Culture Lit

Your heart isn’t broken. It’s just tired — and tired has a reading list. This week on Culture Lit, Octavia shares 10 Black romance novels for healing your heart — stories where Black women are cherished, chosen, and loved well. From Kennedy Ryan’s new release Score to modern classics by Tia Williams, this is the soft-era reading list for anyone running on empty. Healing here doesn’t mean heavy. It...

The visibility gap is real — and it's costing us. You're showing up. You're posting. You're creating. And somehow you still feel like nobody actually knows you exist. In this episode, Octavia pulls from her 20+ years in PR — spanning the NBA, Fortune 500 companies, music, film, and TV — to give you something the industry never made accessible to us: a real breakdown of how visibility actually work...

Some seasons feel dim. Not broken — just quiet. Like the thing that used to light you up has gone somewhere you can't quite reach. That's where Octavia has been. And in this episode, she gets honest about coming out of a season that knocked her sideways — physically, emotionally, all of it. She talks about what it really means to lose your spark, why it happens to women who are doing everything ri...

What if your body already knew the truth — before the doctors, before the diagnosis, before the breakdown — and you just weren't listening? In this episode, Octavia sits down with psychic medium, astrologer, Human Design expert, and author Aycee Brown to talk about her debut book Embody Your Magic (HarperOne, 2026). What starts as a deep dive into spiritual tools becomes one of the most personal c...

Octavia Marie talks with Jaquel, a prolific author in Black romance. They discuss Jaquel's extensive literary universe, the personal connections readers have with her work, and the dynamics of her characters, particularly in her latest release, Heart of a Goon. The conversation delves into reader reactions, character development, and the marketing strategies that have contributed to Jaquel's succe...

Octavia Marie gets into what it actually means to take up space — not just in a room, but in the life you're building. Taking up space means letting your dreams have room, saying yes to what lights you up, and holding the line on your time and energy. And sometimes it means turning to stories when the world gets heavy. Books Mentioned Kin by Tayari Jones Beautiful Broken Love by Shanora Williams O...

This episode is a look into Kristina Forest's beloved series: The Neighbor Favor, The Partner Plot, and The Love Lyric. Three sisters. Three completely different love stories. One beautifully layered portrait of Black women navigating ambition, family, and modern romance without apologizing for any of it. Octavia breaks down all three books — Lily's sweet, bookish pen-pals romance, Violet's crackl...

What would you do if you woke up one day and decided to leave everything behind—your city, your career, your entire life as you knew it—and move to a country you'd never even visited? That's exactly what Diamond Polk did. And she's never looked back. Diamond is a former Los Angeles realtor, a USC grad, a single mom, and now a relocation guide helping women move from the United States to Mexico. Bu...

What if the soft life isn't about luxury at all? What if it's about survival? In this episode I explore the soft life as a practice of safety, resistance, and self-preservation for Black women — and why choosing ease is one of the most radical acts we can make. I'm unpacking why softness feels so dangerous for Black women, exploring the cultural conditioning that taught us to perform strength at a...

What happens when a young Black editor walks away from the glossy magazine world to save a struggling hip hop publication? Everything. In this episode, I'm talking about into If I Ruled the World by Amy DuBois Barnett—a novel that took me straight back to 1999 and the era that shaped so much of who we are. This isn't romance, but it's absolutely about Black women finding their voice, claiming thei...

What happens when the romance books your teen loves don't feature characters who look like them? This episode is a love letter to young Black girls who deserve to see themselves as the heroine—not the sidekick. Octavia Marie shares seven powerful Black YA romance novels that center Black teens in stories of love, identity, and self-discovery. Find this and other recommendations at The CultureLit o...

What if you approached your life the way romance heroines approach love — with clear standards, unwavering belief in your worth, and refusal to settle? In this episode, Octavia Marie breaks down how to create a vision board that actually works, using principles from Genevieve Behrend's 1921 classic "Your Invisible Power." Learn the five intentions that are guiding 2026, example affirmations that f...

