Author: P.N. Hinton

Supportive is Sexy

Post author By P.N. Hinton
Post date January 12, 2022

Romance Reflection

This isn’t exactly romance related (I do circle back to it later), but wow this AITA is something else. Essentially what happened is her husband was tired of her reading instead of paying attention to him and gave away all her books, some she had had since she was a teenager. And had the audacity to say it was ‘for her own good and the good of the marriage’. OP is definitely NTA here; her husband is and, honestly, she might want to consider a trial separation already.

I don’t feel like her being a reader is something she hid during their dating and engagement. He had an idea going in what it was all about and got his feelings hurt because she wasn’t constantly at his beck and call. Because I’m confident we all know what he really meant by ‘special time at night’.

Look, when you say all those wedding vows that include richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, it also includes hobbies. Believe me when I saw that if this post was about a woman who was jealous that her newly wedded husband bowled, even though he was part of like two leagues when they were dating, she would be the asshole if she gave away all his bowling stuff.

This is why I partially agree with the joke that readers should be with other readers or gamers. With the former you can share books and increase your library and with the latter y’all can both be on the couch, engaging in parallel play while still taking mini breaks to talk every now and then.

Book Riot Romance

When in Romance is back with their first episode of 2022, where Trisha and Jess discuss their reading goals for this year and talk a bit about their most anticipated reads.

While I usually prefer a slow burn, I can also be persuaded to enjoy books that employ the faster kind. Rioter Isabelle gives her reasons for loving fast burn romances here.

Around the Web in Romance

Quick correction: In the last newsletter, I mentioned that there will soon be another all romance bookstore in the United States. Meet Cute Romance Bookshop & Fizzery is scheduled to open up this April in La Mesa, California in San Diego County, not Mesa. So exciting!

This ‘Bad Romance Take’ is a bit old but it still made me chortle. Hate to break it to you honey but no one cares enough to change your mind.

This tweet warmed my heart a lot. Not necessarily for the idea of a second chance romance since even the poster admits that her brother’s ex-fiancee can do better. But just the fact that, all things considered, an ex still went to these lengths to help take care of someone they use to be with. That kind of kindness is rare and should be rewarded.

As this article shows, Scotland and romance novels seem to go hand in hand. I’m not complaining mind you; just making an observation.

In case you missed it, here’s the cover reveal for the upcoming Therese Beharrie novel.

Recommendations

The reflection above and conversations I’ve had with friends over the last couple of months got me thinking how important it is to have a supportive partner. I know that should go without saying, but it’s true. I know that the dating pool can seem more like a toxic waste dump than anything right now; so, sometimes people put up with things that maybe should be deal breakers.

I think that is why the cinnamon roll is such a popular hero trope. The guy from the AITA above couldn’t even support his wife’s love of reading. And while the bar doesn’t have to be as high as say moving across the country for your significant other, it shouldn’t be so low where picking up their own damn shoes is considered a gesture of love. That leads me to today’s recommendations: cinnamon roll heroes! Because with how 2022 has started, we would all use that extra bit of comfort.

A Prince on Paper by Alyssa Cole

Despite a somewhat inauspicious introduction, Nya and Johan enter into a fake engagement to help protect the future of Johan’s younger sibling. As often happens though, this develops into a a true connection, fueled by the desire they already feel, leading both to wonder if they are worthy of love, despite what the people in their lives have been telling them.

Work for It by Talia Hibbert

After a passionate one-night encounter, Griffin and Keynes find themselves face to face again when the latter walks into the former’s shop. Despite his gruff exterior, Griffin finds himself drawn to the new-to-town stranger and is determined to break down the walls he has built up around the soft caring human being he really is.

Not Like the Movies by Kerry Winfrey

After it’s found out that Chloe’s best friend Annie used her and her boss Nick as the archetypes for her rom-com, their lives are thrown into the media spotlight. As the buzz continues to grow for the movie, Chloe is seeing more reasons why Nick is ‘boyfriend goals’ and begins to wonder if maybe there is a real happily ever after in the cards for them.

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

And that’s all I have for you this week. I hope that this weekend treats you well and you’re able to get a lot of rest and reading in. If you’re not already, give me a follow on Twitter under @PScribe801. Until we meet again.

Kissing Books

You Don’t Always Have to Share

Post author By P.N. Hinton
Post date January 7, 2022

Romance Reflection:

When I read this tweet, I rolled my eyes so hard that I seriously thought they would legitimately get stuck in the back of my head. Really guy? You woke up that day and chose stupidity by reaching out to someone you knew only on a surface level in high school (clearly not a friend) and thought that your infantile, misogynistic, patriarchal way of thinking would matter to someone who’s career this is?

I wonder what it’s like to actually have that level of audacity.

Seriously, though, why? Just why? There was absolutely no need for this. your opinion is neither required or desired. That’s a ‘hot take’ you’re welcome to keep to yourself, especially because I’m sure it’s something she’s heard before from people she chooses to keep close to her, let alone some random guy who was somewhere in her social sphere for just four years sometime ago.

I’ll never understand the need for almost perfect strangers to provide you with their thoughts on how you live your life, especially when it comes to romance writers and their chosen vocation. Some of them don’t even care what their blood family thinks about how they make their money. But you, little random person that they knew oh-so-many years ago and just happened to be in the same graduating class with? It is your dismissal of the genre and the people who write and read them that is going to make them change their career course? Please.

