Category: Kissing Books

It’s Monday, but I just watched my first episode of Game of Thrones last night and I am so happy to think about romance again. How have y’all done this for all these years?

Anyway, let’s get to love stories that don’t involve secret family connections and threats of sexual assault.

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Sponsored by: Shadow Mountain Publishing

As the second daughter of a royal chief, Maile is engaged to the best navigator in Hawai’i. But when sailors from a strange place called England arrive on her island, a misunderstanding ends in battle, and Maile is suddenly widowed before she is wed. Maile takes John Harbottle prisoner—even knowing the now-wounded man killed her fiancé—and she reluctantly heals him. In the process, she discovers the man she thought was her enemy might be her ally instead. Inspired by a true story, A Song for the Stars will enchant fans of Romeo and Juliet and Disney’s Pocahontas.

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News and Useful Links

This amazing interview with LaQuette is worth checking out. And I am waaaaaiting to read Under His Protection.

Have you heard about Jasmine Guillory’s fall release? After The Wedding Party comes out this summer, we get Royal Holiday in October, which features the mother of The Wedding Party’s heroine! I’m excited, y’all.

Catherine Bybee resigned as a member of the RWA board.

Romance Sparks Joy, the book club that came out of the RITA thing, starts their read-along of Bad Blood, the first of the three RITA finalists who are authors of color, today!

Sarah Kuhn shared the cover of her new book, Unsung Heroine, and it’s amazing. (I really need to read these. Seriously.)

I haven’t even read effing Red, White, and Royal Blue yet, and it’s already been optioned for film!

Do you have all these books on your TBR yet?

Deals

Speaking of Bad Blood, if you want to join the read-along and book club, it’s available for 2.99 right now! It’s another one of those “my best friend’s little sister is off limits books” but you know what, fuck the patriarchy, let them bone.

Have you read any Charlie Cochet? She has a bunch of books for 1.99, including Hell & High Water, the first book in her THIRDS series (which has a lot of books out, so hey, series starter!). There is a “Human Police Force” so if you’re looking for a queer shifter suspense series, it sounds like this is the kind of place to start.

Recs!

I came to the realization a while back that I don’t read much romantic suspense. I like the quieter types of books where the antagonist is less a person and more a personal problem. I’m all about people getting over their problems, instead of getting out of a life-or-death situation. But that doesn’t mean I’m not interested. So I made an effort to pick one up. Good thing I’ve got a nice library of unread books to just pull from (lolsob).

Hidden Impact
Piper J. Drake

Gabriel Diaz is a private military contractor on some quiet security work. While on the job, he’s approached by Maylin Cheng, the owner of the catering company at the party where Gabe is working. She needs his help finding her sister, who’s gone missing—but his group, the Centurion Corporation, doesn’t do that kind of work, and especially not for someone with as low a budget as a caterer. When a car nearly takes out Maylin on the street, though, Gabe is certain it’s not an accident, and he and his team take on what they can to keep her safe, and try to find her sister in the meantime. Things spiral and unspiral, and all of a sudden it’s not just about a missing scientist anymore.

This book has everything you want in a good romantic suspense novel: there’s a logical-enough reason for the two protagonists to end up together, and there’s a logical enough reason for them to stick together. The mystery is compelling enough that you want to find out what’s going on just as much as you want them to get together. You fall in love with all of the other team members and are basically ready to read all of their books, because you know there will be sequels. And you can sigh in satisfaction about both the romance and the suspenseful storyline.

Reading this book, I’ve realized I’ve got a few more books featuring protectors on my shelves, and I’m definitely going to move them up:

Sexy/Dangerous by Beverly Jenkins
Imperial Stout by Layla Reyne
Hot Target by Suzanne Brockmann (I’ve been told I can kind of just…jump to this one)
Tender Loving Passion by Donna Hill
Mr. and Mr. Smith by HelenKay Dimon
Every Last Breath by Juno Rushdan (coming out April 30! So excited)

What are your favorite romantic suspense novels?

As usual, catch me on Twitter @jessisreading or Instagram @jess_is_reading, or send me an email at jessica@riotnewmedia.com if you’ve got feedback, book recs, or just want to say hi!

Have we got some delightful stuff to talk about! And I’m not even being facetious!

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Sponsored by Unscripted by Claire Handscombe

Nobody is a bigger fan of actor Thomas Cassidy than Libby is. Nobody. That’s why she’s totally going to marry him. She’s going to write a novel, name the main character after Thom, and find a way to get it to him. Intrigued and flattered, he will read it, and ask to turn it into a movie. Their eyes will meet over the script… and fade to black. But with four interwoven lives in play, can anything be that simple? Thoughtful, quirky, and moving, Unscripted is a story of friendship and second chances, and asks the question: how far can you take your dream?

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Over on Book Riot

I had to take a break last week, so the fabulous Andie J. Christopher subbed in for me for the most recent episode of When in Romance.

Do you know what the top 25 romances are on Goodreads? Well, at least according to Annika.

I did have time, however, to pull together a list of romance novellas I’ve loved. If you’ve subscribed to Kissing Books long enough, you’ve seen quite a few of these. But it’s still nice to have them all in one place, right?

Deals

Looking for a laugh? Check out KM Jackson’s Unconventional Brides trilogy, which are all 99 cents right now. The first one, Insert Groom Here, left me laughing out loud as I read the story of the woman whose fiancé dumped her on television and the man sent to film and produce the story of her finding a replacement for said fiancé…because they were supposed to get married on the same morning show. Whoops.

And if you want more laughter…but of a very different kind…KJ Charles’ Any Old Diamonds is 1.29. Her signature acerbic wit matched with jewel thieves, intrigue, and secrets will stress you out and bliss you out altogether.

If you haven’t read Tikka Chance on Me by Suleikha Snyder, take the time and that 99 cents and do it. It’s a one-sitting read, and you will have all kinds of feelings. Also, pun titles are my favorite.

