Category: Kissing Books

I don’t know about y’all, but I’m starting this week off feeling more hopeful than I have felt in a long time. I’m sure it’s a combination of a lot of things, but I’ll be honest in admitting that the Inauguration is the majority of it. I didn’t catch it all due to my day job but the bits I did see, I loved. 

And I will also admit that I lost my s**t when Garth Brooks sang. What can I say? I love cowboys. AND HE SHOWED UP IN BOOTS!! I’m sure my book club got more than a few chuckles at my reaction in our group chat because I do love me some Garth. That’s in large part thanks to my older sister. Since she was the one driving me around a lot, since our widowed father was usually working, I was subject to her music and it greatly influenced what I chose and still choose to listen to now.

Speaking of childhoods, did any of y’all ever have reading fundraisers? I’ve heard that this was a thing back in the day. I know that there was a promotion where you could get your own personal pizza from Pizza Hut for reading x-amount of hours. But, believe it or not, I participated in that one. My household was strictly a Mr. Gatti’s one. I honestly don’t think I even had Pizza Hut until I was in my late teens.

Anyways, apparently this was an option for some kids and when I heard, besides being super jealous, I remember thinking that I really missed out. The only scholastically related fundraiser I remember doing was for math. It was for a good cause since the proceeds went to St. Jude’s, but math wasn’t my strong area. I would have crushed it in a reading fundraiser.

Le sigh.

I bring this up because read-a-thons are super popular in bookish social media. So much so, it seems like there is a new one every month. I have found that I only have the energy for the month-long ones. The weekend and week-long read-a-thons are nice in theory. But, I feel that is a young person’s speed. And I am not young. But you’re never too old to enjoy any kind of a-thon. So, I’m always on the lookout for the longer ones.

And, as luck would have it, there is a new romance themed read-a-thon happening next month. It’s hosted by a group of well-known Black content creators from both Instagram and YouTube. It is designed to lift up Black authors, specifically in the romance genre.

This will take place in February, in honor of Black History Month. If you want to check out the Bingo board (yes there’s a Bingo board) as well as other templates, you can find hem on mommywhatchureading’s Instagram page. It should be the first template you see on the left hand side of the screen. You will see all the information you need to get started. You don’t have to participate on the socials if you don’t want to and can play on your own. But if you do post about it, you’ll be in the running for some prizes.

And, just so there’s no confusion, I am in no way affiliated with this. I’m just participating. Which is a bonus for me since it means I have a chance at winning! My Bingo luck is always terrible though, so, we’ll see.

New Releases

Here are some of the new releases for this week. Get your wallets ready, because some of them look really good!

Follow Me Under by Helen Hardt 

The Cowgirl’s Surprise Match by Nina Crespo 

Won’t Go Home Without You by Cheris Hodges 

The Bachelor Cowboy by Jessica Claire 

The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon

The Architect by Nikki Sloane

The Would be Witch by Rita Boucher

If you love cowboys, then this is the week to either mask up and go check out some of the new releases or to fill your virtual shopping cart. 

And, if you also have a frugal nature like me, here are a few deals. Heads up, these were the prices as of the submission of this newsletter so they may have changed.

Deals

Matzah Ball Surprise by Laura Brown, which just sounds delightful by the title alone is on sale for $0.99

Virgin River by Robyn can be picks up for $1.99. If you’re a fan of the show and have never read the book, now is a good time to pick it up! 

Not Dead Yet by Jenn Burke, the first in a paranormal trilogy can be snagged for $1.99

Alyssa’s Cole Let Us Dream is currently $1.49. I read this last month and just adored it. I’m never dissatisfied with Alyssa.

Also there are quite a few books in the aforementioned lists if you’re going to join me next month on a read-a-thon adventure! Be sure to also check out the romance books you may have missed in 2020.

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And that’s it for now. Follow me over on Twitter where I post semi-regularly as @PScribe801. Until next time!

Hello once more KBers! I hope that this week finds you well. This newsletter is going out the day after Inauguration Day. I’m writing it beforehand, so I am not going to forecast anything since, out of all the powers I do possess, precognition is not one of them. I just hope that, no matter what, it is a step in the direction of the healing that our country needs. 