And also remember the old adage that it is better to be quiet and thought to be a fool than to speak and be known as one.

Around the Web in Romance:

The more I look at this image, the more I am on the same wavelength. That grip though…

This is an entire mood. Let’s stop this type of gatekeeping, okay? Just because there was little to no representation in your grandmother’s romances, which by extension may be what you grew up with, doesn’t mean that these authors aren’t doing thorough research. People other than white cis-gendered people did exist in the past and once everybody gets use to that, the better off we’ll be.

A new book series based around brothers who are also ghost investigators? Yes please.

Not sure how I missed this last November, but I’m rectifying it today by boosting this book now.

Soon there will be another all romance bookstore in the United States. Meet Cute is scheduled to open up this April in Mesa, California. I love that there are three now and am crossing all my digits that the next one will be closer to me.

Next month, a Black Romance Master Class focused on Beverly Jenkin’s Indigo will be taking place. This is very exciting especially since this book was mentioned here for being one of the most influential romance novels of the last century. Here is the tweet that announced this event, along with a way to sign up for the event:

Loving this animated cover for Count Your Lucky Stars, one of my most anticipated upcoming reads this year. I can’t wait to read Margot’s story!

Harlequin has also recently come out with their own 2022 Reading Challenge.

Here are some of the exciting romances we have to look forward to this year.

And another round-up of other books that will be headed our way soon. While there is some overlap it is very minimal; I checked.

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

New Releases:

Speaking of new releases, here are some of the new releases that should be hitting the shelves this week. Per the possible new normal though, due to supply issues these were the dates showing as of the writing of this newsletter and may be subject to change.

Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Solomon (1/11)

The Siren Sussex by Mimi Matthews (1/11)

Face the Fire by Michele Sims (1/11)

His Curvy Craving by Mary E Thompason (1/11)

Obsessed by Natalie Night (1/12)

Roommate Arrangement by Saxon James (1/12)

The Great Charade by Gerri Hill (1/13)

Fire by Hattie Jacks (1/13)

Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score (1/13)

Maximus by Stella Rainbow (1/14)

One Night Only by Elise Marion (1/14)

Strings Attached by Riley Hart (1/14)

And that’s all I have for y’all today. If you’re not already doing so, feel free to give me a follow over on Twitter under @PScribe801. Until then stay safe, drink your water, stay healthy, and remember to make time for you.

Kissing Books

Pirating Isn’t Swoon Worthy

Post author By P.N. Hinton
Post date January 5, 2022

Sponsored by Serendipity: Ten Romantic Tropes, Transformed.

Love is in the air in Serendipity, a collection of stories inspired by romantic tropes and edited by #1 New York Times bestselling author Marissa Meyer. Contributors include Elise Bryant, Elizabeth Eulberg, Leah Johnson, Anna-Marie McLemore, Marissa Meyer, Sandhya Menon, Julie Murphy, Caleb Roehrig, Sarah Winifred Searle, and Abigail Hing Wen.

I hope that, whatever and wherever you were, that your NYE was nice and relaxing. I ended up staying in with my family relaxing and watching Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Years Eve with Ryan Secrest. So, we saw the ball drop in two other time zones before it was for our turn. This did throw the teenager a bit, but he was happy to enjoy a bit of apple cider at midnight. All around, low-key and what I needed.

My current romance read is How to Marry Keanu Reeves in 90 Days. One thing that is bringing me joy right now is Encanto’s “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”. That song is a lyrically genius bop. If it doesn’t get some kind of movie award, I will be very shocked and upset.

Romance Reflection

Earlier this week, Amazon took down Ruby Dixon’s Ice Planet Barbarians series. The reason was because her books were available on pirating sites which was stupid, because it’s not like she put it up there. This is something that was beyond her control. While it really stinks that they’re not doing their homework or trying to get the pirated sites taken down, we also need to do our part to stop this from happening.

Look, I understand not being able to afford books. But pirating isn’t the answer and is harmful. It sucks that Ruby started the new year off with this fight. If you can’t afford to buy it, get it from the library, borrow from a friend, or ask for it as a gift. I’m a huge proponent of libraries anyways, so that is always my go to. There are other ways to read your favorite authors and still support them at the same time.

Book Riot Romance

Do you love a good pining romance? If so, Isabelle has you covered with this list.

If you’re a big fan of reality TV and romance, then some of the books Jess mentions here will likely make their way to your TBR.

Alison put together a list of the 20 most influential romance reads of the century. Discuss!

Around the Web in Romance

Romance writer Jae came out with a new Sapphic Book Bingo Card for 2022 if you want to play along.

In a change of pace from the norm, here’s a romance positive article all about the lovely Talia Hibbert.

And if fake dating is one of your preferred tropes, like me, check out this round-up to see if you can find any new books to pick up.

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

Recommendations

Before we get to the New Year’s Eve romances I promised last time, I want to give a heads up on a change I’ll be making this year. When I took over the newsletter, my goal was to have new releases and deals happened on Monday and recommendations on Thursday. However, it’s been tricky coming up with a new theme along with three different books each week. And I know multiple books got repeated.

This year, I’m going to change how recommendations work. Don’t worry! I’ll still give them weekly! But, there may not always be a set theme for the group of books being recommended. In addition to themes, I’ll be making recommendations for any challenges I’ve mentioned, such as Jae’s above, as well as Book Riot’s own Read Harder.

