Real Grown Folks in Love & Friendship

[Front cover of A Fire at Romanticon by H.L. Brooks with a design of a lacy pink thong and scattered flower petals; book held up against the backdrop of a framed black and white photo of the Brooklyn Bridge at night]

[front cover art for A Vampire of a Certain Age by Maria Vale; a city skyline silhouette with a bat's wings spread above it]

[three trade paperback books: One-Star Romance by Laura Hankin (spine up), A Fire at Romanticon by H.L. Brooks, Fall: A Detective Harriet Foster Thriller by Tracy Clark]

A Fire at Romanticon by H.L. Brooks*

contemporary rom-com

Write Women Publish, September 2024

Peach Kincaid is struggling. Her marriage, her self-image, her secret project and more feel like they're beyond her control until she takes more than one leap of faith. New look, new location, new friends and new opportunities offer her time and space to step into her most authentic self and claim a life that fulfills her in every way. Lots of laughs, tenderness, steamy adult activities and layered circumstances make A Fire at Romanticon a satisfying read.

*The author is my friend and The Write Women Book Fest event co-host, so yes I'm biased but would offer the same review even if we were strangers.;-)

Fall (Harriet Foster #2) by Tracy Clark

mystery thriller fiction

Thomas & Mercer, December 2023

This gritty atmospheric mystery blends elements of a police procedural with the stages of grief, political intrigue and riffs on the murky nature of crime and punishment. It's also a celebration of friendship, partnership and chosen family. Not having read book one didn't detract from understanding the main character's backstory or enjoyment of this well-crafted tale.

A Vampire of a Certain Age by Maria Vale*

a free supernatural short for the author's newsletter subscribers

Eternal perimenopause is only the first horror revealed in this sly, morbidly humorous super short story that packs a lot insightful observations into a few hundred words of juicy entertainment.

*This author was a featured panelist at TWWBF2023 and is scheduled to do so again at TWWBF2025. Plus, she's a friend in my head (to quote Wendy Williams). None of those facts make this short any less entertaining!

One-Star Romance by Laura Hankin

contemporary romance/women's fiction

Berkley, June 2024

Natalie and Rob weave in and out of each other's lives as they grow into themselves and eventually recognize the balance each offers the other. Lots of emotional chaos and growing pains mischief occurs.

Comments

Hot Love in the Kitchen & Travelling Through Time

Redemption of the Heart by Moni Boyce contemporary romance Love Snacks Publishing 8 January 2019 Despite addressing heavy themes of domestic violence, incarceration, and grief, Redemption of the Heart is a charming and sweet spicy read in the tradition of a 21st-century interracial homage to Janet Dailey’s monthly romance era. Gemma’s open-hearted ingénue contrasts starkly with Alex’s jaded workaholic. They struggle with a variety of challenges, but ethnicity isn’t one of them—a spin that feels particularly modern. Once readers commit to their suspension of disbelief regarding the cascading impact of lacks in due diligence by several characters, it’s easy to settle in to enjoy this love story. The recent public debate about the pros and cons of Gillette’s “We believe the best man can be” campaign ties in with the contradictory messages in the story threads about toxic masculinity. There’s a scene in which Alex apologizes to someone who was openly bragging among coworkers

123123! Goodbye 2023! Hello 2024!

A Marquis to Protect the Governess by Parker J. Cole historical romance fiction Harlequin Historical, December 26, 2023 Sometimes scrolling through new releases available on Libby (even though there's a stack of physical books within arm's reach), leads to unexpected reading pleasure. That's what happened with me upon starting this gem of a tale. Like opening my first books by Ms. Bev(erly Jenkins), Gay G. Gunn, Vanessa Riley, Alyssa Cole, and Lisa Rayne, Isadora and Andre's rocky love story hooked me from the first page. Using a seamless integration of historical context, character evolution, and high stakes combined with emotional nuances, this author has crafted an engaging tale that organically includes people and places too often erased from historical romance fiction. Hot Flashes and Hockey Slashes by Marika Ray & Sylvie Stewart, authors & publisher contemporary romance fiction October 2023 Who knew that normalizing open discussion about the ache

Authors Books Librarians Editors Agents Publishers... #USBookShow 2023

4 days of all hits no misses of keynotes, interviews, panels, book recs, advice... Highlights: Day 1 Monday 5/22 an insightful and terrifying and motivational discussion of book banning as an attack on liberty with advice on combating it via local focus and the fact that 30,000 school board seats in the U.S. are opening up this fall effective OverDrive/Libby strategies executed by savvy librarians Day 2 Tuesday 5/23 memorable quote from Chuck D's lunch keynote conversation with Kelefa Sannen: "People listen with their eyes." Plus his STEWdio boxed set and naphic grovel play on words with graphic novel and so much more. public relations, marketing, how not to get cancelled, redemption Day 3 Wednesday 5/24 book recs!!! Gloria Edim's (Well-Read Black Girl) conversation with Kim Coleman Foote about her fall release novel Coleman Hill from SJP Lit, including Sarah Jessica Parker Wade Hudson, Just Us Books co-founder, in conversation with Carolyn P. Yoder Zib

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