Author: Jessica Pryde

Love Notes and Black History

Post author By Jessica Pryde
Post date February 6, 2018

Well, it’s still February. It’s time for all the think pieces about romance and the Day Of Love. Let’s skip those this year, shall we? (Except this one. This one is great.)

News

The finalists have been announced for the Audies. It’s been a while since I’ve listened to an audiobook, but I’ve read some of the books in prose and can see how they would fare well in audio. Have you listened to any of them?

Bitch Media and BuzzFeed write Two Very Different Articles

Post author By Jessica Pryde
Post date January 30, 2018

Happy February, KB! Do you have enough tea, coffee, and mexican hot cocoa to get through the next month or so?

News

Just when I thought it was going to be a quiet week in the romance world, an article went up on Bitch Media (which is usually pretty awesome). It was an interview with debut author Jasmine Guillory, and neither she nor her interviewer presented themselves as very knowledgeable about the state of romance historically or now. How? For one, they talk about a limited number of black women writing romance and neither mentions Beverly Jenkins or Brenda Jackson in their discourse. They also seem to think authors like Farrah Rochon, Cheris Hodges, Donna Hill, and countless other women haven’t been writing romance for years. No major publishing houses have been publishing romance by black authors? UM. The MOST MAJOR publisher of romance has (well…”has” until they officially kill it) an imprint dedicated to publishing romance by and about black folks. A google search could have helped with that.

Heart on Fire by Amanda Bouchet

The riveting conclusion to the Kingmaker Chronicles

The destiny Catalia “Cat” Fisa has spent her entire life running from has finally caught up with her. To become Queen of Thalyria, Cat and her dedicated husband Griffin Sinta will have to go to war with the severely oppressed Fisa—and it’s violent alpha…Cat’s homicidal mother. When Cat’s magic refuses to work like it should, she has to unleash the power she’s been afraid of. And when her misuse of the God’s gifts lands her in Tartarus, a land reserved for eternal punishment, Cat will have to accept herself—past, present, and future—if she wants any chance of making it out alive.

If you want a few other takes on it:

There’s probably more. Send me to the awesome takes.

(PS, while the article is not great, The Wedding Date is still fantastic. Not revolutionary, no. But it’s still good, and you should read it. There are good things there, including the hero having a BFF who actually makes sense.)

Conversely, Jaime Green has written a spectacular, well-researched article for BuzzFeed. There are some really good takes, and some awesome quotes from people like Sarah MacLean, Tracey Livesay, and Maya Rodale. I’ll warn you: it’s hella long. But it’s so damn good.

If you’ve listened to Episode 1 of When in Romance (!!!) You’ve heard some of my (and Trisha’s) feelings about the current discourse on romance and consent. We missed the female pain article, but Bree has some really good commentary on expectations of female pleasure and pain (and if you’ve read Beyond Shame or anything else she’s written as half of Kit Rocha, you know she delivers).

Preach.

On a more fun note, these are the the thought processes romance authors have to work through. I love it.

And speaking of The Ripped Bodice, they are doing guest recs, and Sil from The Book Voyagers has some amazing ones!

Deals!

Elise Marion’s Chained is free! I will admit, I was completely drawn to the cover and know very little about the book. But it’s free, so…

HeartShip by Amy Jo Cousins is 99 cents right now!

Wrapped Up in You, the LGBT short that just got picked up by PassionFlix, is also 99 cents.

Lena Hart’s His Flower Queen, the first in the Queen Quartette, is free too!

Over on Book Riot

Did I mention that When in Romance has launched?

Paranormal spinoffs? Yes please!

Lacey turned to romance novels thanks to the political climate, and we’re glad. We don’t need to tell you about how romance can make you feel better in this terrible time, but hey, something to give your friends!

Do you have a ridiculous TBR at home? I’m totally going to try this method of getting through it.

Recs!

I don’t read a lot of friends-to-lovers stories, but I want to. I just occasionally have trouble with the dynamic, and I’m not certain why.Well, I know why: I love enemies-to-lovers stories. They are part of my foundational romance reading, and my favorite dynamic. But it was fun to read a couple childhood-nemesis-to-lovers stories this past week. They’re not quite enemies, but they’re not really friends. These two are also both historicals that aren’t Regency, so that was really fun.

Because of Miss Bridgerton
Julia Quinn

While it’s nice to see the callbacks to the older Bridgerton novels (which actually take place a generation later), it’s even nicer to read a story set in the Georgian period in England. They’re talking about the war with the colonies and giant dresses; it’s quite lovely. And of course we have Billie Bridgerton, eldest daughter and proxy-heir until her younger brother reaches his majority. She loved managing the property and also running about in trousers, which is what she’s in when she finds herself trapped on a cottage roof after running up a tree after a cat. Who comes to find her is none other than George Rokesby, the boring eldest brother of the clan; the one Billie likes least—and the feeling is mutual. But when both find themselves stuck on the roof…well, they get to know each other a little better, and continue to do so once they’re back on the ground. It’s pretty darling.

Josephine [and the Soldier]
Beverly Jenkins

This book was originally published by Avon as Josephine and the Soldier but was republished by KimaniTRU (Harlequin’s response to a need for diverse teen romance) as just Josephine in 2009. While Josephine is seventeen, her would-be beaux are older. Towards the end of the Civil War, Josephine Best and her family live in a black community in Michigan, just outside Detroit. There is an influx of wounded soldiers staying at the boarding house in town, and one of them sets his cap for Jo. Their budding courtship is jostled by the arrival of Adam Morgan, childhood friend of Jo’s brother Daniel. Also wounded in the war, Adam takes refuge with the Best family while he recuperates. Since Jo had hardly begun puberty when they last saw each other, Adam is taken aback by the beautiful, capable woman she’s become; she runs her own business and is as determined and headstrong as her mother. Jo, meanwhile, has to figure out if she prefers George, the gentle, sure-thing beau who has more of a traditional outlook on life, or Adam, the known ladies man who is bound to break her heart.