Again, I want to reiterate the recommendations will still be a weekly thing. But there will be some changes that go into how they are selected weekly.

This Time Next Year by Sophia Cousens

While both Minnie and Quinn were born at the same time after midnight on New Year’s Eve, the latter is the one who got the honor and cash prize of being the first baby born, as well as Minnie’s intended name. Since then, Minnie’s birthdays have always been cursed. When they run into each other on their thirtieth birthday at a party, it becomes even more apparent to Minnie that Quinn continues to get all the luck and she’s happy to part from him. However, even though they don’t run in the same circles, they keep meeting up randomly, and each time find themselves more drawn to one another.

Year of the Kiss by Giselle Fox

Both Sasha and Noami find themselves connecting at a New Year’s Eve party and starting off 2019 with a magical kiss. Yet, as quickly as Fate threw them together, it tears them apart, leaving both women scrambling across the city to find one another in hopes of keeping the fire that their kiss ignited burning.

The Business of Love by Cherish Hodges

Shortly after leaving a New Year’s Eve party, successful business woman Jill is saved from a fire at her condo by firefighter Darren. There is an immediate attraction between the two but, having been burned by insecure men in the past, Jill doesn’t reveal that she’s a successful CEO. However, the truth always comes to light and when it does, will the couple be able to move past this initial mislead or will their romance fizzle?

And that’s all I have for you today. I’ll be back Monday with more news from the romance world and some new releases. If you’re not already, give me a follow on Twitter under @PScribe801. Until next time, happy reading.

Read Harder

Read Harder Task #2: Read a Book Set in a Bookstore

Post author By P.N. Hinton
Post date January 4, 2022

Sponsored by TBR, Book Riot’s subscription service offering reading recommendations personalized to your reading life.

Tell TBR about your reading likes AND dislikes and what you’re looking for, and sit back while your Bibliologist handpicks recommendations just for you. TBR offers plans to receive hardcover books in the mail or recommendations by email, so there’s an option for every budget. Give your Bibliologist feedback, update your requests to stay in line with your reading goals and expanding horizons, and basically have your own personal book concierge. TBR is also available as a gift! Just select the plan you want to give, and you can schedule the gift to be delivered any day you want! Visit mytbr.co to sign up today or to start your holiday shopping.

It goes without saying that readers love bookstores. I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone utter the sentence, “Oh I love reading; but I hate bookstores.” It just doesn’t happen. And if it does happen, I’d be worried that meant the end of the world was nigh.

Personally for me, bookstores have always been a place of comfort. When I was a teenager and went to the mall, B. Dalton was always my first stop. And I almost never went out of there without buying at least one book. And it was usually just one since my inflow of money was much more limited back then. That said, it stands to reason that books that take place in a bookstore or have one heavily featured are a favorite of mine.

Bookstores are just happy places. There is so much potential in them to find your new favorite book. I was excited that this was one of the prompts for the Read Harder Challenge in 2022 since I knew that would make a lot of my fellow book dragons happy. And without further delay, here are a few books to consider for checking off this box in the annual challenge.

Nonfiction

84, Charring Cross Road by Helene Hanff

This classic chronicles the twenty year correspondence between Hanff, a free-lance writer in New York City, and a used book dealer in London. Even though the two never met face to face, they built a lifelong friendship on their mutual love of books. Which is always a good foundation for that type of relationship.

The Little Bookstore of Big Stone Gap by Wendy Welch

This memoir is about the real-life story of Welch and her husband who decide to open up a bookstore in a struggling coal mine town in Virginia. Despite everyone telling them they were crazy, they persisted with their dream to open up the store. In this book, you will read about the set up and the unique and memorable customers that walked through their doors. This is a must read for anyone who has ever dreamed of opening a bookstore.

Romance

Meet Cute Club by Jack Harbon

Jordan is less than pleased when snarky coworker Rex asks to join his romance book club. However, as the club is floundering, he can’t really get into the habit of turning down new members. As the men work and read together, both realize that they may have judged one another too quickly and too harshly and that there is always an opportunity to make a good second impression.

Read Between the Lines by Rachel Lacey

Rosie is shocked to find out that the person behind her favorite lesbian romance Brie is in fact property manager Jane—the same property manager that sent her a letter informing her that they would not be renewing her lease at the end of the calendar year. When the two women find out who one another really is, will this previous interaction doom a relationship before it even starts? Or will they be able to look past that to find a happily ever after?

Mystery

The Ghost and Mrs. McClure by Cleo Coyle

Widower Penelope moves back to Rhode Island with her young son to open a bookstore with her aunt. Little does she know that the store comes with its own ghost, that of Jake, a private investigator from the forties. After an author drops dead in the store shortly before his book-signing event, the two unlikely allies must team up to solve the mystery. This is the first in a series of cozy mysteries.

The Plot is Murder by V.M. Burns

This mystery includes another widow, Samantha, who has always dreamed of owning her own bookstore and being a published author. Her grand opening is threatened when a shady realtor is found dead in her backyard and she is the primary suspect. Sam must join forces with her grandmother and her merry band of fellow retirees to find the real culprit.

Young Adult

Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley

When Rachel returns to her childhood home, she ends up working at her former best friend Henry’s family bookstore. Her task is to catalog all the personal letters that were left in the Letter Library before the store closes down. This puts her in close proximity with Henry who is eager to pick up their friendship, not realizing why it stopped in the first place. This is a wonderfully bittersweet novel about how books bring us together and you’ll fall in love with the bookstore that is destined to close.

