#kensington books

[vkelleyart]

Deal Announcement: WHEN THE TIDES HELD THE MOON (Erewhon, Spring 2025)

If you've been with me on Tumblr for a while, then you may already be familiar with this title and been waiting for this particular update, and all I can say is thank you endlessly for patiently sticking it out with me! I am so incredibly pleased to announce that WHEN THE TIDES HELD THE MOON has been acquired by Diana Pho at Erewhon Books/Kensington Publishing as an illustrated adult historical fantasy!

Tor.com has published a blush-inducing article which features some insights from me about what inspired the story, reactions from Hugo Award-winning editor Diana Pho on what drew her to the book, a downright tear-jerking endorsement from the incomparable TJ Klune, and my original concept art of Benny & Río. I hope you'll take a moment to read it at the link below!

This project is the culmination of a lifelong dream to write and illustrate my own books, and there are no words to convey the depth of my gratitude to Diana for the gift of seeing it be delivered as an illustrated adult work. Infinite thanks must also go to my unstoppable agent Saritza Hernandez, my phenomenal critique partners Anna Racine and Mark Duplane, and the many experts who generously and enthusiastically donated their time and resources in the middle of lockdown to help me bring 1911 Brooklyn, NY to life, including:

Virginia Sanchez-Korrol –– Professor Emeritus of Puerto Rican & Latino Studies, CUNY Brooklyn College

David Sharp -- President, The Waterfront Museum

Jamie Salen, David Favaloro, & Lana Rubin –– Marketing Director, Director of Curatorial Affairs, & Collections Manager (respectively), The Tenement Museum

Adam Realman -- Artistic Director, The Coney Island Circus Sideshow

More details about WTTHTM's release will be forthcoming, but in the meantime, thank you all again for believing in this story and supporting it when it was just a humble MerMay fic. I can't wait until you meet Benny and his beloved Río in print in 2025!

#wtthtm #benny and rio #brio! #when the tides held the moon #deal announcement #tj klune #erewhon books #kensington books

[lgbtqreads]

When an Old Friend Comes Back to Haunt You: a Guest Post by The Language of Love and Loss Author Bart Yates

Today on the site I’m honored to welcome Bart Yates, author of The Language of Love and Loss, which just released last week from Kensington Books! Here’s the story: The Language of Love and Loss by Bart Yates As it turns out, you can go home again. But sometimes, you really, really don’t want to . . . Home, for Noah York, is Oakland, New Hampshire, the sleepy little town where Noah’s mother,…

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#Adult Fiction #Bart Yates #From the Language of Love and Loss #Gay #Kensington Books

[triviareads]

Releases May 23rd

Summary:

Cecile Trembley is a French markswoman who makes her living running a circus. She and Guy Darlington used to be lovers, but when Guy wanted to set her up as his mistress, she broke off their relationship and all contact. Now Guy has returned, sans fianceé, sans title, and he wants Cecile back too. And he's willing to do anything to win her over again.

Some background:

I came into this book with high expectations because I am a fan of Minerva Spencer's (and a bigger fan of her pseudonym she uses for erotica, S.M. LaViolette). Her plots are always excellent, the sex is usually pretty great too, and there's always something a little subversive about them. Reading the blurb for The Dueling Duchess convinced me it would be along the same vein, so I was excited to start.

My review:

I knew it was a good sign when I read that the heroine was thirty-six, (the hero was four years younger). More mature heroines is definitely something of a pattern I'm seeing in historical romances (recently in The Portrait of a Duchess by Scarlett Peckham and The Countess by Sophie Jordan), and I personally really enjoy it because it usually means the heroine is more level-headed in her approach to intimacy and sex because they have experience.

The plot can be summed up by "Titled Man joins circus to find a friend's relative during the Hundred Days, has affair with markswoman, they part ways unhappily, but now he's back because he needs a job". It's a little convoluted but also, I've long since stopped caring about how improbable a story is since this is historical romance and all I need to be sold on is the romance of it all (and I ABSOLUTELY was). The structure goes back and forth: a "present" section, then a "past" section where we see how Guy and Cecile first met, and another "present" section where most of the plot occurs, and we see what happened after the fallout of Cecile and Guy's affair, and what happens why Guy is rehired as a stagehand (which does involve getting shot at by his ex-lover.... multiple times a day) in the circus just so he can win back Cecile. Honestly, I respect that level of desperation.

SPEAKING of desperation, I appreciate that this was pretty much a book-long grovel. As far as the egregiousness of Guy's actions, it was pretty standard aristocratic fare ("I can't marry you because Money so will you be my mistress?" *cue slap in the face), but Cecile's feelings matter too, right? So when the tables have turned, you really can't fault Cecile for taking advantage. And hey, he consents to the menial labor and whatnot.

