Author: P.N. Hinton

Hey y’all, welcome to the Kissing Books newsletter. I hope your spirit is doing well. I’m PN Hinton, your guide through the roller coaster of a ride that the world of romance can be. If it is your first time here, welcome and if you’re a regular reader welcome back. 

As y’all know I had last week off and I ended it by going to a small, local Renaissance Faire on Saturday with friends and the Teenager. While he was moody most of the day, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. It was small enough to get around quickly if you needed to and not constantly be in a crush of people. I also got some new pieces of jewelry which I enjoyed. A great ending to a good week.

In ‘What I’m Reading’ news, Meet Cute Club and Out on the Ice on both on my reading shelf.

Romance Reflection

While I want to get out of the habit of constantly rehashing less-than-stellar news, there are some things that just need to be discussed, such as the one for today, which is about the harassment that Jennifer L. Armentrout is receiving since the publication of her latest book, The War of Two Queens. 

I’m not here to hash out the scene in question, whether it fits the characters, or anything like that because it’s not for me to say. What I will say is the reactions from the fans, which have ranged from physical threats to doxxing, are ridiculous.  

Y’all. This type of behavior needs to stop. Like, yesterday. Authors are people too. 

It’s okay to be angry, sad, or disappointed with the direction a book takes. I’m not discounting that. It’s okay to be extremely passionate about it. But It’s not okay to threaten the author just because something didn’t play out the way it was shipped in your brain. Just stop reading the books and, if you’re feeling that froggy about it, the author altogether.

Book Riot Romance

Be sure to listen to the latest episode of When in Romance and hear more on Jess and Trisha takes on some of the questionable things that have been occurring in Romancelandia as of late.

Around the Web in Romance

Here are some books that feature a single parent as one of the main characters.

I loved this thread of celebrity couple pictures as romance tropes.

Pick your favorite condiment in this quiz and find out your taste in men.

Check out this interview with Julia Quinn and a sneak peek of Season 2 of Bridgerton which launches tomorrow!

Everything about this exchange gave me warm fuzzies.

If you missed Margo Hendricks’s Masterclass in Indigo, you’re in luck since you can check it out here.

There is a new anthology out to help support Ukraine.

Recommendations

Recently one of my oldest and closest friends went through an unexpected life challenge when her boyfriend, who is relatively young, underwent open heart surgery. His family lives in another state so everything fell on to my friend. And while she doesn’t mind because, you know, she loves the guy, it was still a very overwhelming experience. 

She’s also part of my book club and a few weeks ago we had our meet up which also served to give her a break. When it came to picking a new book her only request was something light and fun that didn’t require a lot of heavy thinking. The consensus ended up being The Ex Hex.

Sometimes it is nice to read a romance novel purely for the romance factor. There’s no social commentary, trauma, or anything like that. Because, while I think those are important to call out, it’s not something you can read all the time as it weighs heavily on you after a while.

With that in mind, my recommendations this week will be centered around lighter romances. As in they are romances with little to no angst, drama, or trauma. They’re just about two people falling in love. 

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!

---

And that is all I have for y’all today. I’ll be back next Monday with a fresh newsletter full of wonderful romance related things. In the meantime, you can follow me over on Twitter under @PScribe801. Have a great weekend!

Hey y’all, welcome to the Kissing Books newsletter. I hope your spirit is doing well. I’m PN Hinton, your guide through the roller coaster of a ride that the world of romance can be. If it is your first time here, welcome and if you’re a regular reader, welcome back. 

Today marks my first day back at the day job after a week off. And it’s a bit bittersweet to be honest. Like most people, I enjoy the time off when I make myself take some and think, “Oh I could do this forever.” But then reality sinks in and I realize that I’m someone who can’t not work. I’d like to think that I am but I am honest enough to know that I will always need to do something to keep my brain busy. Otherwise I would go insane.

That said, I am already thinking of when my next extended weekend or vacation will be. Likely when the kiddo is off, since that way I don’t have to worry about getting him up and moving for school. 

In things currently bringing me joy, I have jumped on the Wordle and Quordle train and trying to solve the puzzle has been added to my morning routine along with coffee. 

Romance Reflection:

There’s one thing I feel doesn’t get enough love in romance novels and that’s the secondary love story. And by that, I don’t mean second chance love; I mean the secondary one in the same book. That’s the one that isn’t the main coupling of the story but rather the one we get the snippets of in-between the MCs’. Or, better yet, it’s the one you can see the seeds being planted for but doesn’t come to fruition until they get their own book 

I am here for it. 

There are a few reasons for this but I think one of the main reasons is that it can teach perspective. It takes us past our own personal bubble to see what is happening with others. I could be stretching here, and I won’t be insulted if you feel I am, but it really does. We talk a lot about not fully knowing anyone else’s story as a reminder to be kind. But it’s also a good reminder that you’re only the main character in your life, not necessarily in someone else’s. 