Recommended for You by Laura Silverman

Shoshanna loves her job at local independent bookstore Once Upon. Between her car issues and mothers constantly fighting, the store is her safe haven. When her boss announces a holiday bonus to whoever can sell the most books, she knows she has to win the prize. If only her new co-worker, Jake wasn’t equally as determined to win the prize. This book takes place during winter, but it is a perfect sweet read any time of the year.

Manga

Kingyo Used Books, Vol. 1 by Seimu Yoshizaki

You can find almost any manga you can imagine at Kingyo Used Books. But it’s more than that since Natsuki and Shiba, the propetiers, are as equally as invested in the stories of their customers as they are in the books they sell. And you can find almost every type of manga and manga-reader in this series. This is the first volume so if you enjoy it you can always pick up the rest in the series.

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

This is just a jumping off point for books to read to knock this challenge out. Whether you pick one from here or something else, I hope you have fun. Good luck on the rest of the challenge!!!

Kissing Books

Hello to You, 2022

Post author By P.N. Hinton
Post date January 3, 2022

Romance Reflection

My reflection today is that of how my love of romance has grown since writing this newsletter. Honestly, I didn’t think I could love it even more; so even I’m a bit surprised at that reflection. Prior to taking over for Jess, I was part of the community, but not as fully integrated as I have become since part of my task is diving into the various social media sites to find out the hot button news.

We are a great community to be in. We pull together and help our fellow members whenever they face a rough patch in life, as evidenced in the multiple fundraisers they helped to kick off and support. Whether it’s for a country in need, as with Haiti, or a romance author who just needed a pick me up, such as with Chencia, we’re there when that flare for help goes up. And that isn’t something that I have seen as much in other genres.

I was also surprised about how hard it was for people outside the community to get that in order to be a romance novel there had to be a happily ever after. Otherwise it’s just a novel with a romantic theme. I’m not exaggerating when I say it felt like this argument got made every other week to the point where I felt it was redundant to bring it up as more than just a passing, “Oh, so this happened again.” The disparagement grated, as did the belittlement.

Do we as a community know that in real life you don’t always get the happily ever after? Certainly; if nothing else the last two years have taught us that. However, it doesn’t mean that we can’t enjoy them in our books. That’s one of the many reasons that I read romance and why this is a hill I will always die on.

I also personally would not have expected to have Monster Romance on my Bingo card but that happened. No judgement clearly! It was still surprising.

Overall, this has been quite the journey for me. But I did enjoy it and look forward to the future and what it will bring me. Thank you for inviting me into your inboxes and sticking with me. There were many times during the last year where when someone would post a screenshot from the newsletter and tag me in their post, it helped to boost my day up just a little bit. I look forward to our journey together over the next year!

Around the Web in Romance

Speaking of romances and HEAs, this tweet made me cheer. I love how all the naysayers of HEAs in romance always throw Sparks’ name into the mix and even he is like “Not a romance writer.” So y’all may want to stop using him in your (futile) arguments against HEAs.

Another year, another round of RWA resignations. By now, this seems to be par for the course for December.

I was glad to see this bit of news regarding backlists of old school romances that demeaned Indigenous People. Hopefully by the time this is posted it will be all of them.

If you’re looking for romance novels with good mental health representation, here is a good place to start from.

While I typically see eye to eye with Tessa Dare, I do not here. I’ve had some good Turkish Delight. I wouldn’t have sold out my siblings, mind you, but I’m honest enough to admit I may have strongly considered it.

And here are some of the eagerly anticipated romances headed our way in the next part of winter.

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

New Releases

Since there was no newsletter last week, I missed the new releases then. That said, since it was in between the holidays, there may have been a small number to begin with. I will include a few below though if I can.

A Scoundrel of Her Own by Stacy Reid (12/28/21)

Proper Scoundrels by Allie Therin (12/28/21)

Digging Up Love by Chandra Blumberg (1/1/22)

The Tiger’s Fake Date by Sophie Stern (1/1/22)

On the Sweet Side by Audrey Carlan (1/4/22)

My Rock Star Assistant by Reba Bale (1/5/22)

One Christmas Wish by Brenda Jackson (1/5/22)

Clueless Romeo by Baylin Crew (1/5/22)

Kiss and Cry by Keira Andrews (1/6//22)

The Right Time by Niomie Roland (1/6/22)

Matchmaking Mischief by A.R Casella and Denise Grover Swank (1/6/22)

Mountain Topped by K.M. Neuhold and Mia Monroe (1/7/22)

And that is all for today. I’ll be back on Thursday with some New Year’s Eve romance recommendations, since I missed out on recommending those last week. Better late than never, right? Until then you can follow me on Twitter under @PScribe801.

Kissing Books

It’s Time for Kwanzaa Romances

Post author By P.N. Hinton
Post date December 22, 2021

Sponsored by Book Riot's Christmas romance prize pack giveaway!

Book Riot is teaming up with Harlequin.com to give away the ultimate Christmas romance prize pack that includes the following titles: Holiday Playbook by Yahrah St. John, Christmas at the Chateau by Rochelle Alers, The Christmas She Married the Playboy by Louise Fuller, A Merry Christmas Date by Syndi Powell, Keep Me Warm at Christmas by Brenda Novak, The Viscount’s Christmas Proposal by Carol Arens.

