Category: Kissing Books

Hey there folks. I’m writing this on Tuesday night so I have no idea what mood we’re all in as we read, but I’m just going to let us stay in our nice little bubble of happy no matter what.

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Sponsored by Harlequin DARE

From Harlequin, the leader in romance, comes a new line that’s modern, edgy and sexually charged. If you love sexy romances featuring powerful alpha heroes and bold, fearless heroines exploring their deepest fantasies, try Harlequin DARE! Triple Dare: A Sexy Romance Collection features three fan-favorite stories from bestselling authors Anne Marsh, Katee Robert, and Cara Lockwood.

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News and Useful Links

Have you read this Bustle article? It’s more for newcomers to the genre, but it’s still a good read.

Some good news about cockygate.

KM Jackson has an exciting new book announcement! I’m looking forward to this series.

Hey look, there’s another staff writer at The Washington Post who knows how to write about romance and also how to be informed.

My HEART. I CANNOT WAIT UNTIL JANUARY.

AND ANOTHER COVER TO BE EXCITED ABOUT.

(Sorry about the capslock, folks. I am an overexcited golden retriever right now.)

Oh! Have you heard about this Lifetime adaptation of Pride and Prejudice that’s gonna be set in Atlanta? I mean, I sort of wish it wasn’t going to be called Pride and Prejudice: Atlanta, but we take what we can, right?

Have you been keeing up with #RomBkLove? It’s a beautiful month of gushing about romance novels on the socials, and also a fearful time of hoping things are already on your to-read list.

Deals

Not technically a “deal” but Amazon is offering free delivery for “a limited time.” If you have holiday gifts to buy, that’s a nice bit of change to save.

In “ohmygod that is amazing” deals, have you read any of Talia Hibbert’s Just for Him books? Well, you can get ALL THREE of them for 99 cents. Ninety. Nine.

Because I believe in buying books because of their covers—and titles—I feel the need to tell you that Shimmy Bang Sparkle by Nicola Rendell is $1.99.

I’ve been watching a lot of 9-1-1 recently and thus have been looking for firepeople to read about. And I’ve heard a lot of good things about Shannon Stacey’s Boston Fire books. Good thing Heat Exchange is $1.99.

Over on Book Riot

Lights! Camera! Smooching! Everyone loves a good Hollywood romance, right?

So this is about YA, but I’ll bet many readers in my age group are all about the vamps of the early-mid 2000s, right? Would you believe they’re coming back?

Trisha and I talked about Intercepted and some other things, and we want you to join us for The Great Big Romance Read! (It’ll be way more satisfying than the Great American Read, I promise.)

Recs!

I usually try to share a blend of backlist and new releases, but I’ve read a couple brand new books that I would love to share with you!

The Proposal
Jasmine Guillory

It’s probably no surprise that I pretty much loved the crap out of this book. It almost edged The Wedding Date out of first place in Guilloryland. Almost. 99.9 percent there.

So, Jess, what’s it about? Do you remember Carlos from The Wedding Date? We find ourselves hanging out with him and his sister at a baseball game, where Nik is getting a surprise proposal of marriage from someone she has absolutely no marriage feelings for. She’s not even sure why he would think she’d want to get married (and the limited motivation from Fisher is actually one of the things that kept it from five stars). Even though she handles the proposal, there’s some collateral damage that Carlos helps Nik out of, and they become easy friends. They don’t have instant chemistry, which is the other thing that edges it out of first place, but they do figure themselves out pretty quickly. They start a casual relationship while also becoming friends (because friends who have regular sex isn’t a relationship?) and everything is just so easy. So why is it so hard to figure out what they have?

You don’t have to have read The Wedding Date to read this one, but why wouldn’t you? It’s so much fun and the pair together probably make a pretty good long weekend, if you have Monday off.

(Also, did I mention that The Wedding Party was a thing? Is it next year, yet?!)

The Omega Objection
GL Carriger

Okay, I guess today is Second Book In The Series Day. This follow up to The Sumage Solution can also be read as a standalone, but it’s more fun if you’ve read the first book and the connected short, Marine Biology. This volume is about Tank, who we meet in the first book, and Isaac, a new wolf in town. He moved to San Francisco under the impression that it wasn’t under any pack jurisdiction, but in the meantime the San Andreas pack—one very much unlike any that Isaac has met—has moved in. Tank is doing temporary work at the club where Isaac is a bartender who attracts supernatural and human attention alike. People just want to talk to him. Tank does, too, but for a completely different reason. The pair moves into bed pretty quickly, and then pack-related things start happening that you’ll just have to read the book to discover. All you really need to know is that this book is the perfect Carriger blend of smart, funny, and sexy, and I would like it to be time for another one, thanks.

New and Upcoming Releases

Bingo Love Vol 1: Jackpot Edition by all kinds of people (Kindle/Comixology out now, hardcover out Nov 13)
Rabi and Matthew by LA Witt
Love Rekindled at Christmas by Eve Pendle et al
The Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune
Rogue Nights by Talia Hibbert et al
Tikka Chance on Me by Suleikha Snyder (November 13)
Her Second Chance by Bette Ford (November 14)

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 November, folks! (If you live in the US and haven’t voted yet, you know what to do.)

Before we get into the good stuff, I need to note my foul-up from last week. There I was declaring people’s pronouns and went right ahead and misgendered Anna Zabo. Thanks to the amazing Angela James for reaching out to me early enough that I was able to fix it for the folks who receive Kissing Books later in the day. I think. I hope. Biggest apologies to Anna. (And if you want to support them while I grovel for forgiveness, Close Quarter, which is one of Anna’s books I haven’t yet touted, might be worth checking out. (A fae vampire hunter on a Transatlantic cruise? Yes, please.)

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Sponsored by As Good As The First Time by K.M. Jackson.

When Olivia Gale gets fired and dumped all in the same day she jumps at the chance to get out of New York City to help her aunt at the family bakery, Goode n’ Sweet, back down south in Sugar Lake, and a little indulgence in her pie-making hobby is exactly the pick-me-up Olivia needs to get her life back on track. She can’t afford to be distracted, Clayton Morris, firefighter, single dad, and the boy next door who once broke Liv’s heart—but Sugar Lake might be a sweet place for a second chance.

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News and Useful Links

THE KISS QUOTIENT IS GONNA BE A MOVIE! I mean, the rights had already been purchased, but now Lionsgate’s got them, and we could be looking at a hot new film version of The Kiss Quotient in the next couple of years!

