Category: Kissing Books

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. 

DST really messed me up this year. I fell asleep to YouTube and woke up right when the clocks rolled back, which ended up really discombobulating me Sunday. But I made it through and that’s the important part, right? 

I’m still reading The Ex Hex and Love, Comment, Subscribe and am loving both.

Romance Reflection

I saw this little clip right here and almost wish I hadn’t. In the back of my mind, I feel I’ve heard from this lady before, but I probably blocked it out. And this video will soon follow because it’s a pretty naïve and condescending take. Tessa Dare goes into a really good in-depth take down on why this mentality is bad in her re-tweet, so I recommend giving that a read.

One thing that really stuck out to me about this entire exchange was the unnatural language that she used. The inflection was too ‘after-school special’ and not one one would use when talking about something that they really feel is a serious issue. Frankly, it sounded like a script, fed to her from a third party.

This was really noticeable when she said she read began to read books that weren’t aligned with her values. I call shenanigans on that since all readers, no matter what the genre, have deal breakers that they will not bend on. That part was very much like someone was telling her she should feel wrong for enjoying erotica because she’s an [insert various descriptive noun here].

Now, I could be wrong. She could really feel that way about romance novels now. The dangerous thing about that is that it plays into the patriarchal misconception about romance novels, with an added dash of “romance readers will forget other responsibilities or sleep.” Which, frankly, is dumb. A good book will keep you up, regardless of the genre it is in.

Book Riot Romance

Rioter Nikki wrote this thoughtful piece on consent in romance novels.

Around the Web in Romance

Here is an article that embraces the wonderfulness that is romance novels.

While I wasn’t a huge fan of The Hating Game, this trailer gave me hope for the movie. And who knows? It may be covered in a future episode of Adaptation Nation, Book Riot’s newest podcast.

I have to say the ones I’ve read don’t seem to have this scene (thank goodness) but yes this is a thing that needs to be stopped immediately.

Looking for a way to alleviate the stress of the holidays? Try picking up some of these M/M romances.

Speaking of holidays, find out which holiday rom-com couple you are. I got Sally and Jack, which I am a-okay with.

The Swoon Awards are returning! *Kermit flail*

This is a gentle reminder that men like rom-coms too.

KissCon is hosting the One Night Stand via Crowdcast on December 4th. By just purchasing two books from one of the participating bookstores, you can attend. Sounds like a winner all around to me.

Recommendations

One thing I’m really enjoying about The Ex Hex is Sir Purrcival, the cat. I have a soft spot for black cats and really should get my cat own one day. Don’t get me wrong I love dogs and cats. But, since I currently live in an apartment, I feel a cat would be a somewhat easier pet.

Until then, though I figure I can live vicariously through the cats that my book club buddies have since I’m the only one without one. That and the fictional ones of course. I know that most people may think that cats are mainly for cozy mysteries but they have a good presence in romance novels as well. Which leads to this weeks’ recommendations: romances with cats in them.

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And that is all I have for you today. I’ll be back Monday with more news and updates for you. In the meantime give me a follow on Twitter under @Pscribe801. Have a great weekend and get some good rest and reading done!

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

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. 

Hopefully the ‘extra hour’ of sleep that y’all got yesterday was a good one. Personally, I think that all states should do away with Daylights Savings Time because it honestly makes no sense. We’re no longer farmers, even if some people think we may be moving back to that soon with how the world is going. Still, as of right now, there’s really no need for it. I think one of the reasons that I have such bitter feelings towards DST is because for two years I was a toddler teacher. And I gotta tell you, when they ‘lose’ that hour in the spring and their internal clock is thrown off? It’s not fun to witness or experience. It, like being stuck in a room with ten toddlers with cabin fever, should really be a layer of hell.  

I started reading The Ex Hex and can attest November is still a great time for a witchy romance. Of course that’s true of any month of the year. Oh, and my partner finished Ice Planet Barbarians and while he thought it was okay isn’t likely to finish the series. He did notice The Book Boyfriend in our Kindle family library and was drawn in by the cover. So, he actually started that one before I did.

Romance Reflection

Despite my best attempt at getting my Nancy Drew on, I couldn’t find out what author or book this was in reference to. However, from the tone of that tweet, I’m guessing it was yet another dismissal of everything in the genre, except of course their own book. Because I don’t think an innocent comment would have caused this level of snark and clapback. 

I want to state upfront that it’s perfectly okay to want a break from your job, which is one way to look at this type of statement. I don’t imagine that professional chefs want to go home after long hours during the holidays and be expected to also cook the holiday familial meals. That’s their job and it makes sense to want a break. When I was at the daycare, it used to annoy me to the highest of heavens that my family and friends would think I was okay watching their kids (for free, no less) on my off time. Because that was a hard pass. 

