Category: Kissing Books

Happy March, folks! People can freak out about viruses all they want; apparently the end of the world in Tucson is marked by the arrival of twenty gazillion mosquito hawks (crane flies). They are literally everywhere; one flew into the side of my head at rehearsal last night. I used to be all about their survival; but even if they did actually eat mosquitoes, they’re getting on my absolute last nerve.

News and Useful Links

Surprising no one, EL James’s first non-Grey novel, The Mister, has been optioned for some kind of film by Universal. I’m honestly not sure how they’ll be able to successfully translate that one to screen and call it a romantic movie, because you kind of hate the male protagonist’s actions and need to be in his head to feel at all sympathetic towards him.

Harlequin is launching a new campaign under the auspices of “That Harlequin Feeling,” which is all about feeling good, I guess? And you can download two free books from their website.

Piper Huguley announced on Twitter that she would be working with Hallmark Publishing on her contemporary debut…and there might even be a movie involved.

Romance Sparks Joy is reading Desire and the Deep Blue Sea for their next book club. Have you read it? It’s seriously adorable.

Adriana Herrera, Ruby Lang, Cat Sebastian, Emma Barry, and Olivia Dade have teamed up to put out He’s Come Undone, which just looks and sounds amazing. It’s not out until May, but it’s available for preorder now.

Sometimes I neglect to give Dafina the recognition it deserves, so you should all definitely read this interview with Esi Sogah.

And Romance Sparks Joy pulled together a lot of different things from the far reaches of Romancelandia both last weekend and just yesterday.

Deals

Looking for a new adult campus romance featuring a grumpy, snarky female protagonist who plays bass guitar for a neo soul band? I mean, who isn’t, right? Thanks to Teresa, I’ve been turned on to Jacinta Howard’s Happiness in Jersey, the first in the Prototype series, which is 2.99 right now (or free if you have Kindle Unlimited). Jersey just wants to get through school, keep her scholarship, and play her music. A smiling man was not part of that want. She intends to keep it that way. I look forward to watching this all play out.

Recs!

I’m still making my way through Kristen Callihan’s back- and frontlist (right now I’m reading Outmatched, which is very much a Big Misunderstanding kind of book filled with all my favorite tropes), but I’ve picked up a few other good reads recently, too.

Life is Sweet
Lily Seabrooke

Someone on Twitter (Sarah MacLean, maybe?) asked for romance written by trans women, which is apparently a very tall order. While she wasn’t the only author recommended, Lily Seabrooke’s name came up a number of times, so I had to check her out.

Life is Sweet is a nice, fluffy read that is also very angsty? Melissa and Kayla have a great meet-cute: Melissa is a workaholic in search of a gift for her sister, and Kayla owns the candy shop she wanders into for said gift. At the time of their meeting, Kayla has broken one of her machines and needs a hand ebbing the flow of jelly beans. Melissa can’t stop coming back, and after a painful encounter with an ex, both women realize they could help each other with some fake dating. They each have their own Big Bad to deal with, but have each other’s backs through it all.

CW: Mention of past domestic abuse, intimidation, unhealthy work practices, pregnancy, estranged family

She doesn’t have a large backlist, but I hope to see more of her work in the future.

What are you reading this week?

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 hosted my first Romance Book Club and it was so much fun! I totally blabber way more about books in person, so we’ll see what happens after this month. Do you have a local romance book club in your area? Or maybe looking to start one? Anyway, let’s talk about books.

Over on Book Riot

Isabelle contemplates her romance reader origin story.

I dug around into the idea of Black history and the necessity of romance as a vehicle for telling those stories.

Sil gave us lots of options if we’re feeling a void after Red, White & Royal Blue.

While the PBS adaptation of Sanditon was apparently disappointing, Kathleen wants more.

Want to join a book club but not really a people person? Here are some tips.

Get some short books for the short month and some romances for Read Harder from us on this week’s When In Romance.

There are still days left to win a B&N gift card!

Deals

Sales make for good opportunities to try a new author, and while you might have read the works of Patricia Sargeant, I have not. Right now her book Heated Rivalry is 3.99. Work rivals at an ad agency—one of whom is a former NBA player—have to figure out how to work together when they realize they’re meant to be together.

New Books

There are a few books out this week that I’m pretty excited about, but there’s one that you knew I was going to talk about. You had to have known.

