Category: Kissing Books

Happy Monday, lovers! The world is even more on fire than it was when last we spoke, and it’s time to dig into more romance novels.

News and Useful Links

A lot of authors have pulled their books from consideration for the RITA awards (see the #NoRITAs hashtag). If you want to give them some support, here are a couple of links:

• Romance Sparks Joy pulled together a list of authors from underrepresented groups who have pulled their books, with links. Any money made from affiliate links will be used to fund giveaways of books by underrepresented voices.
• All About Romance created a larger list of authors who have pulled their books in an Amazon storefront. I salute them, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that they’ve contributed to the wrong end of the white supremacy conversation.

Here are some updates on the RWA front:

• Kathryn Lynn Davis talked to The Guardian. We’ll never know how much of it is people associated with RWA pulling strings and how much of it is Davis covering her own ass, but there are definitely some things to ponder.
• Mikki Kendall wrote a really insightful piece on what this whole thing looks like for publishing as a whole.
• And of course NPR is one of the few outside news outlets that approaches this whole thing without needing to step on romance to do it.
• Damon Suede is still President, and the board members who were recently appointed are still there. That’s all you need to know about that.
• Yes, Chuck Tingle did write Not Pounded By Romance Wranglers Of America Because Their New Leadership Is From The Depths Of The Endless Cosmic Void.
• Things change every day and I’m honestly not sure what’s happening anymore.

Because we need something thrilling and exciting: if you’ve read the Reluctant Royals series, “Girls With Glasses” might be familiar to you. IT IS NOW REAL.

Girl Have You Read is doing a quick romance challenge specifically around Black romance, so check it out and decide if you want to join in.

Deals

Have you read any Kerrigan Byrne? How To Love a Duke in Ten Days is 2.99 right now! This historical romance features two people with darkness in their pasts and their presents. I haven’t read this one or any of her work, but it’s been on my list to pick up forever! Kerrigan Byrne is one of those authors who I have regularly seen on the periphery but haven’t managed to pick up her books. I’m going to continue my goal of reading more new authors this year, and hers might be one of the first I try!

Recs!

It’s a regular Monday in our schedule, and I took the time at the end of the year to pick up some missed releases from 2019. I haven’t finished them all yet (facepalm) but they’re worth checking out.

Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors
Sonali Dev

I love Sonali Dev’s writing, and I love Pride and Prejudice, so I was baffled when, way back in June on a long flight home, I couldn’t get into the story. I’d barely scratched the surface of Trisha Raje’s weird brain, and I turned off my Kindle and read something else. But when I picked it up the morning of January 1st (a hard copy this time), I devoured half the book in one sitting. And this is a book that nearly qualifies for the Doorstopper task on the Read Harder challenge, short a mere 35 pages. Sonali Dev continues to tell quite the story from the perspectives of Trisha, a brilliant neurosurgeon who has major trouble talking to people, and DJ, a brilliant chef whose sister is one of Trisha’s patients. Note: ALL THE CWs are necessary for this book. There’s discussion of multiple past rapes (one of which included use of Rohypnol); discussion of lost pregnancies and attempts to get pregnant; family discord and estrangement; brain tumors; bad reaction to potential blindness; an Assigned Criminal At Birth law enforcement interaction…there’s just a lot going on here. If you’ve read Sonali Dev, she likes to make all her characters suffer a lot before they get their happy ending, and this one is no exception. So just go in with certain expectations, and be ready for something that’s more “suggested by Pride and Prejudice” than something that follows the beats more closely.

White Whiskey Bargain
Jodie Slaughter

People have been talking about this book since long before it came out, and my intention had been to read it long before now. But things got in the way and it got pushed further and further down the list of things I had borrowed from KU. But I realized now was the time to read it, and boy am I glad I started. Hannah and Javier are the heirs to their family moonshine businesses in the hills of Kentucky. Hannah, actually, is no longer an heir; after the sudden death of her mother, she’s taken over as the HWIC in the family business. When a rich white family from out of town threatens both families and their livelihoods in increasingly bloody ways, the families decide to join forces. And what better way to prove that they are serious than for Hannah and Javier to marry? That’s right, folks. It’s a modern-day marriage of convenience story, and it’s hot and feelsy AF.

The Good, The Bad, and the Dad
Jaxon Knight

You might remember me talking about Rival Princes, the first romance I’d ever read that takes place in a theme park? This is part of that series. The father of Minako, a delightful little girl who stole the show in the first book, is the protagonist here. And he has not one but two—count em, two—suitors connected to Fairyland. One is a prince…the other is a pirate. A prince. And a pirate. And a dad.

I KNOW, right?!

I also just realized these are all books that would work for Read Harder tasks, so if you’re still looking for a retelling, a book with a rural setting, or a romance starring a single parent…you’re welcome!

So how are you starting out your first full week of 2020? More importantly, what are you reading?

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!

Happy New Year, Lovelies! I’m so looking forward to leaving 2019 behind. Though I have to admit: it was an amazing year in books! There were so many books I loved, books I wanted to throw at people, books I hope everyone else read and loved as much as I did (though every story is obviously YMMV). I hope everyone had a safe and meaningful holiday, and that you’re ready for a new year of Kissing Books.