But, given the mood this evokes, it seems to be a swing in the other direction. One of the consistent misconceptions out there is that it’s easy to write romance. And, it’s really not. Truthfully, it’s not easy to write in any genre; it’s just that romance is the one that people seem to think that any Tom, Dick, and Harriet can do. It’s still a craft that you have to practice and hone because if you don’t and you’re terrible then your books won’t sell. 

And it wouldn’t hurt to read at least one or two before you put your own pen to paper to write on. I mean it’s not like you’re going to develop a lifelong addiction or anything like that.

Book Riot Romance

Here is an awesomely robust list of some of the best genre-blending romances out there, courtesy of Rioter Silvana.

Around the Web in Romance

Speaking of Ice Planet Barbarians, there’s still time to pre-order a signed copy of the new print edition.

Okay, so I promise that I really do respect the Turkey. But this J.Crew ad with Jodie Turner-Smith and Joshua Jackson is giving me strong “I need this holiday movie” vibes. I’m also digging the silver fox that Jackson is becoming. *fans self*

But if you’re one who chooses to start winter holiday celebration earlier, then here’s a nice well-rounded list of romances to help further set the mood.

Sarah Ferguson, aka Fergie, aka The Duchess of York is launching a historical romance book club.

There is also The Unusual Historical Romance Book Club if you’re looking for romances that may be a bit more outside of the box.

The Last Date Night with Alyssa Cole is scheduled for Friday, November 12th. So there’s still time to sign up.

There’s apparently going to be a Reese Ryan Bourbon Brothers Experience book box and I’m here for it.

New Releases & Deals

Here are some of the new releases hitting the shelves this week. Again, with the way supplies have been working I’m unsure if any of these got pushed back or not; but the dates specified were the ones reflected when I was writing today’s edition.

A Winter’s Earl by Annabelle Greene (11/9)

The Geek Who Saved Christmas by Annabeth Albert (11/9)

Never Fall for Your Fiancée by Virginia Heath (11/9)

Just Haven’t Met You Yet by Sophie Cousens (11/9) 

The Donut Trap by Julie Tieu (11/9)

The Alien’s Veterinarian by Skye MacKinnon and Arizona Tape (11/10)

Kiss Me, if You Dare by Alyssa Clarke (11/10)

Unforgettable Nights by Tiye Love (11/12)

And these are some of the deals that I found this week. The prices listed here were the ones that were displayed as of the writing of this newsletter.

Lord of the Last Heartbeat by May Peterson ($1.99)

The Marriage Code by Brooke Burroughs ($1.99)

How to Find a Princess by Alyssa Cole ($2.99)

One Night of Scandal by Teresa Medeiros ($1.99) 

Just Like This by Cole McCade ($1.99)

The Highland Fling by Meghan Quinn ($1.99)

Just Say the Word by Tiffany Patteson ($0.99)

Love by Chance by Blake Allwood ($0.99)

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That’s all I have for y’all today. I’ll be back on Thursday with more updates and recommendations. If you’re not already, give me a follow over on Twitter under @PScribe801. Until then stay warm, hydrated, and well-read.

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. 

While I did miss trick-or-treating on some level, another part of me was glad to avoid the big crowds especially because the last few years I was going solo with the kiddo. Friends we’d previously trick-or-treated with in the past always had other plans; so, we were kind of left out. Not to sound maudlin; it is what it is. Still, it was nice to not be out there with no other adult friends to speak with and watch the kids get their candy. 

Things making me happy this week is my new haircut and style. I got bangs which I’ve never had before. So, this is an exciting experience for me.

Romance Reflection

Even if you just lurk over on Twitter, you likely saw this tweet floating around. Seems like this man has hurt feelings because his book won in the Bad Sex Reward. He says it’s because he’s a man and women are overly sensitive.

Based on that snippet alone, this book didn’t win that award because a man wrote it. It won because it is, in fact, a terrible sex scene. What gets me is that he seems to blame it all on women readers. While it could be argued that most readers are women, we’re still only half of the world’s population. Which means some men read this and agreed it was terrible.

So, don’t blame it on the fact that you’re a man as the reason your book tanked and got this award. There are plenty of men out there writing novels, romance or otherwise, with sex scenes in them that aren’t getting this award. Get over yourself. You just can’t write sex well.

Book Riot Romance

This last Monday, Book Riot’s latest podcast, Adaptation Nation, went live. If you haven’t already be sure to give it a listen.

Speaking of podcasts, check out the latest When in Romance where Trisha and Jess discuss the future of romance conventions among other things. There’s still time to submit requests for romance recommendations!

I am in love with this list of some of the best Indian Romances out there.

There’s also this Rioter’s recap of her romance scavenger hunt at a local book fair.

Around the Web in Romance

Here’s a round-up of some of the romance novels coming out this month.

If you prefer some suspense with your romance, there are a few for your consideration.

Even more romance covers as rocks!

