Category: Kissing Books

It’s Thursday, folks, and all the things are happening.

Before we go any further, I have a huge correction to make: in the last Kissing Books, I attributed the 8 Reasons People Mock Romance post to Sarah Davis. It was actually written by Sarah Nicolas. Sorry Sarah!

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Sponsored by The Cameron Brothers, a binge-worthy series by Angelin Sydney.

The Cameron Brothers Box Set features four explosive, action-packed romances that are binge-worthy.

Return to Cameron Country, Cameron of the Skies and Cameron of the Seas and the series prequel, Lifesaver in a Bikini all share one central theme: “Love makes us throw caution to the wind.”

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Okay, back to happenings:

The annual conference of the Romance Writers of America (aka RWA) is happening RIGHT NOW, and soon we’re gonna get to the RITAs. (And depending on what time of day you’re reading this, they might be happening! They might have happened already?)

Have you found yourself itching to read some werewolf sex?

Definitely read Kay’s twitter thread. There are many others, but Kay gets the essence of the issue. 

On a more positive note, there’s more adaptation news!

The This Man series and The Protector by Jodi Ellen Malpas have been opted by PassionFlix, whose production crew is currently filming Aftershock/Afterburn.

Have you seen the trailer for the film adaptation of Heidi McLaughlin’s second-chance romance Forever My Girl? It’s been out for awhile, but I missed it the first time around. Have I missed any others?

Have you had the chance to check out #RomBkLove on Twitter? It’s a great hashtag to troll when you are in need of a TBR explosion. 

Did you catch the Jane Austen Day celebration on Book Riot last week? There were a lot of good articles, including a great list of retellings by authors of color.

Also, Wallace’s video this week is about two more romances she picked up at The Ripped Bodice.

And now, book recs!

Speaking of werewolf sex, GL Carriger’s The Sumage Solution came out last week and I finally got around to reading it! This book, the first in Gail Carriger’s new m/m romance series (and potentially m/nb in the future?) is about Biff, a werewolf, and Max, a sumage. They live in a modern-day San Francisco Bay Area in which supernatural beings are a part of regular life, down to having to list their supernaturality in a rental application. Biff, the Beta of a newfangled pack who has moved to the North Bay to start afresh, is the one who is sent to the supernatural DMV to register their new pack. Max is the civic official who gives them the go-ahead. Max is wary of a werewolf pack invading the Bay Area, until Biff provides plenty evidence that they are not your stereotypical pack. By flirting with him. Things move on from there, complete with Big Misunderstandings and Daddy Issues galore.

It’s here, it’s here! Hate to Want You is FINALLY out! I have been holding off on reading and reccing this book, mostly because I knew it would be best for people to be able to buy it right away once they saw my exclamations on how good it is. And it’s. So. Good. Nicholas and Livvy were once childhood sweethearts, until a tragedy tore them apart, except for one day a year. Now, Livvy’s back in their hometown, and elements from without and within are set to destroy any relationship they might develop before it has a chance. Including neither of them having the ability to communicate with each other. Get ready to have your heart wrenched out and then lovingly put back together.

Looking for a new series? Start with Suleikha Snyder’s Spice and Smoke, the first in the Bollywood Confidential trilogy. Set in the sprawling, dramatic universe of Bollywood film, a motley crew of beautiful, talented people play bedroom games and mind games until everyone including the reader is a confused mess, in the best way. The first one gives you two stories for the price of one; each could have used a little more, but you won’t feel like you’ve lost anything, promise.

Finally, let’s call this segment…YMMV, or Your Mileage May Vary.

I don’t usually talk about books that I’m not sure I want to recommend, but I need to talk about this trainwreck of a book. Kresley Cole’s The Professional is the first in the Game Makers series, and is about Natalie, a young woman from Nebraska who discovers her biological father is a member of the Russian Bratva. Sevastian, her hot but off-putting bodyguard, has some control issues, and can’t seem to keep himself together around Natalie, even as they fly in the dead of night to Russia under threat of one of her father’s enemies. It all gets wilder from there; when I say trainwreck, I mean it: there is a terrible, terrible thing happening that you cannot turn away from for fear of missing something even worse occurring. Rioter Amanda Diehl told me to “embrace the crazy” when I asked Book Riot folks about it several months ago. And really, that’s the only way to make it through any part of this book that isn’t boning. Which there is a great deal of, in varying levels of fire emoji. Have you read it? Email me or catch me on twitter with your thoughts.

Now, as usual, new and upcoming releases:

Heart of the Steal, Avon Gale and Roan Parrish

Rogue Desire (Anthology)

The Scandal of it All, Sophie Jordan

Wrecked, JB Salsbury

Cutie and the Beast EJ Russell

One True Pairing, Cathy Yardley

Drilled, Opal Carew

The Perfect Game, Elley Arden

Locked in Temptation, Brenda Jackson

By the time we meet again, the RITA awards will have been announced, and maybe Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Beverly Jenkins will have reached her fundraising goal for the Deadly Sexy movie.

In the meantime, 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!

How’s your summer going? It’s finally monsoon time in Arizona and the weather has cooled off, and all that rain means more time to hang out inside and read!

Romance has been busy busy this past couple weeks! I don’t even know where to start.

Let’s go with twitter.

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Sponsored by Unraveling, book two in the Unblemished trilogy by Sara Ella

The entire universe is unraveling. Can a young heroine stop the fray? Through her mastery of world-building and mind-bending plots, Sara Ella takes fantasy to a new level in Unraveling, the anxiously awaited continuation of the Unblemished Trilogy. As Eliyana continues her journey towards the throne, she tries to figure out her relationship with Ky and how it might be connected to the Callings. She needs answers before the Callings disappear altogether. Can El find a way to sever her connection to Ky and save the Reflections—and keep herself from falling for him in the process?

