Hey y’all, welcome to the Kissing Books newsletter. I hope your spirit is doing well. I’m PN Hinton, your guide through the roller coaster of a ride that the world of romance can be. If it is your first time here, welcome and if you’re a regular reader welcome back.
As y’all know I had last week off and I ended it by going to a small, local Renaissance Faire on Saturday with friends and the Teenager. While he was moody most of the day, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. It was small enough to get around quickly if you needed to and not constantly be in a crush of people. I also got some new pieces of jewelry which I enjoyed. A great ending to a good week.
In ‘What I’m Reading’ news, Meet Cute Club and Out on the Ice on both on my reading shelf.
Romance Reflection
While I want to get out of the habit of constantly rehashing less-than-stellar news, there are some things that just need to be discussed, such as the one for today, which is about the harassment that Jennifer L. Armentrout is receiving since the publication of her latest book, The War of Two Queens.
I’m not here to hash out the scene in question, whether it fits the characters, or anything like that because it’s not for me to say. What I will say is the reactions from the fans, which have ranged from physical threats to doxxing, are ridiculous.
Y’all. This type of behavior needs to stop. Like, yesterday. Authors are people too.
It’s okay to be angry, sad, or disappointed with the direction a book takes. I’m not discounting that. It’s okay to be extremely passionate about it. But It’s not okay to threaten the author just because something didn’t play out the way it was shipped in your brain. Just stop reading the books and, if you’re feeling that froggy about it, the author altogether.
Book Riot Romance
Be sure to listen to the latest episode of When in Romance and hear more on Jess and Trisha takes on some of the questionable things that have been occurring in Romancelandia as of late.
Around the Web in Romance
Here are some books that feature a single parent as one of the main characters.
I loved this thread of celebrity couple pictures as romance tropes.
Pick your favorite condiment in this quiz and find out your taste in men.
Check out this interview with Julia Quinn and a sneak peek of Season 2 of Bridgerton which launches tomorrow!
Everything about this exchange gave me warm fuzzies.
If you missed Margo Hendricks’s Masterclass in Indigo, you’re in luck since you can check it out here.
There is a new anthology out to help support Ukraine.
Recommendations
Recently one of my oldest and closest friends went through an unexpected life challenge when her boyfriend, who is relatively young, underwent open heart surgery. His family lives in another state so everything fell on to my friend. And while she doesn’t mind because, you know, she loves the guy, it was still a very overwhelming experience.
She’s also part of my book club and a few weeks ago we had our meet up which also served to give her a break. When it came to picking a new book her only request was something light and fun that didn’t require a lot of heavy thinking. The consensus ended up being The Ex Hex.
Sometimes it is nice to read a romance novel purely for the romance factor. There’s no social commentary, trauma, or anything like that. Because, while I think those are important to call out, it’s not something you can read all the time as it weighs heavily on you after a while.
With that in mind, my recommendations this week will be centered around lighter romances. As in they are romances with little to no angst, drama, or trauma. They’re just about two people falling in love.
Love Me Forever by Joanna Lindsey
Kimberly, still mourning her mother’s passing, is sent off to a country house party by demand of her father to find a husband. Lachlan, Laird of his impoverished clan, is looking for a wife to help fill their coffers. She writes him off both for being a gold digger and for already having designs on their very married hostess. However, the two are drawn to one another and find themselves helpless to fight the attraction.
A Second Chance Road Trip for Christmas by Jackie Lau
Ex-lovers Greg and Tasha find themselves as carpool buddies on the drive home for Christmas. Even though they’re each others first loves, they couldn’t be more different, and the years haven’t changed that. They also haven’t changed the fact that they two are attracted to and care deeply about one another. When a snowstorm forces them to stop in a hotel where there is only one room with one bed available, they wonder if this is a second chance at a forever love for them.
A Little Light Mischief by Cat Sebastian
Molly is determined to settle into her new life as a lady’s maid and turn her back on her prior criminal background. She is also equally determined to not seduce Alice, the lady she is maid to. Or at least she would be if Alice didn’t continue to give her smoldering looks. Alice, for her part, is bored which is one of the reasons she can’t ignore her growing attraction to Molly. When a nefarious figure from Alice’s past returns, Molly agrees to return to her previous vocation to help protect Alice and win her heart.
Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!
And that is all I have for y’all today. I’ll be back next Monday with a fresh newsletter full of wonderful romance related things. In the meantime, you can follow me over on Twitter under @PScribe801. Have a great weekend!