Be sure to sign up Love’s Sweet Arrow Sapphic Romance virtual event! With this impressive line-up, you know that it’s going to be a great time.

I think most of us can agree that this fanart, is probably where a lot of romance readers got their first dose of a monster romance.

The gif on this tweet combined with Olivia Waite‘s quote calling out romance scorn as formulaic is *chef’s kiss*.

Which leads into the monthly appearance of someone saying that romance novels don’t need to have an HEA. This meme sums it all up here all around. 

Recommendations

As mentioned last week, November is Indigenous People Month, an observation that was established in 2019 here in America. Historically, romance novels haven’t been kind to Native Americans. And there has been a call as of late to stop publishing those older books and focus on positive ones.

There are Indigenous Romances out there to be found, even if they don’t get the spotlight shone on them like others do. This week I’m going to highlight a few romances by Indigenous authors. One thing I will call out is that there isn’t an LGBTQ rec this week. I couldn’t find one I was certain was written by an Indigenous author. And I wanted to be mindful and avoid any type of fetishization since that has been the issue in the past. So, the books listed here are M/F romances.

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And that is all I have for you today. I’ll be back Monday with another newsletter and in the meantime you can catch me on Twitter under @PScribe801. Have a wonderful weekend.

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. 

We’ve officially entered what I think of as the busy season of the year. There are two major holidays back to back and this year, they’re also exactly one month apart. It can be kind of hectic, even in a non-pandemic world . And I feel the pandemic only served to increase this. As you move along in the hustle and bustle of the next two months, remember to give yourself grace and time to breathe. You’re only human after all and you need air to stay alive. If you can put something off until tomorrow, do it. Whether it’s laundry, dishes, or other things, most times it will keep. So just breathe. 

I recently started Love, Comment, Subscribe and so far, I am loving this frenemy to lovers romance.

We have some podcast news! Be sure to check out Book Riot’s newest podcast, Adaptation Nation and listen to discussions about the adaptations of your favorite books. Whether it is the big or small screen, there is always room for discussion about these. Up first is Dune, which is currently on everybody’s lips. 

Romance Reflection

November is Indigenous People month, an observation that was established back in 2019. I’ve talked before about the problematic history of romance novels and how they portrayed Indigenous people in the past. But it’s still something that we need to be conscious of, all year but especially this month. And a lot of this has to do with the false narrative we’re given about the first Thanksgiving. 

It may feel odd celebrating this holiday now because of those troublesome roots, which is fair. As I’ve gotten older, the holiday hasn’t been about this fairy tale; it’s been about spending time with family. It’s also been about being thankful, something we sometimes forget to be. It doesn’t help that Black Friday is the day after and now even seeps into the evening hours of Thanksgiving, which is a whole other discussion. 

But I love Thanksgiving. I really do. I love spending time with my family and eating good food and just relaxing. Even if it’s back to the grindstone the next day, that one day off to reflect and relax is always good for me. That said, I have noticed that there is not a lot of love paid to that holiday even in the romance genre. While there are Thanksgiving romances out there, there’s not nearly as much as there is for Halloween, Christmas, New Years, or Valentine’s Day. Stores start putting up both Halloween and Christmas decorations in September, completely ignoring the holiday that comes in between. 

Maybe if we start having more romances surrounding Thanksgiving, then it will help it to be given its proper respect. And then we can really reshape and form it for our own, rather than what we were raised with. Either way, I’d be interested to see these types of romance novels displayed between ones that showcase the holidays that surround it. We’re romance readers after all; there’s room for all the holiday love in our hearts. 

Oh and as an aside, there will be recommendations this month for both Indigenous and Thanksgiving romances. So keep an eye out!

Around the Web in Romance

You may have seen this news floating around and the division that it has caused. I don’t want to expand too much on this because it’s all been said. What’s really upsetting here is that there are other books that romance readers have actively been asking to be adapted. Beverly Jenkin is always a front runner there as is Brenda Jackson. But you also have Alyssa Cole, Talia Hibbert, KJ Charles, Cat Sebastian…the list could literally go on. You could practically go into any book store and blindly throw a dart in the romance section and hit a book that most of Romancelandia would prefer to see adapted. So, this is quite the bitter pill to choke down.

Here are some of the best M/M romances that you may have missed last month.

In the latest edition of “Romance Covers as [Blank]” we have them as libraries!

Check out this throwback photo with some of the pioneering Black women of romance. speaking of authors who deserve adaptations.

What would your end result be in this ‘can only keep one trope’ game? For me, it would be enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, fake dating, next-door neighbor, and fated mates.

Curl up with some second-chance romances.

Build a bakery, get a rom-com that mirrors your own potential romance. Because I had options for a few questions I took it twice and ended up with Notting Hill and then Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

New Releases & Deals:

Here are some of the new releases that you can snag this week. Quick call-out! I jumped the gun last week as Tasha L. Harrison’s With Her Own Two Hands comes out this week. Apologies for any disappointment I caused!

