Native Love Jams

Anishinaabe author Hart (Gidjie and the Wolves) turns from middle grade to adult romance with this sweet, slim volume about two Native foodies finding each other. Jam-maker and chef Winnow Hart has taken some blows recently, including a broken engagement and someone vandalizing her commercial kitchen. She heads to the northern Minnesota hamlet of Rainy Bay to forage and cook for an Indigenous food festival, hoping to get her groove back. Fellow festival employee Niigaanii has long been a fan of Winnow’s jams but, not realizing whom she is at first, the two clash. Before the start of the book, Winnow’s ex-fiancé framed Niigaanii for vandalism, landing him in prison, and he takes out his resentment on Winnow—until he learns who she is, that she’s broken up with her fiancé, and that they actually have a lot in common. The pair build a believable rapport, but their slowly growing connection reads more like friendship than romance. The flirtation is mild and things stay strictly PG, despite a laugh-out-loud scene in which Winnow has a full conversation with a dildo she’s named Peter. Hart stands out in her sensitive portrayal of characters from many Indigenous nations, an underrepresented group in contemporary romance. Readers seeking gentle plotting and Native inclusivity will find plenty to enjoy. (Self-published)