Author: P.N. Hinton

Hey y’all, welcome to the Kissing Books newsletter. I hope your spirit is doing well. I’m PN Hinton, your guide through the world of romance and the roller coaster ride that it can be. If it is your first time here, welcome and if you’re a regular reader welcome back. 

I forgot to mention last time one of the gifts that literally made me squeal out loud when I opened it. My spouse got me one of those Qwerkywriter keyboards that’s designed to look like a typewriter. It has both wireless and USB capability which means it can be used on my laptop or my tablet. Whether it’s for my day job or writing this newsletter and/or articles, I can use it almost all the time. And it also sounds like a typewriter. I very much feel like Snoopy when he was writing his story on top of his doghouse. 

I’m still reading How to Marry Keanu Reeves in 90 Days as well as making my way through The Thursday Murder Club for my book club pick.

Romance Reflection:

When I read this tweet, I rolled my eyes so hard that I seriously thought they would legitimately get stuck in the back of my head. Really guy? You woke up that day and chose stupidity by reaching out to someone you knew only on a surface level in high school (clearly not a friend) and thought that your infantile, misogynistic, patriarchal way of thinking would matter to someone who’s career this is?

I wonder what it’s like to actually have that level of audacity.

Seriously, though, why? Just why? There was absolutely no need for this. your opinion is neither required or desired. That’s a ‘hot take’ you’re welcome to keep to yourself, especially because I’m sure it’s something she’s heard before from people she chooses to keep close to her, let alone some random guy who was somewhere in her social sphere for just four years sometime ago.

I’ll never understand the need for almost perfect strangers to provide you with their thoughts on how you live your life, especially when it comes to romance writers and their chosen vocation. Some of them don’t even care what their blood family thinks about how they make their money. But you, little random person that they knew oh-so-many years ago and just happened to be in the same graduating class with? It is your dismissal of the genre and the people who write and read them that is going to make them change their career course? Please. 

And also remember the old adage that it is better to be quiet and thought to be a fool than to speak and be known as one.

Around the Web in Romance:

The more I look at this image, the more I am on the same wavelength. That grip though…

This is an entire mood. Let’s stop this type of gatekeeping, okay? Just because there was little to no representation in your grandmother’s romances, which by extension may be what you grew up with, doesn’t mean that these authors aren’t doing thorough research. People other than white cis-gendered people did exist in the past and once everybody gets use to that, the better off we’ll be.

A new book series based around brothers who are also ghost investigators? Yes please.

Not sure how I missed this last November, but I’m rectifying it today by boosting this book now.

Soon there will be another all romance bookstore in the United States. Meet Cute is scheduled to open up this April in Mesa, California. I love that there are three now and am crossing all my digits that the next one will be closer to me.

Next month, a Black Romance Master Class focused on Beverly Jenkin’s Indigo will be taking place. This is very exciting especially since this book was mentioned here for being one of the most influential romance novels of the last century. Here is the tweet that announced this event, along with a way to sign up for the event:

Loving this animated cover for Count Your Lucky Stars, one of my most anticipated upcoming reads this year. I can’t wait to read Margot’s story!

Harlequin has also recently come out with their own 2022 Reading Challenge.

Here are some of the exciting romances we have to look forward to this year.

And another round-up of other books that will be headed our way soon. While there is some overlap it is very minimal; I checked.

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!

New Releases:

Speaking of new releases, here are some of the new releases that should be hitting the shelves this week. Per the possible new normal though, due to supply issues these were the dates showing as of the writing of this newsletter and may be subject to change.

Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Solomon (1/11)

The Siren Sussex  by Mimi Matthews (1/11)

Face the Fire by Michele Sims (1/11)

His Curvy Craving by Mary E Thompason (1/11)

Obsessed by Natalie Night (1/12)

Roommate Arrangement by Saxon James (1/12)

The Great Charade by Gerri Hill (1/13)

Fire by Hattie Jacks (1/13)

Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score (1/13)

Maximus by Stella Rainbow (1/14)

One Night Only by Elise Marion (1/14)

Strings Attached by Riley Hart (1/14)

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And that’s all I have for y’all today. If you’re not already doing so, feel free to give me a follow over on Twitter under @PScribe801. Until then stay safe, drink your water, stay healthy, and remember to make time for you.