Unexpected Goals by Kelly Farmer

Mr. Jingle Bells by Leta Blake

Fall Into You by Georgina Kiersten

New Year’s Kiss by B.K. Wiggins

Off Limits by Riley Hart

How to Marry Keanu Reeves in 90 Days by K.M. Jackson

The Fastest Way to Fall by Denise Williams

A Not So Meet Cute by Meghan Quinn

And here are some of the deals that you can pick up. Remember, these were the prices that were reflected as of the writing of this newsletter.

All Dressed in White by Charis Michaels ($1.99)

High Country Bride by Linda Lael Miller ($1.99)

Awaken the Dragon by A.C. Arthur ($1.99)

Cold Hearted Bastard by Jennifer Dawson ($0.99)

Savannah’s Secrets by Reese Ryan ($1.99)

Dirty Little Midlife Mess by Lilian Monroe ($1.99)

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And that’s all I have for you this Monday. I’ll be back Thursday with another edition. Give me a follow over 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. 

Halloween is this Sunday! There’s not a whole lot on my planner this year besides visiting my sister and my weekly (virtual) movie night with friends. Whether you’re trick or treating or cuddling up with loved ones to watch some horror movies (family friendly or otherwise) I hope that you have a great time.

Romance Reflection

I came across this remembrance which was connected to this longer thread and there’s a lot of food for thought here. Most of the problems people have with romance are the ‘unrealistic’ expectation it portrays of relationships and, frankly, how women experience sex.

However, very little is ever said about the unrealistic expectations that a large part of sci-fi gave to its fans. No one had problem with the rampant and, some would argue, weird sex that was displayed there. In reality, it all boils down to the differences in the male and female gaze on sex. It’s very telling how the die-hard fans have no problem with the unhealthy depiction of women and sex in old-school sci-fi, while sneering at the healthy depiction in romance novels. And it’s not a good take to have. 

Again, it’s okay to like older media; just be willing to turn that mirror around to it and admit that it has a lot of red flags and problematic tendencies that wouldn’t hold up today. 

Book Riot Romance

Here are some interracial romances where both characters are people of color for your reading consideration, courtesy of Neha.

If you love love and murder, well Anne Mai has just the list for you.

If you’re looking for more WLW romances in the vein of One Last Stop, Rachel has you covered.

And Sil’s got some spooky romances just in time for Halloween.

Also, there’s still a little bit of time to get your swag celebrating our 10th anniversary!

Around the Web in Romance

Tessa Dare put out this long post about some of the concerning language selected for the Portuguese translation of Romancing the Duke and it was a bit heart-breaking for multiple reasons. This situation shines a much needed light on the consideration that has to be given to translations in general. While I understand the desire to get as close to the phrasing as possible, either way, sometimes direct translations can lead to more problems in the long run.

In the spirit of Halloween, check out this thread to Build Your own Monster Romance. Apparently, mine involves the Kraken which would be… an interesting pair up.

Romance for Roe went live on October 25th! A group of 36 romance authors got together for a collection of short stories that you can download for a donation to either Planned Parenthood and/or Naral. Because I have always been and will always be ‘Team Their Body, Their Choice’.

Hot Teacher Jason Sudekis is a whole mood….

Speaking of school, a high school romance club would have been the bee’s knees for a young me. I mean, I kind of had an impromptu one with one of my friends since we both loved them but still something like this would have been amazing.

Recommendations

Typically, I am a seasonal reader. I try to focus on specific books at certain times of the year. And while that doesn’t stop me from reading a fall or scary story in Spring, it feels extra special to me when I read books in the season that they’re set in. In honor of Halloween, this week’s recommendations either take place around the holiday or have a strong supernatural spin to them.

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When I next see you, it will the first of November. We’re almost through the year y’all! I hope that your weekend goes well and I’ll be back Monday. Until then, give me a follow under @PScribe801 on Twitter for more of my bookish ponderings.

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. 

This is the last full week of October and this month seemed to both breeze and drag by. I can’t explain it, really. Maybe it’s because it means we’re one month closer to the end of 2021, which has been a rollercoaster of a year. I mean, don’t get me wrong; I’ll take a rollercoaster over a dumpster fire, which is what last year was. But this year wasn’t as smooth as we were all hoping it would be, and there are still two months left. I don’t know what they will bring but I will endeavor to face them head on with as positive of an attitude that I can. 

With that mindset something currently bringing me joy is the Happy Color coloring app. It’s a very relaxing pastime.

Romance Reflection

While scrolling through the Romance wing of Twitter, I came across this tweet from the wonderful Katee Robert. Now, I’m not sure if this was a response to something someone else tweeted because I didn’t dig that far back. But, as always, I have opinions on it. 