New Books

It’s taking me a while to get through longer books recently, but I’ve actually managed to finish a couple! These are super easy reads—less in content but more in the way they’re written. I read the second half of the first one in a single sitting.

Meet Cute by Helena Hunting

I came into Meet Cute expecting endless laughter, because Shacking Up was hilarious. But the moments of fun are more loosely interspersed in this story that centers getting through grief after one of the protagonists loses both their parents in a car accident. The pair met in law school, when she tripped over him while playing frisbee. Dax had been a huge tv star as a kid, and Kailyn was his biggest fangirl. Five years later, he’s in her office in need of help with his younger sister’s trust. He’s also got to deal with being a single parent, while experiencing his own grief. So there is some surprise anxiety feels.

It’s also very white and very straight, but that’s another chat for another day.

Otherwise, it’s a hell of a book and you can devour it in maybe two sittings. Or one, if you’re feeling particularly ambitious.

A Duke in Disguise by Cat Sebastian

This is Cat Sebastian’s first m/f romance, featuring a bisexual protagonist and what equates to her BFF. They basically grew up together and always come back to each other, but each refuses to do anything to damage their friendship. So even though they’re attracted to each other, they each create their own ways to enforce boundaries—upon themselves, not each other. When Verity’s bookshop falls into (more) danger because of her brother’s seditious tracts, Ash is there to help. His own work drawing flowers for an aristocrat leads to some discoveries of his own, and things just roll from there. It’s a similarly fast read, and you can read it even if you haven’t read Unmasked by the Marquess, which is first in the series but second chronologically. (But honestly if you haven’t read that yet, you totally need to. More grumpy bisexuals, a gender nonconforming protagonist, wooing with books. Do it.)

Cat is a master in queer historicals, and I am very much looking forward to where she goes next.

I do need to leave a note on Hook Shot because I wasn’t done when I discussed it. It does require a trigger warning for childhood sexual abuse. It is briefly mentioned early on, but there is a flashback scene later in the book. I was able to continue reading after that, but I actually stopped when Lotus asks Kenan not to act on a desire to do something violent and he does it anyway. Kidnapping and unnecessary violence are pretty hard limits for me, and even if the violent person believes they are justified, I am just…not about that. But the writing was still spectacular and feelings enacted and if you are okay reading books with graphic scenes of child rape, you might still find it worth trying.

What are you excited to read soon?

As usual, catch me on Twitter @jessisreading or Instagram @jess_is_reading, or send me an email at jessica@riotnewmedia.com if you’ve got feedback, book recs, or just want to say hi!

It’s Monday, we’re here, and there is some amazing artwork down below. But first, we gotta talk about some stuff.

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The audiobook edition of The Girl He Used to Know by Tracey Garvis Graves

Jonathan and Annika first meet at chess club in college, where Jonathan loses his first game of chess, and his heart, Annika. Brilliant but shy, Annika prefers to be alone. But Jonathan accepts that about her, admiring Annika, quirks and all. Their relationship that follows is tumultuous, but strong, until an unforeseen tragedy forces them apart. A decade later, fate brings them back together… She’s a librarian and he’s a divorced Wall Street whiz seeking a fresh start. Their feelings are instantly rekindled, but until they confront the fears and anxieties that drove them apart, their second chance will end before it truly begins.

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Let’s Talk About That Article

I might have to incorporate a new regular feature called “let’s talk about that thing” because…well, things keep happening. In this particular case, there was an article that went up from The Guardian on Thursday called “Fifty shades of white: the long fight against racism in romance novels.” It’s a Long Read, literally, and might be better to digest in bits. The journalist, Lois Beckett, put in a lot of work, time, and thought, and came out with a very thought-provoking piece—though many elements are no surprise to many authors of color, seeing it all laid out this way, with some of the elements that even many of us might have been aware of, is new. Beckett also approaches the genre with respect and some actual knowledge, which is unfortunately still something new and different for some news outlets.

The article hits on many important details covering the situation so far, and ends on a more hopeful note than I’d have expected. Give it a read and tell me what you think. A lot of authors, including Rebekah Weatherspoon and Courtney Milan, have pretty good threads on Twitter discussing it. And Beverly Jenkins shared a shocking exchange of her own.

Other News and Useful Links

While we were all talking about the Guardian article, Bustle posted one about #MeToo that I missed the first time around.

Stephen Colbert lost a friend in Romancelandia when he hosted Stacey Abrams (Kween!) on his show to promote her new book, Lead From the Outside, and proceeded to read from one of the romances she wrote under the name Selena Montgomery, even after she asked him not to.

Check out this adorable cover, though.

Olivia Waite talked about cruelty in this month’s other Kissing Books.

I would bet a lot of romance readers are also fanfiction readers, or at least know what it is. Did you know that Archive Of Our Own (AO3) was nominated for a Hugo Award (the premiere award in Science Fiction and Fantasy)? Like. THE WHOLE SITE. This is amazing.

Also, it was KissCon this weekend, and I think the most important thing to note is ALYSSA’S DRESS. (Okay, also other things. Check out the hashtag for the highlights.)

Also a reminder that there’s a new Book Riot podcast, Kidlit These Days!

Deals

Looking for your new favorite super sexy rockstar romance? Anna Zabo’s Syncopation is 99 cents! It features some elements of BDSM and an aromantic hero who still understands love, even if he doesn’t experience it. And the music is just…living in this book. Anna really knows their stuff, and can do words. Like, they can so do words. The second in the series, Counterpoint, is only 3.99. The third in the series, Reverb, is available for preorder, too!

And if you’d rather read a series that’s completely out, Stroke Of Midnight by Andie J. Christopher is out as well. And it’s 99 cents! The other books in the series are all under five dollars each, or you can buy the whole set for just under ten.

Cover Reveal! Plus an Exclusive Excerpt!

When I first saw the cover for Bringing Down the Duke, I might have squeaked. It’s a new kind of cover for historical romance, and I’m excited to share it with you! The book, by debut author Evie Dunmore, features the first female students at Oxford, and Evie spent a lot of time doing extensive research on the topic. And this cover. Oh, this cover. But first, here’s an excerpt!