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We know that there’s really never a quiet time with Twitter, but somebody decided to upset the wrong people and we romance people know how to respond that: hella positive reinforcement. We got to talk about nuance. We got to talk about love. And joy. Some of the best responses to Ann Aguirre’s call for quote tweets about why we love romance are collected in Sarah Nicolas’s spectacular mic-drop-esque 8 Reasons People Mock Romance. Why? They’re jealous.

On Instagram, Alyssa Cole shared the hardcover of An Extraordinary Union. It’s frickin gorgeous!

https://instagram.com/p/BWQyq7vgF2K/

And now: movies, movies, movies.

Are you following Passionflix’s progress as they work their way towards a working streaming platform? Follow them on Facebook, or if you want to know what’s going on behind the scenes (and get some other perks, too), consider becoming a founding member.

They’ve been busy: last week, they dropped the trailer for their first original feature, Hollywood Dirt (based on Alessandra Torre’s novel of the same name). Almost immediately after, they announced the lead casting for their production of Afterburn/Aftershock, based on Sylvia Day’s novella duology. They’re working quickly, but the first trailer looks like the productions are good quality. They have to be, when you’re up against the other streaming networks.

In other adaptation news, Beverly Jenkins is running a GoFundMe campaign to independently produce a Deadly Sexy movie. The book, which was released in 2007, is a romantic suspense, a very different tone from her historicals and the Blessings series, but damn, do I want to see that brought to life. Also: yes, there are rewards. So hop on over to the page, read the description, watch the videos. And read the sidebar as you consider how much you want to give 😉

And speaking of people to support, are you following WOCinRomance on Twitter? Their site is great for keeping up with new reads, and they have a Patreon if you want to support people doing Good Work.

Want to see your faves in the flesh? If you’re going to be in or around Denver next July, you’re gonna want to check out Book Bonanza. My eyes crossed trying to read all the names of people appearing, but it’s gonna be huge. It looks like tickets will be available on July 31, and they are gonna go fast. (PS—RWA is going to be in Denver THE FOLLOWING WEEKEND so I might have to just…move there for a few weeks.)

If you want something a little smaller and a little sooner, DC area folks ought to check out this awesome panel on August 4. I’ll be here, getting rained on, feeling jealous.

Over on Book Riot:

Wallace went to The Ripped Bodice! Check out what she got!

And speaking of The Ripped Bodice, there’s a giveaway for a digital gift card and an awesome raglan “Smart Girls Read Romance” tee. You know you wanna (and you can enter even if you already subscribe to KB)!

We pulled together the best books of 2017. So far.

Do you like podcasts? Check out Annotated, our newest podcast about books, reading, and language.

Nikki collected 14 of the most swoonworthy smooches in movies based on books. What do you think?

Does your library have OverDrive (or some other ebook lending option)? Do you procrastinate when you read (or just borrow too many things at once)? If your answer to both of these is yes, then Alex has a potential solution for you.

And Trisha got to talk to Ana Coqui, the creator of #RomBkLove.

Okay, this is already hella long, so I will keep my book recs short 😉

Currently reading:

Get Off Easy by Sara Brookes

This book originally came out in 2015, but was revamped and republished by Carina Press (to be released July 17). Grae, a CGI artist, reconnects with her two best friends from college after seeing an incident during a scene at the kink club for which she has a virtual membership. Their fire reignites immediately, bringing memories of the one night the three shared in college, but with more intensity; Saint and Boyce are both switches with Dominant tendencies, and she would love to be their willing sub—if only she can get out of her own way and admit what she wants.

I got two words for you: fire emoji. All the fire emoji.

Next up:

The Sumage Solution by GL Carriger

If that name sounds familiar, it’s because it’s Gail Carriger. She is stepping into the M/M romance ring with a spin-off of her short story Marine Biology, the first book in her new San Andreas Shifters series. We get to start out with a mage in a bad mood and a Beta werewolf named Biff. Also, we’re promised sexytimes and horrible puns, and this is Carriger we’re talking about.

And of course, some recent and upcoming releases:

On the Plus Side, Alison Bliss

Primrose Lane, Debbie Mason

Pounding Skin, LA Witt

Some Kind of Hero, Suzanne Brockmann

Locked in Temptation, Brenda Jackson (July 25)

Hate to Want You, Alisha Rai (July 25)

Drilled, Opal Carew (July 25)

One True Pairing, Cathy Yardley (July 25)

Okay, that’s probably enough for now, eh? Until next time, 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!

Hey hey, love lovers!

How has your Pride Month been going? I’m still recovering from last week’s Librarian Con (AKA the ALA Annual Conference), which didn’t help with the whole endless TBR thing. 

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Sponsored by Amazon Publishing

Austin’s dreams of domestic bliss involved watching Netflix and eating hot dogs with the love of her life. But then he cheated on her. And dumped her—as if the whole thing was her fault. To maintain her pride and restore her sanity, she decides to get revenge.
Thatch, a plastic surgeon straight out of residency, knows he ruined the best thing that ever happened to him. But not all cheaters are created equal. He got himself into this messed-up situation—true—but he has his reasons for what happened, and he’d do it all again to protect Austin.

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People all over have been talking about romance over the past couple weeks.

Just recently, The Book Voyagers put out a list of single parents in romance. It’s pretty great, especially if your catnip involves strong women, wild kids, and sudden parenthood. It’s also got handy dandy indicators of books with queer characters or by authors of color. 

Entangled publishing is having a huge sale! Check it out.

Over on Heroes and Heartbreakers, Robin discussed whether romance novels needed trigger warnings. If you read my last issue of Kissing Books, you know I am totally in that camp. Others may decide not to, but I will do my best to point out if something has something that needs a massive content warning, like rape or suicide. What other situations do you like to have prior warning of in your stories?

Ria Cheyne at Public Books wrote about an oldie-but-goodie that really marks the way a romance author can write good disability rep. I haven’t read the book in question, but it definitely went on my list once I read this article.