Let’s be honest and just call attention to the elephant in the room: tropes and genre fiction, as a whole, go hand in hand. It’s not just exclusive to romance although some might argue we’re the loudest about our preferred ones. We also tend to be just as loud with the ones that we don’t like. But that’s all it is, a preference. Just because you’re tired of a specific trope or it’s not your bag doesn’t mean it needs to disappear completely. 

There are literally thousands of tropes to choose from. And recently some books have even managed to bundle multiple tropes into one delightful package. So, it’s not like you’re going to be left with nothing to read if a specific genre keeps getting published. You just need to look elsewhere. 

In the spirit of being transparent, personally I’m tired of the modern billionaire trope. And I say modern because I’ll read a historical novel about a rich person with a quickness. Give me all the dukes and viscounts. But the modern one isn’t just for me and it’s not just due to Mr. Gray. It’s just not for me. But I’m not calling for it to be retired because there are people who truly love it for ‘insert personal reason here’. Different strokes (sorry for that inadvertent pun…) for different folks ya know?

If it is something that you don’t like, just pass it by. Or give it another try. You never know you may have changed your mind. I learned this year that I like the fake dating trope way more than I thought I did.

Book Riot Romance:

If you love romantic royals, then Sil has you covered with this list.

Or if workplace romances are more your thing, here are some recs from Tirzah.

And don’t forget you can send in recommendations for romances from Trisha and Jess on When in Romance!

It’s your last week to buy merchandise to celebrate Book Riot’s 10th Anniversary!

Around the Web in Romance

You may have briefly seen or heard the phrase “NFT and Realms of Ruin” being thrown around on Twitter. What it ultimately boiled down to was a handful of YA authors wanting to have their fans give them ideas of stories that may be used as cannon. So…stealing fanfiction from the writers. Luckily it was canceled shortly after it was announced but the fact that it was there was concerning. While this is not romance related it is definitely adjacent since a lot of the names in Romancelandia had strong righteous feelings on this. Glad to know we’re always looking out for each other, even if they don’t overlap into our sphere.

More romance covers on rocks! Seriously y’all I’m in utter awe of the talent displayed there.

Book Cover Artist Sarah Waites came up with this romance title generator and believe me when I say it is a lot of addictive fun.

I know this is a year out but this announcement of the upcoming Sarah Hogle book gave me life and joy when I saw it. I know it’s a year away but I’m already looking forward to Fall of 2022.

If you’re looking for more Jewish romance novels check out this thread because there are a lot of good books listed here.

New Releases & Deals

Here are some of the new releases hitting the shelves this week. That said, please note that, due to the supply shortage, some of the physical versions of these books may be delayed. So, these were scheduled for release as of the writing of this newsletter.

With Her Own Two Hands by Tasha L. Harrison

Archangel’s Lightby Nalini Singh

A Thorn in the Saddle by Rebekah Weatherspoon

Donut Fall in Love by Jackie Lau

One Christmas Wish by Brenda Jackson

Strictly Confidential by Donna Hill

The Book Boyfriend by Jenna Louise Skinner

Welcome to Paradise by Lise Gold

The Perks of Loving a Wallflower by Erica Ridley

And here are some of the deals that I found. As usual, these were showing at the listed price as of the writing of this newsletter.

Sips of Her by Karmen Lee ($0.99)

A Blizzard of Passion by Anne Alperstein ($0.99)

All Screwed Up by Beth Bolden & Brittany Cournoyer ($0.99)

Bridal Favors Series Box Set by Jade Lee ($0.99) 

If You Deceive by Kresley Cole ($1.99) 

The Meeting Point by Olivia Lara ($0.99) 

Her First Desire by Cathy Maxwell ($1.99)

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And that’s all for today. I’ll be back Thursday with another edition and until then you can catch up with me on Twitter under @PScribe801. Until then!

There’s still time to get some awesome swag to celebrate our 10th birthday!

Welcome to the Kissing Books newsletter y’all. I’m P.N. Hinton, your guide to the world of romance novels. I hope your spirit is doing well today. Whether it’s a backlist, new release, or an under the radar delight, I aim to help you find a book or two that you can get lost in. If you’re new to the Kissing Books newsletter, welcome and enjoy your stay. If you’re a long-time reader, welcome back; it’s good to see you again.

We’re a couple of weeks away from Halloween and, honestly, this is the most anti-climactic it has ever been for me. The teenager isn’t interested in trick-or-treating this year. While a change, this is just part of him growing up, I’m sure. So, I’ll be content with just staying at home and watching Toy Story of Terror, the Gravity Falls Summer-ween episode, and It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown—because you’re never too old for Charlie Brown.

Romance Reflection

Between the chatter among Book Riot peers and the tweets flying around, it seems that a few books have gotten their publication dates pushed back. Which can be a huge bummer, especially if you were looking forward to a specific book. But sometimes life happens. 