(Heads up, it’s gonna be another extra long one!)

News and Useful Links

If you’re on social media and follow me or other romance people, you might have seen the massive implosion of Romance Writers of America that started on the same day as my last newsletter. It was revealed that Courtney Milan, at the recommendation of an ethics committee ruling, had been heavily sanctioned by the Board of Directors for putting another author’s career at risk. What had Courtney done? Called the author’s book a “fucking racist mess” and pointed out legitimate reasons why. (Please note, I have not read the book in question, nor had I heard of the author in question before Courtney’s twitter thread this past summer.) The author’s associates, who also brought ethics charges against her, have documented history of racist actions and saying racist things for the whole world to see, but Courtney was the one who was slapped with penalties. RWA is the largest trade organization for romance writers in the world, I think, and they lost the trust of a lot of people. This wasn’t the first thing that lit people’s Spidey-senses, but it was definitely the last straw. Among other things, a lot of authors pulled their submissions for the RITAs. I’ve got a longer reaction piece coming out on the site soon, but if you want to read a complete rundown of what happened, here are a couple of different formats for you to get the information:

• Sarah Wendell on Smart Bitches, Trashy Books with the initial story and several updates
• Claire Ryan (who already got an engraved blade from Nora Roberts for opening up the #copypastecris thing) compiles the facts
• Romance Sparks Joy twitter moment
• Cate Eland’s amazing step-by-step twitter thread

Speaking of Romance Sparks Joy. They pull together a tweet thread of things happening in Romancelandia every week, and this one’s covers a LOT.

In happier news…

Cole McCade has a new two-book deal with Carina Adores!

If you’ve read Holley Trent’s Writing Her In, you know a bit about series bibles, but did you know about this awesome person who makes them in real life?

Netflix’s Virgin River (which was apparently number three on the rising watch charts the week it released?!) has been greenlit for a second season (and I am CHOMPING AT THE BIT WHERE IS IT I NEED IT NOW). If you haven’t checked it out yet, definitely set aside some time. My intention the day after Christmas was to watch an episode while I had my lunch and then get back to my book. I am sad to tell you that there was no more reading done that day. None at all.

I also watched the adaptation of Sophie Kinsella’s Can You Keep a Secret on HBO and it was ADORABLE. (Also, while the two leads—one of whom is Tyler Superman Hoechlin—are white, almost nobody else in the movie is. I was delighted by this casting decision!)

Do you like bingo-style challenges? Here’s a great one to check out!

A less happy thing is that Bookstore Romance Day cut ties with RWA, who was a major sponsor of their efforts. They are now running a GoFundMe to recoup funding in order to put on as great a day as they did last year.

Looking forward, Jennifer Prokop wrote about 2020 romances she’s looking forward to.

And here’s one from Oprah Magazine (FYI, if you’re like me and are like “where is the rest” it’s a gallery :facepalm:).

I have no idea if I caught everything from the last ten days, but that’s probably plenty to take in.

Over on Book Riot

Are you doing the Read Harder Challenge this year? I’ve started out every year since the challenge was created with the intention of completing it, and something always gets in the way. But I’m going to try to complete it this year (maybe even with books I own or have been meaning to read forever!). The easiest task for all of us is probably the romance one, but if you’re looking for where to start with a romance starring a single parent, Trisha pulled a few together.

And Isabelle wrote this incredibly thoughtful piece about the types of happy endings she wants to see more broadly in the future.

Do you go to book festivals or conventions? You really should, if you can. (Not RWA though.)

Some published authors are pretty open about the fanfiction they used to write (or in some cases, still do).

And finally, don’t forget to make a copy of your 2020 Reading Log!

Deals

Syncopation by Anna Zabo is 1.99 right now! The first book in their Twisted Wishes series, this one features a second-chance (ish) romance between a frontman and the band’s new drummer. This is also the first romance I ever read featuring an aromantic character, and the way Anna frames their love story (yes, that is possible) is just so good. And the rest of the series just gets better, so you’ll want to check out Counterpoint and Reverb as well.

And if you haven’t yet read one of my favorite novellas of 2019, Can’t Escape Love by Alyssa Cole is 1.99. While it’s a connector novella in the Reluctant Royals series, it’s mostly one you can read on its own (though there are events related to those in A Duke By Default, so if you are planning to read that one, read it before picking up Can’t Escape Love).

Recs and New Books!

Love Lettering
Kate Clayborn

If it seems like you can’t escape this book, there’s a reason. While I’d been meaning to pick up a Kate Clayborn book forever, I’m glad I started with this one.

Meg is a letterer in New York. While that once meant creating custom designs for wedding packages and greeting cards, she’s found her niche making custom planners for New York’s elite (aka people who can afford to live in NYC and still have expendable cash). She’s finally gotten an offer for a massive project, but she’s been feeling creatively blocked. When a hidden message in a wedding program comes back to bite her, it’s the man who found it who helps her rekindle her creativity. Though Reid saw the sign that his getting married wasn’t a good idea, he’s yet to see the sign that New York is the place for him. And Meg is just the person to help him find it…through a different kind of sign searching across New York City. The time they spend together is immediately precious, and the pair helps each other in the most surprising of ways.

