Category: Kissing Books

It’s the first full week of July and whoo man 2020 is not letting up. I hope you all have some source of joy in this mess, because nobody knows what the summer still has in store for us.

Let’s talk about romance novels.

News and Useful Links

Do you like audiobooks? Beverly Jenkins announced in a recent newsletter that a bunch of her backlist romances would be coming to audio next year. Titles include Deadly Sexy, Bring on the Blessings, and Midnight, among many others. Who’s excited? (Also, you definitely want to check out #JenkinsJuly on Twitter and Instagram.)

Speaking of Ms. Bev, she’ll be making an appearance at the next Date Night on Friday. The lineup is stacked.

And if you like to get a head start on your events, this Romance Buzz Books closer to the end of the month is looking to be a lot of fun as well!

The Jane Eyre retelling we dreamed of.

Holley Trent went and dropped another one. If you’ve been hankering for paranormal westerns, The Angel’s Fire is for you.

This is a great thread of romance-related Patreons to support (and add to, if one you know isn’t there).

EE Ottoman gave a great talk about writing historical romance centering queer and trans characters, and the research behind it.

I am loving all the romance fanart I’ve been coming across! Here’s a great one from Olivia Dade’s 40-Love, and here’s another one from Talia Hibbert’s Take a Hint, Dani Brown. Romance readers, man.

Know what else I love? Romance scholarship. Give me all the essays/book chapters.

Did you get caught up in the 365 Days fervor? Oprah mag made a list of erotic romances for you to check out.

Deals

Have you read Gail Carriger’s contemporary paranormals? The Sumage Solution, the first in the series, is 99 cents right now! It’s got a similar feel to her Parasolverse books, but is set in an alternate modern day in which magic and shifters exist. There is something slightly different about the universe that makes me think it’s not directly related to the Parasolverse; it’s more like one jump over in the multiverse, where some things progressed the same, but others didn’t. But there’s a precious werewolf pack that’s not like the others, and every single wolf is a bebe I want to cuddle and give snacks.

And bonus deal: If you haven’t yet read it (or maybe you have but now you want to own it?) The Bride Test by Helen Hoang is 1.99 right now. Everything says “for a limited time” so I don’t know if it’s for the next few days or maybe for the month of July. Either way, it’s such a great book and I want everyone to read it.

Recs

Do you listen to When in Romance? If you’re like “Jess, what the heck is that awful pun” or you just don’t think about podcasts at all, don’t worry about the action steps at the end of this recommendation. If your answer was a resounding YES or enough curiosity that you might decide to pick it up at the next episode, join us in When In Romance Book Club!

Getting Schooled
Christina C. Jones

We’re reading Getting Schooled, the first book in the Wright Brothers series, and Trisha and I will be talking about it (including your thoughts and questions) when we record on Thursday, July 9. It features a student getting his degree after serving in the military and the grad assistant in his Black Lit class (and also all of their family and friends, who are all completely hilarious). They have quite the contentious relationship, and have a fun way of rudely flirting with each other. Okay, it sounds weird, but it’s done so well. If you decide to join us (or not join us and just read the book because you want to), I recommend getting the complete Wright Collection, because you’re not going to want to stop there. There are three full novels and a Christmas novella, so you’ll have plenty to read. And then, if you haven’t read CCJ before, you will be happy to discover that her backlist is over fifty books long.

So if you’re interested, give Jason and Reese a try, and tell us your thoughts! Catch me on Twitter @jessisreading or Instagram @jess_is_reading, or send me an email at wheninromance@bookriot.com. And feel free to drop a word if you’ve got feedback, bookrecs, or just want to say hi!

Be safe this weekend, y’all. Some of us are in places where large gatherings and firework displays are still happening, for some reason. Use your judgment. I know you’ll take care of you.

BOOOOOKKKSSS!!!

Over on Book Riot

Trisha and I talked about lots of good things on When In Romance.

This list is actually repurposed Kissing Books content, but if you want a reminder of that fluffometer, you’ve got a direct link to it.

Gay werewolves!

Do you have personalized bookends?

These reading aids can be particularly useful for some of us.

And finally, tell us more about yourself and potentially win an ereader! We’re doing a Reader Survey. It’ll only take a few minutes and you can see the questions and giveaway details at bookriot.com/2020survey!

Deals

If you haven’t yet read Be Not Afraid by Alyssa Cole, now is the time to check it out! The novella, which originally appeared in an anthology of American Revolution stories, centers Elijah Sutton, the absent grandfather of That Could Be Enough’s Andromeda Stiel. When he meets Kate, she’s on the opposing side, but they keep meeting, and—eventually—what each says to the other starts to make a difference to each of them. They’re also pretty into each other in other ways, too. So if you want to have a good time for less than a dollar, check out Be Not Afraid.