This time around the ‘life happening’ situation is a supply chain issue and printing delays, which are completely and utterly outside of the author’s control. Everyone is feeling the crunch here and that is why everyone and their grandmother is telling you to shop early for the holidays if you’re ordering from out of state or overseas. The books will get to us and I’m sure that none of us have completely empty TBR piles just yet. So, there is still plenty to read in the meantime. 

All of this is to say: show patience and grace to the authors and publishers behind this. It’s something they wanted to do, it’s something they had to. And be sure to extend this to everyone else who may be in some sort of crunch.

Book Riot Romance

Catch up with the latest episode of When in Romance where Trisha and Jess discuss how they find book recommendations. You can also send them your recommendation requests. Also, be sure to pick up the next book club pick, Sweet Disorder!

And here is a nice round-up of some of the best enemies-to-lovers in Fantasy Romance.

Do you love horror, romance, and manga? Then you’re in luck!

Around the Web in Romance

Here’s even more hate-to-love romances!

An Asian led holiday romance is happening this year and there is cause for much excitement on this.

Paranormal romances are great any time of year but extra perfect around Halloween.

Recommendations

One of the buzziest romance books around currently is The Love Hypothesis, and as with most buzzy books, there is a division in Romancelandia on it. A lot of it is centered around the fact that it started as Keylo fanfiction. 

I won’t go too much into that because it’s a long involved conversation and both sides have very good points. It did get me to thinking that fanfiction, for all the sneers it gets from ‘high-browed literary types’ is still very present across all genres, even literature. So, it is not a new concept by any stretch of the imagination. 

And that leads us to today’s recommendations; books that are, at their very core, fanfiction. As a bonus, y’all get four today since two of these are novellas.

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And that’s all I have for you this week. I’ll be back bright and early Monday, depending on what time the newsletter gets to your inbox. If you want to see me before then, just follow @PScribe801 over on Twitter. Happy weekend!

We’re still celebrating our 10th birthday so check out the limited edition merchandise we have on sale to commemorate the celebration!

Welcome to the Kissing Books newsletter y’all. I’m P.N. Hinton, your guide to the world of romance novels. I hope your spirit is doing well today. Whether it’s a backlist, new release, or an under the radar delight, I aim to help you find a book or two that you can get lost in. If you’re new to the Kissing Books newsletter, welcome and enjoy your stay. If you’re a long-time reader, welcome back; it’s good to see you again.

October seems to be going by at a slower pace than the months before it. I’m not sure if that is just because the day job has gotten a bit bananas or because it’s the calm before the storm of the holiday season. Either way, I’ve just been taking it day by day and trying to roll with the punches. I mean sometimes that is all you can do, right?

Romance Reflection:

Last week I shared a link to this article talking about optimistic endings in romance novels. This was specifically to Jewish romances but I feel it is also applicable to others. Then I saw this tweet when I was Twitter scrolling and it gave me even more to think about.

Growing up, I knew the most about Christmas as that was, and still is, the holiday that is observed in my house. I mean, I had heard of Hanukkah but, outside of the dreidel song, I didn’t know much about it or what it signified. And I didn’t even know about Diwali until I worked in daycare and was told that, as the lead toddler teacher, I had to pay equal attention to every holiday. Don’t get me wrong; I had no problem with that. I just had to some research beforehand. Although, to be fair, with toddlers, a lot of what you end up doing is inventive things with hands, feet, and paint. Or coffee filters.

I am not sure if there has been a lot of pushback on holiday romances outside of Christmas or not. I know that there have been feathers ruffled concerning LGBTQ holiday romances (because intolerance) but haven’t heard anything about this. So I sincerely hope it’s not true.

As I’ve grown older and wise, I’m very well aware that there are other holidays observed during the winter months. Personally, I am loving the titles that I’m noticing this year; A Holly Jolly Diwali, The Matzah Ball, and Love and Latkes to name a few. This is one of the things that shows me that the romance genre is actively trying to be more diverse. And honestly? It can be an educational experience, which I’m always down for. While I primarily read for entertainment, I love being educated along the way, especially when it’s in a genre I love.

Plus, I love love. So I enjoy reading about a romance blossoming between two people; it doesn’t matter if they’re different from me. In fact sometimes those end up being my favorite books. 

This is my way of saying bring on all the holiday romances. I’m down with it.

Book Riot Romance:

As mentioned above, I love love and I recognize that romance stories come in all types of formats. So I wanted to also highlight a few articles from Book Riot that are about romances in other formats.

First, there is this love letter to one Rioter’s OTP made up of Lois and Clark.

And then this rundown of some of the best romance light manga. Don’t be fooled by the use of the word light, since the romance in these is very strong.

Around the Web in Romance:

This new holiday anthology was announced this week! This is quite the exciting line-up so if you’re a lover of holiday romance, you can get your pre-order on.

