The Celebrity Romance

The intrigue of the entertainment industry, Q&A with author of No Ordinary Love Myah Ariel, and more.

Issue Three - April 2025

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Photo by Justin Groep on Unsplash

Spectrum of Stories

Looking for new reads in the genre? Here’s what’s coming up. Not at all an exhaustive list. If you have an upcoming release, feel free to shoot the details over to me at loveinfullcolorsubstack@gmail.com.

Flirting Lessons, Jasmine Guillory

No Ordinary Love, Myah Ariel

Unlikely Neighbors, Renee Daniel Flagier

Steamy On Set, D.S. Walls

Ms. V’s Hotgirl Summer, A.H. Cunningham

The Defiant Queen, L.R. Jackson

Color Theory

Well before the stan culture of celebrity, when there was still a hint of mystique and privacy, many of us wondered what it would be like if our regular world collided with that of an entertainer or a sports player. I grew up in Philadelphia when AI was still playing and I’m not talking about artificial intelligence, I’m talking about Allen Iverson. That was a highly coveted man, you hear me? This secret or not so secret desire, depending on who you talk to, is normally what draws us to the celebrity romance whether in books, television or film.

In my debut, Good Morning, Love, although Carli is in pursuit of her own writing career, her path leads her to Tau Anderson who is a popular R&B star. Normal girl, superstar boy. The dynamic is ripe for conflict. The "normal person meets celebrity" dynamic, can create a power imbalance that must be overcome which gives a story great momentum.

Tau wants Carli to be able to move on a whim, but she has a whole career to think about. We often wonder why entertainers seemingly partner with people who may not have a lot going on, in our opinion, but the availability factor is real. The idea of a relationship between them has real life implications for Carli that don’t impact Tau the same way.

There’s tons of obstacles to think about in this story trope. Navigating fame, privacy issues, and media attention. It’s difficult to have a private life as a celebrity, and building a new relationship without your proverbial spot being blown up is harder than one can imagine. All this weight on a connection that is only beginning to blossom can cause an inordinate amount of stress.

A beautiful theme that we get to explore here is the contrast between public personas and authentic private selves. Celebrities have to put on a character any time they’re in public, but who are they really? When the cameras are down, and the shades are drawn, how do they show up in their real lives? Tau is dealing with an immense family emergency, but is still expected to show up in the fullness of his celebrity.

Also, particularly as writers centering Black stories, we get to explore how fame intersects with racial identity (code-switching, authenticity). With entertainment being one of the first real careers for Black people outside of maids, drivers, etc., there is a long history of exploitation of Black talent that still exists in the present day. As writers, we get to dig into this with our characters and show how they’re balancing cultural relevance with their outward success.

You can see how it’s an easy trope to pick because there’s lots to explore. So no matter how many books or films we think have the same themes, there is so much nuance to this particular dynamic. Readers will continue to want to live vicariously through the regular Jane or John Doe who meets this larger than life figure and sweeps them off their feet.

Portrait Gallery

An intimate conversation with authors about their writing process, influences, and vision for Black romance.

In this month’s newsletter, we’re excited to have caught up with Myah Ariel, author of No Ordinary Love where we meet fictional popstar Ella Simone. Her journey navigating her divorce from a renowned music producer leads her to a strategic relationship with Miles Westbrook, MLB’s most eligible player after their chance meeting at an award show that involved a wardrobe malfunction.

As we love in the fake dating relationship scenario, the lines begin to blur, and it becomes hard for Ella to tell the truth of their new feelings vs. the fantasy they’ve sold. No Ordinary Love blends together both celebrity romance and fake dating to create a dynamic and page-turning love story. Here in our Portrait Gallery, we caught up with Ariel over email, where she discusses the veneer of celebrity, the struggles of women in the entertainment industry, and the film she wishes she could experience for the first time.

Miles and Ella come from different celebrity worlds - what interesting dynamics did this allow you to explore in their relationship?