To put a rosy spin on it, there is always another love story that could be happening outside the main one and this helps us to not only recognize that but also appreciate it. And sometimes, although not in the case of the book mentioned here mind you, the secondary love story is better than the main one. 

A good example of this was Verity and Monk from Reel. Don’t get me wrong, I adored the book and Canon and Neevah’s story. But the history between Verity and Monk and the references that were made by the characters who were in the know, even if the audience wasn’t the wiser, was a great and tactical move by Kennedy Ryan. I wanted to know more about their first time on the love train. I wanted to know what caused it to derail. And I definitely want to know what will make that choo-choo go, “I think I can” a second time. 

So please, more secondary love stories in romance please. I’ll eat them up like candy.

Book Riot Romance:

This is a good read on how literary novels can be enhanced with the thread of a love story.

Around the Web in Romance:

Considering that two bits of writing advice that are constantly given are “Write what you know” and/or “Write what you want to see”, this is an interesting take indeed. Another option is to, you know, pick up a different book and skip that one but whatever. Please note that the OP does not agree with that assessment and were just referencing it.

The amount of jealousy I feel with this tweeted picture cannot be measured. So…pretty. To this day I still don’t know what happened to my OG copy of Indigo.

Here are some of the best unscripted moments from some of our favorite rom-coms. Numbers 3, 7, 8, and 14 were the ones I was more surprised about.

Here are three upcoming historical romances to add to your TBR.

I haven’t seen tick, tick…Boom! yet, but this deleted scene almost gave me the vapors. That head tilt he did when the dress was revealed…

And speaking of movies I was already excited for The Lost City, and this clip just ramped that up.

I really enjoyed reading this article that introduces us to the Bridgerton’s Sharma family. Seems like there will be a bit of a rivalry between Edwina and Kate which makes me a little nervous. However, I will wait and see how it all plays out before I pass judgment. 

New Releases:

As always, please note that these were the dates that were showing as of the writing of this article.

Red Blossom in Snow by Jeannie Lin (3/21)

The Eos Key– by D.M. Lewry (3/22)

Gouda Friends by Cathy Yardley (3/22)+

Savvy Sheldon Feels Good as Hell by Taj McCoy (3/22)

I’ll Come Back For You by Charish Reid (3/24)*

Tough Luck by Annabeth Albert (3/24)

Salty Cowboy by Elana Johnson (3/24)

Storm Chasers by ML Preston (3/25)

Uncovering Her Hunger by Rae Shawn (3/25)

Not Your Type by Elizabeth Jeannel (3/25)

+I’m super excited for this one.

*According to Amazon I pre-ordered this on November 28th of last year; so, to say I’m highly anticipating it would be an understatement. Be sure to check out the author’s unboxing here.

---

And that is all I have for you today. I’ll be back on Thursday with more romance reflections, news, and recommendations. If you’re not already following me on Twitter, I can be found posting under @PScribe801. Until then, happy reading! 

Hey y’all, welcome to the Kissing Books newsletter. I hope your spirit is doing well. I’m PN Hinton, your guide through the roller coaster of a ride that the world of romance can be. If it is your first time here, welcome and if you’re a regular reader welcome back. 

I am almost at the end of my week off and it has been glorious. It was just what I needed; a chance to recharge my batteries and spend time with my kiddo. Which is always a winning combination. In reading news, I finished I’m So (Not) Over You and started my re-read of The Viscount Who Loved Me to prepare for March 25th. 

Romance Reflection

There is something that I feel doesn’t get discussed enough in Romancelandia and that is the dangers of listening to romance audiobooks while trying to multitask and do other adult duties. 

First, I will say audiobooks are not my go-to for reading. I don’t judge those that do because of course it counts as reading. But I just prefer to read on my own. Occasionally though I will pick them up and read them and when I do, it’s always a pleasant experience. But there have also been some, shall we say, memorable experiences with them as well. 

I actually haven’t listened to a lot of romance audiobooks and the two that readily come to mind were both by Talia Hibbert. The first was Get a Life, Chloe Brown narrated by the marvelous Adjoa Andoh otherwise known as Lady Danbury. I listened to it when I was still commuting to and from my office. I loved the banter between Red and Chloe but of course knew there would be sexy times ahead. And I tell you, the first time that Adjoa growled in Red’s voice, I almost swerved off the road. 

Then I was listening to The Roommate Risk, back when it was still titled Wanna Bet?, narrated by Cornell Collins. That story is first told in different timelines and in the present, Rahul and Jasmine are just friends. So, when a flashback to the past sets up the scene where it made it seem like they would engage in sexy times. I was like “Naw, they’re just friends. They’ll stop.”

They didn’t stop. 

So here I am in my break room, frantically trying to hit pause on my phone because I’m certain all my co-workers can hear the horny fun coming from my earbuds. 

