Sponsored by Epic Reads.
When Japanese-American teen Nozomi Nagai pictured her ideal summer romance in San Francisco this summer, a fake one wasn’t what she had in mind. A love triangle becomes even messier when fake dating and old flames get involved. This is a queer modern rom-com with depth by award-winning author Misa Sugiura, perfect for fans of To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han!
Hello again, romance readers. I’m PN Hinton, your companion for the world of romance. If you’re new to the Kissing Books newsletter, welcome and enjoy your stay. If you’re a long-time reader, welcome back; it’s good to see you again.
I am not sure what it’s like where you’re at, but I wish the weather here would make up its mind. It’s either raining or hot; there is no in between. While I know that in the long run I’ll be grateful for the rain, I would like to have a nice in-between for scorched or overly saturated earth. The last time it rained this much that I can recall was well over a decade ago. At the time, I was a toddler teacher at a daycare. I swear, it rained at least three times a week all summer. Which meant no outside time for my toddlers because the ground was too wet or it was raining.
And lemme tell you, being stuck in a room with 10 toddlers with cabin fever should be its own layer of hell. It’s times like those you’re grateful for your co-teachers since at least you have a companion on your own preschool version of Dante’s Inferno. Because it is terrifying.
Around the Web in Romance
I don’t know about y’all, but I really enjoyed this visual timeline of the cover changes for Johanna Lindsey’s Tender is the Storm. I find the changes to be a de-evolution; if you’re going to go clinch, go all the way with it.
Author Cameron Lund wrote on some of their favorite romance tropes and recommended a few of her favorites in each one.
I have a confession to make… I’ve never actually seen You’ve Got Mail all the way through. No worries! I’ll fix it soon. In the meantime whether you’re in this boat with me or a long time fan, check out some of these books that give the same vibe.
There’s still time to sign up for this Avon Love Panel event, scheduled for next Friday, the 18th!
Sadly, if not surprisingly, Hallmark recently announced their holiday movie line-up for this year, and none of them feature an LGBTQ+ storyline. Look, personally I enjoyed The Happiest Season. But, it was very light on the actual romance aspect. I would love to see an LGBTQ+ couple fall in love against the backdrop of small town holiday magic. Get with it, y’all.
Recommendations
I spoke earlier on clinch covers and the specific timeline for one of the more popular ones. It’s interesting how they all have changed over time. The fact remains that, whether you love or hate them, clinch covers are an essential facet of romance novel history. Now me? I’m a fan. Fellow contributor Silvana had this to tweet the other day, and I am completely on board with it. Here are some of my favorite clinch covers out there for this week’s recommendation.
Captured by Beverly Jenkins
When he commandeers a British frigate, Privateer Dominic finds himself stowing an unexpected passenger in the form of Claire, an enslaved woman. In a high seas indecent proposal, he offers Claire one passionate night of bliss. While believing him to be just a rogue, Claire agrees to one night, not realizing that it won’t just be one night or lust for the two of them. What I really love about this cover is the slight homage it pays to Johanna Lindsey’s Gentle Rogue. Plus it’s another LeVeq novel, arguably Jenkins’s most popular family out of all her books.
Unmasked by the Marquess by Cat Sebastian
Robert Selby has a secret; she’s actually a housemaid named Charity Church. She took up the persona to help her friend be successful on the marriage market and, once that is done, Robert will disappear forever. At least, that was the plan until Alistair, who is trying to bring honor back to his family name, uncovers Robert’s identity. Together, two of them work to find a resolution that solves both problems, even if it turns out to be different than either planned. That cover though…*fans self*
A Reunion of Rivals by Reese Ryan
In order to get her career back on track, Quinn must team up with ex-lover Max, which is easier said than done when the two keep butting heads on the best business strategy. Both are struggling to forget the heat of their past affair and focus on the needs of the business, but long office hours alone make it easier said than done. The clinch here is amazing with the office set up and desk aspect. This is one that shows that these covers aren’t just intended for historical romance novels.
That’s all for now, friends. I hope you enjoy this upcoming weekend and get a lot of rest, relaxation, rays of the sun variety, and reading done. If you want, give me a follow at Twitter under @PScribe801. See ya Monday!