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Elsewhere at the table, polite and meaningless conversation took an unusual turn.

“Of course they are trying to get women the vote,” Lord Marsden said. “They know only idiots vote for them. Mark me, should women get the vote, the Liberals will never leave power.”

His wife’s thin hand crept across the table toward his sleeve on a mission to placate. Marsden ignored it. “Idiots,” he repeated.

“Careful, Tuppy,” said Lady Lingham from her end of the table, “there are quite a few perfectly witty women present tonight.”

Tuppy, Lord Marsden, waved a plump hand. “You know how I mean it, Countess.”

The women at the table exchanged discreet glances, uncertain how Lord Marsden had meant it.

“Miss Archer here studies at Oxford,” Lady Lingham said. “Now, what do you make of that?”

Annabelle’s head turned to her sharply.

The countess was smiling. Not unfriendly, a little intrigued. For an aristo, everything could be a game.

Marsden squinted at Annabelle. “Is that so.”

The faint thud of her pulse started up in her ears. “Yes, my lord.”

From the corner of her eye, she saw Montgomery put down his cutlery.

“And what is the use of such a tremendous overeducation?” Marsden probed.

All other conversations had petered out and the collective attention shifted onto her, hot and exposing like a spotlight. Heat crept up her neck.

“I believe a higher education will improve me for whatever I decide to do, my lord.”

An ambivalent murmur swept the length of the table. People who had to improve their lot evidently hadn’t been blessed with a good station in life.

“And do you aspire to get the vote?” pressed the earl.

The minty drink had congealed to a lump in her throat. Lucie would never forgive her if she alienated several men of influence at once. She’d have a hard time forgiving herself if she made a fool of herself in front of one particular man.

“Yes, I think women should be given the vote.”

Marsden triumphantly glared around the table.

“Why not give everyone who actually grasps politics the vote and exclude the rest, man or woman,” Lady Lingham suggested amicably.

Marsden scoffed. “But by her very nature, a female is unable to grasp politics, or any issue if the kind.”

“By her very nature?” Lady Lingham sounded notably less amicable.

“Oh, yes.” The earl turned back to Annabelle. “Have you read the article recently published by the Marchioness of Hampshire? On the matter of the female brain?”

“I’m afraid not.”

“Lady Hampshire is formidable,” Lady Marsden said.

Everyone nodded.

“Now, miss, listen closely,” Marsden said. “Lady Hampshire advises against women taking up higher education, the vote, political roles. Science has shown that the female brain is not only smaller than a man’s, it is also wound up differently.” His hands made a rolling, winding motion. “So even if you, Miss Archer, read all the same books and heard all the same speeches as a man, your brain would never produce the same sound analysis. You enter the same input into your brain, but something gets lost in its twists and turns, so you get a different output, a diminished output.”

He looked at her expectantly.

“That sounds disconcerting,” she allowed.

“Well indeed,” he said impatiently, “so why not follow Lady Hampshire’s advice? Keep yourself content in your femininity instead of confused?”

She could hardly dismiss the judgment of the formidable Lady Hampshire in front of this audience, and Marsden knew. His eyes held glints of smugness and victory.

It must have been that, and the hearty dash of bourbon, that made her say: “Because, my lord, if the marchioness believes that the female brain is incapable of forming a sound analysis on political issues, why should anyone trust her analysis on women in politics?”

Silence filled the dining room.

Then a coughing noise erupted from Peregrin, and he quickly raised his napkin to his mouth, his eyes watering with suppressed glee.

“Why, Miss Archer,” Lord Easton said slowly, “you should take up law. You would give my old solicitor Beadle a good run for his money.”

“Hear, hear,” Richmond said, “she’s much easier on the eye than Beadle, too.”

More than a few people chuckled, and Marsden turned red in the face. “The spread of rampant liberalism is no laughing matter,” he barked.

“Rampant liberalism was not your problem here, Marsden.”

The duke had said so little all evening, the sudden sound of his voice had the effect of a thunderbolt.

All heads swiveled toward his end of the table.

Montgomery was stone faced.

Marsden looked a little uncertain. “Then what would you call it, Duke?”

Montgomery picked up his glass. “It is called logic,” he said, and raised the glass toward Annabelle in a small but unmistaken salute.

Text copyright © 2019 by Evie Dunmore. Used by permission of Berkley.

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And now….

Bringing Down the Duke!

Evie Dunmore wrote Bringing Down The Duke inspired by the magical scenery of Oxford and her passion for romance, women pioneers, and all things Victorian. In her civilian life, she is a consultant with a M.Sc. in Diplomacy from Oxford. She lives in Berlin and pours her fascination with 19th century Britain into her writing. Learn more at eviedunmore.com and connect with her Twitter @evie_dunmore.

Bringing Down the Duke is available for preorder now, so check it out!

As usual, catch me on Twitter @jessisreading or Instagram @jess_is_reading, or send me an email at jessica@riotnewmedia.com if you’ve got feedback, book recs, or just want to say hi!

Happy Thursday! The weekend is almost here (for some of us, at least), and every new April day gets us closer and closer to an 80-foot Chris Evans In A Henley.

(Oh, I guess that’s just my countdown? Sorry. Let’s Books.)

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Sponsored by Misadventures with My Ex, from Waterhouse Press.

Weston Quaid left Eryn Hope standing at the altar three years ago, but when circumstances reunite them, their attraction to each other burns hotter than ever. A daring arrangement brings them closer, but does their relationship end when the arrangement does, or are they finally built to last?

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Over on Book Riot

Get a free Brenda Novak book!

Jamie’s looking for our favorite books featuring librarians. I’d bet we’ve got a few to share!

Who’s never looking for new Jane Austen retellings?! These six books reshape the work of the Grand Dame of Romantic Stories into something modern and universal, and are set in North America and elsewhere.