Not book-related, but it was interesting reading this Mary Sue article about The Big Sick statistically doing better than Transformers this weekend. It probably says more about Transformers, really, but it’s nice to see romantic comedies being well-received yet again. Maybe there’s hope for the world beyond Passionflix yet. Let’s see what happens when it’s out of limited release.

And just this past weekend, Queen Bev was the subject of a piece in Salon about historical fiction and how it really went down.

Over on Book Riot, you told us your favorite steamy romances, and boy were your choices good ones!

And speaking of historical fiction, I have some particularly delightful historical fiction recs for you this week!

The Day of the Duchess, Sarah MacLean

Happy Duchess week, y’all! I’ll bet some of you suddenly came down with a terrible cold on Tuesday or Wednseday of this week, but if you haven’t yet, this book is for you! I have read the previous two books in the series, but I suck at remembering things I’ve read and can honestly say that as long as you’re okay with discovering *gasp* that the couples from previous books end up together, you can totally read this without having read the others. Then you’ll want to read the others because the Soiled S’s are a riot and you’ll definitely want more of them.

Here, Sarah MacLean answers the question all of us who do remember the events of The Rogue Not Taken had upon learning of this book: why on Earth would Sera reconcile with Haven? Serafina, the oldest and most dangerous of the Dangerous Daughters, left her husband and her family several years ago, with no indication of where she was going or whether she was okay. Now she’s back, and her husband, the Duke of Haven, has his first view of her in years. Where does he see her? The House of Lords. Why? They happen to be the only body in Britain capable of granting her a divorce. With an introduction like that, how can it lead to a happy ending? The story that leads up to the answer is well crafted in MacLean’s signature heartbreaking and hilarious way. I’ll admit, I was actually going for a slightly different ending; if you want to know how I’d have liked to see it turn out, send me an email at the address down at the bottom of this email.

The Ruin of a Rake, Cat Sebastian (July 4)

Okay, so apparently this week is for alliterations and possessives.

This, too, is the third in a series, but just like Duchess you don’t need to have read the first two. There is a slightly bigger spoiler for something that happens in The Lawrence Browne Affair but it’s not an explosive one. (Or is it…)

Lord Courtenay, who we meet in The Lawrence Browne Affair is a rake. He’s also an uncle, and has been banned from seeing the boy he practically raised with his recently-deceased sister, who was estranged from her husband, the Earl of Radnor. One way he might be welcomed back into the family, however reluctantly, is to clean up his act. Enter Julian Medlock, brother to one of Radnor’s friends and colleagues, who has Higgens-like capability to get this Eliza ready for the Embassy Ball. Or at least make Courtenay presentable enough to get people of quality to actually speak to him again.

If only there weren’t that damned attraction that neither was really willing to deny—really, for Julian, it’s just getting in the way.

And since I’ve given you two books that are third books, I should probably give those of you who don’t read out of order a series starter to enjoy:

The Duchess War, Courtney Milan

When Minnie Lane’s solitude is interrupted by the Duke of Clermont, she is not interested in furthering their acquaintance. But something about her intrigues him to the point where they come to know each other well in the small Victorian town the pair both currently inhabit, for the time being. She’s clever and smart, and Clermont is torn between knowing her more and keeping his secret—whatever that may be.

This is the first book in the series, but be prepared to down all five novels and the prequel novella once you’ve finished.

And as usual, here are more recent releases and books coming out before we meet again! (Sorry, it’s a short one this week.)

Chasing Waves, Bianca Mori

Lost Without You, Molly O’Keefe

Oversight, Santino Hassell

The Knocked Up Plan, Lauren Blakely

A Most Unlikely Duke, Sophie Barnes

Pounding Skin, LA Witt (7/11)

The Red, Tiffany Reisz (7/11)

Get off Easy, Sarah Brookes (7/11)

Time to get back to reading (not even gonna lie about “getting caught up”). In the meantime, 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!

Happy Thursday, lovers!

Brace yourselves, it’s going to be a long one.

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Riptide Publishing is having weekly Pride sales during the month of June, and this week is all about books featuring bisexuals. Dive in; there are ten pages of goodies to weave through.

And speaking of LGBTQ romance, the Lambda Literary Awards were announced this week! The Scorpion’s Empress by Yoshiyuki Ly won the award for best lesbian romance, and Pene Henson’s Into the Blue for best gay romance. And Rebekah Weatherspoon won the award for best LGBT erotica with her super sexy Soul to Keep, book three in her Vampire Sorority Sisters series.

Have you heard about this new Pride and Prejudice adaptation that takes place in rural Virginia? It’s called Before the Fall, and it’s available to rent or buy on Amazon. Pardon my squeeing as we not only get our first modern-day, Bridgetless adaptation since Pride and Prejudice: A Latter Day Comedy, but our leads are both men. It’s like something right out of an early 2000s fanfiction-reading dream.

Beverly Jenkins has announced her next Old West book, and y’all. Look at this cover.

Tempest

PassionFlix has been making moves, and I am following like a hawk. (Remember way back when, when we talked about The Trouble with Mistletoe being adapted for film but we weren’t sure by what network? It was them, y’all!)

Not to mention, they just optioned Brenda Jackson’s entire Granger Brothers series, which starts with A Brother’s Honor. This is promising for the company’s future in regards to being diverse and inclusive. Next up, Cyclone! (A girl can dream.)

Did you read that great piece about The Ripped Bodice, the nation’s first (and still only) romance-dedicated bookshop? If you live in the greater Los Angeles area, it looks like a great place to hang out. And right now, they’ve got a Summer Bingo read-along for you! It looks like lots of fun.

Over on Book Riot:

Beth O’Brien, that lucky sonovagun, interviewed Colleen Hoover. They talked about Confess, music, writing, and Colleen even threw out a few book recommendations.

