Category: Kissing Books

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!

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 officially the last month of 2021 and I have no idea how I feel about it. While part of me is somewhat excited to see what 2022 brings, the other part of me remembers being in this same position at the end of 2020. While I feel 2021 was better than 2020, the margin was pretty frickin’ slim, I gotta tell you, personal and worldwide. Still, I suppose I should try to be cautiously optimistic about it all. 

Romance Reflection

Since we’ve officially reached December, I feel it’s appropriate for this reflection. I’ve always found the fascination with winter holidays and romances interesting. It’s not even just a Christmas thing since other romances which feature holidays like Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Diwali are coming out. And, as I’ve said before, I love it even if I don’t get the correlation. Hear me out. 

I’ll be honest; nowadays, the holidays are stressful for me. They haven’t always been and I honestly can’t pinpoint the moment where they changed from exciting to the feeling of being overwhelmed. It’s a lot to juggle and it’s a lot to worry about and a lot of pressure. In the last few years I’ve had to take the mindset that I am not going to go broke buying a gift for anyone, even my teenager, because at the end of it all, it’s just stuff. You can’t take it with you. And the movies and books seem to gloss over that or have it thrown in for comedic value. 

Then again, maybe that’s the draw. Yes, we all know it’s tragically stressful, but for those few hours you can just fall in love with the magic of the holidays—which I get since I freely admit I use these to help my heart grow three sizes throughout the month. While it doesn’t make me one of those people who have the Hallmark holiday movie on 24/7, it does help me from muttering “Bah, humbug” on the regular. So, mixed bag. 

Book Riot Romance

Speaking of holiday romances, take this quiz to find out the one you should pick up next. I ended up getting The Holiday Swap which also happened to be my BOTM pick this month.

Rioter Namera came up with this list of dystopian romances for us.

Click here to start listening to Part 2 of When in Romance’s recommendation episode.

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

Around the Web in Romance

First, let me just state the obvious. Romancelandia rocks. The Romance for Chencia auction reached 128.5% of its overall goal. That just warmed my heart so much to see that.

There’s still a little bit of time to sign up for this event featuring Hallmark writer Tracy Andreen about her debut YA romance novel So, This is Christmas.

There’s also still a small window of time for Kisscon’s One Night Stand.

I haven’t seen True Story yet but damn, this isn’t a lie. To be fair I’ve always thought Billy Zane was attractive from the first time I saw him in Demon Knight. Yes, I know there’s probably a lot to unpack there, but this isn’t the time so moving on…

Charish Reid revealed the cover of her upcoming paranormal romance, I’ll Come Back for You and yes I already ordered it .You’re welcome Future Me.

I invite you to be attacked with me.

Recommendations

Harkening back to what I said above, I’m going to start off the month with some holiday romances that I think would be good for getting you in the holiday spirit. That way I, and anyone else in my position, can start the month off strong by trying to embrace it. My goal this month is to focus each week’s recommendation on a different winter holiday. I’m not sure how successful I’ll be, but I’m going to try. 

That said, since Hanukkah was being observed this last week, I’m going to start off with romances that celebrate that holiday. 

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And that’s all I have for you today. I’ll be back on Monday with another edition and, if you’re not already following me on Twitter you can under @PScribe801. Have a wonderful weekend!

Welcome to the Kissing Books newsletter. I hope your spirit is doing well today. 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 been a whole week since we last spoke! If you observed Thanksgiving this year, I hope that it was a good time for you and that it was a charge rather than a drain. Mine was fairly uneventful but, all things considered, it was exactly what I needed. It was my one day off from work, so I just stayed at home, read A Match Made for Thanksgiving, and just enjoyed the quiet. As per the norm, I allowed myself to start watching holiday movies last Friday. I will start reading more holiday novels soon as well, although I did get a jump on a few this year already. 

One thing I haven’t really done yet is start shopping. I know I can hear the collective groans from everyone. But hear me out! I’m very much one of those people who, once I buy someone a gift, I want to give it to them right away. I love seeing their reaction when they open it and that is one of the biggest draws for me. So, I tend to wait until the last moment to get it so as to avoid being tempted. 

That said, I know not everyone is like this and some of y’all may already be done. However, if you’re a gift-buying procrastinator like yours truly, then you may just now be getting to your round of shopping. If so, here are just a few recommendations for the romance lovers in our life. Or, if you need to strongly nudge someone in the direction of what to get you, consider these in your list to them. 

