Greetings and salutations! Welcome, or welcome back, to the Kissing Books newsletter. I’m PN Hinton, here to give you the rundown on the world of romance, including new releases, recommendations, and other entertaining ways to pass your time.
We’re in the first full week of November (hence the newsletter title), which means that 2024 can be seen on the not-too-distant horizon. Seriously, it’s only nine weeks away, which boggles my mind. I’m going to try my hardest to not focus too much on that or the associated busyness that will be crammed into those weeks.
Instead, I will do what I always do, which is focus on book goals. Which for this month is to try — seriously try — to play catch-up on all that I’ve purchased this year.
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Bookish Goods
Fade to Black Happens Bookmark by Fictitiously
I mean…it’s not wrong. A very elegant and discreet bookmark that is perfect for all romance readers, even if this may not be their favorite or go-to type of romance novels. Priced at $4
New Releases
Fancy Meeting You Here by Julie Tieu
All of Elise’s friends are getting married around the same time. While this is great for her florist business, it is also stressful since they all also want her to be a bridesmaid. When she hires grumpy Ben to help cater Rebecca’s wedding, she discovers that he is her friend’s estranged younger brother. As they work together, an attraction develops, but when a complication with Rebecca’s high-profile wedding pops up, Elise has to decide if she is willing to do what it takes for her own HEA.
A Common Bond by T.M. Kuta
Carneline is a project manager who is known for her stoic demeanor and attitude. That is why her father trusts her with their first project in Clover Hill, where she is put into direct contact with the sunshiny Josie. As the lead on the construction site, Josie is intrigued by Carneline and becomes determined to break through the other woman’s walls. And when mechanic compilations lead to the two of them being in close quarters, the inevitable happens, which leaves the two women unsure of how to proceed both professionally and personally.
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
On last week’s episode of the When in Romance podcast, Trish and Jess discussed this video from Jessen Reads Romance about spiciness in romances and how important it may or may not be. Be sure to give both a listen, although hopefully, you’re already a regular listener of WIR, because there’s a lot of good food for thought there. Both got me thinking of my own opinion on it.
I’ve said before that, for the most part, I don’t care about the level of spice in a romance. And that is true. Do I like to know the level going in? Absolutely; I’ve even gone so far as to make my own personal rating system. But that is a personal preference and a courtesy that I tend to extend to others.
However, much as sex doesn’t make a relationship, it doesn’t make a romance novel. The love story does. And, honestly, if there is too much sex in a romance novel with a noticeable lack of relationship development, it will leave me (pardon the phrasing) wanting. I have read at least one book this year where I felt there was too much on-the-page sex.
That said, my recommendations today are in consideration of those who may prefer low steam, off the pages, or very few sex scenes on the page. Because, after all, when it comes to romance, the one thing we all yearn for is an HEA.
Forbidden by Beverly Jenkins
In search of a new life, Eddy heads West and, through a series of circumstances, gets stuck in Nevada. She vows to stay there only until she saves up enough money working for Rhine to continue on to California. Despite her best intentions, she finds herself drawn to the handsome man but knows they can never be. What she doesn’t know is that Rhine has spent most of his life passing for white, but the draw he feels to Eddy is causing him to wonder if he wants to continue the charade any longer. This is a very slow burn with one on-the-page scene that comes at the end of the novel.
Calling the Shots by Kelly Farmer
Regan may be retired from being on the ice, but her love of hockey lands her a job as the couch for the Boston Ice. This places her in direct opposition to one-time hook-up and now rival Tierney, who is the coach for the New York Lady Libertys. As the two teams face off, both women quickly realize that the embers of their fling are still simmering and wonder if they can be professional enough to have completely separate relationships both on and off the ice. This is one where everything is off the pages, but the tension build-up is quite delightful.
And that’s all for this Monday morning. I’ll be back in your inboxes on Thursday, and in the meantime, you can still find me over on the bird app under @PScribe801. Until then, happy reading and stay hydrated.