Sponsored by Shadow Mountain Publishing
When aspiring author Charlotte Kingsley finally gets published, she thinks all her dreams have come true. But the trouble begins when her publicity firm reinvents her quirky online presence into a perfectly curated dream life. Only, that carefully curated fairy tale life is ruining her self-esteem and making her feel like a fraud. The clock is quickly ticking towards midnight, and Charlotte must decide between her fairy tale life and the man she loves, before he’s gone forever.
Welcome to November! I like November for many things—national holidays, various changes to the word “November” based on causes (including my personal favorite, which I saw this morning, NOvember, in which the person would be working on saying no to whatever they want), and of course, everyone’s favorite: National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo for short). Who’s writing a novel this month? (Answer: not me.)
News and Useful Links
Whether you’ve read Lush Money or not, this is just a delightful story. (And a perfect prompt for a romance novel, if anyone’s still grasping at a topic for NaNo!)
Speaking of Lush Money, Bawdy Bookworms has a new box, focused on diverse titles. Each box will have a book, an erotic toy, and some additional bit of swag. The first box goes out this month, so be sure to sign up for yours!
We’ve gotten a little more news about the Starz adaptation of Alexa Martin’s Intercepted, the project taken on by 50 Cent and Lala Anthony. The slow trickle of information about this show keeps giving me hope that it will start moving pretty quickly (especially now that both big names are now only flashbacks or ghosts on Power…)
Tamsen Parker wrote this incredible guest post on Love in Panels about writing depressed characters, and what it means when you are also depressed.
And Lyssa Kay Adams wrote about toxic masculinity.
Check out this darling cover and read a bit of Priscilla Oliveras’s 2020 release.
This amazing looking project is already way ahead of their original goal, but you can still back this Kickstarter to get first crack at the finished product.
Deals
It’s a new month, which means new deals!
Have you wondered where to start with Brenda Jackson? She has written over 100 novels, after all. My first Brenda Jackson novel was a Forged of Steele novel, and I’ll never forget it. If you want to start at the beginning, Solid Soul is 1.99 right now, and several other Forged of Steele novels are that price or otherwise under five dollars. And there are a lot of them. The first one I read, Irresistible Forces, is 3.99. If you haven’t ventured into one of Brenda Jackson’s connected worlds…well. Have fun and good luck!
Recs!
I have to share a secret: I really like holiday romances. They’re like regular romances turned to eleven: more of the angst, more of the cheer, just more everything. I recently started my holiday reading for 2019 (I don’t want to start too early) and have quite a few lined up to pick up!
Stocking Stuffers
Erin McLellan
I never thought I would use the word “adorable” for a story about a commitment-phobic sex toy marketer and the Christmas-loving man who can’t get enough of her, but that is legit the only word I can use for this short holiday story. Sasha Holiday hates Christmas; her family never had a real connection to it, and her fiancé left her at the altar on their Christmas wedding day. But she will do what she needs to sell her product, even if that means venturing out to a book club’s annual holiday party to peddle her wares. When she gets stuck at the inn where they meet because of a snowstorm, she finds herself unable to keep away from Perry, the younger brother of her host and ultimate Christmas-loving cinnamon roll. But there are two things that she can’t give him: a happy holiday and a real relationship.
Love in the Stacks
Delilah Peters
This is one of Carina’s Dirty Bits novellas, which means it’s not very long at all and also is mostly sex. If you aren’t particularly drawn to novellas or steamy sexytimes, you probably won’t like this book. Which is too bad, because it’s about librarians.
Poppy’s newest coworker, Ben, keeps to his office in the basement. But when she ventures down into his cave to offer him a holiday treat, she can’t help but notice how attractive he is. And he apparently feels the same way about her, which is how they keep ending up in scandalous situations during the staff Christmas party. And then…they get stuck together overnight.
I’m sensing a pattern in my preferred holiday reading. One Bed for Christmas, anyone?
Either way, I am so excited to read more about snow and food and families and love. Here are some of the ones I can’t wait to pick up:
Holiday by Candlelight by Laurel Greer (Harlequin has well over 100 winter holiday romances this year…but most of them are very Christmas focused)
Christmas Kisses by Farrah Rochon
Dukes, Actually by Erica Ridley
Sugar Butter Flour Love by Nicole Falls (and dammit, now I’m going to be singing Waitress forever)
The Earl’s Christmas Pearl by Megan Frampton
Christmas With the Billionaire & A Tiara For Christmas (this is one of the last few Kimani doubles that will ever be published by Harlequin)
The Christmas Dare by Lori Wilde
Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory (It came out way too early, honestly)
A Second Chance Road Trip for Christmas by Jackie Lau (11/12)
Do you like holiday romances? What are you reading this week?