Sponsored by Counting Down with You by Tashie Bhuiyan.
When Karina Ahmed’s parents go abroad to Bangladesh for four weeks, she expects some peace and quiet. Instead, she gets roped into a fake-dating scheme with her school’s resident bad boy, Ace Clyde. Tutoring him was already crossing a line, but pretending to date him? Out of the question. But Ace does everything right—he brings her coffee in the mornings, impresses her friends without trying, and even promises to buy her a dozen books a week. Though Karina agrees, she can’t help but start counting down the days until her parents come back and things return to normal.
Hello again romance readers. I’m PN Hinton, your companion for the world of romance. If you’re new to the newsletter, welcome and enjoy your stay. If you’re a long-time reader, welcome back; it’s good to see you again.
Happy (early) Mothers Day to all the moms, or mother figures, out there. Because I’m a nerd like that I dug a bit into the history of the holiday and found that the first unofficial one was celebrated in 1907 by Anne Jarvis as a memorial service to her mother. Seven years later, then-President Woodrow Wilson made it an official holiday that we now celebrate every second Sunday in May.
I don’t know what I’m doing for Mother’s Day yet, if anything. Even though I’m fully vaccinated, I am still nervous about being in public places like restaurants if there isn’t a patio option. Plus every place will be extraordinarily crowded, especially after being shut in for the last year. Don’t get me wrong. I love cheddar bay biscuits, but I will not throw elbows to get them.
Around the Web in Romance
Listen to this week’s episode of WIR to hear more about appliances as romance tropes and romance covers. Also, be sure to pick up Beverly Jenkin’s Vivid and send your questions and feedback to Jess and Trisha.
Have you ever wondered about the history of the himbo? CJ’s got you covered there.
Here’s a few of the romantic suspense books from April that you may have missed out on.
Check out author Georgia Clark’s recipe for a rom-com!
Recommendations
In honor of Mother’s Day I’m going to highlight some of the awesome mothers from Romancelandia. This doesn’t mean they’re perfect, because no one is. Their flaws are actually why I admire them so much, since I feel they help to encapsulate what being a mom is. It’s not like there is a manual you get when you become a parent and you will make mistakes along the way. These moms show that, at the end of the day, they love and support their children no matter what. For book series, I will be specifying the book with the scene that showcases the maternal love.
Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert
Mom: Joy Brown
Now, we can all admit that Gigi is pretty bad-ass all around. She is a constant support system for her granddaughters and always there to give them sage advice for their romantic snags. So she definitely gets an Honorable Mention here. But I don’t think Joy gets the appreciation she deserves. Yes, she comes across as a bit standoffish in the last book and the ultimatum she gives Eve is the catalyst for her running away and (literally) into Jacob. However, this came from a very well place of wanting her daughter to reach her full potential and was done with love. Plus, it can’t be overlooked that they moved to a completely new house when Chloe was younger because she didn’t like empty spaces. As Eve herself stated, Joy may not always understand her girls, but she will always support them and be there for them. And that is always important.
Stars and Stripes by Abigail Roux (Cut & Run series)
Mom: Mara Grady
This M/M romantic suspense series centers around FBI agents Ty Grady and Zane Garrett. This book does come in later in the series, and the reason that Mara gets a call out here is because she is supportive of her son when he is outed in front of her (CW/TW for that scene). After the initial shock, she accepts both Ty and Zane into her home, heart, and family. That is exactly how parents should react when their children come out to them because it’s hard enough in this world, and especially in the field that these two men are in. I will admit that I haven’t read this series yet, but it is one of my closest friend’s favorites.
When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn
Mom: Violet Bridgerton
Violet is a great mom and no one can change my mind on that. She lost her husband unexpectedly when pregnant with their youngest child. She still had to handle the milestones for all of them on her own, and help her children grieve while managing her own. She also had a specific connection to Francesca, as they had both been widowed and understood each other on a level that none of the other siblings could. As caring as she was, she also was quick to call her children to their carpet when they were in the wrong. I still laugh every time I read the line in The Duke and I where she likens Anthony, Benedict, and Colin to mentally deficient sheep.
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
Mom: Ann Lane
We sadly don’t get to see a lot of Ann in the book, which really is a shame. She snapped at her husband at a restaurant and helped give Stella an escape, saying it was she who was bothered by the noise. True, she was quick to toss Michael as a romantic interest when he left her. But this was likely due to the fact that he abandoned her in a social situation, knowing how anxious she got. She knows her daughter is capable of taking care of herself on her own financially and wanted someone who could emotionally support her daughter. And I freaking love any scene where a wife tells her husband publicly to shut up. It gets me every time.
That’s all for now. I hope that y’all have a great weekend. If you want to see snippets of me before then give me a follow on Twitter @PScribe801. Until next time.