Jen Sherman wrote about having reading amnesia, which is probably pretty common for us romance readers, huh? So far, I have managed not to completely reread a book I’d read before. At least, not to my knowledge…

And comment on this week’s Riot Recommendation and tell us your favorite erotic romance!

And now, book recs!

I have a lot of feelings about Dirty Filthy Rich Men, and I’m not sure what they are. Before we go any further, I have to give out two warnings. First warning: this book has trigger warning written all over it (actually, it doesn’t, but it really really needs to). If you end up with the version that has the prequel, Dirty Filthy Rich Boys, you will encounter rape in the first fifteen pages, and rape fantasy is a large part of the story. Second warning: this book does not end in a HEA, because it is not clearly marked as a multi-parter. (Okay, if you go onto Goodreads it does, but I didn’t go on Goodreads before I blindly put this one on hold at the library.)

This was my first Laurelin Page book, and it will obviously not be my last. Even with the terrible, horrible, awful things going on and the terrible, horrible things that people are doing in all walks of life, I couldn’t stop reading. Both Sabrina and Donovan fascinate me, and I needed to slake my curiosity about their dynamic.

Okay, so that reminds me I need to give a third warning: if Sabrina is something you happen to hold dear, maybe skip this one. You’ll never look at Bogie (or Harrison Ford, my preferred Linus) the same way again.

If you’d rather have something not frustrating, aggravating, and that you have confusing and unclear thoughts about, here’s a series starter for you.

Acute Reactions is the first book in Ruby Lang’s Practice Perfect series. Petra Lale, MD, is an allergist struggling with her first practice. When Ian Zamora, a prospering restauranteur, comes to her practice, there are semi-immediate sparks. But there’s a problem: if there’s one thing Petra believes in, it’s maintaining an ethical code in her medical practices, and that very much includes not having the hots for your patients.

Ruby Lang’s books are medium-long reads, so they probably won’t be single-sitting, but won’t run too long. Her writing is snappy and compelling, so you won’t want to stop, but you will probably at least need a snack halfway through.

And as usual, a few new and upcoming books

An Unnatural Vice by KJ Charles

The Masterpiece by Bonnie Dee

Jane of Austin by Hillary Manton Lodge

The Smell of Camellias by Remmy Duchene

Talk British To Me by Robin Bielman (6/19)

Captured Soul by Laydin Michaels (6/20)

Prince Ever After by AC Arthur (6/20)

Dreams Unspoken by RJ Layer (6/20)

The Day of the Duchess by Sarah MacLean (6/27)

I’m gonna go pretend to catch up on both backlist and upcoming releases to squee about. In the meantime, 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!

Until next time, m’loves!

 

Hey, it’s June!

Well, lovers, it’s been a week.

There was a bit of stuff happening on Twitter about kink, and as usual our girls Alyssa Cole and Rebekah Weatherspoon stepped up with some threads of their own. Warning: there are book recs. I hope you weren’t planning to leave your TBR alone this week.

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Sponsored by HQN Books

As the awkward one, Courtney Watson may not be as together as her sisters, but she excels at one thing—keeping secrets, including the white-hot affair she’s having with a sexy music producer. When Sienna’s boyfriend proposes, he takes her by surprise. She already has two broken engagements under her belt. Should she say “I do” even if she’s not sure she does? Rachel thought love would last forever…right up until her divorce. With Mom’s wedding day imminent and her ex begging for a second chance, she’ll have to decide if she’ll let pride stand in the way of her own happily-ever-after.

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Also found on twitter: This blog looking at romance from an academic perspective. Do what you will with the moral study; I’m super interested in the philosophy thesis written as a romance novella.

AJ at Lacy Literacy put together this amazing list of STEM heroines in romance and hoo boy my TBR can’t take it. She also uses a great legend of notators indicating things like authors of color, lead characters of color, and books with interracial romances. I’m crying. (With joy.)

On Tuesday, Avon Romance and The Strand hosted a live panel on Feminists in Romance. I’d have loved to have seen an author of color on the panel of four. But since these were Avon authors, I guess that’s a little difficult. How about it, Avon? Next time.  Here’s the first link and then here’s the second after they had some technical difficulties.

Over on Book Riot:

Right after I hit send last time, Trisha Brown’s reflections about her attendance at RT Convention went up on Book Riot. Revisit the conference a month out and think about whether you want to go to Reno next year.

If you missed my baseball romance, basketball romance, or romance comics lists, you might find something fun to try next.

You might recall that Kay shared the breaking news that Harlequin is phasing out several of their series lines, including Kimani, where the vast majority of the black authors publishing with Harlequin see their books. Besides a statement in Publisher’s Weekly confirming that this is indeed true, there has been nothing. No mention on the website, no further articles, no official announcements by Harlequin. What the deal, yo?

I’m trying a new thing where I do my short reviews of one or two new titles and one or two older ones. If there’s one thing to love about romance it’s that it’s incredibly prolific, so why not point you in the direction of some awesome older books?

Shacking Up, Helena Hunting

This was my first book by Helena Hunting, though I discovered other things by her on my to-read list. Here, we’ve got Ruby and Bancroft, a pair of young socialites at different points in their relationships with their fathers. Ruby is an (aspiring) actress whose father wants her to see the error in her ways and come back and work for his pharmaceutical company. Bane is a former pro rugby player working to find his own place as a hospitality magnate among magnates. Ruby might have just gotten the chance for stable income, if not for Awesome Kisser, who also happened to be Awesome Cougher. (I have never seen someone incubate an illness that quickly in my life, but we’ll accept it for the sake of a story.)  When the pair meet again and realize that Awesome Kisser is a large part of the reason Ruby will probably never work again (at least with that director), Bane offers Ruby the run of his apartment while he’s away on business.