A Cowboy to Remember
Rebekah Weatherspoon

That handsome Black man in the Stetson on the cover of this book ain’t got nothin’ on the Zach Pleasant presented in the book. He’s tall and huge, with a sleek cut and beard. His smile could melt Antarctica. And the first thing he does when he comes back into Evie’s life is make her cry. Not by anything he’s done, of course. He’s been showing up in her dreams, which is saying something, considering she has total amnesia. Like the level of amnesia where I’m not sure how she knows words, because she doesn’t know what things like Target are. Evie is a popular chef on a morning show with a lot on the line if the producers find out, so her agent contacts Jesse and Zach Pleasant, who Evie has listed as an emergency contact. She grew up on their ranch, and they hope she might be able to recover in peace there, and hopefully reunite with her memories. Also, she was definitely pushed down some stairs, but nobody knows who did it except the culprit.

This book has all the draw of Rebekah’s self-published books, from the close relationships and friendships to the quips and jokes. It’s a little longer than her more recent stuff, but the ride is definitely a trip.

Other books that are out this week that I’m excited for:

Blind Date with a Book Boyfriend by Lucy Eden
Forbidden Promises by Synithia Williams
How to Love Your Elf by Kerrelyn Sparks
One Night With the Sexiest Man Alive by Ainslie Paton
Calling on Quinn by Blue Sapphire
An Inconvenient Duke by Anna Harrington
A Worthy Opponent by Katee Robert
Cancer Ships Aquarius by Anyta Sunday

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 week of February, folks. Anybody doing anything for Leap Day? It’s a Saturday, so there must be some fun happening around the world. I don’t actually know what it is that people do on Leap Day, but I know there’s a romcom (which I haven’t seen) about it? Anyway, let’s talk books.

News and Useful Links

Since last we spoke, the Independent Ethics Audit requested by RWA was completed and the company involved released their report. You can dig all you want into the longer documents, but there’s also an executive report.

Book Riot contributor Carole V. Bell wrote this great article about Black historical romance for Shondaland! How cool is that?

Kickstart Suzanne Brockmann’s new project! This is a great thread about the story and the people involved.

And a reminder that the #RomanceClass Taal Relief Bundle is still available for purchase.

Do you want to see a 1981 Harlequin commercial? I think you do.

Jennifer Prokop wrote a great article for Kirkus about Johanna Lindsey and how we—and the world—look at and talk about romance authors.

…Which is a great lead-in to this AITA that has so much of the internet screaming to throw the whole man away.

This is only sort of romance adjacent, but I know a lot of us romance readers are also fans of “transformative works” as the scholars call them, and this is a fascinating look at what today would be called fanfiction.

Deals

It’s still February, but if you’re gearing up for March, you can get The Ultimate Pi Day Party for free! Jackie Lau is one of my favorite contemporary authors right now, and her Baldwin Village books are so delightful, full of fun, puns, and food. So much food. This one also has math jokes, so if you’re looking to expand your holiday reading, have at this one before March 14 happens and you’re out of luck.

Black History Highlight

Here’s another good BGSU Pop Culture Library thread on Black romance, this time about author Chassie West, who wrote romance and occasionally wrote in other genres. (She was even one of the Carolyn Keenes!) She wrote some romances featuring Black characters, and many more with white characters. She started out writing YA, but then went on to publish Unforgivable, the first adult romance by a Black author with Black main characters, for Silhouette.

Recs

You ever have an author on your radar so long, you’re sure you’ve had to have read one of her books? That’s what happens anytime I hear Kristen Callihan’s name. I can pull up clear images of the covers of some of her books, some of which I’ve owned for more than half a decade. But now I actually do have to go back and read them all, because I made a rookie mistake: I checked out the first two books in the VIP series from the library. And they have holds on them. So I had to read them instead of waiting until the day they were due and renewing them.

So I read them. Back to back. In three days. And I hate that I don’t have the next one.

Idol

The first book in the series has one of my favorite Meet Disasters. A drunk man carves his way through Liberty’s lawn in the middle of the night, and she sprays him with the hose. They develop an antagonistic relationship that gradually becomes a reluctant friendship when it turns out he’s renting the house across the street, but he doesn’t immediately tell her that he’s the lead singer of one of the biggest rock bands in the world. He’s recovering from trauma from his friend and fellow band member attempting suicide, and is also afraid of his relationship with Libby turning into something different from what it’s become.