Then there was another scene later on that I listened to while trying to clean. And I got distracted by the narrator’s voice and breathed in a bit too much of the cleaning product and had to leave the bathroom for fresh air.

So just remember to listen to romance books with caution. 

Of course again, this is all in jest. Both books were delightful and I highly recommend them.

Book Riot Romance

Speaking of Talia Hibbert, here is a list of a few authors who write in a similar fashion.

Check out this list of romances that take place in New York City.

Or some of these romance manga recommendations.

Around the Web in Romance

The answer to the question proposed in this article regarding Eloise Bridgerton: yes, we have.

If you’re looking for more romance fantasy novels, check out this list.

Here are some romances that were just what the doctor ordered.

If you’re looking for a fun quiz, check out this one where you write a letter to a loved one to see if they feel the same way.

Recommendations

Since today is St. Patrick’s Day, my recommendations for today are going to be books that feature Irish characters or take place in Ireland. A few even mark off both requirements.

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!

---

And that’s all I have for this Thursday. I’ll be back Monday with another wonderful newsletter full of romance goodness for y’all. In the meantime, give me a follow over on Twitter under @PScribe801. Happy reading and have a wonderful weekend.

Hey y’all, welcome to the Kissing Books newsletter. I hope your spirit is doing well. I’m PN Hinton, your guide through the roller coaster of a ride that the world of romance can be. If it is your first time here, welcome and if you’re a regular reader, welcome back. 

I am officially on vacation for the week from my day job and I am so looking forward to it. It will be a lot of recharging, relaxing, reading, and hopefully catching up on shows and movies. We have plans to go visit with some friends that live in a nearby small town, maybe do an overnight sleepover. Past that though, I don’t know if we’re going anywhere because gas prices are high and we all know why that is. Regardless, though it will be great and a break that is sorely needed. 

Romance Reflection:

It’s March y’all and wow…there has been a lot of drama going on in Romancelandia already this year. The latest one was about a specific book that was optioned and honestly?

I don’t want to talk about that. I feel like that specific, half-ass attempt at a redemption story arc happens at least three times a year, if not more. I know I’ve discussed it before and I’m tired of having to say it over and over again since clearly, in terms of publishing houses, it’s not being taken seriously.

I make this statement to let y’all know I’m not unaware of this book or the situation. There’s nothing more that needs to be said on it apart from a majority of the community doesn’t want it and that should alone be enough to prevent books like this from being optioned.

Instead this reflection will be something more uplifting and hopefully humorous. This is actually something I plan on doing more going forward to try to have more of an even balance between lighter things and things that should be probably be discussed more often.

This is a pondering that I’ve actually had for a while. First, let me say that what started this was the Bridgerton season two preview, which gave me LIFE this week. The Pall Mall scene, the banter between Anthony and Kate, the hand reaching scenes and of course Newton. I really hope that the bee is still used as the reason for the compromising scene because it’s still hands down one of the best I’ve read. 

And the wet shirt scene? It was brief but man there was a lot to unpack in those few seconds. I loved the reaction of both Sharma sisters, especially Edwina’s reaction to Kate, because it was a very sisterly “You know I can actually see you right?” look.

That said, it did make me question what exactly were men’s shirts made of back then? It doesn’t seem like they were very useful in terms of keeping one warm since they turned positively sheer when they got wet. Our attention (referring of course to Romancelandia) was drawn to this with Colin Firth’s Mr. Darcy of course and it seems that Jonathan Bailey’s Anthony Bridgerton will be that awakening for this generation. 

Let the record state I’m perfectly fine with both. 

But, yeah; it seems like it’s made of paper for how quickly it crumbles when it gets wet. And maybe I don’t see enough wet modern men’s dress shirts, which in and of itself can be a tragedy, but yeah. Seems that at least the quality of said shirts has improved since the Regency era. 

That said, I fully admit I will probably rewind that scene at least three times. I’m under no illusions about the type of person that I am.

Book Riot Romance:

I’ve talked briefly about this before here, but I was able to expand on alternative terms to ‘clean’ when talking about romances with no sex scene with this article.

Click here to be entered into a giveaway for a one-year subscription to Book of the Month. They’ve actually been quite consistent with romance options in that last couple of months which is always nice.

We also opened up another giveaway for a gift certificate to the Ripped Bodice. Summer is closer than you think so perfect time to stock up!

Around the Web in Romance:

I knew I wasn’t the only person to react that way to the Bridgerton trailer but it’s still nice to see proof of it in through the written word.

This collection of covers from a now defunct publishing house that I hadn’t even heard of was gorgeous and amazing to see. I truly appreciate the OP sharing that with us.

Speaking of publishing houses, Harlequin has expanded even more on their scholarship program.

If you’re a fan of billionaire romances, then you’re in luck with this list.

This is also me.

To quote a popular meme, “I want to go to the there.”

