Happy Monday friends! It’s me, PN, back with more updates from the world of romance for you. I hope that you had a relaxing weekend. As of right now, I don’t have any “going into the out” plans, which is nice. I have been super social for the last few weekends and, while I do enjoy that, at the core of my Cancerian soul, I am very much a homebody. So, that type of recharge is something I regularly need to do.
In viewing news, the spouse and I started watching The Midnight Club. It’s very rare that he expresses an interest in anything remotely horror related so I jumped at this opportunity to watch with him.
And in reading news, I finished Love in the Time of Serial Killers and am still working my way through Witcha Gonna Do?. So many books, so little time.
Onto the rest of the newsletter.
Bookish Goods
Romance Reader Patch by FINNandFABLE
The fall season always makes me think of cardigans and sweaters. Either one of those would go well with this patch. It’s the perfect size to place over your heart to really showcase your love for the genre. It is also perfect for canvas bags as well! Plus, I love the color scheme here as red and black have always been two of my favorite colors. Priced at $13.
New Releases
Kiss You Back by Mel Walker
Ten years ago, Kennedy was the most popular girl of Spring Hills High school and Elijah was the nerdy best friend who loved her from afar. She surprised everyone, even Elijah, when she up and ran away with a boy she thought held the keys to her happily ever after, leaving Elijah heartbroken. They end up reuniting at their class reunion, both of them older but much wiser. Is this the perfect second chance for these former best friends or will the secrets from the past be too much for them to overcome?
Better Than Fiction by Alexa Martin
To say that Drew is surprised when she inherits The Book Nook, her late grandmother’s bookstore, is an understatement. After all, she is known for always saying that she feels the movie is always better. There, her path crosses with best-selling author and hopeless romantic Jasper, who becomes determined to convert her to a voracious book reader. As they spend more time together, Drew finds herself opening up more to the idea of reading as well as a future with the bookstore and Jasper. That is, until familial issues begin to develop that threaten the future of it all. Is their story doomed to have an unhappy ending, or is there still a happily ever after waiting in the wings?
As an aside, please note that these recommendations are based on the release dates showing at the time when the newsletter was originally written.
And for a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
One of the most popular tropes in romance novels is the “just one night” trope. You know the one; the two strangers meet in a random location and end up hooking up for a one-night stand. Or, they already know each other and they decide to give into their mutual attraction and indulge in a passionate one-time encounter.
Now, the idea of a one-night stand in real life doesn’t appeal to me at all. Not to dismiss people who do because everyone is different. But me, I have to know someone before sexy times enter as an option. That said, I don’t dislike this trope in romance novels because I know that since it is a romance novel, it won’t just be the one night.
So, the recommendations today both involve encounters that were intended to just be for one night but of course end up being more.
Just One Night by Kyra Davis
In this erotically charged novel, as the overly cautious Kasie approaches her 30th birthday, she realizes that she has played it too safe her entire life. During a birthday trip to Vegas with her closest friend, she throws caution to the wind and engages in a one-night stand with a random stranger. After all, it is just one night and the next morning she will willingly slip back into the roles that her parents and fiancé have assigned her to. When she walks into work on Monday, she discovers that the stranger is in reality Robert, the CEO of a lucrative firm that her company does business with and he wants more than just one night with her.
The Virgin and the Rogue by Sophie Jordan
When the current bout of menstrual cramps prove to be too much for Charlotte, she takes some of her sister’s healing tonic to help with the pain. It also proves to have an aphrodisiacal effect, resulting in a passionate kiss with the rakish Kingston who is not her fiancé. While she is willing to forget about their encounter, Kingston has other ideas and is determined to prove to her he is a risk worth taking.
Here are some of the trends in romance novels that a few of the Harlequin editors have been noticing.
I do this same thing with my loved ones.
And that’s all I have for y’all today. I’ll be back on Thursday with even more romance related goodness. In the meantime, I can still be found on Twitter under @PScribe801. Until then, happy readying and stay hydrated.