Sponsored by Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet.
Penelope Prado has always dreamed of opening her own pastelería next to her father’s restaurant, Nacho’s Tacos. But her parents have different plans—leaving Pen to choose between disappointing them or following her own path. Xander Amaro has been searching for home since he was a boy. For him, a job at Nacho’s is an opportunity for just that—a chance at a normal life, to settle in at his abuelo’s, and to find the father who left him behind. Together, Pen and Xander must navigate first love and discovering where they belong in order to save the place they call home.
Hello again! I hope that you got plenty of rest, reading, and relaxing done over the weekend. Also that you’re ready to face this week like the bad-ass that you are! I know that I am ready to face the challenge of this week. A lot of that is because I was able to get my first vaccination last week through my partner’s job. He got it at the same time so we were able to rough the waters (as it were) together.
Up until the moment where it was actually injected, I’ll admit that I was on the fence about whether or not to get it. Historically, there is a lot of deep-rooted mistrust from people of color towards the medical field. Between the Tuskegee Experiment and Henrietta Lacks, the feelings there are rightfully warranted. Hell, I don’t even go to the doctor for myself even though I’m always right on time for my son. I know that I need to get better at it though, especially with my entire family’s health history.
In fact, they’re the reason I decided to get it done. I realized that it would help get one step closer to being able to meet with my family for holidays. I miss that so much. A lot of the elders in my family have already gotten at least one dose themselves, if not a full vaccination. I figure if they were able to get over their own concerns, which run deeper than mine, then I figured I could bite the proverbial bullet as well.
Speaking of vaccinations…
Romance Related Fun
Romancelandia has been fairly tame lately (furiously pounds on all the wooden furniture nearby). One pure thing that happened for us though is that a challenge went around for romance authors. It was the “being vaccinated does NOT mean” with various romance novel plot points. It was great seeing everyone dig into their bag of tropes o’tropes and come up with a unique answer. I’m not sure if Kate Clayborn came up with this or simply shared it, but since it is where I first stumbled across it, I’ll share that thread here.
Keeping with the fun Twitter trends, Really Reading Romance also threw down this gauntlet. The replies were varied on this one and hilarious. Seriously take a moment to look through some of the replies or re-tweets. It took me a moment to figure out my own opinion on this but I came up with one for books and movies. Okay, here goes. *deep breath*
I’m not a fan of sports romances. At all. I’ve tried multiple times to get into a few but it’s just not for me. Personally, I have an issue with the idolatry that we give athletes, even the truly philanthropic ones. Of course, I’ll recommend and hype them up since I know I’ve done that before. However, chances are I am doing that at the advice of a fellow book dragon whose opinion I trust a lot and not from personal experience.
My movie related take is that My Best Friend’s Wedding is not a rom-com. It’s a movie about a woman who acts like an entitled, spoiled brat when the ‘back up’ man that she never wanted is suddenly unavailable and tries to break up an obviously happy couple. Best part of that movie (apart from the singing scene) was the brutal verbal reality slap Rupert Everett’s George gives her at the end by reminding her no one is chasing her. Truth hurts, ma’am.
In the hustle and bustle of life and this last year, a lot of us still forget to take the time to stop and be goofy. Sometimes all you can do is laugh. Whether it’s with your partner, kids, friends, or extended family, be sure to take the time to be silly.
From Book Riot and Around the Web
I readily co-sign all the books that Jess listed here and will be ready with the popcorn and adult beverage when/if it happens!
Here are some of the romance novel based movies that are currently in the works.
If you love second chance romances, here are some books to add to your likely already massive TBR recommended by Rioter Brooke.
Do you like a bit of crying with your romance? If so, then here are some recommendations for you.
Check out debut author Ruby Barrett’s (see more info below) take on the Cinnamon Roll Character.
New Releases and Deals
Here are some of the new releases headed our way this week, including a few under the radar ones:
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Hot Copy by Ruby Barrett (debut)
Love So Beautiful by Angel Mystique
Earn Your Extra Credit by Meghan Quinn
How to Catch a Duke by Grace Burrowes
The Marriage He Demands by Brenda Jackson
And here are some deals to help fill out your digital shelves:
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Love Always, Wild by A.M. Johnson is available for $1.99
Holiday Brides by Farrah Rochon, Stefanie Worth, and Jewel Amethyst can be snagged for $1.49
Everything But a Groom by Holly Jacobs is also $0.99
Six More Minutes: New-Year Bae Solutions by A.C Arthur can be picked up for $1.99
That’s it for now. As always you can follow me @PScribe801 over on Twitter. Until next time friends!