Hello and welcome (back) to the Kissing Books newsletter. I’m PN Hinton, and I’ll be your guide through the rollercoaster world of romance. I hope that your weekend was great. My Book Club had our annual Book-mas party and, as always, it was a great time. We always have too much food, so no one leaves hungry, which is always a good sign!
It’s also Winter Break for the Teenager which is awesome. He has some much needed dental work scheduled for Wednesday, which is less than for sure. Since he has a history of anxiety with dental work, he is going under anesthesia. He’s been under before but this is the first time he will likely remember it. So, if you could send some well wishes towards my not-quite-so-little-anymore-guy, I’d appreciate it.
Guess what y’all? It’s time for the 2023 Read Harder Challenge! This is the ninth year Book Riot has done this challenge and we love that we’re still able to help you push your reading limits! Click here to sign up to receive newsletters tailored to each prompt and recommendations for books to tackle all 24 tasks from some of our writers.
Bookish Goods
All I Want for Christmas is Smut Tumbler by EdgyPhoenixDesignz
I’ll be honest, I don’t enjoy the earworm that gets stuck in my head, as I do not love that song. But I do love this cup and how honest it is. Plus, it’s festive and upfront about one’s love of smut, two things that I appreciate. If you’re wanting to add this to your reusable cup collection, cause let’s be honest we all have at least five, it can be yours for just $25
New Releases
A Betrayed Kind of Love by Adesuwa O’man Nwokedi
Alero and Bonjua were high school sweethearts that seemed destined to stay together forever. That is until their relationship crumbles, leaving Alero’s reputation and heart shattered. When the opportunity to get revenge on him comes at their 20-year high school reunion, she is determined to take it. But they will soon both discover why they say that the line between love and hate is thin.
My Holiday Love by Reba Bale
When Ashley finds herself in sudden and desperate need of a new roommate, she takes a chance on Hannah, the new barista at the local coffee shop. Even though they’re as different as night and day, the two hit it off and end up spending Christmas together at home. This leads to an eggnog infused kiss and leaves both women wondering do they want to be just roommates or more?
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
I really gravitated towards Sapphic romances a lot this year. A good number of the romances I read were ones where one or both of the romantic parties involved identified as something other than straight, which still makes them a non-heterosexual couple. Because, as we all know, even if someone is in a “straight passing” relationship, they are in no way any less queer. But by far the WLW books took the cake.
That leads to today’s recommendations: some of my favorite WLW books that were published and that I read this year. Rather than give a synopsis, I’m going to say what made these books stand out to me after a year of reading.
D’Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding by Chencia C. Higgings
I know I recommended this earlier this year, but it’s worthy of being recommended all the time. I loved this book and devoured it because I felt that D’Vaughn and Kris balanced each other well. I loved watching them fall in love with each other.
The Romance Recipe by Ruby Barrett
Amy and Sophie made me swoon in more ways than one. Their chemistry practically sizzled off the page and the way they stuck up for each other, even when they were mad at each other, warmed my heart. Just wonderful!
Calling the Shots by Kelly Farmer
Okay, so this one may seem like cheating since it was just released, but I stand by it. While I enjoyed all the books in the Out on the Ice series, this was my favorite, likely because I saw a lot of myself in Tierney. I enjoyed seeing her and Regan go toe-to-toe on everything, all the while falling in love.
And here are some exciting LGBTQ+ books headed our way in the new year!
That’s all for today, but don’t worry. Thursday will bring a fresh newsletter to your inbox. And, if you want to see snippets of me before then, I can be found posting on Twitter under @PScribe801. Until then, happy reading and stay warm and hydrated!