For happy endings, look no further

First of all, before I dive into the recs this week, I just want to say THANK YOU. Thank you to everyone who has championed this little newsletter from the beginning, who has reached out to say a kind word about it, who has referred a friend into subscribing (or maybe resorted to gentle bribery… I don’t know, I’m not judging here), who has linked it on their own newsletter — you name it. As of now, Kissing Books is officially at 500+ subscribers strong, and I am just blown away by that fact. I started this on a whim at the suggestion of a Twitter friend to talk about the books I was already basically touting via social media, and it means so much to me that so many of you have signed on for the ride. So again, thank you, and I hope you’re all staying safe, healthy, and sane (or as sane as we all can be) at this particular time.

In other, less fun news, I found out this week that the internal battery on my laptop decided to kick the bucket, so I’m writing the latest installment of this newsletter a little earlier ahead of the appointment I’ve scheduled to get my computer some much-needed care and attention. So, fingers crossed everything will be fixed and fine by the time you get another email from me. Besides, I have an article about the joy of reading romance in a time of pandemic to write!

Note: If you like any of my recs and feel inclined to buy it through my Kissing Books affiliate link below, I’ll receive a little kickback in return. No pressure, of course, but it’s never a bad time to support your local indie bookstore regardless!

Deal with the Devil by Kit Rocha

(dystopian science fiction with strong romantic themes)

It’s no secret that I’m a HUGE fan of Kit Rocha; once I picked up the first book in their dystopian, erotic Beyond series I never looked back, because it scratched so many satisfying itches for me as a reader who wanted something simmering right alongside the terrific character development. This start to a new series for Tor, out July 28, is no exception, and it’s stacked to the brim with all the things to love about their previous books — epic worldbuilding, kickass women and the men who are smitten over them, a found family element that slowly bakes in over time, and hot, HOT romance. In a post-apocalyptic Atlanta, people scrape by to survive on the margins, but some are trying to bring hope to the beleaguered masses, one of them being Nina, an information broker who leads a team of mercenary librarians in retrieving sensitive or valuable data for the highest bidder. When her path crosses with that of the mysterious Knox, captain of a group of disgraced supersoldiers known as the Silver Devils, sparks fly and then some. Once I started this I didn’t want to put it down, and I can already tell I’m going to be weak for the next book when it comes out. This is one you won’t want to miss if any part of what I’ve just teased is anywhere near up your alley.

A Touch of Stone and Snow by Milla Vane

(fantasy romance; added note for content warnings by the author)

Finally, the long-awaited Gathering of Dragons sequel is here! If you’re a long-time subscriber to this newsletter then you know how much I loved the first book in this series, A Heart of Blood and Ashes, which follows the romance between a brutish barbarian hero and a keen, quick-witted heroine — but whereas AHoBaA was the hard, bloody introduction to this world, A Touch of Stone and Snow proved to be a much gentler follow-up with characters who have more of a shared history than Maddek and Yvenne. Lizzan is a mercenary for hire, a sellsword, and a drunkard, and she’s been shunned by her own people for almost as long as she can remember. But when she comes face-to-face with the bastard prince of Koth, Aerax — her childhood friend, the first love of her life, and the man responsible for her exile — her first instinct is to put as much distance between them as she can. Unfortunately for Lizzan, the goddess Vela has other plans in mind, and an unexpected quest binds her and Aerax together right when they least expect it. If you love childhood friends to lovers to enemies to… it’s complicated(?), you should definitely pick this one up. Bonus points for an intelligent and loyal animal companion who steals the show in plenty of scenes.

Forbidden Desire by Robin Lovett

(sci-fi romance)

It would be easy to describe Lovett’s Planet of Desire books as the kind of bonkers bananapants alien romance that you need more of in your life, and that's true, but this series is also so much more than that and it finally clicked into place for me after I read this one. The notion that sex and intimacy (and ultimately love) can be cathartic and partially help someone recover from past trauma is one of the most beautiful themes in this book, and it all happens within the backdrop of a really fun world between two characters whose story I savored until the very last page. I love the way that Lovett flips so many traditional sci-fi tropes on their head with this series, too, at least when it comes to the “kidnapped by the alien” themes that are often so prevalent in this subgenre. Come for the erotic hijinks, stay for the growing romance between an alien sex goddess and a bioengineered super-soldier who can't feel a thing until he finds himself literally healed through the power of her love.

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.