This book manages to be precious, hilarious, and super hot, while still being allowed to not take itself too seriously. I’ve got one word for you: Francesca.

Trade Me, Courtney Milan

“Friendship with Blake is not safe. It’s not even Facebook safe.”

Tina Chen is not interested in becoming friends with Blake Reynolds, the Billionaire of Berkeley. (Okay, so nobody ever calls him that, but I needed to give Blake that title. Blame it on all the historicals I’ve been reading.) When she calls him out on some bullshit in a discussion session, she has no idea it will lead to her living the life of a tech genius. But that’s exactly what he proposes: trade lives with him; she would have his house in the Berkeley Hills and access to super sleek prototypes. He would live in her not-up-to-code “apartment”, get a minimum wage job and survive on her income. Various circumstances would bring them together throughout the period of their arrangement, and the chemistry sizzles. And it is really great to see a book that can be sweet and fun but also tackle mental health and class issues in a not-gross way.

If you’re interested in a campus/new adult read, this is a good place to start. Also, the side characters are some of my favorites. Do yourself a favor when you finish: take Courtney’s offers of more Adam Fucking Reynolds.

I recently started Dating You/Hating You, Christina Lauren’s upcoming standalone release, and so far, it’s pretty great. I mean, it starts with the leads meeting at a costume party. And they’re both Harry Potter characters. So it’s bound to continue being great. Also, it’s about Hollywood industry people and that’s a thing I’m into. Check it out when it’s released.

And as usual, here are some new and upcoming releases for you to check out:

Losing Her, KS Marshall

Merely A Marriage, Jo Beverly’s final novel.

Trust Me, Farrah Rochon

Until You, Denise Grover Swank

Blaze, Donna Grant

Edge of Truth, Brynn Kelly

An Affair With a Notorious Heiress, Lorraine Heath

An Unnatural Vice, KJ Charles (June 6)

Mr. Right-Swipe, Ricki Schultz (June 6)

WTF (Geek Actually Season 1 Episode 1), Cathy Yardley (June 7)

Claim and Protect, Rhenna Morgan (June 12)

One Week to the Wedding, Olivia Miles (June 13)

Silver Silence, Nalini Singh (June 13)

I’m gonna go pretend to catch up on both backlist and upcoming releases to squee about. In the meantime, 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!

Until next time, m’loves!

 

Hey there, lovers. It’s been a crazy couple weeks in Romancelandia. Know how I said they needed a break? Well, they had their fun at the RT Convention, and now it’s time for all the Shitteth to Hitteth the Fan…eth.

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Domino: a runaway with blood on her hands. Cain: a silent boy about to explode. Madam Karina: a woman who demands obedience. Wilson: the one who will destroy them all. Discover the book that #1 NYT bestselling author Lindsay Cummings called “an utterly unique, utterly wicked read!”

 

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Let’s start with the less good news, just to get it out of the way.

Harlequin has informed authors and other relevant publishing professionals that it will be discontinuing five of its lines over the course of the next 18 months. Here’s a quick rundown. This is…distressing. And I will join the chorus that, while sad about all five lines needing to close, is most distressed about them making the decision to close the line that publishes an overwhelming majority of their romance by authors of color—black authors in particular. This makes me hope that they are going to fold their corps of authors into their other lines, making all of them much more diverse; it’ll be nice to see someone darker than a Sheikh on the cover of a Desire book. I hope Harlequin knows we’re all going to be watching its publications and acquisitions like hawks after December 2018.

Meanwhile, moments after I hit publish on the last KB, KFC decided a fun thing to do would be to commission a special romance novel for Mother’s Day called Tender Wings of Desire. I was curious enough that I downloaded it on a whim (y’know, free), but I couldn’t bring myself to open it. This felt like punch-down humor from a place that sells (admittedly delicious) chicken (that I haven’t eaten in years), and I still don’t know how I feel about it. On one hand, it’s kinda funny. A romance starring The Colonel. I chuckled. On the other, it was obviously made with the distinct purpose of making fun, and not in the Chuck Tingle or Velociraptor Sex way. Did you read it? Hit reply and tell me your thoughts.

In happier news, with RT Convention comes the RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards. I haven’t read all of them, but I’ll have to get on that soon. The ones I have read include Marrying Winterborne  and Forbidden, which are definitely deserving.

Have you noticed that even with Netflix, Hulu and Amazon making so much original content, we still aren’t at the level of romcom greatness that we were two decades ago? Some of us have, and an intrepid group of women came together to start PassionFlix, which is not porn, if your friends ask. The future streaming platform will not only feature romantic favorites, but also produce new feature-length films based on our favorite romances. The list of those in production currently includes titles by Alessandra Torre and Jill Shalvis, with tons more on the way. Want to play a part in the endeavor? You can become a Founding Member.

Pardon my squeals, but Gail Carriger has finally de-secrefied her super secret project, nicknamed SAS in communiques over the course of the past several months. If you’ve read her short Marine Biology, you’ll be familiar with Biff, the main character of The Sumage Solution: San Andreas Shifters #1. Carriger’s Parasolverse novels are great, but I’m excited to see what G. L. Carriger’s modern paranormal work looks like!

Over on Book Riot:

Want to make your TBR explode? Check out Amanda Diehl’s list of 100 books by International Romance Authors to check out. Oh man. Lots of good stuff and so many new discoveries to make.

Do you like tinyletters? A couple of the authors Annika mentions in her list of good tinyletters about books and writing to follow are romance writers. Maybe they can help get me off my behind and finish that first draft I’ve been working on forever.

On To Recs!