There’s a new Rogue anthology coming out soon! Rogue Nights is the sixth one coming out next week, and OMAGAH the author lineup!

Yes, Girl, yes! Tell us about that anger!

And then talk some more about consent, because that’s important, too.

I am not completely certain why best books lists start at this time of year, but Publishers Weekly has put theirs out, and the Goodreads Choice Awards are also open for voting. The romance section for this round is pretty good; let’s see what the next round looks like. I’m actually having a hard time voting between my favorites! But I will of course suck it up and vote because not voting means something I wasn’t as fond of might make it to the next round. You never know!

Read more about a few October romances Maureen at EW dove into!

And of course your regular reminder that WOC in Romance is magic and you should follow.

Deals!

Looking for a f/f romance set in a lovely town? Small Town Secrets by Katrina Jackson is 99 cents! It’s the third book in a series, but they stand alone. Also, if you read the first in the series, From Scratch, and haven’t caught up, boy have you got some fun reading ahead of you!

How about something to really fog up your glasses? Naima Simone’s Only For a Night is 99 cents right now, too! Second chances, aphrodisiac clubs, former Mob grunts? I’ll take all of those for 500, Alex.

Still haven’t satisfied your curiosity about Selena Montgomery, gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams’ romance alter ego? Reckless is $3.99. You know you wanna.

Over on Book Riot

Because you don’t yet have enough on your TBR, Sil pulled together 50—that’s right, fifty, five-zero—romances by Latinx authors for you to check out. I’ve read some of these, but there are tons more I haven’t; there are some authors I’ve never even heard of! I’m so excited to discover them.

Ready for a new quiz? Date, marry, or dump some Shakespeare characters and get a romance rec. The one I ended up with, The Courtesan Duchess, hadn’t been on my radar, so I’m glad I did more dumping than dating 😉

Do you listen to audiobooks? Here are some romance ones coming out this month.

Recs!

With everything that’s going on, I haven’t really felt like dealing with strife and angst. So I’ve been feeling all kinds of friends-to-lovers romances. Y’all know I love some enemies/rivals-to-lovers, but the friends thing just has this certain kind of joy that I can’t resist, especially right now. Let’s talk a couple I’ve really enjoyed recently.

Not Another Family Wedding
Jackie Lau

Natalie is going to her hometown for her younger sister’s wedding and doesn’t want to go alone. There’s always something that happens at family functions, especially if both her white and Chinese grandmothers are there. So she enlists her best friend, Connor, to come with her as a buffer with her family, who would definitely ask her why she wasn’t married and when she was having kids.

Yep.

The two have only had the most friend-like feelings for each other; well, Connor’d had a crush when they first met, but he’d gotten over it. Somehow, though, being in Natalie’s hometown, seeing her with her family, and just spending this kind of time with her has brought on new feelings. And Natalie might be feeling the same.

Y’all. You know how I feel about fake relationships, and I will tell you I favor this one compared to Jackie’s Grumpy Fake Boyfriend, which you know I really enjoyed. Apples and oranges, whatever. I really liked this book and it was a great, happy, lightly-angsted way to spend an afternoon.

Dr. Strange Beard
Penny Reid

Okay, so this is pushing the friends-to-lovers boundary a little bit because these two friends are estranged, but I’ll allow it. Roscoe Winston comes home to visit his family regularly, since he doesn’t live that far away, but has made a skill of avoiding Simone Payton, the girl who broke his heart a long time ago. She usually only comes to visit on the weekends, so he’s surprised to encounter her and his lowlife father at the diner where Simone works—usually when Roscoe isn’t there. The two can’t seem to stop running into each other, and eventually try to be civil, but Simone doesn’t understand why Roscoe ghosted her in high school. There are enough misunderstandings to fill a composition book and secrets galore, but eventually, they find their way. So yeah, this one, much like any other Penny Reid book, is going to have some strong, angsty content, but will also make you cackle with glee. So be prepared do be dropped into the lives of the Winstons again.

I’ve also recently started reading Geek Out, a collection of trans and genderqueer romances. The first one, Defying Convention, by Cecil Wilde, is available as a standalone novella, and is just the most precious thing so far. Two friends who have known each other online for years decide to meet in person for a convention. The rest, as they say, is history. Adorable, hair-braiding history.

Also, I don’t know if it counts, but I’m totally including Intercepted here. She and Gavin might start out having already slept together, but they build a pretty genuine friendship before they slide back into the lovers category. Kind of. I dunno. Read it and tell me what you think.

New and Upcoming Releases

The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory (YAY!!! FINALLY!)
Archangel’s Prophecy by Nalini Singh
Kiss Me at Christmas by Valerie Bowman (One of the other BR Jessicas really loved it, so I’m excited!)
The Omega Objection by GL Carriger (Nov 4) (it’s SO GOOD, y’all!)
Siren in Bloom by Lexi Blake (Nov 6)
Misadventures with a Professor by Sierra Simone (Nov 6)
Rogue Nights by Talia Hibbert et al (Nov 8) (Because I can’t just say it once)

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!

I’ve been trying to figure out different ways to say “what a week, amirite?” But I’m running out of options.

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Sponsored by Harlequin DARE

With a multibillion-dollar deal on the line, billionaire playboy Gideon Mortimer can’t afford another tabloid scandal. He’s committed to a chastity contract, but being on the same yacht as Leonie Branson—temptation personified—is pure, unadulterated torture. Relinquishing control of their thrilling sexual chemistry to tenacious Leonie feels tantalizingly worth the risk—to his reputation and his well-protected heart.

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News and Useful Links

You know how I was whining about wanting something dark and atmospheric to read? Rosanna Leo came through with a list of gothic romances, most of which I haven’t even heard of!

There was a bit of a kerfuffle on Twitter over the weekend when an author decided to double down about cover model selection. The heroine, who is biracial, apparently makes comments about her darker skin and the plight of a black woman, but the cover model reads white at first glance. I like to think that covers make a statement about a book, and if you’re going to call your heroine a black woman, she should probably read as such at first glance. It’s not about the fact that black women come in all shades; it’s about the fact that when representation is a problem across the board, visual cues are key.

