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.
We’re winding down on September and will soon be ushering in October. Time-wise, this month seemed perfectly paced for me as it didn’t speed by, but it also didn’t drag. So, no complaints there. I’m finishing my reading month with One Last Stop, The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics, and Late Bloomer, all three of which both encompass the vibes of Sapphic September and Bisexual Visibility Month. My TBR pile for next month is also almost all set. It’s a smaller stack and mostly contains horror. And, in the spirit of being accountable, it will also include more authors of color, as I am well aware that my reads for this month were lacking there.
Have you signed up for The Deep Dive yet? This literary publication features writing from Book Riot’s Editorial staff, and is perfect for both casual and power readers alike. And now is the perfect time to join, since for all of September, brand-new free subscribers will be entered to win a copy of Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler as well as five mystery books. Click here to sign up at no cost and be entered to win.
Bookish Goods
Spicy Book Stack Pin by BriarWick
I love pins of all kinds, especially bookish-related ones. I’m this close to needing another pin pennant and am perfectly fine with that. If you’re also a fan of pins and these tropes, then you should definitely treat yourself. $12
New Releases
Date for Hire by Reese Ryan
Amaya and Jet were high school classmates on complete opposite ends of the social spectrum and as such, never dated. When they meet again, she is a successful record executive who has hired him as a landscape designer. They strike up a friendship, but the old feelings quickly get stirred up again, leaving them to wonder if they can throw caution to the wind and knock down all the obstacles in their way for a second chance at a relationship.
Time to Shine by Rachel Reid
When backup goalie and team loner Landon needs a place to stay that isn’t a hotel, his gregarious teammate Casey is only too happy to offer a place. After all, he just bought a house and doesn’t like being alone. As they live together, Casey slowly begins to break down Landon’s walls, and a friendship develops between the two, which soon grows to more. However, the end of the year is fast approaching, which means that so is Landon’s time in Calgary, leaving both men to wonder what will come next.
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
Today is Good Neighbor Day and, as such, seems like the perfect time to share some Neighbor-to-Lover romances. What is really nifty about this specific trope is that it can very easily pair up with any other trope you can think of. While friends-to-lovers is usually the go-to, there is also grumpy/sunshine, second chance, fake dating, etc…the list goes on.
The two I’m sharing today respectively fall under the Enemies-to-Lovers and Best Friend’s Sibling tropes, so if either one of those is your preference, then you’re in luck.
Feud. by Phyllis Bourne
When Alexandra inherits a home, she is overjoyed, especially when she discovers it comes with a very handsome next-door neighbor, Justice. That is, until she finds out that said neighbor is part of the family that her family has had a 100-year feud, and then the proverbial lines are drawn. Despite the family drama, though, both are drawn to one another.
Twisted Love by Ana Huang
The tragedies of Alex’s past have made it necessary for the handsome man to keep his heart icy and closely guarded. When he is tasked with watching over his best friend’s sister, Ava, her sunshiny personality threatens to melt it and break down all his walls. While they both know they shouldn’t be together, they can’t help being drawn to one another. But when secrets from the past get unearthed, will their love be strong enough to weather the storm it brings with it?
And that’s all I have for you today. I’ll be back in your inboxes on Monday and in the meantime you can still find me on Twitter under @PSribe801. Until then, happy reading and stay hydrated!