Sometimes your heart knows what to do before your mind catches up. In this deeply personal episode, Octavia is opening up about her wellness journey post-cancer, the messy politics of health in 2026, and why choosing joy through romance novels is actually revolutionary. Octavia shares what she learned during three months in Portugal, how therapy helped her silence her inner critic, and why she's s...

Curl up with your favorite blanket, sis — this one's for your holiday TBR. In this cozy episode of Culture Lit, Octavia Marie shares a curated list of Black Christmas romance novels that bring all the festive vibes: forced proximity, fake dating, second chances, bookstore magic, royal romance, and big feelings wrapped in twinkling lights. If the holidays feel hectic, consider this your invitation...

In this engaging conversation, Octavia Marie interviews Jaquel, a prolific author in the Black romance genre. They discuss Jaquel's extensive literary universe, the personal connections readers have with her work, and the dynamics of her characters, particularly in her latest release, 'Heart of a Goon.' The conversation delves into reader reactions, character development, and the marketing strateg...

In this episode, Octavia breaks down exactly what makes sports romance so emotionally compelling — the high stakes, the public vs. private dynamic, the discipline that becomes devotion, and the sense of community that makes these stories feel like home. And because representation matters, Octavia is spotlighting the brilliance of Black sports romance and the authors who bring cultural nuance to ev...

After a hiatus filled with international exploration and life-changing decisions, Octavia returns to share why she disappeared—and what happened when she spent 60 days living in Portugal as a 54-year-old cancer survivor testing what international life could look like. Recording from the Algarve region, she opens up about her 8-year dream of exploring life abroad, how a stage 3 colorectal cancer di...

Octavia shares a moment of pure alignment - discovering Tracee Ellis Ross's solo travel series while living her own Portuguese adventure. This episode is about the courage to travel alone, living fully at any age, and trusting that your dreams don't have expiration dates. Plus, an emotional deep-dive into "August Lane" by Regina Black - a devastating and beautiful second-chance romance set in the...

As you may know, I've had to start over at the age of 54 and I want to share something that's been on my heart. Today, I want to delve into the profound impact of storytelling and the many ways that the stories we talk about here shape our culture. Your story might be the most radical thing you've been keeping to yourself. We know resilience, we know authenticity, and we know how to live. What is...

If you enjoyed "Ella Gets the D," "Miles Apart," or "The Seven Month Itch," by Tanvier Peart. In this episode, we sit down with Tanvier Peart, indie romance author and creator of Tender Offer, to explore Madison’s unforgettable redemption arc. Once considered the villain in The Seven-Month Itch, Madison’s full-circle journey reveals the messy, layered beauty of second chances, knowing your worth,...

Today I bring you my top reads so far of 2025! The struggle was real trying to narrow this list down. What I love about this collection is the variety. We've got traditional publishers, indie authors, different sub genres, characters at various life stages, young adult and adult romance. This is what Black Romance is all about, showing the full spectrum of our love stories. Church Girl by Naima Si...

One of my newest favorite authors is Danielle Allen, author of "Curvy Girl Summer," among many other titles. Danielle is a life and relationship coach and her insights into the dynamics of healthy relationships shine through in the way she writes her characters and their interactions. It is very important to her that her characters are loved as they are, and that they interact with each other in a...

I'm coming to you from Puerto Vallarta on a solo adventure to talk about self-discovery and treating yourself. If it's been a while since you've done something solo or you've been feeling a little anxious or hesitant about taking yourself on a date or planning a solo trip, I hope this episode will be the gentle nudge you need to push you past that hesitation and do the damn thing. There are some e...

Today I'll be focusing on themes of healing, self-love, and resilience inspired by my personal journey over the last two and a half years. I delve into Kennedy Ryan's novel 'Can't Get Enough,' the final installment in the Skyland series, highlighting its portrayal of black love, complex family dynamics, and authentic representation of a plus-sized, confident heroine, Hendrix Barry. Through the len...

Join host Octavia Marie as she welcomes award-winning romance author LaQuette to discuss her latest book, 'Royal Bride Demand.' Dive into black love, legacy, sisterhood, and the balance of modern and royal life through the eyes of a Brooklyn billionaire. LaQuette shares her journey from indie to traditional publishing, creating complex black characters, and navigating the publishing world as a bla...