Hey y’all, welcome to the Kissing Books newsletter. I hope your spirit is doing well. I’m PN Hinton, your guide through the world of romance and the roller coaster ride that it can be. If it is your first time here, welcome, and if you’re a regular reader, welcome back. 

I hope that, whatever and wherever you were, that your NYE was nice and relaxing. I ended up staying in with my family relaxing and watching Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Years Eve with Ryan Secrest. So, we saw the ball drop in two other time zones before it was for our turn. This did throw the teenager a bit, but he was happy to enjoy a bit of apple cider at midnight. All around, low-key and what I needed.

My current romance read is How to Marry Keanu Reeves in 90 Days. One thing that is bringing me joy right now is Encanto’s “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”. That song is a lyrically genius bop. If it doesn’t get some kind of movie award, I will be very shocked and upset. 

Romance Reflection

Earlier this week, Amazon took down Ruby Dixon’s Ice Planet Barbarians series. The reason was because her books were available on pirating sites which was stupid, because it’s not like she put it up there. This is something that was beyond her control. While it really stinks that they’re not doing their homework or trying to get the pirated sites taken down, we also need to do our part to stop this from happening.

Look, I understand not being able to afford books. But pirating isn’t the answer and is harmful. It sucks that Ruby started the new year off with this fight. If you can’t afford to buy it, get it from the library, borrow from a friend, or ask for it as a gift. I’m a huge proponent of libraries anyways, so that is always my go to. There are other ways to read your favorite authors and still support them at the same time.

Book Riot Romance

Do you love a good pining romance? If so, Isabelle has you covered with this list.

If you’re a big fan of reality TV and romance, then some of the books Jess mentions here will likely make their way to your TBR.

Alison put together a list of the 20 most influential romance reads of the century. Discuss!

Around the Web in Romance

Romance writer Jae came out with a new Sapphic Book Bingo Card for 2022 if you want to play along.

In a change of pace from the norm, here’s a romance positive article all about the lovely Talia Hibbert.

And if fake dating is one of your preferred tropes, like me, check out this round-up to see if you can find any new books to pick up.

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!

Recommendations

Before we get to the New Year’s Eve romances I promised last time, I want to give a heads up on a change I’ll be making this year. When I took over the newsletter, my goal was to have new releases and deals happened on Monday and recommendations on Thursday. However, it’s been tricky coming up with a new theme along with three different books each week. And I know multiple books got repeated.

This year, I’m going to change how recommendations work. Don’t worry! I’ll still give them weekly! But, there may not always be a set theme for the group of books being recommended. In addition to themes, I’ll be making recommendations for any challenges I’ve mentioned, such as Jae’s above, as well as Book Riot’s own Read Harder.

Again, I want to reiterate the recommendations will still be a weekly thing. But there will be some changes that go into how they are selected weekly.

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And that’s all I have for you today. I’ll be back Monday with more news from the romance world and some new releases. If you’re not already, give me a follow on Twitter under @PScribe801. Until next time, happy reading.

Hey y’all, I hope your spirit is doing well today! I’m PN Hinton, host of the Kissing Books newsletter and guide through the world of romance and the roller coaster ride that it can be. If it is your first time here, welcome and if you’re a regular reader welcome back. 

Due to how the newsletters worked with the holidays, I am writing to you from the past. Insert appropriate ghostly noise here. I have no idea how my Christmas turned out although I am hoping it was decent. I made plans to go to dinner with my sister, just us girls, at a new-to-us place for lobster rolls. While that may not be typical holiday food fare, I am eager to try it. I’ll be sure to update you how it was with the newsletter that will get sent out Thursday when I’m more in the know. 

Romance Reflection

My reflection today is that of how my love of romance has grown since writing this newsletter. Honestly, I didn’t think I could love it even more; so even I’m a bit surprised at that reflection. Prior to taking over for Jess, I was part of the community, but not as fully integrated as I have become since part of my task is diving into the various social media sites to find out the hot button news. 

We are a great community to be in. We pull together and help our fellow members whenever they face a rough patch in life, as evidenced in the multiple fundraisers they helped to kick off and support. Whether it’s for a country in need, as with Haiti, or a romance author who just needed a pick me up, such as with Chencia, we’re there when that flare for help goes up. And that isn’t something that I have seen as much in other genres. 

