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.
Indulge your inner book nerd and join a community of like-minded readers looking to expand their knowledge and their TBR. Subscribe to The Deep Dive, where Book Riot’s editorial staff draws from their collective expertise to bring you compelling stories, informed takes, tips, hacks, and more. Find out why the bestseller list is broken, analyze some anticipated books, and explore the great wide world of books and publishing. Get a free subscription for weekly content delivered to your inbox, or upgrade to paid-for bonus content and community features.
Last weekend I went to see The Marvels and loved it! It is a bit more emotionally driven than some of the other movies in the MCU, although the action/fight scenes are still awesome. And in typical MCU fashion, there is a mid-credit scene, so be sure to stay for that. Don’t listen to the haters: it’s a damned good movie, and I highly recommend it. It also prompted me to marathon the entirety of the Ms. Marvel series on Sunday, so my weekend was pretty MCU-related, with an emphasis on Female Empowerment, which I am always about.
Bookish Goods
Procrastireading Coffee Mug by BooksandaCuppa
Y’all, this mug…I love this word so much and will start using it in my day-to-day life. Because let’s be honest, it really is a whole mood, even more so during the busy holiday season. $18
New Releases
Next–Door Nemesis by Alexa Martin
Collins is going through a rough patch of her life, which results in her having to move back home with her parents and next door to her high school nemesis, Nathaniel. When a complaint from the HOA arrives, she snaps and decides to run for President of the organization, which puts her in direct opposition to her neighbor. As the campaign goes on, the two rivals are cutthroat in their desire to win. Soon, though, the hate turns into something more, leaving both to reconcile with the fact that there may be more to their relationship than they originally thought.
Whiskey and Wine by Kelly and Tana Fireside
Between running her adult novelty shop, Frisky Business, and a desire to avoid complications altogether, Lace has a three-month limit on all romantic entanglements. Tessa has her own hands full between moving to a new city, starting a new business, and adjusting to being a single mom to a moody teenager and an Australian Shepard. While the two women become fast friends, they know nothing more is in the cards for them. When Tessa opens her wine-tasting room next to Lace’s business, it becomes more difficult to ignore the undercurrent of attraction between them, especially when the people around them are determined to push them together.
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
I spend a fair amount of time on TikTok because sometimes you just want to mindlessly scroll for hours. One interesting thing about TikTok is that, due to how the algorithm works, you will occasionally find the start, middle, and sometimes the ending of stories pieced together from various posters. That was the case this weekend when I first saw this video and then soon after this one. It was a perfect meet cute, and it warmed my heart just a bit.
It also got me thinking that while I enjoy meet cutes, I kind of prefer meet disasters. I think that is one of the reasons I’m enjoying You, Again so much in addition to the homage to When Harry Met Sally with the “enemies-to-friends-to-lovers” vibes. The setup is the same for the most part, except for the encounter itself. And while I still go “Awww” with the cute factor, I chortle with the disaster, especially since I know it will still end well. If you’re someone who doesn’t mind a little bit of second-hand embarrassment, you may enjoy that trope too, in which case these recommendations should be perfect for you.
That Time I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf by Kimberly Lemming
When Brie threw that drink, she was aiming for someone else and certainly didn’t intend to hit Felix. She also didn’t intend to throw a love potion, but you know what they say about best-laid plans and hindsight. Now she has her hands more than full trying to convince a lovestruck werewolf she is not his mate. Although, she doesn’t exactly mind all the words of affirmation and help with the chores that come along with being the object of Felix’s affection.
Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert
Eve is a bit of a walking disaster and always manages to cause chaos wherever she goes. Still, she is determined to prove to her family that she can be successful and heads to a local B&B to interview for the open chef position. The interview doesn’t go as planned, though, and to make matters worse, she ends up running into the owner, Jacob, with her car. Now, the two have to work together while he recovers. Before too long, Eve’s sunshiny nature proves to be strong enough to melt Jacob’s icy exterior.
And that’s all I have for y’all today. I’ll be back in your mailbox on Monday with a fresh newsletter, and in the meantime, you can still sometimes see glimpses of me on the bird app under @PScribe801. Until then, happy reading, and stay hydrated!