Did you know that romance novels generate over $1.4 billion in revenue--making romance the highest earning genre of fiction?  Romance novels sold more than 39 million print copies in 2023, which represents a 52% increase over the previous year.  Sales of romance novels MORE THAN DOUBLED over 2021 sales, and last year was the third consecutive year of increasing romance sales.  Meaning: romance readers, we know you're out there, and we've got the book club for you!

Join Julie Iatron, Reference and Readers Services' Librarian AND romance devotee, for our innaugural meeting of "Between the Sheets: A Romance Book Group."  We'll gather on Tuesday, June 11th at 6:30 PM in the conference room to discuss "Sex, Lies, and Sensibility" by Nikki Payne.  Nikki describes herself as "Jane Austen's Sassy Black Friend."  She is an anthropologist and romance author who writes modern adaptations of classic novels, placing her characters into new environments and cultures.  In this contemporary diverse retelling of Jane Austen's "Sense and Sensibility," two sisters find themselves and find love in the rustic beauty of Maine. 

"There’s never a good time to learn you’re your father’s secret second family—especially not at the reading of the will. To add insult to injury, Nora’s racy leaked videos just went viral. Nora Dash has got no reputation, no dad, and only a forgotten beach house in rural Maine to her name. There are no other Black people for miles, the place is abandoned, but at least no one will recognize her O face in the backwoods. She and her free-spirited sister Yanne haven’t even knocked the traveling dust off last season’s designer boots when the first problem pops up: a fake park ranger giving tours of their property like it’s his own—and he’s hotter than the local lobster boil.

Ennis “Bear” Freeman is used to people showing up unannounced on his land. So when a beautiful city girl shows up with the deed to his unofficial headquarters in one manicured hand, he gives it a week before their whole crew packs up and leaves. But it isn’t long before they find out they work better together than apart. To his surprise, Nora’s damned good for Bear’s business, and his own secrets might turn out to be the thing that sends them packing."

Join Julie to unpack this spicy "Sense and Sensibility" retelling and talk characters, happily ever afters (or happily for now), and alllllll the romance tropes!  Copies of "Sex, Lies, and Sensibility" are available at the Borrower Services desk.  For more information or questions, email jiatron@chelmsfordlibrary.org.  See you on June 11th at 6:30 PM!