I was also surprised about how hard it was for people outside the community to get that in order to be a romance novel there had to be a happily ever after. Otherwise it’s just a novel with a romantic theme. I’m not exaggerating when I say it felt like this argument got made every other week to the point where I felt it was redundant to bring it up as more than just a passing, “Oh, so this happened again.” The disparagement grated, as did the belittlement. 

Do we as a community know that in real life you don’t always get the happily ever after? Certainly; if nothing else the last two years have taught us that. However, it doesn’t mean that we can’t enjoy them in our books. That’s one of the many reasons that I read romance and why this is a hill I will always die on. 

I also personally would not have expected to have Monster Romance on my Bingo card but that happened. No judgement clearly! It was still surprising. 

Overall, this has been quite the journey for me. But I did enjoy it and look forward to the future and what it will bring me. Thank you for inviting me into your inboxes and sticking with me. There were many times during the last year where when someone would post a screenshot from the newsletter and tag me in their post, it helped to boost my day up just a little bit. I look forward to our journey together over the next year!

Around the Web in Romance

Speaking of romances and HEAs, this tweet made me cheer. I love how all the naysayers of HEAs in romance always throw Sparks’ name into the mix and even he is like “Not a romance writer.” So y’all may want to stop using him in your (futile) arguments against HEAs.

Another year, another round of RWA resignations. By now, this seems to be par for the course for December.

I was glad to see this bit of news regarding backlists of old school romances that demeaned Indigenous People. Hopefully by the time this is posted it will be all of them.

If you’re looking for romance novels with good mental health representation, here is a good place to start from.

While I typically see eye to eye with Tessa Dare, I do not here. I’ve had some good Turkish Delight. I wouldn’t have sold out my siblings, mind you, but I’m honest enough to admit I may have strongly considered it.

And here are some of the eagerly anticipated romances headed our way in the next part of winter.

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!

New Releases

Since there was no newsletter last week, I missed the new releases then. That said, since it was in between the holidays, there may have been a small number to begin with. I will include a few below though if I can.

A Scoundrel of Her Own by Stacy Reid (12/28/21)

Proper Scoundrels by Allie Therin (12/28/21)

Digging Up Love by Chandra Blumberg (1/1/22)

The Tiger’s Fake Date by Sophie Stern (1/1/22)

On the Sweet Side by Audrey Carlan (1/4/22)

My Rock Star Assistant by Reba Bale (1/5/22)

One Christmas Wish by Brenda Jackson (1/5/22)

Clueless Romeo by Baylin Crew (1/5/22)

Kiss and Cry by Keira Andrews (1/6//22)

The Right Time by Niomie Roland (1/6/22)

Matchmaking Mischief by A.R Casella and Denise Grover Swank (1/6/22)

Mountain Topped by K.M. Neuhold and Mia Monroe (1/7/22)

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And that is all for today. I’ll be back on Thursday with some New Year’s Eve romance recommendations, since I missed out on recommending those last week. Better late than never, right? Until then you can follow me on Twitter under @PScribe801.

Welcome to the Kissing Books newsletter. I hope your spirit is doing well.  I’m P.N. Hinton, your companion through the world of romance. Whether this is your first time or you’re a regular, I’m glad to have y’all here.

So, last week, I decided to treat myself and get a week-long wine advent calendar. The reason it was only a week was because I didn’t even know about them until eight days into December and, while the idea of playing catch up seemed fun, I also had trouble finding one that could be delivered. Next year, though I’m going to plan ahead for the bigger box.

I finished Hang the Moon this week and also saw Love Hard which, while mostly okay, I didn’t enjoy as much as Single All the Way.

Romance Reflection

Since this is the last Kissing Books newsletter of the year, I’m switching things up with a quick non-romance reflection. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve which can be daunting for many reasons. It’s interesting how the excitement of that day has changed as I’ve gotten older. As a kid, you’re practically shaking with excitement knowing that Santa Claus will be headed your way later that night and that you get to open all the presents that have been teasing you from underneath the tree. You make sure to leave cookies for Santa (and apparently in some areas, carrots for his reindeer) and try to stay awake to hear him on the roof.

Now, as an adult and/or the parent who stays awake until well after midnight putting together gifts, the magic may not feel like it’s there anymore. That can be a bitter pill to swallow, especially due to the events of the few years.