Something else I also appreciated was that Cecile does, in fact, have a lover during the time Guy is trying to "woo" her back while working for her. It's very "how the turns tables" of Minerva when it comes to genre conventions. It's not like Cecile is with Guy at the time, right? She has the right to do as she pleases, and if that means aggressively making out with this other man in front of Guy even after rejecting other man's marriage proposal, then so be it.

The sex:

Fabulous. Fantastic. Well-written. Hot. The give-and-take they have going on during sex is great. She's a little imperious and a little bratty at once. He's a little unhinged but also definitely likes being ordered around. There's roughness and there's tenderness where it fits (and "good girl". There is many a "good girl"). It was the best I've read in a long while.

Overall:

I adored this book and would strongly recommend it for anyone looking to read a regency romance set outside the ballroom. It's a book that definitely keeps you on toes all the way. Apart from the romance (which I loved loved loved), I also like how Minerva interwove feminism and the very real trials of being a woman, in this case a female business owner, in that era. There's also a significant found family vibe (the circus is pretty much one big family, plus Guy and Cecile take in a street urchin) in this book, and Minerva did a great job of setting up her next book The Cutthroat Countess, which I'm very excited to read next.

Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.

#arc review #arc #minerva spencer #historical romance #kensington books #netgalley #kensingtonbooks #romance novels

[basicallyanotherwitchesthing]

Virginia Coffman - Priestess Of The Damned - Kensington - 1977

#witches #priestesses #occult #vintage #damned #kensington #1977 #virginia coffman #priestess of the damned #kensington books #priestess

[bargainsleuthbooks]

#ARCReview #MurderataCapeBookstore #MaddieDay #Cozycapersbookgroupmystery #BookReview #NetGalley #KensingtonBooks #KindleDeals

I just love a good #cozymystery and the #cozycapersbookgroup #mysteryseries is a good one. The forthcoming book #Murderatacapebookstore, had me guessing. #Maddieday #netgalley #kensingtonbooks #arcreview #bookreview #arc #kindledeals #capecod #Doorcounty

Everyone loves a festival, though Mac has a few concerns about the Spring equinox event organized by the new Chamber of Commerce director, Wagner Lavoie. After all, March weather is unpredictable. Still, there’s plenty to enjoy, between flower-shaped candies at Salty Taffy’s, spring rolls at the Rusty Anchor, and a parade of decorated bicycles. But the festivities soon take a stormy turn . .…

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#ARC #ARC Review #August 2023 Books #Book Review #Cape Cod #Cozy Capers Book Group Mystery #Cozy Mystery #Door County #Kensington Books #Kindle Deal #Maddie Day #Murder at a Cape Bookstore #Mystery #NetGalley #New Books

[womenusingwords]

In the Event of Love

The details… Title: In the Event of LoveAuthor: Courtney KaePublisher: Kensington BooksPublication date: August 30, 2022Available formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook Z we length: 320 pagesListening length: 10 hours (Tantor Audio)Genre: romance Themes: love, friendship, returning home, finding happiness, making amends, success at the cost of love The blurb from the publisher… Morgan Ross can…

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#contemporary romance #Courtney Kae #finding happiness #friendship #Kensington Books #LGBTQ+ #love #making amends #returning home #romance #small town #success at the cost of love #women loving women

[cathygeha]

REVIEW

The Deepest Kill by Lisa Black

Locard Institute #3

Was it really an accident…or was it murder? That is what Martin Post needs to know about his recently deceased daughter SO he calls in the Locard Institute experts to find out.

What I liked:

* Dr. Ellie Carr: left FBI to work for Locard Institute, crime scene analyst, scientist, divorced, and from previous books know that she purchased a house, took in a rescue dog not mentioned in this book so wonder who is watching it, had a difficult backstory

* Dr. Rachel Davies: assistant director of Locard Institute, bright, single parent to deceased sister’s toddler, counts on her mother for childcare, left job as medical examiner to work at Locard Institute, divorced

* The plot, pacing, setting in Florida, writing – plenty of twists and turns

* The forensic information I learned and how it tied into this case

* FBI agents Michael Tyler and Luis Alvarez who were in the last book and showed up again in this one – wondering if perhaps Michael is interested in Ellie

* Thinking about wealth and how it motivated some in this story

* Wondering if or when Ellie might l earn more about how her mother died and what if any impact it will have on her

* Having a feeling I knew who the murderer was when that person showed up and then being validated at the end of the story

* The title of the book and how it tied into the story

What I didn’t like:

* Who and what I was meant not to like

* The reasoning behind the murderers decision to kill…such a waste…

* The ending…though it completes the story, would have liked to have one more chapter, I think

Did I enjoy this book? Yes

Would I read more in this series? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC this is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