The cover was revealed for Erin Sterling’s upcoming book, The Kiss Curse.

And Rebekah Weatherspoon has a new Audible Original available now.

New Releases:

The Mercy Sisters: Love Delivered by J. Nichole (3/15) 

Dating Dr. Dil by Nisha Sharma (3/15) 

Hard Rush by Cali N. Tae (3/15)

To Tame a Beast by Elizabeth Silver (3/15)

The League of Gentlewomen Witches by India Holton (3/15) 

The Game by Jan Gayle (3/15)

Exclusive by Melissa Brayden (3/15)

The Spy and her Serpent by Maria Ying (3/15) 

She’s the Boss by Reina Torres (3/17)

A False Start by Elsie Silver (3/18)

---

And that’s all I have for you lovely people today. I’ll be back on Thursday with another romance reflection, news and recommendations. I hope that the week is kind to you until then and in the meantime give me a follow over on Twitter under @PScribe801. Until then!

Hey y’all, welcome to the Kissing Books newsletter. I hope your spirit is doing well. I’m PN Hinton, your guide through the roller coaster of a ride that the world of romance can be. If it is your first time here, welcome and if you’re a regular reader welcome back. 

I hope that your week has been going well so far. I’m still recovering from stage managing a show on Saturday. Was it tiring? Yes. Was it rewarding? Also yes. There’s something that’s so satisfying about watching a show come together.

Romance Reflection

There was an issue over in Romancelandia over the weekend regarding a blurb that was released about a book that used ableist language in their book blurb. Then later the author ‘apologized’ with this statement.

So I’ll be honest with y’all. My first thought upon reading the blurb was “Do you not have friends?” And I know that seems mean but come on; a good friend would have called you on that nonsense. I don’t see how one could think that the type of language used in that blurb would not receive blowback in this day and age. Early nineties? Definitely would have been the norm and no one would have batted an eye. But nowadays? There really is no excuse for ableist language.

And that apology? To say it fell flat would be a gross understatement since it wasn’t a real apology at all. It was an attempt at justification for using language that was called out for being harmful. Then to double down by saying that writing ‘diversely was a financial risk’. 

First of all, writing at all is a huge financial risk. While there are exceptions of course, most authors aren’t fortunate enough to be able to write full time. From what I’ve gathered, most at the very least have a part-time job. So, don’t use that as a reason that you don’t write diverse characters. Honestly, just say you don’t want to and move on. Or better yet, don’t comment on it at all. 

The real issue here is the language that was used. There was no need to use it because it was ableist. And all that was being asked was that the language be changed. It wasn’t calling to cancel the book all together. The author was the one who made that call. It also wasn’t calling her a bad person; it was just the language she was using was harmful. 

She chose to throw out the whole book rather than rewrite, which is a bit of an overkill. Make of that what you personally will, but for me, it’s not a good take and is more telling of her than she originally intended it to be. 

Book Riot Romance

Don’t forget to listen to this week’s episode of When in Romance where Trisha and Jess discuss the WIR Book Club Pick Written in the Stars. They also give some recommendations for other romance retellings.

Check out this write up for some of the romance books with angst in them from R. Nassor.

Isabelle also wrote this round-up of sports romances.

Around the Web in Romance

Here are some recommendations for those who were born under Pisces.

The latest season of Outlander started Sunday and if you’re a fan and looking for some read-a-likes, this list has you covered.

Here’s a quiz on if you would find true love in the Regency era. I ended up finding love! *swoon*

Recommendations

Following up the book referenced above, all my recommendations today include characters who use a wheelchair and are bad asses. Because along with everything else, I feel that was the issue with the phrasing used in the blurb that it somehow made the female main character less than. And that is never the case.

Ableism isn’t sexy at all, no matter what sub-genre of romance it is. To try to use the excuse that it fits because it’s a dark romance is just that…an excuse. So, I wanted to highlight a few books that really showcase the idea that those who use a wheelchair are not bound, hindered, or a burden. They are completely and utterly awesome.

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!

---

And that’s all I have for y’all today. I’ll be back on Monday with another round-up of romance news, ponderings, and new releases. If you’re not already following me on Twitter, I can be found posting under @PScribe801. I hope your weekend is full of reading and relaxation. Until next time!

Hey y’all, welcome to the Kissing Books newsletter. I hope your spirit is doing well. I’m PN Hinton, your guide through the roller coaster of a ride that the world of romance can be. If it is your first time here, welcome and if you’re a regular reader, welcome back.

Between Love & Leashes being both a Netflix show and a Webtoons comic, I am trying to start actively getting more into K-dramas. I’ve become determined to finish watching Romance is a Bonus Book before I move onto that one, and I just finished the eight episode and y’all…I was NOT prepared for the level of crying I did. I know ‘drama’ is part of the genre title but damn…I was sincerely worried about getting hydrated because I felt my personal water supply got depleted that much. It was a beautiful moment don’t get me wrong, but still I sobbed like I was sitting there drinking with the ladies. 