But the magic is still there. The difference is instead of being the magic receiver, you’re the magic giver. You help to contribute to the squeals of joy Christmas morning. I remember the joy on my niece’s face when she saw her Ariel kitchen when she was much younger, and my son a few years ago when he got his first bike. For me, those moments of pure unadulterated joy more than make up for the long nights and stress of holiday shopping. 

Book Riot Romance

Here are some New Year’s Eve romance recommendations, courtesy of Rioter Carolina. (Keep eye out for my own recs the first week of January).

I don’t know about y’all, but Jessica’s romance bookstore/coffee shop sure sounds tempting. (insert ‘I want to go to the there’ Tina Fey gif)

Around the Web in Romance

Here’s Buzzfeed’s list for the Best Romances of 2021.

Noted activist and feminist bell hooks, who sadly passed away last week, was a huge fan of romance and read two Harlequin novels a day.

Okay this is sweet. Like this is really, really sweet.

Here are 16 African romance novels that will surely spark joy.

Here we go again with this old chestnut. The thread on it is very groan-inducing so be forewarned. That said, the one thing that did give me pause was the OP going, “My friends who love romance read it and didn’t say anything about it not being romance” to which I say either your friends aren’t true romance readers or you have crappy friends because they didn’t prepare you for this blowback.

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!

Recommendations

Sunday is the first day of Kwanzaa, which is a holiday that originated in America and is now observed in many different locations. I wrote this article on books about Kwanzaa earlier this month for Book Riot if you want to give it a read and there are a few recommendations as well.

That said, you’ll notice that romances were not included, which is something I will make up for here. While Kwanzaa romances, like Hanukkah ones, may not be as well-known or widespread as Christmas ones, they are still out there to be had. And here are a few that may spark your interest to read over the course of next week.

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And that’s all I have for you. Whether you observe Christmas, Kwanzaa, both, or neither, I hope that this weeked is amazing for you. I will be back Monday with your latest romance news and, while I don’t know how much I’ll be tweeting over the holiday weekend, you can always give me a follow under @PScribe801. Until next week!

Welcome to the Kissing Books newsletter. I hope your spirit is doing well.  I’m P.N. Hinton, your companion through the world of romance. Whether this is your first time or you’re a regular, I’m glad to have y’all here.

It’s Christmas week! I am almost all done with shopping (stocking stuffers still need to be picked up) but for the most part I’m done. In addition to not wanting to go broke, I have to remind myself that my anniversary is right after the first of the year, as is my partner’s birthday. Then my son’s is in February. So, I don’t have to cram all the gifts into one day and have room to spread it out. 

I finished Her Pretend Christmas Date and loved it! Perfect kind of hero for me. Stoic and stodgy on the outside with hidden sexy layers. *fans self* I started One Bed for Christmas to get that set of novellas finished up.

Romance Reflection

This AITA post caused quite a kerfuffle on Twitter and with good reason. Essentially a woman got another woman in an office Secret Santa and, even though she stated she read romance and listed the books she wanted as possible gift ideas, the OP ‘branched off’ and got her a Brian Sanderson book. Nothing against Sanderson, at all but…it’s the blatant all around disrespect for me y’all.

Like, come on. She wrote down the specific books she wanted to get. It would have been so much simpler to just get her one of those. The fact that the OP found them ‘boring’ or ‘hum drum’ is irrelevant because guess what? The gift was not for them! It’s for someone else and she was specific about what she wanted. But nooooo because the OP felt ‘cringe’ buying romance novels for whatever patriarchal and internal misogynistic reason, they went and bought her a book in a genre that, frankly, is historically way more problematic than romance.

And the fact that she called the books she listed ‘normal’ because they weren’t Harlequin and/or didn’t have Fabio on the cover? Jesus wept. Get with the times.

So, yes ma’am, you are in fact the asshole here. Your recipient told you what books to give her, which, might I add, is impressive. Because if a family member asked me right now what book I wanted for Christmas, I would short circuit and blank out. The name of the game is Secret Santa and Santa gets you what is on your list. Don’t branch out. Stick to the list. 

That said, I do feel the recipient needs a brush up in etiquette as well. I understand being disappointed, but she shouldn’t have blasted the gift in the office break room because Murphy’s Law dictates that the person you’re bashing will hear you. That’s what the Squad Chat thread is for. And, while I totally get her re-gifting the items she got (because honestly she could have just thrown them away), she should have done it off the property. Don’t get me wrong; the OP was in the wrong all the way. But the recipient also could have handled her disappointment better.