I am always the person who is fascinated by characters’ work and life outside of their romance, and this book delivered. I don’t always understand the language of the job, but I love Meg’s passion for her work and the things she sees around her. Each letter is another clue into both leads’ characters, and you all know I love a well-built human in my romance novels. This is not a fast-paced book; in fact, it’s a super slow burn. So if that’s not your thing, move on to the next. But if you love the ability to enmesh yourself in something for a few hours or a couple days (depending on how long you can shut out the world), this is definitely a book worth reading.

Grand Theft N.Y.E.
Katrina Jackson

Katrina Jackson, in all her masterful wisdom, decided to release two New Years related books on the same day. One was a sexy af novella, the other a much longer One Day-style drawn out romance. While I have every intention of picking up the latter very soon (like, when I finish writing this soon), I am very glad I chose the former to read to ring in the new year.

Cleo is a master thief. She doesn’t live the pickpocket and petty burglary life anymore, though. Now, she and her team pull elaborate cons to help rich people (men, mostly) lose their money while staring at her perfect posterior as she strolls away in one of her many wigs. But what she wasn’t expecting at a job was to be propositioned by another person entirely, only to have literally the best, most memorable night of her life. But when she leaves before Robert awakes, taking his watch and his classic Jag as mementos, the security professional knows he has to do anything to get her back.

When I say this novella was sexy af, I mean it down to my core. Kat pulls no punches in making the chemistry between the two ooze off the page, and their shenanigans are not limited to bedrooms or enclosed spaces.

And if you’re more interested in the Same Time, Next Year slow burn book, you’ll want to get Every New Year right now.

Other new releases:

Sweet Talkin’ Lover by Tracey Livesay
The Prince of Broadway by Joanna Bourne
My Darling Duke by Stacy Reid
Second-Chance Sweet Shop by Rochelle Alers
A Private Affair by AC Arthur
A Fluid State by Rob Browatzke

What’s your first book of 2020?

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!

 

Well folks, it’s the last Kissing Books of 2019. Can you believe it? We’ve had such a journey this year. Ups, downs, highs, lows. Hair-pulling controversies and absolute and utter delights. What’s been your favorite romance moment of 2019?

Since we won’t chat for a couple weeks (Book Riot is closed from December 25-January 1), you get all the KB components this good Monday morning. Think of it as a blast from the past from back when we were only doing this once a week.

News and Useful Links

We learned yesterday that OG romance novelist Johanna Lindsey died several weeks ago. She was 67.

Is anyone surprised that the bestselling book of the 2010s was Fifty Shades of Grey? Considering how many I see on shelves every time I go into a used book store, I’m surprised that people are surprised. As someone who DNF’d the first book and only saw the first move, I am very much aware of how much of an impact that book had on bookstores and booksellers, and how much the wave in the earlier part of the decade affected a large component of adults with money to spend.

Have you seen the trailer for Netflix’s adaptation of PS I Still Love You? Lara Jean is back!

Check out this Romance Humble Bundle! It’s hella white, but at least the money goes towards the ACLU.

If you missed what RWA had to say about The Hallmark Channel (which has a publishing arm and also partners with other romance publishers) removing advertisements featuring a lesbian kiss and then putting them back again, here’s there complete statement.

(And the reminder that RWA Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient Suzanne Brockmann acted as producer and writer for The Perfect Wedding, a pretty cute gay romcom.)

And if you’re still looking for holiday romances to read, check out this list from Autostraddle.

Over on Book Riot

I got to thinking about the whiteness of sports romance, especially after reading a few that didn’t live up to that stereotype.

And Sil matched a bunch of romance couples with their Hogwarts house pairings. (Because we can be disappointed in a creator and still use key cultural components of their intellectual property to have our own kind of fun.)

Do you like comics? I want to read about all of these people.

Deals

Have you read the book half of Twitter still can’t shut up about? White Whiskey Bargain by Jodie Slaughter has all the things: moonshine, marriage of convenience, an Appalachia that isn’t just white. And did I mention family rivalry? It’s 2.99 right now (and you can also read it on Kindle Unlimited if someone happens to give you the gift that keeps on giving).

Upcoming Releases!

Since it’s the last KB of the year, I figured I should make sure the last few books of 2019 are on your radar! The books that are released after Christmas always get the short end of the stick, and often fall through the cracks. But I’ve heard a lot from early readers about some of these books, and I am looking forward to getting the time to read them.

Sweet Talkin’ Lover
Tracey Livesay

The first book in a new series about a group of friends, this one gives us a new take on a favorite trope: the workaholic and the civil servant. In this case, a marketing manager who needs to shut down a low-producing factory and Mayor McHottie, who will do whatever it takes to get her on his side.

The Prince of Broadway
Joanna Shupe

The second book in Shupe’s new series set in early Gilded Age New York City, this one is definitely set to be full of fireworks. He’s the owner of New York’s most exclusive casino, and she wants to open one of her own—just for women. He wants to ruin her family, and she knows but doesn’t care; with the knowledge she can gain from him, she has all she needs.

