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Happy Monday, folks! I’m writing this on Thursday night in the hopes nothing major happens over the weekend, but I have no idea what post-surgery painkillers do to the brain on the third day, so better safe than sorry, right? Anyway, we’ve got a lot to talk about since we haven’t done it in a while.
News and Useful Links
I don’t know why it hasn’t been making the rounds, but it was announced that Stacey Abrams would be producing on a television project based on one of the books she wrote as Selena Montgomery. It seems to be beyond the optioning level, but isn’t actually in production yet. So I guess we’ll see what happens in…2025 or so.
The Donna half of the author duo Kit Rocha has a sudden need for emergency surgery, and a bunch of authors have come together to help her out in the form of a 10 dollar book bundle that is out of this world. It’s also out of this world that people have to go through harrowing medical emergencies and have to do something like this to be able to afford it, but that’s another story that we all know.
It’s time for #readRchat Romance Awards! Nominate your favorites now.
Early last week, Christine Feehan (at the advice of her lawyer?) filed trademarks on a bunch of her series titles. While this didn’t quite gain the traction of #cockygate, there was some headscratching and eyebrow raising. For one thing, trademarking your series is just…not a good look. For another, if you’re unfamiliar with her, the series title of her oldest, longest running series is just Dark. Dark. She wanted to trademark Dark for book series. The trademark application for that and several other one-word series titles have since been withdrawn, and Feehan has posted an apology on her Facebook page. It appears her intention was “to secure my ability to use the series titles in future projects for my own readers’ clarity, not to go after other authors or limit their expression.” So I guess that’s the end of that. Hopefully.
I don’t know what UpTV is or how to access it, but I’m gonna find out by December 15 because OMIGOD HAVE YOU SEEN THIS TRAILER.
Andie J. Christopher’s giving us three more books! And Casey McQuiston’s next one has a title and description!
I have never read an interactive romance novel before, but that might have to change with this brilliant-looking masterpiece. It’s a queer, fantasy, pirate ghost choose your own adventure romance novel. Like, I’m not good at games, but I might be able to pull this off, right?
There’s still time to order your Bawdy Quickie box! It’s holiday themed 😉
I’m glad EW is getting into the cover reveal + excerpt game. These two books look so great.
Naima Simone’s writing a small-town series!
If you haven’t seen it yet, you definitely want to have a look at this cover and excerpt of Xan West’s Eight Kinky Nights.
And check out this thread featuring a bunch of Glamour articles about romance, including the most recent one about romance’s past and present, and why it’s still overlooked by so much of the general book community.
Deals
Not only is this a deal and a steal, it’s a brand new book! Suleikha Snyder is one of the best at publishing romance short story collections, and she just decided to drop Prem Numbers when we weren’t looking. Some of the material exists outside of the collection, but there’s also some new material, including a story set in the same world as Tikka Chance on Me, which I’m totally excited for. And you can get the whole thing for 2.99.
Recs!
I did so much catching up on news and stuff it feels like this is already super long. But we can’t go into the week without some books! I have a lot of time for reading ahead of me, so here are some I’m looking forward to picking up soon.
The Changeup
Nicole Falls
I actually started reading this a few days ago, and I’m excited to continue the story. So far, we’ve seen Geffri interact with her father in a seriously delightful way, and I think she’s met her future love interest in passing. The baseball aspect of it has only sort of shown its face, but Geffri is proving herself to be a proper athlete in the meantime. I look forward to seeing how the rest of it plays out!
Get a Life, Chloe Brown
Talia Hibbert
I know, you’re saying. That book has been out for a whole month! But we’re reading it for the January When In Romance book club and I want it to be fresh. But I also keep reading all these amazing reviews and looking at it staring at me from the stack and I don’t know how long I’ll be able to hold on. The relationships in this book, not just romantic but between others, are some I’m looking forward to seeing, especially to make the connections between this one and the subsequent books.
This is How You Lose the Time War
Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
I know this is mainstream fiction, but people have been talking about it in romance context, and I’m super curious. Also, it’s apparently either partly or completely epistolary and that is entirely my jam. And I have noticed that I’ve read a ton of contemporary romance this year, with even a smaller amount of historical romance than previous years coming across my desk. So I’m looking forward to the chance to read something completely different. Sci-fi has always been important to me, and I’ve been neglecting it.
A Delicate Deception
Cat Sebastian
An m/f historical romance in which both characters are bisexual? Two grumpy protagonists falling in love? Cat Sebastian putting together all the words? Sign me up, amirite?
What are you reading this week?
As usual, catch me on Twitter @jessisreading or Instagram @jess_is_reading, or send me an email at wheninromance@bookriot.com if you’ve got feedback, bookrecs, or just want to say hi!