Josephine is the second in a duology; its precursor, Belle [and the Beau], is similarly precious and features another determined, capable young woman.

I realized that I’d done myself a huge disservice by not recording “enemies to lovers” as a goodreads tag when I finish a book, but I’ve found a couple more for you to try if you like these two:

A Summer for Scandal by Lydia San Andres

An Unnatural Vice by KJ Charles

My Fair Concubine by Jeannie Lin

Okay, that’s enough to start with. How about some

New and Upcoming Releases

Awaken Me by Farrah Rochon

HeartOn by Amy Jo Cousins

The Bittersweet Bride by Vanessa Riley

The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory

Tempest by Beverly Jenkins (is FINALLY OUT YAY)

That’s definitely enough until next week! As usual, catch me on Twitter @jessisreading or Instagram @jess_is_reading, or send me an email at jessica@riotnewmedia.com if you’ve got feedback or just want to say hi!

Kissing Books

Cover Reveals and More Revelations

Post author By Jessica Pryde
Post date January 23, 2018

How goes, KBers? I was feeling a bit down earlier this week, after getting some disappointing news about an author I hadn’t read but who had some potential, but books, amIrite?

RT Awards and Resistance Romance

Post author By Jessica Pryde
Post date January 17, 2018

Hey there, KBers! We’ve officially gone to weekly! How exciting is that? There’s plenty that happens all the time, so we’re going to have plenty to chat about (and maybe this way, they won’t be so long all the time).

Order your ISBN Thinking Of You tee for your Valentine/Palentine!

First, news!

RT Book Reviews’ RT Awards are up! The winners will be announced at a ceremony during the RT Annual Convention. There’s a pretty solid collection of nominees. There are still a few categories with no authors of color (at least that I’m aware of, please correct me). We’ll see what happens when the winners are announced.

Forever My Girl is out this week! I will admit, I thought it had already come out and I’d just missed it, which I’ll admit happens pretty frequently for me. I recall first seeing the trailer and thinking it would be out soon, then hearing basically nothing until the recent onslaught of advertisements for it—everywhere, including Goodreads! Have you read the book? I haven’t yet, but I’ll get to it. Eventually.

There’s gonna be a special way for you to get/read The Wedding Date and it’s pretty exciting. It won’t beat the artwork for The Ripped Bodice’s release party, but it’s pretty close 😀

KB/BR fave Santino Hassell wrote this Hypable article, and it is definitely something I will stand behind—particularly the Punisher one. It’s basically the only reason I kept watching 😉

If you haven’t experienced this bit of magic, you’re in for a delight.

Remember that event Alisha Rai and Alyssa Cole had at Politics and Prose in DC? They recorded it!

Deals

Annabeth Albert’s Off Base is 1.99, and is one of the nominees for the RT Awards.

The Hamilton Affair by Elizabeth Cobbs is 2.99, if you haven’t been Hamilton’ed out.

Hate To Want You is STILL 1.99. Get it.

Rough & Tumble by Rhenna Morgan, another RT Award nominee, is 1.99, too.

On Book Riot

Working on your Read Harder list? I pulled together some romance and romance-adjacent books to use for a bunch of the categories.

We listed our most anticipated books of the year. What are yours?

We remember audiobook narrator Katherine Kellgren, narrator of hundreds of audiobooks, including several romances.

Recs!

This past Monday was the day selected in the United States to celebrate the life and work of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I realized a few days before it that in Arizona (where I live), it’s also called Civil Rights Day. With that in mind, it’s a good time celebrate activists in romance.

Let it Shine
Alyssa Cole

I’m not a rereader; there are too many books in the world for that. But this darling novella is one I find myself revisiting regularly, either to read certain portions or to lend a few hours to reading the whole thing straight through. Sofronia is a softspoken young woman who does what she can to support her church and her family. Ivan, a friend from her childhood, comes back into her life, helping to put her on the path to joining the Freedom Riders. The two have a lot to overcome, both inside and outside of their community. While brief, this novella carries a lot of weight, about personal struggles and the struggle in the world at large during the Civil Rights Movement. It’s a great world to dive into for a very brief amount of time.

If you’ve made it through that and want to dive deeper into the world of civil rights and music, Windy City Blues by Renee Rosen is an interesting read. I haven’t made it all the way through, but it’s pretty fascinating.

Rogue Desire
Adriana Anders et al

The 2016 election left several people feeling either helpless or restless. The restless ones found different ways to #resist, including compiling this anthology of activism-related stories. The first novella, Grassroots, drops us into the life of Veronica Cruz, a fed-up preschool teacher who has decided to run for City Council. Her campaign isn’t going so well, but she refuses to give up, including extending his canvassing to the underkept house where Zach Hubler lives. Zach is fascinated by her passion and her goals, so he does what he can to support her, and the pair strike up a quick rapport. But how far is he willing to go?

This is just the first of eight pretty fantastic novellas in Rogue Desire. The rest include road trips to save the world, providing information for Robin Hood hackers, and working inside and outside of the system to make change. There have been two additional anthologies published: Rogue Affair and Rogue Acts. While the first anthology has several stories featuring characters of color, the anthologies that follow are much better at presenting #ownvoices stories. Rogue is planning on producing several more anthologies (yay!) and is receiving submissions in a semi-ongoing basis, if you might be interested in joining the movement.