Book Riot Romance

Now, if you have someone in your life who is specifically asking for some fantasy romances, Rioter Isabelle for some gift ideas for you.

You can also check out this list of diverse holiday romances from Rioter Silvana.

And yours truly wrote this piece on some snowed-in romance recommendations.

Be sure to enter our Giveaway for a Christmas Romance Reading Pack.

There’s also this one for a Personal Reading Retreat.

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!

Around the Web in Romance

I chuckled at the thoughts this writer had while watching The Hating Game because I had the same ones while reading the books.

There’s also this reader’s thoughts while reading Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone.

Take this fun quiz to find out the first initial of your soulmate. And if you’re already in a committed relationship like me, take it to see how accurate it is. Mine actually got the initial so that was interesting.

Check out some of these new romance recommendations from author Olivia Waite.

Here’s the cover reveal for Roan Parrish’s first rom-com, The Holiday Trap, slated for release next September. ‘The Holiday, but make it gay’? Yes please.

Click here to get read about the upcoming Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum film. She plays a reclusive romance novelist and he’s her cover model. While on tour promoting her latest book, they get kidnapped by an eccentric billionaire played by Daniel Radcliffe to help find the lost treasure from her latest novel. Does it sound similar to Romancing the Stone? Maybe a bit. But I loved that movie, I love Sandra and Channing, and I would love to see Daniel play a villain. So I’m all in.

New Releases

Here are some of the new releases hitting the digital and virtual shelves this week. As per the current norm, the dates listed were the ones showing as of the writing of this newsletter.

Five Mistletoe Moments by Sheryl Lister * (12/20) 

A Man for the Holidays by J.O Mantel (12/20)

Four Stocking Stuffers by Kelsey Green * (12/21) 

His Boy to Treasure by Susan Hawke (12/21)

Pirates of Aletharia by Britney Jackson (12/21)

Not Alone on Christmas by D.M. Winters (12/21)

Destination Wedding by Sean Michael (12/21)

Saving the Omega’s Christmas by GS Holmes (12/21)

Three Sexy Elves by Angela Seals * (12/22) 

Two Dirty Santas by Sherelle Green * (12/23) 

One Snowy Seduction by A.C. Arthur * (12/24) 

Happy Cat Box Set by Lili Valente and Pippa Grant (12/26) – you get five novellas in one with this set!

* these are the last in the Baes of Christmas novella series. 

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That’s all for today friends. I’ll be back on Thursday with more updates form the Romance world as well as some Kwanzaa romance recommendations. Until then, you can follow me on Twitter under @PScribe801. Have a wonderful week!

Welcome to the Kissing Books newsletter. I hope your spirit is doing well.  I’m P.N. Hinton, your companion through the world of romance. Whether this is your first time or you’re a regular, I’m glad to have y’all here.

So, I saw West Side Story with my sister this last weekend and I enjoyed it. Don’t get me wrong; the original will always have the top spot in my heart, but I can appreciate this version on its own. There were some changes done that I feel made sense for today’s audiences, even though the setting was still the late 50’s. I also really enjoyed that they didn’t change the songs musicality wise, apart from who sang them.

I also finished Kobo exclusive The Mistletoe Motive which I found delightfully sweet and would recommend. The app is free to download and if you’re going to download it to buy that you may as well purchase Wrapped Up in You, Talia Hibbert’s exclusive release from last year.

Romance Reflection

When perusing the internet to find a topic to talk about, I saw a tweet that caught my eye. And the reason it caught my eye is that it uses a term that I’ve always disliked: “clean romance.” 

The connotation there is that any romance with sex in it is dirty which by extension makes the act the same. As a woman who grew up during a time where the purity culture was intense, girls were inundated with messages about all the various things that made them “dirty;” such as sweating and menstruation. Both of which are biological. Personally, whenever I’m describing these types of books, the term I use is “off the page.” To me it’s more open-ended to the reader’s interpretation of what the couple does in the privacy of their alone time. 

There would be a lot less blowback and/or division in the romance community if we stopped using “clean” to describe romances with no sex in it. The decision on whether or not to have sex is always based on the person. If you want to have all the sex, have it (just be safe and smart). If you don’t want to have sex at all, do you boo because it’s your body, your choice. But please enough with the labels one way or another for books and people.

