Welcome, or welcome back, to the Kissing Books newsletter. I’m PN Hinton, your guide to all things romance-related. Thanks for taking time from your day to give this a read! I hope this newsletter helps to brighten up your day just a little bit more.
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Before we get further, I want to take a moment to comment on the recent development in Romancelandia that saw RWA filing for bankruptcy. What’s enraging is that the RWA is essentially blaming “DEI disputes” as the driving factor for this filing which is complete bullshit. Despite our tendency as romance readers to wear rose-colored glasses, we can all agree that the RWA has always been somewhat problematic. The reason this behavior is biting them in their rear now is because of their refusal to evolve. And, as science class taught us, when something or someone doesn’t evolve with the changing environment around them, they die off. It’s just nature.
I wouldn’t recommend reading most of the articles about this as they are equally as enraging in both title and content. Save your mental health and read this blog post from Smart Bitches, Trashy Books’s Sarah Wendell.
Sorry to start the newsletter off on that foot but I couldn’t not mention it. Let’s move on to happier things, shall we?
Bookish Goods
It’s a Good Day To Read Romance Tote by LoveBooksStudioShop
One of the reasons I equate tote bags with summer is because they are great for library hauls. Growing up, the librarians always loved seeing my sister and me walk in ready to fill our bags with books to read. And the statement here is always true. The price for this tote ranges from $18 – $25 depending on size.
New Releases
Pardon My Frenchie by Farrah Rochon
Between managing her doggie daycare and caring for her twin sisters, Ashanti has her hands full. When the antics of her French bulldog and their poodle bestie go viral, it only adds to the chaos but has the added benefit of giving her business a social media boost. When Thad, the new and grumpy owner of Puddin’ the poodle, pulls her out of the daycare, Ashanti is left with enraged followers and a sad Frenchie. In order to keep her fans happy and save her business, Ashanti has to play nice with Thad. But she never expected love to enter the equation.
Looking for a Sign by Susie Dumond
After breaking up with her long-term partner, Gray visits iconic astrologer Madame Nouvelle Lune and finds out that her upcoming twenty-ninth birthday will see Saturn returning to where it was when she was born and bring drastic life changes. Along with her best friend Cherry, Gray decides to date her way through the zodiac wheel in hopes of finding a perfect match before then. This soon proves to be more challenging than Gray anticipated, but she is determined to finish the project and hopefully find the person she wants to spend the rest of her life with. This one is by Book Riot contributor Susie Dumond, author of Queerly Beloved!
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
In a follow-up to the last set of recommendations, we’re going to be highlighting romances that feature plus-sized men because they are deserving of love too. And as fellow Rioter Allison mentioned in this article a few years ago, there is definitely a lack of this type of representation.
Xeni by Rebekah Weatherspoon
When Sable passes away, her death affects her niece Xeni and mentee Mason deeply. While mourning, they learn that Sable has bequeathed something to them both. However, this is on the contingency that they get married. Neither are in a position to refuse what was bequeathed to them and decide to make the best of this fake marriage of necessity. What wasn’t in their plans was actually falling in love.
Amped by Marie Lipscomb
Reluctant rock star Liz has decided to leave Vixen’s Wail to focus on her dream of becoming a massage therapist. When she quite literally runs into Jones, a roadie, backstage at a festival, she decides to have one last ‘rock-star’ experience. She never expected to really get to know the soft man below Jones’s gruff exterior or to fall in love with him.
Small apologies if today’s newsletter title got this song stuck in your head. That’s all I have for y’all this Monday. I’ll be back on Thursday with a fresh newsletter. In the meantime you can always catch up with me over on Instagram under @pns_bookish_world. Until then, happy reading and stay hydrated!