New Books

Another week, another rundown of some great books. Or at least great-looking books. I haven’t read most of them yet.

Just Like That
Cole McCade

Cole McCade’s first book in the new Albin Academy series from Carina Adores is nothing short of a wonder. I’ve been saving a few of Cole’s self-published books as break-for-emergency reads, but I couldn’t help but pick this one up in time for its release. While it takes place in a secondary(?) school (it might be K-12? But I think it’s just secondary level), the relationship is between a young TA and the teacher whose class he’ll be taking over the following academic year. Summer Hemlock (and yeah, that name is definitely addressed) had a crush on Fox Iseya when he was his student, and that hasn’t gone away now that they’re working together. Their new relationship is a bit fraught, but they somehow manage to make an agreement with each other: Summer will do something to overcome (but not exacerbate) his extensive anxiety each day, and be rewarded with…a kiss. Yeah. What could possibly happen?

And I have not yet read Rebekah Weatherspoon’s Harbor, which is the third and final book in her Beards and Bondage series, but I will be remedying that pretty immediately. Much like the others in the series, there is an element of romantic suspense, so keep an eye out for content warnings (plenty of the goodreads reviews cover a lot of the notable ones). But it sounds pretty amazing: A MMF romance with elements of BDSM, that takes place on Cape Cod (I think?)? Yes, yes, yes, please.

What else is out this week?

Rapper’s Delight by Kenya Goree-Bell
Hate Crush by Angelina M. Lopez (the follow-up to Lush Money)
About a Rogue by Caroline Linden
A Duke, The Lady, and a Baby by Vanessa Riley (the first in a new series)
The Reinvention of the Rose by Christina C Jones (I actually missed this one last week, sorry!)
The Flapper’s Baby Scandal by Lauri Robinson (more flapper romance! I’m excited to discover the secrets of the sisters!)
A Good Duke is Hard to Find by Christina Britton
Insatiable Hunger by Yahrah St. John
Daring and the Duke by Sarah MacLean (oh wow, there are a lot of dukes this week, aren’t there?)
At Your Service by AC Arthur
To Catch an Earl by Kate Bateman
The Devil of Downtown by Joanna Shupe
A Reunion of Rivals by Reese Ryan

What are you reading this weekend? We’ve got a bounty to choose from!

As usual, catch me on Twitter @jessisreading or Instagram @jess_is_reading, or send me an email at wheninromance@bookriot.com if you’ve got feedback, bookrecs, or just want to say hi!

It’s the last Monday in June and honestly I’m looking forward to July. Everything is still horrible, but hey, at least TV studios have finally realized that they shouldn’t cast white voice actors to play characters of color. :shrug emoji:

Let’s talk about romance.

News and Useful Links

Cue the fireworks is right! Check out the lineup at this event from East City Bookshop.

Remember when Dreamspinner Press stopped paying a lot of their authors their royalties until legal action was taken (by a select few)? While Dreamspinner announced that they would be working to pay back royalties until they’ve all been paid out, RWA 2.0 is taking up the advocacy role, which has been an element of RWA’s work since its infancy—or at least, it was supposed to be. This time around, they’re actually planning to put effort into it, so hopefully a lot of authors will be paid their back royalties and I can start recommending Dreamspinner books and authors again.

Danika at The Lesbrary synthesized a heretofore less-known issue with racism in lesfic, particularly at conferences.

This is a long read, but there’s lots of good stuff in it.

Romance Class web series, yes!

Deals

Everyone wants to read a novella featuring a millionaire hair and skincare mogul, right? Especially if she wants to start a family and accepts a family recommendation to hold off on a sperm bank and go to a matchmaker instead. Well, if she matches with an old lover, we are definitely into it. And you can get B. Love’s Last Chance to Love for 99 cents right now, so check it out!

Recs!

I spent a surprising amount of time talking about Disney movies with a newish friend over the weekend, which made me think it was a perfect time to talk about fairy tale reimaginings! I started reading one last week which is HOO DOGGY HAWT if that’s the thing you’re looking for.

Femme Tales: A Modern Day Fairy Tale Trilogy
Anne Shade

This collection features three semi-connected novellas that all tell a contemporary, magic-free version of familiar stories. The first, for example, is about a staid music producer whose nickname is The Beast and the woman who she hires to help her mother-figure after she has a stroke. They have immediate chemistry but it exposes itself in…semi-aggressive behavior. And so the two take a while to warm up to each other, and the pathway to that is…precious. The other two stories are written on the theme of Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella, so if you need to refill your fairy tale bucket, this is a great place to start.