Bombshell, CD Reiss

Are you ready to fall in love? There are three people to fall for in this book, which was apparently born out of a fan feeling the need for party boy Brad to have a kid. That kid is Nicole, who we meet in quite the situation at the nanny HQ where Cara is waiting to sign a contract. She doesn’t work for Hollywood types, but Nicole doesn’t want anyone but her. The compromise Cara and Brad come up with is all kinds of precious, and the exchanges throughout the book are the same. If there’s a good word to describe this book, it’s sweet—but there is also quite the bit of spicy. Like serious spicy. Sweet, cute, heartbreaking, and sexy. What else do you want in your romance?

Concourse, Santino Hassell

This was my first Santino Hassell book, but I went ahead and got Sutphin Boulevard when I finished; I need to start this series from the beginning. And I need to get more of Santino’s writing in my brain. In Concourse, we meet Val and Ash, an Odd Couple if we ever saw one: Val is an amateur boxer who does odd jobs for his super, while Ash is a glam Kardiashanesque socialite with the Instagram following to show for it. Valdrin’s parents moved to The Bronx from Albania, and his mom was Ashton’s nanny, meaning the two pretty much grew up together. Val will do anything for Ash, as we discover very early on.

It didn’t take long for me to fall in love with these two; almost immediately, you can tell there’s something special about their relationship, even if they both drive you mad with frustration. If you’re looking for a friends-to-lovers story with complex characters who have even complexer issues, this is the book for you. Also, you can hit two Read Harder Challenge categories with this one.

As usual, some books to keep an eye out for:

Haven, Rebekah Weatherspoon (in case you didn’t last time)

Lethal Lies, Rebecca Zanetti

Buns, Alice Clayton (5/23)

Guilty Pleasure, Brenda Jackson (5/29)

In Name Only: 9 Fake-It-To-Make-It Romances (5/29)

Called Out, Jen Doyle (5/29)

Shacking Up, Helena Hunting (5/30)

Until You, Denise Grover Swank (5/30)

Time to get back to reading (catch up? what’s that?). In the meantime, 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!

Until next time, m’loves!

Happy Star Wars day! Who’s your favorite Star Wars couple? I have a special place in my heart for Ciena and Thayne from Claudia Gray’s Lost Stars, but I totally betrayed them for a few months with aaaalll the Stormpilot (and maybe some of the Jedistormpilot) fanfiction after The Force Awakens came out. Of course I am all about OG Han and Leia, but I like to pretend their story ended in Episode VI. Let me have that. 

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This week’s newsletter is sponsored by The Noble Servant by Melanie Dickerson.

New York Times bestselling author Melanie Dickerson returns with The Noble Servant, a retelling of the fairtale classic, The Goose Girl. In this medieval tale, Lady Magdalen is on her way to join the Duke of Wolfberg in marriage when her maidservant betrays her, takes her identity, and sends her down to the lowliest household position—tending the geese. But while out in the field, Magdalen encounters a mysterious shepherd who reveals that not all is as it seems in the castle, and it is up to them—the lowest of the low—to regain all that is lost.

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(For the uninitiated non-dweebs who read Kissing Books, you can read all about the silliness of May The Fourth Be With You here.)

In other news, how has your reading gone since we last chatted?

Romancelandia has been pretty quiet (they deserve a break from all the drama!), and right now they’re all busy at RT Convention, but there are always books!

Over on Book Riot, we’ve got romances that pass the Bechdel-Wallace test.

Amanda Diehl compiled diverse romances coming out in the next quarter.

And next: book recs!

I finally got around to reading The Thing About Love by Julie James and it was great fun. I’d (gasp!) only read one other Julie James novel before and hadn’t been bowled over the way others seemed to have been, and I discovered I just hadn’t found the right Julie James novel. This one, about two FBI agents with a history that—as with most histories—is remembered very differently by the pair, is fantastic, funny, and frustrating in the best ways. If you want all the interesting undercover work without the angst of a romantic suspense, this is the book for you.

I just (literally just) finished Rebekah Weatherspoon’s Haven and holy gee whiz. You’re gonna want to get your hands on this one immediately. When Shep hears screaming from his remote mountain home, he has no idea what’s going to happen to his life or that of the beautiful woman whose life he saves. Where’s that fire emoji when you need it? This book requires heat-resistant gloves just to turn the pages. And because YMMV, if the name of the series (Beards and Bondage) didn’t give enough of a hint, you’re gonna want to be prepared for bearded heroes. And kink, of course.

Both of these books include a mountain of a man as our hero, neither of whom tries to hide how much of a sweetheart they actually are. So if that’s your thing, you’ll want to mainline these back to back.

And per usual, some books out now and coming soon:

Concourse, Santino Hassell

Necessary Medicine, MK York

Seized by Seduction, Brenda Jackson

To Me I Wed, KM Jackson

The Librarian and the Spy, Susan Mann

Dating the Undead, Juliet Lyons

Bombshell, CD Reiss

Love Me Again, Jaci Burton

Crazy for You, Rina Gray (5/ 8)

Deadmen Walking, Sherrilyn Kenyon (5/9)

The Girl Who Knew Too Much, Amanda Quick (5/9)

Lethal Lies, Rebecca Zanetti (5/16)

 

Time to get back to reading (not even gonna lie about “getting caught up”). In the meantime, 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!

Until next time, m’loves!

The countdown to RT Convention in Atlanta has begun. Are you going? (I, sadly, am not. Do all the things for me!)

Oh hey, have you heard? Book Riot has started a sweet new thing called Insiders. For as low as 3 dollars a month, subscribers can get all kinds of exclusive content and access. Depending on what level of subscription you choose, you can get access to deals from the Book Riot store, a new releases index, even an Insiders-only forum on Slack (where you can hang out in a romance dedicated chat channel with meeee…and lots of other awesome people, too). Want to know more? Read on here.

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This newsletter is sponsored by Life After by Kate Ganshert

A fiery explosion claims the lives of passengers on Chicago’s transit system. As the sole survivor, Autumn Manning is haunted by the lives of the victims. When forces come together to bring her face-to-face with reminders of devastating loss, she must decide what path to take forward. In Life After, Katie Ganshert’s most complex and unforgettable novel yet, the stirring prose and authentic characters pose questions of truth, goodness, and ultimate purpose in this emotionally resonant tale.