Welcome to the Kissing Books newsletter. I hope your spirit is doing well. I’m P.N. Hinton, your companion through the world of romance. Whether this is your first time or you’re a regular, I’m glad to have y’all here.

So, last week, I decided to treat myself and get a week-long wine advent calendar. The reason it was only a week was because I didn’t even know about them until eight days into December and, while the idea of playing catch up seemed fun, I also had trouble finding one that could be delivered. Next year, though I’m going to plan ahead for the bigger box.

I finished Hang the Moon this week and also saw Love Hard which, while mostly okay, I didn’t enjoy as much as Single All the Way.

Romance Reflection

Since this is the last Kissing Books newsletter of the year, I’m switching things up with a quick non-romance reflection. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve which can be daunting for many reasons. It’s interesting how the excitement of that day has changed as I’ve gotten older. As a kid, you’re practically shaking with excitement knowing that Santa Claus will be headed your way later that night and that you get to open all the presents that have been teasing you from underneath the tree. You make sure to leave cookies for Santa (and apparently in some areas, carrots for his reindeer) and try to stay awake to hear him on the roof.

Now, as an adult and/or the parent who stays awake until well after midnight putting together gifts, the magic may not feel like it’s there anymore. That can be a bitter pill to swallow, especially due to the events of the few years.

But the magic is still there. The difference is instead of being the magic receiver, you’re the magic giver. You help to contribute to the squeals of joy Christmas morning. I remember the joy on my niece’s face when she saw her Ariel kitchen when she was much younger, and my son a few years ago when he got his first bike. For me, those moments of pure unadulterated joy more than make up for the long nights and stress of holiday shopping.

Book Riot Romance

Here are some New Year’s Eve romance recommendations, courtesy of Rioter Carolina. (Keep eye out for my own recs the first week of January).

I don’t know about y’all, but Jessica’s romance bookstore/coffee shop sure sounds tempting. (insert ‘I want to go to the there’ Tina Fey gif)

Around the Web in Romance

Here’s Buzzfeed’s list for the Best Romances of 2021.

Noted activist and feminist bell hooks, who sadly passed away last week, was a huge fan of romance and read two Harlequin novels a day.

Okay this is sweet. Like this is really, really sweet.

Here are 16 African romance novels that will surely spark joy.

Here we go again with this old chestnut. The thread on it is very groan-inducing so be forewarned. That said, the one thing that did give me pause was the OP going, “My friends who love romance read it and didn’t say anything about it not being romance” to which I say either your friends aren’t true romance readers or you have crappy friends because they didn’t prepare you for this blowback.

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

Recommendations

Sunday is the first day of Kwanzaa, which is a holiday that originated in America and is now observed in many different locations. I wrote this article on books about Kwanzaa earlier this month for Book Riot if you want to give it a read and there are a few recommendations as well.

That said, you’ll notice that romances were not included, which is something I will make up for here. While Kwanzaa romances, like Hanukkah ones, may not be as well-known or widespread as Christmas ones, they are still out there to be had. And here are a few that may spark your interest to read over the course of next week.

Kiss Me at Kwanzaa by L.L. Bucknor

Ish and Adan aren’t just cubicle neighbors; they’re also both harboring a crush on each other. And this year both of them are single, which leads Adan to make his move and invite Ish over for Karamu. When Ish accepts, Adan hopes that he has the courage and follow-through to make the first move and make this a memorable holiday for both men.

A Mistletoe Affair by Farrah Rochon

Shy floral designer Vicki finds herself in an unexpected situation when she falls for her best friend’s divorced brother, Jordan. A successful political strategist, Jordan finds himself in a position he never expected to be in; a divorced single dad to Mason. When it turns out that Vicki has a way of connecting with Mason, the two adults find themselves around each other more often. Will they find love this Kwanzaa season or will a political scandal end it before it has even begun?

Guess Who’s Coming to Karamu by Cy Blanca

This short story is about Grant and Will, two men who have a run in courtesy of a broken down elevator. As the men sit and wait to be rescued, they begin talking which leads to discussion of Grant’s Kwanzaa plans. As their attraction is noticeable, Will decides to take a chance and join Grant and his family for Karamu that night, opening the door to not only celebrating a new holiday but finding a new love.

And that’s all I have for you. Whether you observe Christmas, Kwanzaa, both, or neither, I hope that this weeked is amazing for you. I will be back Monday with your latest romance news and, while I don’t know how much I’ll be tweeting over the holiday weekend, you can always give me a follow under @PScribe801. Until next week!

Kissing Books

Stick to the List

Post author By P.N. Hinton
Post date December 17, 2021

Sponsored by Bloom Books, an imprint of Sourcebooks.

Isolde de Lara considers her wedding day to be her death day. To end a years-long war, she is to marry vampire king Adrian Aleksandr Vasiliev, and kill him. But her attempt is thwarted, and Adrian threatens that if Isolde tries kill him again, he will raise her as the undead. So, Isolde seeks other ways to defy him and survive the brutal vampire court. Despite their undeniable chemistry, she wonders why the king—fierce, savage, merciless—chose her as consort. The answer will shatter her world.

It’s Christmas week! I am almost all done with shopping (stocking stuffers still need to be picked up) but for the most part I’m done. In addition to not wanting to go broke, I have to remind myself that my anniversary is right after the first of the year, as is my partner’s birthday. Then my son’s is in February. So, I don’t have to cram all the gifts into one day and have room to spread it out.