This may be a bit of late news, but there was a big hullabaloo last weekend over fanfiction over in the Twitter-verse and a lot of people had a lot of things to say. I debated whether or not to link to the original tweet that started this, but ultimately decided to not give that individual more press than they deserved with their close-minded opinion.

However, I will link a few of the awesome take-downs of that not-so-much-hot as hateful tweet. Courtney Milan chimed in as did YA author Andrew Shvarts.

The fact that it was even an issue just…(sighing, pinching bridge of nose) felt bad, friends. Not only was it dismissive of something that has brought countless people joy for as long as anyone can remember, it is also due to how condescending it was. Not to mention how presumptuous it is to speak on the behavior of all writers everywhere. Also, just because you’re part of one marginalized community doesn’t mean you get to speak on behalf of all of them. On that topic, I’m very much of the mindset to maintain your own lane. 

It really comes down to if it’s not for you, walk on by. And the reason I bring this up here is a good portion of fanfiction is in the romance genre. A lot of writers started writing it because they wanted to pair up the two (or more) characters that they felt went together. And there’s nothing wrong with that at all. This tweet from Eric Smith pretty much sums it up.

I bring this up here because of how much fanfiction and romance have in common. First, they both tend to have a lot of kissing and HEAs or HFNs. There is also the unfair reality that lit-snobs consider both genres beneath them and subpar. Nowadays, romance authors proudly proclaim that they write kissing books, but it wasn’t always that way. Romance writers, much like fan fiction writers, were shamed because they weren’t working on the “great American novel” (whatever the hell that is supposed to be).

Well, no more! If you’re looking to return to fanfic, whether it’s the writing, reading, or, hell, both, go forth. If you want to enter it for the first time, go searching. There’s tons of fandoms out there to choose from. I recommend taking baby steps because you could find something you’re not prepared for. Just do it.

Do. You. Boo.

We here at Book Riot love fanfiction, so much so that it’s even part of our Read Harder Challenge this year. If you would like some recs, check out this list. And, with that in mind, I’m going to highlight a few books that embrace the love of writing what makes you happy. Because it’s pointless to write, or read, something that doesn’t bring you joy.

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Remember friends, no matter what, reading is reading and writing is writing. Ignore the negative voices in your life for reading and writing what you love and embrace it. If you want more snippets of me during the in-betweens, you can follow me on Twitter at @Pscribe801. Until next time.

Greetings and Salutations, fellow citizens of Romancelandia! I hope you had a wonderful and restful weekend, mostly full of doing whatever the heck you wanted to do. And I say mostly because I know that for some of us, weekends aren’t days off like they are for others.

Hopefully, I spent a majority of mine reading, which is always a win in my book. And I say this since I’m writing this newsletter shortly before mine is set to begin. But, if present me is going to be honest with soon-to-be-future me, there will be domestic duties sprinkled in as well.

Things were still relatively quiet in the world of Romance which I’m not complaining about. Lest we forget, we were knee-deep in the unfolding and banana pants drama of the RWA trying to take down Courtney Milan this time last year. And, with the not-so-ambient-noise that is current events still playing in the background, a little bit of quiet is good. Personally, I’m taking Dory’s advice to just keep swimming.

That said, there were still be some interesting updates that you may have missed while you were living out the second full week of 2021.

As I’m sure everyone is aware of, Stacy Abrams, on top of being a bad-ass in general, is also a published author. She recently talked to Entertainment Weekly about her new thriller novel. The novel doesn’t come out until May, but you can read a bit about it in this article.

While you wait, be sure to check out some of her backlist that she wrote under the pen name Selena Montgomery. My book club and I plan on reading at least one of hers this year and, while we haven’t made an official choice, Hidden Sins is the front runner for the moment.

Speaking of bad-ass romance authors, check out Vanessa Riley’s article from the Washington Post on her feelings about the Bridgertons. There’s a lot of good food for thought here, but of course there always is with her. If you haven’t read her yet, A Bittersweet Moment is currently free. This is the prequel to The Bittersweet Bride, the first in her Advertisements for Love series. So, if you want to continue Ewan and Theodosia’s story, you can pick that up as well.