What better way to curl up with a romance than with this coffee mug that is an homage to all the genre tropes. And remember that when you’re drinking from a coffee cup, no one can see (or judge) what you’re drinking. $16

Show off your love of romance with one of these enamel pins. And, this price is so nice that you can get one for you and one for your romance reading BFF. $11

Maybe you know someone who would love this keychain. I love the simple but succinct statement that is being made here. $8

Now, personally I look terrible in baseball hats. They just don’t get along with my super curly hair. That said, this is a true statement on a bad-ass baseball hat for those who don’t have the same problem I do. $23

I love stickers! Always have and always will. That said, the trick is, and always has been, finding the perfect spot for them. $15

This sweatshirt is a perfect candidate for snuggling up with the romance novel of your choice. $27

Now you may be like me and not live in a place that has a lot of sweatshirt weather. If so, you might want to check out this T-shirt as an alternative. $20+

Here is a collection of vintage romance novel cover postcards. I’ll agree this is a total vanity item but they’re still pretty. $9

You could also gift this candle. I love burning candles or incense when I’m reading, just to set the mood. Plus, these scents just whisper (not scream) relaxation to me. $15

And finally you can never have too many bookmarks. You can’t change my mind on this, especially when they’re also a way to proclaim your love for the genre. $2+

You can also check out our helpful 2021 Holiday Gift Guide for ideas for other book lovers in your life.

And remember that we’re looking for an Advertising Sales Manager! Do you like books and comics? Does helping advertisers reach an enthusiastic community of book and comics lovers intrigue you? This might be your job. Apply by December 5, 2021.

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

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That’s all for today y’all. I’ll be back on Thursday with the latest in romance news. If you’re not already doing so, then you can follow me on Twitter under @PScribe801. Until then!

Welcome to the Kissing Books newsletter. Hope your spirit is doing well.  I’m P.N. Hinton, your companion through the world of romance. Whether or not this is your first time or you’re a regular I’m glad to have y’all here.

It’s hard to believe that it’s already Thanksgiving this week. The end of 2021 is really close which means 2022 is just around the corner. I’m sure I’ll have more of an introspective closer to the end of the year but as I was writing this newsletter it hit me that soon I’ll have to remember to write 2022 on things. There’s nothing much planned for the holiday this year for me apart from not having to work, which in and of itself may be worth its weight in gold because everything is busy this time of the year. Absolutely everything. 

As we go into the holiday week I also wanted to share something that brings me lots of joy, and that is the song Pretty Much You by Rockapella. Yes, that Rockapella. The one that sang the Carmen Sandiego theme song. Listen to it and try to not at least shimmy. I dare you. 

Romance Reflection

Goodreads opened up voting for Best Books of 2021 and, like many others in the community, I was surprised to not hate the nominations in the Romance category. There is also a fair amount of representation there. If anything, it’s going to be tough picking which one I want to vote for since there are more than a handful that I want to win. With the exception of a few, I would be happy with anyone that won.

That said, I would be remiss in not calling out the lack of mass market paperback books or historical romances. All of them are contemporary which is fine. And I wouldn’t want it to go the other way and only have historical romances, because then we might run the risk of having little to no actual representation. 

This isn’t to say that I’m unhappy with what was chosen but I know that there were a lot of historical romances that got boosted a lot this year. You would think looking at that list that there were none released in 2021. And there seem to be almost no indie romances. So, it’s one of those mixed blessing things, at least for me. 

I’m going to be optimistic for once and say that I feel the nominations this year are a step in the right direction. We still have a way to go for sure. And I still feel that books that aren’t published yet by the time the nominations are open should be in the running as it is highly unlikely anyone actually read them. But, there’s hope. 

However, I’m not going to overlook the fact that the Swoon Awards are currently taking nominations. And you can submit as many books as you’d like. So if one of your favorites got overlooked, you can always throw your name in that ring. 

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

Book Riot Romance

Rioter Sil has some romance read-alikes for fans of Ted Lasso. 

If you haven’t had the chance to listen to the first two episodes of Adaptation Nation and are traveling for the holiday, now is the perfect time to do it. The first one is on Dune and the second on Casino Royale.

Not romance related but it’s still in the Book Riot vein: we’re hiring an Advertising Sales Manager! Do you like books and comics? Does helping advertisers reach an enthusiastic community of book and comics lovers intrigue you? If so, then this might be the perfect fit for you!! Apply here by December 5, 2021.

Around the Web in Romance

This gave me all the feels. The first time I remember seeing a romance novel was in the hands of my dear Aunt Judy at one of our many family gatherings. She always had a Harlequin in hand and whenever we visited her she would have them stacked on her coffee table. Romance is something that brings, and sometimes keeps family together. And I will die on that hill every time. 

And, speaking of romances keeping us together, I loved seeing this tweet from Christi Caldwell about Jodi Picoult. It is possible to promote authors in genres other than your own and I love that getting recognition and call outs.

The way my jaw hit the floor when I saw this cover reveal from Jayci Lee.

Here is a list of Bookpage’s Best Romances of 2021.