Love Lettering
Kate Clayborn

Do you like calligraphy? Stationery? Planners? You’ll love Meg, who creates custom journals and all kinds of things for New York’s wealthy folks. She hints at the collapse of Reid’s approaching wedding with a hidden word in their wedding program, and when they meet again, Reid wants to know how. Too bad she’s too busy searching for her lost creativity.

There’s also a couple more that I know less about but am also looking forward to picking up:

Second-Chance Sweet Shop by Rochelle Alers

Forever My Duke by Olivia Drake

The Secret She Keeps by HelenKay Dimon

Every New Year by Katrina Jackson

So, That Got Weird by Amelia Klingston

And since tonight is the second night of Hannukah, it’s not a bad time to check out Xan West’s Eight Kinky Nights…

What books are you finishing out the year with?

Enjoy your holidays as best you can, and I hope you manage to spend some time taking in the HEAs.

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!

Happy Star Wars day, KB! This one isn’t going to be quite as long as Monday’s, I promise. But there are a lot of books to talk about.

Over on Book Riot

It’s hard to say what makes an author “like Nora Roberts” but some kind of way Alison really nailed it down. Check out these authors and books that are reminiscent of the prolific princess of…promance. (I tried.)

Enter to win a subscription to the Fresh Fiction box! They aren’t focused on romance, but they do have romance titles pretty regularly. Or, (and?) enter to win a year of free books from TBR! You could get a yearlong hardcover subscription to the excellent program that includes annotated book selections by a few Riot-related bibliologists.

Would you agree with Abby’s ranking of Austen heroines by badassery?

And check out Trisha and me discussing the finer details of “Wanted” versus “Desired” and other fun stuff.

Deals

It’s not too late to start compiling your books for Read Harder 2020. So, if you’re looking for a book for the “last book in the series” task, look no further than A Prince On Paper, which is 1.99 right now. While it gathers people from the previous books at a wedding between [surprise?] the couple in the first book, you don’t really need to have read the previous books in the series…though if you haven’t, you definitely should. (Start with A Princess in Theory.)

New Books

This has been the week of surprise books all over the place, including Adriana Herrera dropping Mangos and Mistletoe a week earlier than originally planned. Some are holiday reads, some are just a total surprise. And then of course there are the ones that I knew were coming out, but wasn’t prepared for. I don’t know when I’ll get around to any of them

This Christmas Rivalry
Beverly Jenkins

This holiday novella was originally published in the Merry Sexy Christmas anthology in 2012, and was just released as a standalone novella. Drew intends to buy the semipro team he GMs, but the owner’s granddaughter inherits it instead. They butt heads and exchange a searing attraction as the team moves forwards towards the championship on New Years Day.

No Room At the Inn
Brooke Winters

“Two women. One bed, And a night that changes everything.” That definitely hooked me. Emma and Sylvia are stranded at the hotel where they work, and as the holiday draws near, so do the temptations of kinky friends-to-lovers fun.

Grounded for Christmas
Savannah J. Frierson

When a snowstorm strands Mary and her brother’s best friend #pilotbae…I mean, Joseph (yes, those are their names) during their holiday travels, the pair try to amend a years-old schism that might just give them a second chance at love. This is a novelette, so be prepared to devour it in a single sitting.

Bittersweet
Christina C. Jones

Christina C. Jones is one of the most prolific authors I can think of. This novella set in her Equilibrium universe brings us into the lives of a familiar face to readers. Anika and her manager trainee Royal don’t get along, but things might change if Royal has anything to do with it. Yes, it’s enemies-to-lovers.

Frostbite
J. Emery

A spoiled vampire and a former monster hunter get snowed in for Christmas? Is this really my life? Vampire Ezra gets kidnapped by a rival vampire clan, and when he escapes, he finds his way to a cabin that is already occupied by Morgan, who has just left his monster-hunting family. As the snow keeps them trapped, they each discover more about the other. And what it means to be to be enemies.

Working Title
Holley Trent

This woman just went and dropped a whole FFM novella, part of her Plot Twist series (which was initially published by Carina, so I wonder if she only had a two-book contract with them?). Lisa and her boyfriend Joey can’t seem to properly break up, which becomes a problem when Jake’s work rival Finch decides Lisa deserves better. And well, if you know Holley Trent, you know where it goes from there.

That’s not even all the ones I’ve come across, but my wallet and I are tired, so I imagine you and yours are as well.

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!

Well, it’s Monday and I guess we have some things to talk about.

News and Useful Links

Let’s get last week’s kerfuffle out of the way. On Thursday, December 5 (so literally WHILE I was writing last Monday’s newsletter) Kini tweeted about a list on Frolic that included the book Balance by Lucia Franco (she doesn’t mention the book title, but it came out later). Some version of the book included a female protagonist under the age of 18 and a male protagonist who was twice her age. When the book was brought to their attention, Frolic removed the book from the list (though they didn’t leave any kind of note about its removal). Their editorial staff decided not to engage on Twitter (and from what I can tell, publicly at all).