There’s a lot more to this story, but Killian and Liberty have a love story for the ages that also includes a good look at what fame means and who wants to live in the limelight. It’s also where we’re introduced to Scottie, one of the protagonists of Managed, which is tropetonite city. I’m talking grumpy-sunshine, sharing a bed, I-cuddled-with-this-guy-on-a-plane-and-turns-out-he’s-sort-of-my-boss tropetonite. (Plus another one that I want you to discover for yourself.) But definitely start with Idol.

There’s a lot of content that informs the rest of the series and how the protagonists act (and in Managed’s case, how one of the protagonists is reacted towards), and you’ll be able to get through the other books without it, but be better off with the formative knowledge. There’s also a third book, Fall, about Jax, the band’s lead guitarist and said suicidal friend, which I hope to get my hands on soon. A fourth book lives on Goodreads but the release date says 2019 so we’ll see what happens with that one.

CW: discussion of suicide, mention of clinical depression and recovery, drunk driving, death by drunk driver, sexual harassment and non-rape sexual assault on the page.

If you like this kind of book/series, might I point you towards:

Riven by Roan Parrish

Feels Like Summer by Six de los Reyes

Listen to Me by Kristen Proby

One True Pairing by Cathy Yardley

Trade Me by Courtney Milan

Syncopation by Anna Zabo

Intercepted by Alexa Martin

Flashed by Zoey Castile

(These are all tagged “famous flings” on my Goodreads account, where I’m trying to do better at categorizing by trope.)

What are you reading this week?

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!

Another day, another dollar. Another book. (We wish.) How’s your reading month going? I haven’t finished many books this February, but man, have I started some good ones!

(It’s a short one today, sorry folks.)

Over on Book Riot

If you’re interested in audiobooks but don’t know what books to try, here’s a list of recommendations.

But wait, there’s more! Here are some audiobooks that you can check out on Audible Escape if you decide to subscribe.

Alison did a recap of the Ripped Bodice awards, if you need a reminder 😉

And if ongoing series are the thing holding you back from reading historical romance, here are some completed series for you.

Still time for that B&N gift card!

Deals

If you like paranormal and supernatural romance but you think it could be less white, check out Seressia Glass’s Shadow Blade for 99 cents. You know the line “never fuck with an antiques dealer” from Dracula 2000? Kira is way cooler than Johnny Lee Miller. She’s a Shadowchaser, and right now there’s a 4000-year-old Nubian warrior who she has to align herself with because there are bad guys looking for the dagger she’s currently in possession of. It’s technically an urban fantasy series, but we’ve had that conversation about the difference between romance and urban fantasy…well, I don’t think we have, but needless to say, if there’s a romantic element in urban fantasy, I’m gonna talk about it at some point. Until I fall behind and realize the author has written far more books than I’ll be able to catch up to. Nobody in particular, just a general feeling. Anyway. Onward.

New Books

No Parking
Valentine Wheeler

This isn’t a brand new book, but it is new this month, and I’m excited about it. Marianne is a bakery owner with a parking lot problem: the spots in the lot she shares with the rest of her building are always taken by people going to the restaurant next door. It’s a petty annoyance, but I’m willing to overlook it for the sake of the bisexual protagonist nearing 60 and her Egyptian love interest. Who is near the same age. There is also a power outage. And snow. And food. That’s all I know about it now, but I have high hopes. We’ll see.

Other books I’m excited about that released this week:

Meat Cute: The Hedgehog Incident by Gail Carriger (this is a Parasol Protectorate prequel! Even though it’s just Alexia and Conall’s first meeting, we know all will end well. I’m so excited!)

Behind the Sun, Above the Moon edited by Brooklyn Ray (this is a sci-fi anthology centering the nonbinary experience, and includes nonbinary romance author Anna Zabo. Not sure about the other authors and can’t confirm romance/HEA for all stories)

One Last Chance by Therese Beharrie

Chasing Cassandra by Lisa Kleypas

Hard Ride by AM Arthur

Far from the World We Know by Harper Bliss

Unequivocally, Blindly, Yours by B. Love

I can’t wait to get out of this funk and read more! Maybe the longer days will help.

What are you reading? 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!

What’s up, love lovers. Happy Monday, or Presidents Day, or Washington’s Birthday, or Washington/Lincoln Presidents’ Day, or whatever today is where you are. If you’ve got the day off, hope you’re spending it with a book. If not, hope you’ve got some time to yourself at some point.