Twelfth Night is my favorite Shakespeare comedy, and there’s a MUSICAL SERIES based on it coming to our televisions and streaming devices. This version will have a protagonist who ends up being genderqueer because someone has been digging through my soul’s desires (though according to an Electric Literature article a while ago, I have strong feelings about bi erasure WHICH IS ALSO TRUE and I would love to read a retelling in which good ole Viola gets the Duke AND the Countess).

The Ripped Bodice is hosting a Great Big Romance Read in December, and When In Romance is totally participating, so listen up for more news about that!

Olivia Waite. F/F Regency Romance. Can’t. Wait.

Also. Also! Alexis Daria has a Dance Off Christmas novella coming out! It’s called Dance All Night and it’s available for preorder! (It’s out December 11.)

Deals!

Riven by Roan Parrish is 1.99 right now! Rend comes out in a couple weeks (and the bits of it I’ve been able to snatch are excellent) so now’s the perfect time to grab it!

Kendall Ryan’s The Room Mate is 1.99, if your looking for some raunchy fun.

I know it’s not Halloween yet, but if you’re ready to get into the Christmas spirit, Merry Inkmas by Talia Hibbert is 2.99.

Over on Book Riot

Westerns. Westerns that have protagonists who aren’t white. I know, right?

TBR worth toppling? Here are some “speed reading apps” to help you get through it.

Erotic poetry. Do you have favorites?

And of course, there’s still time to enter for a custom book stamp for your personal library!

Recs!

You know how we’ve been doing a “feature creature” for October? Well, today’s feature creature is The Patriarchy, and it’s time to crush it. Or something.

This has been some kind of week, and instead of our usual thing, how about some trans and enby authors to support?

Anna Zabo (they/them/their) writes primarily m/m romance featuring various kinds of kinky folks. They* write rock stars, like in Syncopation; vampires, like in Close Quarter; and businessmen, like in Takeover. Recently, I read Outside the Lines, which is an adorable installation of the Bluewater Bay series.

Kris Ripper (ze/zem/zir) writes romance featuring all kinds of people. The Queers of La Vista series (starting with Gays of Our Lives) features what’s on its way to an LGBT paradise—with a twist, since there’s a murder mystery involved. The Scientific Method series, on the other hand, is angsty and very much real world and just features people trying to figure their own shit out. Start with Catalysts.

Jay Northcote (he/him/his) writes m/m adult and new adult romances. His college romances like Helping Hand occasionally feature Gay For You type stories (so heads up if that’s not your thing). Looking for a sweet Christmas novella with a bonus fake relationship? A Family For Christmas is probably a good place to start.

Cole McCade/Xen (he/him/his) writes all kinds of things under multiple names, including contemporary erotic romance and urban fantasy. Basically all of his books are sex incarnate and you should check them out. If you’re down for some elf magic, check out Shatterproof. If you’d rather enjoy the hell out of a May/December romance, try Over and Over Again.

This isn’t exhaustive, but I don’t want to make this too long. If you’re curious, check out Austin Chant, EE Ottoman, Chace Verity, Xan West, or Francis Gideon. LA Witt, Vanessa North, and Courtney Milan aren’t #ownvoices writers, but they also write pretty interesting trans characters. Courtney Milan’s Hold Me is one of my favorite contemporary romances.

Who are your favorite trans romance authors? What are your favorite novels?

New and Upcoming Releases

Duchess by Design by Maya Rodale (I love purple. Don’t you love purple?)
The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory (October 30) (FINALLY!!!)
Love in Catalina Cove by Brenda Jackson (October 30)
Archangel’s Prophecy by Nalini Singh (October 30)
Royally Yours by Emma Chase (October 30)

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!

*Corrected

Oh y’all, the things that have happened this week.

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Sponsored by Harlequin DARE

“Want to do more than watch?” Chloe Park only meant to peek at him. Lean, hard and tattooed, Jackson Drake is hotness incarnate—and she can see right into his living room! Her sexy spectating drives them both near insane with lust. And with every wicked line they cross, Chloe falls harder for the bad boy next door…

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New and Useful Links

Maya Rodale has been busy, what with her appearance on The Great American Read and her NPR feature on great reads for October.

Have you read any of these spooky romances?

The number of self-published books made it over one million last year, and the number keeps growing.

If you didn’t already know, these four chicas are awesome.

KJ Charles had feelings about HEAs. Well, more feelings.

Sandhya Menon is writing an adult romcom! Who’s excited?

And also (since I can’t do one of these without mentioning Alyssa Cole) MORE ROYALS!

Deals!

Last I checked, The Wedding Date was 1.99. If you’ve been waiting to read it, we’re close enough to The Proposal to get started, I think!

The Girl With The Make-Believe Husband by Julia Quinn is 2.99 right now! I have been enjoying this Bridgertons prequel series.

Looking to start a new m/m romantic suspense series? Layla Reyne’s Single Malt is 1.99 right now.

Over on Book Riot

In case you missed it, I wrote about queer women in mixed-gender romance for National Coming Out Day.

Marry, Date, Dump, and get a recommendation!

Are you ready to make your TBR explode?

And of course, we’re only halfway through the month; have you entered your name for the giveaway?

Recs!

This week’s feature creature is The Monster! Of course, it’s kind of hard to do the monster in a romance that isn’t a shifter, but this one was done pretty well, even if I could have seriously used more story. Thus is life with novellas, though.

Briarley
Aster Glenn Gray

What’s the biggest issue lots of people have with the Beauty and the Beast story? I mean sure, the one that baffles the most people is “how the hell do people not know about that castle down the road” which is valid and also addressed in this version. But there’s also the whole Stockholm Syndrome thing. Full disclosure: kidnapping is usually one of my hard limits in romance, but I am a total sucker for a Beauty and the Beast story.

Well, this one is for those who are like “no, thanks” when it comes to the original story based on the whole wrongful imprisonment thing. It takes your Stockholm Syndrome and says, what if that was never an issue? What if, say, instead of taking the misbegotten rose to his daughter, a war nurse, her father decides to stick around and help the Beast find love. Surely he could come to love his servants? How about a puppy? Why had the girls they’d invited before not worked for him?

Why, indeed?

As I mentioned before, this book is way too short. Something…something…could have been more developed, but I can’t place my finger on it. Maybe I just wanted a full novel and the novella was just this side of completely satisfying.

What are your favorite non-shifter BatB-themed romances?

New and Upcoming Releases

Band Sinister by KJ Charles
At Long Last by Brenda Jackson
One Day in December by Josie Silver
How the Dukes Stole Christmas by Sarah MacLean et al
Lattes of Love by ML Spann (October 23)

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!

