Category: Kissing Books

It’s the Pivotal Moment…

Post author By P.N. Hinton
Post date May 26, 2021

Sponsored by Words Composed of Sea and Sky by Erica George, from Running Press Teens.

This summer Cape Cod romance features poets divided by centuries. In 1862, Leta Townsend writes poetry under the name Benjamin Churchill, a boy who left for sea to hunt whales. Today, Michaela Dunn, an aspiring poet, discovers an old diary that tells Leta and Benjamin’s true story. Discover the sumptuous new summer read that earned high praise from Kirkus Reviews: “There are two plucky heroines and four handsome hunks in this sweeping romance—and the author successfully juggles them all. The narrative effectively balances big, swoonworthy moments against smart character work.”

Hello again, romance readers. I’m PN Hinton, your companion for the world of romance. If you’re new to the Kissing Books newsletter, welcome and enjoy your stay. If you’re a long-time reader, welcome back; it’s good to see you again.

As of today, I officially have an eighth grader. It’s hard to believe we’re already here and that he’s growing up so fast. He had a lot of health problems as a baby, so it was a touch and go situation there, on if he would live to his first year. So, any milestone always makes me tear up, since here we are so many years later.

The next big one is high school and then he will be practically on his own. I’m so not ready for this. I can see glimmers of him turning into a young man and hope we’re raising him to be the best he can be, to be able to take care of himself and just be a decent human being. Happily, so far he seems like he’ll be just fine. We still have our moments though, and every time we do all I can hear is Rita Moreno’s Lydia from One Day at a Time crying out, “He’s changing from a sweet boy into a horrible teenager!” I laughed way too hard at that when I first saw it because…it tracks.

Around the Web in Romance

If you have summer on your mind with Memorial Day around the corner, check out some articles from the Book Riot Vault. Here is one from Silvana and another from Annika.

You can still enter to win a free iPad Mini from us!

The phenomenal Alyssa Cole chats for a bit about her latest, How To Find a Princess, here. This one is definitely on my most anticipated reads this year, and this cover is amazing.

And speaking of covers, here is the reveal for Nalini Singh’s Archangel’s Light! *fans self*

One goal I have this summer is to start watching more K-dramas, since I’m not well versed in them at all. If you’re like me and looking to really dive headfirst into this genre this summer, this list has a few to get you started.

Recommendations

I mentioned above how I want to get into K-dramas this year. We talk about these a lot at Book Riot and they all just seem so sweet. Don’t get me wrong; I like my spice and steam as much as the next person. But occasionally, I just want something pure and sweet.

I think part of the allure for me is how much emphasis is placed on the first kiss. From the few I have seen, there is little to no sex in any of these. There are tons of innuendos and tongue in cheek moments, but the actual act of sex is largely off screen.

But the build up to the first kiss can be oh-so-delightfully intense and charming. And I’ll admit that having a great first kiss is a preference for me in romance novels and movies. It’s not always perfect, but if it can be memorable for whatever reason, then it will stick.

With that in mind, here are some of the books I would recommend for memorable first kisses.

Because of Miss Bridgerton by Julia Quinn

Here we have a nice combination of two popular tropes; enemies to lovers, and the person next door. There is an added twist in that the Bridgerton and Rokesy families are also longstanding friends. This first kiss takes place between Billie and George after they had both begun realizing that their feelings for each other might be changing. It is so memorable for me because it comes right after a quasi-gauntlet is thrown down between them. Simply marvelous.

Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur

Darcy and Elle find themselves in a fake dating scenario for their own various reasons. The two share their first kiss after good-natured ribbing from Darcy’s brother, Brendon, after a double date with him and his current paramour. While the women know they had strong chemistry from their first disastrous blind date (set up by Brendon), neither are prepared for the real feelings to come when their lips meet. It was perfect.

Waking Up Married by Reese Ryan

This one is a super sweet friends to lovers AND fake marriage romance. What’s not to love? Here, the first kiss comes after Zora and Dallas agree to stay married, after getting married in Vegas while drunk, and they’ve met both their families to help keep up the wild in love ruse. Was it accidental or on purpose? Who cares? After all that build up, it was a great release all around to finally have it happen on paper.

Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

Honorable mention goes to Get a Life, Chloe Brown. I’m placing it here because it was the almost-first-kiss that got me. It’s the scene where she’s sitting, in one of her many onesies, trying to help Red come up with the idea for his upcoming website, and the tension is just too much for them. I also listened to it as an audiobook, and hearing Adjoa Andoh growl Chloe’s name in Red’s voice did all kinds of things to me. Seriously, if you’ve somehow still not read this, try the audiobook since Andoh’s narration is freakin’ FIRE!

Monday is a U.S. holiday, so there won’t be a newsletter that day. If you’re going somewhere over the long weekend, I hope that you have a relaxing time and get plenty of reading done. As always, if you want more from me before next Thursday, give me a follow as @PScribe801 over on Twitter. Until next time!