Sarah Ferguson, still fondly referred to as the Duchess of York despite her divorce from Prince Andrew, wrote a historical romance. While already a relatively well known children’s author, Her Heart for a Compass will be her first adult novel. This is her fictional take on the life of one of her ancestors and namesakes, the Lady Margaret Montagu Douglas Scott. Since there is not a lot known about her life, Fergie has already stated that a lot of liberties will be taken. This will be released from Mills & Boon this August.

And the cover reveal for Thien-Kim Lam’s debut Happy Endings was announced this week! I’m excited from this alone and can’t wait.

Over on Book Riot, Jess released this very thoughtful piece on the Black casting choices in Bridgerton, while Namera put this delightful list of diverse romantic comedies together.

Here are some of the new releases you can look forward to this coming week. I know that I’m probably adding quite a bit to your already insurmountable TBR. In the spirit of being honest, that’s likely not going to change anytime soon. If it is any consolation, I am also doing the same to myself there are a few of these I will pick up myself at some point in the future. On that note, be sure to enter our giveaways for a Kindle Paperwhite and a year subscription to Kindle Unlimited!

The Invitation by Vi Keeland

How to Get Lucky by Lauren Blakely

Not My Match by Isla Madden-Mills

How to Save a Life by P. Dangelico

The Stud Next Door by Kendall Ryan

Stealing Home by Carrie Aarons

And in case you’re like me and occasionally book on a budget, here are a few deals that may be easier on your bank account

Historical anthology Royal Bridesmaids is available for $0.99. I have a love/like relationship with romance anthologies since the stories are too short for me or too long. Either way though, this price for that gamble ain’t bad!

Forged of Steele Collection by Brenda Jackson is going for $2.99. You get two wonderful books for the price of less than one.

Everything Changes by Melanie Hansen is also $0.99. Jase and Carey are two former battle buddies who reunite for one fateful weekend that forever changes the landscape of their relationship.

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That’s all I have for y’all today. As always, you can follow me over on Twitter under @PScribe801. I haven’t been tweeting a whole lot, since I’m still trying to get my bearings for the new year. That should change soon though! Until next time.

Hey y’all, it’s PN again. I hope you’re all doing well today. I know that the tension of four years came to a head last week. Thanks to social media, I’ve read about how the cracks that were developing in some of my friends’ relationships with their families finally broke completely apart.

I’m not here to say that you have to forgive anyone for anything. Nor do you have to put up with the presence of anyone you do not want in your life. That’s not healthy at all, since there are legitimate reasons some people don’t talk to their parents. However, for me it is still a bit sad to see parents and children no longer on speaking terms because of an individual who doesn’t care one iota for them. I know a lot of that sentiment has to do with my own parents being gone. So, I don’t even have the option of having these types of disagreements with them (although, for what it’s worth, I don’t think I would be).

That’s why for this week’s recommendations, I’m going to focus on romance series centered around healthy families. I won’t say that a certain Netflix show (see below) didn’t also influence this. But a lot of it also has to do with wanting to give suggestions for those readers who, for whatever reason, may be separated from their own and want to read about some loving families out there.

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Jess and Trisha are back with the first When in Romance podcast of the year! It’s been about a month since that last one and I have missed hearing these two discuss romance. They naturally discuss the Bridgertons since, much like Lady Whistledown’s gossip, this Regency family is still on everyone’s lips. They also discuss their reading plans for 2021. Oh and Happy Podcast Anniversary y’all!!

If you’re looking for Bridgerton read-a-likes, check out this list of recommendations. Or, if you want to stay in that world, check out this helpful reading pathway guide. This includes all the books in the original series as well as the prequels. It also includes spin-offs, revolving around the Smythe-Smith family. They weren’t in the TV series, at least not yet, but their annual musicale is the focus of many scenes in the book series.

That’s all for now friends. Remember you  can follow me over on Twitter @Pscribe801. Until next time!

We’re into the second full week of 2020 and…well last week was a bit scary, huh? I am sure that most of the nation was in shock for the events that unfolded on the 6th. I didn’t let myself watch any of the live coverage but I have since seen pictures and news briefs and it just hurt my heart and soul. I hope everyone out there, especially our readers in D.C., stayed safe during that time. I also hope that the election results being ratified is the first step towards the healing of our nation, since it is something that is desperately needed.