Book Riot Romance

Be sure to listen to the latest episode of When in Romance to hear Jess and Trisha discuss Sweet Disorder as well as look back on 2021 romance and forward to what will come in 2022.

Last Friday was Retellings Day over on Book Riot, and there were a couple of articles focused on romance. Check out Trisha’s piece on why inclusive and diverse retellings and, by extension, happy endings are fantastic. 

And then Isabelle’s reasoning on why retellings of Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella will never not be a thing.

Around the Web in Romance

Harlequin has their top five reasons to make it a point to read romance around the holiday season.

If you watched The Hating Game this last weekend and can’t get enough of that banter filled with tension, some of these read-alikes may peak your interest.

Recommendations

It’s time for my Christmas romance recommendations! I’ve been using these romances to help me not be a Grinch during the month because the holidays are rough for me, like they are with others. This has been especially true the last couple of years and honestly that is even before Covid was a thing. Reading these books always helps to keep my heart from shrinking to be three sizes too small though so I keep at it. Because if it ain’t broke…

And with that onto my recommendations for Christmas romances!

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!

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And that’s all for this week. I’ll be back next Monday with the latest round up in romance news and tidbits. If you’re not following me already I can be found on Twitter under @Pscirbe801. Have a wonderful weekend!

Welcome to the Kissing Books newsletter. I hope your spirit is doing well.  I’m P.N. Hinton, your companion through the world of romance. Whether this is your first time or you’re a regular, I’m glad to have y’all here.

Y’all! I watched my first holiday romance of the season! It was Single All the Way on Netflix. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it was great. Attempted fake dating, friends to lovers, and ‘OMG they were roommates’ are just a few of the tropes that are balanced masterfully in this movie. Oh and it was a M/M romance? It was exactly what I needed to kick off the season right. If you haven’t seen it yet, I do recommend it. I think I’m going to try to watch Love Hard next but we will see. 

In holiday tunes, I cannot get enough of Lindsey Stirling’s cover of Carol of the Bells. This is one of my favorite carols anyway but hearing her own spin on it is amazingly ethereal. And that video is winter magic. Props to her for being able to dance while playing. I could barely stand without my whole body shaking whenever I did a solo, let alone bust out some ballet moves.

Romance Reflection

In a recent round-up of the best books of 2021, romance was left out as a genre. Like completely left out; wasn’t even acknowledged. According to the letter that the Romance Novelists’ Association, or RNA, sent to The Sunday Times, the author of said article even questioned if it was a plausible genre in a since deleted tweet. That tweet may be gone, but it was still put out there and as we know, screenshots are forever. So I’m sure someone has evidence of it somewhere.

Pardon me while I get extremely Southern for a bit, but this burns my buttered biscuits. Romance is not for everyone and that’s fine. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Don’t like it? Don’t read it. Trust; if you don’t want to be here in Romancelandia, we don’t want you here.

But what you’re NOT going to do is act like the genre doesn’t exist at all. Not when, again, this genre has often ‘kept the lights on’ in publishing. Not when it’s still one of the highest, if not the top, selling genres regularly. Not when we have Joe and Jolene Schmoe whining about how the romance writing community is ‘gate-keeping’ every other week because we tell them plainly that, without a central love story and HEA or at the very least an HFN, their book is not a romance. Clearly these are people who want in on the romance money without the romance work.

This was a gross misstep not just on the author of the article but the editor, because someone should have caught that an entire genre was skipped over. Just because you don’t like something doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. If the author wasn’t qualified to come up with a list, they should have brought in a co-writer. It’s as simple as that. Because I’m fairly freaking confident that this oversight wouldn’t have happened with any other genre in the literary world.

It is almost 2022. The romance genre isn’t going anywhere. If anything else, with more diverse voices being heard there every day, it’s cementing its place even firmer. It’s here to stay.

Book Riot Romance

Speaking of queer romances, here is a nicely rounded list of a few you can pick up this season, courtesy of Rioter Rachel.

While I had heard the phrase before, I never actually knew that a Tijuana Bible was. So I really appreciated this brief history by Rioter River gave.

In case you missed it, we also posted a trailer for Sleigh Bells on Bread Loaf Mountain.

Not purely romance related, but be sure to sign up for the Read Harder 2022 Newsletter to get recommendations for books to help tackle our yearly challenge.

