#Jasmine Guillory

[wyn-n-tonic]

Books by Black Authors for Black History Month!

I wanted to share a list of books I love and books that I'm looking forward to reading that are by Black authors in acknowledgement of Black History Month. I feel like a lot of my fellow readers (especially my fellow white readers) always go into a, kind of, reading slump in February and I don't know if that's because the month of January is just ten years long that February feels like a hangover or if it's because they feel the desire to read books by Black authors but then the majority of what is marketed is usually books that are steeped in trauma or nonfiction books. And, like, yeah, nonfiction books are so important but when they're the only kind of book marketed it can make finding the other kinds of books that much harder but I believe that if you read the fun books and the happy books and the fantasy books it will make you want to seek out the nonfiction resources. I'm blabbering so long story short, I thought I would make a little list to do some of the legwork for my fellow readers to find stories that they can check out.

I used GoodReads links (and one StoryGraph) link, you can choose who to purchase from yourself (although I will suggest BookShop.org as your purchase does go towards indie bookstores, I also really like the Libby App which is just your library and it works with your Kindle/Nook/Kobo/iPad). All authors that I have included in this are American or have strong ties to the USA which is why I did not include authors such as Bolu Babalola, Talia Hibbert, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie but I do highly recommend checking them out if you haven't because they do write gorgeously.

Kennedy Ryan has an extensive backlog and beautiful writing, beautiful prose. She had a book called Before I Let Go (Skyland #1) come out in November 2022, it is a second chance romance between a married couple. It has been on my shelf forever, the cover is beautiful and I've heard nothing but truthfully incredible things. I have listened to snippets of the audiobook but keep putting off getting the actual audiobook because Kennedy is the kind of author I want to read the grammar, syntax, wording of everything from. This book actually got optioned to be adapted into a television show and there's a second Skyland book coming out in March called This Could Be Us that has the ARC readers going wild.

Jasmine Guillory is one of my favorite authors. She is a Bay Area native and has a law degree from Stanford. Not only do I think that she writes beautifully but I cannot even describe to you the way that I kick my little feet and twirl my hair. I feel like my favorite of hers changes. Up until a few weeks ago, I would've told you that Olivia Monroe in Party of Two was my favorite Jasmine girly but I listened to Royal Holiday to kick off my reading for January and Vivian Forest is such a beautiful character. She's a 56 year old Black woman who is a veteran social worker who thinks it's too late for her on several fronts and then she gets swept off her feet while on a vacation with her daughter AND THE ROYAL FAMILY. What?! I also think that Jasmine writes, like.... character appropriate sex scenes if that makes sense. Like, Vivian's scenes are more reserved than Olivia's were, Vivian's more closed door than Olivia's were. She also has a Beauty and the Beast inspired book called By The Book and I kept texting my friend the entire way through and then made her buy a copy so she could text me right back with all her thoughts. Amazing. I love her.

You want cozy fantasy romance with monsters and happy Black women being loved by their hot monster lovers? Kimberly Lemming has GOT YOU COVERED.

Plugging my new author friend P.J. Leigh and her book Olawu. She actually responded to my request for some indie author recs on Threads and sent me a copy of Olawu that will be here on Friday and I'm so excited. She describes it as: "Set in precolonial East Africa with romance, action, sisterhood, found family, and a feisty but flawed female lead." I cannot wait to dig into this one.

Another author who messaged me is indie author Quiana Glide. Her bio is that she is an unabashed fangirl and her books feature pregnancy trope, cosplay, professional wrestlers and cafe owners solving murders. Her books sound fucking great and they are available on Kindle Unlimited for my KU girlies (gender neutral).

Celestine Martin messaged me as well and she writes paranormal romance with Black witches, emo mermen and fae princes. I tripped over myself running to my Libby app to place a hold on the audiobook.