BLURB

A riveting thriller that puts the New York Times bestselling author squarely in the same league as Patricia Cornwell and Jefferson Bass, the Locard Institute Thriller series draws on Lisa Black’s real-life scientific expertise and her skill in crafting complex and dynamic female characters, as two female forensic experts team up to solve the deadliest and most devious crimes. For software pioneer Martin Post, the third richest man in America, his private compound on the Florida coast is a sunny no-man’s-land separating his family from the rest of the world. Now, expert forensic analysts Ellie Carr and Rachael Davies of the renowned Locard Institute have been summoned to its dark side. Martin’s pregnant daughter, Ashley, had ventured on a day trip in her motorboat into the Gulf, only to wash up dead on a nearby shore. Although the local coroner determined her death was an accident, Ellie and Rachael soon confirm Martin’s gravest fear: His daughter was murdered. Was it a kidnapping gone wrong? Or something even more brutal? Ashley and her husband, Greg, had been working working with Martin on a revolutionary new defense initiative for the US military – could espionage have played a part in her death? Martin believes Greg is behind the murder, and the spoiled charmer does set off Rachel’s deception radar. If the widower didn’t kill Ashley himself, why isn’t he more upset that she’s dead? Drawn into the Posts’ increasingly dangerous family dynamic, Ellie and Rachael must work hard and fast to discover what secrets are buried at the heart of the crime. Because the churning waters of the Gulf are getting rougher. And soon, Ellie and Rachael themselves will be in danger of getting crushed in their depths.

#Lisa Black #Locard Institute Thriller 3 #Kensington Books #NetGalley #Murder Mystery #Forensic Murder Mystery #Fiction #Whodunnit #Crime

[doodlesink]

Dating an Amish Flirt by Rachel J. Good -- A Book Review

Happy Thursday!  Dating an Amish Flirt by Rachel J. Good will be out on Tuesday, April 23.  Pop by to learn more about the sixth book in the Surprised by Love series.  Happy Reading!

https://bibliophileandavidreader.blogspot.com/2024/04/dating-amish-flirt-by-rachel.html

#theavidreader #book review #kensington books #amish romance #the avid reader #amish fiction #datinganamishflirt #rachel good #kensington publishing #surprisedbylove #surprised by love

[lilibetbombshell]

#book review #book reviewer #book blog #book blogger #book influencer #kensington books #her soul to take #souls trilogy #harley laroux #paperback #finished copy #new releases #new books #new book releases #new release tuesday #pub day #publication day #book series #dark romance #kink friendly #paranormal romance #romance series #bookworm #bookish

[pavlovasmess]

Occupied by echoes

#art #art history #vintage art #the secret history #architecture #cathedral #church #gothic #west london #london aesthetic #london history #autumn #christian girl fall #kensington books

[coffeeinkblog]

#Review #MurderByLamplight by Patrice McDonough #NetGalley

Pub Date 20 Feb 2024 Description from NetGalley As a deadly cholera pandemic burns its way through Victorian London in the winter of 1866, a trailblazing female physician and a skeptical Scotland Yard detective reluctantly team up to stop a sadistic killer in this dark, atmospheric, historically rich mystery for readers of Andrea Penrose and Deanna Raynourn.“Enthralling debut. . . Mystery,…

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#19th century #historical mystery #kensington books #london #murder by lamplight #mystery #netgalley #patrice mcdonough #victorian lady sleuths

[lgbtqreads]

Exclusive Cover Reveal: In the Case of Heartbreak by Courtney Kae

Exclusive Cover Reveal: In the Case of Heartbreak by Courtney Kae

I absolutely adored Courtney Kae’s In the Event of Love, which releases on the 30th from Kensington (you can read my love somewhere on the book, in fact!) so I’m thrilled to be revealing the cover of the next book in the Fern Falls series, In the Case of Heartbreak, a contemporary m/m Romance releasing from Kensington on April 25, 2023! Here’s the story: When his hometown crush suddenly returns…

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#Contemporary M/M Romance #Courtney Kae #In the Case of Heartbreak #Kensington Books #Kris Noble #Monika Roe

[triviareads]

ARC Review of The Cutthroat Countess by Minerva Spencer

Summary:

Josephine Brown, a spy known onstage at an all-female circus for her knife-throwing act as "Jo Blade" has always found it difficult to open her heart to friends and lovers alike. But during a covert mission, she finds herself falling for Elliot Wingate, a spy for the Home Office. For his part, Elliot is immediately smitten with Jo, but knows he has to be careful, particularly as Jo's old family secrets come to light, endangering the both of them...