Talia Hibbert, Andi Osho, and Frances Mensah Williams are just a few authors you can expect to hear from at this upcoming event about writing Black British Romance. It’s may be a bit down to the wire now but, as of this writing, there was still time to sign up for this.

You can take this quiz to find out which iconic Halloween couple you and your ‘boo’ are most similar to.

And this one to see which MCU character is your soulmate based off kitten preference. I am over the moon that I did end up with Tom Hiddleston. *heart eyes*

There will always be something inherently sexy about this image to me: I really need to start If the Boot Fits soon to get prepared for the final book in the trilogy.

New Releases & Deals:

Here are some of the new releases that will be hitting the shelves this week.

Sealed with a Kiss by Erin Nicholas

The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance (written by multiple authors)

Trapped: A Paranormal Erotic Romance by Shae Sanders

Red Sin by Aleatha Roming

Ghost of Lies by Alice Winters

Her Wolf in the Wild by Rien Gray 

Of Trust and Heart by Charlotte Anne Hamilton

Mistletoe in Juneau by Dahlia Rose

And here are some of the deals that I found when cruising the interwebs. As per the norm, these were the prices that I peeped when I was penning this newsletter.

The Roommate by Rosie Danan ($1.99)

Big Bad Wolf by Suleikha Snyder ($1.99)

Tangled Vows by Anna Stone ($0.99)

White Hot by Ilona Andrews ($2.99)

The Selkie Bride by Melanie Jackson ($2.49)

In Bed With the Earl by Christi Caldwell ($0.99)

Roommaid by Sariah Wilson ($1.99)

Honor’s Splendour by Julie Garwood ($1.99)

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That’s all I have for y’all this Monday! I hope the day and the week treats you well. I’ll be back Thursday and in the meantime you can always give me a follow over on Twitter under @PScribe801. Until then!

Did y’all know that Book Riot is 10 years old? Happy birthday to us!  Snag some limited edition merchandise to join the celebration!

Welcome to the Kissing Books newsletter y’all. I’m P.N. Hinton, your guide to the world of romance novels. I hope your spirit is doing well today. Whether it’s a backlist, new release, or an under the radar delight, I aim to help you find a book or two that you can get lost in. If you’re new to the Kissing Books newsletter, welcome and enjoy your stay. If you’re a long-time reader, welcome back; it’s good to see you again.

Last weekend I housesat for some of my close friends while they went on a family trip. It was mainly to watch their two dogs so they wouldn’t be alone. It was a nice change of scenery for me. Currently I live in an apartment and while I hope that will change soon, the housing market is insane so I know that it may be a bit longer. So, it was nice to play pretend at it for a while. I found that dogs are nice writing companions so we will definitely be getting some type of animal when it happens. And I was able to get a lot of reading and writing done so that was nice too.

Romance Reflection:

October 11th was Indigenous People Day. As I was scrolling through Twitter I came across this tweet and it gave me a lot of food for thought. When I first started reading romances, I remember seeing these types of books run rampant. One thing that I think gets overlooked a lot, though, is that this wasn’t just a historical romance thing. There were more than a handful of contemporary romances from the mid-nineties that also included this problematic theme.

And it’s not okay. It wasn’t okay then and it sure isn’t okay now when we all strive to be more aware of the harm we can cause with stereotypes. I agree with this sentiment that it is probably a back list that should be purged from existence. And that is across the board. I honestly can’t read any of these types of novels anymore, even ones by beloved authors because it just leaves an icky feeling in my heart. This includes books by Sandra Brown and Johanna Lindsey who were some of my go-to authors when I was younger.

Do I still like their work as a whole? Yes. Will I read those particular books again? No, I won’t. Because, again, it’s harmful and I know that now. I can’t plead ignorance anymore. And there are better romances out there, some even written by Indigenous people, that can be picked up and read. 

Book Riot Romance:

If you’re a lover of teachers in romances here is a roundup of some good picks that don’t cross any inappropriate lines or have an unbalanced power dynamic.

And then there is this deep dive into how much money romance authors actually make.

Around the Web in Romance:

If this isn’t a whole mood…real talk, if I lived through the Romancing the Stone jungle scenes, my hair would look like Chaka Kahn’s circa the 1980’s.

If you like romance novels where the MCs inherit the same thing and have to work it out, then you’re in luck.

A Black holiday romance set abroad? Sign. Me. Up.

Here is a nice little roundup of some of the new romances we can expect throughout this month.

All together now, y’all. No HEA? Not a romance.

With that last thought in mind, I really appreciated this thoughtful piece on optimistic endings, specifically in Jewish romance novels.

Recommendations:

October 11th was also National Coming Out Day! No matter where you are in your journey, know that you’re valued, loved, and you do matter. In addition to the 11th being National Coming Out Day, October 8th was also International Lesbian Day. As such, I wanted to highlight a few more lesbian romances, with the focus being about finding love when and where you may last expect it.

