Happy October! (With some appropriate, fall-themed kissing books recs to match)

Hi, friends! It's the start of a new month, which also makes it feel like the perfect time to resurrect this newsletter. It's been some time since I've written a new installment for a variety of reasons — some of them related to professional workload, some of them closer to reader burnout, and at least one pertaining to the fact that I no longer felt comfortable keeping this newsletter on its former platform — but the point is we're back, and hopefully just at the right moment!

Moving forward, I'll be sending newsletters a little more infrequently — consider this closer to a bi-monthly situation, rather than every week — but this will also enable me to not only devote some of that time to reading books, but find ones worth recommending to all of you. (It'll also allow me ample time to work on this newsletter on the weeks when my work assignments aren't running my schedule — see last week's Timothy Olyphant profile, which I am VERY proud of but also somewhat drained from writing.) One of the best sayings I've ever heard is "words in, words out," and that's never been truer when writing a newsletter about books.

This week's recs are all things I read earlier this year, but when thinking about what would be best to suggest for fall — ranging from cozy paranormal to something more intended for spooky season — they felt like the best picks to kick things off. Before we get to those, though, here are some romance-related links you might enjoy reading:

• ‘Twilight’ Is 20. These Books Will Remind You Why You Loved It So Much, NYTimes.com; Smart Bitches, Trashy Books' Sarah Wendell looks back on the paranormal phenomenon and recommends some reads in a similar vein.
• With the Serial Numbers Filed Off: The Problem with Trad Pub Fanfic, Reactor; Jenny Hamilton looks at three books that have gone through the fanfiction-to-traditionally published pipeline and examines what it means for fandom and romance at large.
• Ticklishly pleasing, Word Suitcase; Felicia Davin's newsletter is one of my favorites to sit with over a nice hot cup of something, not just for her insight into the romance genre, but the fact that every new post digs into some really fun etymology.

A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna
(cozy paranormal/fantasy romance, check content warnings including depression, anxiety, racism, colonialism, implied child neglect)

I've written before about how reading Sangu Mandanna's books feels like the equivalent of receiving a warm hug, or curling up in a soft blanket, and she's yet to prove me wrong. Her latest paranormal romance is packed to the brim with all of the recognizable hallmarks of her work, including a reluctant found family, a house that might very well have a mind of its own, and two people who fill in each other's empty spaces in ways they never would have anticipated. That doesn't mean the book coasts on cozy, reassuring tropes, though; its lead character, Sera, is arguably one of the most powerful witches of her era, but she's been discriminated against by the old, crusty white guys at the top of her Guild who would rather hold onto power themselves than let someone who doesn't look like they do step into the spotlight. As for the inn she's been charged with taking care of, it's home to a talking fox, a chicken skeleton that may or may not have been accidentally raised from the dead, a knight cosplayer, and a handsome yet icy historian, among others, all of whom found the place seemingly by coincidence but have never worked up the nerve to leave — and why would they, when at least one of the rooms rains tea every week?

Voidwalker by S.A. MacLean
(paranormal/monster romance; content warnings provided by author)

I'm not too proud to admit that I can be drawn in by a fun-looking cover, and S.A. MacLean's Voidwalker had me at first glance with an illustration of its heroine, the rainbow-haired Fionamara ("Fi" for short), and Antal, the terrifying, horned monster who starts as her reluctant ally before becoming something much, much more. There's no denying this book can get dark, given the worldbuilding elements that are woven in from the jump. Antal's species has long relied on human sacrifice in exchange for protection and oversight, but this is just one piece of the overall political structure that MacLean explores — while wrestling with the question of which characters might be willing to break such an ancient cycle in pursuit of making a better world. More serious themes aside, this book took a moment to grow on me, but once I was hooked, I was HOOKED, particularly when Fi and Antal started orbiting in each other's proximity. (Let's just say this feral cat of a monster has a fondness for sleeping in the rafters more often than not, but he's also willing to let a human child play with his tail when he thinks no one is looking, so do with that knowledge what you will.)

The Possession of Alba Díaz by Isabel Cañas
(horror with a romance subplot; check content warnings, which include violence, gore, murder, racism, death of a parent, religious trauma)

It wouldn't be spooky season without at least one horror recommendation, right? Truthfully, I've been a fan of Cañas' writing since I first picked up The Hacienda, and my love has only grown from there. There's something equally heartpounding and sensual about her writing, and it doesn't hurt that every single book I've read from her so far has a strong romantic throughline — forbidden romance, for the most part, because it's all about the yearning. Here, it plays out between the titular character, the newly betrothed Alba Díaz, and her fiancé's cousin, Elías, who's aware of precisely the reason he can't be pining but can't stop himself from doing it anyway. (There's one scene, in particular, that I'll be thinking about for a LONG time after reading it purely based on how well it illustrates the sexiness of consent.) Unfortunately, as you've probably surmised based on the book's title, there is the horror of demon possession for these star-crossed lovers to contend with — and as a pariah within the family, Elías may not be the best choice to save Alba from the supernatural force that wants to keep her all to itself, but he's going to do his damnedest to try.

Kissing Books is a bimonthly 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 Bluesky @carlylane. If you’re reading this on Ghost or someone forwarded this email to you, consider clicking that helpful button to become a regular subscriber, or leave a tip on Ko-fi.