By now, we’re all back to work and/or school and trying to get back to a sense of routine. I know I am. Hopefully, and especially given the events of the last week, you’re still taking some downtime for yourself and making time to rest, relax, and read. Maybe one of the following books will grab your attention and help you to do so in your downtime, whenever that may be.

I know it’s a light list, but it’s only the beginning of the year and we’re still coming off the roughness that was 2020. So, romance new releases are not as bountiful as one might hope. But I know that there are a lot of exciting releases that will be coming to us in 2021.

Simply Irresistible by Brenda Jackson is getting a re-release tomorrow and comes with a bonus story from Reese Ryan. You get two stories for the price of one. That’s not a bad bargain. Brenda’s Solid Soul & Night Heat will also be released in audiobook format.

Ava Miles is debuting her new Friends & Neighbors series with The House of Hope & Chocolate. Looking over the synopsis, this may be more Women’s Fiction as I didn’t see any mention of a romantic interest. But knowing Miles, it is bound to be in there somewhere.

As of the writing of this newsletter, the following e-books are on sale for a discounted price. If they’re not already in your library be sure to click and get them there!

Talia Hibbert’s The Princess Trap is on sale! Not only will you get what is undoubtedly another romantic steamy romp but you get it for the generously low price of $.99. But you also get the new cover. I know there is still much debate over illustrated covers. But, while I didn’t dislike the original one, this one is quite adorable.

The Doctor’s Orders by Heidi Cullinan is a doctor’s office romance. When Nick and Jared are stuck in an elevator together, they get a chance to rekindle the desire that burned between them years ago. Will it bloom into something more lasting?

Alyssa Cole’s A Prince on Paper is on sale for $1.99. Johan isone of my favorite romance heroes of all time, so if you haven’t read this yet now is a perfect time to snatch it up. I would recommend reading at least A Princess in Theory before this one since there are some of the plot points that mature here were seeded there. And I would recommend reading the entire series, including the novellas, simply because they’re all excellent. But, it is not necessary.

An Unconditional Freedom is also on sale for $2.99 if you want to also snatch this historical up. Heads up, because it takes place during the Civil War, it’s going to be a lot heavier than the Cole title mentioned above.

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And that’s all for now fellow romance readers. I hope that this helped to start your Monday off well and that you find one or more books to check out. You can follow me over the bird app under @PScribe801. Until next time!

Hello again! It’s me, PN Hinton coming to you once more with another edition of Kissing Books newsletter. We’re almost a week into 2021 and I hope that it has been finding you well.

Last time, I talked about starting off the new year with some second chance romances. But a lot of people look to the new year as an opportunity for a new them. This could mean a resolution to eat better, exercise more, or read more. The clean slate helps to start off with a fresh view on life. It is also an opportunity develop and keep new good habits in the year to come.

Reading outside your comfort zone may be one your goals this year. If so, check out Cassie’s article about some of this year’s reading challenges. Book Riot’s own Read Harder tops the list. There are a few romance specific prompts there. You can peruse Jessica’s list of some fat-positive romances and Aldalyn’s recommendations for a romance by a trans and/or non-binary author.

Speaking of my fellow Rioters, one thing we all have in common is that we are book enablers. By that I mean we let y’all know about all the exciting upcoming releases. We also give information on all the various ways you can get books on sale or for free. If it’s any consolation we also do it to each other all the time. Fair is fair after all. The way I’m going to enable y’all today is by letting you know two different ways you can get one free book a month.

Up first is the Dirty Boys Book Club newlsetter. If you head over to the site, you will see the upcoming authors. I know I’m already counting the days until October for Miss Talia Hibbert. There is also Girls Night In newsletter. I didn’t find an author roster here, so it will be a pleasant surprise each month.

Please note, that by signing up for the latter, you are also signing up for the feature author’s newsletter. You don’t have to stay subscribed. And I’m not sure if it works that way for the former. But I wanted to give a heads up on the impending email explosion that will initially occur.