New Releases

Whether or not you’re out in the thick of it shopping for deals or purchasing from the comfort of your couch, consider treating yourself with some of these new releases.

Ignite by Melanie Harlowe (11/22)

Daddy’s Little Christmas by Della Cain (11/22)

Fury of Destruction by Coreene Callahan (11/23)

Mr. Dale and the Divorcee by Sophie Barnes (11/23)

All the Pastor Wants by Rhonda McKnight (11/24)

Kourt-ing by Tracy Gray (11/24)

Bobsledding with the Billionaire by Rose M. Cooper (11/26)

Meant to Be by Chloe Peterson (11/26)

Silver Bells by Carole Wyatt (11/27)

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Small reminder that this weekend is Small Business Saturday. While I understand the convenience of chain stores and sites, remember that $50 has more of an impact on a small business than a corporation. So, if you can shop locally please try to. I know I will likely be purchasing a few things from one of my local indie bookstores for some gift ideas.

And that’s all for this week. I’ll be back next Monday with a fresh edition. In the meantime you can follow me over on Twitter under @PScribe801. Have a wonderful rest of your week.

Welcome to the Kissing Books newsletter. Hope your spirit is doing well.  I’m P.N. Hinton, your companion through the world of romance. Whether or not this is your first time or you’re a regular I’m glad to have y’all here.

As a quick reminder, there will not be a newsletter next Thursday, as that is Thanksgiving for America. So you’ll only hear from me once that week. I hope that, if you’re celebrating, that next week is full of fun relaxing downtime for you. 

Romance Reflection

This thoughtful tweet from Olivia Dade tugged at all my heart strings. Jayne Ann Krentz’s Trust Me was probably the first outwardly contemporary romance novel I read as a young book dragon. And I remember this because I got this book from a student teacher in middle school who had observed me reading in class one day. She left it with a note that basically came down to, “I love seeing young readers, so keep at it. But also pay attention in class and read later.” Which is fair because I was and still am terrible at math. 

But being a fan of JAK and her historical counterpart Amanda Quick isn’t the only reason this struck all those chords. It’s because the underlying thought, for me, is that kindness goes a long way. Something that in the grand scheme may have just a few hours on a random day to that author stayed with Dade for years. 

This is one thing I love about the romance genre: the willingness to really listen and give back to your fans. Now, that isn’t to say that all romance authors are like that because we know that’s not the case. Nor is it to say that no other genres do this, so please don’t come for me with pitchforks. But I very rarely hear about it happening as often it does here. 

Not only did JAK retain a lifelong fan that day, but she also got a reader who would forever sing her praises and recommend her to others. And that is a gift that keeps on giving. Kindness goes a long way and this recollection helped to show that.

Book Riot Romance:

The latest episode of When in Romance with the first round of reader recommendations.

Jess also wrote this round up of cozy romances.

Rioter Isabelle has a wish list for romance novels destinations.

Don’t forget to give a listen to Adaptation Nation, Book Riot’s latest podcast!

Around the Web in Romance

There is currently an auction going on to help romance writer Chencia C.Higgins, who is currently in a tough spot in her life. If you’re an author who wants to donate you can at this link. And if you want to see what is up for auction you can click here.

Entertainment Weekly came out with their choices for the best romances of 2021.

Here’s more from Olivia Dade on why fat representation is important in romance

How much do you love romance novels? Take this fun quiz and find out. I’m a Swooner!

Here’s a list of romance books that one editor wishes was getting more attention. While I believe that the second and last one is doing just fine, I agree with the rest.

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

Recommendations

Next week is Thanksgiving for us here in America and I am looking forward to it. I’m hoping to see my blood family for the day since it has been almost two years since we’ve all gathered. But, if not, I still plan on a relaxing day watching TV and spending time with my small immediate family. 

The older I get, I really do enjoy Thanksgiving possibly over other holidays. The act of cooking and eating with loved ones is always a welcome respite from the rest of the year as is taking a nap after eating and then waking up for round two or more desserts. There’s nothing that is tradition in our family, like waking up early to watch the Macy’s Day Parade, or turning it to Hallmark to start watching Christmas movies while decorating the tree. But still, being with loved ones, for me anyways, is a tradition in and of itself. 

Which leads me to the recommendations for this week, which are romances that take place around Thanksgiving. While Christmas still gets more than the lion’s share for romance settings, there are quite a few Thanksgiving ones out there, a trend I hope keeps increasing in the next few years. Because it’s nice to be thankful for what we have before moving on to what we want.

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And that’s it for today. I’ll be back Monday with another edition of the newsletter. Until then, you can follow me on Twitter under @PScribe801. I hope that you have a wonderful relaxing weekend. Happy reading!

