Category: Kissing Books

Peeps, the saga continues, but there’s some semblance of light shining at the end of the tunnel. Unfortunately, that light is also shining its beams onto some people.

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Sponsored by Waterhouse Press

When Maddox and Wilder invite Jasmine into their friendship, sparks fly and she tries to convince them she can be so much more. To both of them. Can they figure out how to navigate a polyamorous relationship without destroying their friendship…and their hearts?

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The Ongoing Saga

I figured it was worth adding a special section to this Thursday version of Kissing Books, which if you’re a regular you know is usually dedicated to posts on Book Riot Proper. Instead of hoarding all the news for Monday, here’s what’s been happening with RWA and the RITAs since we last spoke:

• Kharma Kelly wrote this excellent piece on what RWA can do about addressing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion from an expert’s standpoint.
• Ana Coqui recommended what readers can do to address this on their end, from the point of view of a librarian member of RWA.
• Susanna Kearsley and Ann Aguirre have both asked for their books to be removed from the finalist list.
• Cherry Adair—this year’s Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award recipient—tweeted about giving the finalists their day (three days later?) and ended up blocking the authors of color and allies who tried to help her understand. She also referred to the respondents as a lynch mob, which she then proceeded to show the definition of with the phrase “no mention of color.” Because no one on the planet hears “lynch mob” and thinks, nah, that’s not culturally and contextually related to the actual lynchings of black people that have gone and continue to go on in the United States. Nope.
• (I saw this in real time, but it’s possible her tweets may have been deleted. Some nice folks have preserved the moment in screenshots, which you can find if you search twitter.)
• Amish romance author Jennifer Beckstrand (a finalist in the Romance With Religious or Spiritual Themes category) apparently implied that maybe the reason for lack of racial diversity was a lack of quality in said racially diverse books.
• Finally, HelenKay Dimon made an announcement on behalf of the Board regarding RWA’s next steps to figure something out with the RITAs.
• Meanwhile, Jen has started her journey of Reading the RITAs

These are the news points, but I can’t even keep up with the conversations happening around the institutional racism and homophobia that resides inside the house. Find your favorite author and search their Twitter or Facebook for mentions of PAN, and then just read from there. There will be a lot of exasperated scoffing about white fragility and niceness, because that’s where we are now. Because really, maybe the authors of color we regularly exclaim about really don’t write books that are the same quality as those nominated. No matter they have to be Absolutely Effing Brilliant to get their foot in the door in the first place.

Whoosh. Sorry. It’s a lot. More on Monday.

On to more fun things!

Over on Book Riot

Do you have an overwhelming number of books in your Kindle Cloud? Here’s something to help.

If you’re like me, you might have read Nora Roberts at one point, and then discovered other authors and wandered away. Also like me, you might randomly stand in a bookstore or library, confronted with a full bookcase (or even a whole range) of Nora Roberts titles and think: where the hell do I start?

This Riot Recommendation question was made for romance readers: What’s your favorite historical fiction series?

Yellow is the color of spring…and apparently also the romance novel color of 2019. Check these out!

Deals

Have you read any Jamie Pope? Look no further than Mostly Sunny, which is 1.99 right now. It features a young social worker looking into her past and the pro-football-player-turned-lawyer who is begrudgingly helping her along the way.

KJ Charles has been tweeting about Brexit in severe anguish, so let’s all buy The Magpie Lord, which is 99 cents right now. It won’t help her anguish, but at least we’re thinking about her, huh?

New Books!

It wouldn’t be Thursday without new books, so I’ll tell you about one I’m excitedly devouring and a couple I’ve been drooling over (and watching people review in delight)

Mrs. Martin’s Incomparable Adventure
Courtney Milan

If you were around while I was reading After The Wedding, you know Bertrice Martin is definitely A Favorite. So when I found out Courtney Milan was writing a book just for her, I couldn’t hit preorder fast enough. And now, it’s out! This is a short novella set in the Worth universe, but you certainly don’t need to have read the others to get what’s happening here. (I mean, if you haven’t read the other Worth Saga books, you know what I’m going to say, but I don’t have to say it.)

When Bertrice Martin and Violetta Beauchamps first meet, one is preparing to swindle the other. Instead, they go on a remarkable, delightful, hilarious, adventure in which Bertrice intends to get revenge on her Terrible Nephew a “young thing of forty-nine” who has absolutely no responsibility and no consequences. The women, aged 73 and 69 respectively, are both wonderful women who could do without the existence of men, full stop, and find themselves quite attracted to one another. And really, that’s all you need to know. Go read it.

Others I’m excited to read soon:

Desire Lines by Elizabeth Kingston

One Warm Winter by Jamie Pope

Rebound by LA Witt (which I think I mentioned last week)

The Infamous Duchess by Sophie Barnes

A Lesson in Thorns by Sierra Simone

Forget Me Not by Brenda Jackson (HER 100th HARLEQUIN Y’ALL. ONE. HUNDRED.)

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

Well folks, it’s been…a week.

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Sponsored by Every Last Breath by Juno Rushdan

In this high-octane romantic thriller, the pressure doesn’t let up. Maddox Kinkade manages the impossible for a clandestine agency. Tasked with neutralizing a lethal bioweapon, she must recruit the last person she expected to see again: her presumed-dead lover. Cole Matthews can’t forget or forgive her role in a tragedy that ruined his life. Enlisting Cole’s help may be harder than resisting their still burning attraction, but Maddox will do whatever it takes. Soon they’re set on a deadly collision course with a world-class killer who has a game-changing secret. “[Rushdan] handily juggles emotional intensity and heart-pounding James Bond-ian adventure.” -Kirkus

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News and Useful Links

With the closure of Romantic Times last year, the RITAs are the biggest game in town for romance awards. The nice thing about the RT awards was that they were nomination-based, by people who did not have to enter in order to judge. So any book could be nominated. The RITAs, instead, are self-nominations—meaning an author has to enter their book (meaning they have to be a paid member of RWA and then pay to enter each book). If an author isn’t a member of RWA, it’s pretty cost-prohibitive to enter…not that being a member isn’t already expensive.

