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Nov 13, 2022Liked by kate clayborn

So excited for the new print editions of Chance of a Lifetime and for Georgie, All Along!

One of my favorite reinvention romances is A Lady’s Code of Misconduct by Meredith Duran. I’m not normally a big fan of amnesia stories, but this book takes two complex morally grey characters and charts their reinvention in a way that really resonated with me and made their HEA feel so hard won and deserved. Highly rec!

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i absolutely love Duran's work, and this book especially!

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Well, well, well, you just hand-sold me that Jess K. Hardy book! :-) My favorite romance reinvention will always and forever be St. Vincent, because I'm just like that. I'm not usually a fan of reformed rakes, but of course Kleypas always has to be the exception...

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omg i hope you will like it; let me know (and also yes st vincent forever)

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I'm a Gen Xer and I've been wanting to see books about my age group desperately, so thanks for the rec. I only wish it was available in other places rather than Amazon, then I would be able to recommend it to my library and get it on Kobo, my preferred platform.

As for reinvention, that's why I was such a fan of What Not to Wear and Income Property. I love seeing what's possible, especially as confidence builds along the way. Maybe that's why I love romance so much!

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reinvention shows can be so compelling!

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So glad you’re on Substack, Kate! I still feel like I am too new to romance to offer a ton of insight. I will just mention Linda Holmes. I knew her as an NPR podcaster. One episode of the Pop Culture Happy Hour she resolved to “finish her book”. I had no idea she was writing romance! Well now she has written 2. I would call her books women’s fiction romance and I have enjoyed both of them.

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i know linda's work -- so cool, right? thanks so much for the warm welcome.

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I finished Come As You Are over the weekend (I read it based on your comments on Instagram!) and I LOVED it. I had to let it sit with me for a while before I could pick up another book. Thank you for sharing.

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i am so thrilled you liked it!

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I have to say, one of my favorite romance reinventions is Sally Thorne's books. The Hating Game is probably one of my favorite romances of all time (and many other readers feel the same). I am always surprised at how different each of her novels is. However, I was FLOORED by her last book "Angelina Frankenstein Makes Her Match." I mean gothic Frankenstein fan fiction??? It was a really different kind of book and I give her props for having the guts to put that out there. Was it as good as THG and Second First Impressions? NO. Was it unique and exciting nonetheless? Yes. And I had never read anything like it. And the heroine completely reinvents herself in it as well.

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Yes. I haven’t read the Frankenstein book yet but I was also impressed how much she took a chance.

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i also haven't read this one yet but it's on my tbr! it's such a unique idea

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yay to print of your amazing series! I am so happy for new readers to discover these and fall in love with more of your writing!

My favorite reinvention in romance is A gentleman Undone by Cecilia Grant. Both characters have to forgive themselves and accept they are both their past and their future, and that are worthy of love no matter what. Also a rare romance that ends with them in not the perfect situation but one that is right for them.

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oh my goodness, you've named one of my favorite writers. and it reminds me, soon it will be time to reread my favorite holiday novella...A Christmas Gone Perfectly Wrong!

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I recently finished Ruby Fever by Ilona Andrews and I could not stop marveling over the Catalina we met when the series first began and the badass she became by her trilogy's end. I did not know she had it in her!

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i really need to read these!

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Well if I can’t say Luck of the Draw then it has to be How to Walk Away. I’m so excited for Georgie and the chance books. I’ll be adding them to my shelf.

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thank you so much!

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SCREAMING, THIS IS THE BEST NEWS!!!! Constantly pushing the Chance series on people & in the pandemic/comfort re-read era, they have become my most oft-reached for books in physical/ebook/audio form. Can’t wait to see their shiny reinvented covers out in the world! Currently reading & super enjoying Come As You Are. High rec Mhairi McFarlane’s If I Never Met You and Mad About You—both are ‘forced hand’ reinvention stories that lean into the ways growth can be painful, but also lead to wonderful places (and, ahem, people).

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aaaaah thank you so much -- i am so excited about having these in print. also, i love mcfarlane's books -- they hit the spot for me!

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Zoe and Aiden...💙💙💙

I can’t wait to own that one! I actually never realized they were only digital because I found them through my library!

I just got Come As You Are based on your recommendation and am enjoying it. Also *really* loving Julie Anne Long, who you also had a recommendation for on IG a while back.

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omg JAL is just one of my all time faves

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Welcome to Substack Kate!

I can't wait to see you thrive and enjoy your time here. SS can be a little daunting at first, but once you learn the basis, I think you will love the platform. I've never heard of Alicia and her books, but I just subscribed to her newsletter too. I'm never against adding books to my TBR.

We have such a great community here of bookish newsletters and their creators and an even better community of readers that love engage with authors. I have read a few of your books and have really enjoyed them. :)

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thanks so much for the warm welcome! 🖤

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thank you so so much for this! and yes I know Abby's work! what a talent!

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