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Hello again romance readers. I’m PN Hinton, your companion for the world of romance. If you’re new to the Kissing Books newsletter, welcome and enjoy your stay. If you’re a longtime reader, welcome back; it’s good to see you again.
I’m so happy that the new season has started for a myriad of reasons. In addition to the beginning of summer, June is also the start of birthday season! And not just my birthday; a lot of my loved ones are also summer babies. My niece, sister-in-law (mother to said niece), a close friend’s youngest, and myself are all June babies. Then in July, I celebrate with another friend, mother-in-law, and my other sister-in-law. It’s birthday-palooza! I don’t know what I’m doing to celebrate this year though, since I’m still gun shy about large gatherings. More likely than not, I’ll repeat what I did last year with “birthday visits.” With that, I carve out time each day for a set group of friends. Believe it or not, it’s a little bit more relaxing than a big get-together due to less cleaning and noise. I’m still taking an extended weekend for it, though, so either way it will be relaxing.
News From the Romance World
Apparently TikTok just recently discovered the Ice Planet Barbarians series and have been raving about it. Which is interesting, considering the first one came out in 2015. There have been discussions before about the effect of TikTiok on the book world, specifically how books can experience a revival when an influencer “discovers” them, and how they then spread like wildfire. And while I’m sure the authors appreciate the boost in sales, longtime fans have a more cynical approach to the event, which I can also understand.
The thing about situations like this is when someone stumbles upon a new-to-them book, they act like it’s brand new. Ice Planet Barbarians has been an established and beloved series in Romancelandia for a long time. These influencers didn’t find the next big thing; they just became aware of something that was already popular in the romance genre.
And this isn’t to say I expect book related influencers to be aware of every single book that has been published. But I do appreciate a little bit more honesty from them in these situations, especially when it comes to genres that are new to them. In my opinion, it’s better to say they have been sleeping on a particular book or genre. That shows that the book just hadn’t entered their personal orbit yet, rather than making it seem like they personally brought it back from the brink of obscurity.
All of this is to say welcome to the family; but, remember, we’ve been here a long time.
Around the Web in Romance
Last Friday was Romantic Reads Day over on Book Riot. It was awesome to open up to the front page and see the many different articles dedicated to the genre. If you missed it, be sure to head on over to the stream and catch up.
Are you ready to rock with some romance novels? If so, Rioter R. Nassor has some recs for you!
Last time I talked a bit about clinch covers, and then I stumbled across this Twitter page. It’s romantic kismet!
Author Bolu Babalola recently sat down with NPR to talk about her recent release Love in Color: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold. It’s about a 30-minute listen, so, depending on your work commute if you have one, should make for good listening.
If you’ve somehow never managed to read Alyssa Cole, here are a few good books to start with.
The Ripped Bodice will have signed copies of Helen Hoang’s highly anticipated The Heart Principle ready to pre-order up through September 10th.
If you’re looking for a little more erotica in your life (and who isn’t) here are some of the more popular reading sites out there.
New Releases & Deals
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If you’re looking to pick up a new read when you next head to your local bookstore, this weeks’ releases include Very Sincerely Yours by Kerry Winfrey, The Effing List by Cherise Sinclair, The Layover by Lacie Waldon, and Wicked by Elisabeth Naughton.
As for deals, you can pick up An Unexpected Gift by Ajay K. Pandey and Leather and Lace by Rebel Carter for $2.99. Where Souls Collide by Stefanie Worth is currently $1.49 while Dangerous Lady by Amanda Scott and Sweet Tea and Second Chances by Dylann Crush are both $0.99. Not bad at all.
And that is all for this week. I hope that this weekend is the recharge that you need. Follow me on Twitter @PScribe801 if you want snippets of me between the editions. See y’all Monday!