While the appearance of the book on Frolic’s list might have started the conversation, the shitstorm that followed had nothing to do with them. As more members of Romancelandia—authors, readers, etc—began to dialogue about what books should and should not be categorized as romance, Franco fans responded in the most obtuse and sometimes threatening ways. The argument was never that people shouldn’t write and publish books with illegal, toxic relationships. The argument was that they should not be published as romance. But some people didn’t quite understand, and there were several cries of CENSORSHIP and “if you don’t like it, don’t read it.” And ignorance is fine, but then there were the pile-ons, with a particularly dedicated focus on Scarlett Parrish, including doxxing and several attack tweets. In the end, Amazon pulled the book and its sequels for violating their Terms of Service, but it’s apparently available via Eden Books (which makes me question that platform’s choices). The conversation has been addressed by Jenny Trout, among many others. It’s died down a little, but we haven’t heard the end of it quite yet.

Okay. What else has been happening in the world?

RWA introduced their new mentorship program, RAMP, which has tracks for both traditional and independent publishing.

This article from The Washington Post takes an interesting look at how technology has made an impact on romance and the relationships therein.

This Goodreads list is fantastic! Have a look, add some books to your TBR, and vote for others that fit.

Looking to keep up with 2020 releases? There are a couple of ways to follow along at home:

• The Book Queen’s list
• JenReadsRomance’s spreadsheet

Do you love the Just One Bed trope?

What about carriage sex?

The Feel Better Bundle is still available to buy for a couple more days.

And Virgin River is now live on Netflix!

And we all need this right now, I think.

Deals

Ever read a book about stunt workers? Mia Sosa’s Crashing Into Her is 99 cents right now! The third book in her Love on Cue trilogy, it totally works as a standalone, or you can try out the others for less than five dollars each. In Crashing into Her, Eva has one last shot at making it on her own, and makes a slightly rash decision to do a stunt training course. One of the trainers? A beautiful man that Eva already knows, after an amazing night long ago and far away. Uh oh?

Recs!

If you’re not into holiday romances, the rest of this newsletter is not for you. I’ve got a few recs for my favorite recent reads and a couple that are still hanging out on my kindle waiting for me.

The Working Elf Blues
Piper Vaughn

Garnet has been watching over Wes from the North Pole for years, checking in on him every few years. But now, he wants to stay. He might be an elf, but his love is real, and he hopes he can get Wes to want him back. What he didn’t think about was crashing his sleigh outside Wes’s house. As Wes gets him back to health, the two get to know each other, but what’s gonna happen when someone up north notices Garnet is missing?

A Second Chance Road Trip for Christmas
Jackie Lau

The last thing Greg wanted to do was drive his ex girlfriend Tasha back to their hometown before Christmas and give over the rights to the radio to someone who likes Christmas music instead of NPR. The last thing Tasha wanted to do was get stuck with her ex in any situation. When a two-hour trip becomes an overnighter, neither is particularly happy to share a cold room with Only One Bed. But with their situation comes some reflection and necessary conversation.

Snowflakes and Song Lyrics 
Hank Edwards

This is my first book by this author, and I’m glad I picked it up after randomly coming across it on Twitter. Will is in Upstate New York for work, and he is delighted, surprised, and horrified to discover that he’s staying at the same hotel as one of his favorite singers. When he overhears Rex having trouble with a song he’s writing, he can’t let go of what he’s heard. And some brief moment of recklessness sees him leaving some lyric suggestions in an anonymous note on Rex’s patio. The rest, they say, is history.

Mangos and Mistletoe
Adriana Herrera

A Christmas baking competition you say? In Scotland, you say? Featuring two very much opposites attract lovely Dominican women, you say? This is a really fun, really frustrating book. Kiskeya and Sully have chemistry from the start, and to Kiskeya, that’s a problem. Her desire to focus only on the win is thwarted when the two are paired up for the weeklong competition, but she can’t help but acknowledge how well they work together. Maybe they ought to try other things together, too.

Eight Kinky Nights
Xan West

This is definitely the most serious of the ones I’ve read. Leah and Jordan have been friends for decades, but are living near each other for the first time since college. While Leah has been a practicing kinkster for the entirety of her adulthood, Jordan has been denying her own interests in exploring the kinky world. Finally unafraid of sharing that interest with Leah, Jordan accepts her friend’s offer of nightly kink lessons during Hanukkah, which eventually evolve into something more.

I’ve also got Twelve Dates of Christmas by Rilzy Adams, Mr. Frosty Pants by Leta Blake, and A Villain for Christmas by Alice Winters, which was highly recommended by one of my favorite authors, Gail Carriger, on deck. I might also grab Faux Ho Ho by Nathan Burgoine, which sounds delightful. I have never read this much holiday romance, which probably says something about my state of mind this year. But whatever. Gotta read what you gotta read. If only I had more to pick up that was about different winter holidays.

What are your go-to holiday reads?

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!

It’s Thursday, and I am never writing anything early “in the hopes nothing major happens over the weekend” ever again. Legit NEVER. I have never jinxed something so badly in my life. The last week has been nothing short of ridiculous, and I plan on writing plenty about it…on Monday. Because I need some time for Romancelandia to cool the hell down. Thursday’s Kissing Books will have to be business as usual because I am unable to can, now that I’ve made it out of the haze of painkillers.

