As spring winds down and the heat of summer looms on the horizon, romance novels beckon. After all, things are heating up, and your bookshelves might as well follow suit! It’s also Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and there are tons of compelling romance novels by AAPI authors hitting the shelves. The types of romance reads available are as diverse as the cultures and peoples lumped together by the somewhat arbitrary label “AAPI” . In other words, AAPI romance is a rich literary landscape with something to offer for every reader. Some of these AAPI romance novels center on cultural traditions or are set in AAPI communities. Others depart from our reality altogether to deliver sweeping fantasy landscapes and creatures. Still others merge various aspects of AAPI lived experiences, folklore, and even magic.…