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.
Tomorrow is Halloween! It’s a bit bittersweet thought since it means that it will be another 365 days (2024 is a Leap Year) before the holiday rolls around again. Although, if we go by when the Halloween season “officially” begins (July 5th), it’s only 248 days away. So, that’s not too bad! Whatever your plans are for tomorrow, I hope that you have a good time. I will probably stay in and watch some horror movies solo since my spouse will be working, and the Teenager “Nopes” the heck out of anything that has to do with scary movies. Then again, he did recently express an interest in watching Five Nights at Freddy’s, so who knows?
It’s fall y’all, and this season is the extra perfect time of the year to cozy up with an engaging book or two. Sometimes, though, it can be hard to pick what to read next, and that is where TBR comes in. No matter what your preferred genre is, TBR’s Bibliologists, also known as Bibs, work to find the perfect ones for you to add to your book pile. Sign up here to pick your preferred plan and wait for the recommendations to roll in!
Bookish Goods
Bookish Ghost Tumbler by CraftyEliseShop
It’s too late to get this for this year’s round of trick or treating, but you can still have it for next year. And the best part is that it’s not clear so people won’t know or judge what you’re drinking while you walk from house to house, or, in cases of trunk or treat, car to car. Seems like a winner all around. Priced at just $13
New Releases
One More Shot by Anise Starre
After a botched attempt at a one-night stand, Elliot is perfectly fine with never seeing Dane again. Fate has a different plan for them, though, because two years later, their paths cross when she’s the photographer at his best friend’s wedding. They decide to come to terms with their past and slowly become friends, which opens up the possibility of a second chance at romance.
Too Good to Be True by Kristen Ashley
Daphne is a new money American who isn’t looking forward to spending a week at the country estate of her sister’s boyfriend. There are many reasons for this, including but not limited to not getting along with her sister and the fact that Duncroft is haunted. When she arrives and appears to be the target for the specter, she is even more unnerved, but Ian, the heir to the earldom, quickly swoops in as her protector. An attraction soon blossoms between the two, but is there more to Ian and the situation than meets the eye?
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
We’re finishing October with a few more paranormal romances. I had a lot of fun making that the theme for this month, and hopefully, you did as well. Today’s recommendations both involve ghosts and/or haunted locations, which also fits perfectly with one of this week’s releases. Enjoy!
The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo
Li Lan is the daughter of a family on the brink of bankruptcy who is offered the chance to be a ghost bride. This will help her family financially but will also resign her to a life of having a specter for a groom. When she arrives at Lim’s mansion, she finds herself haunted by her ghostly fiancé as well as her desire for Tian Bai, the current heir. She has to work to uncover the secrets of the Lim family and her own to avoid being stuck in the ghostly world forever. This one may be more literary fiction with a strong romantic theme, but from what I see, it does have a HEA, so I’m counting it.
Under His Spell by MINK
Royce lives in Raven Ridge, a reportedly haunted house, a rumor he pays no attention to. That is, until the intriguing Sienna shows an interest in the spectral happenings of his house, and then he’s on board, even going so far as to plan hauntings. This proves to be unnecessary when Sienna arrives because strange things happen on their own, and it’s a race to keep them both safe from the house’s past.
Here are (just some) of the more popular 2023 romance novels. Yes, we’re getting to that time of the year already. No, I can’t believe it either.
Harlequin’s popular series, the Montana Mavericks, was recently released as a podcast! Click here to find it on your favorite streaming platform and catch up on the first few episodes.
Like many other readers, I also enjoy the various “Stuff Your Kindle” events. There is another one coming up this week, which is specifically designed to be more inclusive of Black authors.
And that is all I have for y’all today. I’ll be back in Thursday with a fresh round up of romance related goodness. In the meantime, you can still find me floating around on Twitter under @PScribe801. Until then, happy reading and stay hydrated.