Want to read KJ Charles but not sure where to start? Check out this Reading Pathway! (And then read everything else she’s written because it’s all amazing.) (I can’t really say that because I haven’t read it all, not even every book of hers that I own.)

I am the worst podcast host on the planet. You know why? Because—once again—I forgot to link you to our most recent episode of When In Romance, which went up last Monday. Stay tuned for the next one, which will have a special treat!

And speaking of podcasts, there’s a new one! This one is especially for those of you who might need to listen to something in the car with your kids: Kidlit These Days. Check it out!

Deals

Have you already read and loved the Bridgerton series? If your answer is yes, maybe it’s time to start a new Julia Quinn series. And Because of Miss Bridgerton is 1.99 right now. It’s a prequel series, which takes place in the Georgian era—a nice change from all the Regencies, I guess.

Trying to figure out where to start with Brenda Jackson? Instead of jumping into the Westmorelands (there are like 95 now), how about the Forged of Steele books? The first book, Solid Soul is 1.99, and the rest of the series is discounted as well.

New Books!

Shortly after writing last Thursday’s Kissing Books, I finished Mrs. Martin’s Incomparable Adventure. So, I started a book. Then I started another one. And put that aside and tried another. None of them were bad—actually they were all pretty great. But I couldn’t make up my mind what I wanted to finish first! One was pretty backlist; it came out a few years ago. One just came out last week. One comes out next week, and another comes out the week following. I couldn’t decide how far in advance I wanted to read, so I just came back to the one from last week. (I’ll talk about the backlist one on Monday, though!)

Hook Shot
Kennedy Ryan

There’s been some discussion on Kennedy Ryan’s HOOPS series on twitter lately, mostly about the first book, Long Shot. That one, the first in the series, is one of the few books by authors of color on the RITA finalist list, so it’s resurfaced now, even though the third book in the series recently emerged. I have not read Long Shot or Block Shot, but had a chance to read Hook Shot and it sounded worth checking out. I recall Trisha mentioning that it’s a hard book, and the link that I shared indicates ALL THE TRIGGER WARNINGS.

Hook Shot also has content warnings, but I’m not far enough in to tell you if anything is discussed on the page. I can tell you that there is discussion of family-related sexual violence, as well as former partners pushing set boundaries, and if that’s not your thing, skip this book.

If you are not affected by that kind of content, and are interested in experiencing the dynamics between a woman who has gone “off dick” in order to figure out her own issues with intimacy, sex, and other things, and the recently-divorced baller who believes strongly in controlling the situation for the benefit of all, this is a book you might want to check out. Kennedy Ryan’s writing is lush. Her characters are complete, and you want to break as they’re breaking just to be put back together the same way. Talia Hibbert gave it five stars, and really that was all I needed to pick it up.

Have you read any of the HOOPS books? What do you think?

Other recent releases I’m looking forward to picking up:

The Takeover Effect by Nisha Sharma

Arctic Sun by Annabeth Albert

Speak No Evil by JR Gray

I Want You Back by Lorelei James

Engaging The Enemy by Reese Ryan

Yes, Chef by T. Neilson

Breaking His Rules by Aliza Mann

As usual, catch me on Twitter @jessisreading or Instagram @jess_is_reading, or send me an email at jessica@riotnewmedia.com if you’ve got feedback, book recs, or just want to say hi!

Hey, it’s a new month! No jokes here, but I do have some funny books for you.

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Sponsored by In Her Sights by Katie Ruggle

Bounty hunter Molly Pax fought hard for everything she has, turning the bail recovery business she shares with her sisters into an unqualified success. So when their sticky-fingered mother jumps bail and puts the childhood home up as collateral, Molly’s horrified. To make matters worse, every two-bit criminal in the Rockies now sees her family’s misfortune as their next big break. She needs help, stat. Enter rival bounty hunter John Carmondy: six feet of pure trouble, with a cocky grin to match. John’s the most cheerfully, annoyingly gorgeous frenemy Molly’s ever had the pleasure of defeating…and he may be her only hope of making it out of this mess alive.

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News and Useful Links

A lot has happened since we last spoke as far as the RITAs are concerned, so I’ll do another bullet point rundown:

• Cherry Adair stepped down as this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. Here’s her statement.
• Catherine Bybee, initially a finalist, stepped in it and ended up pulling her book
• Avery Flynn stepped down from the RWA Board of Directors a few days ago, and Seressia Glass was appointed to fill her seat
• Savannah J. Frierson wrote an article on Medium about the question of “relatability” and the conversation that’s been happening
• Bronwen Fleetwood got the rest of the data for her RITAs study (the first part of which I shared last week)

This isn’t strictly romance-related, but this stock photography collection was recently released and I hope they will be available for romance covers!

Apparently, before CopyPasteCris, this wild thing started. I. Am. Wowed.

It’s sort of RITA related, but separate, too: Courtney Milan &co created Romance Sparks Joy, a book club that will start out reading the books of the three authors of color who have RITA finalists. After that, we’ll see!

Deals

If you listen to When In Romance, you know Trisha Brown swears by Phyllis Bourne. Her writing is funny and her romances are great. If you’re looking for a good place to start with her, you can check out Between A Rock and a Hot Mess, which is 3.99.

And of course, I’ll remind you that if you haven’t yet read (or at least purchased) Can’t Escape Love, it’s only 1.99…as is its Reluctant Royals novella cousin Once Ghosted, Twice Shy. Both are amazing and can be read standalone, but are better read as part of the whole collected story.

Recs!

It’s April Fool’s Day, and I figured (while I basically hate everything about pranks and other things related to the holiday) that it would be a good time to share my favorite romances of ridiculousness. These are all cackle-worthy titles that made me giggle and swoon, all at the same time.

Soulless
Gail Carriger

While the Parasol Protectorate series doesn’t technically fall under romance, I know a lot of romance readers who love Alexia and Maccon and the way their relationship unfolds. Gail Carriger writes witty Victorians like nobody else, and the situations Alexia finds herself in are laugh-worthy in themselves.