Romancelandia News:

You may or may not have marathoned Bridgerton over the holiday break (I did). Naturally, there has been a lot of heated debate over ‘the scene’. This is a discussion we should be having because there’s a lot to unpack there. That said, no one can argue that the show was on everybody’s lips since it premiered on Christmas day. This led others to this EW article, with ideas about what could be adapted next. There was also speculation on Twitter, including this mysterious response tweet from Alyssa Cole. 

Like most of Romancelandia, I would be beyond excited for the possibility of a Reluctant Royals series. But, I will absolutely lose my ‘sugar honey ice tea’ if Ms. Bev’s Indigo gets the TV treatment. This was not just my first book by her. It was also my first historical romance that featured a Black couple. So, it will always have a special place in my heart.

Speaking of Mrs. Bev, if you haven’t already picked up the special 25th anniversary of Vivid, what are you waiting for?! It’s so pretty and this is probably my second favorite novel by her. I love smart heroes and heroines, no matter the time period. Brains are sexy y’all.

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And that’s all for now y’all. If you want to follow some of my bookish bullet points, give me a follow over on Twitter @PScribe801. Until next time!

Hello hello! I’m PN Hinton, your eager, new purveyor of all things romance.  I’m excited to be here. I know I have very big shoes to fill, but I’m ready to take on this challenge. And by challenge, I also mean 2021. I’m sure we are all eager to leave the dumpster fire of 2020 in the rear view mirror of our cars as we speed towards the horizon of the new year.

The start of a new year is also special to me because my anniversary is the day after. So I decided to kick my first newsletter off with some backlist recommendations. There are tons of books that focus on falling in love for the first time. And, while there are many second chance romances regardless of couple status, they don’t always get as much recognition. I’m hoping to rectify that here.

And without further ado, here are some second-chance romances for your consideration!

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That’s all for now! If you want to read some of my own backlist, check out my Book Riot page. You can also follow my bookish bullet points over on Twitter at @Pscribe801. Until next time.

This is it, folks! I hope everyone who celebrates is having the kind of Christmas Eve they wanted and those who don’t are having a good Thursday (and that whatever weirdness that’s been happening because of the planets is finally subsiding). Next time you get a Kissing Books email from Book Riot Romance, it’ll be in the hands of the awesome PN Hinton, and I am so looking forward to seeing what she does with the place.

Let’s do this.

Over on Book Riot

You probably already know about the romances that are included in this list, but it’s always nice to see awesome romance included on lists of great historical fiction.

What does your Goodreads say about you? 

I wrote about fat positivity and offered up some recommendations for that task on next year’s Read Harder Challenge.  

Do you need reading prompts for 2021? Here are some to start with.

Have you read Brigid Kemmerer?

Check out this list of playlists to listen to while reading! I might have to try a few of these.   

Deals

Bonus deal: If you haven’t read Rebekah Weatherspoon’s Wrapped you are definitely in for something wonderful. That holiday novella and the books in the Fit trilogy are all 99 cents through the rest of the year. 

New Books

It’s a quiet week, but we’ve still got some books to talk about, whether they’ve dropped out of nowhere or I missed them the first time around. 

And there are a few more new releases I look forward to checking out, too!

Holiday Wish by Leila E. Hart

The Office Party by Whitney G.

To Marry a Madden by Sherelle Green

All I Want for Christmas: An Anthology by Lucy Eden and friends

Christmas Nibbles: A Steamy Paranormal Romance Christmas Anthology

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While I won’t be writing Kissing Books anymore, you can still find me Twitter @jessisreading or Instagram @jess_is_reading, and you can still reach me at wheninromance@bookriot.com! It has been an amazing pleasure writing this little newsletter for romance readers over the past four years, and I look forward to reading it on Mondays and Thursdays alongside the rest of you 😀

May 2021 bring us what we all want: rest and sanity. And romance. Novels.

It’s the last Monday of KB for 2020 (there’s one more coming on Thursday before Book Riot goes on break until the new year). I started watching Chicago Typewriter, which is about a grumpy writer and a haunted typewriter (and so much more) and I’m going to have to find something to read about people’s past lives that wasn’t written by Jude Deveraux. 