Oof. It’s been a week.

News and Useful Links

Let’s start with the good stuff:

The Ribbies were announced! The first annual Ripped Bodice Awards for Excellence in Romantic Fiction recognized nine books by seven authors and I am so glad it’s done! (I was in the inaugural judging panel, which was amazing, but also have you ever tried to read as many romance novels published in a single year as humanly possible? It’s hard.)

If you like The Mandalorian, you’re gonna like this new sci fi romance series from Jessie Mihalik. Or so that’s the word. We’ll have to wait a couple years to find out, sadly.

Harlequin is expanding their Love Inspired line, so if you’re into or interested in inspirational romance, have at it.

I know Valentine’s Day is over, but this is just so sweet.

This is a really interesting look at Georgette Heyer and the current state of Regency romance.

And this is just effing delightful.

And so is this!

This is just super cute.

In less exciting news, the entire RWA board resigned and there is a special election for the remaining voting members to choose new leadership. They have brought on a DEI expert who looks to know her shit, but there’s also the possibility that CIMRWA (Cultural, Interracial and Multicultural Chapter of RWA) will disolve. :shrug emoji:

Deals

Have you read any Kristen Callihan? I’ve seen her name a lot recently, and have a good number of her books or have checked them out (I have Idol and Managed right now), but I haven’t actually read any of her books. One that has been on my list for years is Firelight, which is 1.99 right now. It’s the first in a fantasy series that has elements of Beauty and the Beast. Always exciting for me.

Black History Highlight

Black Romance history highlight this time! This thread from the BGSU Pop Culture Library (which has one of the most amazing collections that I can’t wait to visit in a couple months!) gives us a little insight into the life and work of early Arabesque author Gwynne Foster, who started publishing later in life. They must have sent some of that dust through the computer.

Recs!

Now that the Ripped Bodice Awards have been announced, let’s talk about some of my favorites!

Xeni: A Marriage of Inconvenience
Rebekah Weatherspoon

It’s no surprise that this was a book the majority of the judges loved last year. Not only is it tightly and well-written, with excellent character development and a good story, but it’s fun! Xeni starts with grief, so you wouldn’t expect to have moments of brilliant laughter alongside those of deep sadness and thought. But Rebekah masters it with the skill of someone who has been doing this for a long time.

The Dreamers
Adriana Herrera

So I know American Love Story is the one actually being recognized, and that is a hell of a book. But all three of the released books (and I imagine the fourth, which is out…not soon enough) are pretty great. I actually brought my rating for American Dreamer down after reading American Fairytale, because Goodreads doesn’t have six stars, and I liked the second a smidge more than the first. The people in Adriana’s stories are heartfelt and lovable.

Mrs. Martin’s Incomparable Adventure
Courtney Milan

This novella about a pair of women who have dealt with enough shit in their lives and choose to do something about it is a sheer delight. When Miss Beauchamps arrives at Mrs. Martin’s home seeking payment for Mrs. Martin’s nephew’s stay at her boarding house, the pair instead plot to make his life just a little bit miserable. His nickname is The Terrible Nephew, after all. He’s made both of their lives miserable enough already. Oh, and as is the way, our elderly lesbians fall in love along the way.

The Reluctant Royals and The Loyal League and Everything Else
Alyssa Cole

It should be no surprise that I can’t choose a favorite when it comes to Alyssa Cole’s books. A Prince on Paper is definitely my favorite of the full length novels released last year, though my favorite Reluctant Royal book is definitely Can’t Escape Love, which sadly didn’t make it into the final list. An Unconditional Freedom was absolutely spectacular, of course, and hard, and intense. (My favorite of those will always be A Hope Divided, but they’re all just…so good). While the Loyal League books are masterfully done and probably the only Civil War era books not written by Beverly Jenkins that I will ever pick up, the outright queerness living in the Reluctant Royals world edges it out. I realize that part of it is the setting, though, so we can just pretend they’re equally amazing series that have now been wrapped up. Sort of.

(How to Catch a Queen, the first book in the Reluctant Royals spinoff series, The Runaway Royals, is available for preorder now. By the way.)

This is not to say that Get a Life, Chloe Brown and Trashed weren’t favorites of the year. I still think about Trashed on a regular basis and thrust Chloe into people’s hands as they walk by. (Note: I have not actually read The Austen Playbook.)