The Kiss Quotient
Helen Hoang

Have you been avoiding this book because of the hype? Let me tell you: it’s all true. It’s sexy, and it’s also wildly hilarious. Some of it is situational humor that won’t be funny to everyone—I’m a cringer, for example, and can’t watch shows like The Office, but I didn’t feel the need to cover my eyes when I read the interactions between Stella and…well, basically everyone. I had to laugh, though.

A Girl Like Her
Talia Hibbert

It’s been awhile since I’ve touted this book, but it definitely fits in this group. Ruth is a take-no-shit kind of heroine, and the way she tells it like it is to Evan is delightful. Talia Hibbert’s writing style lends itself to making serious situations funny without taking from the seriousness of the book.

An Unnatural Vice
KJ Charles

Because what could be funnier than a journalist on the hunt for the true story of a probably-fake medium?

Shacking Up
Helena Hunting

If you haven’t read Helena Hunting, this is also one of those that falls into the category of situational humor. But I will tell you: there is a menagerie of weird pets involved. You’re welcome.

And of course, Mrs. Martin’s Incomparable Adventure, which I was exclaiming about last time, is hilarious. 

What’s your favorite funny book?

As usual, catch me on Twitter @jessisreading or Instagram @jess_is_reading, or send me an email at jessica@riotnewmedia.com if you’ve got feedback, book recs, or just want to say hi!

Peeps, the saga continues, but there’s some semblance of light shining at the end of the tunnel. Unfortunately, that light is also shining its beams onto some people.

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Sponsored by Waterhouse Press

When Maddox and Wilder invite Jasmine into their friendship, sparks fly and she tries to convince them she can be so much more. To both of them. Can they figure out how to navigate a polyamorous relationship without destroying their friendship…and their hearts?

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The Ongoing Saga

I figured it was worth adding a special section to this Thursday version of Kissing Books, which if you’re a regular you know is usually dedicated to posts on Book Riot Proper. Instead of hoarding all the news for Monday, here’s what’s been happening with RWA and the RITAs since we last spoke:

• Kharma Kelly wrote this excellent piece on what RWA can do about addressing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion from an expert’s standpoint.
• Ana Coqui recommended what readers can do to address this on their end, from the point of view of a librarian member of RWA.
• Susanna Kearsley and Ann Aguirre have both asked for their books to be removed from the finalist list.
• Cherry Adair—this year’s Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award recipient—tweeted about giving the finalists their day (three days later?) and ended up blocking the authors of color and allies who tried to help her understand. She also referred to the respondents as a lynch mob, which she then proceeded to show the definition of with the phrase “no mention of color.” Because no one on the planet hears “lynch mob” and thinks, nah, that’s not culturally and contextually related to the actual lynchings of black people that have gone and continue to go on in the United States. Nope.
• (I saw this in real time, but it’s possible her tweets may have been deleted. Some nice folks have preserved the moment in screenshots, which you can find if you search twitter.)
• Amish romance author Jennifer Beckstrand (a finalist in the Romance With Religious or Spiritual Themes category) apparently implied that maybe the reason for lack of racial diversity was a lack of quality in said racially diverse books.
• Finally, HelenKay Dimon made an announcement on behalf of the Board regarding RWA’s next steps to figure something out with the RITAs.
• Meanwhile, Jen has started her journey of Reading the RITAs

These are the news points, but I can’t even keep up with the conversations happening around the institutional racism and homophobia that resides inside the house. Find your favorite author and search their Twitter or Facebook for mentions of PAN, and then just read from there. There will be a lot of exasperated scoffing about white fragility and niceness, because that’s where we are now. Because really, maybe the authors of color we regularly exclaim about really don’t write books that are the same quality as those nominated. No matter they have to be Absolutely Effing Brilliant to get their foot in the door in the first place.

Whoosh. Sorry. It’s a lot. More on Monday.

On to more fun things!

Over on Book Riot

Do you have an overwhelming number of books in your Kindle Cloud? Here’s something to help.

If you’re like me, you might have read Nora Roberts at one point, and then discovered other authors and wandered away. Also like me, you might randomly stand in a bookstore or library, confronted with a full bookcase (or even a whole range) of Nora Roberts titles and think: where the hell do I start?

This Riot Recommendation question was made for romance readers: What’s your favorite historical fiction series?

Yellow is the color of spring…and apparently also the romance novel color of 2019. Check these out!

Deals

Have you read any Jamie Pope? Look no further than Mostly Sunny, which is 1.99 right now. It features a young social worker looking into her past and the pro-football-player-turned-lawyer who is begrudgingly helping her along the way.

KJ Charles has been tweeting about Brexit in severe anguish, so let’s all buy The Magpie Lord, which is 99 cents right now. It won’t help her anguish, but at least we’re thinking about her, huh?

New Books!

It wouldn’t be Thursday without new books, so I’ll tell you about one I’m excitedly devouring and a couple I’ve been drooling over (and watching people review in delight)

Mrs. Martin’s Incomparable Adventure
Courtney Milan

If you were around while I was reading After The Wedding, you know Bertrice Martin is definitely A Favorite. So when I found out Courtney Milan was writing a book just for her, I couldn’t hit preorder fast enough. And now, it’s out! This is a short novella set in the Worth universe, but you certainly don’t need to have read the others to get what’s happening here. (I mean, if you haven’t read the other Worth Saga books, you know what I’m going to say, but I don’t have to say it.)

When Bertrice Martin and Violetta Beauchamps first meet, one is preparing to swindle the other. Instead, they go on a remarkable, delightful, hilarious, adventure in which Bertrice intends to get revenge on her Terrible Nephew a “young thing of forty-nine” who has absolutely no responsibility and no consequences. The women, aged 73 and 69 respectively, are both wonderful women who could do without the existence of men, full stop, and find themselves quite attracted to one another. And really, that’s all you need to know. Go read it.