Kissing Books

Romanceladia Rides Whenever Y’all

Post author By P.N. Hinton
Post date May 24, 2021

In the World of Romance

There was quite the hiccup in Romancelandia late last week when Violet Gaze Press, an independent publisher publishing diverse and inclusive romance, tweeted out that Amazon had unceremoniously closed their Kindle Direct Publishing account. Happily, it has since been resolved and their account was reinstated, but it took over a day for this to happen, and the entire experience was stressful and anxiety-inducing to observe. I can’t imagine having to go through it. My heart broke as I saw all the tweets from VGP and its various authors through those 24 plus hours of uncertainty.

The news came via this tweet on Wednesday afternoon/evening. The reason given was that they had multiple accounts open, which is a violation of their Terms and Services. As of the writing of this newsletter, Amazon had yet to provide proof of this accusation. VGP appealed this action. Unfortunately, their numerous appeals were initially met with the same copy/paste reply.

VGP and, by extension, the authors that this publishing house serves, was shut down without Amazon providing proof. The initial notification stated that all books associated with this publishing house would be taken down and all unpaid royalties would be forfeit. It was alarming how quickly they seemed to turn on a publishing company that actively promotes and publishes diverse content. It’s not a good look at all, especially when you consider all of the other things that they do allow to be published and sold on their site.

Authors were getting emailed that their books will be taken down. Readers got notices that the publishing house, not Amazon, canceled the publication for pre-orders. I don’t know if this would have affected books purchased but that would have been a whole new ballgame. I know that technically no one owns their digital books but still…I would be hotter than a sinner in church in the South on a Sunday had a book I paid any amount of money for been removed from my Kindle library by anyone other than me.

This was resolved Thursday afternoon after multiple appeals and retweets from the Romance loving community. We showed once again that we are a force to be reckoned with. However, while I’m very happy it was resolved, I also don’t want to forget that it ever happened. My mindset is and always has been that if something happens once, then it can happen again. And who knows if the next publishing company will have as much luck as VPG did.

Around the Web in Romance

Don’t forget to remember to enter our giveaway for a free iPad mini.

Previously I wrote about the different genres in romance including category ones. Check out this post from our archives which further expands on their allure.

If medical romance is your catnip, check out some of these must reads; you’ll notice that some of them do overlap into category romance as well.

We’re still in AAPI month so I’m going to keep on keeping on with the recommendations from Asian authors

New Releases and Recommendations

We have more than a few new releases this week, including Alexandria Bellefluer’s Hang the Moon (super excited for this one), Playing the Palace by Paul Rudnick (excerpt available here), and Heart and Seoul by Jen Frederick. Some other releases include:

Make Me Burn by Marie Harte
Destination Wedding by Diksha Basu (may be considered more romance adjacent)
Cowboy Fire by Kim Redford
How to Survive a Scandal by Samara Parish

As for some deals, Queen Move by the amazing Kennedy Ryan and All the Better Part of Me by Molly Ringle can be snagged for $0.99. My Kind of Earl by Vivienne Lorret is on sale for $1.99 and Sophie Jordan’s The Duke Effect for $2.99.

That’s all for now folks. Give me a follow at Twitter under @PScribe801 if you want a little bit more of me before the next newsletter. I’ll see you next time.

Kissing Books

Laughter is Good Medicine

Post author By P.N. Hinton
Post date May 19, 2021

Sponsored by Christina Lauren's THE SOULMATE EQUATION.

Can an algorithm find your soulmate? When single mom Jess tries out a new app that uses DNA to identify likely suitors, she’s shocked to discover that she’s a nearly-perfect match with River, the app’s creator! Too bad she’s already met him–and it didn’t go well. But the startup’s investors have visions of good PR dancing in their heads, so they offer to pay Jess to give River a chance. As they dip their toes into the dating pool, they discover that the app might be right…but is it really science–or just chemistry?

Hello again, romance readers. I’m PN Hinton, your companion in the world of romance. If you’re new to the Kissing Books newsletter, welcome and enjoy your stay. If you’re a long-time reader, welcome back; it’s good to see you again.

So far, this week has been much better than the last week, so that’s nice. I’m in a semi-reading slump though. It’s not a full-on one, as I have five books on my pile right now. But my focus is off. I need to hunker down and at least finish the book club pick since we’re meeting Saturday. Wish me luck!

I came across a post from one of my Facebook romance groups, concerning children in romance novels and how they’re not believable, mainly due to not being present enough. Since most people read books to escape the real world, this is a bit of a head scratcher for me. Children can be a lot to deal with, so I would think this is a welcome break.

