Sponsored by The In Between by Marc Klein, published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.
Seventeen-year-old Tessa Jacobs doesn’t believe she deserves love. But everything changes after a chance encounter with Skylar, a senior from a neighboring town who’s a true romantic. Tessa starts to believe she might be deserving of a happy ending after all. When tragedy strikes, Tessa wakes up in the hospital with no memory of how she got there. And Skylar has passed away. As Tessa searches for answers, Skylar’s spirit reaches out to her from the other side. Desperate to see him, Tessa must unravel the pieces of their relationship — and the truth might lead her into the afterlife itself.
Hello again, romance readers. I’m PN Hinton, your companion for the world of romance. If you’re new to the Kissing Books newsletter, welcome and enjoy your stay. If you’re a long-time reader, welcome back; it’s good to see you again.
I am coming off the first week of no school and when I tell you what a difference it makes, I’m not exaggerating. My kiddo is happier, I’m happier…it’s a win/win all around. My workday is noticeably less stressful without having to remind him to stay on task. Now he just has to work on being quiet when I’m a meeting, and I have to make sure that I don’t have total ‘Mom’ face during them.
Happy Pride Month! I know that last year it was celebrated a bit differently than in years past, as we were at the height of the pandemic then. This year, I have been seeing news and reports that some parades were going to return. This will mean members of LGBTQ+ community, or the Alphabet Mafia as they’re known on TikTok, will be able to march together. I’m sure there will be a lot of excitement this year.
Romance News
Oh, Twitter. You never fail to entertain.
In the span of a couple of days, a few people questioned Beverly Jenkins’s uplifting of Black men in history. This prompted Ms. Bev to post the following tweet, which is what drew my attention to the matter. From there, I noticed other comments especially on the one she posted about Hiram Young. While most rightfully came to her defense, there were still critics trying to clog up her timeline.
A lot of us romance readers enjoy historical romance. I know that historicals were my introduction to the genre. As I’ve gotten older though, I’ve realized that the research that goes into a historical romance is not equal and that inaccuracies abound. As a result, there are only a few authors who I don’t question on their accurate depiction of history.
Some of these authors include Courtney Milan, Vanessa Riley, and, of course, Beverly Jenkins. Each author puts in extensive research for their novels. Beverly was the first romance author I read who had recommended reading and an appendix in one of her books. So, for her to be questioned or worse criticized for her continued work in uplifting Black history?
Miss me all the way with that, ally or not.
She puts noticeable and consistent effort into educating everyone on the contributions that Black Americans have made. And her work is not unappreciated because we all know that we’re not getting that from public education. And if we do, it’s relegated to February, which, even during leap years, is the shortest month of the year.
I would also like to add that our Founding Fathers were hugely problematic. Washington and Jefferson had enslaved people a-plenty. Alexander Hamilton is considered to be the first politician with a sex scandal, and he has whole Tony award-winning musical (that I still regularly jam out to) about him. The list could go on.
History is messy and complicated, and as long as we have to continue to learn about the names mentioned above, we should learn about the Black people who also had a hand in America’s history.
Around the Web in Romance
If you are wanting to celebrate Pride with some romance (and who wouldn’t?) here are some options for you.
I didn’t get to talk about new releases last week, which is a shame since there were a lot of good books that came out. Check out this list focusing on all the LGBTQ releases from then. Be sure to also sign up for our latest newsletter, Our Queerest Shelves, which is also penned by Danika.
There’s still time to sign up for this virtual event sponsored by Carina Press and the Ripped Bodice. It’s hosted by Adriana Herrera, with guests Hudson Lin, Roan Parrish, and Penny Aimes. That sounds like a winner all around.
Happy Birthday to Love’s Sweet Arrow, the second romance exclusive bookstore in America. Give them a follow on Twitter (same name) if you’d like, or just peruse the inventory digitally via their website and support small businesses.
If you’re looking for a supernatural book but don’t necessarily want a monster, here’s a list of romance novels with angels included.
National Donut Day was June 4th. If you missed it or you’re like me with the mindset that every day can be donut day, here is a list of equally sweet books to curl up with as you eat the delectable treat.
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There are quite a few exciting releases happening this week! The Queer Principles of Kit Webb by Cat Sebastian is coming out along with the much anticipated Reel by Kennedy Ryan. Friends With Benedicts (love that title) by Staci Hart is also releasing and Meghan Quinn has a new one, The Perfect Catch.
As for deals, you can snag Once Ghosted, Twice Shy by Alyssa Cole, The Love Study by Kris Ripper, Julie Garwood’s The Bride and for $1.99. If you’re looking for a sort of slow burn marriage of convenience, LaVyrle Spencer’s Separate Beds can be snagged for $2.99.
That’s all for now friends! Hope this week treats you well. If you want to give me a follow on Twitter, I can be found under @PScribe801. See y’all Thursday.