And if that’s not enough for you, here’s your reminder that Santino Hassell’s Down By Contact is finally out!!! The second in Hassell’s Barons series, this one tells the story of Simeon Boudreaux and Adrián Bravo. This might not seem like it fits in this collection of activism romances on the surface, but honestly, isn’t the act of two men of color who live in the public eye just existing as a couple activism in itself? There’s also the fact that this is just a spectacular work of fiction, and you should read it. It can work as your first Hassell read if you’d like; very little from the first Barons book is necessary to your understanding of this story. But, you still want to read Illegal Contact if you haven’t already, not just because it’s amazing, but to get more of an insight into Simeon’s character.

Okay. That’s enough. So how about some new and upcoming releases:

Seared by Suleikha Snyder (okay, it’s been out for a while but somehow I missed it)

Make the Play by Jamie Wesley

Blood Fury by JR Ward

Most Likely to Score by Lauren Blakely

Sex, Not Love by Vi Keeland

The Ones Who Got Away by Roni Lauren

That’s good for now, right?

In case you missed the announcement (or just didn’t make it all the way down my favorites list), we’re moving to weekly! So be prepared to catch Kissing Books in your inbox every Thursday. As usual, catch me on Twitter @jessisreading or Instagram @jess_is_reading, or send me an email at jessica@riotnewmedia.com if you’ve got feedback or just want to say hi!

Kissing Books

Cinnamon Rolls and Native American Authors

Post author By Jessica Pryde
Post date January 9, 2018

Happy 2018, KBers! It’s a new day, new dawn, and all that jazz, so let’s get down to business (don’t say it).

News and Interesting Stuff

Folks. Alisha Rai. She did the thing. 2018 is, indeed, looking up.

We’re giving away a stack of our 20 favorite books of the year. Click here to enter, or just click the image below.

Has the loss of the monthly shopping list at Heroes and Heartbreakers left you scrambling to figure out what the hell is wrong with Amazon’s “featured” algorithm in the new releases list? You want to go to Aestas Book Blog. Talk about WORK. It doesn’t cover every book, but it’s a good place to start. I doubt we’ll find something that lists every new release every Tuesday, because that’s a lot. But many is good.

And if you are all about those master lists, here’s one for athlete heroines.

Bree had some thoughts on twitter last month, and it’s a downer way to start 2018, but we have to keep thinking about it. This particular thread is long af but condenses a lot of things many of us have tried to say about both the internal and external issues with society and romance. Yes, it sucks what preconceived notions non-readers come in with, but also what practices insiders maintain. As usual, no solutions, just things that make you go hmm.

In happier news, have we all seen the cover for Wicked and the Wallflower, Sarah MacLean’s upcoming Bareknuckle Bastards book? It’s marvelous, and I expect the same of the novel.

I get ads for this Lovestruck: Choose Your Own Romance game pretty much every day, mostly on facebook. I don’t do games, just cause, but it looks…really diverse? It could be total crap, I dunno. Have you played it?

You’ll get plenty of recs from me, but if you’re looking to do some lengthy research on romances by authors of color for the Read Harder challenge, have a look at WOC in Romance (and support their Patreon!)

Deals

Still holding out on Alisha Rai? Hate to Want You is 1.99.

Truth or Beard is 2.00 right now! If you haven’t heard me exclaim over the Winston brothers, well…don’t get me started.

Johanna Lindsey’s Love Only Once (the first in her Malory-Anderson series) is 1.99 as well.

If this is the year you try Shelley Laurenston, The Unleashing is also 1.99.

Over on Book Riot

It’s a brief list, but if you’re looking to read more books by Native American writers, here are a few romances. (Related: have you read any Robin Covington?)

Also, Book Riot favorite Alexis Daria wrote about writing and Dancing With the Stars.

We can all get stuck sitting the same way for too long when we’re enraptured in a romance novel. How about some yoga poses to help us out?

And now, recs!

There was a tweet or a meme I saw just a little while ago (that of course I can’t find now, excellent librarianing, Jess) that went a little something like this:

Hero: I’m a grump who doesn’t believe in love, fun, or happiness.

Cinnamon roll too good for this world: *exists*

Hero: well fuck.

Or something like that. I might have made up the hero’s last line, but you get the meaning.

That’s a kind of book I love but don’t read much of, and the first book of the year I want to talk about is like that: It Takes Two to Tumble.

It Takes Two to Tumble
Cat Sebastian

Benedict Sedgwick is a young vicar who probably smiles way too much. He has taken on the temporary role of governess to a pack of hellions belonging to the staid Captain Dacre, who has only just returned on leave after several years at sea. Ben, however, understands the Dacre children far more than their disciplined father, and worms his way into the hearts of the entire Dacre brood. (Sound familiar? Look at that cover.) Not only is there a sweet, slow burn between the two gentlemen, but there are also baby ducks. And possibly goats. It’s overall a delight to read and I can’t wait for the next Sedgwick book, or Cat Sebastian’s other novels coming out this year.

If you, like me, endeavor to read more cinnamon roll (or bun)/grumpy gus novels in 2018, here are some potential books to try:

An Unseen Attraction, KJ Charles

When a Scot Ties the Knot, Tessa Dare

A Bollywood Affair, Sonali Dev

Hamilton’s Battalion – “The Pursuit Of…” (all three are marvelous stories, but Henry is the Cinnamon Roll of Cinnamon Rolls)

Sunset Park, Santino Hassell

(Hmm…I’m noticing a pattern in my reading…)

Do you love cinnamon rolls and grumpy gusses (who are not in any way alphaholes)? Send me your recs!