The concern that they are not present enough made me think about the mindset of “children should be seen and not heard,” and how this is still something a lot of people believe in. Of course, I vehemently disagree with this. Still, it’s not exactly an antiquated way of thinking. When historical romances have kids in this role, it actually makes it more believable for me, since it tracks with how people were back then.

Now, I get the distaste for them only being there to serve as a deus ex machina. But children simply being present or a legitimate part of the story? It’s no biggie for me.

I don’t actively seek out romance novels with children, but neither do I actively avoid them. Their presence isn’t a factor to me at all. The main reason for this is because, for me, the presence of children in romances is always a possibility. Romances have a lot of sexy times in them, and, as health class taught us, sex may lead to babies.

Around the Web in Romance

The latest episode of the When in Romance podcast is up, with a special guest. Even if you are not done with Vivid yet, listen with no worry as there were no spoilers.

You still have a chance to win a free iPad mini from Book Riot.

Check out this list of joyful Asian-centered books.

Illumicrate is going to be selling special editions of the Brown Sisters trilogy!

If you’re yearning for some slow-burn fantasy romances, check out this list from author Liselle Sanbury.

Let the stars be your guide for your next steamy read.

Recommendations

I have been feeling down lately and overall in a bit of a funk. A lot of that is stress from the end of the school year, busy stuff at the day job, and just life in general. I’ve really been enjoying the few times I can just sit back or laughing to the point of almost passing out. If you’re in that same boat, hopefully these books may bring a smile to your face.

Trust Falling For You by Charish Reid

Yolanda and Sam are co-workers who have a completely different approach to teaching as well as life. So, of course, they end up being both bunk mates and by extension teammates at their university’s team building event in the woods. As they get to know one another, the attraction grows until it can’t be ignored. Yolanda is a woman after my own heart in that she and nature do not get along. The various hijinks involving the Great Outdoors continuously coming for her had me rolling.

Do You Want to Start a Scandal by Tessa Dare

After being caught in a compromising position, Charlotte and Piers spend the rest of the book trying to find the real culprits to avoid being forced to marry. Apart from the banter, the laughter here comes from the son of the hosts. He overheard the encounter and, not knowing what it was, dramatically accused Piers of committing murder. His constant following of Piers shouting “Murderer!!” had tears coming out of my eyes.

Mrs. Martin’s Incomparable Adventure by Courtney Milan

Beatrice is giving no more flips while Violetta is still trying to live within the expectations of society. It’s Beatrice who does it for me in this story; she’s the old lady I want to be when I grow up because she knows that the world isn’t fair to women, and she’s bound and determined to try and change it, or at least shake the foundation of it. I know I’ve recommended this before, but I feel that this book doesn’t get as much love as it should, so here we are. It’s also a very sweet Sapphic romance with two older protagonists.

Let’s Get Textual by Teagan Hunter

When Zach accidentally texts Delia and she responds, thinking it’s her brother, it starts a thread between the two. Slowly the flirting builds through the written missives and eventually they decide to meet in person to see if the attraction they’re building up is legitimate. Despite the loved ones in their life warning them against it, they decide to risk it all for a chance at love. The banter in this book is hilarious and had me snorting more than once. This is the first in a series, but this one is by far is my favorite.

And that’s all she wrote for now. If you would like more of me during the in-betweens, give me a follow @PScribe801 over on Twitter. Until next time.

Kissing Books

Crash Coursing Through Romance

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

Romance Tidbits

Author Ali Williams recently tweeted out what her syllabus would look like if she were to teach an undergrad course over the history of the romance novel. And it is a damned impressive list. I would love to take a class like this. Hell, I’d even just audit it, since I’m sure it would fill up quickly, if this were a real college course. I’m also sure that some students would sign up, looking for the ever elusive easy A. But I doubt it would be that way, and they would be in for a rude awakening.

What I really like about this is that there are weeks devoted to both category romance, such as Harlequins, and old school romances. I know that some of the newer and younger romance readers may have issues with these types of romances and I’m not here to disparage that. Old school romance is hard to get through with a modern mindset, even if you did cut your teeth on them like I did. For example, Johanna Lindsey was and will always be one of my favorite authors. But, I can’t read a lot of her earlier stuff, even the ones that I devoured when I was younger. It has to be, at the very least, after 1990 or a Mallory book.

And category romances get a bad wrap for being formulaic. Which, granted, can be true. But the secret is, that is true of all genres. I don’t care what type it is; every genre out there has some type of formula to it and they always have. There’s nothing wrong with it, per se, once you acknowledge it because it comes down to liking what you like. Clearly though, there is something to be said that, even with the evolution it has gone through, Harlequin is still around with the category romances spread across multiple topics now. They’re doing something right.

All of that said, these are some of the roots for the romance genre. Love them or hate them, they’re still there as part of the foundation and I appreciate that this recognition exists. Because I do feel it’s important to know how something started out versus where it’s at now. Remember what those educational Saturday morning animated shorts taught us: knowledge is power.

