Pride in pain

July is Disability Pride Month

I’ve been in pain every day since I was 22.
Not metaphorical pain. Not heartbreak (though I’ve had that too).
Physical, body-hurts-to-breathe kind of pain.

It’s invisible.
Which means I’ve learned to smile while it screams. To teach. To write. To show up with a laugh and a line break. My baseline pain level is what most people would call “curled up in a ball.” And yes—I’ve tried it all: surgeries, therapies, acupuncture, breathing techniques, green smoothies, vibes.

And I still hurt.
Every day.

So what does it mean to claim pride in that? What does Disability Pride Month look like when your disabilities don’t show up on X-rays or parking placards?

For me, it looks like this:

• Letting myself rest without guilt.

• Writing characters who deserve love as they are.

• Refusing to hustle for worthiness.

• Taking breaks without apology.

• Staying soft even when it hurts.

Disability Pride isn’t about pretending it’s easy. It’s about telling the truth—and still choosing joy, still choosing to write stories where love is possible for all of us.

So in honor of the month—and the body I’m still learning to love—I want to recommend a few romances from my TBR that make space for disability, chronic illness, neurodivergence.

That Kind of Guy (Ravenswood, Book 3) by Talia Hibbert, narrated by Rupert Channing

Reel (Hollywood Renaissance, Book 1) by Kennedy Ryan; narrated by Eboni Flower, Jakobi Diem, and Nicole Small

With You Forever (Bergman Brothers Series, Book 4) by Chloe Liese, narrated by CJ Bloom and Nelson Hobbs