Briarley by Aster Glenn Grey is another queer retelling that I love. It’s a mid-20th century reimagining of Beauty and the Beast, featuring a cleric who ends up in a weirdly enchanted estate in the middle of England. The creature he befriends is some kind of dragon-creature who was cursed long ago and isn’t into this whole twentieth-century thing. It’s quick, but so lovely.

I’ve already mentioned Dithered Hearts by Chace Verity, but I’ll toss it in with this group, because it is quite the story. This Cinderella story features a young person whose fairy godfather is an actual fairy, and who—much like most of our favorite Cinderella stories—mostly wants to look nice at a fancy party. Cin quickly makes friends with the prince, but is about as attracted to him as he is to Cin, so they utilize their friendship with each other to help with other romantic interests. Cin also develops a romantic relationship with their stepsiblings, so heads up if you’re not interested in that. There’s also a lot of verbal and a bit of physical abuse by Cin’s parental figures, so also heads up for that.

I guess Salt Magic, Skin Magic counts as a fairy tale or folk tale retelling, but to tell you which would be a spoiler, lol. But I definitely recommend checking it out, and if you can get the audio, even better. Joel Leslie is a fantastic narrator. And there’s lots of magic and unresolved sexual tension. I promise, it’s great.

There are others that I’d love to check out someday, like Cinder Ella by ST Lynn or Braided by Elora Bishop.

What are your favorite fairy tale romance retellings?

As usual, catch me on Twitter @jessisreading or Instagram @jess_is_reading, or send me an email at wheninromance@bookriot.com if you’ve got feedback, bookrecs, or just want to say hi!

Thursdays are for new books! (I mean, Mondays and Tuesdays are for new books, but Thursday Kissing Books is what it’s all about!)

Over on Book Riot

Last week, we asked. This week, you answered!

This book isn’t out until next year, which makes me sad, but we’ve got a long time to admire this cover!

While it went live a whole week later, there’s no better way to celebrate Loving Day than with some interracial romance novels.

If you’re buying some mainstream, big-five romance anytime soon (or of course, other things, I guess lol), try getting it through one or more of these Black-owned indie bookstores.

These pins are just great.

Deals

Have you checked out Jackie Lau’s Baldwin Village series? Now is a great time to look, because she just put out Baldwin Village: The Complete Series and it’s 3.99 until July 1. Featuring One Bed for Christmas, The Ultimate Pi Day Party, Ice Cream Lover, and Man vs. Durian, it’s a ton of fun and sexytimes for about a dollar a book. (And even if you forget to grab it until after July 1, it’ll still be only 7.99! Either way, if you haven’t read this series, it’s all the good things for someone who wants fun, food, and fluff.

New Books!

Y’all, I’m so behind. This week snuck up on me, and so did a certain Lady of Awesomeness whose book wasn’t supposed to come out until next week.

Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert

It is not even fair how brill Talia Hibbert is. In Take a Hint, we once again visit with the Brown sisters (though you can honestly read this one without having read Get a Life, Chloe Brown) and their friends and family. Dani is a PhD student whose class is in the worst building on campus. That’s okay, though, because she and the thick-thighed guard who barks at students for their IDs at the building’s entrance get along very well. To the point that when he carries her out of the building with an adoring look during a danger drill, they accidentally start a viral hashtag that is full of #couplegoals. Which could help him with getting visibility for his charity, so he asks her to fake date—the only kind of dating Dani would ever be willing to do, because she is very much anti-relationship. And Zafir is a hopeless romantic. So, yeah. What could possibly go wrong?

And I was totally going to read Two Rogues Make a Right by Cat Sebastian by this week but somehow it’s already almost the end of June? The author called it “Only One Bed: The Novel” in an email and everyone I know has been screaming about this book for months. And let’s be honest: It’s Cat Sebastian; even if it’s a childhood-friends-to-lovers book, which I tend not to read, I’m going to love it. When I get there. (Also, I heard that Joel Leslie narrates the audiobook, and if you haven’t heard one of his narrations…oh man, you need to.)

And let’s not leave out Miz Adriana Beyoncé Herrera over there, who decided we needed to…find more joy…right now instead of on June 30, when Finding Joy was initially supposed to drop. Desta Joy Walker, the Dominican-American relief worker living in Addis Ababa, and Ethiopian resident Elias Fikru meet, pine, and explore Ethiopia in each other’s eyes in this newest book from Dreamers dreamer Adriana Herrera.