Over on Book Riot

What were your favorite book covers of 2019? My choice happened to align with the book I chose as the best book of 2019 as well, but the cover decision was actually first.

This is an interesting way to think about reading challenges. I haven’t done the Goodreads challenge in a few years (you might have read why) but I don’t know if I could go the distance D.R. has…

But the Reading Log has helped. Have you seen the one for 2020? It’s a thing of beauty.

Do you weed your digital shelves?

Deals

It’s getting close enough to the winter holidays that some folks might actually be full up on holiday romances. But if you’re looking to branch out from the usual, check out Holiday Brides, a trio of romances by Jewel Amethyst, Farrah Rochon, and Stefanie Worth. And for the lovely price of 1.49, I’d say these three stories are definitely worth checking out.

New Books

I saw someone mention on Twitter that publishing slows down in December, and that we tended to see a drop in book releases as we got closer to the holidays…but we all know that’s essentially true everywhere except romance. There are some good ones out this week, and we’ve got a few more weeks of awesome 2019 releases.

A Delicate Deception
Cat Sebastian

As of writing this, I’m about a third of the way through this book, and I can guarantee I will finish it a few hours after I hit save on this newsletter. Cat Sebastian, as you all know, is already one of my favorites, and this particular story is one that I am already in love with. Both characters are queer, grumpy, and have some kind of anxiety disorder. Amelia, who we met in Unmasked by the Marquess, has decided to become a temporary recluse, with only the company of her former governess in the country cottage she’s let. Sydney hates the way he’s inherited the land he now owns, and is hesitant to reveal to the young woman he meets on his daily walks that he is her landlord. So far, their meetings have all been happenstance, but I have the feeling I’m really going to love where the story is going. And since they both have personal stuff to deal with, I imagine there will be a lot of growth to read through. (If you haven’t been able to tell, character growth is one of my favorite parts of a romance.)

Here are some other books that are just sitting here, staring at me:

A Taste of Her Own Medicine by Tasha L. Harrison (I hear there’s sex in a Subaru)
Tinsel by Kris Bryant
In Rhythm by JN Welsh
Meet Me on Love Lane by Nina Bocci
Best Women’s Erotica of the Year, Volume 5
Meg & Jo by Virginia Kantra
The A.I. Who Loved Me by Alyssa Cole (it’s Audible first, but a little birdie told me that there might be a print version somewhere down the line)

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!

Happy Monday, folks! I’m writing this on Thursday night in the hopes nothing major happens over the weekend, but I have no idea what post-surgery painkillers do to the brain on the third day, so better safe than sorry, right? Anyway, we’ve got a lot to talk about since we haven’t done it in a while.

News and Useful Links

I don’t know why it hasn’t been making the rounds, but it was announced that Stacey Abrams would be producing on a television project based on one of the books she wrote as Selena Montgomery. It seems to be beyond the optioning level, but isn’t actually in production yet. So I guess we’ll see what happens in…2025 or so.

The Donna half of the author duo Kit Rocha has a sudden need for emergency surgery, and a bunch of authors have come together to help her out in the form of a 10 dollar book bundle that is out of this world. It’s also out of this world that people have to go through harrowing medical emergencies and have to do something like this to be able to afford it, but that’s another story that we all know.

It’s time for #readRchat Romance Awards! Nominate your favorites now.

Early last week, Christine Feehan (at the advice of her lawyer?) filed trademarks on a bunch of her series titles. While this didn’t quite gain the traction of #cockygate, there was some headscratching and eyebrow raising. For one thing, trademarking your series is just…not a good look. For another, if you’re unfamiliar with her, the series title of her oldest, longest running series is just Dark. Dark. She wanted to trademark Dark for book series. The trademark application for that and several other one-word series titles have since been withdrawn, and Feehan has posted an apology on her Facebook page. It appears her intention was “to secure my ability to use the series titles in future projects for my own readers’ clarity, not to go after other authors or limit their expression.” So I guess that’s the end of that. Hopefully.

I don’t know what UpTV is or how to access it, but I’m gonna find out by December 15 because OMIGOD HAVE YOU SEEN THIS TRAILER.

Andie J. Christopher’s giving us three more books! And Casey McQuiston’s next one has a title and description!

I have never read an interactive romance novel before, but that might have to change with this brilliant-looking masterpiece. It’s a queer, fantasy, pirate ghost choose your own adventure romance novel. Like, I’m not good at games, but I might be able to pull this off, right?

There’s still time to order your Bawdy Quickie box! It’s holiday themed 😉

I’m glad EW is getting into the cover reveal + excerpt game. These two books look so great.

Naima Simone’s writing a small-town series!

If you haven’t seen it yet, you definitely want to have a look at this cover and excerpt of Xan West’s Eight Kinky Nights.

And check out this thread featuring a bunch of Glamour articles about romance, including the most recent one about romance’s past and present, and why it’s still overlooked by so much of the general book community.

Deals

Not only is this a deal and a steal, it’s a brand new book! Suleikha Snyder is one of the best at publishing romance short story collections, and she just decided to drop Prem Numbers when we weren’t looking. Some of the material exists outside of the collection, but there’s also some new material, including a story set in the same world as Tikka Chance on Me, which I’m totally excited for. And you can get the whole thing for 2.99.

