Greetings and salutations! Welcome, or welcome back, to the Kissing Books newsletter. I’m PN Hinton, here to give you the rundown on the world of romance, including new releases, recommendations, and other entertaining ways to pass your time.
We’re almost at the end of September, and out of the originally planned books on my TBR pile, I have finished five. There was one last-minute addition, specifically the arc of Late Bloomer. Since it’s Sapphic, I didn’t mind adding it in. Overall, I am happy with how I did with keeping the original list and not being overly distracted by other books. I already have a tentative list for next month, which, as one might expect, is full of horror novels. I’ve already met my Goodreads goal and have read roughly half of my (currently) purchased books, which means that now I can be just a little more chaotic with my reading.
Have you signed up for The Deep Dive yet? This literary publication features writing from Book Riot’s editorial staff, and is perfect for both casual and power readers alike. Now is the perfect time to join, since for all of September, brand-new free subscribers will be entered to win a copy of Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler as well as five mystery books.
Click here to sign up at no cost and be entered to win.
Bookish Goods
Subtle Pride Bookmark by FordandFern
It’s been a while since I shared a bookmark and this seemed perfect for the beginning of the end to this month. It’s a gorgeous and “if you know you know” way of showing off Bi-pride and, as an added bonus, a love of all the phases of the moon. Even though, just for the record, it’s never “just a phase.” $5
New Releases
Three Holidays and a Wedding by Uzma Jalaluddin and Marissa Stapley
Strangers and seatmates Maryam and Anna are flying to Toronto for the holidays for different reasons; the former for her sister’s wedding and the latter to meet her boyfriend’s family. When some unexpected turbulence leads to spilled secrets, an unexpected emergency landing, and being snowbound at a local inn, both women are suddenly at a crossroads in their love lives, wondering what the next step will be.
Reunions and Ruses by Marie Landry
After all the knockbacks that her life has taken, Stella refuses to show up at her high school reunion solo and convinces LeLand, her brother’s best friend, to act as her fake boyfriend for the event. As the two prepare for that night, she begins to genuinely enjoy their time together, although the hurts of the past, including a failed marriage, are still very present. Will she throw caution to the wind and try to make this fake relationship a real one, or will they part ways after the reunion is done?
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
Tomorrow is Love Notes Day! I am a huge fan of epistolary novels, regardless of genre. But there is something about that writing style in romances that just makes me heart so happy. In some situations, it is how the main characters meet and fall in love all before even seeing each other. In others, it is how they stoke the embers of their attraction.
Regardless of the specifics, though, these types of novels always bring a big smile to my face. And that is something I want to share with y’all so, without further delay, here are a few books that feature love letters as part of the love story.
Rock Courtship by Nalini Singh
As the drummer for the hit rock band Schoolboy Choir, many people may expect David to live the stereotypical life of a rock star and have groupies constantly hanging around. However, he is a one-woman man and only has eyes for Thea. Trouble there is that she is their publicist and she has a firm rule against dating musicians or clients, which is two strikes against him. She is also fresh off a heartbreak and has no desire to be another notch in his belt. David is more than prepared to prove to her that she is it for him and he wants no one else.
Goodnight Tweetheart by Teresa Medeiros
Writer Abigail knows that she should be focusing on her latest manuscript. But the pressure is high, especially with all the accolades her first novel got, so instead of doing that, she spends most of her time on the Twitter account her publicist made for her. There she meets Mark, a professor who is on sabbatical. They quickly develop a friendship and Abigail finds herself inspired by Mark’s travel adventures to write more. But then a deception is revealed which puts their friendship and possibly romance at danger.
And that’s all I have for y’all today. I’ll be back in your inboxes on Thursday with a fresh newsletter. In the meantime, you can still find me over on Twitter (at least for the time being) under @PScribe801. Until then, happy reading and stay hydrated.