Welcome to the Kissing Books newsletter. If you’re a regular reader, I’m glad to see you again. Or, 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.
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!
As of this writing, my happy thought is that I have some book mail headed my way! I ordered the special edition of At First Spite by Olivia Dade from Love’s Sweet Arrow last year to get the “throwback” cover ’cause the FOMO was real. And the level of excitement I felt when I got the official shipping email was unquantifiable. Regardless of whether it’s a surprise or expected, book mail always inspires joy, and we could all use more of that given the current state of the world.
Bookish Goods
Rainy Day Reads Candle by AARKAORIGINS
Even if I’m not always a fan of rainy days, I do love the sound and smell of rain. So this would be perfect for me on those days where I allow myself to be lazy and sit down and read, since the smell of this candle would make for a calming and relaxing environment. $11.00
New Releases
Sex, Lies, and Sensibility by Nikki Payne
After her father’s death, Nora is shocked to discover that she has a secret sibling. She’s even more put out to discover that all that’s been left to them is a rustic inn which they will need to have up and running by Labor Day, or else they will lose it. While renovating the inn, she meets Bear, who figures these “city girls” will give up quickly. But when he sees that Nora has more strength in her than he thought, he begins to feel things he thought he had long laid to rest.
How You Get the Girl by Anita Kelly
High school basketball coach, Julie, is starstruck when she finds out that the foster parent of her newest player is Elle, an ex-WNBA player and Julie’s celebrity crush. And, somehow, Julie has managed to convince her to be her assistant coach. In addition to helping her coach the players on the court, Elle also agrees to help Julie overcome her avoidance of dating. But of course, it isn’t too long before the friends and co-coaches find themselves developing romantic feelings for one another.
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
Today’s recommendations are designed to help out those who are trying to do the Read Harder Challenge this year. To be honest, I don’t think I am going to be able to help with all of them, but I certainly can help with the prompt for reading a romance with neurodiverse characters.
The Bride Test by Helen Hoang
Esme is given what she thinks is the opportunity of a lifetime when Khai’s mom takes her from Ho Chi Minh City to the US to be a prospective bride for the man. Khai, believing he is incapable of feeling, has no interest in this relationship, something he makes clear to Esme when she’s moved in. Soon, the close quarters lead to the two interacting more, and real feelings begin to develop. But in order for their romance to be a success, Khai first has to reconcile with the fact that he may have been wrong about his ability to feel emotions.
An Unseen Attraction by K.J. Charles
Lodging keeper Clem and tenant Rowley enjoy the quiet friendship that they’ve developed in the time since the latter started renting from the former. But when the two are trying to determine whether they want to move to a romantic relationship, the corpse of another lodger is found on the front doorstep. Soon, the two are rushing to find out who did the deed before they are the next to be murdered, while still trying to determine what comes next for them.
Pick a rom-com and find out which non-Plastics Mean Girls character you are.
And that is all I have for you this fine Monday. I’ll be back in your inboxes on Thursday with a fresh newsletter, and in the meantime, you can find me posting over on Instagram under @pns_bookish_world. Until then, happy reading and stay hydrated.