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And that is all I have for you today. I’ll be back next Monday with a fresh edition of the newsletter. Until then you can give me a follow over on Twitter under @PScribe801. Have a wonderful weekend! 

Did ya know? Book Riot is 10 years old! To celebrate, we’re selling some limited edition merchandise. Be sure to check out the shop and get yours before they sell out. 

Welcome to the Kissing Books newsletter y’all. I’m P.N. Hinton, your guide to the world of romance novels. I hope your spirit is doing well today. Whether it’s a backlist, new release, or an under the radar delight, I aim to help you find a book or two that you can get lost in. If you’re new to the Kissing Books newsletter, welcome and enjoy your stay. If you’re a long-time reader, welcome back; it’s good to see you again.

The teenager is coming off of a four-day weekend, lucky duck. I really feel that children today have more days off than I did. I do not remember having this much time off from school, even around the holidays. Nowadays they get the full week of Thanksgiving off, or at least they do in our district. Now, I could look at it as them giving the children built-in mental health days so things don’t get too overwhelming. And since he’s an early teenager, he is a bit more self-sufficient so that helps too, even with me still working from home. Still, there is a tinge of jealousy watching him sleep in while I’m dutifully typing at my keyboard. 

I’m still reading The Ex Talk as well as And They Lived Happily Ever After and The Matzah Ball.

Romance Reflection

One of the things I saw over in the romance wing of Twitter was a seemingly innocent question asking for favorite romances. And, as per the norm, the list was very divisive and caused dissension. As a quick aside, I’m fairly convinced at this point that there is a Chaos Demon out there whose sole focus is to ruffle the feathers of romance lovers on a regular basis. Because it seems to happen like clockwork.

I didn’t peruse the list fully because, frankly I didn’t have the spoons, but, based on some of the books that were mentioned, that may have been for the best. Because I did not agree on the few names and titles I saw. I’m not sorry I’m not sorry for thinking that Nicholas Sparks is not a romance writer. This is by his own condescending and dismissive response when asked about it. I have strong opinions about that, but I also have a word maximum so let’s forge on. 

However, I also saw this tweet and it gave me a lot of food for thought. Notwithstanding the aforementioned snooty male author’s work, I do think there’s a difference between a love story and a romance novel. While there are certain things that may overlap in the intersection of those Venn diagrams, there is still a lot of solo space that separates the two. Mainly the ending; I would argue that if one or both dies then, while it could be a love story, and even then there are a few you really have to convince me of, it absolutely cannot be a romance. 

And I really appreciate this thought crossing my path, because it is so true. I think this could diffuse a lot of future arguments or discussions that I have with my friends about this. Now I know that some people listing Anna Karenina and Gone With the Wind pushed a lot of buttons. But, garbage people characters aside, there is a thread of some sort of love story in there. And, while some may consider those tragedies or just literary fiction, I don’t begrudge the people who want to call it a love story. Because I really think that overlooking that thought process is part of what causes this division in the literary world between what some would classify as a romance or not.

But seriously if any part of the couple dies, then it’s not a romance. That really needs to be understood and accepted.

Around the Web in Romance

I really enjoyed this insight into the writing process that Jean Meltzer had for her debut novel.

Between all the holiday books coming out, this Lifetime line-up, and then Netflix announcing its first M/M holiday romance, it seems the universe is determined to not let me be a Grinch this year.  Plus props for that diversity, Lifetime. Good for you.

If you’re one who likes heat no matter what, you’re in luck with these fall romances.

New Releases & Deals

Here are some of the new releases hitting the shelves this week.

The Trouble With Magic by Patricia Rice

Protecting the Lady by Amanda Radley

Deadly Kiss by Ariel Marie

The Underdog by Briar Prescott

No Words by Meg Cabot

You Make It Feel Like Christmas by Francis Ray 

Elliot, Song of the Soulmate by Anyta Sunday

His Interim Sweetheart by Aliyah Burke

Here are some of the deals that you can snag. As always, these were the prices that I was saw when I originally wrote this newsletter.

Their Nerd by Allyson Lindt ($1.99) 

The Mixtape by Brittainy Cherry ($1.99)

Dare to be a Duchess by Sapna Bhog ($0.99) 

Claiming the Doctor’s Heart by Sean D. Young ($0.99)

The Care and Feeding of Stray Vampires by Molly Harper ($1.99)

If the Boot Fits by Rebekah Weatherspoon ($0.99) 

Until We Break by Cynthia Dane & Hildred Billings ($0.99)

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And that’s all I have for you today. I hope that your Monday started off on a great foot and I’ll see you Thursday. You can catch up me during the in-betweens on Twitter under @PScribe01. Until we meet again.