It’s hard to pick favorites when you loved them all.

Which was yours?

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!

How’s your week gone, love lovers? I hope it’s been reasonable, and kind of warm. Whichever Alentine you celebrate, enjoy it safely!

Over on Book Riot

Have you been thinking about reading Courtney Milan, but weren’t completely sure where to start? Well, this probably isn’t actually going to help, but it’s a nice rundown of her books. Go ahead, writhe with indecision for a bit.

Meta romances are cool. What’s a meta romance, you ask? Oh, just a romance with romance in it.

Speaking of Alentines, Trisha and I talked plenty about the various ways to celebrate.

Queer AF M/F romances, at your service.

Do you use a book tracker? Book Riot’s got something new for you to try out.

And there’s still time to enter to win a B&N gift card!

Deals

If The Worst Best Man left you wanting more DC-area (I refuse to use DMV) love with awesome family dynamics, The Key to Happily Ever After by Tif Marcelo is 1.99! There is even wedding planning involved, so it can really scratch an itch if you’ve got it. Now’s a great time to get it, and be prepared for the release of Once Upon a Sunset in early March.

Black History Highlight

No book highlight today, but you should definitely check out the Wikipedia page for Vivian Stephens, founder of Romance Writers of America and longtime romance editor. It’s a recent addition to the site, and the most information gathered about her that I’ve seen on the open web. Fun fact: At one point, she was Beverly Jenkins’s agent!

New Books

Lots of good-looking books out this week! I’ve even read one lolsob

House Rules
Ruby Lang

This is the third book in Ruby Lang’s Uptown series, but each one can stand alone. (But if you haven’t read the other two, I definitely recommend checking them out.) Here, ex-spouses Simon and Lana run into each other while looking at apartments. Simon still lives in the rent-controlled 500 square foot apartment he inherited from his father, and Lana is new to the city on a trial job. She finds an amazing apartment but isn’t completely able to cover it so…she calls Simon. They are both over the age where people—even in New York—commonly have roommates, but the apartment is perfect, and so they tentatively start a new partnership. The tension is palpable between the two, but they’re determined to go no further than sharing space…and hardly that. But prolonged exposure and years of history can lead to other things.

And of course, Just One More by the great Jodie Slaughter comes out tomorrow. It’s going to be one of my favorite Valentine’s Day romances for a long time, I think. (If you missed my rec of it on Monday, check that list of Valentine’s Day romances out!)

Other books I’m looking forward to reading:

All Mine by Savannah J. Frierson (The sequel to last year’s Valentine’s Day book, Be Mine!)
All Geek to Me by Allie York
No Parking by Valentine Wheeler
Moontangled by Stephanie Burgis
And This I Swear by Stephanie Nicole Norris
The Bedroom Experiment by Kendall Ryan
Out of Practice by Carsen Taite
Taking a Shot at Love by KC Richardson

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!

It’s the first day of Valentine’s Week! I am not actually a go-hard for the holiday, but I support anything that allows people to think a little harder about love and love stories…even if we have to suffer through the Fabio and Fifty Shades think pieces.

News and Useful Links

Sarah MacLean finished her book and had some time, so she wrote a long thread about the process of hosting the RITA awards last year. Get ready.

Did you see the segment on the Today show yesterday?

Reminder that Olivia Waite, author of one of the other things called Kissing Books, is great.

Avon announced the results of their open submission call for own voices romances. I’m excited for the authors, yes. But you know…just accept more submissions by authors of color and other marginalized folks in general, yes?

Deals

Everybody likes a dragon romance, right? Branded by Flames, the first in Sean Michael’s Dragon Soul series, is 99 cents. You get a dragon shifter and a guy covered in dragon tattoos, and you know, that’s kind of a sign. These are super sexy books, so be prepared.

Black History Highlight

It’s been a while since I’ve talked about An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole, but in this case, I want to talk about the person Alyssa based Elle Burns on: Mary Bowser. She was a woman with many names, but there’s one thing we know: she was a genius. She was a woman who could infiltrate any household and gather information that was incredibly valuable to the cause. Unlike Ellen Burns, Mary Bowser went as far as to pose as a slave in the house of Confederate President Jefferson Davis, where she used regular errands to deliver messages to a Union agent in Richmond.

Recs!

I mean, it’s Valentine’s week, so let’s talk about romances set around Valentine’s Day.

