Hello and welcome (back) to the Kissing Books newsletter. I’m PN Hinton, here to give you the rundown on the world of romance, including new releases, recommendations, and other entertaining ways to pass your time.
Happy Monday! I hope that the weekend treated you well and you’re well rested, relaxed, and ready to face the week. Remember that tomorrow is the last day to file your taxes if you haven’t already. I know that I came down to the wire myself on it, but that was only because I knew I would owe and wanted to put that off as long as I could.
Adulting, amirite?
Before we move on to more romance related fun, are you on the hunt for fascinating insider stories from long standing experts in the book and publishing world? Then you should check out The Deep Dive, Book Riot’s latest newsletter. For just $5 a month, you’ll be receive exclusive content via email twice a month. You can also try The Splash Pad for free, which is a monthly round up of bookish goods and reading recommendations. Read more about this and your membership level today at bookriot.substack.com.
Bookish Goods
Discreet ‘Good Girl’ Bookmark by MidnightPagesbyEmma
I mean this pretty much says it all, huh? It’s a discreet, tongue-in-cheek reference to a phrase that a lot of us find very pleasing but also has a touch of class. I mean, I don’t need another bookmark, but can you ever really have too many? $9
New Releases
A Kiss From the Past by Kelly Cain
Nichelle’s dream life is shattered when she receives an heirloom ring and letter out of the blue, letting her know she’s adopted. Distraught to discover that everything she’s ever been told is a lie, she sets out to find out more about her birth parents. This leads her to the family jewelry store of Clark, who agrees to help Nichelle with her mystery, even though he knows that, due to his upcoming and secret testament against her mother’s company, he should keep her at arm’s length for. Will these two be able to find love despite the odds, or will the secrets of the past and present serve to push them apart?
The Secret Service of Tea and Treason by India Holton
Alice and Daniel, AKA Agent A and Agent B, are rival spies at the same agency. When they are told that they must go undercover as wife and husband to try to foil an assassination plot, neither are what would be called pleased. But they know it’s their duty to the Queen and country and so begrudgingly agree. Together in fake matrimony they infiltrate a house party full of unpatriotic pirates, determined to solve the case before the attraction between them proves too difficult to ignore.
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
A few weeks ago, I actually went to an actual movie theater to watch Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. And I loved every minute of it. It was entertaining, funny, emotional, etc…all the good things. Now admittedly, I did go in with the mindset of basically seeing an actual campaign being played out rather than a story (if that makes sense), but even if I hadn’t, I would have liked it. Every performer involved played their role perfectly and there were enough D&D references to keep all levels of fans satisifed.
Fantasy romance has never been something I have gravitated towards, but I have recently been dipping my toe more into it with books like The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches and Legends & Lattes. After seeing the movie, though, I will admit I’m even more interested in checking out this sub-genre and seeing that it has to offer. Which leads us to today’s recommendations: fantasy romances.
Prince of Flowers by Nazri Noor
All of his life, Locke has tried to get from behind his father’s shadow and stand on his own two magical feet. When one of these efforts results in him summoning Sylvain, a fae prince, he has his work cut out for him to try to show he can tame him and prove his worth as a summoner, especially considering how determined Sylvain is to challenge him at every turn. The attraction between the two men only serves to further complicate the situation.
The Ruthless Lady’s Guide to Wizardry by C.M. Waggoner
When down on her luck — and behind on her rent — Dellaria sees a “for help” sign seeking women willing to become bodyguards, and she fast talks her way into the group. She soon finds herself drawn to Winn, one of her fellow bodyguards, and thinks this is the perfect chance for romance as well as an easy job. However, things take a turn and soon Delly and Winn, along with a necromancer, a shapeshifter, and an undead mouse, must work together to stop an evil from being completely unleashed in their lands.
Speaking of fantasy romances, Kimberly Lemming recently announced a title change to the third book in the Mead Mishaps series via this TikTok. She also made this one regarding her approach to title pitches, and I snorted.
Also, this was just too cute to not share.
This one is for all my fellow Nick Miller fans. I took it twice and still got the same answer, so I’m making my peace with being Kai ’cause she was pretty cool, even if she wasn’t around that long.
And that’s all I have for y’all today. I’ll be back in your inboxes on Thursday with another romance round up. In the meantime I can be found floating around on Twitter under @PScribe801. Until then, happy reading and stay hydrated.