I finished Her Pretend Christmas Date and loved it! Perfect kind of hero for me. Stoic and stodgy on the outside with hidden sexy layers. *fans self* I started One Bed for Christmas to get that set of novellas finished up.

Romance Reflection

This AITA post caused quite a kerfuffle on Twitter and with good reason. Essentially a woman got another woman in an office Secret Santa and, even though she stated she read romance and listed the books she wanted as possible gift ideas, the OP ‘branched off’ and got her a Brian Sanderson book. Nothing against Sanderson, at all but…it’s the blatant all around disrespect for me y’all.

Like, come on. She wrote down the specific books she wanted to get. It would have been so much simpler to just get her one of those. The fact that the OP found them ‘boring’ or ‘hum drum’ is irrelevant because guess what? The gift was not for them! It’s for someone else and she was specific about what she wanted. But nooooo because the OP felt ‘cringe’ buying romance novels for whatever patriarchal and internal misogynistic reason, they went and bought her a book in a genre that, frankly, is historically way more problematic than romance.

And the fact that she called the books she listed ‘normal’ because they weren’t Harlequin and/or didn’t have Fabio on the cover? Jesus wept. Get with the times.

So, yes ma’am, you are in fact the asshole here. Your recipient told you what books to give her, which, might I add, is impressive. Because if a family member asked me right now what book I wanted for Christmas, I would short circuit and blank out. The name of the game is Secret Santa and Santa gets you what is on your list. Don’t branch out. Stick to the list.

That said, I do feel the recipient needs a brush up in etiquette as well. I understand being disappointed, but she shouldn’t have blasted the gift in the office break room because Murphy’s Law dictates that the person you’re bashing will hear you. That’s what the Squad Chat thread is for. And, while I totally get her re-gifting the items she got (because honestly she could have just thrown them away), she should have done it off the property. Don’t get me wrong; the OP was in the wrong all the way. But the recipient also could have handled her disappointment better.

Book Riot Romance

Now, if you have someone in your life who is specifically asking for some fantasy romances, Rioter Isabelle for some gift ideas for you.

You can also check out this list of diverse holiday romances from Rioter Silvana.

And yours truly wrote this piece on some snowed-in romance recommendations.

Be sure to enter our Giveaway for a Christmas Romance Reading Pack.

There’s also this one for a Personal Reading Retreat.

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

Around the Web in Romance

I chuckled at the thoughts this writer had while watching The Hating Game because I had the same ones while reading the books.

There’s also this reader’s thoughts while reading Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone.

Take this fun quiz to find out the first initial of your soulmate. And if you’re already in a committed relationship like me, take it to see how accurate it is. Mine actually got the initial so that was interesting.

Check out some of these new romance recommendations from author Olivia Waite.

Here’s the cover reveal for Roan Parrish’s first rom-com, The Holiday Trap, slated for release next September. ‘The Holiday, but make it gay’? Yes please.

Click here to get read about the upcoming Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum film. She plays a reclusive romance novelist and he’s her cover model. While on tour promoting her latest book, they get kidnapped by an eccentric billionaire played by Daniel Radcliffe to help find the lost treasure from her latest novel. Does it sound similar to Romancing the Stone? Maybe a bit. But I loved that movie, I love Sandra and Channing, and I would love to see Daniel play a villain. So I’m all in.

New Releases

Here are some of the new releases hitting the digital and virtual shelves this week. As per the current norm, the dates listed were the ones showing as of the writing of this newsletter.

Five Mistletoe Moments by Sheryl Lister * (12/20)

A Man for the Holidays by J.O Mantel (12/20)

Four Stocking Stuffers by Kelsey Green * (12/21)

His Boy to Treasure by Susan Hawke (12/21)

Pirates of Aletharia by Britney Jackson (12/21)

Not Alone on Christmas by D.M. Winters (12/21)

Destination Wedding by Sean Michael (12/21)

Saving the Omega’s Christmas by GS Holmes (12/21)

Three Sexy Elves by Angela Seals * (12/22)

Two Dirty Santas by Sherelle Green * (12/23)

One Snowy Seduction by A.C. Arthur * (12/24)

Happy Cat Box Set by Lili Valente and Pippa Grant (12/26) – you get five novellas in one with this set!

* these are the last in the Baes of Christmas novella series.

That’s all for today friends. I’ll be back on Thursday with more updates form the Romance world as well as some Kwanzaa romance recommendations. Until then, you can follow me on Twitter under @PScribe801. Have a wonderful week!

Kissing Books

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas Romances

Post author By P.N. Hinton
Post date December 15, 2021

Romance Reflection

When perusing the internet to find a topic to talk about, I saw a tweet that caught my eye. And the reason it caught my eye is that it uses a term that I’ve always disliked: “clean romance.”

The connotation there is that any romance with sex in it is dirty which by extension makes the act the same. As a woman who grew up during a time where the purity culture was intense, girls were inundated with messages about all the various things that made them “dirty;” such as sweating and menstruation. Both of which are biological. Personally, whenever I’m describing these types of books, the term I use is “off the page.” To me it’s more open-ended to the reader’s interpretation of what the couple does in the privacy of their alone time.

There would be a lot less blowback and/or division in the romance community if we stopped using “clean” to describe romances with no sex in it. The decision on whether or not to have sex is always based on the person. If you want to have all the sex, have it (just be safe and smart). If you don’t want to have sex at all, do you boo because it’s your body, your choice. But please enough with the labels one way or another for books and people.