So yeah, there’s that. But after last year’s conversation about racism in the RITAs, many authors of color made the decision to double down. Some decided to rejoin RWA—a community they’d had problems with in the past—just to enter their books.

And then, the authors peer-review books outside of their writing category. Which you’d think wouldn’t be a problem.

But apparently, there is a racism problem. And a homophobia problem. It’s prolific, and here’s the data.

So when the RITA finalists were announced on Thursday morning, and there was a decided lack of expected names in the list, a new conversation needed to happen.

(PS – I wrote this article for the main BR site on Thursday night and made some changes on Friday evening…and then the weekend happened and Shit Went Down. There are calls to halt the RITAs until they can clean house, but I don’t know what might actually be happening.)

In happier news, Talia Hibbert has had two cover announcements:

• Her first traditionally published Avon book, Get A Life, Chloe Brown, has AN AMAZING COVER I CAN’T WAIT TO OWN THIS IN PRINT
• Speaking of books I can’t wait to own in print, she posted this blog post about the new covers for A Girl Like Her, Damaged Goods, and Untouchable. They’re so amazing, y’all, I might finally break down.

If you’re curious about The Mister, EL James posted an exclusive excerpt on Goodreads. I…am not hopeful.

Forever finally heard that whole thing about representation, and have a contest going on to get a lot of submissions at once. (And Rebekah Weatherspoon recommended submitting to them through normal channels, too, if you’re an #ownvoices author.)

Speaking of covers, have you seen the one for The Wallflower Wager? It pretty!

And ironically, just a few days before the RITA announcements, Jasmine Guillory wrote about why representation matters.

And this list went up on Bookish, recommended by other authors.

Reminder that this book list exists and it’s amazing.

And this list.

And so does this site.

And for a last dose of silly, check out #romcar. You won’t regret it.

Deals

Speaking of RITA finalists, M. Malone’s Bad Blood is 2.99. You all know how I feel about books where the hero has reservations about the heroine because “BFF’s younger sibling” and The Patriarchy, but this sounds like a pretty delightful book. (Did I mention I haven’t read most of the RITA finalists?)

If you’re interested in checking out another RITA finalist, Three-Way Split by Elia Winters is 3.99. If you couldn’t tell from the title, it’s a romance featuring a polyamorous relationship and an owner of an adult novelty store. Sounds good, right? I’m all for it.

A Chat With Catherine Bybee

It’s the last Monday of the month which means an author profile! Thanks to Catherine Bybee for chatting! If you haven’t checked out her books, she’s got plenty available to try, including the First Wives series, the fourth of which, Faking Forever, is out now.

What was the first romance you ever read?

Oh, this one is hard since I devoured novels like I did Oreos as a kid. Historical romance was my first love in romance. Kathleen Woodwiss holds a special place in my heart. Shirlee Busbee took a close second with Gypsy Lady being a novel I will forever remember. Rebecca Brandywine with the back cover and the author herself posing with floor-length hair draped over a chase. sigh

What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learned from a romance novel?

Monogamy. Sounds like a strange thing to learn from a novel. My mother was past her third marriage by the time I discovered romance novels. There was a revolving door of men in my childhood home. No Mother of the Year award there. So I turned to novels for solid advice on what to look for in a relationship. Some say that turning to a novel to find what one should look for in a significant other is unrealistic. I say that “those people” have set the bar too low.

Who has been your favorite character to write?

Oh, now come on… that’s like asking who my favorite child is. I will take a stab at this and say the bad guys. I really enjoy getting deep in the head of the antagonists in my edgier books. They play by no rules and I can make them as awful as the human race can get.

What, besides reading, has had the biggest influence or made the most impact on how you write?

My life. The rollercoaster of the first nineteen years of my life has given me a lot of fuel to feed off of. My long, yet failed marriage, and my two beautiful sons have given me a myriad of material. Now that I’m fifty and single and experiencing the height of my career with all the blessings that come with it, I feel like I will be writing inspiring books for the next thirty years.

Thanks, Catherine, for sharing with us! Check out Faking Forever, now on sale!

What are you reading this week?

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

Happy spring, lovers! I know some of us don’t actually have a spring right now, but soon, right?

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Sponsored by Once and Again by Lauren Dane, published by Carina Press.

Lily Travis never imagined she’d be back living with her mom and dealing with her messed-up little brother. Yet that’s exactly where she finds herself, seven long years after she left Petal, Georgia—and the boy who broke her heart—in the dust. Her first order of business? Getting her ex to help turn her brother’s life around. If he happens to notice just how much she hasn’t been missing him, all the better. She fell for him once—falling for him again could destroy her. But it could also mean finding love in the last place she ever expected: home.

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Over on Book Riot

Ann pulled together some romantic comedies that have…similar elements.

Doing Read Harder? Here are some self-published books. You might not be surprised at some of the romance recommendations 😉

Heather doesn’t keep books. What do you think? Agree?

Want to win a Kindle Paperwhite? You have until March 31. Go!

Deals

Do you like post-apocalyptic lite? A universe where something has happened, but for the most part, we don’t know what? Survival is more about hanging out playing board games and stressing out about people you can’t find than much else. Well…except nearly dying while you’re trying to find your way through the wilderness. If this sounds like your jam, you definitely want to check out Radio Silence, the first in Alyssa Cole’s Off the Grid series. It’s 1.99 right now, so why not.

If you’re looking for some foodie fun instead, how about Tif Marcelo’s North To You, which I was reminded of recently. It’s 2.99 and the other books in the series are too. What happens when former sweethearts reunite, only to discover they’re rivals now? She is getting some success in her food truck…which she parks right outside his family’s restaurant. Whoops.