Around the Web in Romance

For my audiobook lovers, check out this list of Scribd’s Best Romances of 2021.

Check out this list of erotic romances with aftercare paired up with some cozy blankets for said activity.

Here is another nice roundup of holiday romances to read this season.

Take this fun quiz to find out who you’ll end up kissing under the mistletoe. Not sure I agree with my result of a random stranger based on how I’m wired, but I enjoyed the ride!

This granny sounds like an amazing person to know.

New Releases

Here are some of the new releases that should be hitting the shelves this week. That said, the supply issue is still very real and these were the dates that were showing as of the writing of this article. So, some of these dates may be subject to change.

Humbug by Amanda Radley (12/14)

Rebel Without a Claus by Bryce Oakley (12/14)

The Doctor’s Heart by Andrew Grey (12/14)

Christmas is Better With You by Pamela Campbell (12/14)

Ten Christmas Shots by Elle Wright * (12/15) 

Nine Frosty Nights by Kimmie Ferell * (12/16) 

How the Hoyden Won the Duke by Eva Devon (12/16)

Mine at Midnight by Adele Clee (12

Silent Knight by Arden Steele (12/16)

Eight Naughty Notes by Aja * (12/17)

Seven Peppermint Kisses by Tiye Love * (12/18) 

Six Sensual Wishes by Nicole Falls * (12/19)

*These are part of a series subtitled Baes of Christmas and I’m a sucker for novellas released like this. Hence the reason for mentioning each one that will be released before next Monday’s newsletter.

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And that’s all I have for you today. I’ll be back Thursday with more romance news and some Christmas romance recommendations for you. I hope that your time before then treats you well. Until then, give me a follow on Twitter under @PScribe801.

Welcome to the Kissing Books newsletter. I hope your spirit is doing well.  I’m P.N. Hinton, your companion through the world of romance. Whether this is your first time or you’re a regular, I’m glad to have y’all here.

There are four more weeks left in December so hopefully you at least got your shopping started. I’m excited because gifts are starting to come in, including what I have planned for my in-laws that I’m really excited to see their reaction for. I finished The Love Hypothesis and one-third of the There’s Only One Bed At Christmas anthology. Am I counting the novellas individually for my Goodreads challenge? Yes. Yes I am. I am also reading The Mistletoe Motive (which is a Kobo exclusive as a heads up) and finally started Hang the Moon, which was one of my most anticipated reads for 2021. The year we’re still in so I made it and it counts. At least that’s my story. 

Book Riot Romance

Check our Rioter Sarah’s take on censorship in romance and erotica.

Here are a few enemies to lovers recs, courtesy of Rioter Julia.

Around the Web in Romance

This tweet gave me life and laughter this weekend.

I really need someone to write this type of Sapphic love story.

If you’re looking for some K-drama and romance novel pairings, you’re in luck with this list.

Therese Beharrie did the cover reveal for her upcoming 20th title, which is also her last one with Harlequin Romance.

Speaking of covers, check out this reissue of Sarah MacLean’s Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake.

Here’s BookPages Top Romances of 2021.

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!

Recommendations

My goal for my weekly recommendations this month were that they be based on either the holiday that was being observed that week or the upcoming one. Starting off with Hanukkah last week gave me a feeling of confidence that kept me on a high until I realized this week is an outlier. And by that I mean that while I know that there are holidays being observed right now/soon, such as Las Posadas, there are not a lot of romances written around them. So I was left not being sure what to write about. 

Until I remembered that, as mentioned in an earlier newsletter, we are in “Best Of” season and everyone is putting their two shiny pennies into what they felt was the best romance of the year. Which got my brain to pondering: what were some of the romances that I really enjoyed this year that I felt went just under the radar? While they were announced and acknowledged, they didn’t get as much publicity as some others. My hope is that this will draw more eyes to them so that they can be picked up and enjoyed.

Without further delay, here are some of the best underrated romances that I read this year.

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And that is all I have for you today. I’ll be back on Monday with the latest romance news and new releases. If you’re not following me already on Twitter my handle is @Pscribe801. Have a wonderful weekend and I’ll see y’all soon!

Welcome to the Kissing Books newsletter. I hope your spirit is doing well.  I’m P.N. Hinton, your companion through the world of romance. Whether this is your first time or you’re a regular, I’m glad to have y’all here.