Book Riot Romance

Be sure to listen to the latest episode of When in Romance to hear Jess and Trisha discuss Sweet Disorder as well as look back on 2021 romance and forward to what will come in 2022.

Last Friday was Retellings Day over on Book Riot, and there were a couple of articles focused on romance. Check out Trisha’s piece on why inclusive and diverse retellings and, by extension, happy endings are fantastic.

And then Isabelle’s reasoning on why retellings of Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella will never not be a thing.

Around the Web in Romance

Harlequin has their top five reasons to make it a point to read romance around the holiday season.

If you watched The Hating Game this last weekend and can’t get enough of that banter filled with tension, some of these read-alikes may peak your interest.

Recommendations

It’s time for my Christmas romance recommendations! I’ve been using these romances to help me not be a Grinch during the month because the holidays are rough for me, like they are with others. This has been especially true the last couple of years and honestly that is even before Covid was a thing. Reading these books always helps to keep my heart from shrinking to be three sizes too small though so I keep at it. Because if it ain’t broke…

And with that onto my recommendations for Christmas romances!

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

Merry Inkmas by Talia Hibbert

Cash is determined to not give in to his attraction to barista Bailey, knowing that with his troubled upbringing he may not be the best partner out there. Bailey is equally as determined to not fall into the trap of love like her mother did and refuses to sacrifice any aspect of herself for a relationship. But when Cash rescues her in a time of need and lets her glimpse his heart of gold, she starts rethinking what has been her approach to love.

Being Merry by Meka James

A Christmas miracle saves Noelle from being homeless for the holidays. However, the roommate in her temporary housing situation, Lennox, appears to be the grumpiest of holiday grumps. Noelle doesn’t let that deter her holiday joy though and works to win her over. Lennox is cursing her sister and the guilt trip that caused her to accept Noelle as a roommate especially since she is not one for the holidays. However, as the women live together they begin to grow closer and realize that maybe first impressions aren’t always the right one.

The Christmas Lights Battle by Skylar M. Cates

Single dad Julian no longer looks at Christmas as the feel-good holiday. Newly divorced thanks to a cheating ex-husband, and dealing with a new neighbor with loud dogs makes him want to hunker down for the holiday until his son tells him about a light contest with a cash prize that would prove helpful. Neighbor Leo is looking at spending Christmas alone since his family has yet to accept him and is focusing on developing his boot camp beach program. A cash prize would be nice so he decided to enter as well and the two men have yet another reason to bicker. As they do though the animosity between them builds to something that neither expected…love.

And that’s all for this week. I’ll be back next Monday with the latest round up in romance news and tidbits. If you’re not following me already I can be found on Twitter under @Pscirbe801. Have a wonderful weekend!

Kissing Books

Don’t Forget About Romance

Post author By P.N. Hinton
Post date December 10, 2021

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Y’all! I watched my first holiday romance of the season! It was Single All the Way on Netflix. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it was great. Attempted fake dating, friends to lovers, and ‘OMG they were roommates’ are just a few of the tropes that are balanced masterfully in this movie. Oh and it was a M/M romance? It was exactly what I needed to kick off the season right. If you haven’t seen it yet, I do recommend it. I think I’m going to try to watch Love Hard next but we will see.

In holiday tunes, I cannot get enough of Lindsey Stirling’s cover of Carol of the Bells. This is one of my favorite carols anyway but hearing her own spin on it is amazingly ethereal. And that video is winter magic. Props to her for being able to dance while playing. I could barely stand without my whole body shaking whenever I did a solo, let alone bust out some ballet moves.

Romance Reflection

In a recent round-up of the best books of 2021, romance was left out as a genre. Like completely left out; wasn’t even acknowledged. According to the letter that the Romance Novelists’ Association, or RNA, sent to The Sunday Times, the author of said article even questioned if it was a plausible genre in a since deleted tweet. That tweet may be gone, but it was still put out there and as we know, screenshots are forever. So I’m sure someone has evidence of it somewhere.

Pardon me while I get extremely Southern for a bit, but this burns my buttered biscuits. Romance is not for everyone and that’s fine. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Don’t like it? Don’t read it. Trust; if you don’t want to be here in Romancelandia, we don’t want you here.

But what you’re NOT going to do is act like the genre doesn’t exist at all. Not when, again, this genre has often ‘kept the lights on’ in publishing. Not when it’s still one of the highest, if not the top, selling genres regularly. Not when we have Joe and Jolene Schmoe whining about how the romance writing community is ‘gate-keeping’ every other week because we tell them plainly that, without a central love story and HEA or at the very least an HFN, their book is not a romance. Clearly these are people who want in on the romance money without the romance work.

This was a gross misstep not just on the author of the article but the editor, because someone should have caught that an entire genre was skipped over. Just because you don’t like something doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. If the author wasn’t qualified to come up with a list, they should have brought in a co-writer. It’s as simple as that. Because I’m fairly freaking confident that this oversight wouldn’t have happened with any other genre in the literary world.

It is almost 2022. The romance genre isn’t going anywhere. If anything else, with more diverse voices being heard there every day, it’s cementing its place even firmer. It’s here to stay.

Book Riot Romance

Speaking of queer romances, here is a nicely rounded list of a few you can pick up this season, courtesy of Rioter Rachel.