Finally, new and upcoming releases:

Soaring on Love by Joy Avery

A Distant Heart by Sonali Dev

Dirty Talk by Lauren Landish

Heart on Fire by Amanda Bouchet

Prince Charming by CD Reiss

Down on Me by J. Kenner (Jan 16)

Kissing Books

Jess’s Favorite Kissing Book Things

Post author By Jessica Pryde
Post date December 22, 2017

It’s the last Kissing Books of 2017 and I’m gonna do something different! Let’s just ignore the world for a little bit and look back on a year of Romancelandia.

Romance Novels For Hillary and Green Card Marriages

Post author By Jessica Pryde
Post date December 13, 2017

Well, folks. We’ve had quite a couple weeks. I thought it was going to be pretty quiet, and then things just started coming out of nowhere. Zoom, pow, indeed. Get ready; it’s gonna be a long one.

Sponsored by A Duke in Shining Armor, by Loretta Chase

The seventh Duke of Ripley will never win prizes for virtue, but even he draws the line at running off with his best friend’s bride. All he’s trying to do is recapture the slightly inebriated Lady Olympia and return her to her bridegroom. The bookish and bespectacled Olympia is bent on getting away from her puzzling marriage to a rakish duke – but is even more puzzled when the world-famous hellion the Duke of Ripley is trying to do the honorable thing in returning her to her intended. Whatever his motivations, she has no intention of making this an easy chase…

We’ve all probably seen the HRC pullquote about romance novels by now; let’s talk about the reactions we’ve seen:

Lisa Kleypas dropped some knowledge
Maya Rodale expressed romance’s beating heart
Tessa Dare had some choice words for a journalist
Twitter went for it with recommendations, pulled together by Suzanne at Romance in Panels and a few other people

What this whole thing going on, author Melissa Blue had some words for romancelandia. And there was so much truth, I’d love to see a broader response to her question. Why do we get up in arms immediately upon an outsider’s opinions (especially a high profile one), but spend so little time as a greater community combating the toxicity within? I have no answers, but it’s something I’ve been thinking about.

In related (but not completely connected) news, there are going to be more Rogue Anthologies! And guess what? They’re taking submissions. Have you been looking to publish your resistance romance? Now’s your chance.

Courtney Milan was at the forefront of one of the lastest #metoo conversations, discussing her experience as her non-romance alter ego Heidi Bond, who had do deal with a horrible human being who took her habit of reading romance novels as an in for sexual harassment. No good. Disgusting, actually. But she had more to say earlier this week.

And to wipe that image from your mind: shared without comment. Just pure joy.

Also, if you haven’t read this Shondaland article in celebration of A Hope Divided, you should get on that pretty much immediately.

Bad news: there’s been some dissent among the romance world about the Netgalley blurb for the latest Kristan Higgins book. A few authors have sent her imploring tweets to rethink the book, while others have expressed support for her telling this story. She herself has put out a statement. I don’t believe in censoring work, especially that which I haven’t read, but I’m moving forward warily with this one. I’ve never read any of her stuff; how does she approach the underrepresented? We’ll see. Her statement leaves me hopeful, but as I said before, I’m still wary.

Good news: Book Concierge is back! (Though NPR and I are going to have to chat about how few romances are in their “Love Stories” category.)

In movie news

PassionFlix has reopened their Founding Member level. Support the platform, get a couple years free? Plus some other pretty awesome perks? Good deal. Also, you get to watch The Trouble With Mistletoe when it releases.

If you’re not down for another movie subscription, that’s okay! PassionFlix has put their first two original features, Hollywood Dirt and Afterburn Aftershock on Amazon to download! Check them out.

And okay. The Spirit of Christmas might not be a book, but it is definitely a happy place in this current state of ridiculousness. I was introduced to it by that same Melissa Blue mentioned earlier (re-recommending something originally recced to romancelandia by Rebekah Weatherspoon) and I watched it pretty much immediately. Romance ghosts are a tropetonite of mine, and the Prohibition-era costumery? Oh my. On the fence about a slightly ridiculous, but utterly wonderful holiday romance? Read this article.

Deals!

Jill Shalvis’s Chasing Christmas Eve is 1.99. Gotta read at least one of those every holiday season, huh?

Tracey Livesay’s Along Came Love is 99c! If you adored Love on My Mind but haven’t gotten to Livesay’s other books yet, now is definitely the time.

Who wants A Royal Christmas Wedding? We won’t get one this year, but you can read about one for 1.99!

If you’ve been meaning to read The Bollywood Bride, now would be a good time. It’s 2.99 right now!

Over on Book Riot…

Romeo watched Love Between the Covers and was fascinated. He had to do more research.

Romance mysteries? Yes, please!

I have been remiss in the whole holiday romance thing, but Alison is here to help!

Oh hey, more royal romances!

Bears. That’s a thing we like.

Want some good BDSM? We got ya covered.

And of course, more #romancenovelsforhillary.

Oh oh! Also! We’re giving away a stack of 20 books based on our favorite books of the year (did you see that post go up on Tuesday?)! You’ve got a whole month (until 1/14) to enter!

A few recs

Roomies
Christina Lauren

Holland works on the biggest show on Broadway. Sure, she’s a merch vendor and takes photos, but she’s just as much a part of the show as her uncle, the great creator Robert Okai. When a key musician walks off, leaving Robert in a serious bind, Holland has the perfect recommendation: this mesmerising street musician she goes out of her way to experience on a regular basis. After a masterful audition, everyone’s in agreement that Calvin is the best man for the job. There’s just one tiny problem: he’s long overstayed his student visa. Holland wants to do something for her uncle, and so comes up with the harebrained scheme that could allow Calvin to stay in the country. She’s already got the hots for him, so why not marry him?