It’s the second week of October and it finally feels like fall in Southern Arizona. Well. If a high of 77 really counts as “fall.”

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Sponsored by Epic Reads

It’s 1871, and Emmeline Carter is poised to take Chicago’s high society by storm. Between her father’s sudden rise to wealth and her recent engagement to Chicago’s most eligible bachelor, Emmeline has it all. But she can’t stop thinking about the life she left behind, including her childhood sweetheart, Anders Magnuson. Fiona Byrne, Emmeline’s childhood best friend, is delighted by her friend’s sudden rise to prominence, especially since it means Fiona is free to pursue Anders herself. But when Emmeline risks everything for one final fling with Anders, Fiona feels completely betrayed. As the summer turns to fall, the city is at a tipping point: friendships are tested, hearts are broken, and the tiniest spark might set everything ablaze.

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New and Useful Links

THERE IS A COVER. I am so excited. Look at it. Look at them. Look at those words.

The Bawdy Bookworms have released their second monthly list of diverse romances, and I’m really looking forward to a lot of the books coming out this winter. But that’s not the only thing they do over at Bawdy-central. They also have a seasonal subscription box, and it’s hella fun. Not only do you get a steamy book, but you get some kind of sensual…bonus items, too. Sometimes they’re battery operated, sometimes not. Full disclosure: Kim from BB sent me one to check out, and I can tell you if you’re looking for something like that, or didn’t know you were, it’s worth checking out at least once. Want to know more from someone better with words and more fun than me? Check out Suzanne’s video review.

Every response to this tweet prompt is something I want to watch, including Greg Pak’s. I’ll even read the romance novel inspired by it.

Corey Alexander interviewed Rebekah Weatherspoon about Rafe and I really need to read that book. (I will. Soon. I swear. Ish.)

Kinky is coming out this weekend. Are you gonna see it? I’m curious, but might wait for it to arrive on a streaming network. As far as I know, it’s not book-related, but I’m sure it’s definitely got some appeal for romance readers. Also, basically every single person in this movie is four-alarm hot, so no matter what the script and story turn out to be like, at least it’ll be pretty?

Deals!

There’s a new Fandom Hearts novella called Ms. Behave and it’s 1.99 right now!

Looking for a new romantic suspense series to start? Kendra Elliot’s A Merciful Death is 1.99.

Helen Hardt’s Craving is FREE right now (and if you want the audio as an add on, you can get it for 1.99, too!)

Over on Book Riot

I never watched The Office, but even I ship Jim and Pam. Here are some books to put you in that same mood they inspired.

You all know my feelings about Jessica Avery, but seriously, this person is my person. She’s in my heart and soul, and knows my mind. Her most recent expression of my hopes and dreams is for a horror sugbenre of romance. I spent a brief period of time expressing a strong desire for something dark and atmospheric that also had a central love story. Give me The Others with kissing. The first half of Crimson Peak, before things get…weird. Ok, no, I like the weirdness, but I also like certain characters not dying and leaving with the love of their life and having a HEA. I will take those immediately, thank you.

Are you still doing Riotgrams? I’m trying, I swear.

Trisha and I talked about Butterfly Swords on When in Romance and also employer/employee romances.

And we’re still giving away a custom book stamp! (Psst! If for some reason you don’t want one for yourself—you don’t read print books, you’ve Kondo’d your home, etc—hey, enter and I’ll take it :wink-emoji:)

Recs!

This week’s Feature Creature is one who had to grow on me in romance, after spending a little too much time with Richard Zeeman in my formative paranormal years.

The Wolf Man.

Mating the Huntress
Talia Hibbert

Talia Hibbert writes at the speed of light, so it was both an awesome surprise and no surprise at all when she revealed that she’d written a Halloween-themed paranormal romance—her first paranormal at all. The name says it all, but says nothing. In this novella, Chastity is one of a collection of siblings in a universe where the women are sworn werewolf hunters and the men are the healers. When her sister is wearing her sweatshirt and a werewolf just takes part of it instead of killing her, Chastity is curious. She becomes even more curious when a wolf in human form starts coming to her family’s coffee shop…and then he asks her out. What better way to prove herself to her family and get some, right?

This is the most adorable thing that is also about people who kill monsters. And Luke is preciously supportive of Chastity’s violence. So there’s that. It’s a quick read and a delight to experience.

Wolfsong
TJ Klune

If you want something that is not a quick read, may I present Wolfsong to you. I sort of felt like this book would never end, but I was not sad about that. TJ Klune is something else when it comes to wordmaking and he put a lot together in this story. Ox, the narrator, tells the story of growing up, his dad leaving, finding a family in the guys at the shop where he works, and then meeting another family. The family down the lane, full of beautiful, brilliant, caring people. Ox meets the youngest member, Joe, on the road home, and Joe at the ripe old age of ten can’t help but latch on—because Ox smells like awesome. His words, not mine. Ox and Joe grow together, and learn together, and become better men together. And then stuff happens and they’re not together. And then they’re together again. It’s a thing. A long thing. With lots of other stuff.

I wasn’t sure if I was going to include this one because so much of the earlier part takes place when Ox is a teenager. But he grows up, and so does Joe, and all kinds of things happen for them. Also, every single supporting character is amazing.

Both of these stories are about fated mates (Mating the Huntress more so than Wolfsong), so if that’s not your thing, you probably want to pass on them. But if you’re curious about two authors who do it well, these are good places to start.

New and Upcoming Releases

Thug Love by Zuri Day
Gridiron Heartbreaker by Melissa Blue
Band Sinister by KJ Charles (October 11)
How the Dukes Stole Christmas by Tessa Dare, Sarah MacLean, Sophie Jordan, and Joanna Shupe (October 15)
One Day in December by Josie Silver (October 16)
Night at the Opera by Stacy Henrie (October 16)

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 Halloween!

What do you mean it’s only early October?

Okay, fine. Happy Halloween month.

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Sponsored by Kensington Publishing Corp.

Mary Jo Putney, one of the most critically acclaimed writers of historical romance, brings fans the third novel in her Rogues Redeemed series, where two outcasts must endure persecution and peril through stormy seas if their love is going to survive.

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News and Useful Links

There’s more romance coming to Netflix. I haven’t read Virgin River or Sweet Magnolias. But I hope this (and of course the success of To All The Boys…) means more kissing movies and shows across streaming services.

