Tembe Denton-Hurst on Hinge's 'No Ordinary

Dating app Hinge has launched a new audiobook series titled 'No Ordinary Love.' The project features five real-life love stories written and read by a roster of authors. It is available to listen to on Spotify or Substack.

The series spotlights the importance of taking risks and expressing feelings in early dating. One story is by author Tembe Denton-Hurst, known for her 2023 novel 'Homebodies.' Her contribution, 'The Week We Were Friends,' follows the real Hinge couple Isabella and Rebecca.

Denton-Hurst discussed the project with writer Sasha Bonét in an interview for Dazed. They explored themes of uncertainty and bravery in love.

The Stories in the Audiobook

The 'No Ordinary Love' audiobook contains five stories from different writers. Each focuses on a genuine couple who met through the app. You can find more about creative partnerships on our fixtures page.

Denton-Hurst on Romance and Risk

Denton-Hurst's story examines a tense week where Isabella considered breaking up with Rebecca. The couple navigated a 'grey liminal space' between friendship and romance. Denton-Hurst said she was drawn to this 'quiet pause.'

"I do think that with love, especially early love, there is so much nuance," Denton-Hurst told Bonét. "I don’t know that we really talk about the quieter pauses so much." She was moved by the care the two strangers showed each other despite owing nothing. Bonét agreed, contrasting it with the modern 'era of ghosting.'

When asked about bravery in love, Denton-Hurst pointed to commitment. She has been with her wife since she was 18. "It’s very brave in a lot of ways to make something concrete in those very young stages of your life," she said.

Bonét on Instinct and Vulnerability

Sasha Bonét, who teaches nonfiction, linked creative and emotional risk. She advises her students to lean into fear. "I always encourage my students to go exactly where they are running from," Bonét stated. "If you feel a lot of fear in writing about something, you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be."

She connected this to her current relationship, which she called one of the scariest things she's done. Bravery, for her, means vocalizing hard things. "Being able to take the risk in being vulnerable and sharing things with my boyfriend," she explained.

The conversation turned to why people crave certainty in dating. Denton-Hurst suggested it's a desire for an 'insurance policy' against hurt. "To love is to be vulnerable, and to be vulnerable is to expose the softest parts of yourself," she said.

Trusting the Process

Both writers discussed trusting instinct when the end is unclear. Denton-Hurst described a persistent, almost compulsive drive to write a story. "It just kind of is, and then you just keep going and going," she said.

Bonét framed it as a core belief, especially as a Black woman. "I was raised to believe that you always trust your instincts. That your instincts are all you have," she noted. She said an idea pursues her until she can no longer avoid it. "It’s funny, because I’m just realising as I’m speaking that that’s also how it is in my relationships."

The interview concluded with Bonét praising Denton-Hurst's admiration for 'The Waterbearers,' which Denton-Hurst called the most important book published in the last five years. For more insights into narrative structure, check our stats page.