Welcome to the Kissing Books newsletter. Hope your spirit is doing well.  I’m P.N. Hinton, your companion through the world of romance. Whether or not this is your first time or you’re a regular I’m glad to have y’all here. 

Quick heads up on a few things. As of this newsletter, I will no longer be including deals in Monday’s newsletters. You may have noticed that these now come as their own separate emails! No worries though; that just gives me more room for romance news.

And, since Thanksgiving is being observed in the US Thursday, there will not be a newsletter on Thursday 11/25.  But you will still hear from me that Monday.

Speaking of that holiday, we have just one more week before the teenager has a full week off for it. And I know he’s ready. Heck, I’m ready for the week’s reprieve of fighting to get him to both to sleep and wake up. For someone who’s a teenager he sure fights bedtime. Whereas if I could get paid for napping, I would jump on that. He may be going to visit with some relatives for the week. That way, he can get a break from home, even if he only ends up looking at four new walls or a bit. But if not, he will still enjoy the week of being glued to his tablet screen. 

In personal bookish news, Read Between the Lines and How to Catch A Queen are the two romances that are on my currently reading shelves. 

Romance Reflection

Last week, our dear Mrs. Bev got reported over on Twitter after getting into a back and forth with another writer after re-tweeting something about rejection. And I remember seeing that tweet and feeling a warm fuzzy inside. Because we all know rejection hurts. And sometimes hearing about someone else’s experience, especially an author you admire, can help you get through it. And that was the whole point of the tweet. 

The issue arose when the other party tried to tell Mrs. Bev that it was bad form to acknowledge that she had seen it or something of that nature. That is just what I could surmise. I couldn’t find the specific response, as the other party has since made their tweets private. Which is completely her prerogative. I’m not judging her for that at all. This time of the year especially, I’m a big proponent of doing what you have to do for your mental well being.

That said, I do have feedback regarding a few things that were said. One is the accusation that Mrs. Bev sent her followers after her. Let’s be clear; Mrs. Bev has reached a level where she doesn’t have to ask her fans to do anything. They will defend her if they think she’s being attacked. That is one of the privileges (and sometimes pitfalls) that come from a long and successful career.

The other is that it sounds like she was telling Mrs. Bev how publishing works, which is laughable. She’s been in the game for a while so she has an idea of how it’s played. Most people who have been in any field for a set period of time will get defensive when a newer person comes in and tries to tell them how it works. That’s just human nature.

But Mrs. Bev still stayed courteous throughout this exchange; her fans were the ones that, some would argue rightfully so, told the other person how mistaken she was in all her assumptions about the type of person she was and how she should have reacted to the original tweet.

Yes, it’s important to have young fresh faces and voices in any field. But, it’s equally as important to acknowledge that you’re not entering uncharted territory and there are many other pioneers that came before you.

Book Riot Romance

Rioter Alison put together this handy-dandy Jackie Lau reading pathway.

And if you enjoyed The Heart Principle, Rioter Julia has some read-a-like recs for you.

Don’t forget to check out Adaptation Nation, Book Riot’s latest podcast.

Around the Web in Romance

Fated Mates came out with their Best Books of 2021.

Here’s some more excitement for The Hating Game adaptation.

Cartel has acquired 25 Brenda Jackson books for adaptation.

After seeing this trailer, I can’t not share it because it looks adorable.

Tomorrow you can tune in to The Ripped Bodice’s Facebook Live event where Sonali Dev and Sara Desai will be discussing Desai’s latest release, The Singles Table.

Paul Rudd was named Sexiest Man Alive for 2021 and all I can say is, “Yes.”

So much truth here.

Check out this interview that Goodreads did with Talia Hibbert about her favorite romances of 2021.

New Releases

Here are some of the new releases that are hitting the shelves this week. Due to the supply chain issues, some of these may not be available in physical form or may sell out quickly. But these were the dates that I found as of the writing of this newsletter.

The Chef’s Choice by Susan D. Peters (11/15) 

The Singles Table by Sara Desai (11/16) 

An Heiress’s Guide to Deception and Desire by Manda Collins (11/16)

House on Fire by Jenn Burke (11/16)

Rare Danger by Beverly Jenkins (11/16)

Rosie’s Curl and Weave by Rocheller Alers, Donna Hill, Felicia Mason, and Francis Ray (11/16)

All the Feels by Olivia Dade (11/16) 

Forever Wilde in Aster Valley by Lucy Lennox (11/16)

An Alaskan Wedding by Nance Sparks (11/16)

The Professor’s Dragon by Louisa Masters (11/18)

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And that’s all I have for you today. In case you’re wondering, yes, it was weird to not include deals but I’m confident we’ll all adjust to this! I’ll be back Thursday with some Thanksgiving romance recommendations to get you through the holiday next week. As always, give me a follow over on Twitter @PScribe801. Until then.

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