If a historical is what you seek, might I point you in the direction of Liana De La Rosa’s To Love a Scandalous Duke? Yes. I know. Another duke. This one has scandal, intrigue, secrets, all those things you love in a duke story. It’s also got the voice of a delightful new-to-me author, who definitely comes at it with a different approach.

 

New Books!

Can’t Escape Love
Alyssa Cole

So, yes. This is a book for which you should probably be familiar with the rest of the series (or at least A Duke By Default) before you pick it up. But if you haven’t read the others, you can totally read this one without that. There might be some references you don’t immediately understand, but they’re not essential.

Somewhere around the same time as the events of A Duke By Default, Reggie is having some trouble sleeping. She contacts an acquaintance whose livestreams she used to watch, intent upon getting an unconditional sleep aid: his voice, recorded for several hours. Instead of agreeing, he offers a counter arrangement. But when circumstances align their purposes, they end up seeing a lot more of each other.

It’s cute, it’s fun, and you’ll read the whole thing with a smile on your face. What more could you want?

(Also, when was the last time you saw a romance cover—a traditionally published romance cover—with an Asian man and a black woman in a wheelchair? NEVER is when.)

Some other books I’m looking forward to picking up this week:

A Knight to Remember by Ceillie Simkiss (that cover, amirite?)

Anyone But You by Chelsea M. Cameron

Misadventures in a Threesome by Elizabeth Hayley

Desire Lines by Elizabeth Kingston

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

I hope you’re all recovered from whatever level or type of festivities you might have enjoyed over the holiday weekend, even if it was getting too much rest and reading too many books (the dream, right? :lolsob:)

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Sponsored by Cold Day in the Sun by Sara Biren.

Holland Delviss is a good hockey player—she’s also the only girl on the boys’ varsity team. When her team is selected to play in a televised, statewide event, Holland’s status as the girl turns her into the feature story. Not everyone is thrilled with Holland’s new fame, but her bossy team co-captain, Wes, unexpectedly becomes her fiercest supporter. With cameras set to roll, Wes continues to surprise her, and Holland is dangerously close to breaking her number one rule: No dating teammates, ever.

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News and Useful Links

Adriana Herrera shared her favorite librarian romances. Some familiar titles there, but never hurts to remember the ones we love.

So this is romance-adjacent, but how cool is it that Bea Koch (co-owner of The Ripped Bodice) is writing a (non-romance) book? (The subject is real women from the Regency, though, so it’s definitely of interest to romance readers and writers.)

Anybody in the DC area? (I’m sorry, I cannot bring myself to call it The DMV because…yeah no.) If you live there or plan to be around on Thursday, April 11, check out this amazing-looking panel at East City Bookshop!

(Also, are you going to Avon KissCon? Please let me live vicariously through you.)

Sometimes we forget that the people on covers are actual people. And unlike the guy Penni talked about last week, we actually know who this one is. But after over 600 covers, he’s hanging up the…what would he hang up? A too-tight tee shirt?

Love’s Sweet Arrow didn’t make their Kickstarter goal, sadly, but they do have a Patreon now!

Also romance-adjacent, but did you hear that Victoria Helen Stone (AKA Victoria Dahl) sold the rights to Jane Doe?

Deals

I’ve heard a lot of chatter about Lee Welch’s Salt Magic, Skin Magic on twitter. It sounds like a great place to start if you’re looking to get into historical fantasy romance. It’s a world where industrial magic exists, so that’s cool, right? It’s 2.99, and appears to stand alone (unless it’s the first in a series that hasn’t yet been announced.

If you’ve been looking to start a new contemporary series instead, Catherine Bybee’s Fool Me Once is 1.99. The others in the series are pretty inexpensive as well, so check out the first one and see where it takes you.

And bonus: If you didn’t check out Perv by Dakota Gray last time I talked about it, it’s free right now in celebration of the release of the third book in the series, Adonis Line.

Recs

It’s been a rough week, and I honestly wasn’t sure what to recommend this time. I did get some feedback with some more hockey romances, and I’ll toss those in at the bottom. I thought about maybe doing activist romances, like Rogue Acts, or romances with Muslim characters, like Wrong to Need You or I Can’t Think Straight (if you are looking for a place to start there, here’s a good list from last year). But really, what we all need is some low-angst romance. Some of these will be things I’ve recommended on KB before, and others are go-to happy places for me.

Rafe by Rebekah Weatherspoon

This is the first book I go to when someone asks for a low-angst romance to read. Sure, there are issues—a single divorced mother, a nanny with a childhood that wasn’t the best, and an asshole from afar. But it’s so fluffy. It’s so fluffy, even the back-matter says it’s fluffy.

The Craft of Love by EE Ottoman

One of the protagonists in this historical novella is trans, but the only angst that causes is within himself. And even then, it’s not about his being trans, but whether the woman he is developing quite a crush on is okay with that. Spoiler alert: that’s not a problem for her.

Cinnamon Blade by Shira Glassman

Sure, there’s conflict in this book; there has to be, because one protagonist is a superhero. But even then, there’s less fingerbiting about her survival and that of her team (and her love interest) than whether she and said love interest will finally get their acts together.

Bound to be a Groom by Megan Mulry

Honestly, this is so low-angst it’s practically low-plot. But there’s still enough of one to keep a reader happy and invested in the story…though the sexytimes are probably still the main reason this book exists (:laugh-cry emoji:). This whole series is just delightful, and is definitely a nice departure from the average Regency romance.

Love By the Books by Té Russ

This one is a touch more angsty, just because of the personalities involved, but the story itself is just so delightful, and all of the supporting characters and every single outing that happens. There is some facepalming, of course, because there can’t be a book without something, but this is just. *chef kiss*

What are your go-to fluff recommendations?

Before I go, here are some other recommended hockey romances! (Thanks Krystal S and Katie!)

Him by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy

Game Misconduct by Bianca Sommerland

Pucked by Helena Hunting

Body Check by Deirdre Martin

(Also, check out LA Witt’s Rebound, which is available to preorder.)

