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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We made it through the last week of November y’all! I hope that whatever you do this coming weekend is super restful, especially if there was a lot of hustling and bustling last week. As for me, I’m going to see one of my closest and longtime friends tie the knot. I’m beyond happy for her and that she finally found her person and that come Monday, she and her fiancée will officially be Mrs. and Mrs. Big hearts all around.
Bookish Goods
Plot Twist Magnetic Bookmark by AllMyQueensShop
I am more than fairly confident I’ve made this exact face multiple times in my reading life. Because sometimes those plot twists really do catch you by surprise. Or the unexpected super spicy scenes. $6
New Releases
Soul Searching in Scotland by Shyla Colt
One year after being left at the altar, Zenaida journeys to Scotland with a to-do list, determined to find herself and return to the strong woman she was before. There, she meets Fraser, a handsome and charming Scotsman who seems to be the perfect candidate for a travel fling. However, Fraser knows he wants more than just a handful of memories with her and resolves to convince her to give him a second chance.
Coming Down Her Chimney by Imani Jay
When Amy lets her best friend convince her to accompany her to visit the latter’s parents, she isn’t expecting Kareem, her friend’s brother and lifelong crush, to be in attendance as well. Kareem also wasn’t expecting Amy to be there either, having harbored his own crush for more than a few years. Both are determined to ignore it as they have been, but when Amy is the highest bidder on Kareem for a bachelor auction, both quickly realize it will be harder to hold their feelings back.
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
Keeping with the semi-petty train (at least I’m honest) I have two more recommendations today for books that could have been nominated for the Goodreads Choice Awards. Today’s recommendations are two that actually really shocked me with being overlooked, considering how highly anticipated both were in Romancelandia. While it could be argued that this was just in my wing, I still stand by the statement and they could have at the very least gotten a nod.
Mickey Chambers Shakes It Up by Charish Reid
Between being an adjunct professor with a small summer schedule and living with a chronic illness that results in multiple medical bills, Mickey has more than quite a bit on her plate. She figures that taking the part-time bartender gig at Diego’s bar will help with money troubles and get a break from academia. Diego, who also happens to be one of Mickey’s students, hires her even though he is worried about the way the power dynamics will shift on a regular basis. However, he also cannot deny the sunny optimism that Mickey brings to his bar and his life, and soon, they’re both wondering if a relationship will be worth the risk.
The Fiancée Farce by Alexendria Bellefleur
When Tansy invented a fake girlfriend in romance cover model Gemma, she didn’t expect their paths to cross. However, when it turns out she is the cousin of her stepsister’s fiancé, she finds herself in lurch. However, Gemma is also in need of a fake romantic partner and quickly steps into the role. When they discover that this faux relationship would be beneficial in multiple ways, they quickly step into the roles of lovers. But of course, as often happens, real feelings soon develop.
If y’all are hungering for bodyguard romances, then this list is for you.
Here is a list courtesy of EW full of holiday romances to pick up this season. A few of these are already on my TBR!
And Publisher’s Weekly recently put out this article showcasing Black romance authors and their love of the genre.
And that’s all she wrote for today. I’ll see y’all next time and in the meantime you can still find me over on the bird app under @PScribe801. Until we meet again, happy reading and stay hydrated!