Due to the popularity, Ali decided to go ahead and press the button on this idea. If you are interested, she will be starting an online course in September. You can sign up for her mailing list if you’re interested in taking this one.

Around the Web in Romance

Check out this list of romance novels with school ties from the Book Riot Vault.

Here’s another round-up of some other good reads with collegiate settings, if you’ve discovered that this is one of your favorite tropes.

Speaking of ‘good reads’ (see what I did there) here is one Rioter’s options for different rating systems. I know it’s not exactly romance related, but still an interesting read.

Don’t forget to click here for a chance to win a free iPad mini!

New Releases & Deals

Here are some of the new releases hitting the shelves this week.

All Fired Up by Jenn Burke

Bastard Bartender by Jeannine Colette & Lauren Runow

Brown Sugar This Christmas by Lula White

Happy Endings by Thien-Kim Lam

As for deals, American Dreamer by Adrianna Herrera, String Boys* by Amy Lane, Trouble at the Wedding by Laura Lee Guhrke, Crazy Stupid Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams, and Unthinkable by Shakir Rashaan can all be yours for the low price of $1.99.

*CW/TW for sexual assault

And that’s all for now friends. As always, if you want more of me between the emails, give me a @PScribe801 over on Twitter. See ya Thursday!

Kissing Books

Writing i s Writing

Post author By P.N. Hinton
Post date May 12, 2021

Around the Web in Romance

Don’t forget to enter here for a chance to win a free iPad mini!

Oh wow, estranged friends to lovers? Sign me up for this catnip.

Read about one romance lover’s joy over The Soulmate Equation. Even though it’s on my own TBR, I understand the concern over the book. But sometimes reading someone else’s perspective can add a different layer to things.

From the World of Romance

Recently there has been conversation floating in the Twitter-sphere about how not difficult it is to write a romance. Now, this mindset isn’t anything new; but it’s still tiresome to hear. Romance has always been ridiculed as being trash and its critics consistently and constantly strive to undermine the genre. So, allow me be perfectly frank.

Writing is hard.

Writing on a consistent basis is hard. I don’t care what genre you’re writing in or where it’s published. It’s hard. I went to school specifically for writing and it’s still hard. I love writing this newsletter and am grateful for it. But it’s still a challenge to come up with ideas on what to write about on a bi-weekly basis.

Authors have to write even more than that and and consistently come up with new ideas. Now, critics may scoff that it’s easy or that “It’s their job.” But, is your job always easy? Do you like it when people sneer that “it’s your job?” Or are there some days where it’s a challenge, even if you love it? Authors have these days too too; and then they have to deal with the added sting of people belittling their work by saying that it doesn’t take any effort or talent to do what they do.

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what genre someone writes in; they’re still people who work hard at what they do. Just because you don’t like a specific genre doesn’t make it any less. And that is another thing; it’s people who don’t even read the genre who are undermining both its authors and readers.

That would be like me saying that, since I don’t enjoy fantasy, that all those writers are hacks. Someone could rightfully clap back and say, “Well you don’t read anything in that genre, so how would you know?”

Recommendations

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. So, I wanted to take a moment to uplift some of those voices in the romance genre. Of course, I’m a big proponent of reading diversely all year around, no matter what genre you read. And it is something that I still strive to do on a regular basis. But, as with previous months, I also want to acknowledge the importance of these voices in Romancelandia.

A Sweet Mess by Jayci Lee

Aubrey’s life gets turned upside down when a cake mix-up leads to a harsh review from a food critic who turns out to be a past one-night stand. She is left scrambling to save her business begrudgingly with help from aforementioned food critic, Landon. Will Aubrey be able to ignore her hormones and heart and listen to her head to help her get back to the business she loves. Or will the temptation be too much to bear?

Wrong to Need You by Alisha Rai

Jackson has returned home after 10 long years after being cleared of a crime he didn’t commit. He returns to help Sadia, his brother’s widow, with the café she has inherited. When the unspoken attraction between them can no longer be denied, it ignites a steamy affair. But will they be able to let go of their complicated past for the hope of a bright future?

Ice Cream Lover by Jackie Lau

Drew has sworn off ice cream ever since his fiancée left him at the altar and bad-mouthed him in her bestseller. However, he is still forced into the Ginger Scoops ice cream parlor and into the path of owner Chloe. Will Drew allow himself a second chance at love for both a woman and ice cream, or let his past cloud his future?

Of course, there are many more options out there for you to pursue. Even though all these authors are delightful, don’t limit yourself in any capacity.

And that’s all she wrote for now. If you wanted snippets of me between the editions, then give me a follow at Twitter under @PScrie801. Until next time.