And of course, there are a few more people are talking about:

Her Lady’s Honor by Renée Dahlia (this cover, amirite?)
This Time Tomorrow by Tessa Bailey (this is the sequel to Reborn Yesterday and I just wanted more about them during that whole book)
Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory (It’s probably great, but I’m kind of avoiding politician romance right now)
Loud Mouth by Avery Flynn
Love Delayed in Dublin by Moni Boyce (this one kind of came out of nowhere and I look forward to checking it out!)
The Bad Boy of Redemption Ranch by Maisey Yates
Return to Magnolia Harbor by Hope Ramsay
When Harry Met Harry by Sydney Smyth (OKAY I’m super curious about this Audible original, okay?)
It’s a Work Thing by Michelle Karise

So what are you reading this weekend?

As usual, catch me on Twitter @jessisreading or Instagram @jess_is_reading, or send me an email at wheninromance@bookriot.com if you’ve got feedback, bookrecs, or just want to say hi!

 

I have no idea what to say as an intro. All the usual things apply. Love stories of all kinds are awesome, but HEAs are the best.

Let’s talk about all the things.

News and Useful Links

On Friday, LL McKinley and Saraciea Fennell Netflix-dropped the Juneteenth Book Fest, which included a wildly dynamic conversation between Rebekah Weatherspoon, Farrah Rochon, and Beverly Jenkins, moderated by Alyssa Cole. Yeah. You want to watch it.

I’m definitely bookmarking this guest post on LGBTQ reads by Katrina Jackson to reference a lot.

Have you seen the cover of Rebekah Weatherspoon’s next Beards & Bondage book?

The book Mr. Malcolm’s List? The one coming out at the end of next month? They’ve already started casting the movie. And there’s already a short-film version of the concept starring the absolutely breathtaking Gemma Chan, if you want some reference material.

(Side note: I am all about a historical romance written by an author whose heritage I do not know being super colorful in its adaptation casting—it might even be written that way—but how is it that these books are being picked up before they’re even out and we still don’t have a single Beverly Jenkins adaptation???)

And speaking of adaptations before the book’s out, Dial A For Aunties is coming via Netflix. It’s another Berkley property, described as Crazy Rich Asians meets Weekend at Bernie’s. So, we’ll see?

This thread.

The winners of the Bisexual Book Awards were announced! Have you read any of the romance or erotica entries?

Deals

Speaking of Rebekah Weatherspoon’s Beards & Bondage series, you can get Haven and Sanctuary for 4.99 each. Some of the characters (and locales!) might be familiar if you’ve read Xeni and Rafe, but the B&B books lean a bit farther away from the lighter tone of those two novels. And they both involve women who are escaping violence, either immediate danger or the threat of it (and in the case of Haven, the violent person gets shot on the page, FYI). I’m not selling them very well, but these are good books. You should read them in preparation of the third.

Recs!

I recently joined a book club that I’m not in charge of running, and the person who was in charge dropped a tiny bomb at the end of the meeting: oh hey, since we have Jessica, let’s read a romance next time!

Readers, I panicked. I couldn’t think of a single romance novel or author in the moment. But eventually, I came up with a list of books that I hadn’t gotten around to yet, weren’t in the middle of a series, that I was excited to read, and that non-romance readers might latch onto for various reasons. And then they’ll read all of the authors’ backlist and become romance readers and I will have successfully brought more people into the fold muahahahah.

Ahem.

I mean. Maybe they’ll enjoy the experience.

So these were my choices:

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall

I have heard nothing but amazing things about Boyfriend Material since the ARCs started going out. Alexis Hall is a master wordsmith who writes amazingly flawed characters, and this would be a great book for someone looking for something with a tropetastic plot and lots of laughs. If your entry into romance is a well-plotted, messy, fake relationship story, you’re gonna be hooked for good.

The Rakess by Scarlett Peckham

I’ve been avoiding this one because people have said it’s a lot, but I sort of also want to give someone the opportunity to experience the right kind of a lot. A Regency romance that goes so far to challenge…well, everything…might be something worth offering someone who isn’t a romance reader. Not because the ones that don’t challenge certain period and contemporary expectations aren’t amazing in themselves, but because everything a certain sect of romance authors is trying to do regarding how to take advantage of historical romance can be seen all together in one book. Or at least, that’s what people tell me.

Whiteout by Adriana Anders

What better read than a super tropetastic romantic suspense to get readers hooked? Antarctica; enemies-to-lovers; grumpy/sunshine; chased by baddies; Antarctica. Also, I thought introduction via romantic suspense might be a good way to pull in people who want a secondary subplot, on top of the relationship development.