Do you know about Maya Rodale’s newest, Duchess by Design? Check out this EW interview where she talks about the Gilded Age and subversive pockets.

I didn’t know about Food from the Heart until I saw this instagram post by theromanticbaker. That bread looks amazing, and there are other recipes from authors including Sonali Dev and Susan Mallery.

There’s still some time to get a few of these deals, I think.

Dadbod Austen Retellings. What.

Just click. You’ll thank me.

Deals!

Have you read Act Like It yet? Well, it’s 1.99, so you have no excuse.

Or if you’re looking for the opposite of fake-relationship, how about After the Wedding? It’s 2.49, and while it’s always good to read series in order, you don’t have to have read Once Upon a Marquess first. But you might want to. Because it’s hilarious. (Also, if you finish and want to read about Adrian’s uncles John and Henry? Let me point you towards The Pursuit Of…)

Okay. Done now.

Wait, one more. Deliver Me by Farrah Rochon is free right now. Good way to get sucked into an amazing series.

Over on Book Riot

Have you read all of these? There are a few I haven’t, so I can say newbies are totally in for a treat with this list!

I know it’s not technically romance related, but I’m behind most of these Idris Elba fancastings, even if he’s a touch too old for a few of them (like Thabiso, to be honest). We’d make it work.

Riotgrams are back! I’ve been…really bad at keeping up but what’s new.

I…want to read all of these.

Also, TBR is a thing and you should check it out.

These may be critical nonfiction, but they’re about romance.

We’re having a giveaway for a custom book stamp!

Recs!

This newsletter is already wildly long and overly full of TBR-busters, so I’ll be a bit more brief than I was last week.

Remember when I mentioned way way at the beginning of this newsletter that I was excited for Halloween? Well, I decided to do something different. Instead of a huge list of Halloween themed and related romances, I would do a sort of… feature creature.

Today’s creature? Dracula.

And friends, I guess.

Thrall
Avon Gale and Roan Parrish

If you’ve read Dracula, you know that it is a story told in letters, news clippings, and various other epistolary formats. Thrall is the story of several people, much like Dracula, but it still has central characters to latch onto. You’ve got Lucy Westenra and Mina Murray, who are a couple that does a true crime podcast based in New Orleans. You have Lucy’s brother Harker, who has gone missing (or at least isn’t returning her texts). You’ve got Harker’s dissertation advisor, Professor Van Helsing. You’ve got Arthur, Mina and Lucy’s social media manager, who decides to pursue the good professor romantically while also trying to figure out what’s happend to Harker. And you’ve got Thrall, the local dating app that Harker was studying for his anthropology dissertation. The story is told in google chats, emails, texts, and other alternate texts, but you still get a bit of a spooky feeling. One moment you’re laughing your eyes out, the next you’re on edge trying to figure out what the heck is happening. What you discover is maybe not what you expect, but any more from me would spoil the experience.

It’s been a while since I’ve read a good vampire romance that wasn’t part of an overarching paranormal or urban fantasy series (I’ll bet the last one was Meg Cabot’s Insatiable, which was…probably a decade ago), or even a “different” kind of vampire like JR Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood (similarly, Lover At Last was the last one of those I read). But. One of the Book Riot Insiders mentioned The Vampire’s Mail Order Bride by Kristen Painter and I’m totally sold.

There’s a dearth in my past reading of vampires of color in romance. (The closest I’ve come is LA Banks, and I…wasn’t really a fan of the first one?) Anyone have any favorites that are actually romantic and not…about soul-sucking demons being evil and needing to be killed?

As a bonus, let’s talk about my favorite Dracula movies. I have…three?

Dracula 2000. Yes. I love this movie. All respect to Gary Oldman, but Gerard Butler was my first Dracula. Also Johnny Lee Miller the antiques dealer. I think this movie might have introduced me to him, too?

Van Helsing. Richard Roxburgh and his weird Romania accent. Hugh Jackman and his crossbow. The brides, kicking ass. (If you listen to When in Romance, you might recall that I took the “which vampire is your soulmate” and I definitely got the Brides of Dracula.)

Dracula Untold. I don’t know why, but I latched onto this one and was really disappointed when I learned they weren’t going to continue the series. It is very pretty.

Then there’s the fact that when I try to recall Renfield the only one that comes to mind is the one from Dracula: Dead and Loving It. I have no recollection of the rest of the movie. Just that Renfield. And no others.

Okay, fun interlude. Back to books.

New and Upcoming Releases

Rafe by Rebekah Weatherspoon (hot male nanny, anyone?)
Mating the Huntress by Talia Hibbert
Always There by Tiara Inserto (they have to share an apartment omgz)
Project Saving Noah by Six de los Reyes (October 6)
For the Love of Luke by David C. Dawson (October 9)
Fight or Flight by Samantha Young (October 9)

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!

So it’s fall. That’s a thing it is. You can sort of tell where I live; it’s not deathly hot anymore. I hope you all have some non-hurricane-like fall weather wherever you are.

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Sponsored by Harlequin DARE

She has fantasies… Now he’s bringing them to life! Notorious seducer Thor Ragnarsson runs the scandalous Hotel Viking in Reykjavik, where tourists go to fulfill their wildest fantasies. When straitlaced American professor Margot Cavendish gets snowed in while studying Icelandic sex culture, Thor challenges her inhibitions with some very hands-on research—soon she’s exploring every inch of his delicious body. It’s only one night of passion, but when the snowstorm clears they’re left aching for more…

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News and Useful Links

If you’re a collector of Georgette Heyer novels, there’s a new signature collection, which includes three of her most famous novels. Unlike Crichton and all those other folks whose unfinished works people keep finding in drawers, there doesn’t seem like anything new is happening, so it’s mostly for fans and potential new readers. If you weren’t into her writing before…that’s probably not going to change with some new covers and an introduction or two.

Alyssa Cole wrote a great piece for Booklist’s romance feature! There are some good lists in their romance coverage this month, too.