When I got to the last line, my only word was “Kyooooooooooooot!” There’s a nuanced story here, and it’s great to watch both of these people become their best selves.

The Wall of Winnipeg and Me
Mariana Zapata

Of course, once I finished Roomies, I wanted more books about marriages of convenience. The first one I picked up was this one. And I’m gonna warn you, like most of Mariana Zapata’s books, it’s a big-ass sucker, so you might spend the rest of your December reading this one.

Vanessa is a PA. Her client is a Canadian football player (playing in the US) whose nickname is The Wall of Winnipeg. The nickname, from what I can tell, is twofold: the man is so big he has to get his clothes tailored. He is also pretty much an emotional wall. So when Vanessa has saved enough to go off on her own, with the time and stability to continue her graphic design company, she gives her notice and goes her way, not looking back. But just a month later, he starts showing up, asking her to come back. Eventually, he realizes she would be perfect for a little problem he has: if she marries him, he won’t have to worry about his work visa running out.

So how’s that gonna go? I don’t know, I’ll tell you in January.

Up next: I don’t know if I’ll be done with green card marriages when I’m done with Vanessa and the Hulk, but I just came across Operation Green Card, which is the most recent Bluewater Bay book, and I am all about it. A gay Russian man worried for his safety and a wounded American vet get married. They don’t know each other, but they’re gonna get to know each other now. With the backgrounds of each of the characters, it’s probable that we’ll touch on some serious, but I’m also looking forward to what I hope will be some pretty adorable stuff.

Bonus rec: If you get through these and want more forced exposure, Alexis Daria’s Dance With Me just came out! And it’s almost as good as Take the Lead. Almost. Millimeters away.

Finally, new and upcoming releases!

It Takes Two to Tumble by Cat Sebastian (THAT COVER THO—it straight up looks like The Sound of Music)
Wrong to Need You by Alisha Rai (OMG SOOOO GOOD)
West Coast Love by Tif Marcelo
Right Here, Right Now by Georgia Beers
The Hookup by Kristen Ashley (12/19)
The Art of Running in Heels by Rachel Gibson (12/26)
A Distant Heart by Sonali Dev (!!!!!) (12/26)

Also, Rebekah Weatherspoon has been talking about this holiday novella she couldn’t help writing, and it doesn’t have an Amazon link yet, but it has a blurb on her website! Keep an eye out!

Okay. *wipes forehead* That was a lot, but we’ve got plenty to get us through at least some of the coming holidays. Catch me on Twitter @jessisreading or Instagram @jess_is_reading, or send me an email at jessica@riotnewmedia.com if you’ve got feedback or just want to say hi!

Kissing Books

Royals, Rockstars, and Holiday Romances

Post author By Jessica Pryde
Post date November 28, 2017

How’s it going? Thanksgiving is over and now we can firmly settle into the winter holiday spirit. Do you read holiday romances? I haven’t read a lot, but the ones I have read have been enjoyable. And there are plenty that continue to be added to the list. I think the only ones I’m probably going to get to before the holidays are over are Lori Wilde’s Cowboy, It’s Cold Outside and story trio The Perfect Present. Maybe I’ll be able to sneak in The Trouble with Mistletoe before the movie premieres on PassionFlix.

Sponsored by Ever After Box, a book box for romance readers

Ever After Box is a subscription book box for romance readers that delivers romantic reads and unique gifts centered around a fun theme each month. Each box contains at 1-2 print books, one or more ebook download plus 3-5 gift items. Items include exclusive designs, author merchandise, cool product finds and more. Check out our monthly plans and special packages at: www.everafterbox.com

Currently ships to US and Canada only. Additional shipping charges apply for Canada.

Let’s start out with some stuff going on in the romance world!

Alyssa Cole’s A Hope Divided is out this week, and she told RT Book Reviews all about Civil War era medical science.

Alisha Rai + Shondaland = FIRE.

Publisher’s Weekly is also diving into the romance commentary. While it’s great that more publications are talking more about it, we have to ask: what’s the use? Maybe they’re saying something new to readers who don’t read or read about romance, but to us? The same song and dance with no new point of view. But they’re bringing three important topics to the eyes of people who don’t seek romance out, so more power to them.

Posted without comment.

Have you heard about Book+Main? I downloaded the app and did some messing around, but the jury is still out. I did have to turn off the notifications though; they got a little ridiculous.

The day the last KB went out, Sarah MacLean announced her favorites of 2017. I support her choices. Mostly.

Did you think we were done with A Gronking to Remember? Apparently not.

Did you like Ready Player One, but wished it were just more awesome? This new book is just what you asked for.

Have you checked out PassionFlix yet? See what some other love people have to say.

DID SOMEONE SAY BARONS CHRISTMAS SHORT?

Okay, enough of that. Deals! (These are November deals so hop on them pretty much now.)

Five books for 3.99? If you like Coleen Coble and haven’t tried the Aloha Reef Collection, here’s your chance.

Heather Graham’s Come the Morning is 99c right now.

Secret Santa Baby by Robin Covington is free for the time being.

K.M. Jackson’s Romancing the Fashionista is 1.99.

Over on Book Riot

Did someone say free? Yes, please and thank you.

Know what’s better than a holiday romance? A holiday romance anthology. And we’ve got a few for you.

Thanksgiving may be over, but these are definitely families you want to hang out with year round. Also, there’s a bonus family in the comments! (Definitely checking that series out.)

Fantasy? Romance? Let’s put them together, shall we? (But I veto “romantasy” just out of principle. Please, can we not?)

I’m gonna try a thing. Are you planning any reading projects for next year?

Harry and Meghan: something out of a storybook, right? Well, here are some storybook romances for you, with royalty and everything.

Okay, recs!

