Welcome to the Kissing Books newsletter. If you’re a regular reader, I’m glad to see you again. If this is your first time here, I’m glad that you joined us. I’m PN Hinton, and I’ll be your guide through all things romance-related.
I’ve been in a decluttering mood as of late, specifically old electronic devices. After all was said and done, I got four tablets, three dead smartwatches, and an old-school Kindle keyboard out of my space. It’s true that, in the grand scheme of things, they weren’t taking up a lot of room. But still, I feel good about it and hope to move on to other stuff soon.
In reading news, I finally picked up Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez again. I started it last year but then got distracted by all the other books, and then when I found it, I realized that I wasn’t in the mood for it quite yet. But now I am and am loving it.
2024 is the tenth year of the Read Harder Challenge! Join us as we make our way through 24 tasks meant to expand our reading horizons and diversify our TBRs. To get book recommendations for each task, sign up for the Read Harder newsletter. We’ll also keep you informed about other cool reading challenges, readathons, and more across the bookish internet. If you become a paid subscriber, you get even more recommendations plus community features, where you can connect with a community of passionate, like-minded readers in a cozy and supportive corner of the internet. Sign up today!
Bookish Goods
Tarot Trope Pop-Socket by IvyResinShop
One of the reasons for the recent declutter was me deciding to change cases for my Kindle Paperwhite. I felt I needed an un-haul of sorts before I bought something. I’ll admit I got a bit of FOMO by seeing all the other bookish peeps with clear cases and pop-sockets and decided I wanted to try my hand at that. While I went with a clear one for now, I am sure that soon I will want to customize that as well, like the one shown here. If you’re likeminded, it can be yours for the price of $27
New Releases
The Bodyguard’s Deadly Mission by Lisa Dodson
When Alexa and Andrew first met, he was training her to be a bodyguard. Throughout that period, Alexa managed to keep the relationship professional despite being tempted to give in to her desires. Now, she runs a security business, and her latest contract is one that could endanger both of them. Despite the danger lurking in the background, this could be the opportunity for both of them to explore their feelings for one another without the power dynamic that was previously present. Will they give in, or will they walk away when their mutual safety is ensured?
Blossom by Helen Hardt
Mary used to enjoy her role as a submissive under the name Blossom at the Black Rose Underground Club, until a scene with a Dom got horribly out of hand. After that, she’s ready to walk away for good until she meets Ronan, who is so intrigued by the beautiful woman that he is considering breaking his rule of forming a relationship outside the club’s four walls. Is this encounter one that will leave both Dom and sub satisfied, or are they setting themselves up for yet another disappointment?
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
I’ve mentioned before that I am a fan of epistolary novels. I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that my spouse and I started off as friends in high school, and the way we really got to know each other was by writing letters back and forth. We’re talking about pages and pages of words. It got to be a competition at one point, and we still have a few of those letters from when we were younger somewhere in storage.
That is one of the reasons that I went back to Yours Truly because, despite setting it down for a few months, I genuinely wanted to read it. And I’m glad that I did.
If you haven’t guessed by now, today’s recommendations all involve letter writing in some way, shape, or form. Enjoy!
Looks Good on Paper by Kilby Blades
One of the few joys in Zuri’s chaotic life is her pen pal from Italy, Alessandro. What she doesn’t know is that Alessandro isn’t actually the one writing her the charming letters; it’s his brother Nico. What initially started out as a way to help his brother quickly changes into something more, leaving Nico in a precarious position, especially when Zuri heads to Italy to meet Alessandro in person…
The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary
When a breakup leaves Tiffy with needing a place to stay, her best option comes from an ad for a flatshare. With Leon being a night-shift worker and Tiffy working the nine-to-five, they will be like ships in the night, which makes it perfect. It also makes face-to-face conversations difficult, so the two begin leaving notes for one another. Soon, they move from roommates to friends to something that neither expected.
And that is all I have for y’all today. I’ll be back in your inboxes on Monday, and in the meantime, you can find me over on Instagram under @pns_bookish_world. Until then, happy reading, and stay hydrated!