In less fun news, there’s been some…stuff…happening on twitter regarding an anthology, and we’ve had to have that conversation about representation and the ever useful Jeff Goldblum/Ian Malcolm quote: [people] were so preoccupied with whether they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should. The gist is a group of white romance authors wrote an anthology of novellas featuring Asian heroes. I haven’t read any of the novellas included, and I couldn’t tell you if they felt squickily like fetishizing. I don’t particularly care about that right now. It’s about the fact that nobody in that group of people thought: hey, maybe we should consult an author or two of Asian descent, maybe even invite them to join our anthology. They thought it was perfectly fine to publish a collection about people in a marginalized group written completely by white women, using comparisons to #ownvoices books like Crazy Rich Asians and To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before to promote it. It was this last that really hurt. Don’t use own voices titles when there are none of those same voices anywhere near you. Just don’t.

When this was mentioned by authors from various marginalized groups on social media, some authors—both involved and not involved in the project—took offense. The response was unfortunately not surprising, as it was a microcosm of how a number of marginalized authors are treated regularly. Obviously, not by everyone; there are voices of reason in every group. Not surprising, but still disappointing. Two steps forward; one step back.

Now that I’ve got us all depressed, let’s go read this article from the New York Times. It’s good, I promise.

And for some serious joy, Counterpoint just came out and this is seriously the best way to get into it. I read it ages ago and kind of want to read it again just so I can go back to hanging out with these guys.

Deals!

You can preorder Talia Hibbert’s new paranormal romance, Mating the Huntress, for 99 cents. I think the price might go up after it releases, so now’s your chance!

Looking for some short reads? Suleikha Snyder’s new story collection Dil or No Dil is 2.99.

Have you ever thought to yourself “I wonder what an Amish retelling of Beauty and the Beast would look like”? Belle by Sarah Price is 1.99.

Over on Book Riot

I stan Jessica Avery. Like, so hard.

Your favorite vampire love stories. Well, mostly love stories.

Quizzes are fun, even if you’re not really looking for a next book to read.

Dana talked about feelings and it was beautiful.

Trisha and I talked about things while I wasn’t feeling well and it was very much not beautiful. But we still want to hear from you about Butterfly Swords!

Are you following #fallreadathon2018?

Recs!

In just under 12 hours, I’m getting on a plane. I have a touch of travel anxiety (who am I kidding? I’m not going to sleep tonight) and I like to think about worst case scenarios. It’s a thing. But it always makes me think about one of my favorite opening scenes in one of my favorite funny novels.

Can You Keep A Secret
Sophie Kinsella

Do you like funny, outspoken heroines? Emma is definitely one of those. But her life becomes wildly embarrassing the moment she discovers the CEO of her company is the man she spilled all of her secrets to on a flight when she thought she was going to die. (Yeah, these are the connections I make.) The second-hand embarrassment continues throughout this book, but somehow, even though I absolutely cannot stand books, movies, or television in which your embarrassment for a character is so severe that it hurts, I couldn’t help loving this one.

I do have to be clear that Can You Keep a Secret isn’t categorically a romance; it’s technically what we would call Chick Lit—but it ends with an HEA so I’m keeping it.

This book is on my “fun-and-funny” Goodreads shelf, and I think both of those are things we all need right now, don’t you? If you want to just gorge yourself on joy and laughter while the rest of it goes to shit, here are some I always go back to (I’ve obviously talked about some of them here before):

Trade Me by Courtney Milan

Poor first generation student and rich white boy trade incomes and situations. What could go wrong? In the meantime, what could go right?

Cinnamon Blade by Shira Glassman

A superhero and the woman she is super into try to date. World saving happens.

A Girl Like Her by Talia Hibbert

A comics artist and the former soldier who moves in across from her get to know each other over the food he won’t stop bringing her.

When a Scot Ties the Knot by Tessa Dare

“Dear fake fiance that I created because I have severe social anxiety, I’m sorry, I have to kill you.” Real man shows up. Fun ensues.

Taking the Heat by Victoria Dahl

A romance advice columnist meets the new hot guybrarian and they immediately hit it off. She needs some help with the whole romance thing.

Truth or Beard by Penny Reid

When a book starts out with Sexy Gandalf and mistaken identity, you never know what might happen next.

Tell Me Something Good by Jamie Wesley

Radio rivals have hella chemistry, and everyone, including their network, knows it. So of course, they get put on air together.

Nuts by Alice Clayton

Food people make food innuendos. That’s really all you need to know.

Soulless by Gail Carriger

If you like your food innuendos slightly more highbrow and Victorianly witty, Alexia and Lord Maccon are spectacular at them.

Seduction and Snacks by Tara Sivec

Okay, so I apparently have a thing about food.

The Cinderella Deal by Jennifer Crusie

I gave this book to my mother about ten years ago and she wouldn’t give it back.

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There. That should last us until the next bit of horrible.

New and Upcoming Releases

Not Another Family Wedding by Jackie Lau
Counterpoint by Anna Zabo (this book is the greatest, y’all)
Thrall by Roan Parrish and Avon Gale (alternate format, anyone?)
Couldn’t ask for More by Kianna Alexander (October 2)
Consumed by JR Ward (October 2)
The Hollow of Fear by Sherry Thomas (October 2)

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!

How’s your September going? I’ve been making my way through the first season of Timeless, which really could use just a touch more kissing but is otherwise pretty fun. And it’s a fun way to learn about things like the Murder Castle.

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Sponsored by Kensington Publishing Corp.

National Bestselling author Nicole Helm returns with the fourth installment in her down-to-earth, warm-hearted and compelling Mile High Romance series – this time with a cowboy twist! Nestled in the Rocky Mountains, rugged Gracely, Colorado is famous for big-sky beauty and small-town community. It’s a perfect place to take a deep breath, start again—and even plunge into the kind of love that lasts a lifetime. When Cora took a job as a wedding planner, she certainly did think she’d be the one getting hitched!

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News and Useful Links

Have you heard? Bea and Leah Koch, the ladies at The Ripped Bodice, have signed an overall deal with Sony Pictures. There hasn’t been any lengthy information on what they’ll be doing, but from what I’ve read, they’ll be using their knowledge to help Sony produce some awesome romance content.

Do you have Amazon Prime? They recently introduced Prime Reading, which is basically KU Lite. There’s a select grouping of titles available to Prime account holders, and you can borrow up to 10 titles a month. I’ve had a look at the romance offerings, and they’re not too bad. Have you tried it out? Let me know what you think!

And speaking of Kindle Unlimited, Talia Hibbert reviewed a few worthwhile KU titles on Frolic.

Vice did something dumb. Seriously, you’d think someone would do some research before publishing something like that.

This looks like the cutest thing ever and we should make sure it gets made.