I only read my first Valentine’s Day romance last year, but now I’m determined to read at least one every year. This year, we’ve got a near abundance with three that I know about! So here are some Valentine’s Day romances for you to check out.

Just One More
Jodie Slaughter

What starts out as the worst Uber pool Whitney has ever experienced turns into something much better when both she and Vic, who had spent a good amount of that ride pressed up against her, get out before reaching their destinations. It’s Valentine’s Day and she just wants some cupcakes from her favorite bakery, but he would like to end on a high note after a bad date and invites her for dessert instead. Dessert becomes a night together, which becomes more, as the pair finds they can’t get enough of each other. Just one more, indeed.

Be Mine
Savannah J. Frierson

Ingrid has three roommates. She loves them all in their own ways. When Valentine’s Day comes around, she decides to ask one of them to be her Valentine…which is a surprise to everyone involved! What surprises her most, though, is what comes next: all three are determined to be hers for more than just the holiday of love. But is this kind of relationship something she’s ready for?

Candy Hearts
Erin McLellan

Benji Holiday could kill his sister Sasha when he arrives at the lakeside Valentine’s Day house party she invited him to only to discover that the property’s power is out and the property owner wasn’t expecting company for another day. But William is more than happy to have him stay. The pair tiptoe around each other for a while before they acknowledge their attraction to each other, and Benji suggests the pair—who are both hesitant to start anything serious—be fake valentines. Be romantic. Have some sex. Stare at the lake, look at the moon. But what happens when people start showing up?

A Big Surprise for Valentine’s Day
Jackie Lau

The fourth book in Lau’s Holidays with the Wongs series (which I have loved. I mean come on—Lunar New Year romance! Canadian Thanksgiving! Last year, as part of a different series, she wrote a Pi Day book!) gives us the final Wong sibling to have not succumbed to Cupid’s arrow. Amber runs into old family friend Sebastian late one night in a convenience store and the pair begin a no-strings sexual relationship. But as Valentine’s Day draws near, Feelings emerge.

There are a couple more on my radar to check out, including Alexandra Warren’s A Tale of Two Cities: A Valentine’s Novella and Special Delivery Valentine by Roz Lee.

I know Valentine’s Day is one of those holidays that people either love or hate, but what better way to spend the long weekend than with a bunch of romance novellas and maybe some chocolate?

What are you reading this week?

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, lovers! It’s a new month, and I’m coming in with a new attitude! There are so many new books out this week and I haven’t even done my planner for this month and I’m sort of freaking out a little bit but it’s all to our benefit so I will just breathe. Breathe with me.

Over on Book Riot

Whether you’re a Nalini Singh fan or not, this is a fun quiz.

Enter to win a Barnes and Noble gift card!

Just getting into audiobooks, or looking for an alternative to Audible? Here are all your questions answered about Libro.fm.

And I know it’s in the footer but I completely failed to include the last episode of When In Romance in the rundown last week.

Deals

If you’re okay with being hungry while you read (like, all the time), Pride, Prejudice, and other Flavors by Sonali Dev is 1.99. As I mentioned in my short review and rec of this book the first time around, there are all the content warnings: discussion of multiple past rapes (one of which included use of rohypnol); discussion of lost pregnancies and attempts to get pregnant; family discord and estrangement; brain tumors; bad reaction to potential blindness; an Assigned Criminal At Birth law enforcement interaction…I think that’s all of the big stuff. But if you feel confident reading around it, the book itself is lush and lovely…and I’m super excited to pick up Recipe for Persuasion next, because after Northanger Abbey, Persuasion is my favorite.

Black History Highlight

There’s so much to Black history, and so little romance to talk about when we talk about it. Obviously, Beverly Jenkins is the go-to when we talk about North American-focused Black history and heritage in romance, but there are other authors who have done great work writing meaningful, poignant romances featuring Black characters in our shared historical timeline.

A Champion’s Heart by Piper Huguley

Piper Huguley is most known for her Milford College series, which draws us into the lives of people living in the decades before the turn of the 20th Century, but there are so few romances set during the Great Depression that I always recommend this one to new readers. There is a couple you want to succeed in their relationship, but also in their lives, and the setting is one that leaves you regularly on edge about whether they might actually make it work. But it’s a romance, so you know things will work out some kind of way.

New Books!

There are so many new books out this week, some of which came out earlier than I expected or just sort of came out of nowhere!