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

It’s Thursday! Let’s talk new books and praise hands.

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This newsletter is sponsored by Libby, the one-tap reading app from your library and OverDrive.

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Over on Book Riot

Jessica Plummer had some shade to hang this week and just about killed me ded with “7 Ways To Read Romance Without Getting Cooties.”

I wasn’t the first or only Rioter to have feelings about books with sex being called dirty. Sarah had some words for the people in both Romancelandia and Young Adult World.

If you’ve been considering reading Sarah MacLean but weren’t sure where to start, there’s a Reading Pathway for her now!

“At some point a discussion needs to be had about privilege, and who gets to feel safe reading and writing these books given their subject matter. But this isn’t the place to have that conversation, nor am I the one qualified to lead it.” Well, when you say it like that, of course I’m going to check out the books in your list, Jessica. So, uh. Yeah. Do you like dark romance? Or are you curious? Looking for a range to try? Here you go.

And of course, I remembered this time that Trisha and I got to chat about perverts and dreamers. And the Ripped Bodice Report on Racial Diversity, of course.

Deals

Apparently, even though I wrote about hockey on Monday, I’ve got basketball on the brain. So I’ll happily share some books with you. Kennedy Ryan’s Long Shot, the intense first book in her HOOPS series, is 3.99. (Trisha also talked about it in this week’s When in Romance, too, so maybe that’s why I’ve been thinking about it.) The second one, Block Shot, is also 3.99. And of course, the third, Hook Shot, is out at the end of this month, so now is a great time to check out the first two (and the holiday collection, Hoops Holiday, which includes a novella and some bonus material).

And if you want to go slightly-older-school, Regina Hart’s Fast Break is 2.99! It’s the first in the Brooklyn Monarchs series, featuring a star player-turned-coach and the owner of his team. I see some banter and battling in the future.

New Books!

It shouldn’t surprise me, the number of books coming out each week, but it still does! There are some great books out this week—including one that was literally a surprise because all my *meticulous* notes (read: that one trello board I use to keep track of book releases) told me that it wasn’t coming out until March 25.

Writing Her In
Holley Trent

Holley Trent is an autobuy for me, and I’m delighted she’s publishing with Carina because that means even more books to devour! I enjoy her paranormals and sci-fi novels, but my first Trent was a contemporary menage story and I am happy to return to that kind of book here. In this case, it’s FFM, which is definitely a grouping we don’t see as much of but is starting to appear much more in mainstream indie romance. It’s like now that the dudes have laid out the groundwork, we can finally introduce this one! Huzzah.

You probaby want to know the story, right? Well, there’s an author, Stacia. She has become a bestseller, and is pretty sure that is in part due to the hot cover model who graces the second half of her series. The hot cover model who invites for a drink when she’s in town. The hot cover model who—while married—invites her to join him for more. But that’s not where this ends. Adrian’s wife Dara just isn’t interested in sex, and has a lot of personal hang-ups with that. But since she’s not interested, she wants Adrian to pursue his own passion. Surprisingly, he isn’t flinging his dick at any vagina he meets, and Stacia is a special case. And it’s not just Adrian that Stacia feels deeply connected to.

So yeah. Read that one.

Other books I’m looking forward to checking out soon:

Sin City Vows by Zuri Day

Comrade Cowgirl by Yolanda Wallace

Wooing the Farmer by Jenny Frame

You Sang to Me by Beverly Jenkins (first time published on its own)

The Do-Over by Georgia Beers

Borrowed Heart by Andrew Grey

Any bookish plans this weekend? What new books are you reading? Catch me on Twitter @jessisreading or Instagram @jess_is_reading, or send me an email at jessica@riotnewmedia.com if you’ve got feedback or just want to say hi!

How’s everyone’s March going? Things are relatively quiet over here (though I have not yet infiltrated all the pockets of romancelandia that I would like, so who really knows when it’s actually quiet?). There have been a couple things worth mentioning, though, and of course, Monday’s book rec day!

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Today’s Kissing Books is sponsored by What’s Up in YA Giveaway of a $100 gift card to Amazon! Enter here.

We’re giving away a $100 gift card to Amazon in support of our YA newsletter, What’s Up in YA, about all things young adult literature! Sign up to enter here.

 

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News and Useful Links

I was so behind on my email for the past couple weeks that I actually missed this (though I vaguely remember a tweet from Agata), but here, have a weekly romance roundup from Love in Panels!

Look, I know that cover art is expensive, but this is kind of ridiculous :lolsob: (thanks to Penni for doing this important work!)

Hoo man, Cris. Wow.

Sadly, Love’s Sweet Arrow didn’t make their Kickstarter goal. They’re chugging along, though! They still plan to open, just on a smaller scale. If you’re in the Chicagoland area, be sure to check them out so they can expand ASAP!

Soapbox, here she goes.

After sharing a nice article from Women.com a couple weeks ago, I was surprised to come across an article titled (something like) clean romances you can read without feeling dirty. If you have read Kissing Books for any amount of time, you know I read heavily in the area many would call “not clean.” And honestly, it’s not because I’m a romance reader who enjoys sex on the page that I have a problem with this article. It’s not the article itself, even; it’s the culture. We talk about “clean” romance when we really mean romance without sex. Why is that? Because historically, especially for women, sex has been a dirty thing. So of course, if you’re looking for a book featuring a central love story and a happily ever after, the last thing some people want to do is dirty it up with teh evil sexing. I am not indicating in any way that people who want romance without sex are in any way wrong for that. I am simply saying we need to look at the language we use in romance, and think about where it came from (“bodice ripper”) and what we can do about changing it in the future, for the sake of everyone. Calling it “nonexplicit” or “closed door” is much less snarl-inspiring than “clean” romance. Mostly because that means anything else is dirty. And while there are plenty of us who embrace the term dirty for very different reasons when it comes to sex in our books, there’s a really big swath of books that have plenty sex in them, and have absolutely no need to be called dirty. Does anyone really want to be Mrs. Shinn and her Pick-a-little ladies in this situation?