Kissing Books

Cover Talk

Post author By P.N. Hinton
Post date May 7, 2021

More Cover Cover-age

Trish and Jess talked a bit in last week’s episode about romance covers. This always seems to be a hot topic of debate in Romancelandia. Recently, it has been the illustrated cover versus the real people cover versus (to me) the unholy combination of the two. Now, we seem to be cycling back to the clinch covers that were prevalent in the early days of romance. This is almost a complete 180 from the trend of the more “tame” covers featuring barns or other country buildings that have recently been prominent in romance.

Personally, I’m down with this, especially for situations where I’m picking out a new book to read. Publishing has been a bit lazy in that anything with a thread of romance in it is classified as romance, even when it’s really fiction. So, it can be tricky sometimes to determine if a book you’re reading is an actual romance or fiction with a romantic element. The partially uncovered décolletage on clinch covers helped to give rise to the phrase “bodice ripper.” So, there is no feigning ignorance about what genre books with those covers are.

Side note: the whole “fiction” versus “women’s fiction” versus “chick lit” is a whole other ballgame which I may tackle later.

Emily Henry’s Beach Read is a perfect example of that for me. I loved this book and it came into my life at the right time. But it’s not romance, it’s fiction with a romantic element. I am not sure if her latest, People We Meet on Vacation, is the same as I have yet to read it. But, both covers have two people on the beach in a relaxed vacation setting. We really don’t know from the covers alone what type of story we’re in for, because they’re ambiguous.

And all these covers with the beach chairs, barns, and dogs on docks are exactly that; ambiguous. It’s like “Am I reading about a multi-generational story of estranged family members coming together after the matriarch passes? Or is it a woman embracing a simpler life in the country over the big city after being betrayed by her boyfriend and losing her job all in the span of ten minutes? Is someone going to pin someone else up against the wall of that barn and make the hay fall out of the loft? What’s going to happen? I’m so confused!!”

The preference for a specific cover type comes down to a concern about perception. What type of readers are we attracting with this specific cover? Are others who may be interested in the book shy about purchasing one with a “scandalous” cover? Would they buy it if it was otherwise? And what type of reader do people think you are when they see you reading those books with the former type?

Possible cover embarrassment may have been a concern when I was younger and had more flips to give. Now…not so much. That said, I’ll admit that when I typically read in public, it is usually on my e-reader or headphones. So, all the covers are hidden. Ignoring that fact though, and pretending to be in a parallel timeline where I don’t have one, I wouldn’t mind being in public, reading a book with an old school romance novel cover. I’m not saying I would go to the church picnic with it; but I would sit on a plane with it proudly because I likes what I likes.

Romance Round-Up

Berkley announced that it is teaming up with Stacey Abrams to reissue the first three novels she penned as Selena Montgomery. While most of us in Romancelandia already knew Stacey as a talented writer, this is a wonderful opportunity for new readers in the genre as well as established ones who want to revisit the books.

Enter here for a chance to win a free iPad Mini!

Here are some of the anticipated romantic reads headed our way this month. Surprising absolutely no one, quite a few of these are already on my TBR.

New Releases & Deals

Here are some of the new releases hitting the shelves this week:

Tempting Fate by Kerrigan Byrne

Unrivaled by Radclyffe

Back in the Day by Katrina Jackson

The Wedding Night Affair by L.C. Sharp

Talia Hibbert’s reissue of The Roommate Risk (previously Wanna Bet?) is $0.99 until the 12th. I listened to this as an audio book a few years ago and loved it. The steam factor here had me almost drive off the side of the road multiple times. You can also pick up Alyssa’s Cole An Extraordinary Union and The Prince’s Bride by J.J. McAvoy for the same price. The Wolf at the Door by Charlie Adhara and Tracy Anne Warren’s Happily Bedded Bliss can be snagged for $1.99.

That’s all she wrote for today. Give me a follow as @PScribe801 over on Twitter if you want more of my bookish ponderings. Until next time.

Kissing Books

Moms Are Awesome

Post author By P.N. Hinton
Post date May 5, 2021

Sponsored by Counting Down with You by Tashie Bhuiyan.

When Karina Ahmed’s parents go abroad to Bangladesh for four weeks, she expects some peace and quiet. Instead, she gets roped into a fake-dating scheme with her school’s resident bad boy, Ace Clyde. Tutoring him was already crossing a line, but pretending to date him? Out of the question. But Ace does everything right—he brings her coffee in the mornings, impresses her friends without trying, and even promises to buy her a dozen books a week. Though Karina agrees, she can’t help but start counting down the days until her parents come back and things return to normal.

Happy (early) Mothers Day to all the moms, or mother figures, out there. Because I’m a nerd like that I dug a bit into the history of the holiday and found that the first unofficial one was celebrated in 1907 by Anne Jarvis as a memorial service to her mother. Seven years later, then-President Woodrow Wilson made it an official holiday that we now celebrate every second Sunday in May.

