Sponsored by The Christmas Escape by Sarah Morgan.
A trip to Lapland was supposed to be best friends Christy and Alix’s perfect Christmas getaway. But with Christy facing a make-or-break marriage crisis, and Alix trying to ignore the sizzle she’s developing for a fellow guest, will their Christmas escape give them the courage to fight for the relationships they really want, and save the precious gift of each other’s friendship?
Welcome to the Kissing Books newsletter. Hope your spirit is doing well. I’m P.N. Hinton, your companion through the world of romance. Whether or not this is your first time or you’re a regular I’m glad to have y’all here.
DST really messed me up this year. I fell asleep to YouTube and woke up right when the clocks rolled back, which ended up really discombobulating me Sunday. But I made it through and that’s the important part, right?
I’m still reading The Ex Hex and Love, Comment, Subscribe and am loving both.
Romance Reflection
I saw this little clip right here and almost wish I hadn’t. In the back of my mind, I feel I’ve heard from this lady before, but I probably blocked it out. And this video will soon follow because it’s a pretty naïve and condescending take. Tessa Dare goes into a really good in-depth take down on why this mentality is bad in her re-tweet, so I recommend giving that a read.
One thing that really stuck out to me about this entire exchange was the unnatural language that she used. The inflection was too ‘after-school special’ and not one one would use when talking about something that they really feel is a serious issue. Frankly, it sounded like a script, fed to her from a third party.
This was really noticeable when she said she read began to read books that weren’t aligned with her values. I call shenanigans on that since all readers, no matter what the genre, have deal breakers that they will not bend on. That part was very much like someone was telling her she should feel wrong for enjoying erotica because she’s an [insert various descriptive noun here].
Now, I could be wrong. She could really feel that way about romance novels now. The dangerous thing about that is that it plays into the patriarchal misconception about romance novels, with an added dash of “romance readers will forget other responsibilities or sleep.” Which, frankly, is dumb. A good book will keep you up, regardless of the genre it is in.
Book Riot Romance
Rioter Nikki wrote this thoughtful piece on consent in romance novels.
Around the Web in Romance
Here is an article that embraces the wonderfulness that is romance novels.
While I wasn’t a huge fan of The Hating Game, this trailer gave me hope for the movie. And who knows? It may be covered in a future episode of Adaptation Nation, Book Riot’s newest podcast.
I have to say the ones I’ve read don’t seem to have this scene (thank goodness) but yes this is a thing that needs to be stopped immediately.
Looking for a way to alleviate the stress of the holidays? Try picking up some of these M/M romances.
Speaking of holidays, find out which holiday rom-com couple you are. I got Sally and Jack, which I am a-okay with.
The Swoon Awards are returning! *Kermit flail*
This is a gentle reminder that men like rom-coms too.
KissCon is hosting the One Night Stand via Crowdcast on December 4th. By just purchasing two books from one of the participating bookstores, you can attend. Sounds like a winner all around to me.
Recommendations
One thing I’m really enjoying about The Ex Hex is Sir Purrcival, the cat. I have a soft spot for black cats and really should get my cat own one day. Don’t get me wrong I love dogs and cats. But, since I currently live in an apartment, I feel a cat would be a somewhat easier pet.
Until then, though I figure I can live vicariously through the cats that my book club buddies have since I’m the only one without one. That and the fictional ones of course. I know that most people may think that cats are mainly for cozy mysteries but they have a good presence in romance novels as well. Which leads to this weeks’ recommendations: romances with cats in them.
Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
After almost getting hit by a runaway vehicle, Chloe decides that she needs to start living her life to the fullest and makes a bucket list. The first step is moving out to her own apartment, which leads her to having Red as her property manager. These two butt heads from the start but even then there is an undeniable attraction between them that gets kicked into overdrive when he helps rescue Chole and the cat Smudge from a tree. Now I know I’ve recommended this before but in the spirit of being transparent, I will never not recommend a Talia.
Best in Show by Kelly Jensen
Julian is a mystery writer who, at his sister’s persuasion, ends up adopting a ginger tabby. Imagine his surprise when he finds out that the cat is in fact shifter Macavity who is cursed to be a cat by day and a man by night. When this is revealed, the two men must join together to break the curse as well as stop Macavity’s elderly relative who doesn’t enjoy the sharing of family secrets. This is a short but sweet novella sure to delight.
Special Offers by M.L. Ryan
Hailey decides to treat herself with a brand new Kindle which, unbeknownst to her, comes equipped with an alien already downloaded. As she adjusts to this new voice in her head, she also is introduced to Alex, another alien who is looking to save the one that came in her ereader. It’s a banana pants crazy plot but an enjoyable romantic sci-fi read that comes also includes a rare male Calico cat.
And that is all I have for you today. I’ll be back Monday with more news and updates for you. In the meantime give me a follow on Twitter under @Pscribe801. Have a great weekend and get some good rest and reading done!
Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!