While I had heard the phrase before, I never actually knew that a Tijuana Bible was. So I really appreciated this brief history by Rioter River gave.

In case you missed it, we also posted a trailer for Sleigh Bells on Bread Loaf Mountain.

Not purely romance related, but be sure to sign up for the Read Harder 2022 Newsletter to get recommendations for books to help tackle our yearly challenge.

Around the Web in Romance

For my audiobook lovers, check out this list of Scribd’s Best Romances of 2021.

Check out this list of erotic romances with aftercare paired up with some cozy blankets for said activity.

Here is another nice roundup of holiday romances to read this season.

Take this fun quiz to find out who you’ll end up kissing under the mistletoe. Not sure I agree with my result of a random stranger based on how I’m wired, but I enjoyed the ride!

This granny sounds like an amazing person to know.

New Releases

Here are some of the new releases that should be hitting the shelves this week. That said, the supply issue is still very real and these were the dates that were showing as of the writing of this article. So, some of these dates may be subject to change.

Humbug by Amanda Radley (12/14)

Rebel Without a Claus by Bryce Oakley (12/14)

The Doctor’s Heart by Andrew Grey (12/14)

Christmas is Better With You by Pamela Campbell (12/14)

Ten Christmas Shots by Elle Wright * (12/15)

Nine Frosty Nights by Kimmie Ferell * (12/16)

How the Hoyden Won the Duke by Eva Devon (12/16)

Mine at Midnight by Adele Clee (12

Silent Knight by Arden Steele (12/16)

Eight Naughty Notes by Aja * (12/17)

Seven Peppermint Kisses by Tiye Love * (12/18)

Six Sensual Wishes by Nicole Falls * (12/19)

*These are part of a series subtitled Baes of Christmas and I’m a sucker for novellas released like this. Hence the reason for mentioning each one that will be released before next Monday’s newsletter.

And that’s all I have for you today. I’ll be back Thursday with more romance news and some Christmas romance recommendations for you. I hope that your time before then treats you well. Until then, give me a follow on Twitter under @PScribe801.

Kissing Books

Romances You May Have Missed

Post author By P.N. Hinton
Post date December 8, 2021

Book Riot Romance

Check our Rioter Sarah’s take on censorship in romance and erotica.

Here are a few enemies to lovers recs, courtesy of Rioter Julia.

Around the Web in Romance

This tweet gave me life and laughter this weekend.

I really need someone to write this type of Sapphic love story.

If you’re looking for some K-drama and romance novel pairings, you’re in luck with this list.

Therese Beharrie did the cover reveal for her upcoming 20th title, which is also her last one with Harlequin Romance.

Speaking of covers, check out this reissue of Sarah MacLean’s Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake.

Here’s BookPages Top Romances of 2021.

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

Recommendations

My goal for my weekly recommendations this month were that they be based on either the holiday that was being observed that week or the upcoming one. Starting off with Hanukkah last week gave me a feeling of confidence that kept me on a high until I realized this week is an outlier. And by that I mean that while I know that there are holidays being observed right now/soon, such as Las Posadas, there are not a lot of romances written around them. So I was left not being sure what to write about.

Until I remembered that, as mentioned in an earlier newsletter, we are in “Best Of” season and everyone is putting their two shiny pennies into what they felt was the best romance of the year. Which got my brain to pondering: what were some of the romances that I really enjoyed this year that I felt went just under the radar? While they were announced and acknowledged, they didn’t get as much publicity as some others. My hope is that this will draw more eyes to them so that they can be picked up and enjoyed.

Without further delay, here are some of the best underrated romances that I read this year.

Love, Comment, Subscribe by Cathy Yardley

I’m starting with the one that I most recently read. Lily and Tobin were childhood and school age frenemies, part of a group fondly called ‘The Nerd Herd’. As children they butted heads, but as adults both settled into the role of being an influence, albeit for different things. When waning subscribers and virtual videos present the opportunity to collaborate, both are hesitant to do so because their channels are so different. However, the chemistry they have (which we all know is really attraction) is undeniable so they go forward with the plan and of course romance ensues. The banter here is hilarious and I love the way their relationship develops from frenemies to friends to lovers. An enjoyable read all around.

For the Love of April French by Penny Aimes

April is a trans woman who is well known in the kink community of Austin, helping folks to move into that world and on to their own happily ever after. She has gotten use to being just a stopover; that is, until she meets Dennis, a recent transplant from Seattle. What starts as an arrangement for ‘just one night’ moves into more and over the coming months we see Dennis and April learn more about each other and themselves to find their own happily ever after. I really enjoyed this book and, as someone with almost no experience in that community I also felt it was a good introduction to the world without being too overwhelming. This book didn’t get nearly as much love as it should have when it was released.

How Sweet It Is by Dylan Newton

Kate is an event planner tasked with planning an event for horror writer Drake’s upcoming book launch. While she has focused on weddings in the past, she knows that she is up for the task. And even if Drake takes some convincing initially, he eventually comes on board. As they work together to plan the best event, they get to know a little more about one another and realize that maybe they want to change the rules and roles that have been assigned to them and throw more than a few plot twists into the mix. This book combined love of romance and horror, with Drake being a horror writer, and had me laughing out loud more than once. A really sweet romance that is sure to delight.

And that is all I have for you today. I’ll be back on Monday with the latest romance news and new releases. If you’re not following me already on Twitter my handle is @Pscribe801. Have a wonderful weekend and I’ll see y’all soon!