Never Kiss a Duke
Megan Frampton

I missed this one last week, so I thought I’d drop it here. I don’t know what this trend with ladies owning gaming houses has come from, but I like it. Here, Ivy is in charge and hires Sebastian de Silva, former duke, now left with nothing but his charm. There’s obviously going to be some tension regarding the fact that she is his employer, but hey, if her own personal goal is to never kiss a duke, she’ll succeed (because he isn’t one anymore lolsob).

Her Twin Baby Secret
Therese Beharrie

Alexa has decided to have children on her own. Which is fine. But she hits it off with Benjamin—a business rival—after they pretend to be in a relationship for some reason, and now she wonders what the future might look like. I love Therese Beharrie’s various baby books like nobody’s business, so I’m a little biased, but I think you’ll have fun with this one.

Blame it on the Billionaire
Naima Simone

If there’s one thing Naima Simone kills us with it’s drama drama drama, and this one is definitely going to be one of those! There’s a blackout, and Nadia and Grayson take supreme advantage of it. When the lights come back on, Grayson surprises Nadia with a fake engagement proposal (ANOTHER ONE! I AM LIVING!), but there are plots afoot to take her down.

Ignite on Contact
Jaci Burton

This is the second book in Burton’s new Brotherhood by Fire series, which I was intrigued by as a big fan of the 9-1-1 universe (though I think these might have been more inspired by Chicago Fire, which I’ve never seen). In this one, younger brother Rafe is all about that casual life, and ER nurse Carmen doesn’t have time for anything more. They start out with what they both think is a little fun, and then Rafe goes and catches feelings, to his own surprise.

Temporary Wife Temptation
Jayci Lee

Natalie and Garrett are both in need of a spouse. Not for love and companionship, but for the sake of family pressure and other appearance-related things. So when Garrett proposes that Natalie marry him, in order to prevent his matchmaking mother from thrusting the bride of her choice upon him, Natalie agrees. They also agree they won’t have sex. Or fall in love. Hah. Yeah, cause that always works.

Hearts on Hold
Charish Reid

So there’s a sexy, tattooed children’s librarian and a “tightly wound” university professor. She comes to him with a proposal for the university and public library to work together, and the fire blazes between them almost immediately. There are sexytimes. There are apparently spreadsheets involved. That’s all I know

And then of course the ones I talked about earlier this week, A Heart of Blood and Ashes by Milla Vane and The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa, which both deserve all the yelling.

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 February 3, and I’m writing this as my DH finds random Superbowl commercials I missed while I was at rehearsal. Not gonna lie; we’ve watched the Smaht Pahk one multiple times. The infernal month is over, and now we’ve got new things to talk about.

News and Useful Links

Ever thought about getting relationship advice from a romance author? Roan Parrish is starting a podcast! Called Dear Romance Writer, this will be an ongoing podcast featuring Roan and guests answering questions about love and life.

“He did a really good job, and looked good in a tool belt, and I kept him, and got many, many, more bookshelves out of it along the way.” Read more in this great profile of Nora Roberts.

While this isn’t specifically about romance, apparently authors using KDP earned over $300 million via Kindle Unlimited last year. That’s just KU, not a la carte sales. I’d love to see how much of that was romance, cause I know how we are.

Please enjoy this thread of romances as valentines.

The auction is closed, so I won’t link to it, but the Romance for PR folks made TWICE their goal. Huzzah!

And this bundle for Taal relief is still available.

Deals

Check out one of the most talked about sci-fi romances of 2019! Polaris Rising by Jessie Mihalik is 1.99 right now, which is great considering the next two in the series are both 11.99 on Kindle (:scream emoji:). This is one of those space opera style books that drops you into a world expecting you to understand, but you’re so into the story you don’t particularly care. I will say the romance is not always in the front seat here, but it’s a great love story nonetheless.

Recs!

There are so many exciting books coming out this month! I’m going to be talking Black History plenty this month, so definitely keep an eye on the horizon for that, but today, I’ve got some pre-order recommendations. (Some of them as soon as tomorrow.)

The Worst Best Man (February 4)
Mia Sosa

I started reading this book last week and sadly got sidetracked, but I was loving what I’d read. We begin three years ago, moments before a wedding, with a best man slash brother and the bride. He’s the one who has to tell her that he was just informed—through text, no less!—that the groom has changed his mind. Fast forward to Lina, who is about to move into a new chapter of her wedding-planning life, and Max, marketing genius, working on a job together. And not only is it awkward, it’s downright contentious. Mia’s books have been hit or miss for me in the past, but this is the perfect cocktail of personalities and situations that would make her kind of snark shine!