I don’t know what I’m doing for Mother’s Day yet, if anything. Even though I’m fully vaccinated, I am still nervous about being in public places like restaurants if there isn’t a patio option. Plus every place will be extraordinarily crowded, especially after being shut in for the last year. Don’t get me wrong. I love cheddar bay biscuits, but I will not throw elbows to get them.

Around the Web in Romance

Listen to this week’s episode of WIR to hear more about appliances as romance tropes and romance covers. Also, be sure to pick up Beverly Jenkin’s Vivid and send your questions and feedback to Jess and Trisha.

Have you ever wondered about the history of the himbo? CJ’s got you covered there.

Here’s a few of the romantic suspense books from April that you may have missed out on.

Check out author Georgia Clark’s recipe for a rom-com!

Recommendations

In honor of Mother’s Day I’m going to highlight some of the awesome mothers from Romancelandia. This doesn’t mean they’re perfect, because no one is. Their flaws are actually why I admire them so much, since I feel they help to encapsulate what being a mom is. It’s not like there is a manual you get when you become a parent and you will make mistakes along the way. These moms show that, at the end of the day, they love and support their children no matter what. For book series, I will be specifying the book with the scene that showcases the maternal love.

Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert

Mom: Joy Brown
Now, we can all admit that Gigi is pretty bad-ass all around. She is a constant support system for her granddaughters and always there to give them sage advice for their romantic snags. So she definitely gets an Honorable Mention here. But I don’t think Joy gets the appreciation she deserves. Yes, she comes across as a bit standoffish in the last book and the ultimatum she gives Eve is the catalyst for her running away and (literally) into Jacob. However, this came from a very well place of wanting her daughter to reach her full potential and was done with love. Plus, it can’t be overlooked that they moved to a completely new house when Chloe was younger because she didn’t like empty spaces. As Eve herself stated, Joy may not always understand her girls, but she will always support them and be there for them. And that is always important.

Stars and Stripes by Abigail Roux (Cut & Run series)

Mom: Mara Grady
This M/M romantic suspense series centers around FBI agents Ty Grady and Zane Garrett. This book does come in later in the series, and the reason that Mara gets a call out here is because she is supportive of her son when he is outed in front of her (CW/TW for that scene). After the initial shock, she accepts both Ty and Zane into her home, heart, and family. That is exactly how parents should react when their children come out to them because it’s hard enough in this world, and especially in the field that these two men are in. I will admit that I haven’t read this series yet, but it is one of my closest friend’s favorites.

When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn

Mom: Violet Bridgerton
Violet is a great mom and no one can change my mind on that. She lost her husband unexpectedly when pregnant with their youngest child. She still had to handle the milestones for all of them on her own, and help her children grieve while managing her own. She also had a specific connection to Francesca, as they had both been widowed and understood each other on a level that none of the other siblings could. As caring as she was, she also was quick to call her children to their carpet when they were in the wrong. I still laugh every time I read the line in The Duke and I where she likens Anthony, Benedict, and Colin to mentally deficient sheep.

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

Mom: Ann Lane
We sadly don’t get to see a lot of Ann in the book, which really is a shame. She snapped at her husband at a restaurant and helped give Stella an escape, saying it was she who was bothered by the noise. True, she was quick to toss Michael as a romantic interest when he left her. But this was likely due to the fact that he abandoned her in a social situation, knowing how anxious she got. She knows her daughter is capable of taking care of herself on her own financially and wanted someone who could emotionally support her daughter. And I freaking love any scene where a wife tells her husband publicly to shut up. It gets me every time.

That’s all for now. I hope that y’all have a great weekend. If you want to see snippets of me before then give me a follow on Twitter @PScribe801. Until next time.

Kissing Books

Age-Appropriate Steam

Post author By P.N. Hinton
Post date May 3, 2021

From the World of Romance

I was scrolling through Twitter, as I often do, and discovered a new to me romance related topic floating in the ether. I couldn’t find the source of it though, and by the time it entered my Twitter-sphere it had morphed into numerous requests for more “steamy scenes” in YA.

Which gave me a huge pause, as the requests were coming from the adult fans and not the young adults themselves.

I love YA, and books from that category regularly enter my reading rotation. But, I am personally not comfortable with steamy scenes in my YA. There are very specific YA series and authors that I won’t read because I know they’re in there, and that I’m not going to like it. Now, I’m not naïve in believing that real life teens don’t participate in those types of activities. However, with the age I am and the decade I’m approaching, I’m also perfectly okay stating that I don’t want to read about it.

This is not shaming anyone for liking anything in YA. There are a lot of damned good books coming out weekly in the category. I would’ve given my eyeteeth (whatever those are) to have some of these books as options when I was a young reader; the first thing that pops to mind is Elise Bryant’s Happily Ever Afters.