Deals

Interested in a queer retelling of Persuasion? Jenny Holiday’s Undue Influence is 3.99.

If you’re looking to start a new Rachel Van Dyken series, Dirty Exes is 1.99.

It’s Hard Out Here for a Duke by Maya Rodale is 1.99. With a title like that, how can you resist?

Holley Trent’s newest fae romance, Prince in Leather is 1.99 right now, too.

Over on Book Riot

Vampire romance giveaway, you say?

What are your bookish habits, weird or otherwise?

Here’s a rundown of the big differences between KU and Prime Reading.

Recs!

The fall brings certain sounds to my living room, and I can’t help but joining up with them in my own way. While watching football isn’t my personal delight, I don’t despair its existence, and I still want to spend those three…or nine…hours with my gentleman. So while he’s paying close attention to every play, I spend the time between the moments when he hits my leg and tells me to watch a replay enjoying a novel or two. But what’s football without sports romance?

On the Line
Liz Lincoln

When Carrie finds herself without her wallet at the grocery store, the hot, Thor-like giant buying bananas and tampons behind her pays for her groceries. When she discovers the feminine products are for his twelve-year-old daughter, she immediately steps in to correct him, and a relationship is born. Too bad their flirty texting is interrupted by Carrie’s need for a job and Thor Sean’s need for a nanny. Carrie is obviously the best candidate for the job, sharing passions and interests with young Maddie. But that means no more flirting with her new boss. But she can’t help the feelings she develops for the man she’s getting to know, and the girl she’s growing to love.

Precious, right?

I don’t know what it is, but I really do love football romances. The first one I ever read was Blitzing Emily by Julie Brannagh, which involves a fake relationship and an opera star—so you know I was all over it. The rest of the series is similarly entertaining, and also relatively diverse, considering.

Another fun series is the New York Leopards trilogy by Allison Parr, starting with Rush Me. The heroine is an academic and it’s delightful.

Robin Covington’s His Convenient Husband provides us with one of the few m/m stories starring a football player. There’s also a Russian dancer and a precious genderqueer teenager.

And of course, the newly released Intercepted (which is going to be our second When in Romance Book Club read in about a month!) looks pretty great.

(Not to mention Swagger the next Milwaukee Dragons series, which features the delightful Marcus James, whose brief appearances in On the Line left me wanting more.)

New and Upcoming Releases

The Breakup Plan by Tia Kelly

Rebel Hard by Nalini Singh

Professor Feelgood by Leisa Rayven

More than Crave You by Shayla Black

Mostly Sunny by Jamie Pope (Sept 25)

Not Another Family Wedding by Jackie Lau (Sept 25)

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!

We’re well and settled into the month, and it’s been relatively quiet. I hope all my east coasters are taking care and have found shelter from the storm.

News and Useful Links

How many romance podcasts do you listen to? Here’s a great profile from Frolic. (And of course, if you haven’t already, check out ours! This past week, Trisha and I talked about that plagiarism issue I mentioned a while ago, and then announced our first When In Romance book club pick!)

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Sponsored by Flatiron Books and The Dinner List by Rebecca Serle

At one point or another, we’ve all been asked to name five people, living or dead, with whom we’d like to have dinner. Why do we choose the people we do? And what if that dinner was to actually happen? These are the questions Sabrina contends with in Rebecca Serle’s utterly captivating novel, The Dinner List. When Sabrina arrives at her thirtieth birthday dinner she finds at the table not just her best friend, but also three significant people from her past, and well, Audrey Hepburn. Delicious but never indulgent, sweet with just the right amount of bitter, The Dinner List is a romance for our times. Bon appetit.

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This is an important piece about domestic violence in romance, even if you think differently about the opinions expressed.

I am living for this cover.

Have you watched the trailer for the film adaptation of Beverly Jenkins’ Deadly Sexy? They’re trying to boost the number of views in hope that it gets picked up by a distributor. Let’s do our part!

Sarah MacLean, Tessa Dare, Joanna Shupe and Sophie Jordan announced a new christmas anthology coming out in October.

New Tif Marcelo!

I missed this the first time around, but here’s an interesting article about self-realization and understanding.

Deals!

Is it ever not time to read a Jayne Ann Krentz novel? The Pirate is 2.49.

Tell Me by Abigail Strom is 99 cents. If you’ve been meaning to read a recent RITA winner, it’s a good one to start with.

Who can resist a romance between an author and the leading man set to play out the part in the adaptation of her novel? Look no further; Playing the Part by Robin Covington is 2.99.

Over on Book Riot

What’s your next steamy read?

Are you ready to have your TBR completely murdered? Laura put together a list of 50 must-read m/m romances. I added tons of books to my want-to-read list. The few that I’ve read were pretty awesome too.

Some of the best books we read in August were romances. What was your favorite?

Kamrun interviewed Eloisa James and it was as fun as you’d expect.

And we’re giving away a 6-month subscription to OwlCrate Jr. Check it out!

Recs!

I realized a couple of days ago that I’d been recommending a lot of contemporary romantic comedy and historical fiction, meaning I’d been leaving a large piece of romance to the wayside: specfic.

If you’re unfamiliar with the term, specfic is the shortened version of speculative fiction, which is basically anything outside the realm of reality. Paranormal? Specfic. Post-apocalyptic? Specfic. Alternate history with dragons? Specfic.

Obviously, I’ve mentioned some before, but I’d been neglecting them. The most neglected of all?

Radio Silence
Alyssa Cole

Y’all, this was the first Alyssa Cole book I ever bought. Before A Princess in Theory, before An Extraordinary Union, before Let it Shine and even before Agnes Moor’s Wild Knight, I bought Radio Silence and its corresponding books. There was something about the original cover that drew me, before I knew anything about Alyssa Cole beyond her name and profession. But I hadn’t picked it up. Thinking back, I think I wasn’t ready for post-apocalyptic romance, even though I knew it would have a happy ending. Same reason it took me so long to pick up Beyond Shame—the darkness wasn’t something I sought. If you haven’t noticed, I lean towards fun and funny, even in situations that are not. So when I realized I hadn’t really covered any specfic of any kind recently, I sought one of my rainy-day reads. I try to have an Alyssa Cole novel on-hand, just because. So this was a good place to start, especially in an area that I’m not as well-versed in.

