Look, I know I said last week was quiet, and it really wasn’t. This week, it really has been quiet, so let’s look at the big newsmakers that I might have only touched upon last week:
Sponsored by FALLING STAR, a Nashville-set contemporary romance from bestselling author Terri Osburn.
A country star looking for a comeback has one last shot at fame—and maybe one last shot at love.
Naomi Mallard is a fixer by nature. And as PR manager for Nashville’s Shooting Stars record label, she’s facing her biggest fix: redeeming country music bad boy Chance Colburn. Chance has spent his life running from demons and making tabloid headlines that have sent his career into a tailspin. Now he’s struggling to find his muse and maintain his newfound sobriety, all while counting on the woman he once betrayed to repair his tattered reputation.
News
The Romance Writers of America RITA and Golden Heart finalists were announced last week, and while I mentioned them cursorily last week, now we have time and space to discuss it. The first thing I noticed, that many others did as well, was that while there are authors of color on both lists, there are no black authors. Some people, confused after reading some awesome books last year, wondered at that. And I think I can say we were all amazed when authors like BEVERLY FUCKING JENKINS saying she’d never submitted because back in the day, Bozo the Clown would have been named a finalist before she did. I’m sure this would no longer be the case, since, you know, she has a RWA Lifetime Achievement Award. But authors of color who don’t have her name, don’t have her titles, might see the limited number of RITA winners of color as another place where the gate is kept, locked against them. It was mentioned in that same thread that the RITAs could benefit not only from some restructuring, but also from better recruitment practices for the judges. We all know that publishing has a problem when it comes to representation, and it’s not surprising that it’s also trickled down into organizations for people in publishing. This is one of those “I have no solutions, just stating the problem” issues, but if you have thoughts, I’d love to hear them.
Alexis Hall wrote a really good blog post about it, too. (Which resulted in this thought-provoking tweet thread, too.)
And in case you missed it last time, there is a brand new, amazing site created and maintained by queer authors of color. The database alone is amazing for finding new authors to explore, but there are other parts that are definitely going to be awesome to have regular access to. Also, the statement they make on their homepage, which addresses various stakeholders individually, is incredibly powerful.
Deals
RITA nominee Take The Lead is 3.99. If you haven’t read it yet, you should!
Alessandra Torre’s Love, Chloe is 99 cents right now.
A Fashionable Indulgence by KJ Charles is 1.99 through the month. Be forewarned: you will get hooked.
Over on Book Riot
Trisha and I had hella fun talking about indie publishing and some of our favorite new recs on this week’s When In Romance. Also, seriously. Let’s take back that hashtag.
Wondering what you should read next? This quiz is surprisingly helpful.
We’ve still got a giveaway for a $250 Barnes and Noble gift card!
Recs!
This week’s recommendations brought to you in part by People Who Can’t Words. I loved all three of these books in very different ways, but boy, did all six of these people have issues with wordsing.
Hurts to Love You
Alisha Rai
That’s right, y’all. It’s out, and I’m done, and I’m still crying at how beautiful this whole trilogy is. The third installment of the Forbidden Hearts trilogy centers on Gabe, Livvy’s boss at the tattoo parlour and old friend of both sides of the family, and Eve, the youngest member of the Chandler family. Both have family issues up the wazoo, and also have their own opinions on what the other deserves in a mate. Even when they make the decision to try using their words, they end up not doing it right, leaving them with what both thinks is the only option. Which isn’t an option at all.
Overall, a beautiful, melodramatic, conclusion to a magnificent series.
Baby Daddy
Kendall Ryan
This one is definitely a different style, and a different pace. Emmett and Jenna also have trouble wordsing, and we as readers will share a similar kind of frustration as they go through their own stuff. Of course, their stuff is not the stuff of the Chandlers and Kanes. Instead, their stuff is all about sex. Of the baby-making kind. The two get stuck on an elevator when Jenna is on her way to a fertility clinic in Emmett’s building (y’all know how much I love stuck-in-an-elevator stories), and make the outrageous decision to go the old-fashioned route. So these two people, who have only just met, decide to work as hard as humanly possible to get Jenna pregnant, because that’s what she wants, and when it’s done, they’re done. Or at least that’s what they keep telling themselves. Neither’s very happy about it, though.
Cute, frustrating, and a nice introduction to a new-to-me author (though I just read another of her books, Dirty Little Secret, only to discover that it did not stand alone and I was not happy. FYI.)
A Girl Like Her
Talia Hibbert
If you’re at all active on romance twitter, this is a book and a name you might have heard a bit about recently. Talia Hibbert sort of popped up out of nowhere, and she hit the ground running. This was my first book by her, but it will definitely not be the last. In A Girl Like Her, Ruth is the girl that people don’t understand. She’s blunt, she’s forward, and she doesn’t suffer fools. This is, in part, the way that her autism presents itself. Evan is former military (did I mention that he was inspired by that gif of Infinity!Cap walking?) and also has a habit of trying to take care of people like he wishes someone had him when he was younger. How does that play out between the neighbors? Evan can’t stop feeding Ruth, of course.
Seriously, this story is adorable, and heartwarming, and heartbreaking. Read it, and then join me in devouring the rest of her stuff.
New and Upcoming Releases
Her Perfect Affair by Priscilla Oliveras
Invitation to the Blues by Roan Parrish
Hot and Badgered by Shelly Laurenston
Twice Bitten by Lynsay Sands
Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon by Kerrelyn Sparks
As usual, catch me on Twitter @jessisreading or Instagram @jess_is_reading, or send me an email at jessica@riotnewmedia.com if you’ve got feedback or just want to say hi!