Indigo by Beverly Jenkins (don’t judge me, there are a LOT of Beverly Jenkins books okay)

There are so many Beverly Jenkins books to choose from, but I knew I wanted to include one on the list. Honestly, I selected this one in part because it’s one of the few that is currently published in the trade paperback size, leaving some types of people more likely to buy it. Also, it’s Trisha’s favorite Beverly Jenkins, and the one that I have been determined to complete this year, by land or sea. It also feels like it might be one of the hardest of hers, because emotions and pain, so having a reason to be forced into it is definitely good (lolsob).

They select by poll using Bookclubz, so I’m not sure what we’ll do yet, but it’s leaning pretty heavily towards Indigo so far.

What romances have you recommended to your book clubs?

As usual, catch me on Twitter @jessisreading or Instagram @jess_is_reading, or send me an email at wheninromance@bookriot.com if you’ve got feedback, bookrecs, or just want to say hi!

Hey. Hey. Tomorrow’s my birthday. Buy books by Black authors. Read up on the history of Juneteenth at your site of choice. Be well, be safe. For me.

Let’s talk romance.

Over on Book Riot

Trisha and I had some things to say about publishing and anti-Blackness.

What are your favorite stories about forbidden love?

Whoever said romance couldn’t take you places?

Black women in love are a hell of a drug.

Enter to win a summer reading pack from Harlequin.

Or maybe a big gift card to B&N.

Deals

If there’s anything you need to repeat to yourself around now, it’s Release Some Tension, and Nicole Falls’ semi-recent book of the same name is 3.99 right now. This one is particularly about tension between professional fellows, but Nicole’s books are always a fun way to loosen your shoulders and unclench your jaw. And once you’ve read this one, check out more of her books. There are…a lot of them.

New Books

I feel like a broken record when I say it’s a good week for new books, because it’s apparently always a good week for new books. I’m so behind; I’d intended to read two whole books before writing this on Tuesday, but fell behind because Netflix exists.

40-Love
Olivia Dade

This is one of those books that you will start with no expectations and start laughing five pages in. Eventually, you’ll cry, you’ll ponder, you’ll swoon. But damn, this book. Tess is vacationing on a resort island in celebration of her fortieth birthday. When a rogue wave causes a…wardrobe malfunction…she enlists the help of Lucas, a tall, young, attractive man with…shoulders. When it turns out that he’s the once-pro tennis instructor (get it, Forty…Love? It’s a tennis joke) at the resort, and she is suddenly saddled with tennis lessons (just…out of nowhere!) the pair must get through their immediate defense mechanisms to explore this possible fling. Or maybe more?

And of course, there are more that I’m looking forward to checking out

Haunted Serenade by Anna M. Taylor (I am sooooo intrigued by the whole Haunted Harlem thing happening here! Also it looks like a rerelease, but I don’t know if any changes have been made.)

Bottle Rockets by Erin McLellan (Her first two were amaze, so this one should be just as great)

The Last Train to Key West by Chanel Cleeton (more fiction with romantic element, but her love stories are great.)

Midshipman Elizabeth Bennet by DL Carter (Yes, another one. But I’m super curious about the premise.)

Lucky by Kris Bryant (Win the lottery, open a pet daycare? Yes, please.)

As usual, catch me on Twitter @jessisreading or Instagram @jess_is_reading, or send me an email at wheninromance@bookriot.com if you’ve got feedback, bookrecs, or just want to say hi!

We’re officially halfway through June. The movement continues. My reading has improved; how about yours?

Let’s talk Romancelandia.

News and Useful Links

There’s a new romance line coming soon. I don’t know much about the company developing it, but I hope they’re doing their due diligence to produce quality material.

NATURAL HAIR ON A DRAWN COVER. I love.

How many of these have you read?

Adriana Herrera had some interesting thoughts on writing anti-racist romance and the philosophy of Frantz Fanon. I love Twitter. I really do.

Do you follow Gail Carriger’s books? She just posted a cover reveal and excerpt for her new m/m paranormal.

Talia Hibbert wrote about Kennedy Ryan’s Queen Move. 

Katrina Jackson is doing a pretty awesome giveaway through June 30. You want this.

She also pulled together a list of queer romance by Black authors.

These are great questions to ponder.

There are a bunch of virtual conferences going on this summer, including Romance Slam Jam, which is happening next week. It requires payment, but it looks like they’ve got tiered payment for readers, writers, and folks who want to reserve space for next year.