I love this question! First, I wanted to explore the notion of two people falling in love under public scrutiny who also happen to both be healing from very personal heartbreak. And because of their respective careers, hers in music and his in baseball, they are used to keeping up appearances for crowds and showing up as their best selves. But in each other, they are able to recognize a deep sense of longing— a need to feel protected in ways they haven’t been in the past. Through their bond, I get to explore themes of sensuality, family dynamics, being Black and multi-racial in the public eye, friendships and more.

The novel seems to explore themes of authenticity versus performance - was this intentional, and what drew you to this theme?

This was absolutely intentional and a core message of the book. The veneer of “celebrity” can often mask the fact that there are real people, with insecurities, doubts, expectations, and all the other things that make us human beneath the glitz and glamour. With this book I wanted to peel back that exterior varnish and illustrate the most relatable aspects of our main characters—things like Ella and Miles striving for that elusive work/life balance, healing from betrayal and heartbreak, and navigating complex family relationships. With both of my books so far, I’m interested in the Hollywood setting, but mostly the human aspects of the people that make this town tick.

How did you approach writing a character who is simultaneously powerful in her career yet vulnerable in her personal life?

Ella’s character draws inspiration from many of the particularly Black female artists that are referenced in the book— artists like Tina Turner and Mariah Carey who detailed her professional and romantic experiences in her memoir. And we’ve seen other female recording artists like Jojo and even Taylor Swift who have had to go to great lengths to exert ownership of their music after years of making money for their labels. And we know the struggle is exacerbated for artists of color. So I wanted to tap into the reality of what the industry has been for decades. As for Ella’s personal life, it goes back to my desire to humanize and ground her as a character with hopes and desires and needs that had been neglected for so long. She’s on a path to opening herself up to receive all the things she’s been waiting for.

Which scene from No Ordinary Love was the most emotionally satisfying to write, and why?

I think it would be the first kiss scene during the video shoot with Ella and Miles on the roof top. This scene was inspired by Mariah Carey’s song The Roof and without spoiling too much, there is a moment of hesitation where one of the side characters asks “What about Elliot?” In reference to Ella’s estranged and soon to be ex-husband. Ella’s response of “He’s not here!” is an early sign of her breaking free of the hold that he’s had on her for so many years and her stepping into the new, liberated version of herself. I loved writing it.

Name a Black romance (book, film, or TV show) that you wish you could experience again for the first time – what makes it special?

If I could go back and watch Love & Basketball in a movie theater for the first time again, I would do it in a heartbeat. For me, this is a classic film period—not even relegating it within the romance genre. But specifically, the communal theatrical experience, the gasps, laughs, and applause during that final one on one basketball scene… I get chills just thinking about it. That’s what movies are supposed to accomplish for their audiences.

If you had to finish the line Black Love is ... what would you say?

Black love is resilience personified.

Full Spectrum Pairings

We have seen the intersection of entertainment and real life in films like Beyond the Lights directed by one of my personal favorites, Gina Prince-Bythewood. Noni (Mugu Mbatha Raw) is a chart-topping pop artist that is deeply sad and depressed, and almost takes her own life until she is saved by police officer and future political candidate Kaz Nicol (Nate Parker).

In this collision, we get all of the good conflict that results in these stories. Who Noni is onscreen vs. who she really wants to be. She wants to write her own songs and sing Nina Simone, yet her pushy mother Macy Jean (Minnie Driver) keeps her going at an impossible pace ignoring the signs that something serious is breaking down in her daughter. Kaz, with his savior complex whisks, Noni away to Mexico where she sheds her outer persona, but they quickly realize she'll never be able to go back to a “normal” life.

In 2003’s Deliver Us From Eva, we get a glimpse of the fake dating trope when the male love interests of Eva’s (Gabrielle Union) younger sisters enlist Ray (LL Cool J) to date her so that she’ll meddle less in their affairs. While initially it’s a means to an end for Ray, eventually he develops real feelings for Eva but he has to win her trust back.

What are some of your favorite books, films, or television shows that include celebrity romance and/or fake dating? Points for both.

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