Sponsored by Harlequin.
Join the Harlequin Connection community to connect with fellow romance readers and authors, and discuss your favorite Harlequin books, tropes, heroes, heroines, and more. All fans of romance novels are welcome. Chat live with the authors of the Tactical Crime Division book series on June 2, 1 pm ET, as they discuss writing about a team of crime-solving experts fighting for justice and finding love along the way. Click here to join Harlequin Connection today!
It’s Thursday again! The last one in May, if you can believe it. I hope everyone had a…whatever the appropriate adjective is for Memorial Day. Poignant? Uneventful? Properly Enjoyable? Food-filled? Whatever yours, I hope it was right.
Since we skipped the holiday, let’s talk about what’s been going on in the world.
News and Useful Links
The Romance Writers of America’s Board of Directors announced a big change: The RITAs are out and the Vivians, named for the organization’s Black founder, are in.
#RomanceClass has a new awesome project!
KJ Charles wrote an amazing post on consent in romance.
Adriana Herrera’s new department store romance has a lovely cover.
Check out this cover and excerpt of Written in the Stars.
You don’t have to be in DC to join East City Books’ Really Reading Romance Book Club in virtual discussion with Alexa Martin tomorrow night.
And there’s still time to RSVP to tomorrow’s Date Night w/ Alyssa Cole!
Over on Book Riot
Do you like the trope where someone has to keep a secret? It’s one of Casey’s Tropetonites.
Have you entered yet for that Robyn Carr Prize Pack?
Or $50 to your favorite independent bookstore?
Or a year of Kindle Unlimited?
Deals
When was the last time you read a romance retelling of Robin Hood? For me, it was probably Lady of The Forest by Jennifer Roberson, which looking back was HELLA problematic. But I am super excited to get my hands on Nottingham: The True Story of Robyn Hood, which is 2.99. I think the end of the blurb says it best: “Nottingham is a delightful romp rife with bois bearing bows, transmen wielding quarterstaffs, noble ladies loving ladies bawdy bisexual musicians, naughty nonbinary outlaws, and saucy sapphic nuns—in other words, Robyn Hood like you’ve never seen her before.” (Thanks, Amazon!)
New Books!
I was scrolling through Twitter the other day and someone (Love in Panels, maybe?) tweeted “every book came out today” and boy does it feel like this was a hell of a week for new releases. I mean, so did last week, and so will next week, probably. But boy, do we have a bounty of romance.
Pregnant By the Playboy
Jackie Lau
This is the first book in the Fong Brothers series, which is a spinoff of the Kwan Sisters series (Julian Fong is the protagonist of Mr. Hotshot CEO). Here, we meet Marissa and Vince, who are both just looking for a hot night with a stranger at a party and end up signed up for a lot more. While Marissa considers the alternative, she is now the age of the phrase “geriatric pregnancy” and is having this baby—perfectly happy to enjoy billionaire Vince being the fun dad who comes to visit every once in a while. But Vince, who has been drifting since he burned out and sold his company, sees this as the perfect opportunity: a starter family, right there. Now the two just need to see eye to eye on how it will all play out.
CW: Pregnancy, obviously. The main character has had an abortion in the past. There is discussion of a family member who died in an accident and the main character has a panic attack about someone possibly having been in one.
Something to Talk About
Meryl Wilsner
Besides giving me an earworm for the longest time (haha, there’s another earworm), this was definitely a warm fuzzies kind of book. Once it wasn’t a hair-pulling, yelling at the characters to get out of their heads and talk for goodness’ sake kind of book. Jo and Emma have an interesting relationship. Emma is Jo’s assistant, and she goes far above and beyond her job description. When one of those beyond moments leaves her attending the SAG awards with Jo, who is the showrunner and head writer for a hot TV show, a photo of them leads to…people having something to talk about. But Emma is Jo’s assistant, and neither of them feels that way about each other. Right?
CW: there is a sexual harassment on the page with a secondary #Metoo plot that kind of just disappears. Also a bad family interaction.
And of course there’s also:
Until the End by Juno Rushdan
The Fiery Crown by Jeffe Kennedy
The Hideaway Inn by Philip William Stover
Ghosting by Tash Skilton
The Girl Next Door by Chelsea M. Cameron
Recipe for Persuasion by Sonali Dev
Queen Move by Kennedy Ryan
Like a Wolf With a Bone by Shelly Laurenston
Dream Maker by Kristen Ashley
The Seaside Cafe by Rochelle Alers
Nothing Compares to the Duke by Christy Carlisle
The Uptown Collection by Ruby Lang (at least all together in a nice bundled package)
As usual, catch me on Twitter @jessisreading or Instagram @jess_is_reading, or send me an email at wheninromance@bookriot.com if you’ve got feedback, bookrecs, or just want to say hi!