Recs!

I did so much catching up on news and stuff it feels like this is already super long. But we can’t go into the week without some books! I have a lot of time for reading ahead of me, so here are some I’m looking forward to picking up soon.

The Changeup 
Nicole Falls

I actually started reading this a few days ago, and I’m excited to continue the story. So far, we’ve seen Geffri interact with her father in a seriously delightful way, and I think she’s met her future love interest in passing. The baseball aspect of it has only sort of shown its face, but Geffri is proving herself to be a proper athlete in the meantime. I look forward to seeing how the rest of it plays out!

Get a Life, Chloe Brown
Talia Hibbert

I know, you’re saying. That book has been out for a whole month! But we’re reading it for the January When In Romance book club and I want it to be fresh. But I also keep reading all these amazing reviews and looking at it staring at me from the stack and I don’t know how long I’ll be able to hold on. The relationships in this book, not just romantic but between others, are some I’m looking forward to seeing, especially to make the connections between this one and the subsequent books.

This is How You Lose the Time War
Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

I know this is mainstream fiction, but people have been talking about it in romance context, and I’m super curious. Also, it’s apparently either partly or completely epistolary and that is entirely my jam. And I have noticed that I’ve read a ton of contemporary romance this year, with even a smaller amount of historical romance than previous years coming across my desk. So I’m looking forward to the chance to read something completely different. Sci-fi has always been important to me, and I’ve been neglecting it.

A Delicate Deception
Cat Sebastian

An m/f historical romance in which both characters are bisexual? Two grumpy protagonists falling in love? Cat Sebastian putting together all the words? Sign me up, amirite?

What are you reading this week?

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!

Happy Thursday, folks! I feel like it’s been ages since we’ve had a regular Kissing Books. Let’s get back at it!

Over on Book Riot

The Read Harder Challenge is up! I’m so excited to once again fail, but I might even manage to make it about halfway through next year lolsob.

As I mentioned last week, Beverly Jenkins is making history!

Do you use book apps? What do you think of these three romance-specific ones?

It’s a new Wilde cover!

There’s nothing quite like estranged lovers, is there?

Who wants holiday romances?

These non-illustrated covers for upcoming 2020 books are all basically fire. Which ones are you looking forward to picking up first?

Also, I am terrible at remembering to mention When In Romance. It’s getting to be a problem. I give you Recommendations Part Deux: Cozy with a Side of Crime.

Deals

Want to start a series? Home to Wickham Falls by Rochelle Alers, the first in the Wickham Falls Weddings series, is 1.99 right now. Rochelle Alers is a prolific author who I have only had the chance to dabble in, so I’m looking forward to checking out one of her Harlequin category series! This one seems to have several kinds of lovely people clutching in beautiful locations, and I would like to explore Wickham Falls, maybe change the connotations of that name in my brain 😉

New Books!

Oh man, have I got a hell of a list for new books! I managed a couple of pages over the short break, but didn’t do nearly as much catch-up as I’d intended.

Blitzed
Alexa Martin

This third installment in Alexa Martin’s Playbook series was a quick, easy read, and totally delivered—though in my opinion it was the third-best of the three.

Brynn, who we’ve seen at HERS since the start of the series, is a workaholic. She lives for her bar and the people who work there. So when football player Maxwell Lewis, in an un-Maxwell-like move, accidentally causes damage to the space while she’s prepping to host a high-profile event, she decides they no longer need to quietly flirt with each other when he regularly visits the bar. When he finally gets back in her good graces, they agree to be friends—which everyone but Brynn can see through as their friendship progresses between meals and sitcom episodes. The more general conflict is done well, but the Big Conflict is (while expected) a bit too melodramatic for the rest of the tone, and because it arrives so late in the book, is resolved too easily on both their parts. Even with this, it’s a hilarious book featuring lots of amazing characters that I wish we had more of. (Maybe we will, if that Starz project ever gets off the ground.)

I’m (still) in the middle of Neighborly, but here are some other books I look forward to picking up:

The Changeup by Nicole Falls (Big Pitch Feels on this cover)
Everything’s Better With Lisa by Lucy Eden
The Beast of Beswick by Amalie Howard
Would Like to Meet by Rachel Winters
The Dating Charade by Melissa Ferguson
Twelve Dates of Christmas by Rilzy Adams
The Working Elf Blues by Piper Vaughn

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!

It’s DECEMBER. What on earth? Also, hey, it’s Cyber Monday! We’re going to do something a little different this second day of December: a romance gift guide! Some of us have way too many books, and will cry in the bad way if you try to foist more upon us before we’re ready. Instead, use your gift funds wisely with some of these amazing pieces from a bunch of independent retailers!

(Some of these are Etsy dealers who make these for a bunch of genres, some are romance-specific folks, and some…just are.)

Start the year out with this gorgeous calendar. I might have just bought one.

And of course, we always need new mugs for our preferred warm beverage of choice…

If you can’t get enough of Alex and Henry, you can say “History, Huh?” to your coffee every morning. (And uh…if anyone wants to get me one…You know where to find me.)

