Hey y’all, welcome to the Kissing Books newsletter. I hope your spirit is doing well today. I’m PN Hinton, your guide through the roller coaster of a ride that the world of romance can be. If this is your first time reading this newsletter, I’m glad that you’re here. If you’re a regular reader, welcome back; it’s always good to see you.
Happy belated Mother’s Day to those who celebrate. I know that it can be a bittersweet day for some, like myself, for multiple reasons. Regardless of whether or not you observed it, I hope that whatever you did was what was needed for you to recharge your batteries.
In things bringing me joy, there’s a TikTok user who uploads what he calls “mature” thirst traps. Now, before you go wondering what I’m linking you to, by “mature,” he means what most women would likely find sexy if their partner did. Just click on this one which is a personal favorite at the moment cause yo, NGL…that is sexy as hell.
In today’s edition of what I’m currently reading, I started The Donut Trap and D’Vaughn and Kris Plan A Wedding. I also got The Hacienda from Book of the Month, and started that for a Gothic fix.
Reading Reflection:
Let’s be honest about something: we are not okay. And by “we,” I mean the the world as a whole is not okay, especially here in the United States. If it’s not one thing, it’s another. Recently, there was a “leak” that said that SCOTUS was trying to have Roe vs. Wade overturned. Mind you, this is a country where people still throw adult sized temper tantrums when asked to wear a mask. So, to say it’s disheartening is an understatement. Like, someone needs to come up with a new word to sufficiently and succinctly describe how devastating this is.
And miss me all the freakin’ way with “The issue is the leak itself.” No…not it’s not. That’s someone trying to divert your attention from the dystopic hellscape overturning this would create.
Sometimes it’s hard to see any positivity in situations because honestly, like here, there are none. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t look to things that do bring us joy. As usual for when the proverbial poop hits the fan, Romancelandia came through with this thread where people shared their favorite scene, lines, and moments from romance novels and movies. And I gotta say, it was very awesome, inspiring, and uplifting to see.
These moments ranged within the medium and high spice level, which I loved. People’s responses showed how a scene that you may have given a passing glance to is one that someone else held close to them and what they recall whenever they need a serotonin boost. It just shows that romance is really for everyone, and I love that for us. It just feels like the sunshine is overthrowing the dark clouds a bit.
Oh and for what it’s worth, I had a scene that immediately came to mind. It was from A Prince on Paper where Johan tells Nya, “If debauchery was what you wanted from me? I would do it. Thoroughly.”
*fans self* I damn near melted.
Be sure to give that thread a read and even comment your own if so inclined. Keep that line of positivity alive.
Around the Web in Romance:
Check out this interview with Susie Dumond about her debut Queerly Beloved.
Ms. Bev shared this photo of Arabesque’s original line-up of authors and wow….the feels. And that’s just from being an outsider who started reading romances around that time; imagine being one of the pioneers pictured here. I will admit it is sad that some of these talented wordsmiths may have stepped away from the keyboard, but still, it’s a powerful picture.
Frolic’s latest book crush pick has been announced and it’s The Stand In by Lily Chu! This was originally released as an Audible Original narrated by Phillipa Soo (aka Eliza Hamilton), but it is now available in physical form as well.
Love’s Sweet Arrow’s Trope Tuesday this week was ‘Marriages in Trouble’. Give it a peek and get some recs.
I snorted at this and, like the commenter that mentioned it, I appreciate that they had to install GPS tracking on it since I am sure it kept getting stolen.
There’s an unofficial Bridgerton ball happening in Melbourne and, even with the ticket price, I’m a wee bit jealous.
Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!
New Releases:
Here are a handful of new releases that will be hitting the shelves this week. As per the new normal though, some of these may be delayed, both physically and digitally, for various reasons.
Raised by Wolves by Christina C. Jones (5/6)
Burn by Aarti V. Raman (5/7) *
Out of the Ashes by Jenn Burke (5/10)
Set on You by Amy Lea (5/10)
His Curvy Genius by Mary E. Thompson (5/10)
Risky Business of Love by Yahrah St. John (5/10)
Writer’s Block by Ali Vail (5/10)
Love at First Stake by Mila Nicks (5/13)
*Author’s note says this does end on a cliffhanger
And that’s all I have for you today. I’ll be back on Thursday with a fresh newsletter for you. In the meantime, you can always give me a follow over on Twitter under @PScribe801. Until then!