Welcome to Books By Karlene

During my teenage years, reading Harlequin romance novels inspired me to write stories of my own. As much as I enjoyed escaping into those love stories, I noticed a lack of representation—especially on the book covers. It frustrated me that I couldn’t find many romances featuring women who looked like me. I longed for stories that showed women of color being desired, deeply loved, and receiving the happy endings they deserved.

That desire inspired me to write multicultural romance. I create stories for women who have often felt overlooked or excluded from traditional love stories. It brings me joy when a young girl or woman of color reads one of my books and sees herself included, celebrated, and loved. I didn’t have enough of that representation growing up, and I want my readers to know that beautiful love stories belong to them, too.

I also wanted to give my characters time to experience love and happiness on the page. Too often, I finished a romance novel feeling as though the characters’ happy ending had only just begun—and I wanted more. In my stories, readers get to enjoy the journey of falling in love, the tender moments along the way, and a glimpse of what happiness looks like beyond the final declaration of love.

I’m currently preparing two upcoming releases. Meant to Be Yours brings together Angelo from The Eklypse Club Series and Iris from No Ordinary Girl 2: The Sweetest Surprise in an emotional second-chance romance. I’m also preparing Playing to Win, the second book in my Country Meets City Romance series. In the meantime, readers can explore my published romances, including The Eklypse Club Series, the No Ordinary Girl books, and The Sweetest Encounter. You can also discover A Jamerican Dream, a coming-of-age story set in Jamaica and New York City, available in digital and print editions.

Thank you for reading my stories and supporting my journey as an author. Your feedback is always important to me. I love hearing which characters touched your heart, whose story you would like to read next, and what you hope to experience in a future Books By Karlene romance.