Others I’m excited to read soon:

Desire Lines by Elizabeth Kingston

One Warm Winter by Jamie Pope

Rebound by LA Witt (which I think I mentioned last week)

The Infamous Duchess by Sophie Barnes

A Lesson in Thorns by Sierra Simone

Forget Me Not by Brenda Jackson (HER 100th HARLEQUIN Y’ALL. ONE. HUNDRED.)

As usual, catch me on Twitter @jessisreading or Instagram @jess_is_reading, or send me an email at jessica@riotnewmedia.com if you’ve got feedback, book recs, or just want to say hi!

Well folks, it’s been…a week.

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Sponsored by Every Last Breath by Juno Rushdan

In this high-octane romantic thriller, the pressure doesn’t let up. Maddox Kinkade manages the impossible for a clandestine agency. Tasked with neutralizing a lethal bioweapon, she must recruit the last person she expected to see again: her presumed-dead lover. Cole Matthews can’t forget or forgive her role in a tragedy that ruined his life. Enlisting Cole’s help may be harder than resisting their still burning attraction, but Maddox will do whatever it takes. Soon they’re set on a deadly collision course with a world-class killer who has a game-changing secret. “[Rushdan] handily juggles emotional intensity and heart-pounding James Bond-ian adventure.” -Kirkus

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News and Useful Links

With the closure of Romantic Times last year, the RITAs are the biggest game in town for romance awards. The nice thing about the RT awards was that they were nomination-based, by people who did not have to enter in order to judge. So any book could be nominated. The RITAs, instead, are self-nominations—meaning an author has to enter their book (meaning they have to be a paid member of RWA and then pay to enter each book). If an author isn’t a member of RWA, it’s pretty cost-prohibitive to enter…not that being a member isn’t already expensive.

So yeah, there’s that. But after last year’s conversation about racism in the RITAs, many authors of color made the decision to double down. Some decided to rejoin RWA—a community they’d had problems with in the past—just to enter their books.

And then, the authors peer-review books outside of their writing category. Which you’d think wouldn’t be a problem.

But apparently, there is a racism problem. And a homophobia problem. It’s prolific, and here’s the data.

So when the RITA finalists were announced on Thursday morning, and there was a decided lack of expected names in the list, a new conversation needed to happen.

(PS – I wrote this article for the main BR site on Thursday night and made some changes on Friday evening…and then the weekend happened and Shit Went Down. There are calls to halt the RITAs until they can clean house, but I don’t know what might actually be happening.)

In happier news, Talia Hibbert has had two cover announcements:

• Her first traditionally published Avon book, Get A Life, Chloe Brown, has AN AMAZING COVER I CAN’T WAIT TO OWN THIS IN PRINT
• Speaking of books I can’t wait to own in print, she posted this blog post about the new covers for A Girl Like Her, Damaged Goods, and Untouchable. They’re so amazing, y’all, I might finally break down.

If you’re curious about The Mister, EL James posted an exclusive excerpt on Goodreads. I…am not hopeful.

Forever finally heard that whole thing about representation, and have a contest going on to get a lot of submissions at once. (And Rebekah Weatherspoon recommended submitting to them through normal channels, too, if you’re an #ownvoices author.)

Speaking of covers, have you seen the one for The Wallflower Wager? It pretty!

And ironically, just a few days before the RITA announcements, Jasmine Guillory wrote about why representation matters.

And this list went up on Bookish, recommended by other authors.

Reminder that this book list exists and it’s amazing.

And this list.

And so does this site.

And for a last dose of silly, check out #romcar. You won’t regret it.

Deals

Speaking of RITA finalists, M. Malone’s Bad Blood is 2.99. You all know how I feel about books where the hero has reservations about the heroine because “BFF’s younger sibling” and The Patriarchy, but this sounds like a pretty delightful book. (Did I mention I haven’t read most of the RITA finalists?)

If you’re interested in checking out another RITA finalist, Three-Way Split by Elia Winters is 3.99. If you couldn’t tell from the title, it’s a romance featuring a polyamorous relationship and an owner of an adult novelty store. Sounds good, right? I’m all for it.

A Chat With Catherine Bybee

It’s the last Monday of the month which means an author profile! Thanks to Catherine Bybee for chatting! If you haven’t checked out her books, she’s got plenty available to try, including the First Wives series, the fourth of which, Faking Forever, is out now.

What was the first romance you ever read?

Oh, this one is hard since I devoured novels like I did Oreos as a kid. Historical romance was my first love in romance. Kathleen Woodwiss holds a special place in my heart. Shirlee Busbee took a close second with Gypsy Lady being a novel I will forever remember. Rebecca Brandywine with the back cover and the author herself posing with floor-length hair draped over a chase. sigh

What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learned from a romance novel?

Monogamy. Sounds like a strange thing to learn from a novel. My mother was past her third marriage by the time I discovered romance novels. There was a revolving door of men in my childhood home. No Mother of the Year award there. So I turned to novels for solid advice on what to look for in a relationship. Some say that turning to a novel to find what one should look for in a significant other is unrealistic. I say that “those people” have set the bar too low.

Who has been your favorite character to write?

Oh, now come on… that’s like asking who my favorite child is. I will take a stab at this and say the bad guys. I really enjoy getting deep in the head of the antagonists in my edgier books. They play by no rules and I can make them as awful as the human race can get.

What, besides reading, has had the biggest influence or made the most impact on how you write?

My life. The rollercoaster of the first nineteen years of my life has given me a lot of fuel to feed off of. My long, yet failed marriage, and my two beautiful sons have given me a myriad of material. Now that I’m fifty and single and experiencing the height of my career with all the blessings that come with it, I feel like I will be writing inspiring books for the next thirty years.

Thanks, Catherine, for sharing with us! Check out Faking Forever, now on sale!

What are you reading this week?

As usual, catch me on Twitter @jessisreading or Instagram @jess_is_reading, or send me an email at jessica@riotnewmedia.com if you’ve got feedback, book recs, or just want to say hi!