It’s not like steamy scenes are unavailable. I know that teenagers have physical relationships in real life, and that having those scenes in some books may make those stories feel more realistic. But there shouldn’t be a demand for these types scenes in YA books just for the sake of having them. And if there are, then the majority of the requests should be coming from young adults.

Around the Web in Romance

News came out this week that Netflix is (finally) adapting a Black romance novel. Hopefully this is a trend that will only increase.

Just in time for AAPI Heritage month, here is a list of some of the most anticipated books by Asian Authors headed our way. I can already hear my bank account sighing in resigned exasperation.

Here is Silvana again shining a light on a trope I didn’t know existed or that I enjoyed. On a personal note, kudos to people who can take care of me when I’m feeling sick. I realized when my allergies attacked me awhile back that I don’t turn into a helpless person when I’m feeling under the weather, but I do get really mean. I’m a tiny ball of sick rage, and I want everyone to feel my pain.

Also in more erotic horror news, this short story came out this week. It made me laugh since I used Jason as an example in one of the last newsletters and now look! I helped to put this out in the world! And, yes, I realize this was already on its way to being live when I wrote it but still…I got a bit of a giddy thrill out of this news.

New Releases & Deals

Here are some of the new releases headed our way this week.

The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes by Xio Axelrod

The Lady Has a Past by Amanda Quick

Like Cats and Dogs by Kate McMurray

The Heartbreaker by Claire Contreras

As for deals, Finding Home Again by Brenda Jackson, The Rakess by Scarlett Peckham, Status Update by Annabeth Albert are all available for $1.99.

And that’s all for now. If you’re not already, feel free to give me a follow as @PScribe801 over on Twitter. See y’all Thursday.

Kissing Books

A Whole New (Supernatural) World

Post author By P.N. Hinton
Post date April 28, 2021

Sponsored by Up in Smoke by Annabeth Albert.

Three Men and a Baby meets Backdraft with explosive chemistry and heartfelt feels. A freewheeling smoke jumper and an aspiring country singer who could not be more ill-prepared for sudden parenthood are forced to work together to care for a tiny baby. Co-parenting while they sort out unanswered questions leads to late-night talks, and soul-bearing confessions lead to a most inconvenient attraction. Will they be able to leave this makeshift family behind?

Greetings fellow romance lovers. It is I, PN Hinton, your guide into the world of romance. If you’re new to the newsletter, welcome and enjoy your stay. If you’re a long-time reader, welcome back; it’s good to see you again.

We’re on the second to last day in April before May and the pre-summer shenanigans start. Present me is writing with the optimistic hope that future me (meaning the me on the day when this newsletter comes out) is feeling fine since I’m due for my second dose on Wednesday. I’m both excited and nervous. I’m excited because I will feel better about going out and about once it’s done, but I’m nervous about possible side effects.

Still, it’s better than getting COVID-19.

Last weekend I made it out to my local bookstore for Independent Bookstore Day with two of my book club buddies and had a blast. I’m proud that I didn’t break my bank too much and only got two books. Surprisingly enough, both were outside the romance genre. A lot of that has to do with knowing the size of my TBR pile already and not wanting to add too much to it. There is also the fact that I do try to be mindful of money; while I would love to go all out in a bookstore, I lack both the funds and space to go full on crazy. Another part is that, while romance is my go-to, I also really enjoy other genres, with the exception of nonfiction or true crime.

That said, the next book up for us is I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, and I am not dreading it. So yay for reading outside my comfort zone.

Around the Web in Romance

If you’re looking to dive into Tracy Wolff, Aurora’s got just the pathway for you.

Miss Oprah came out with a list of some of her most anticipated romances heading our way this year. I will say this is a nice mixture of genres and authors, so good on them for being diverse. Luckily for me, a good number of these were ones I’ve already read or are presently on my TBR, so I didn’t add too much more.

Pour yourself a glass of wine and play this game put together by the wonderful librarians of the White Oak Library District. I may or may not have played a handful of times to get a variety of happily ever afters…Also, I love that these select your own outcome stories seem to be making a comeback, and they’re making them for adults.

Read on to find out why Sariah Wilson enjoys writing ‘sweet’ (meaning sex off the pages) romances. Personally, I really don’t mind these types of romances at all; I just like to know what flavor I’m getting into.

Recommendations

I talked on Monday about the upcoming erotic short featuring the Headless Horseman, which got me to thinking about other supernatural romances. Not necessarily dark or monster ones, but ones where the world either is completely in or co-exists with the paranormal. Now, I know the go-to for paranormal romances (or PNR) are vampires and shifters. But there are a plethora of other supernatural hotties out there if you’re looking for a little bit of variety in your reading world. Here are some of my recommendations for those if you’re looking to branch out.