(Sarah Maclean started a conversation about this too.)

(So did Piper Huguley.)

Deals

If you’re feeling like some basketball romance, Jamie Wesley’s Slamdunked by Love is 99 cents right now. It says it’s the second in the series, but it can be read on its own (though I thoroughly recommend checking out Tell Me Something Good, which is currently 2.99 and if you are not singing Chaka Khan right now who even are you). What better love interest for a basketball star than a heroine with a long-standing, personal grudge against NBA players? Oh, did I mention there is a fake relationship?

I don’t know how long this deal will last, but as of writing this on Sunday night, Lucy Parker’s London Celebrities collection is 1.99! So if you haven’t read Act Like It and the novels that followed, this is a great deal for all three of the books that are out right now. And you’ll be prepared for The Austen Playbook, which is the fourth in the series and coming out on April 22 digitally and April 30 in paperback.

Recs!

I don’t know why, but I’ve been on a bit of a hockey kick lately. Not that I’ve actually been watching it—I only know what’s happening at any point in time because Anna Zabo tweets about their precious Pens pretty regularly. But I have a strangely large number of hockey romances hanging out in my Kindle TBR, and I keep thinking “I should read those” and finally a book in my physical TBR tipped the scales.

Check, Please! by Ngozi Uzaku

Okay, so this isn’t really a romance—more like a coming of age story with a romantic element—but it is the most darling, hilarious thing and I think if you are a person who reads sequential art of any kind you will love it. I picked it up when I realized my physical, non-romance shelves were being neglected, and this looked like a delightful afternoon of sick-day reading. Check, Please! started out as a webcomic and then was kickstarted into a print publication, and then was republished in volumes by First Second. At which point I finally got around to it. Our lead is Bitty (Eric Bittle), a 5’7 gay hockey player who loves to bake. This is really his story, but you know how it goes. It’s adorable and hilarious and sweet—and you have to read the First Second version, just for the extras at the end!

Off the Ice by Avon Gale and Piper Vaughn (March 25)

Speaking of books that were published somewhere else, Off the Ice is another story of second chances. Back when Riptide had its whole “books with POC on the cover don’t sell” shenanigans and they closed up shop for a bit, several authors decided to get back the rights and publish their work elsewhere. Some decided to self-publish while others found new publishing homes. Avon Gale and Piper Vaughn found Carina Press, who published the book basically as it was, with some minor copyediting and a new cover. If you already have a copy of this book, I’d recommend pulling it up your list. And if you don’t…well, you’re going to have to wait for this one to release at Carina but the wait is worth it. Our pro hockey player, Tristan, is taking some classes to finish his business degree, just in case. His summer Sociology class, however, might be a bit of a challenge; Professor Sebastian Cruz is the hottest grumpy gus this side of the sun. Sparks…watch them fly. Fly, little sparks, fly!

Next up for me is Hot On Ice, a hockey anthology that has a significant number of authors of color. Which is definitely what drew it to me, because hockey can be so…white. (Note: Check! Please and Off the Ice are also delightfully not-all-white, which is nice.)

Sadly, I recently discovered that this title is not available as an anthology anymore, but I will send you towards some of the standout standalones:

Free Agent by Robin Covington

Ransom by Nana Malone

The Warm Up by Xio Axelrod

Full Contact by Andie J. Christopher (we have talked about this one before!)

Deep Check by Kimberly Kincaid

Do you like hockey? Do you like reading about hot hockey players figuring themselves out? (These can kind of be mutually exclusive, too.) What are your favorite hockey romances? Tell me!

Are you reading anything good this week? Catch me on Twitter @jessisreading or Instagram @jess_is_reading, or send me an email at jessica@riotnewmedia.com if you’ve got feedback or just want to say hi!

It’s Thursday, which means we get to talk about new books! I have been sick, so I didn’t get around to reading as many of the ones coming out this week as planned. Why can’t I just sleep with my ipad under my pillow and read all the words?

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Sponsored by Waterhouse Press

When Book Boyfriend Oliver Connely falls for one of his “lonely lady” clients, their chemistry is instant and scorching, but when her husband turns up dead, they face more than a simple PR nightmare.

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Over On Book Riot

Folks, I don’t know how, but I legit forgot that we recorded When In Romance two weeks ago, and therefore, it went up on the site last week. If you haven’t gotten to it yet, here tis.

And of course, the big news is that The Ripped Bodice put out their State of Racial Diversity In Romance Publishing Report for 2018 and it is…bad. Some publishers made it to double digits, so I guess that’s good? But yeah. Traditionally published romance continues to be much more skewed than the population of the US, and having TRB put those numbers in black and white for everyone for the past three years doesn’t appear to have made much of a difference. But someone mentioned over the weekend that some of these publishers/imprints (like Harlequin) plan years in advance, so I’m going to be that person looking towards 2020 with hope. Or something.

Do you need a pick-me-up from reading that? Scroll through this delightful list of romance covers.

And how about some friends-to-lovers stories? You know you want to read all of them.

If you’re curious where to start with Lisa Kleypas, here’s a nice little guide.

Deals

Tessa Dare’s A Week To Be Wicked is 1.99 right now. If you’ve only read her most recent series, it’s definitely a good idea to start back at Spindle Cove. This one’s got a road trip, a funny lord, a lady scientist, and Tessa Dare’s familiar delightful style. It’s the second in the series (following A Night to Surrender) but you can totally start there. Gotta tell you, you’re gonna want to devour the rest of them.

Gilded age marriage of convenience? How about Joanna Shupe’s A Notorious Vow? It’s 1.99 right now! Lady Christina is about to be married off and turns to her reclusive neighbor instead. He accepts a year-long platonic marriage, but you know what happens.

New Books!