That said, that is also what’s bringing me joy nowadays since I’m really enjoying the series and can’t wait to start others when it’s over. There have been no changes to what I’m currently reading so it’s still I’m (So) Not Over You and One True Loves, since I do enjoy a good YA romance as well.

Romance Reflection:

As you may already know, the Swoon awards recently recanted two awards from the winners for Novella/Short Story and Holiday Romance. It was the same author and I initially thought it was due to reports of plagiarism and appreciated that they were being accountable for that. Showing appreciation of that type of accountability was originally going to be the focus of this reflection.

Then I saw (TW: s*ex abuse) this tweet and it shed a whole new and ugly light on the situation. 

As per the norm, I won’t list the author here since that information can be found in the links but I was literally disgusted by it. And the fact that there was this type of scene in a ‘romance’ novel that garnered such praise. Honestly, most people should have DNFed the hell out of that when they got to that part and that is any book. I stopped reading a specific vampire hunter series because there was an assault against a child in a book and it wasn’t even that graphic. But still that was the line for me.

The fact that this scene exists in a romance novel that is so highly praised is sickening. Seriously, I felt like I was going to throw up reading that screenshot. There is no excuse for that level of graphicness in a book, especially a romance. And especially since it is taken from someone’s very real traumatic experience.

I’ve often heard it stated that a lot of women don’t like thriller, mysteries, or horrors because of the violence against women and their bodies. Which is completely fair and understandable, given that is a very prevalent theme in those novels and it has been for quite a long time. However, we need to show this same consideration for people, which includes men, in romance novels. The assault, degradation, and dehumanization of a person is NEVER okay. 

I can already hear the cries about “What about old school romance?” to which I say there’s a reason it’s old school. There’s a reason no one writes like that anymore. It’s called evolution and there are some authors who used to write like that who have changed their style and grown. That ish shouldn’t be accepted in romance novels nowadays, even in a historical setting. Keep that mess out of published works because seeing that anywhere will automatically put an author on a do not buy/read/promote list for me. 

And now onto some lighter topics; a mini-romance reflection.

Netflix has released more posters from the upcoming season of Bridgerton. No lie I was beyond stoked to see Newton the Corgi. But I sincerely hope that they don’t fabricate a sisterly rivalry between Kate and Edwina because their close bond was one of the many endearing things about the book.

Some people pushed back saying a love triangle was part of the plot but it wasn’t really. To me, a love triangle is where one person is actively pursuing or being pursued by two different people. In the book, Anthony is pursuing Edwina, who is willing to consider him for marriage to help her family. When he begins having feelings for Kate, especially after they kiss, his inner thoughts show that he is going to move from Edwina as a wife since he admitted he was lusting after Kate. So, it’s not one at all.

We have to wait and see but if they do, well we all know I’ll have opinions on it that I will happily share.

Around the Web in Romance:

Frolic has their new book crush pick and it’s Tessa Bailey’s Hook, Line, and Sinker.

Here are now of the most anticipated romance reads coming in March, according to Goodreads.

And here are of March’s M/M romance releases.

New Releases:

Here are some of the releases scheduled for release this week. Please remember that the dates showing were the ones that were reflected as of the writing of this newsletter.

I Wanna Be Your Lover by Marlon McCaulsky (3/7/22)

Cosplay Worthy by Quiana Glide (3/7/22)

The Ones I Left Behind by Shaii Wright (3/8/22)

A Match Made in Lipa by Carla de Guzman (3/8/22)

Broken King by Bella Matthews (3/8/22)

Taste by Melanie Harlow (3/8/22)

The Suite Spot by Trish Doller (3/8/22)

If You Ask Me by Libby Hubscher (3/8/22)

Wine, Whiskey, & Lipstick by LaShawn Vasser (3/10/22)

Champagne Problems by Addison Clarke (3/10/22)

Bonds of Love by Mickie Sherwood (3/11/22)

Mall Out of Luck by Sarah Robinson (3/11/22) 

---

That’s all she wrote for today, friends. I hope that you have a relaxing weekend with plenty of reading. If you’re not already following me on Twitter I can be found posting under @PScribe801. Until Monday!

Hey y’all, welcome to the Kissing Books newsletter. I hope your spirit is doing well. I’m PN Hinton, your guide through the roller coaster of a ride that the world of romance can be. If it is your first time here, welcome and if you’re a regular reader welcome back.

This last weekend I went to see the 1961 version of West Side Story accompanied live by the local symphony and I loved it. I always forget how much I enjoy the symphony, then I always ask myself why I don’t do it more often. In the past money was a factor but that’s not really the case now. People, sure, but the venue had strict mask mandates so that was nice. So, it’s highly likely I will do this more often than I have been, if for no other reason than rewarding myself for being an adult on a regular basis.