In a near future New York State, the power has gone out and no one knows why. There’s no radio, no cell service. Nothing from the government. At first, it was just a matter of waiting, but then people got desperate and it went Book of Eli pretty quickly. Arden and her best friend/roommate John travel from Rochester to John’s family’s cabin in the middle of nowhere, but get waylaid by some other desperate travelers. When John’s brother Gabriel saves them from who knows what, there begins a push-pull relationship between Arden and her savior, who is also a pain in the ass.

Y’all know how I love stories that start with the hero being a pain in the ass.

You’ll just have to read it to know what happens next.

If you’re interested in more speculative fiction, you can always look at old editions of KB (because I know you’ve saved them all) for my reviews of books like Highland Dragon Warrior by Isabel Cooper,The Viking Queen’s Men by Holley Trent, and Snowspelled by Stephanie Burgis. There’re tons more, though, so I hope you endeavor to explore.

What’s your favorite specfic romance?

New and Upcoming Releases

Soft on Soft by Em Ali
Passionate Rivals by Radclyffe
Intercepted by Alexa Martin (Honestly, this is the last time, I swear. At least…for a while.)
Swagger by Liz Lincoln (September 18) (Dat cover tho)
More than Crave You by Shayla Black (September 18)
Queen of Hearts by Sheryl Wright (September 18)

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!

How is it September? It was just June, I swear. But I am happy for Fall release season. As someone who doesn’t leave near many deciduous trees, it’s really the best way to watch the seasons change—well…that and pumpkin spice.

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Sponsored by Kensington Publishing Corp.

Bridesmaids meets Magic Mike in Stripped, a hot contemporary romance set in New York City from exciting new Latinx voice Zoey Castile. Skilled, sculpted, and sexy, the men of adult entertainment are the kind of guys a woman reserves for her fantasies, not her reality. But is there more to these professional hotties than meets the eye?  Robyn Flores is about to find out when she discovers a sequined thong in her laundry and her upstairs neighbor Zac comes to collect. The next time he turns up unexpectedly? He’s the stripper at her best friend’s bachelorette party!

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News and Useful Links

Heard about Romance Class but not sure what it is? Check out their new website! (And here’s a nice rundown of what’s there by resident RC author Mina V. Esguerra.)

Are you a writer? Anna Zabo is giving an online workshop on worldbuilding.

Alyssa Cole’s most recently announced novella looks like everything I’ve been waiting for. Forreal. Is it 2019 yet?

Another LA Review of Books essay! This time, it’s by Cat Sebastian. (They’ve got a whole romance-themed issue out, FYI. They’ve put a few of them up on the site.)

Did you know Alexis Daria used to be a cosplayer?

Learn more about Talia Hibbert, including the fact that she’s going to be expanding her author name pool for different subgenres what.

And I haven’t done a lot of digging on this new app, but it looks like there might be a new way to read romance (and other things).

Deals

Have you read Sophie Jordan’s contemporary romance? If you’re looking to try one out, Beautiful Lawman is 99 cents right now.

If you’re looking for a fun mystery with an element of romance, Denise Grover Swank’s Deadly Summer is 1.99.

TJ Klune is one of those authors whose names I know but whose books I keep not reading. Well, Wolfsong is 1.99 and someone on Amazon called it the best shifter book they’ve ever read. So I bought it.

And if you’re looking for some good romantic suspense, Piper J. Drake’s Hidden Impact is 1.99 right now.

Over on Book Riot

What’s your romance audiobook match?

I don’t have a KU membership, but I might consider it for these books (many of which are already on my to-read list anyway).

Have you voted on a book for the first When In Romance book club?

And come share the ins-n-outs of your reading life in our Fall Reader Survey!

Recs!

As we pass Labor Day and the joys of summer, now is a good time for some summer nostalgia, right? It’s not too late? I hope not, because I’ve got some recs that are great for the Dying Sighs of Summer (she says from Arizona, where it’s finally dropped to the low nineties).

Feels Like Summer
Six de los Reyes

While this book opens at a summer music festival, Summer Storm, the majority of the book takes place in Manila. But that’s okay, because the real meaning of summer is acted out in that part of the book: three months of making the wrong choices for yourself and taking advantage of a situation that is only supposed to be temporary. Then, the days get shorter, the nights longer, and you yearn for those days.

Okay, Feels Like Summer isn’t quite that maudlin. Sorry.

Jett is a woman who gets what she wants. And after taking a deal to be an up-and-coming lead singer’s girlfriend for five minutes (a far too brief fake relationship, in my opinion!), she and said singer, Adrian, hit it off and spend the night together. It’s…not a great night. But when Adrian shows up to apologize, they decide to endeavor on a no-strings sex-only relationship to help him get over his ex, the reason Jett was needed at Summer Storm in the first place. She doesn’t do dating, and Adrian is pretty great in bed, so this is perfect for her. And it’s going to end, which is always good. Right?

If you finish that one and are looking for another intense, sexy book about a summer rebound fling, check out Elyse Springer’s Heat Wave.

And if the brief time at the music festival puts you in the mood for more of that setting, well the first thing you should do is read more of the Summer Storm books, including Sounds Like Summer (the first book in the Summer Storm series) and Summer Crush (which features novella by Reyes, Jay E. Tria, and Tara Frejas).

Then, once you’ve read those, check out Body Rocks by AM Arthur. The whole Off-Beat series is darling AF, but this one takes a lot of advantage of the music festival setting.

Conversely, if you want some sweet summer love between childhood sweethearts with some nice beach action, definitely pick up Damaged Goods by Talia Hibbert. It says “Ravenswood 1.5” but it’s a whole damn book. (I say “sweet summer love” like it’s not angsty as all getout. It’s angsty as all getout. but so darling and precious.)

And if you’re looking for writers going at it with their words and people getting dumped intp bodies of water, look no further than A Summer for Scandal by Lydia San Andres.

What are your favorite books of summer?

New and Upcoming Releases

Undue Influence: A Persuasion Retelling by Jenny Holiday
Josh & Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren
Stripped by Zoey Castile
Kiss the Girl by Tara Sivec (and yes, it’s named after a Disney song for a reason)
Bastard Prince by Nana Malone
Made to Hold You by Elle Wright
Second Time Sweeter by Beverly Jenkins
Sugar Vol 1 by Matt Hawkins, Jenni Cheung, and Yishan Li
Intercepted by Alexa Martin (Sept 11) (Yes, that one is finally coming out)

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!