I don’t know what it is about March, but we’ve got an amazing amount of books coming out this month. This week kicks it off with some new and new-to-me authors and their awesome romances.

American Dreamer
Adriana Herrera

HOOOOOO MAAAAAAAAN. This book. Adriana Herrera came out of the gate running with this one. This is her first book, and damn. I know you probably want to know what it’s about, eh? Nesto is a Dominican food truck owner who ventures out of New York City to Ithaca in order to solidify his business. Doesn’t hurt that his family lives there now. He meets Jude the first day he arrives, and everything else is gravy. Both men are a little mentally constipated—neither thinks it’s time for a relationship right now—but damn them if they can stop pushing a relationship between them forward. It’s sweet, and sexy, and hot, and will also make you shake your fist at the sky. But it all ends well and I can’t wait for American Fairytale.

Shadowmancer
Devin Harnois

I didn’t know anything about this author until Alyssa Cole mentioned him this weekend during a panel on queer romance, and I am very much intrigued by this book. If you didn’t know you were missing queer fantasy romance in your life, you do now, and you can check out this book. It’s the first in a series about a guild of mages looking to support those without magic, and features a couple broken people who have to grow personally while also doing their best not to be lost to the Queen of Shadows. I know, right?

Sleeping Together
Kitty Cook

When Vanessa and Altman both steal experimental sleeping medication from the pharmaceutical company they work for, they’re not expecting some of the side effects. They include sharing the same sex dream. Whoops. Vanessa gets very attached to her dream life, even as she and her husband explore the process of taking the next step in their family.

So my interest in this book was completely garnered from a movie I watched during the holiday season with a vaguely similar premise, and I knew I wanted more stories in different media that came out of it. While the movie didn’t have any kind of miracle drug, it did involve two people who could only sleep when they were together. My main worry about this book is the same as it was for the movie: the heroine is already in a relationship. I don’t usually do well with cheating, but I’m intrigued enough that I might overlook it.

(Also, I haven’t read this book and have seen it billed as a romance and billed not as a romance. If you’ve read it, let me know if it actually qualifies!)

The Ultimate Pi Day Party
Jackie Lau

Josh started his Toronto-based tech business from scratch, and wants his father to share in his success. So maybe the Pi Day party he’s putting on—complete with pies—will help with that. Enter Sarah, a fantastic sweet and savory pie maker. She’s interested in catering, and offers to help cater and plan The Ultimate Pi Day Party. Now they have to just…not fall in love.

I’m also looking forward to picking up a few more recent releases:

Duke in Darkness by Nicola Davidson

Graham’s Delicacies by Em Ali

Kiss and Cry by Mina V. Esguerra

The Scoundrel in Her Bed by Lorraine Heath

Love in San Francisco by Shirley Hailstock

Second Chance with Her Billionaire by Therese Beharrie

What are you reading this week? As usual, catch me on Twitter @jessisreading or Instagram @jess_is_reading, or send me an email at jessica@riotnewmedia.com if you’ve got feedback or just want to say hi!

Happy March! Although for some of you, I’m sorry it doesn’t feel like March, yet. Sorry? I hope you have books to keep you warm. And dry. We’ve got a fun thing for you to look at!

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Sponsored by HQN Books

The California sunshine’s not quite so bright for three sisters who get dumped in the same week… Finola, a popular LA morning-show host, is blindsided on live TV by the news that her husband is sleeping with a young pop sensation. Zennie’s breakup is no big loss. So agreeing to be the surrogate for her best friend is a no-brainer. Never the prettiest sister, Ali is used to being overlooked, but when her fiancé sends his brother to call off the wedding, it’s a new low. But side by side, these sisters will start over and rebuild their lives.

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News and Useful Links

Nora Roberts wrote a follow-up to her response to the whole copy paste thing, and I’m not sure how I feel about it. She’s got a lot of good points (and a lot of good resources), but it’s important to weed out the bad so the good can thrive. And there are a lot more of the good than the other kind.

Have you been waiting for Mrs. Martin’s Incomparable Adventure basically since After the Wedding came out? Well, guess what? There’s a release date, and I can’t wait!

(Oh. It’s March 26.)

If you’re looking for a new online class to take, Christina Lauren and Frolic have worked together to create an online class, which you can sign up for anytime! It’s pretty inexpensive, and I hear it’s pretty useful if you actually want to write romance.

New Twitter romance game! Jennifer Porter (and the rest of us) had so much fun with #YMBIARN that she started #NTRomNov, which has also been lots of fun.

The Love’s Sweet Arrow kickstarter closes in five days and they’ve still got quite a ways to go. We gotta help the spread of romance-dedicated bookstores all over the world!

Y’all, this is adorable. The cover, the concept. I love all of it.

Deals

Tempest by Beverly Jenkins is 1.99. Even though it’s the third book in the series, it’s as good a place as any to start if you’ve never read one of her books.

Hudson Lin has a new novella out featuring flight attendants and I am all for it. It’s called Fly With Me and is 2.99 right now.

Sean Kennedy’s Tigers and Devils is 99 cents right now. If you’re looking for a good m/m romance featuring Australia football and humor, that’s where you want to go.

Something Else New and Different

So 2019 is the Year of New Things for Kissing Books, and for the first time ever, we’re doing a cover reveal! Not only do we get to see a new cover, this is the first time I’ve been able to write EXCLUSIVE in the subject line!

Here’s the synopsis:

Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren (on-sale October 22nd ; Gallery Books)

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Unhoneymooners and the “delectable, moving” (Entertainment Weekly) My Favorite Half-Night Stand comes a modern love story about what happens when your first love reenters your life when you least expect it…

Sam Brandis was Tate Jones’s first: Her first love. Her first everything. Including her first heartbreak.

During a whirlwind two-week vacation abroad, Sam and Tate fell for each other in only the way that first loves do: sharing all of their hopes, dreams, and deepest secrets along the way. Sam was the first, and only, person that Tate—the long-lost daughter of one of the world’s biggest film stars—ever revealed her identity to. So when it becomes clear her trust was misplaced, her world shattered for good.

