delightful, and this novella, Can't Escape Love (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), is no exception. It's about a businesswoman, Regina Hobbs, and a live streamer, Gustave Nguyen. Both characters are neurodiverse, and Regina is in a wheelchair. The plot centers on the creation of an escape room themed around a romance anime—so much fun!
Penny Reid's Beard in Mind
Penny Reid is an auto-read author for me, and her Winston Brothers series is among my favorites. Book 4, Beard in Mind (Libro.fm), centers on Beau Winston and mechanic Shelly Sullivan, who lives with OCD. These open-door romances are all fun and funny, but they're also anchored in family and a small-town vibe.
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