Genie Knows Best by Judi Fennell

This is a light-hearted fluffy romance in where Samantha finds herself the new owner of Kal, a genie. He is surprised and pleased to have a female master and starts their relationship intent on seducing his way into freedom. I know it seems like it may be darker with that premise and there is a ‘lying by omission’ factor. But I remember it being cute and enjoyable when I read it, so it may be a good mental break. Also, it’s nice to read about a male genie for once. This is a series, but I don’t remember there being a connection, apart from the genie factor.

Phantom Pleasures by Julie Leto

Hotel developer Alexa gets her hands on a prime piece of property perfect for her next luxury resort. The reason that it came so easily to her? It’s rumored to be haunted by ghosts and dark magic. She doesn’t believe this until she accidentally releases Damon, who has been trapped in his portrait. His joy at being released is short-lived when he finds he is still confined to the castle and by the dark magic that originally trapped him. Will they be able to break the curse or will they end up being the other’s undoing? This is another series, so if you enjoy reading about this sexy ghost, he has brothers that may also strike your fancy.

Tall, Dark, and Deadly by Kharma Kelley

Dhampir Chloe is a vampire who, due to her crimes when she was running with a group of vampires, is now working off her debt to the Bureau. Her boss is the sexy, no-nonsense Ethan who senses potential in her even as he tries to fight his attraction to her. When her old gang gets their hands on a mysterious box, they must work in close quarters to stop whatever Armageddon they may be trying to release. And, okay, so, yes there is a vampire in this novel but she’s not the only supernatural creature present. I’m listing this here for Ethan and what he is. I won’t spoil that ending though since that’s part of the surprise.

And that’s all for now. I hope y’all have a great weekend and start May off right. If you want to hear a little bit more from before Monday, give me a follow at @Pscribe801 at Twitter. Until next time.

Kissing Books

Sometimes Fading Away Is Okay

Post author By P.N. Hinton
Post date April 23, 2021

Romance Tidbits

Apparently #copypastecris is back and suing Twitter. The request is to take down the tweets and accounts that talked about her alleged plagiarism. Which is an interesting stance to take…I guess. I mean, if I was at the center of a plagiarism scandal, I would keep my head down and not call any more attention to myself. My advice would be to go the way of the force behind #cockygate and just fade away. I mean, I’m sure she’s still out there writing stuff; she’s just not as in the public face as she was a couple of years ago when she came out with her court case.

There is a MMF Headless Horseman erotic horror novella that is going be released soon. And there’s a string of words that I never thought would be put together before, although if Ichabod looks like Tom Mison then I would at the very least be intrigued. This does fall under the umbrella of monster romance, which is actually a genre of romance that I’ve haven’t dipped my toe into yet. Which isn’t to say I won’t ever. But I’ve always found the overlap of horror and/or romance and erotica to be very interesting, because there is a connection and it’s something I may research a little bit later.

We could chalk it up to how often the people in horror movies hook up during the murdering shenanigans but, I’ll be honest, I’ve never gotten that. The only time it made sense to me was in Cabin Fever because that was a situation where once you got the illness you were gone. There was no hope for you at all. So, yeah, I would totally go out on an orgasmic high. But with a serial killer chasing us? Naw, we’re gonna wait if we have a fighting chance. I promise I’ll rock your world if we make it out, but I’m not pausing for sexy times when a goalie with a machete is after us.

From Book Riot and Around the Web

Speaking about things that both excite and frighten, check out this list of erotic horror titles from the Book Riot Vault.

Enough with the bad sex awards because we know we have that in spades, especially outside the romance genre. Time to boost up those remarkably great sex scenes!

Here are some of the highly anticipated LGBTQ YA romances headed our way soon.

Here are some more awesome romances to pick up as recommended by Eloisa James.

New Release and Deals

Here are some of the new releases hitting the shelves this week.

An Earl, the Girl, and a Toddler by Vanessa Riley

A Wicked Bargain for the Duke by Meg Frampton

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang (mass market re-release)

Wild Dreams by Mari Carr

The Hate Project by Kris Ripper*

Up in Smoke by Annabeth Albert

It Takes a Thief by Sloane Steele

*I read this one and found it delightful because it was the first time I had read about two grumps in the same relationship. I also felt it was a good representation of someone with anxiety, and how their loved ones accommodate them in it.

As for deals, Destiny’s Embrace and Destiny’s Captive by Beverly Jenkins is $1.99; not sure if I mentioned this before but it always bears to repeat anything about Ms. Bev. I am also not sure why the bookends in the trilogy are the ones on sale but a deal is still a deal right? She’s the One by Sandra Kitt is also $1.99. A Change of Heart by Sonali Devis currently $2.99. And you can pick up Spice and Smoke by Suleikha Snyder for free.

And that’s it for now. As always, you can follow me on Twitter under @Pscribe801. Until we meet again.