Fourteen years later, Tate, now an up-and-coming actress, only thinks about her first love every once in a blue moon. When she steps onto the set of her first big break, he’s the last person she expects to see. Yet here Sam is, the same charming, confident man she knew, but even more alluring than she remembered. Forced to confront the man who betrayed her, Tate must ask herself if it’s possible to do the wrong thing for the right reason…whether “once in a lifetime” can come around twice.

With Christina Lauren’s signature “beautifully written and remarkably compelling” (Sarah J. Maas, New York Times bestselling author) prose and perfect for fans of Emily Giffin and Jennifer Weiner, Twice in a Blue Moon is an unforgettable and moving novel of young love and second chances.

 

Drum roll, please….

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Here it is!

Go add it to your Goodreads, and pre-order it on Amazon! Meanwhile, I’ll be over here trying to catch up on the other four Christina Lauren books I have and haven’t gotten to yet (:The Jess Pryde Story).

Catch me as usual on Twitter @jessisreading or Instagram @jess_is_reading, or send me an email at jessica@riotnewmedia.com if you’ve got feedback or just want to say hi!

It’s Thursday, and you know what that means! (No, not that it’s almost Friday, though that’s good, too.)

We’ve got new books to talk about! I’m so excited.

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Sponsored by Devil’s Daughter by Lisa Kleypas

West Ravenel is a man with a tarnished past. No apologies, no excuses. However, from the moment he meets Phoebe, Lady Clare, he is consumed by irresistible desire. What West doesn’t bargain on is that Phoebe is no straitlaced aristocratic lady. She’s the daughter of a strong-willed wallflower who long ago eloped with the most devilishly wicked rake in England. Before long, Phoebe sets out to seduce the man who has awakened her fiery nature and shown her unimaginable pleasure. Will their overwhelming passion be enough to overcome the obstacles of the past? Only the devil’s daughter knows…

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Over on Book Riot

Looking for some good romance-beer matches?

Sil did us a favor and highlighted some upcoming #romanceclass novels coming out. Which are you looking forward to?

How about some historicals? You’ve probably read a bunch of these authors, but there’s always a chance to find someone new.

So The L Word is coming back, and Dana pulled together some great books to read while we’re waiting. It’s not all romance, but there are some good titles in there!

If you’re doing the Read Harder challenge, Trisha pulled together some historical romances by authors of color to check out.

Did someone say romance short stories for free? Oh yeah, Casey did.

Deals

If you’re counting down the minutes until The Right Swipe comes out, check out Alisha Rai’s Falling for Him. It’s a novella featuring an age difference and some hot lovin. What would a Rai book be without the hot lovin, right? 99 cents is totally an easy price to pay for so much hotness. And if you’re done with that one, the second Karimi Siblings book, Waiting for Her, is 2.99. (Also, did I mention that Hate to Want You is also 1.99?)

If you’re looking for a new historical series starter, Christi Caldwell’s The Rogue’s Wager is 99 cents and FREE if you have Prime Reading. You’ve got a Marquess who has no desire to live a serious life, and a bookkeeper at a gambling den. What could go wrong? (He could go into her bedroom by accident, that’s what.)

New Releases

Hired
Zoey Castile

Y’all. This book is a goddamned delight. It’s the sequel to Stripped, but you don’t have to have read it in order to know what’s going on. You just have to know that Zoey called the series a love letter to Magic Mike XXL, and the Strippers With Feelings trope has never been better. In this one, Aiden is unhappy in New Orleans, and happens upon Faith, whose mother is running for mayor. They have an…unsuccessful…one night stand, and then find themselves unable to keep their thoughts—or their hands—off each other. There’s just one problem: Aiden is an escort, and he’s technically on call for a client. If he could bring himself to tell Faith, he might be forgiven. But what are the chances that would happen?

An Unconditional Freedom
Alyssa Cole

Okay. This book. I haven’t actually finished this book. I started it a while ago and just…stopped. It’s not an easy book to read. It’s. Intense. Daniel is so broken, and his mind is painful to be inside. Janeta is so lost, and learning too quickly how wrong her upbringing was. The two don’t seem like they’d go well together, but they have to work together on a mission for the Loyal League. Did I mention Janeta is a spy? For the Confederacy? Yeah, it’s bad. But I know if I stick to it, all will come out well on the other side. Alyssa Cole doesn’t disappoint when it comes to growing her characters and helping them discover the best in themselves.  So what if it happens twenty pages at a time? More time for me to get used to the fact that the series is ending.

(PS – I don’t know how long this will be the case, but if you haven’t yet read the first two in the series, An Extraordinary Union and A Hope Divided are both 2.99 right now.)

How to be a Movie Star
TJ Klune

This actually came out a couple weeks ago, but I missed it. I missed a new TJ Klune novel. In this sequel to How to Be a Normal Person (I’m not sure how they’re connected), demisexual Josiah wants to be a movie star, but hasn’t really gotten farther than a couple of bit parts. He’s sort of friends with novelist-turned-filmmaker Q-Bert. They communicate relatively well, considering Josy isn’t always…sober. (Content warning: apparently Josy is quite the stoner, so if that’s something that turns you off, now you know.) TJ Klune, if you haven’t read his work, does an amazing thing where he combines humor and heart-wrenching heaviness, but it all turns out good in the end.

Fierce Justice
Piper J. Drake

This is the fifth book in the True Heroes series, but you can definitely start here if you want to. A K9 handler has to help a “soldier of fortune” stop a kidnapping ring, and they clash the whole way through it. The last time they met, they were on opposite sides of the conflict, so they have to figure out how to work together this time. And while it doesn’t yet have a record in doesthedogdie.com, every place I’ve looked (mostly Amazon and Goodreads reviews) has no record of the dog dying. So there’s that.

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

Happy…Monday? I guess. Let’s talk romance.