A couple weeks ago, someone at BR started a conversation about active military and veterans in romance. From what we’d seen, there were more suspense thrillers with these leads than something less…stressful. I couldn’t think of any that I’d read that didn’t have at least one person actively trying to kill one of the protagonists.

And then lo-and-behold, there I was reading a couple of them.

When a Scot Ties the Knot
Tessa Dare

This book opens with the greatest letter montage in modern writing. Maddie has severe anxiety and can’t deal with crowds or people. So when her first season comes around, she invents a sweetheart, determined to avoid all of the people and confusions that comes with being out. She holds onto the pretension for years, writing the Scottish captain as he fights the French. Then, guilty and in need of forward motion, she kills him. Except.

Except.

That Scottish army captain? He totally exists. And now he’s discharged from the army with a ragtag group of soldiers, in need of a fresh start in a Scotland that’s been ravaged by English landowners. He’ll marry her, as long as he can set up on her land. What could go wrong, right?

Hillbilly Rockstar
Lorelei James

Country music sensation Devin McClain has a problem. He could ignore the written threats and some of the weird things that have happened, but now, a threat had made its way into his private space. If his agent and tour promoters were insisting on him having a security detail, the least he could do is have a say. What he’s not expecting is for his severe, former military bodyguard to go all Miss Congeniality on him, especially if she’s going to be sharing the close quarters of a tourbus with him for the next four months. But as Devin and Liberty get to know each other, they can’t deny their chemistry. And even though Liberty knows getting involved with a client is the last thing she should be doing, what starts as regular sex to help with those post-show endorphins can easily turn into something else.

His Road Home
Anna Richland

So many people have told me to read this book, and I finally picked it up. I am so glad I did. It’s the best kind of punch to the heart; the story gives the warmest fuzzies at times while not holding back on some of the harder stuff. Reynaldo Cruz is a Special Forces soldier unsure what to do when an Afghan warlord offers him one of his daughters. When a friend saves him by claiming that he is already engaged, Rey has to get creative to show proof. When that creativity goes public thanks to an equally public act of heroism that leaves him with a career-ending suite of injuries, Grace Kim, his fake fiancee, enters his life. The two don’t get off on the best of feet, what with the whole act of deception that put them together. But when they start to get along, boy do they get along. I have to use that word that I love using with this one (cause it’s so effing true): this story is darling.

Also: while the author is (I believe) a white woman, she approaches having a Mexican-American hero and a Korean-American heroine in a respectful way. Okay, so his mom is an undocumented “tamale lady” and her parents own a Chinese restaurant, which is super stereotypical but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ it still didn’t feel like othering or punching down. You decide.

Currently Reading:

Lesson That Taught Love
GL Tomas

I’m only partway through this book, and it’s in severe need of a runthrough by a copyeditor, but the story is so compelling that I can’t bring myself to stop. I was first drawn to it by the cover. Do you see that cover? I have a thing for books that look like they’re going to have black cowgirls. Okay, so this one doesn’t have that, but I can still appreciate a good cover. So, the story. Beck and Kit are from a small town in the mining hills of Kentucky. Beck went away for college but came back when her mother got severely ill. Kit didn’t go to college; he joined the army instead. A career-ending head wound has left him with bad hearing and a traumatic brain injury, so he’s back in town to help his mother, who is afflicted with MS, and be the grown man no one in town knew him as when he was that stupid asshole football player who won hearts and stomped on them just as quickly. He might not be that boy anymore, but he’s got to convince Beck that he’s changed. But only after both of them deal with their own issues.

Okay. That’s a good number of books and career-ending injuries for now.

Finally, new and upcoming releases.

Wrong to Need You by Alisha Rai
A Hope Divided by Alyssa Cole
A Duke in Shining Armor by Loretta Chase
Undercover Attraction by Katee Robert
Roomies by Christina Lauren (12/5)
Dance With Me by Alexis Daria (12/12)
It Takes Two to Tumble by Cat Sebastian (12/12)

And holy mother, that’s plenty for the next couple weeks. Pardon me, I’m off to drown in amazing books until Christmas.

Catch me on Twitter @jessisreading or Instagram @jess_is_reading, or send me an email at jessica@riotnewmedia.com if you’ve got feedback or just want to say hi!

Kissing Books

Heartbreak, Viking Romances, and Upcoming Releases

Post author By Jessica Pryde
Post date November 14, 2017

Are you ready for Thanksgiving? Don’t worry, I’ve got plenty stuff for you to read while trying to avoid big family gatherings by hiding in the upstairs bathroom.

But first, Romancelandia!

Kirkus has released their best of 2017, including their favorite romances.

Sponsored by Right Where We Belong by Brenda Novak.

A moving story about rebuilding your life when you’ve got nothing left to lose, from New York Times bestselling author Brenda Novak. Savanna Gray’s “perfect” life unraveled when her husband was arrested for attacking three women. She seeks refuge in Silver Springs, at a farmhouse that needs a little TLC. Familiar with the struggle of starting over, Gavin Turner steps up when Savanna needs help fixing things—even when those things go beyond the farmhouse. Unwilling to repeat past mistakes, Savanna resolves to keep her distance. But it’s hard to resist a man whose heart is as capable as his hands.

Not to be outdone, Amazon has also listed their best romances of 2017.

And weirdly, Kirkus has the more diverse list :shrug emoji:

Did you know NPR has a romance column? Guess they’re joining in on the fun! And hey, I’ll support anyone who wants to talk about Hamilton’s Battalion.

