A few oldies, but all of them goodies
And there's a reason for this, I promise!
Lately, I made the decision to bump Kissing Books back down from a weekly newsletter to a bi-weekly newsletter — mostly because, as I soon discovered, I wasn’t reading enough to keep up with that pace and still have enough new recommendations to share! But additionally, apart from my new posting schedule (which was implemented to give ya girl a BREAK), the reason I’ve had to restructure things around here lately is… I’m going to be part of the judging committee for the Ribbies this year!
Alongside other readers, reviewers, academics, and critics that I wholeheartedly respect and admire, I’ll be a part of the committee judging books published in 2020 for consideration and ultimately recognition as part of the Ribbed Bodice Awards for Excellence in Romantic Fiction. Essentially, I’m getting ASKED to read romance as a job — which, as we all know, is not a job in the slightest.
What this means, though, is that as part of the committee, I’m technically not allowed to talk about what I’ve been reading, so unfortunately, any books that are in contention for an award are going to have to be put on the backburner for right now, because confidentiality! BUT I’ve also been making a point to read some older romances in tandem with new releases, just so I can recommend them here. Don’t worry, friends, I gotchu.
The Proposition by Judith Ivory
(historical romance; content warning for animal violence)
So THIS is a slightly older histrom that I read last year, but was reminded all too vividly of my existing love for it when I listened to the Learning the Tropes episode about it, and how refreshing it is to have a historical hero who isn’t a duke/earl/viscount/some member of the nobility — although this sort of falls into the same trappings towards the end of the story. But in spite of my quibbles with the narrative, I really liked this one, which puts a spin on the My Fair Lady/Pygmalion trope. Lady Edwina Bollash has accepted a challenge — to turn incorrigible (yet charming) ratcatcher Mick Tremore into a gentleman in just six weeks. Her work as a linguist might be able to fool some, but even she isn’t sure she can rise to the task — especially when she finds herself falling for him in the process. Mick is brash, outspoken and very clear about what he wants — and what he wants is Edwina — but he’s also got a healthy appreciation for her legs and everything attached to them. This book gets bonus points for having one of the sexiest non-sex scenes I’ve ever read, and I have nothing but fond memories of reading it for the first time.
Grading Curves by Naima Simone
(contemporary romance)
If you’re looking for short and steamy this summer, then look no further. I first discovered Naima Simone through her WAGS series, which was among some of the first sports romance I had ever read. I’m still not big on that subgenre of romance yet, having only dipped my toes in with a few series here and there, but I found a new romance author to love in Simone’s books, and this one, about a professor who falls into it with a hot tattoo artist, scratches the proverbial itch in so many ways. Of course after her session to get inked turns sexy, that’s the moment when she learns that he also happens to be one of her students. This novella is one of those cases in which my only complaint was wanting more, more, more — but there’s also so much heat packed into only 100 pages that you really just have to sit back and marvel at the skill of it all.
This Earl of Mine by Kate Bateman
(historical romance)
I’m still reading this one, but it is frankly Trope City and as such I feel honorbound to recommend it to my subscribers IMMEDIATELY. Shipping heiress Georgiana Caversteed wants control over her own fortune, and as far as she’s concerned, she’s making a last-ditch effort to protect it — by marrying a man bound for the noose. Why not marry a condemned criminal and then secure her future as his widow, especially when he won’t be around to meddle in her finances? But the eligible bachelor she discovers within the walls of Newgate prison is more than meets the eye — he’s actually undercover working for Bow Street, and more than that, he’s the son of the late Earl of Morcott. Georgie doesn’t know who her intended is when she becomes Mrs. Benedict Wylde, and she definitely doesn’t expect to bump into her very-much-alive husband at a ton party a few weeks later. Marriage of convenience meets secret relationship meets fake relationship all at once? I’m sold. (Plus I always love a romance with a particularly good first kiss scene, and this one DELIVERS.)
Kissing Books is a weekly newsletter about, well, exactly what it sounds like, plus other non-romance novels that might have varying levels of smooching in them. Questions? Comments? Reply to this email, or find me on Twitter @carlylane. If you’re reading this on Substack or someone forwarded this email to you, consider clicking that helpful button to become a regular subscriber.