Romance Reflection

So I came across this tweet scrolling through my Twitter feed the other day and it somewhat shocked me that some people still think that Fabio is what makes a romance novel cover a ‘real’ one. This is a sort of naïve mindset especially since, as was pointed out in this Book Riot article, he stopped modeling between 1991 and 1998.

Now, I started reading romances when Fabio was essentially the cover model for most and while younger me dealt with the teasing and may have been a bit ashamed, middle-age me has no flips left to give with regards to that. If you want to read romance, read romance, bare-chested Fabio or otherwise. If it brings you joy and happiness, who cares what others think?

And this is in no way meant to disparage the man. He found himself a niche and made it work for him for a very long time. I respect the hustle on that and give all the props to him for making it work as long as he did. But again I couldn’t even tell you the last cover I saw him on. Whatever the reason, he hasn’t sat at this particular table for a very long time so it was really odd that this was even a reference.

Book Riot Romance

As a fan of this book, I thoroughly enjoyed Rioter Megan’s breakdown of The Love Hypothesis.

Around the Web in Romance

For your consideration, here are some more books where roommates fall in love.

Here is a round-up of some of the best romances that came out in February. 

Recommendations

I love watching the symphony perform and it’s really not just about the music. I’ve mentioned before that I played the viola when I was younger and I was fortunate enough to have the same teacher all seven years of middle and high school. Since I had the same teacher, I heard a lot of the same instructions over and over again. One of the things I remember her saying is to make sure that we were careful about our bow movements because, while we couldn’t see it, from the audience it was beautiful. 

And she was right. There were so many moments during the performance where I would be entranced by all the bows in the string section moving in the same way. It was like a wave and it just added to the experience. I loved it. I’m not sure she reads this but I just wanted to say, Mrs. Nero, you were right. I’m sure it comes as no surprise to you. 

Yes, my music teacher’s name was Nero, or it was when I first met her since she later got married. She also played the violin. One of life’s little ironies. 

I’m still on a cloud of classical music, even a week later. As such, my recommendations this week are about people who play instruments, more so in the classical vein. 

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!

---

And that’s all I have for you today. I hope that this upcoming weekend proves restful and relaxing for y’all and as always full of reading. I’ll be back Monday with more romance round-ups and new releases. If you’re not already following me there, I can be found on Twitter under @PScribe801. Until next week!

Hey y’all, welcome to the Kissing Books newsletter. I hope your spirit is doing well. I’m PN Hinton, your guide through the roller coaster of a ride that the world of romance can be. If it is your first time here, welcome and if you’re a regular reader, welcome back.

I really need the Texas weather to pick a lane and maintain it for longer than a week. The other day, it was what one might call a balmy 83 outside. Then two days later, Alexa informed us we had a Winter Advisory in effect and there was a two-hour school delay. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not necessarily against cold weather, especially since it is winter. I just want to not have to constantly flip my thermostat from “Cold” to “Heat” and back again. 

In “What’s on my Shelves”, I finished Black Love Matters, I’m still reading I’m (So) Not Over You, and I started One True Loves. And on the opposite side of the spectrum, one thing currently bringing me joy are the new additions to the Shudder movie library. As mentioned before, I’m a huge fan of that genre as well and am reliving my younger years by watching some of my favorite movies growing up. 

Romance Reflection:

One thing that seems to constantly come up in Romancelandia are book covers. There is the constant back and forth between real people versus illustrated. As I’ve said before, I don’t have a dog in that race since I genuinely don’t mind one over the other. However, I do not like the combination of the two. 

There has also recently been pushback against men’s bare chests on covers, which again I could take or leave. I will say though that if there can be books out there with scantily clad women, across multiple genres, then people can deal with a few ‘mitties’ every now and then. Also, if I don’t care what my friends and family think about what I’m reading, why would I care about complete and total strangers? 

But there is one trend that really does bother me and that is the obliteration, partial or otherwise, of faces. 

In looking at some cover reveals, I’ve seen more than a few with the faces cut off. Like you only see the faces from the noses down. I noticed this was with the upcoming Beverly Jenkins book, which I side-eyed the heck out of because it seems really intentional and a bad choice for such a prolific Black author. I thought I also saw this same set-up on an upcoming Eva Leigh book, but it appears that the full faces of both MCs may be displayed there. 

Still, I don’t like how it’s cut off and that would be the case even if it wasn’t a novel by Ms. Bev. Admittedly, this could be because I’m a sucker for a beautiful pair of eyes and can’t see them when covers are like that. But it is still unsettling, to say the least… Although, it doesn’t scare me as much as the illustrated covers with absolutely no features because that’s another hard no for me. Again, I watch too much horror to be okay with that. Which isn’t to say I won’t read books like that, but I won’t like the covers. 