Heroes and Heartbreakers, Macmillan’s romance vertical, is officially going dark in the very near future. We’ll be sad to see it go; they’ve been doing Good Work for a long time, and have made our lives a little brighter talking about everything from Alisha Rai’s favorite grand gestures to speculations about Olicity. While they’re shifting their focus to social media and other outlets, the people who write for the blog have also had to pivot as well. In the meantime, you can still find Wendy’s Unusual Historicals lists going up on her personal blog, The Misadventures of Super Librarian, and Suzanne (Cerestheories) is broadening the spectrum at Love In Panels to include romance coverage on top of the romance comics she’s been so lovingly and diligently reviewing.

In happier news, the RT Convention agenda has been posted! It’s not complete, but you can get a look at what they’ll be talking about in Reno. Are you heading up there next Spring? Or maybe you’re holding out for RWA in Denver—their schedule isn’t out yet, but they have announced their featured speakers list, and it is definitely nothing to sneer about.

Have you watched the most recent Fifty Shades Freed trailer?

Do you agree with Sarah MacLean’s WaPo picks for the month? (Shh. I’ve only read one of those…though one of the others is hanging out on my bedside table crying for me to pick it up.)

And speaking of Sarah MacLean: she’s announced the title for the first book in the Bareknuckle Bastards series! It’s so exciting (also, it’s coming out on my birthday)!

Have you read any books by #romanceclass authors? Here’s an interview with Jay E. Tria, who sounds like someone I’d love to be friends with. Also, her book, You Out Of Nowhere, is going on the TBR immediately.

Deals!

Lorraine Heath’s An Affair With a Notorious Heiress is 1.99!

Looking for some chilling romantic suspense? Kendra Elliot’s Hidden is 99c

Want to read more Rose Lerner after catching Hamilton’s Battalion? In For a Penny is 99c as well.

Rogue Affair, the follow-up anthology to Rogue Desire, is 99c right now, too!

Over on Book Riot:

Have you tried Audible’s new romance package? Erin’s got 6 reasons it’s awesome.

With Thor: Ragnarok now out will all those Asgardian pectorals and The Vikings still going strong, you know we had to start thinking about Viking Romance. Yeah, that’s a thing.

Want more lesbian romance? We’ve got some of those for you to try out, too.

I’m sure if you’ve read this newsletter long enough it will be no surprise that I think you need to read these books before the next one comes out. Soon. (Not included in that list? Illegal Contact, because Down By Contact isn’t out until January but HOO DOGGIE I just finished it and man will you want it. More on that later.)

And don’t forget about our bookstore giveaway! How many romances can you get with $500 to your favorite bookstore?

Book Recs!

I was in a particular mood recently, and noticed that two of the books I’d decided to pick up had a similar, but relatively uncommon, theme. They were both books that took place in an alternative now: it was still this day and age, but something had been changed in the past to make the laws of the land work a little differently. The way each author approached this was really interesting, and it was also the first time I’d read either of them, so bonus!

The Future Chosen
Mina V. Esguerra

In this alternate now, laws have been written so that no two members of the same family can be politicians. And it’s not even “at the same time”…it’s while any other member who has been a politician is alive. This doesn’t work in the eyes of Lourdes and Andres, who have been groomed since birth to be rising star politicians in each of their families. But from the time they meet in the school program designed for future leaders, they know there is something special between them. They still hide, because they should be studying, but they won’t be doing anything illegal until one of them gets elected. It’s when they’re both running for office that things get dicy. The love between Lourdes and Andres is sweet, and you can see it as it evolves through school and adulthood. And man, the tangles they get themselves in. (TW for mass shooting early in the book.)

I Love You Subject to the Following Terms and Conditions
Erin Lyon

This hilarious, frustrating book takes place in a US where people don’t get married; they sign. Partner contracts are for seven years, and couples can decide to re-up or just let it run out. Or they can breach, which is a lot of what Kate has to deal with when she ends up taking a job in Signing Law at her uncle’s firm—the last thing she ever wanted after coming out of law school, but beggars can’t be choosers. Kate had been in a loving relationship, ready to just let her contract roll over, when her partner pulled a fast one on her, leaving her alone and in need of a better paying job. Now, he wants to try again, which is fine and dandy, except she’s also got this friend—a “contract killer” who only dates signed women, who she also might have a tiny crush on—and this other friend, who has a pretty big crush on her. Drowning in men, Kate just wants to move on with her life, but all kinds of things get in her way.

As I said, this book is hilarious and compelling. It’s also not a standalone which I didn’t know when I started. So maybe save this one for after the New Year, when you’ll be closer to the release of Unconditionally.

Read Harder Bonus: Debut Novel

How about some new and upcoming releases?

Citywide, Santino Hassell

Snow Falling, Jane Gloriana Villanueva (Yes, that’s what it says on the cover)

Highland Dragon Rebel, Isabel Cooper

Anyone But You (Best Friends Sibling Anthology)

Bodyguard, CD Reiss

Set the Stage, Karis Walsh

A Hope Divided, Alyssa Cole (11/28) (!!!)

Wrong to Need You, Alisha Rai (11/28) (!!!)

That’s plenty, right? catch me on Twitter @jessisreading or Instagram @jess_is_reading, or send me an email at jessica@riotnewmedia.com if you’ve got feedback or just want to say hi!

Kissing Books

Audible and Chill?

Post author By Jessica Pryde
Post date November 1, 2017

Well, Halloween’s over. I am sort of proud of myself for not acquiring All The Candy. I didn’t see any romance heroes or heroines in my Instagram scrolling; did you dress up?

And now it’s time for NaNoWriMo! Lots of romance novels have been born in November over the years. Are you writing one? Or just looking forward to reading them?