Who wants a short short?

Beverly Jenkins told us on Twitter that a bunch of her backlist is coming on audio! But we don’t have any info on what titles or when, so I guess we’ll just sit pretty while we wait.

Deals

Know what’s a good deal? Four stories for 12.99. While The Brightest Day is sadly no longer available in digital format (though you can get three of the four stories—Let It Shine, Drifting To You, and Amazing Grace—individually), it’s worth it to get in print if you read it. These romances are all related to Juneteenth, the day we celebrate the last enslaved people learning about the Emancipation Proclamation. Two years later. But that’s a whole other thing to talk about. You can read a bunch of historicals celebrating the day as well as Black love for a pretty nice price.

Recs

Do you know what’s a fun way to get out of a reading slump? Manga. Once you know the right way to read it, a standalone romance manga is just perfect for a couple of hours. The difference in medium activates different mental muscles, I think. Either way, I have been reminded how much I love manga. But…only if it’s standalone.

I Married My Best Friend to Shut My Parents Up
Kodama Naoko

I mean, with a title like that, who wouldn’t pick it up, amirite? The premise is definitely one of my tropetonites, medium be damned. Morimoto is frustrated with her parents’ constant inquisitions about her love life. And she knows they’ll have endless things to say about any man she brings home. So when her good friend (who is an out lesbian and—also!—has a pretty huge crush on her) needs a new place to live, she offers to move in and common-law marry her. Their live-in relationship doesn’t particularly start on the best foot, but their relationship slowly starts to build. It’s just…so sweet. Adorable, even.

CW: Bad parental response to f/f relationship.

If the comics medium isn’t your thing, though, I’ve got another delightful, easy, fake relationship story for you. I’ve talked about it before, but hey, it’s been awhile.

Man vs. Durian
Jackie Lau

Peter hates durian, but Valerie loves it. He’s willing to give it the vaguest chance, for her, because he can’t help but like her. And Valerie likes him enough to ask him to pretend to be her boyfriend, because her parents think she’s dating a doctor. Who…doesn’t exist, obviously. There is a lot to unpack about why she doesn’t want to be in a real relationship and why he doesn’t particularly feel like ambition is necessary. But it’s all done in a wildly fun way, just like all of Jackie Lau’s books. You want fun and easy with a side of real, drop into Man vs. Durian.

And of course I’ll take this moment to remind you that Xeni: A Marriage of Inconvenience is a thing that exists. But will also remind you that there is a strong grief component to the plot.

What are your go-to slump busters? Or your favorite marriage of convenience/fake relationship stories?

As usual, catch me on Twitter @jessisreading or Instagram @jess_is_reading, or send me an email at wheninromance@bookriot.com if you’ve got feedback, bookrecs, or just want to say hi!

Happy Thursday. I don’t have a million statements to make today. I mean. Black Lives Matter. But they will continue to matter through this time. Black stories matter. Black voices matter. And Black love stories matter.

Let’s talk about a few different love stories.

Over on Book Riot

Found family is one of my favorite elements of romance, and Laura pulled together some great examples of how that has played out in queer romance.

I’ve used this space before to talk about Netflix and their adaptations, but I had a few more words to say, too.

Maybe you want to support marginalized romance authors who are only able to publish via Amazon, but you don’t have a Kindle? You can read Kindle books in other ways, too.

This lovely, introspective piece isn’t about romance, but I think we all reach a point where we have to realize we’ve grown out of something, or someone.

I also went a little further in depth about the introduction of the Vivian award by RWA.

Deals

It’s a little higher priced than some books I’d list in deals, but Blaze by Christa Tomlinson is worth the 4.99. It’s a superhero romance (y’all know how much I love those!) and it features a Black Dom superhero saving people around St. Louis. That was enough to pull me in, and all the little pieces (and a few reviews from folks I trust) led me the rest of the way. A lot of these books, if you don’t have Kindle Unlimited, are going to be in the 4.99-6.99 range, and the authors deserve the recognition that comes from actually giving them money. Also, the second one comes out next week and is 99 cents right now.

New Books!

It’s another good week for books. I mean, I don’t know when it hasn’t been. So we continue with the only benefit of 2020: new material to read.

The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon

I’m not done with this one yet, but I can tell you it’s pretty great. Samiah, London, and Taylor first meet after discovering (via Twitter!) that they’re dating the same man. After making quite the scene at the restaurant where he’s on a date with Taylor (after cancelling on Samiah for “work”), the three become friends and make a “no men” pact. That causes a few problems for Samiah, because Daniel has started working a few yards away from her, and he is quite the man.