A Heart of Blood and Ashes (February 4)
Milla Vane (aka Meljean Brook)

If you have been looking for a doorstopper of a fantasy romance, may I point you in the direction of this incredible tome. I haven’t made it far into this book, because there’s just so much of it, but if all you’ve been missing in your life is some intense, well-built fantasy, this is the book for you. I will say that part of what pulled me away is the depiction of contention between the two warring races; there is language that might be off-putting or traumatic to a reader. But I hear the romance part is super intense, like Captive Prince level intense.

Moontangled (February 14?)
Stephanie Burgis

This is book 2.5 in Burgis’s Harwood Spellbook novellas, and I am super excited to read the story of two women that have intrigued me since the beginning. Also: have you seen that cover? This is set in an alternative historical Britain that has a matriarchal society, where women are politicians and men study magic. But Cassandra Harwood has magic, and is certain that other women do, too, so she’s started a magic school for women. Juliana is a student there, and her former fiancé, Caroline, is visiting. There is drama, and strife, and a visit to the fae territory just outside of the school. I don’t know what’s gonna happen, but I can’t wait to find out! (A lot of people recommend reading Thornbound before picking this up, but it’s not completely necessary.)(Also I’m getting conflicting information from various sources so maybe you’ll luck into a book that’s already released?)

A Cowboy to Remember (February 25)
Rebekah Weatherspoon

If amnesia and Black cowboys are your thing, you need to preorder this book so it’s in your hands immediately on February 25. This is the first in a new series, loosely based on fairy tales, featuring modern-day cowboys and the people they fall in love with. In this one, a bad fall has left Evie without memories of who she is or who she knows, but she’s been dreaming about Zach, a man she was friends with in her youth. There’s family drama and maybe a star-crossed situation, but it’s a romance so it all turns out well.

Thursday I’ll be giving a longer rundown of the rest of the books out this week, but in the meantime, give these upcoming February books a look-see.

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!

January has been ten thousand years long, but it’s almost over. Almost. A bunch of good-looking books came out this week, so let’s get to it.

Over on Book Riot

How good are you at optimizing your library holds?

Whether you read mostly physical books or need a way to lean your electronic reader of choice at the right angle to avoid neck pain, this is a great list of different hands-free reading aids.

If you have an everlasting love for Lara Jean Covey, these are fun!

Deals

If you’re making your way through Beverly Jenkins’s backlist, the entire Destiny trilogy, starting with Destiny’s Embrace, is 1.99 right now. These were the first Beverly Jenkins books I read, which led me to dig up years’ worth of her backlist and read every new release. The Yates brothers and the women they fall in love with (and their extended families) are all delightful people, and I hope you take the chance to get to know them. Not only was this my first Jenkins, this was my first Reconstruction-era romance ever. I learned a lot.

New Books

Whiteout
Adriana Anders

A chef and a scientist trapped on Antarctica after an attack on the research station where they both work. This is not only a romantic suspense novel, but it’s between two people who don’t particularly like each other (!!!) who are stuck together (!!!) and have to work together to survive the deadly tundra they’ve found themselves in. I might have to take a few weeks before I read this one, because I’ve been watching The Magicians and am just going to think about antarctic fox/fox sex if I read it too soon.

The Lord I Left
Scarlett Peckham

There’s been this whole thing on Twitter recently about whether social media sells books, and I can tell you I know about this book because of this tweet. There’s a minister who works with sex workers and “London’s most notorious whipping governess” whatever that might mean. Not only is there snow, but there’s a road trip. Scarlett writes lots of kinky sexytimes, so I’m sure this one will be no different.

Then, Now, Always
Mona Schroff

This cover has been around for a while and I’m delighted every time I see it. I will say that if people never telling people they have children is a thing that doesn’t work for you, don’t read this one, as the whole premise is set around it. Maya is a successful lawyer who gets into some trouble and needs Sam, the father of her teenaged daughter. Like I said, he doesn’t know he’s a father, but comes back into Maya’s life for him and Samantha, and to also help her with her legal troubles.

There were a lot of other books that came out this week. What are you picking up for the 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!