25 to Love! by Joye Johnson is another one available on Kindle Unlimited for my KU girlies (gender neutral). The synopsis is: "TV's hottest dating show is '25 to Love!'. To nab a guy from her past, Lola signs on as the token girl of color. All's fair in love and ratings--can a week on TV get Lola closer to the one that got away?" You know what I love? Second chance romances, besties, that's right.

Splinter by Jasper Hyde was another I was recommended. Jasper writes paranormal, LGBTQ+ books. Jasper Hyde is a pen name for Georgina Kiersten who also goes by Rian Fox. The pen name denotes the subgenre that they write. Georgina does go by they/them pronouns and writes plus sized rep and neurodivergent rep too.

Kelly Cain. That's it. That's the tweet. THE EVERHEART BROTHERS SERIES????? If you know anything about me, you know that I have a hearing issue and so I've used audiobooks before but I never really clicked with them or got the hype. Turns out I had boring ass narrators (look I did the audio version of a lot of nonfiction books I had to read about old dead white guys in college so of course I had that feeling). THE EVERHEART BROTHERS AUDIOBOOKS ARE WHAT CHANGED ME. Deanna Anthony, the narrator, is so engaging and I didn't feel like I was listening to an audiobook, I felt like I was sitting across the table at brunch having a gossip session with my bestie. If you read it and you didn't like it, that's fine, but I didn't lie to you and enjoyment of art is subjective but also you're wrong and argue with a wall.

I've been seeing a lot of talk lately about Pride & Protest by Nikki Payne. This is a Pride & Prejudice and one of the reviews says, "If you ever wanted P&P to feel more like watching a swoony, steamy episode of Insecure, this is the book for you."

Currently, I am reading You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi. It deals with themes of grief and romance and also bisexual representation. Absolutely beautiful prose. Akwaeke is Nigerian and has been in the USA since college. They are non-binary and go by they/them pronouns.

I also cannot end this list without mentioning Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow. This follows three generations of a southern Black family in the neighborhood of Douglass in Memphis, TN (I was born a couple miles away in Raleigh) . Now, this book does have quite a few trigger warnings that I won't put here but I do encourage you to READ THE TRIGGER WARNINGS before you purchase this book as it does deal with some pretty heavy subject matter.

I'm also going to end this by saying to keep an eye out for anything done by my best friend, the person who I have shared so many amazing, beautiful, life changing experiences with ALL OVER THE WORLD for the last fourteen years: Isana Skeete (Isana does not use pronouns). If you look at the GoodReads account for Isana that I linked, you'll see lists made with recommendations of books with queer POC rep and asexuality representation.

[readinthedarkpod]

There is definitely some questionable fanfiction out there, but now the ladies of "My Podcast Knows What You Read in the Dark" are bringing you the worst of the worst: fanfiction for Disney Adults!!!! It really is almost spooky month.

Please stick around, though. We also chat about dog antics, a super chill Beauty and the Beast retelling, and we even teach you how to enjoy reading! But if you listen to us every two weeks, we reckon you already know how to do that.

Follow the hosts at @adxmparriish @hazelsheartsworn @laequiem @figonas

Books Discussed: The Fine Print by Lauren Asher By the Book by Jasmine Guillory

Books Mentioned: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black 50 Shades of Gray by E.L. James Join our book club, WORNPAGELIBRARY!

[eillesreviews]

Ok hello internet I know no one’s really going to see this post but you can’t just sit there and hope people find your blog so I watch movies tv shows and I read books I also play games (if I can afford them) so just send me a request and I’ll read it watch it or play it

Also I am currently reading By the Book by Jasmine Guillory if you want to see a review for that book stay tuned

[emi98338]

It’s officially my birthday week, and as promised I’m bookstore hopping. I’ve stopped into Strand, The Ripped Bodice, Book Off, Greenlight Books, and Book Culture, with an attempt at Better Read Than Dead. I’ve gotten so many books from authors that I love to read, signed up for so many book programs, and learned about so many fun special events coming up! We have another handful of stores today, with one last one this weekend. God I love this city 💖