Happy spring, lovers! I know some of us don’t actually have a spring right now, but soon, right?

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Sponsored by Once and Again by Lauren Dane, published by Carina Press.

Lily Travis never imagined she’d be back living with her mom and dealing with her messed-up little brother. Yet that’s exactly where she finds herself, seven long years after she left Petal, Georgia—and the boy who broke her heart—in the dust. Her first order of business? Getting her ex to help turn her brother’s life around. If he happens to notice just how much she hasn’t been missing him, all the better. She fell for him once—falling for him again could destroy her. But it could also mean finding love in the last place she ever expected: home.

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Over on Book Riot

Ann pulled together some romantic comedies that have…similar elements.

Doing Read Harder? Here are some self-published books. You might not be surprised at some of the romance recommendations 😉

Heather doesn’t keep books. What do you think? Agree?

Want to win a Kindle Paperwhite? You have until March 31. Go!

Deals

Do you like post-apocalyptic lite? A universe where something has happened, but for the most part, we don’t know what? Survival is more about hanging out playing board games and stressing out about people you can’t find than much else. Well…except nearly dying while you’re trying to find your way through the wilderness. If this sounds like your jam, you definitely want to check out Radio Silence, the first in Alyssa Cole’s Off the Grid series. It’s 1.99 right now, so why not.

If you’re looking for some foodie fun instead, how about Tif Marcelo’s North To You, which I was reminded of recently. It’s 2.99 and the other books in the series are too. What happens when former sweethearts reunite, only to discover they’re rivals now? She is getting some success in her food truck…which she parks right outside his family’s restaurant. Whoops.

If a historical is what you seek, might I point you in the direction of Liana De La Rosa’s To Love a Scandalous Duke? Yes. I know. Another duke. This one has scandal, intrigue, secrets, all those things you love in a duke story. It’s also got the voice of a delightful new-to-me author, who definitely comes at it with a different approach.

 

New Books!

Can’t Escape Love
Alyssa Cole

So, yes. This is a book for which you should probably be familiar with the rest of the series (or at least A Duke By Default) before you pick it up. But if you haven’t read the others, you can totally read this one without that. There might be some references you don’t immediately understand, but they’re not essential.

Somewhere around the same time as the events of A Duke By Default, Reggie is having some trouble sleeping. She contacts an acquaintance whose livestreams she used to watch, intent upon getting an unconditional sleep aid: his voice, recorded for several hours. Instead of agreeing, he offers a counter arrangement. But when circumstances align their purposes, they end up seeing a lot more of each other.

It’s cute, it’s fun, and you’ll read the whole thing with a smile on your face. What more could you want?

(Also, when was the last time you saw a romance cover—a traditionally published romance cover—with an Asian man and a black woman in a wheelchair? NEVER is when.)

Some other books I’m looking forward to picking up this week:

A Knight to Remember by Ceillie Simkiss (that cover, amirite?)

Anyone But You by Chelsea M. Cameron

Misadventures in a Threesome by Elizabeth Hayley

Desire Lines by Elizabeth Kingston

As usual, catch me on Twitter @jessisreading or Instagram @jess_is_reading, or send me an email at jessica@riotnewmedia.com if you’ve got feedback, book recs, or just want to say hi!

I hope you’re all recovered from whatever level or type of festivities you might have enjoyed over the holiday weekend, even if it was getting too much rest and reading too many books (the dream, right? :lolsob:)

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Sponsored by Cold Day in the Sun by Sara Biren.

Holland Delviss is a good hockey player—she’s also the only girl on the boys’ varsity team. When her team is selected to play in a televised, statewide event, Holland’s status as the girl turns her into the feature story. Not everyone is thrilled with Holland’s new fame, but her bossy team co-captain, Wes, unexpectedly becomes her fiercest supporter. With cameras set to roll, Wes continues to surprise her, and Holland is dangerously close to breaking her number one rule: No dating teammates, ever.

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News and Useful Links

Adriana Herrera shared her favorite librarian romances. Some familiar titles there, but never hurts to remember the ones we love.

So this is romance-adjacent, but how cool is it that Bea Koch (co-owner of The Ripped Bodice) is writing a (non-romance) book? (The subject is real women from the Regency, though, so it’s definitely of interest to romance readers and writers.)

Anybody in the DC area? (I’m sorry, I cannot bring myself to call it The DMV because…yeah no.) If you live there or plan to be around on Thursday, April 11, check out this amazing-looking panel at East City Bookshop!

(Also, are you going to Avon KissCon? Please let me live vicariously through you.)

Sometimes we forget that the people on covers are actual people. And unlike the guy Penni talked about last week, we actually know who this one is. But after over 600 covers, he’s hanging up the…what would he hang up? A too-tight tee shirt?

Love’s Sweet Arrow didn’t make their Kickstarter goal, sadly, but they do have a Patreon now!

Also romance-adjacent, but did you hear that Victoria Helen Stone (AKA Victoria Dahl) sold the rights to Jane Doe?

Deals

I’ve heard a lot of chatter about Lee Welch’s Salt Magic, Skin Magic on twitter. It sounds like a great place to start if you’re looking to get into historical fantasy romance. It’s a world where industrial magic exists, so that’s cool, right? It’s 2.99, and appears to stand alone (unless it’s the first in a series that hasn’t yet been announced.

If you’ve been looking to start a new contemporary series instead, Catherine Bybee’s Fool Me Once is 1.99. The others in the series are pretty inexpensive as well, so check out the first one and see where it takes you.

And bonus: If you didn’t check out Perv by Dakota Gray last time I talked about it, it’s free right now in celebration of the release of the third book in the series, Adonis Line.

Recs

It’s been a rough week, and I honestly wasn’t sure what to recommend this time. I did get some feedback with some more hockey romances, and I’ll toss those in at the bottom. I thought about maybe doing activist romances, like Rogue Acts, or romances with Muslim characters, like Wrong to Need You or I Can’t Think Straight (if you are looking for a place to start there, here’s a good list from last year). But really, what we all need is some low-angst romance. Some of these will be things I’ve recommended on KB before, and others are go-to happy places for me.