My review:

I would recommend reading the first two books in the The Wicked Women of Whitechapel series before reading The Cutthroat Countess. Part I in particular touches on a lot of events that need the context of the first book, specifically when the circus members and their love interests are in France to rescue their friends and family. Part I also feels very separate from the rest of the novel; the only thing that connects it to the rest of the book is Jo and Elliot's burgeoning relationship.

And it doesn't take very long for Jo and Elliot to get together (she kills half a private army in Part I, he IMMEDIATELY goes down on her). They're both spies with a "particular set of skills" (well, Jo more than Elliot), and respect one another's competence, which leads to an immediate attraction. However, because of Jo's scattered upbringing (she was always on the run), it's difficult for her to trust or make friends, so Elliot is the one initially doing a lot of pushing for them to be in even a short-term relationship. I thought it was particularly adorable that both their "pining" came in the form of stalking each other before they finally broke during a ball, had sex on a garden bench, and admitted they wanted to be together. After this, their relationship actually feels very domestic; they come home to each other after long days, they share meals and share pets (good old Angus the raven), and have a lot of very relationship-y sex.

The rest of the novel is split between old espionage secrets related to Jo's family being uncovered, and a bit of a My Fair Lady plot as well. Like I said earlier, I would recommend reading the previous books in this series because the plot of the first two books are actually happening somewhat concurrently. So we see Marianne and Sin's rescue and Marianne's societal debut, as well as Guy and Cecile during Guy's grovel-by-getting-repeatedly-shot-at era. Through the course of the book, Jo also opens up more to her friends at the circus, and I thought this was a good continuation of the overall theme of female friendship in this series.

The sex:

Jo and Elliot are a fan of a quickie, in part because of them having sex in the middle of fraught situations (see: Napoleonic France), and also because Jo is afraid of intimacy due to her past. As they get more comfortable with one another, they settles into having more relaxed, relationship sex (though they still seem to favor minimal foreplay). It's well-written as per Minerva's usual, though I think I'd have been happier if there were longer sex scenes overall. I actually think my favorite moment was at the veeeery end when Jo makes Elliot masturbate in front of her in a place they lovingly refer to as the "torture cottage", an unofficial government residence where.... "interrogations" take place. And they deffo sneak off to have sex at the torture cottage afterwards.

Overall:

I enjoyed reading this book; it's a fun continuation of The Wicked Women of Whitechapel series, full of adventure and mystery. I think Jo and Elliot are a more lowkey couple compared to the first two so don't expect much relationship drama or an intense build-up before they admit their feelings for one another. Like I said about The Dueling Duchess, if you're looking to read a something outside of a ballroom romance that's still set in the Regency era, then this is a great choice for you!

Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.

#arc review #arc #minerva spencer #historical romance #kensington books #netgalley #kensingtonbooks #romance novels

[basicallyanotherwitchesthing]

Guy N. Smith - Witch Spell - Kensington - 1993

#witches #occult #vintage #novel #chilling #veteran #spells #bolts #mansions #guy n. smith #witch spell #kensington books #1993

[bargainsleuthbooks]

#ARC #CharlotteIllesIsNotADetective by #KatieSiegel #NetGalley #CozyMystery #LGBT #Humor #Contemporary #BookReview #KensingtonBooks

Imagine being a teen sleuth like #NancyDrew but grow up and want to move past that? For #CharlotteIlles, it's not that easy. #KatieSiegel #NetGalley #BookReview #kensingtonbooks #cozymystery #teensleuth #teendetective #June2023Books #newbooks #ARCReview

As a kid, Charlotte Illes’ uncanny sleuthing abilities made her a minor celebrity. But in high school, she hung up her detective’s hat and stashed away the signature blue landline in her “office”—aka garage—convinced that finding her adult purpose would be as easy as tracking down missing pudding cups or locating stolen diamonds. Now twenty-five, Charlotte has a nagging fear that she hit her peak…

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#Book Tok #Charlotte Illes is not a Detective #Contemporary Fiction #Contemporary Mystery #Cozy Mystery #Encyclopedia Brown #Girl Detective #Girl Sleuth #Humor #Humorous Fiction #Katie Siegel #Kensington Books #LGBT #Nancy Drew #NetGalley #Teen Detective #Teen Sleuth #Tik Tok #Trixie Belden

[the-novel-approach-reviews]

Review: In the Case of Heartbreak by Courtney Kae

Title: In the Case of Heartbreak Series: Fern Falls: Book Two Author: Courtney Kae Publisher: Kensington Books Length: 317 Pages Category: Contemporary Romance Rating: 4 Stars At a Glance: While I felt some of the writing, particularly the dialogue, was a bit overly formal, it’s Ben and Adam and their story that kept me turning pages. This is a friends-to-lovers story filled with all the warmth…

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#4 stars #Contemporary Romance #Courtney Kae #hurt / comfort #Kensington Books