[bookcub]

@princessofbookaholics is doing another romance readathon and im gonna try another line up like i did last year (and im gonna start now cause um why not lol)

here are the prompts and the book i plan to read to fill them (some fit more than one category!!

read a romance with your favorite trope:

queen move by kennedy ryan (i forgot this was on my list but i am a sucker for friends to lovers so this is a good addition)

read a romance you weren't able to get to last year:

accidental pinup by danielle jackson (this looks to be filled with body positivity which i love, so this one should be fun)

read a romance by a bipoc author: american royalty by tracey livesay (this is inspired by meghan marckle and prince harry and im curious to read a fictional interpretation rather than the real life gossip)

read a romance that's part of a series (it doesn't have to follow the same couple, companion novels/novellas will do!):

by the book by jasmine guillory (this is part of a series by different authors turning disney movies into romance novels. super fun and silly and the audiobook of this is better than without imo) (technically i finished this the last week of january)

read a romance that doesn't have an illustrated cover (challenging, I know!): hate to want you by alisha rai (this will be a reread and i might do the rest of the series as well depending on my enjoyment level)

read a romance with lgbtq+ rep:

sorry, bro by taleen voskuni (i am sooooo hyped about this book. my great great grandparents were from armenia and i have encountered zero books with armenian characters) (and the main character is BI!!) (i am ecstatic)

read a romance with any pastel color on the cover:

set on you by amy lea (peach background, its a very cute cover and i oddly like romance novels set in gyms!!)

[lakecountylibrary]

Book Review: By the Book by Jasmine Guillory

By the Book is a part of a series of modern fairy tale re-imaginings by different authors. Jasmine Guillory inserts many moments that are reminiscent of Beauty and the Beast.

Main character and New York native Izzy is an editorial assistant who is unhappy in her current position. In a twirl of events, she ends up on the California doorstep of one of the publishing companies most difficult writers, Beau, in hopes to encourage him to get in a manuscript on the memoir he is writing.

Izzy becomes an extended house guest of Beau as she begins to help him work through his memoir. Izzy mirrors Beauty and the Beast's Belle several times in the novel, as she is a sweet girl who loves books and constantly thinks the house and inanimate objects within the house are speaking to her. On the other hand, Beau is a reflection of the Beast, guarded and sometimes extremely cruel.

The real twist is the squeaky clean love story that unfolds. At times, it's hard to tell if the two character will ever get on the same page and stay there. Guillory does an interesting job of keeping the reader guessing when it comes to the main characters.

If you love classic fairy tales, then this one is for you!

See more of Ashley's recs

[diaryoftruequotes]

Just because their standards are low does not mean that we should lower ours.

Jasmine Guillory, The Wedding Date

[saraishortcake]

I love my books. I love everything about them.

- By the Book, Jasmine Guillory

[paperbaacks]

(since this was an anthology-series-collection i'm just reviewing them all together)

the improbable meet-cute collection review:

dear god turns out none of these nyt bestselling authors apart from christina lauren knows what a short story is or how to write one!!

1 — the exception to the rule: this was super cute. the only story in here that qualifies as a proper short story honestly. definitely would read again and like i thought this was a sign that i would love the anthology. oh how wrong i was...

2 — worst wingman ever: i should have stopped when i read the word "unalived" but noooooo !!! i had to go and read the rest. there are also weird stereotypes about gay people?? and like this one genuinely has the absolute worst setting as far as romance stories go

3 — rosie and the dreamboat: i should have learned my lesson after reading the hating game but of course fucking not. why does the fmc talk like a baby and why does the mmc talk to her like she's a little girl and he's her dad EUGHHHHH BROTHER EUGHHHHHH her sister is a BITCH btw??? because i would prioritise making sure my sister is safe over setting her up with a hot man. jfc. also PLEASE no man who says "my ma" can ever be a dreamboat fuck off

4 — drop, cover, and hold on: at this point, i was starting to realise that a lot of writers think that short stories are just smaller novels also ngl until like 65% i did not know what the mmc was called. yeah this was... not good the only think i like about this is the setting, fucking love bakeries man

5 — with any luck: ashley poston i knew you wouldn't disappoint me after the last three absolute trainwreck stories. wish it was a little longer tho!!