Rafe by Rebekah Weatherspoon

This is the first book I go to when someone asks for a low-angst romance to read. Sure, there are issues—a single divorced mother, a nanny with a childhood that wasn’t the best, and an asshole from afar. But it’s so fluffy. It’s so fluffy, even the back-matter says it’s fluffy.

The Craft of Love by EE Ottoman

One of the protagonists in this historical novella is trans, but the only angst that causes is within himself. And even then, it’s not about his being trans, but whether the woman he is developing quite a crush on is okay with that. Spoiler alert: that’s not a problem for her.

Cinnamon Blade by Shira Glassman

Sure, there’s conflict in this book; there has to be, because one protagonist is a superhero. But even then, there’s less fingerbiting about her survival and that of her team (and her love interest) than whether she and said love interest will finally get their acts together.

Bound to be a Groom by Megan Mulry

Honestly, this is so low-angst it’s practically low-plot. But there’s still enough of one to keep a reader happy and invested in the story…though the sexytimes are probably still the main reason this book exists (:laugh-cry emoji:). This whole series is just delightful, and is definitely a nice departure from the average Regency romance.

Love By the Books by Té Russ

This one is a touch more angsty, just because of the personalities involved, but the story itself is just so delightful, and all of the supporting characters and every single outing that happens. There is some facepalming, of course, because there can’t be a book without something, but this is just. *chef kiss*

What are your go-to fluff recommendations?

Before I go, here are some other recommended hockey romances! (Thanks Krystal S and Katie!)

Him by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy

Game Misconduct by Bianca Sommerland

Pucked by Helena Hunting

Body Check by Deirdre Martin

(Also, check out LA Witt’s Rebound, which is available to preorder.)

As usual, catch me on Twitter @jessisreading or Instagram @jess_is_reading, or send me an email at jessica@riotnewmedia.com if you’ve got feedback, book recs, or just want to say hi!

It’s Thursday! Let’s talk new books and praise hands.

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This newsletter is sponsored by Libby, the one-tap reading app from your library and OverDrive.

Meet Libby. The award-winning reading app that makes sure you always have something to read. It’s like having your entire library right in your pocket. Download the app today and get instant access to thousands of ebooks and audiobooks for free thanks to your public library and OverDrive.

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Over on Book Riot

Jessica Plummer had some shade to hang this week and just about killed me ded with “7 Ways To Read Romance Without Getting Cooties.”

I wasn’t the first or only Rioter to have feelings about books with sex being called dirty. Sarah had some words for the people in both Romancelandia and Young Adult World.

If you’ve been considering reading Sarah MacLean but weren’t sure where to start, there’s a Reading Pathway for her now!

“At some point a discussion needs to be had about privilege, and who gets to feel safe reading and writing these books given their subject matter. But this isn’t the place to have that conversation, nor am I the one qualified to lead it.” Well, when you say it like that, of course I’m going to check out the books in your list, Jessica. So, uh. Yeah. Do you like dark romance? Or are you curious? Looking for a range to try? Here you go.

And of course, I remembered this time that Trisha and I got to chat about perverts and dreamers. And the Ripped Bodice Report on Racial Diversity, of course.

Deals

Apparently, even though I wrote about hockey on Monday, I’ve got basketball on the brain. So I’ll happily share some books with you. Kennedy Ryan’s Long Shot, the intense first book in her HOOPS series, is 3.99. (Trisha also talked about it in this week’s When in Romance, too, so maybe that’s why I’ve been thinking about it.) The second one, Block Shot, is also 3.99. And of course, the third, Hook Shot, is out at the end of this month, so now is a great time to check out the first two (and the holiday collection, Hoops Holiday, which includes a novella and some bonus material).

And if you want to go slightly-older-school, Regina Hart’s Fast Break is 2.99! It’s the first in the Brooklyn Monarchs series, featuring a star player-turned-coach and the owner of his team. I see some banter and battling in the future.

New Books!

It shouldn’t surprise me, the number of books coming out each week, but it still does! There are some great books out this week—including one that was literally a surprise because all my *meticulous* notes (read: that one trello board I use to keep track of book releases) told me that it wasn’t coming out until March 25.

Writing Her In
Holley Trent

Holley Trent is an autobuy for me, and I’m delighted she’s publishing with Carina because that means even more books to devour! I enjoy her paranormals and sci-fi novels, but my first Trent was a contemporary menage story and I am happy to return to that kind of book here. In this case, it’s FFM, which is definitely a grouping we don’t see as much of but is starting to appear much more in mainstream indie romance. It’s like now that the dudes have laid out the groundwork, we can finally introduce this one! Huzzah.

You probaby want to know the story, right? Well, there’s an author, Stacia. She has become a bestseller, and is pretty sure that is in part due to the hot cover model who graces the second half of her series. The hot cover model who invites for a drink when she’s in town. The hot cover model who—while married—invites her to join him for more. But that’s not where this ends. Adrian’s wife Dara just isn’t interested in sex, and has a lot of personal hang-ups with that. But since she’s not interested, she wants Adrian to pursue his own passion. Surprisingly, he isn’t flinging his dick at any vagina he meets, and Stacia is a special case. And it’s not just Adrian that Stacia feels deeply connected to.

So yeah. Read that one.

Other books I’m looking forward to checking out soon:

Sin City Vows by Zuri Day

Comrade Cowgirl by Yolanda Wallace

Wooing the Farmer by Jenny Frame

You Sang to Me by Beverly Jenkins (first time published on its own)

The Do-Over by Georgia Beers

Borrowed Heart by Andrew Grey

Any bookish plans this weekend? What new books are you reading? Catch me on Twitter @jessisreading or Instagram @jess_is_reading, or send me an email at jessica@riotnewmedia.com if you’ve got feedback or just want to say hi!