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Have you read Colleen Hoover’s Confess? No matter the answer, you should check out the webseries. It’s quick and sweet, and does the novel well.

Have you been hanging out on Twitter? Romance had a field day taking on Bon Appetit, who posted (and quickly deleted!) a tweet about books you don’t have to hide behind the covers of other books. I storified the highlights for you, just to get a taste.

They also dropped some truth bombs earlier this week in #WhatWOCWritersHear.

On a more heartwarming note, romance authors were very prominent in the #pocpublove hashtag last week. Authors like Beverly Jenkins and Rebekah Weatherspoon were very vocal about supporting authors of color as well as those who work behind the scenes in publishing. Have a scroll through the hashtag and find some new awesome people to follow!

Over on Book Riot, all kinds of things have been going on.

Remember how we talked about me not being a fan of Romance without the HEA? Neither is Sarah Nicolas.

Add to your TBR with some of our recent lists, including romances featuring librarians, hockey players, diverse historicals, and of course, you all gave us your favorite contemporaries.

(And since I neglected to in my post, I will take this moment to tout Ever After Box, who have a Librarians in Love box this month (and you’ve still got time to order one)!)

Meanwhile, are you overwhelmed with library holds? Teresa’s got a secret for you.

Okay, enough about them, let’s talk about books!

I cannot stop talking about Love By the Books by Te Russ. I came across it looking for books about librarians, and I just knew I had to read it immediately. First we have Carmen Jones, a literary agent who has just scored an amazing deal for a first-time author. And on her first visit to By the Books to inform said writer, she meets Sebastian, who turns out to own the joint. The two have an immediate connection, and their courtship is full of dorky, bookish, adorable goodness. I was swooning straight through to the end. How good was this book? Not even a healthy smattering of typos could take away from my enduring love for these people. Of course, it’s all about what you love; I totally decided that these two were my soulmates and that I was marrying them by the time I got to the end. But I guess I can share. 

I have to stop talking about that one to also gush about Act Like It, which several Rioters have previously expressed their love for. In direct contrast to Love By the Books, Lainie and Richard start out somewhere between antagonistic and indifferent. They are both in the same West End theater production, but barely speak to each other offstage. And then, what else? Richard’s image could use a relationship with a good girl. Fake relationship? Yes, please. Realizing it doesn’t need to be fake? Hell yes. Never losing the snark and sarcasm no matter what direction their relationship takes? All the things.  

I’m smack in the middle of LA Witt’s upcoming Back Piece, the first in a new series about tattoo artists and sailors in Virginia Beach (at least, I’m guessing future books will also include sailors). So far, loving it. These boys have definitely wrapped their way around my heart, and LA Witt’s writing is fantastic and compelling as usual. I won’t tell you not to put it on hold or preorder.

Next up is The Romance Reader’s Guide to Life. I’m so. Very. Intrigued. Have you read it? What did you think? Is it as bizarre as it looks? 

And of course, here are a few recent and upcoming books to look out for:

The Thing About Love, Julie James

How to Bang a Billionaire, Alexis Hall

Homecoming, Celeste Castro

To Marry A Prince, AC Arthur

Lavish Loving, Zuri Day

Thaw, Elyse Springer (April 25) (See my Library list to read more about that one!)

To Me I Wed, KM Jackson (April 25)

The Librarian and the Spy, Susan Mann (April 25)

You all enjoy; I’m going to take some time to catch up! (Like that’ll ever happen!)

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!

Until next time, m’loves!

Oh hey, it’s that time again!

Let’s talk about the bad news before we get into all the good stuff. If you haven’t yet heard, we’re not having Book Riot Live this year. The past two years have been awesome, and romance greats like Beverly Jenkins and Sarah MacLean have been known to be in attendance. So we’ll be sad not to have that kind of readerly fellowship, but it sounds like we’ll have some other kinds of Rioty awesomeness as we move forward.

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This week’s newsletter is sponsored by Playster.

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I can’t stop watching this video that Harlequin put out. The Cowboy one is out, too, but I can’t tear myself away from the original. Would you go out with a romance hero? I wouldn’t mind.

Over on Book Riot, we’ve got a giveaway of Alexa Riley’s His Alone, open until April 7. Go forth and enter!

I’ve been pretty good about including LGBTQ+ romance in Kissing Books, but if you’re still not sure where to start, here’s a post about some of the ins and outs. I probably could have written about it all night; but if I’d gone into the unfortunate truth that LGBTQ+ romances (much like romances by POC) are priced stupid high in comparison to their straight peers, or broken suggestions down into genres and heat levels, or contemplated the breakdown of straight woman authors vs. non-straight authors in the more popular publishing houses, we probably would have been there all night. Hmm. Guess there’s room for a part two…

Natalya Muncuff, who first wrote about her love for romance, occasionally enjoys romance without the HEA. Are you one of those people? I’ll admit, I’m very much not. Sure, I’ve bitterly read a couple romances hoping against hope that it would end without the couple getting together. But that was usually the authors’ fault, for making situations that shouldn’t have ended well, but they were obligated (by the genre, by a contract) to provide a HEA. But otherwise, when I go into a romance, I’m in it for the HEA. YMMV, though, and I’ve definitely seen more being either open ended or downright UEAs.

What are you reading, lovers?

I just finished Tiffany Reisz’s The Night Mark and I am obsessed. Have you read it? You should. It just came out last week, and neither the ebook nor the paperback are horribly priced.