I’m also excited about some of the other titles out this week:

Why Don’t We Fall In Love by Chelsea Maria
Delay of Game by Amy Stephens
Tonight, We Love by Britt Joni
My Fair Captain by JL Langley
Next In Line for Love by Harper Bliss
Last Tang Standing by Lauren Ho (I don’t actually know if this is a romance or just romantic, but it has been marketed towards romance readers like myself so maybe we’ll be surprised.)
Budding Romance by Lara Kinsey
The Marriage Game by Sara Desai
Claim the Dragon by AC Arthur (Click through just to drool over the cover, I’m serious)

As usual, catch me on Twitter @jessisreading or Instagram @jess_is_reading, or send me an email at wheninromance@bookriot.com if you’ve got feedback, bookrecs, or just want to say hi!

It’s Monday. Black Lives Matter. There are people who menstruate who are not women. There are women who don’t menstruate. Topple all Jim Crow-era statues of Confederate generals and slave owners. Black authors don’t get paid nearly enough for their work, and now we have clear examples. Performative allyship was last week; now’s the time to be authentic.

So how was your weekend?

Let’s talk about books.

News and Useful Links

What’s your favorite first line? This thread has a lot of good ones and I’d love to hear more. (I rarely remember first lines, even when they stand out. That’s what phone cameras are for, though.)

RWA made a statement and action plan specifically for how they will work to make it a more equitable organization. Gotta start somewhere, I guess.

Do you have the Girl, Have You Read page bookmarked? Because they have a list of new releases by week and do some spotlights of individual books on a regular basis.

If you’re still looking for romances featuring activists, Ana Coqui, one of the organizers of RomBkLove 2020, pulled together a Goodreads list.

There’s another Date Night this week.

And East City Bookshop’s Really Reading Romance book club is hosting Mia Sosa on the 19th.

Oh! I forgot to mention The Ripped Bodice’s summer BINGO. Go forth and get some stuff.

Deals

Did a certain event this weekend make you think about Black cowboys? If you haven’t already read the entirety of the Westmoreland saga (I mean, who has actually managed it?) The Rancher Returns by Brenda Jackson is 1.99 right now. It’s the first in the series titled “The Westmoreland Legacy” so I’m pretty sure you can read it without having read any of the thirty million books in the core Westmoreland series. And this one features a wealthy rancher who is returning from active duty as a Navy SEAL to find a woman looking for buried treasure on his land. So yeah. That sounds hella fun.

Recs!

Someone asked me the other day for a recommendation that for me, was a literal unicorn. So I’m asking you: if you know of a historical romance by a male author of color with middle class queer protagonists…hit me up, I want to read it.

So I haven’t been reading much, but I did want to highlight some books I’m looking forward to reading someday, when all our brains have been given the opportunity to reset. In particular, these are books by queer Black authors. I’ve got such a list, books wise, and I can’t wait to have them all in my life. But that’s going to take a few lifetimes, as it currently stands.

Femme Tales by Anne Shade

I don’t know much about this book besides the fact that it’s a collection of three fairy tale retellings featuring Black lesbians/wlw, but that alone made me almost willing to drop the 9.99 that Bold Strokes Books makes us pay for the majority of their ebooks…which if I actually want, I end up buying in print because by that point, might as well. The three stories are riffs on Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella, so that’s always going to be fun.

Office Hours by Katrina Jackson

KJ is an autobuy for me, even if I don’t always manage to read the books immediately, as I intend to. This one has an academic setting, which is always interesting to me. Here, two professors fight the academic blues with their fascination with each other. So that’s sweet, and I hear it’s low on angst. I’m all for it. Also, Katrina Jackson often has at least one queer character in her books, but I don’t yet know if that’s true for this book.

Things Hoped For by Chencia C. Higgins

I don’t actually know if Chencia is queer but I need to talk about this book. NEED. I have no idea what it’s going to be about besides a Black butch lesbian rapper and FEELINGS (both of which are shared in Chencia’s Twitter promotion of the book). But how many times do you see a cover like this? How many times do we get a story like this? I can’t wait to get into this world, share life with these people, and just revel in the pure queer Blackness that this book promises to encapsulate. Sadly, it doesn’t come out until next month, so I’m going to have to just pine sadly at the cover.

The Sugar Baby Series by Rebekah Weatherspoon

This one is a bit of a cheat; I’ve read the first novella, So Sweet, which is a literal iteration of its title, but there are two more that round out the couple’s story. Kayla, the protagonist, is in a rough spot financially when her roommate convinces her to go to a Sugar Daddy mixer. There, she meets Michael, an older man who turns out to own the company that runs the app. They take a liking to each other, and soon Kayla is a happy girlfriend who is also reluctantly accepting the patronage of a man who can definitely afford it. While the first book can stand alone, the others build out Kayla and Michael’s romance and probably offer more of the smoking romance and sex we get in the first book.