To me, cutting off the face, either partially or completely seems wrong. Like, it moves to looking at people like objects rather than people since you can’t focus on their faces. Objectification is something we always argue against, as we should. That’s likely why I have such strong feelings about it. We need to see a face so we see a person and can make that connection. Yes, they’re fictional, but they deserve faces. 

All of this is to say, illustrated or real people, show me their faces.

Book Riot Romance:

Jess compiled a list of some Queer Black Romances that should definitely/probably be on everybody’s TBR list.

Don’t forget to check out our limited edition Wordle-inspired merchandise! I only just recently got into it and am a bit mad at myself for not jumping on it sooner.

Around the Web in Romance:

I enjoyed reading about some of the romance novels that made an impact on author Denise Williams.

If Fantasy Romance is your catnip, be sure to pick up some of the books listed here.

And here’s a list from Audible from some of the best romances from Black authors. Please note that while all the authors are Black, not all the books showcase Black Love.

New Releases:

Here are some of the new releases that were shown to be hitting the shelves this week, as of the writing of this newsletter.

Indiscretion by B. Love (3/1)

Stages by Lamar Neal (3/1)

Sapphire Sunset by C. Travis Rice (3/1) 

The Love List by Naima Simone (3/1)

Lured by the Dusk by Angela J. Ford (3/1)

Wherever Is Your Heart by Anita Kelly (3/1)

A Lady’s Finder by Edie Cay (3/1)

A Brush With Love by Mazey Eddings (3/1) 

Taste You by Lula White (3/2)

A Roadie’s Guide to Boyfriends by Ian M. Keller (3/2)

Always Been You by Q.B. Tyler (3/3)

Sevyn by Keta Kendric (3/3)

---

And that’s all I have for you. I’ll see you in March (sorry couldn’t resist that tiny Dad joke) with another round-up of romance reflections, news, and recommendations. If you’re not following me on Twitter already I can be found under @Pscribe801. Stay healthy and hydrated and I’ll see y’all Thursday. Happy reading!

Hey y’all, welcome to the Kissing Books newsletter. I hope your spirit is doing well. I’m PN Hinton, your guide through the roller coaster of a ride that the world of romance can be. If it is your first time here, welcome and if you’re a regular reader welcome back.

I got my hair done last weekend and I love the burst of confidence it has given me. I went with a blue-black color, because I don’t do subtle when I change my hair, and it is a stark difference. My hair is naturally lighter in color, leaning more towards brown and occasionally in the summer red highlights. So, it is noticeable, which is always a plus.

In reading news, I finished Rebel and, naturally, loved it. I also started I’m So (Not) Over You. I am also looking forward to this weekend since I’m going to see my local symphony play along with the 1961 version of West Side Story with my sister and another friend.

Romance Reflection

Today’s reflection was prompted by this tweet I saw the other day. It references screenshots where cis-gender women were saying it was ‘okay-er’ in M/M romances because it wasn’t against a woman. Let’s make one thing clear:

It doesn’t matter if it’s a M/F, M/M, or F/F romance or any other kind of romance; abuse is not okay and it sure as hell is not sexy. There really isn’t an argument here and you can’t change my mind. It is not a preference thing either, like preferring dark romances. Domestic abuse is terrible and has risen substantially in the last few years thanks to COVID-19.

I can’t even begin to fathom what type of person thinks that mindset referenced above makes any lick of sense. It perpetuates the stereotype that men can’t be abused at all. Which is shite; they’re still human which means they can. This also isn’t a matter of preferring one trope over another either. There’s no ‘abuse’ trope.

Stop trying to make domestic abuse sexy. It’s never going happen.

Book Riot Romance

Happy 100th episode to When in Romance! Be sure to listen to this monumental episode and celebrate with Jess and Trisha.

I really appreciated reading this thank you letter from Rioter Laura about her love of queer romances.

Be sure to also take this quiz from Rioter Sarah to find your next romance read.

There’s also still time to check out and buy some of our Wordle-inspired merchandise.

Make sure to get your own Read Harder Book Journal from Book Riot to track your reading for the year!

Around the Web in Romance

You may recall me previously discussing a “Best of Romance Novel” bracket in the works. Well, it’s finally here and you have until next Monday to submit your nominations for it.

Take this quiz to find a queer romance to pick up next.

And if you’ve already read the book that the quiz gave you, then check out this list of 41 Queer Romances for other options.

I am loving this cover.

I have this same question…

And I agree with this sentiment. Of course I would much prefer a rom-com for the HEA.

Recommendations

My recommendations for this last full week of February are books that feature a red cover. It was an intentional choice to hold off on using this color last for a few reasons. One is that I think a lot of people think of red when they think of Valentine’s Day; so, holding off helped to heighten the anticipation. It was also a challenge for me since red is my favorite color so choosing this color right out of the gate felt like it would have been a bit of a cheat for me. 

But the wait is over and here are some of my recommendations for books with predominantly red covers. 