6 — royal valentine: BORINGGGGG he's a pissy little man child btw like they're both lying about the exact same thing and he's somehow fucking mad at her??? girl???? also the authors WRITES DOWN the mmc's scottish accent so words like "wasnae" and "dinnae" are very common. i wanted to burn my kindle.

in summary; i did this to myself i literally have no excuses

[reallyshitebookquotes]

The entirety of "The Wedding Date" by Jasmine Guillory

If it was legal for me to just quote the whole thing I would, believe me.

[rlbookreviews]

The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory My rating: 4 of 5 stars I enjoyed this book. It's a contemporary romance novel. There is a few adult scenes in this book. I love how it's a fake dating trope. To me the ending was a little predicable, but there was one part in the book that was very unexpected to me. It is definitely worth a read. View all my reviews

[meeghanreads]

February 2024 book haul

Hello friends!! Welcome to the February 2024 book haul!! A post where I talk about all the books that I bought and received in the previous month. Ahh February… the shortest month of the year. Although this year it’s only the shortest by one day because it’s a leap year. Somehow I managed to purchase THREE TIMES the number of books I did in January though, so I more than made up for it being a…

[sheilajsn]

The Improbable Meet-Cute

The Improbable Meet-Cute es una colección de seis novellas escritas por seis autores diferentes. La serie es exclusiva de Amazon Prime Reading y Audible. Así que, cualquier persona que tenga una membresía de Amazon Prime, puede leer y/o escuchar los libros gratuitamente. Como ya mencioné todos los libros en esta colección son novellas; el más corto tiene cuarenta páginas y el más largo, ciento…

[geekpopnews]

"Amor entre livros" de Jasmine Guillory será lançado em dezembro

Em dezembro, a obra de Jasmine Guillory, "Amor Entre Livros", uma mágica releitura de "Bela e a Fera", chega às prateleiras pela Universo dos Livros. Confira mais detalhes em nossa matéria. #AmorEntreLivros #Jasmine Guillory #UniversoDosLivros

A autora Jasmine Guillory é conhecida por suas histórias de arrancar o fôlego e apaixonantes. No mês de dezembro, sua lista de leitura possui um encontro marcado com “Amor entre livros”, novo livro da autora. A obra é uma releitura contemporânea de A Bela e a Fera e promete reimaginar um clássico tão antigo para os dias atuais. Na trama, Isabelle, uma subvalorizada funcionária negra de uma…

[readinthedarkpod]

Four bookworms walk in a thrift store...

KAITLYN: I don't have nearly as many as you but Ryan saw my bag of books on the floor. I didn't tell him- I told him we went to a bookstore, I didn't tell him how many I bought- and I had it sitting on the floor and he like, walked up and looked inside, and he was like, "Kaitlyn, what... what's this?" and I was like, "those are... I had those books already!" and he was like, "ummmm I don't think you did, actually." KRISTEN: Mind your fucking business, RYAN.

Click here to find out where you can listen to the full episode (spoiler alert: anywhere podcasts are!)

[bookcub]

Quick Review: By the Book by Jasmine Guillory

this is a fun, modern au of beauty and the beast

super cheesy and the references are over the top

but the audiobook makes it very readable

it also made the circumstances of beauty and the beast a lot more understanding and sympathetic

i enjoyed most of the commentary on being a writer

with some inaccuracies and also the idea that being an author is like,,, the be all end all but you know, what else is new

3.5 stars out of 5

i look foward to the little mermaid one coming up next!!