“Of Course I wasn’t staying up late reading romance novels”

“I’m just going to drink this and read a romance novel”

“Read Romance, Fight Patriarchy” (also comes in an array of other things like tshirts and tote bags)

 

And speaking of warm beverages of choice, The Ripped Bodice has this brilliant Trope Tea with flavors like “This Kiss Was Only Supposed to Be Instructive” and “My Childhood Friend Is Hot Now” 😀

Need to carry your books around? How about a #Romancelandia tote?

Do you know someone who loves surprises? Send them a holiday book box from Love’s Sweet Arrow!

Do you know someone who likes enamel pins? You can get a bunch of different ones from Jane Mount of The Ideal Bookshelf (like this cute Pride and Prejudice one or this gorgeous one for Their Eyes Were Watching God)

And if you want to do something super duper special for a special someone, you can get someone a custom painting (or give them a gift card to get their own) of their favorite book spines to hang anywhere they want. Here’s mine:

(Yes, An Extraordinary Union  is in it. No, I’m not sorry.) (And honestly, if it had been a year later, there might have been more romance in it lolsob)

If that’s a bit pricey, Here’s a great piece of art featuring the best Lisa Kleypas quote.

And of course, as we all know…we need diverse romance.

And Black Romance Matters.

What are you getting the romance lovers in your life? Hit me up on social (@jessisreading or jess_is_reading) or send an email to wheninromance@bookriot.com to let me know!

It’s the last KB of November, y’all! I just got home from seeing Anastasia, and now I’m craving some prewar 20th century historical romance. I’ll let you know what I find. 

News and Useful Links

Beverly Jenkins announced last week that her book Forbidden has been optioned by Sony Pictures Television. How much are we jumping up and down, but also hoping she has enough say in production that they get it right? 

Also holy moly was Ms. Bev having a week because THIS COVER. 

Sarah Wendell from Smart Bitches, Trashy Books, put together a list of her favorite 2019 romances for The Washington Post and she was just as distracted by the gorgeous embroidery artwork (by Sarah K. Benning) that graces it as we were. The list is pretty good, too. 

If queer holiday stories are your thing, check out this list of all the queer holiday novellas being published by Ninestar Press this winter. One of them revisits Mark and Gabe from Bumper to Bumper, which I talked about a few months ago. 

I’m not sure we can all handle the vast influx of cover reveals for books we have to wait months for, but it was an exciting week for covers, including the one for the first book in Kit Rocha’s Mercenary Librarians series and the last book in Adriana Herrera’s Dreamer series. And Meryl Wilsner’s debut, out in spring. Oh, and Jessie Mihalik’s next one, too. And that’s not even all of them that dropped this week. 

Did you know you could still get a “History, Huh?” t-shirt?

Jen wrote this great article for Kirkus about the increased visibility of diverse historical romance. We’ve still got a long ways to go, though.   

And in romance-adjacent news, I’m happy to tell you that you can now stream the most recent Great Performances episode, the all-Black Shakespeare in the Park production of Much Ado About Nothing led by the incomparable Danielle Brooks, on PBS.org or the PBS app. You’re welcome. 

Deals

If you have been living for Kennedy Ryan titles but have already burned through her most recent duology, go back to 2014 with When You Are Mine, which is 1.99 right now. It’s got the same intensity and feels as her newer books, and a whole three more books in the series. 

Recs!

I love a good Pygmalion story. Blame it on Rex Harrison and my grandmother never saying no to small Jess and the two-tape VHS of My Fair Lady. (Side note: I read George Bernard Shaw’s version in grad school and am not sure which ending I like better. But that’s in part because I hate Freddy more than Higgins. Which one do I want to most unleash upon poor Eliza? Who can say. And Henry’s monologue at the end of Pygmalion is perfect. But ugh, Freddy. See?) 

Um. Anyway. Pygmalion. 

There’s nothing like a twist on the traditional glow-up tale, and the one I read last week is my new favorite kind of makeover: the Rakeover!

My Fake Rake
Eva Leigh

Grace and Sebastian met four years ago at their prestigious lending library and became immediate friends. Even though she’s utterly enmeshed in herpetology and he’s strictly about anthropology, they’ve found that they benefit greatly from their shared geekery. Unbeknownst to each of them, their friendship is supplemented by strong attraction. Of course, neither will tell the other because reasons. When Grace is set upon by her father to find a spouse, Grace can only think of one person, who is unfortunately not Seb. It’s another scientist she has a major crush on….except he sees her as nothing more than a colleague. The only way to score him as a husband before his upcoming expedition to Greenland is to make him see. By having someone else woo her, of course. 

That someone else? Our dear, bespectacled, darling dork Sebastian. Who also has massive social anxiety, if that’s a thing you need to know. But he’ll do anything for Grace, even learn how to be a society rake. Good thing his BFF The Duke is there to help him out. 

This book is sweet, and funny, and sexy; that combination is enough to draw this reader who isn’t usually about that Friends-to-Lovers life. You will be yelling at these adorable idiots for the duration of your stay in Leigh land, but it’ll be so worth it at the end. 

Do you have a favorite Pygmalion-style romance?

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!