This is the tip of the iceberg and I obviously don’t know the identities of every author, even the ones who write romances with queer characters. Who are your favorite queer Black authors?

As usual, catch me on Twitter @jessisreading or Instagram @jess_is_reading, or send me an email at wheninromance@bookriot.com if you’ve got feedback, bookrecs, or just want to say hi!

It’s Thursday. It’s still June. I am writing this on Tuesday and have no idea where we’ll be when we reach that day. Black Lives Still Matter. If your Pride isn’t intersectional, then it’s not Pride at all.

There are new books out, so let’s talk about them.

Over on Book Riot

The Lambda Literary Awards were announced! As usual, I haven’t read any of the romance winners. Of course, when I tried to read one of last year’s, I got sucked into a relationship with political and personal interactions that left me needing a shower, and not in a good way. So I’m a bit wary, but I love discovering new queer romances through these categories.

Do you consider yourself a foodie? Cassie pulled together a list of books for you to check out. (It says rom-com, but YMMV with the com part.)

Casey’s lamentation on the words publishers should use regarding LGBTQ+ books is definitely one we share in romance.

I went a little more in-depth about RWA’s announcement regarding The Vivian.

Do you have an ereader that you need to recycle?

Trisha and I got the chance to chat with Tosca Musk, cofounder of PassionFlix.

This list isn’t limited to romance, but we’re always happy to find queer books with happy endings, whatever they may turn out to be.

Deals

If you’ve already managed to read Single AF and the other Social Experiments books by Sherelle Green, might I direct you towards Blessed By Malakai? It starts out with an awful invasion of privacy, but Sherelle Green, in her usual way, takes a vaguely ridiculous plot and inserts humor and depth into it, as well as a fiery relationship. The first in the series is 3.99, and the others range from 2.99 to 4.99. So it’s a pretty good deal if you just want to dive into someone else’s lives and stay there for a while.

New Books

I haven’t had the chance to read nearly as much as I’d like to have, thanks to several hours lost to doomscrolling and general anxiety and dread, but I was able to dedicate some time to a book that’s out this week.

Conventionally Yours
Annabeth Albert

Early in the COVID quarantine period, I wrote about only being able to read geeky convention books. These were mostly YA, but a few adult romances made it in. I’d been holding off on reading Conventionally Yours until closer to the release date, which was perfect for a weekend of earthbound escapism.

This New Adult romance features two young men who rely heavily on their regular Odyssey game play for their own reasons. They’re also considered “big name fans,” being the focus on a YouTube channel called Gamer Grandpa (coordinated by an older gay professor who has pulled together a lovely group of misfits to play the game). When they’re all invited to Massive Odyssey Con West in Las Vegas, they’re all pretty excited. Except for one thing: Alden doesn’t fly, ever. And Conrad doesn’t have the funds to blow on a cross-country flight. When the professor offers his boat of a car for a road trip, neither can say no, regardless of how much they dread spending so much time with each other. Their rivalry is the reason people watch the show, after all, and it is very much not an act.

I don’t read many m/m books by female authors anymore, especially if they’re not queer themselves (Annabeth is, but many others are not). I’m glad I had the chance to sit down with this one, even as I keep an eye on the horizon for the smattering of m/m and m/nb books by queer male authors coming out in the rest of 2020.

CW: bad family relationship related to sexuality; a person falling down stairs (off page) and having to be hospitalized; asthma; depiction of financial insecurity; social anxiety; general anxiety disorder

Other books came out this week, too.

The A.I. Who Loved Me by Alyssa Cole (The audiobook, an Audible Original, released quite a while ago, but if you’ve been waiting for the ebook, here tis! Also, I have no idea if it will ever come out in print but one can hope.)
Basketball & Ballet by Suzette D. Harrison
Marrying His Runaway Heiress by Therese Beharrie
The Best Man Plans by Jaci Burton
Let Go My Gargoyle by Tami Lund (I know absolutely nothing about it but I have never heard of a gargoyle romance before)
Scandalous Engagement by Jules Bennett
A Dark and Stormy Knight by Kerrigan Byrne

As usual, catch me on Twitter @jessisreading or Instagram @jess_is_reading, or send me an email at wheninromance@bookriot.com if you’ve got feedback, bookrecs, or just want to say hi!