Let’s talk about book stuff! Hopefully we won’t get some kind of world-changing explosion on Christmas Eve this year. *fingers crossed* *knocks on wood*

News and Useful Links

If you missed it last week, the full Bridgerton trailer is out! And the Bridgerton Twitter account is amaze, so even if you don’t plan to watch the show, enjoy that bit of joy. 

Preach, Alyssa.

There’s still time to vote for the readRchat best books of the year.

And time to nominate books for the Swoon Awards.

What academics can learn from romancelandia. 

And work from academics who are romancelandia!

Check out this interview with Denise Williams, author of How to Fail at Flirting. 

Speaking of interviews, here’s one with Talia Hibbert. 

Nicola Davidson showed us the cover of her next book, Wicked Passions. 

And here’s the cover of Jasmine Guillory’s upcoming book, While We Were Dating. (And a bonus interview with her, too!)

Roxane Gay is starting a book club, and looksee whose book is on it!

There’s still time to check out some wishlists. 

And romance adjacent: There’s a new trailer for season two of A Discovery of Witches!

Deals

Recs!

This is our last Monday together which means it’s my last time doing recs! Thanks so much to those of you who reached out with well wishes and to tell me your favorites. I’m so glad to have been able to introduce so many of you to some of my favorite authors and stories. 

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I’d love to keep hearing from you about your favorite romance books and news! Catch me on Twitter @jessisreading or Instagram @jess_is_reading, or send me an email at wheninromance@bookriot.com if you’ve got feedback, bookrecs, or just want to say hi!

It’s Thursday and I haven’t yet started a new K-Drama. I did potentially find another Ultimate LDR story to consume, but I’m not sure if I’m right yet. 

Let’s talk about some books!

Over On Book Riot

Margaret might thank Nora Roberts in the title, but let’s thank Nana as well!

Alison has some questions about that Bridgerton trailer. (Though if the chatter on Twitter is true, the answer to number five is VERY.) 

Laura takes us on a deep dive of a romance series about the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, and I gotta say, while I knew about this series before now, I have never been as interested as I currently am. 

And Trisha and I had our last convo of 2020, where we talked about Romancing the Runoff and The KFC Romance Movie.

Deals

New Books

I can’t tell if publishing is slowing down for the holiday or if I just didn’t add any new romances to my want to read list twelve years ahead of time like I usually do! Perhaps that’s to my benefit, though, because pulling together this week’s list of new books is like digging into a goldmine and discovering diamonds!

The majority of this week’s notable releases are self-published (with a couple exceptions from independent publishers). If you tend to wander more towards tradpub romance, maybe try something from this list!

The Unbroken Rose by Christina C. Jones (HELLO WHERE DID YOU COME FROM)

Nothing But the Wolf In Me by Nikki Clarke

Love and Other Moods by Crystal Z. Lee

The Naughty List by Ellie Mae McGregor (Hot Santa, okay?)

The Christmas Arrangement by AJ Morrow

Sizzle by Aja

Forever Your Duke by Erica Ridley

If You Dare by Sandy Lowe

Her Marine Next Door by Aliyah Burke

Door of Bruises by Sierra Simone (Apparently some of y’all have been waiting for this one with Bated Breath — and I guess now that the series is done I should read the first one, huh?)

The Marquis, the Minx, and the Mistletoe by Ava Devlin

Millennial Struggle by Dhara Shah

Truth, Lies, and Second Dates by MaryJanice Davidson

Cash in Hand by TA Moore

Mine to Keep by Rhenna Morgan

My True Love Gave to Me by Dahlia Rose

Love at the Library by Amanda Kai (Gotta love a library romance!) 

Make the Yuletide Gay by Ivy L. James

Wanton by Jaci Burton

Beastly Beauty by Romy Lockhart (I don’t often pick up books labeled reverse harem, but I am v dot curious)

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As usual, catch me on Twitter @jessisreading or Instagram @jess_is_reading, or send me an email at wheninromance@bookriot.com if you’ve got feedback, bookrecs, or just want to say hi! And don’t forget to let me know what books you’ve loved most from my Kissing Books tenure!