Brutish barbarians, buttoned-up ministers and a historical take on a Brangelina classic
I'm rounding up some new *and* old favorites this week.
I’m writing the newsletter this week snuggled up nice and warm inside and occasionally looking out at the total monsoon weather we’re having right now; y’all, it’s so much rain, we might need to rent a boat just to get anywhere — or I could just stay inside and read hot and steamy romance novels while drinking a mug of something similarly hot and steamy. Yeah, I think I’ll do that instead.
A reminder that I’m always open to feedback/comments/suggestions on what you want to see from this newsletter moving forward. Interested in more guest recommendations, or want to do your own takeover for the week (similar to what the lovely Jen so graciously contributed last week)? You can reply to this very email and it’ll go straight to yours truly, or feel free to hit me up on Twitter with your thoughts.
Note: Yours truly is both an IndieBound and an Amazon affiliate, so if you like any of my recs and feel inclined to buy it through my Kissing Books-specific link, I’ll receive a little kickback in return. Consider it a tip, if you will, but I also love hearing about which books you bought and loved, so don’t hesitate to reach out and share!
A Heart of Blood and Ashes by Milla Vane (IndieBound | AMZ)
(fantasy romance; added note for content warnings by the author)
PHEW. I will start by saying that this book is not for the faint of heart, because when I say it is an intense, epic, at-times brutal barbarian romance I mean every single bit of that. But it’s also got sweepingly gorgeous worldbuilding and a slow-burn love story between a hard-headed warrior and a strong-willed heroine who makes up for her underwhelming stature with a fierce drive. Maddek has vowed to avenge his parents, the barbarian king and queen of Parsathe, after they were slain by a corrupt ruler, threatening the already-tenuous accord that exists between their realms. But he doesn’t realize the woman he’s just captured — the same woman he believes to have played a role in their deaths — will prove to be his most powerful weapon in seeking his revenge. Yvenne might be small and frail from spending most of her life sequestered in a tower chamber, but the offer she presents to Maddek is a tempting one, because the one way they could truly seek vengeance against her father — the man truly responsible for his parents’ deaths — is by joining not just as allies, but as husband and wife.
The Lord I Left by Scarlett Peckham (IndieBound | AMZ)
(historical romance)
Peckham’s Charlotte Street series may not be for everyone, but it is most certainly, definitely for me and it’s proven that three times over — nowhere more apparent than her latest, The Lord I Left. Lord Lieutenant Henry Evesham is a character you might recognize from previous books, and here he gets his own love story that’s as much a meditation on faith and relationships as it is a wonderfully feminist romance. Henry has been ministering to sinners he believes have lost their faith and innocence to temptation and vice while he conducts an investigation of the “flesh trade” in London, and inevitably his path crosses with that of Alice Hull, an apprentice to the city’s most notorious whipping governess who is on the precipice of promotion to her own role in the bawdy house. When Alice receives word that her mother has fallen seriously ill, Henry offers to escort her home — hopefully in time to say goodbye — but the journey they take becomes as much about learning each other and uncovering one another’s secrets as it is about enduring the delicious tension that comes with all that close-quarters proximity. Also, there are not one but two great scenes where one character dresses down the other’s family for being genuinely terrible, and it is delightful.
Lord and Lady Spy by Shana Galen (IndieBound | AMZ)
(historical romance; content warning for references to fertility issues/miscarriage)
Galen was a new-to-me author until about two years ago when I read this first book in her Lord and Lady Spy series, which takes the conceit of some classic spy flicks and puts its own Regency spin on them. The first book, Lord and Lady Spy, offers a historical take on arguably one of my favorite Brad-and-Angelina films, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, but really dives deep into its main couple’s issues in a way the original movie sort of shied away from in favor of all those stylized action scenes. Lord Adrian and Lady Sophia Smythe may appear, on the outset, a perfectly ordinary pair of marrieds — they’re bored of each other too, frankly, but only because they’ve each been withholding the same secret from one another since the beginning of their marriage: they’re leading double lives as two of the country’s most preeminent spies. When they’re forced to compete against each other for the same role in their organization, they have to reevaluate everything they thought they knew about their relationship — and over the course of the story, acknowledge that they have to redefine their dynamic, both as colleagues and as a married couple.
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.