A white water lily flower with yellow stamens on a black background, with a quote about peace in white text.
A logo with black text on the left, a stylized flame icon in gold and orange at the center, and an orange rectangle on the right.
A couple embraces each other inside a wooden gazebo with white curtains, warm lighting, and string lights, during the evening.

THE SLOW BURN LOVE

SERIES

TM

A storytelling series that blends romance, ancestral imprints, and personal development to help Black couples understand each other more deeply and love more gently.

Spirit and Dom

Slow Burn Love Series, Book One

coming 2026

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Black men are often taught to confuse ego with heart—misreading vulnerability as weakness, shutting down when emotions feel too big, or absorbing messages that say Black women are “too much,” unworthy, or only after what someone can provide. Many also inherit scripts that excuse emotional distance, cheating, or control as “just how men are,” which can leave Black women carrying the weight of the relationship while being blamed for its cracks.

Conversely, Black women are often taught something different but just as damaging: to be endlessly strong, the most capable in every room, and to push through pain instead of honoring our feelings. That pressure spills into our relationships, where we may compete with partners, choose people who cannot meet our emotional depth, or swing toward codependency in search of safety. Another heavy script tells us we must be “ride or die” no matter what—that loyalty means tolerating disrespect, scarcity, or emotional neglect as long as the relationship survives.

The Slow Burn Love creative exists because these lies have done enough damage. Its mission is to use fictional romantic stories to unpack the wounds, misunderstandings, and stereotypes that sit between us, and to imagine gentler, truer ways of loving each other. Alongside the stories, a companion podcast will explore the Slow Burn Love series, their books, the dynamics between the couples, inviting the community into conversation, reflection, and critical thinking for collective healing.

MEET OUR FIRST COUPLE FROM THE SLOW BURN LOVE SERIES

SPIRIT AND DOM

©

A Romance of Rhythm, Fire, and Healing  

When a scandal costs Dr. Spirit Angela Davis her career, she retreats into isolation—until an impulsive social media post leads her to join old friends on a four-day House music glamping trip. Instead of reunion, she finds herself scapegoated once again and pushed to the margins.  

Alone by the bonfire, Spirit is saved from being burned by Dom—a stranger with a commanding presence and a tender soul. What begins as playful banter during a House Music Glamping trip evolves into a weekend of laughter, vulnerability, and sensual discovery. Spirit learns to release her role as rescuer, to finally allow herself to be loved without martyrdom. But on the final day, Spirit must decide whether to retreat into old wounds or embrace a new rhythm of trust.  Spirit and Dom celebrates Black joy, ancestry, and the redemptive power of love that is earned, not borrowed. 


“The right one won’t ask you to shrink your history; they’ll learn it like a language.”

“A healthy love takes its time—healing old wounds, learning new softness, and turning quiet moments into forever.”

The Slow Burn Love Series

Book 1

Spirit and Dom

Coming 2026

Book cover titled 'Spirit & Mom' by Melissa Pozio, with a night scene featuring a river, tents decorated with string lights, a picnic table with a 'MOM' mug and a blanket, and a starry sky.


Foreword

Spirit and Dom celebrates the brilliance and endurance of Black women and the many ways we choose joy, even after life has challenged us. Our stories are often framed through struggle; this one acknowledges that—but follows the glow that comes after triumph. How we are forced to dim ourselves down and told we are too much by society and many times even our own community

Spirit’s journey reflects how many of us grow: not as scapegoats or silent figures, but as women who learn to claim our voice, our boundaries, and our power to create a new story. The backdrop of House music, glamping, and cultural celebration is intentional—it’s how I experience joy in my own life, where rhythm becomes ritual and community becomes sanctuary. For anyone who has ever felt tested or unseen, may this story affirm that your flame is not just something to survive, but a light you can walk by.

Spirit and Dom

were born with two very different hearts—Spirit, born on September 28, is pulled toward lightness and invitation, while Dom, born on January 19, is built for endurance and caution—and their connection is all about learning how to hold both. Spirit is the devoted perfectionist who craves emotional security, honesty, and harmony. Dom is the structured visionary who shows love through consistency, protection, and long-term commitment, but he also needs mental space and freedom to breathe.

Together, they create a serious, sensual, slow-burn bond built on shared values, respect, and a deep desire to grow—individually and as a couple. They challenge each other: her need for reassurance meets his need for distance, their arguments expose old wounds, and yet the same magnetic pull keeps drawing them back. When they choose to communicate clearly, honor both “together time” and “solo time,” and protect the love they’re building, Spirit and Dom become exactly what Slow Burn Love is about: grown, intentional partnership that turns tension into transformation and passion into something built to last.

“You are a beautiful man, and I am deeply grateful for the care you’ve shown me in such a short time. But I need to be clear: I refuse to become some woman you feel responsible for saving. You deserve someone who can stand beside you whole. And I deserve someone who wants Spirit as she is, not as a problem to solve.”

-Dr Spirit Angela Davis "Free"

A man and woman holding hands outdoors during sunset. The man is wearing a hat, white t-shirt, and has a camera around his neck. The woman is wearing a beige top and ripped denim shorts. They are standing on a dirt path with trees and warm sunlight in the background.

"You’re the kind of woman who holds everybody else together…even when nobody holds you. I just wanted to be able to hold you Spirit. I could see no one was doing that for you. Holding you.

-Dom

MEET THE AUTHOR

MELISSA POZIO

White lotus flower with a yellow center on a black background.

The Slow Burn Starts Here.

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