Faye is a miserable woman stuck in a miserable marriage. Her first husband, Will, died too soon, and she’s spent the past few years married to his best friend. She finally calls it quits and moves to a small island off the coast of South Carolina, where a lighthouse calls to her, and to her camera. But what does she do when she gets pulled under the waves on the lighthouse’s beach only to be pulled out by a man who is the spitting image of her dead husband? And finds herself on that same island, only in 1921? Fall in love, of course.

I am a sucker for time travel romance, so if you’re looking for something to ease your Outlander itch and you’ve read all the classics like Knight in Shining Armor, Susanna Kearsley’s novels and the All Souls Trilogy (spoiler?), this one is for you.

And now I want to read All The Things about old lighthouses. And I can’t get “Brazzle Dazzle Day”  out of my head (you’re welcome).

And of course, here are some books out this week and coming soon:

What Matters Most, Georgia Beers

Rescued by a Space Pirate, Nina Croft

Dutch, Madhuri Pavamani

Loose Cannon, Sidney Bell

Boss, Tracy Brown

A Fare to Remember, Opal Carew (points for movie pun!)

72 Hours, Bella Jewel

Buck Naked, Evangeline Anderson

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!

Until next time, m’loves!

Happy Spring, lovers!

What’s the weather like in your area? I’m down in the desert, and it’s pretty much already summer here…which means by the time June rolls around…*shudder*

What’s new in the romance world? Harlequin, for one.

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This week’s newsletter is sponsored by Hard Justice by Lori Foster.

Justice Wallington knows how to harness his strength and intimidating size—skills he puts to good use as a bodyguard at the Body Armor agency. But no one has ever left him feeling as off balance as his new client, heiress Fallon Wade. It’s a risk-free assignment, until he’s required to fake a relationship with her… Fallon longs to experience life which isn’t easy with Justice shadowing her every move. Despite their differences, pretending to be a couple stirs undeniable heat. And when danger strikes again, it’s not just her safety in jeopardy, but a passion that’s real, raw and absolutely against the rules…

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First, Harlequin announced that a new imprint would be rolling out soon, and not the one you know about: Hanover Square Press, an adult fiction, general nonfiction, memoir, etc. imprint, was created, I guess, to attract non-Romance readers. Why did Harlequin decide they needed to expand their brand (and their image)? Your guess is as good as mine.

What else has Harlequin done? They had already announced that their sexy contemporary line, Blaze, would be discontinued. Then, they announced that they were starting a new line, DARE (not to be confused with the drug prevention program). This line would include hot, daring, contemporary stories with “eyebrow raising sex”. Amanda Diehl and I are both confused as to what this would actually mean. Is this their drive to bring readers of more sexually adventurous or darker romance into the Harlequin fold? We don’t know, but it could be promising. More in 2018, I guess.

And of course, the Romance Writers of America’s RITA nominations were announced this week! And oh man, do I have some reading to do! How about you?

Over on Book Riot, nod along with guest author Natalya Muncuff as she declares her love for romance. It’s all about love, baby.

Since it’s Women’s History Month, let’s talk about some awesome historical women whose stories are out (or will be out soon):

An Extraordinary Union, Alyssa Cole (Out March 28 THAT’S NEXT WEEK!!!)

I have been bouncing with excitement for the chance to talk more about this book now that it will be out soon. If you haven’t pre-ordered it yet, get on it! You’ll want to devour it immediately, I promise. This book has gotten a lot of press in the romance universe, and for good reason: this is a Civil War romance that defies the boundaries of Civil War romance, while still grasping upon the realities of history and giving us an untold story. With kissing.

And spies.

SPIES.

This is a CIVIL WAR SPY ROMANCE.

The heroine, Elle, has an eidetic memory, which makes her the perfect candidate to go deep, deep, undercover, posing as an enslaved woman in the household of a Confederate senator. She’s working with Malcolm, one of Pinkerton’s men, to discover any plans around a plot to sideline the Union in Richmond. The pair share a striking, soulful chemistry, and their banter is fantastic. If you’ve read any Alyssa Cole, you know what I’m talking about. If not, this will make an extraordinary introduction to her talents.

See what I did there? Heh.

Chasing Moonlight, Raven St. Pierre

This was…an intense experience. Set in 1941 Alabama, this book is not a sugarcoated interracial romance. Where Cole’s book is full of snark and humor, this one is much more earnest in its execution. Quinn, “the help” for a town reverend and his family, first meets Jesse when he comes to pick up the reverend’s daughter for a date. The two are drawn to each other, even though they both know that even speaking to each other is dangerous. As the two form a tenuous relationship involving roadside walks at dusk and meetings in abandoned churches, we see the effects of Jim Crow in the daily workings of life. All is not lost, in the end, but some serious sacrifices have to be made for Jesse and Quinn to reach their happy ending. The third in the Again for the First Time series, it can be read as a standalone, but you’re going to be curious about the other two books when you’re done.

I’m currently working my way through The Liberators of Willow Run and it is fascinating. We’re all familiar with the image of Rosie the Riveter, but what do we really know about the bomber factories putting together giant planes using an adapted version of Mr. Ford’s assembly line? At the Willow Run factory in Detroit, Audrey and her fellow crewmates build B-24 bombers, working faster and faster every day to improve their record. We’ll see what happens between her and Ruth, a young woman whose parents left her at a home meant to restore her moral fiber. Or something. Liberators has been nominated for a Lambda Literary Award for lesbian romance, so fingers crossed I make it through.

As an aside, for your Women’s History Month pleasure, here’s the newest, super awesome digital collection at the Library of Congress. 

And as usual, a few books to keep an eye out for between now and when we chat again.

Insight, Santino Hassell

Growing Pains, Cass Lennox

Hot On Ice: A Hockey Romance Anthology

No One But You, Catherine Maiorisi

Hard Justice, Lori Foster

Strays, Garrett Leigh (March 27)

Dirty Filthy Rich Men, Laurelin Paige (March 27)

Forever Mine, Erin Nicholas (March 28)

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!

Until next time, m’loves!