I don’t know if I mentioned it in a previous newsletter, but another thing I really dislike about ‘falling back’ an hour is that it gets darker way too early now. This is especially noticeable since I still work remotely because I’ll be sitting in my own little corner (in my own little chair) working and then look up and be like “Why the heck is it so dim in here now? Did my eyesight get worse in the last hour?” Only to realize nope my eyes are still the same level of not great; it’s just the sun starts setting earlier now.

Thanks. I hate it. But such is life. 

I’m currently reading a handful of books in a desperate and likely futile attempt to meet my reading goal for the year; The Love Hypothesis, The Book Boyfriend, and A Second Chance Road Trip for Christmas. This is in addition with a few others I have been working on for weeks. 

Wish me luck. I don’t think I’ll make it but I appreciate the encouragement. 

Romance Reflection

There was a tweet floating around last week, asking why it is embarrassing to tell people that you write romance novels. There were many responses as to how some authors answer that and they ranged from sarcastic, to funny, to honestly blunt. And, while I enjoyed the variety, it did make me more than a bit sad. 

The fact that the original poster felt they had to justify what they do for a living and lie or even hedge around it isn’t cool. I’m not sure if a partner or a friend made her feel that way but it’s something that, again, seems specific to the romance genre. I don’t hear about horror writers or mystery writers skirting around what they do. And honestly no one in any genre should.

I’ve seen the statement that romance keeps the lights on in too many places to feel that the people making said statement are exaggerating. It’s a popular genre. Period. End of discussion. It can be a lucrative career and if anyone gives you guff on it, chances are they’re just jealous because you’re in a position to get paid to do what you love and they may not be. 

Romance authors should be proud of what they do because it still takes quite a bit of skill and craft to write anything, so own it! You are an amazingly creative person and that rocks. And if someone has a problem with it? Tell them they are welcome to take the one way exit out of your life. Because you don’t need that type of negative unsupportive person in your life. At least that’s what I would do because nobody has time for all that judgement from people who claim to care about them. At the end of the day, it’s your job and you’re fortunate enough that it brings you joy. Keep on keepin’ on, my friends. 

Around the Web in Romance

Earlier this year, Julia Quinn’s father and sister were killed in a car crash. She recently announced that their family has established the Steven Cotler ‘60 Fund for the Summer Science Program in his honor. Read more about the fund and donate, if you’re so inclined, to the scholarship. At the time of their deaths she was also working on a graphic version of her novel within a novel featuring Mrs. Butterworth with her sister Violet Charles. She was able to finish the art, thanks to assistance from her other sisters, and that is still planning on being released.

Yet again more proof how much Romancelandia rocks, courtesy of a comment from a Disney Member Services Representative.

While not every book in this list is a romance, enough are that I am comfortable linking it here.

Here is a round-up of December romance reads.

Are you a fan of Beauty and the Beast? Then check out some of the books listed here!

So far we only have Day One but if you TikTok, be sure to check out Chelle Sloan’s 25 Days of Thirstmas!

Take this quiz to find out what role you would be in a rom-com! I’m…the secondary love interest and I HAVE FEELINGS ABOUT THAT!!

You can also take this quiz that attacked me slightly less and pick cookies to find out what underrated holiday movie to watch.

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!

New Releases

Since last Monday’s newsletter was the shopping one, I missed out on the chance to highlight the new releases. So, I’m going to include a few of them in today’s edition along with the some of the new ones this week. Prepare your checkbooks!

Read Between the Lines by Rachel Lacey (12/1)

Gloam by Lily Mayne (12/3)

Baking Spirits Bright by Bryce Oakley (12/3) 

Yours Until Midnight by Jailaa West (12/3) 

Beautiful Submission by Ivy Wild by (12/3) 

Lighting Her Flame by Zariah Night (12/7)

Sundae’s Best by Riley Hart (12/8)

Show Up by Renee Dahlia (12/9)

Western Waves by Brittainy Cherry (12/9) 

The Christmas Manny by Sammi Cee (12/10)

A Sensual Seduction by Serenity King (12/10)

It Happened One Winter by Christi Caldwell (12/10)

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And that’s all I have for you today. I’ll be back Thursday with more romance reflections, news, and recommendations for you. Until then you can give me a follow over on Twitter under @PScribe801. Until then!