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.
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Apologies, y’all, for my brain fart last week in thinking there was a send on Thursday. I think I was already in long weekend mode since this year I had enough foresight to request Thursday and Friday off. I spent my time relaxing, eating good food, and starting my winter holiday reading with It’s a Fabulous Life. Fun fact: I’ve never actually seen It’s a Wonderful Life. But, much like Pride & Prejudice, I always enjoy the various retellings of it.
Bookish Goods
Bookish Cat Pins by RatherKeen
How cute are these pins?!?! Even if you’re not a huge cat person, who can resist the contentment that these felines are displaying as they read their books? As an semi-avid pin collector, this would definitely earn a spot on my pennant. $10
New Releases
Under the Same Roof by Niobia Bryant
PI Tremaine’s latest assignment is to find a purloined necklace for the Del Rio family. The person who could help find the necklace is none other than Alisha Winters, one of the Del Rio’s rivals. Knowing she has nothing to hide, Alisha agrees to help Tremaine with the case, going so far as to invite him into her home. Close quarters soon lead to smoldering desire, but Tremaine still isn’t sure if Alisha is the thief or an innocent patsy.
Breaking the Bad Boy’s Rules by Reese Ryan
Ex-drummer Vaughn has plans to turn the ranch resort he just inherited into an upscale vacation spot in the hopes of raising enough money to try to reunite his band. Allie is the designer he hired to help bring this dream to fruition, who just happens to also be his best friend’s sister. Despite the attraction, he is determined to keep their relationship professional, although Allie has other ideas. But when a new tabloid scandal shows up, Vaughn becomes determined to put the rumors to rest, even if it may mean losing out on his newfound relationship with Allie.
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
This week, I’m still recommending other 2023 releases that may have gone under the radar when a certain reader’s choice rewards nominees were picked. Yes, I know that there are other reward options out there, but it still goes without saying that the list still leans very heavily into one specific demographic area.
Much Ado About Nada by Uzma Jalaluddin
Nada is almost 30, living with her family, and recovering from a business betrayal that made her Ask Apa app launching less than stellar. Her best friend Haleema convinces her to join her at the annual Muslim conference where she can meet Zayn, Haleema’s fiancé, and his brother Baz. What Haleema doesn’t know is that Nada and Baz are already acquainted and have a complicated past. Is this conference a second chance for them, or will it just result in opening old wounds?
Sorry, Bro by Taleen Voskuni
After Nareh turns down a very public proposal, she decides she needs to work harder to find someone who is a better match. Her mother swoops in with matchmaking plans designed to help Nareh find a perfect husband at “Explore Armenia,” a month-long event. There, she meets Erebuni, a woman she becomes fast friends with. As they spend more time together, Nareh realizes that Erebuni may be her perfect match, but as a closeted woman, she isn’t sure how to let her family know that her happily ever after may be with another woman.
After over 40 years, Harlequin is retiring the “Desire” line. While I’m excited for Afterglow, I am also a bit saddened by this. Full transparency: that is one of the reasons two books from that line were featured in today’s New Releases section.
The NYT sat down to chat with romance powerhouse Nora Roberts.
And that’s all I have for y’all today. I’ll be back in your inboxes on Thursday (for realsies) with a fresh newsletter. You can still find me occasionally over on Twitter under @PScribe801, although I am working on establishing profiles on other platforms as well and should be sharing that soon. Until then, happy reading and stay hydrated.