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Sponsored by our giveaway of $100 to Amazon in support of Swords and Spaceships, our sci-fi/fantasy newsletter!

Swords and Spaceships is our biweekly newsletter about all things sci-fi and fantasy literature, and we’re giving away a $100 gift card to Amazon to one lucky reader! Enter HERE by signing up for the newsletter (if you win, send us a pic of all the SFF books you buy with it!), and enjoy a regular dose of your favorite genre news, recs, and more, in your inbox.

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News and Useful Links

Nora Roberts had something to say about people who plagiarize her words. She isn’t on social media, so it took her a little longer to discover this whole thing.

In happier news: HELEN HOANG IS WRITING FIVE MORE BOOKS FOR BERKLEY Y’ALL.

This author did a comprehensive dig into #copypastecris and it’s definitely an interesting read. I still have no idea what’s going on but there’s so much more to know.

Did you see the cover reveal of Andie J. Christopher’s upcoming book, Not the Girl You Marry? It’s a fun, updated version of How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days and I’m excited to read it when it’s out!

Suzanne gave us some important words, and I’m definitely grateful for them. It’s necessary work to point out the kinds of books that will be hurtful to different kinds of people, and Suzanne approaches it thoughtfully and clearly.

Looking for some F/F romances? Here’s a great list.

Do you read Women.com? They recently posted an article about inclusivity in romance novels, and it turns out they have a pretty sizable backlog of romance coverage. (And obviously they would, it’s WOMAN DOT COM.)

Have you been following the #YMBIARN hashtag on twitter? It was started by Jennifer Porter, and took off like wildfire. Just when we thought it was dying away, it showed up again. Some are simple, some are silly, but the majority of them are just delightful (and often hilarious).

So the one good thing to come out of that whole Cristiana thing? There were some great quotes on Twitter last week, including “Romancelandia: Fierce, sword-wielding bitches” and “Pterodactyl Vengeance Unit” and there are now T-shirts. And other things.

Reminder: Love’s Sweet Arrow is a thing that should happen. Let’s make it so!

Also a note: last week, I made a flippant comment about skipping Kindle Unlimited, and while I wasn’t serious, I know how much value that subscription actually has when it comes to discovering new authors—especially marginalized authors. I know all the #copypastecris stuff has made some people hesitant to support the service, but I hope letting the few drag down the many isn’t something that actually happens. I, personally, don’t use KU because I can’t afford to pay ten dollars a month to access books I’m not going to read (if the free example of my local library is any indication), but I acknowledge how important it is to a lot of authors who are doing all the right things to find new readership.

Deals!

Did you read A Family For Christmas back when I was excited about it? If you did, but like me didn’t read more Jay Northcote when you had the chance, now’s the time! Helping Hand, the first book in his Housemates series, is 2.99 right now. If you didn’t read A Family For Christmas, this one is a great starting point for the new Jay Northcote reader. (I mean, so’s the other, but it’s not Christmas anymore so…)

If you’re looking for a new author to try and are interested in a romance between divorcees, I would check out Let Me Love You by Alexandria House. There’s a single mother, a divorced rapper, and the chemistry that won’t let go of either of them. It’s the first book in a series and it’s 3.99 so check it out!

More of that Different Thing

We got such a good reaction from the KJ Charles interview that I decided to keep going! So check back the last Monday of every month for a new author feature! This month, it’s Adriana Herrera, author of American Dreamer, which comes out on March 4. Check it out, put it on your list, or hey, preorder it!

What was the first romance you ever read?

It was this young adult romance, Sissi, Emperatriz (Empress) and it was from a set my mom got me for my tenth birthday. I inhaled them and never looked back! The Princess Sissi series, I believe was first published in German, and then got translated into other languages including Spanish. I’m not sure how my mother found them in 1988 in the Dominican Republic, but she did, and I am forever grateful!

What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learned from a romance novel?

Romance novels are always full on interesting morsels of random information. One of the most striking things I learned was reading Indigo by Beverly Jenkins, although I learn from all her books. I didn’t know that there have been free men who voluntarily sold themselves back into slavery, so they could be reunited with their loved ones. After reading about it in Indigo I began researching about it. It was heartbreaking and astounding to think of people loving that intensely and selflessly.

Who has been your favorite character to write?

I loved writing Nesto’s mom. I liked writing the relationship between her and Nesto how open and easy it was. I cheated a bit though, and sneaked in a bit of my mom’s humor in there! They’re a big part of the Dreamers series, the moms. The relationships between the heroes and their mothers are at the core of who they are, and how they learned to love. Latinx moms are complicated creatures. They can be way too much in your business, and honestly do the most sometimes, but they love their kids so fiercely.

What, besides reading, has had the biggest influence or made the most impact on how you write?

My culture, where I come from and where I’ve been, and my work. I’m from the Dominican Republic and lived there until I was twenty-three. In 2002 I left my homeland and immigrated on my own to New York City for graduate school. After a few years there I married and my spouse and I went overseas. We worked with humanitarian relief organizations for seven years, and lived in Ethiopia for five of them and two in Honduras, before coming back to New York in 2011. I believe all those experiences and the people I’ve gotten to know and work with, have given me a gaze that shapes how I render my characters and their stories. I think lived experience and understanding of the wider world gives a story a texture that otherwise would not be there. I think of it like the difference between seeing something under a glass case in a museum and opposed being able to touch it. It just feels different.

Do you have a Swiss Army romance recommendation?

I have two! Take the Lead by Alexis Daria. It’s fun, sexy, smart and I love the banter between Gina and Stone so much! The other is Out in the Field by Kate McMurray, it’s an M/M baseball romance and one of the heroes is Dominican (Yassss). It’s sexy, sweet, the romance is swoony and all the baseball references are on point.

Thanks so much for your answers and your words, Adriana! You can see what she’s doing on twitter and check out her website. And don’t forget to preorder American Dreamer, available on March 4!

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