Sponsored by Dreamscape Media.
Luc O’Donnell is tangentially―and reluctantly―famous. His rock-star parents split when he was young, and the father he’s never met spent the next twenty years cruising in and out of rehab. Luc’s back in the public eye, and one compromising photo is enough to ruin everything. To clean up his image, Luc needs the perfect boyfriend, but soon enough, his fake relationship with Oliver Blackwood starts feeling like something more. But the thing about fake-dating is that it can feel a lot like real-dating. And that’s when you get used to someone…start falling for them…don’t ever want to let them go.
Do you know what’s nice about Kissing Books? I can keep track of Mondays and Thursdays, at least! And I have to go to a M-F dayjob. Still don’t know what’s going on unless I’m writing this lovely missive to you fine people.
Oh hey, I know there have been plenty of thinly-veiled #stucky romances out there, but anybody got any recs for a period romance with a snarky genius engineer and the vaguely wholesome smartass superhero he provides tech support for? Because I have recently realized that’s a thing I ship. But only in an alternate reality where the Valkyrie doesn’t go down 😉
(And if you didn’t get any of that…it’s okay, I’m an odd duck.)
(I *might* have Captain America on in the background as I write this.)
News and Useful Links
The author known as Sorcha Rowan “came out” (blech) as a cis male author last week. The writer of lesbian erotica used the “own voices” tag when writing and also admitted to some very bad behavior, including sexting readers using his Sorcha Rowan persona. The author has since taken down his site and deleted his various accounts.
Alexis Daria’s upcoming book You Had Me At Hola has been chosen as Target’s Diverse Book Club Pick for August.
So the conversation has started for Alyssa Cole’s upcoming debut thriller When No One Is Watching (out September 1) and you can read the first chapter on Buzzfeed. For anyone who is unsure—it’s damn good. And there’s still a romantic element—it’s just not at the center, so this leans more thrillery than romantic suspense.
If you don’t listen to any other Fated Mates episodes, listen to this one.
Dimple and Rishi are coming to our screens! (No date that I know of, but it exists!)
Have you felt like you can’t keep up with all of the romance virtual book events? This amazing person has created a Google calendar, which is getting regularly updated.
Have you watched The Old Guard? This person thinks romance fans will love it.
I mentioned it on Thursday, but in case you missed it, Daniel Dae Kim is set to produce and star in the adaptation of Jayci Lee’s A Sweet Mess!
Get your tickets for Avon’s Bookstore Romance Day virtual event!
This is only vaguely romance related, but still.
Deals
Adriana Anders’ Whiteout is on sale at the perfect time. It’s super hot, so why not go on an adventure in Antarctica, right? Hate to love, forced proximity, grumpy/sunshine, folks on the run, and snow. What more could a romantic suspense reader want, amirite? Pick this one up for 1.99, then check out Anders’ very different but similarly compelling Blank Canvas series.
Recs!
I’ve been playing a bit of catch-up with recent releases, and I was happy to curl up with a recent release that I think is the final book in the Beards and Bondage series. The shared universe is still going strong as long as there are single (or looking) people in the extended group of friends and family that we were introduced to several years ago with Fit.
(Also, here’s a great interview with Rebekah from last week)
Harbor: Beards and Bondage
Rebekah Weatherspoon
If you have read any of the Beards and Bondage books, you know they always start with an element of trauma. This is not Rafe or even Xeni levels of joyousness. So yeah: CONTENT WARNINGS UP THE WAZOO.
The first time Brooklyn meets Vaughn, it’s at her fiance’s funeral. Said fiance had been murdered while sleeping with one of Vaughn’s partners. Vaughn and his other partner, Shaw, are coping with her death (and the discovery of her cheating) in different ways, and Vaughn’s included seeking Brooklyn out. When the three meet all together, there’s an instant connection, but it’s too soon. A rash decision several months later brings them together again, but the trauma is still there, and they each have to deal with their own stuff in order to move forward. That doesn’t mean the sex isn’t hot. And they have a lot of it. With ropes. And other things.
CW: offpage violent death of partners; discussion of stalking and murder-suicide; BDSM scenes including D/s elements, rope play, orgasm denial, and paddling; homophobia; polyamphobia? Is that a word?; harassment by law enforcement; discussion of pregnancy and unprotected sex
What are you reading this week?
As usual, catch me on Twitter @jessisreading or Instagram @jess_is_reading, or send me an email at wheninromance@bookriot.com if you’ve got feedback, bookrecs, or just want to say hi!