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!

---

That’s all she wrote for today friends. I hope that this upcoming weekend is full of reading and relaxing for you. I’ll be back Monday with more romance updates and new releases. Until then.

Hey y’all, welcome to the Kissing Books newsletter. I hope your spirit is doing well. I’m PN Hinton, your guide through the roller coaster of a ride that the world of romance can be. If it is your first time here, welcome and if you’re a regular reader, welcome back.

I just got back from picking out courses with my kiddo for next year when he goes to high school. An endeavor that I am not even remotely ready to really accept because it seems impossible. That said, I can’t show this to him since he’s apprehensive about going and no good will come from feeding that fire. So, I have to put on a perky and positive attitude for him. Please send me good vibes for the next few months.

Romance Reflection:

One sentiment that I’ve seen floating around in the last few weeks is that more men should read romance novels because of ‘insert random reason here.’ This is a problem for me for many reasons. 

First, just to state facts, there already are a lot of men who already read romance novels. Some even write them. Continuously saying that they need to start just perpetuates an untruth that absolutely no men read romance. We should probably cease having that admittedly sexist mindset.

In addition to that, it’s just narrow-minded and wrong. You can’t force anyone to like anything; that has been proven time and time again. The old adage “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink it” comes to mind. I know romance is not for everyone and I get that. I don’t mind if someone doesn’t like romance, PROVIDED they don’t give me any guff for it AND they don’t try to force their preferred genre on me. 

And why is that? Because when you force something on someone, they’re less likely to enjoy it. This has always been the case with anything. It doesn’t matter if it’s vegetables, amusement park rides, or what you read. When someone has something forced on them, they go in with a resistance mindset. Which means that, even if they do like it, sheer stubbornness may prevent them from admitting and/or trying it again. Whereas if you come to something organically and on your own time, you can form a mostly unbiased opinion. 

Now, I can almost get this mindset on some levels. While I’m not the only habitual romance reader in my various groups of friends, I’m one of the few. And honestly I get tired of having to defend it as valid or have to deal with friends deriding the genre. I’ve gone silent and done whatever the Android equivalent of ‘left on read’ is whenever it comes up. So, on some level, there’s the mindset of try it out before you decide you don’t like it. But only if you want to.

All of this is to say that we have got to stop trying to convert staunch non-romance readers. If they ask for a recommendation, by all means give it to them. But telling them they have to read it is a surefire way to keep them from ever wanting to pick one up. 

Book Riot Romance:

Rioter Abigail shared with us how Amish romances were her gateway into the genre. I’ve read a few of these myself over the years and have enjoyed most of them.

There’s still time to check out our limited edition Wordle-inspired merchandise. I only recently got into this game and I am eyeing some of these myself.

Around the Web in Romance:

February 15th was Beverly Jenkins’ birthday! Happy belated birthday Miss Ma’am!! You are and continue to be one of the brightest jewels in the crown of Romancelandia.

This cover is on fire and gorgeous. It’s so beautiful I almost want it as a print.

As is this one. The half-cut off faces are a bit jarring but otherwise…*fans self*

EW rounded up some romances that feature reality shows and identity questions here.

If you like tropes and stories centered around party girls just wanting to have fun, then this article has you covered.

Here’s another round-up of romances by BIPOC authors for your consideration.

If you’re wanting romances that feature more mature characters, check out some of the recommendations here.

Take this fun ‘pick red food’ quiz and see how well it matches up with your love language. Mine wasn’t what the official test said my love language was but for what it is worth, it is the one I always thought it would be.

Check out this list of main character dating profiles that Nick of ‘The Infinite Limits of Love’ blog put together based of some 2022 debut authors and their books.

New Releases:

Here are some of the new releases headed our way this week. Of course, remember that these were the dates that were showing as of the writing of this newsletter and that, due to supply demands and other unknown factors, they may be subject to change. 

Bound by Her Rival’s Baby by Maya Blake (2/22)

The Adoption Surprise by Zoey Marie Jackson (2/22)

Colliding with Fate by A.E. Valdez (2/22)

The Last Bachelor Left by Christian Cashelle (2/22)

The Rebel’s Return by Nadine Gonzalez (2/22)

I’m So (Not) Over You by Kosoko Jackson (2/22) 

Sink or Swim by Annabeth Albert (2/22)

Baby Surprise for the Billionaire by Ruby Basu (2/22)

The Last Laugh by Eva Munoz (2/22)

Bending the Rules by Brigham Vaugh (2/24)

Devil May Care by Amy Cissell (2/24)

In the Shadow of Love by J.E. Leak (2/25)

---

And that’s all I have for you today. I’ll be back on Thursday with more romance reflections, round-ups, and recommendations. If you’re not already following me on Twitter, I can be found at @PScribe801. I hope that your weekend is restful and relaxing and as always full of good reading. See y’all next time.