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The Warrior Poet by Sharon Lynn Fisher. The final book in The Faery Rehistory — a trilogy of slow-burn Irish fantasy romances — has arrived!
“Have you ever found that one magical series that’s so very unlike anything you’re accustomed to reading, but ticks all the right boxes and you adore it? The Faery Rehistory by the lovely Sharon Lynn Fisher is that series for me. Historical Fantasy meets Irish/Celtic Mythology meets Steampunk, all infused with slow-burn romance and edge-of-your-seat action… I just love every single thing about these books.” — Whispers & Wonder
Read now!
Did y’all know that Book Riot is 10 years old? Happy birthday to us! Snag some limited edition merchandise to join the celebration!
Welcome to the Kissing Books newsletter y’all. I’m P.N. Hinton, your guide to the world of romance novels. I hope your spirit is doing well today. Whether it’s a backlist, new release, or an under the radar delight, I aim to help you find a book or two that you can get lost in. If you’re new to the Kissing Books newsletter, welcome and enjoy your stay. If you’re a long-time reader, welcome back; it’s good to see you again.
Last weekend I housesat for some of my close friends while they went on a family trip. It was mainly to watch their two dogs so they wouldn’t be alone. It was a nice change of scenery for me. Currently I live in an apartment and while I hope that will change soon, the housing market is insane so I know that it may be a bit longer. So, it was nice to play pretend at it for a while. I found that dogs are nice writing companions so we will definitely be getting some type of animal when it happens. And I was able to get a lot of reading and writing done so that was nice too.
Romance Reflection:
October 11th was Indigenous People Day. As I was scrolling through Twitter I came across this tweet and it gave me a lot of food for thought. When I first started reading romances, I remember seeing these types of books run rampant. One thing that I think gets overlooked a lot, though, is that this wasn’t just a historical romance thing. There were more than a handful of contemporary romances from the mid-nineties that also included this problematic theme.
And it’s not okay. It wasn’t okay then and it sure isn’t okay now when we all strive to be more aware of the harm we can cause with stereotypes. I agree with this sentiment that it is probably a back list that should be purged from existence. And that is across the board. I honestly can’t read any of these types of novels anymore, even ones by beloved authors because it just leaves an icky feeling in my heart. This includes books by Sandra Brown and Johanna Lindsey who were some of my go-to authors when I was younger.
Do I still like their work as a whole? Yes. Will I read those particular books again? No, I won’t. Because, again, it’s harmful and I know that now. I can’t plead ignorance anymore. And there are better romances out there, some even written by Indigenous people, that can be picked up and read.
Book Riot Romance:
If you’re a lover of teachers in romances here is a roundup of some good picks that don’t cross any inappropriate lines or have an unbalanced power dynamic.
And then there is this deep dive into how much money romance authors actually make.
Around the Web in Romance:
If this isn’t a whole mood…real talk, if I lived through the Romancing the Stone jungle scenes, my hair would look like Chaka Kahn’s circa the 1980’s.
If you like romance novels where the MCs inherit the same thing and have to work it out, then you’re in luck.
A Black holiday romance set abroad? Sign. Me. Up.
Here is a nice little roundup of some of the new romances we can expect throughout this month.
All together now, y’all. No HEA? Not a romance.
With that last thought in mind, I really appreciated this thoughtful piece on optimistic endings, specifically in Jewish romance novels.
Recommendations:
October 11th was also National Coming Out Day! No matter where you are in your journey, know that you’re valued, loved, and you do matter. In addition to the 11th being National Coming Out Day, October 8th was also International Lesbian Day. As such, I wanted to highlight a few more lesbian romances, with the focus being about finding love when and where you may last expect it.
Fearless by Shira Glassman
Lana hasn’t played the violin in years and has mainly focused on being a band mom for her clarinet playing daughter Robin. She has pretty much resigned herself to the fact that her playing days are over. Her daughter’s orchestra director, Melanie, has other ideas and can see the passion for playing that still lingers in Lana, among other things. This is a short, sweet romance and if you’re a former band or orchestra geek, full of musical jokes. A win-win all around.
That Could Be Enough by Alyssa Cole
Mercy is maid to the widowed Eliza Hamilton during her endeavor to help save her husband’s legacy. One of the people interviewed is Andromeda. Both women are drawn to each other, although Mercy tries to deny the attraction, having disavowed the notion of love. Andromeda, however, is determined to teach Mercy to have her light shine through. Eventually their acquaintanceship moves to friendship and finally romance where both women decide that, in matters of the heart, a risk is one that may be worth taking.
Something in the Wine by Jae
Annie has been on the receiving end of her brother Jake’s practical jokes all her life. His latest one may have gone a bit too far, though, when she finds that Drew, a friend he set up a blind date for her with, is a woman. At first the ladies decide to turn the tables on him and pretend to fall in love even though they couldn’t be more different. As often happens in fake dating situations, reality and fiction blur, leaving both wondering if they want to move from fake to real dating.
And that is all I have for you today. I’ll be back next Monday with a fresh edition of the newsletter. Until then you can give me a follow over on Twitter under @PScribe801. Have a wonderful weekend!