Sponsored By 36 Questions That Changed My Mind About You, by Vicki Grant

Inspired by the real psychology study popularized by the New York Times and its “Modern Love” column, this contemporary YA is full of humor and heart. It explores the interactions between Hildy and Paul, two random strangers in a university psychology study, when they ask each other the 36 questions that are engineered to make them fall in love. Told in the language of modern romance–texting, Q&A, IM–and punctuated by Paul’s sketches, this clever high-concept YA will leave you searching for your own stranger to ask the 36 questions. Maybe you’ll even fall in love.

It’s mostly fun stuff this week!

The film adaptation of Afterburn/Aftershock premieres on Passionflix this weekend. I still haven’t read the book. But I’m probably gonna watch it anyway. That trailer is hot.

Dance With Me! On Spotify!

:scream emojis:

Entertainment Weekly is continuing their romance coverage, and the October edition is definitely more diverse than their first run out of the gate. And I must say, I support those choices.

Want to support a Kickstarter? How about this queer romance comic?

I…I’m sorry, what?

Do you watch Jane the Virgin? If you’re caught up, you know about Snow Falling. Well, guess what.

It’s early November, which means it’s definitely time for end of year Best Ofs to begin. Publisher’s Weekly already announced theirs, and their romance grouping includes some Book Riot favorites!

And speaking of “best of,” Goodreads has opened voting for their Goodreads Choice awards. I enjoyed a couple books in the romance section, but I am wondering why some of my favorites of this year are going to have to be write-in entries.

Where are you going to be on December 2? If you live anywhere near Culver City, you should be here.

And if you can’t be there, you can still order signed copies.

I want to be sure to acknowledge the passing of Miranda Neville. She touched a lot of people in romancelandia and will be missed.

DEALS! Woo!

Beverly Jenkins’ Forbidden is 99 cents right now! While the hero and his sister were featured in a previous Jenkins novel, this is still a great entryway into her work. You’ll want to read it all.

Rachel Gibson’s Simply Irresistible is also 99 cents! Funny hockey romance with awesome women doing things? Thanks, I think I will.

I love Cat Sebastian’s books. The Ruin of a Rake is 99 cents. Yes, it’s the third in a series, but it’ll be a good excuse to read the others too 😉

J. Daniels’ Four Letter Word was kind of a shock to the system, but I enjoyed it so. It’s 2.99 right now!

Over on Book Riot…

Want free romance audiobooks? Here’re a few places to find them.

Laura doesn’t care about your straight romance. Queer is where it’s at for her. (PS, be sure to read the comments for some recs!)

Oh! And have you seen our new site layout? ROMANCE HAS ITS OWN TAB!!!

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, I can gush about books.

Do you read Santino Hassell’s Boroughverse? He just released a freebie, Third Rail, that whets the appetite for his upcoming collection, Citywide. It’s hella sexy, but it also includes a lot of character exploration that made me fall in love with Chris. So in love. If Raymond Rodriguez didn’t exist, Chris would be my favorite in the verse. It sets the scene for the first story in Citywide, in which Chris comes to term with his feelings for Jace and Aiden after several hook-ups with the couple. That’s right. M/M/M HEA coming through. I love the Boroughverse.

Wilde in Love
Eloisa James

It’s been a while since I’ve read one of James’ novels, but picking up Wilde in Love reminded me why I loved the ones I read years ago. I made it through the first 3/4 of the book in a single sitting, and found myself excitingly picking up my copy as soon as it was light enough in my bedroom to read early the next morning. While the title might hint at an Edwardian setting, it’s a Georgian novel, set just before the American Revolution. But don’t worry, there are a lot of winks to Oscar Wilde, including characters named Chasuble and Prism, witty parlor exchanges, and a play at the center of it all. Willa Ffynche is one of the belles of the Season, but she’s not delighted to be at a house party where The Infamous Lord Wilde will be the center of attention. Alaric Wilde has spent the last several years traveling the world and publishing his adventures, but it’s really the play Wilde in Love (which he did not write) that has made him the beloved and pursued of the ladies of England. But he finds Miss Ffynche is who he really wants to spend time with.

Also, there’s a pet skunk. And she’s the cutest thing ever.

Hamilton’s Battalion: A Trio of Romances
Rose Lerner, Courtney Milan, Alyssa Cole

I know, I know. I already gushed about this one. But I actually finished it and seriously, if you haven’t read this already, you need to. (And it’s finally out in print!) As I mentioned two weeks ago, Rose Lerner’s entry is just great. But I hadn’t made it to the others yet, and they are…so wonderful. You could say they amaze and astonish. They smash every expectation.

Okay, I’m done.

The Pursuit Of… is Courtney Milan’s contribution to the trio, and it follows a black soldier going home after Yorktown and his unlikely companion, a former British officer. While Henry is severely talkative, John is more introspective, and a great amount of the story is the same. But the author’s familiar style matched with her customary attention to detail and research make the story damn near perfect. And her author’s note is sheer perfection. That Would Be Enough takes place in the 19th century, as Mrs. Hamilton’s maid/secretary and the granddaughter of Elijah Sutton (of Be Not Afraid fame) take a long journey towards love (mostly because Mercy is being stubborn). Alyssa Cole’s writing is amazeballs as usual, and can we talk about the whole historical fiction featuring two black women in love?

Okay, how about some new and upcoming releases?

The Sea King by CL Wilson

The Texan Duke by Karen Ranney

Off the Ice by Avon Gale and Piper Vaughn

Highland Dragon Rebel by Isabel Cooper (11/7)

Snow Falling by Jane Gloriana Villanueva (Caridad Pineiro) (11/14)

That’s probably enough for now, huh? In the meantime, catch me on Twitter @jessisreading or Instagram @jess_is_reading, or send me an email at jessica@riotnewmedia.com if you’ve got feedback or just want to say hi!