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Book Buzz: Bad Words by Rioghnach Robinson

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Ríoghnach Robinson, photo credit Mikhail Lipyansky Photography“Bad Words didn’t have a single moment of inspiration! It sort of congealed over many years in book publishing, and I shaped it around a lot of elements I find fun to write and think about. I love a frightening critic character, and I love two characters in diametric opposition being forced to reevaluate each other. I also think it’s an underdiscussed and bonkers fact that the quiet agreement of professional criticism is that, someday, you will become the sworn enemy of somebody in your very small artistic industry, because you can’t like every book.”

  ― Ríoghnach Robinson, Interview, She Reads

Bad Words by Ríoghnach Robinson

What booksellers are saying about Bad Words

  • Smart. Well-written. Couldn’t put it down. Well-developed characters who are multi-dimensional. This is a fantastic take on a romance. For readers of romance, books about books, anyone who loves a look inside the publishing industry. Poses so many interesting questions about the book industry and what readers want from it, what writers want too.
      ― Christina The Snail on the Wall, Huntsville, Alabama | BUY

  • Beautifully written and gut-wrenchingly messy, with so much to say about the art of criticism, the publishing industry, and—of course—love. This is my favorite book I’ve read so far this year, and I can’t wait to share it with other readers!
      ― Bronte, The Bookshop, Nashville, Tennessee | BUY

  • I am so completely floored by this book. It’s the kind of book that, for me, makes me remember why I love reading so much. I would look up from a chapter and see the world in brighter colors.
    ― Writers Block Bookstore, Winter Park, FLorida | BUY

  • I can feel it in my bones, this book is going to be big. And it deserves to be. Bad Words is a startling, propulsive look at why we create, why we critique, and the deeply tenuous landscape of publishing, all told through the perspectives of a feuding author and book critic.
    ― Taylor, Baldwin & Co., New Orleans, Louisiana | BUY

About Ríoghnach Robinson

Ríoghnach (pronounced ree-uh-nock) Robinson is the author of six YA novels published under the pen name Riley Redgate, most recently Come Home to My Heart. Her books have been published on four continents, optioned for film and TV, and named to best-of-the-year lists by ALA, Kirkus Reviews, and the New York Public Library. She is also the writer of the WEBTOON Originals series Angel of Death and has written for The Onion, America’s Finest News Source. Bad Words is her adult debut. You can find her on Instagram at @rileyredgate and @rioghnachrobinson.

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Bad Words by Rioghnach Robinson

It will surprise no one familiar with my taste in books that while I enjoyed the romance subplot (read: didn’t actively annoy me like most romance plots do!) and genuinely liked the characters and their development, what I loved most about this novel was the questions it posed about the nature of criticism and artists: who is owed what, what should or shouldn’t be out of bounds, and the dramatic expansion of the court of public opinion in the internet age. Wonderful read that will appeal to readers of all kinds!

Bad Words by Rioghnach Robinson, (List Price: $30, St. Martin’s Press, 9781250431295, October 2026)

Reviewed by Kat, novel. in Memphis, Tennessee

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Bad Words by Rioghnach Robinson

Smart. Well-written. Couldn’t put it down. Well-developed characters who are multi-dimensional. This is a fantastic take on a romance. For readers of romance, books about books, anyone who loves a look inside the publishing industry. Poses so many interesting questions about the book industry and what readers want from it, what writers want too.

Bad Words by Rioghnach Robinson, (List Price: $30, St. Martin’s Press, 9781250431295, October 2026)

Reviewed by Christina, The Snail on the Wall in Huntsville, AL

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Bad Words by Rioghnach Robinson

To reduce this novel to any one aspect would do it a disservice. It’s about the book world, online discourse, and the relationship between art and criticism. It’s a romance between two industry rivals whose journey mimics the greatest rom-coms from the 90s. It’s clever, full of nuance, and boasts impeccable banter. What resonated with me the most was watching these two characters find common ground over a shared love for specific stories, which ultimately helps them view each other in a more empathetic light. By the end I was left with the hopeful reminder that books can help us see others, and ourselves, more clearly and compassionately.

Bad Words by Rioghnach Robinson, (List Price: $30, St. Martin’s Press, 9781250431295, October 2026)

Reviewed by Becca, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, NC

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Booked for Murder by P. J. Nelson

Given how full the cozy mystery world is, new series need extra sparks to stand out. This one has puzzles plenty and instead of silly, quirky characters, there’s added maturity and emotional depth. This may be a small town story with a bookstore at its center, but it offers a new and enjoyable touch.

Booked for Murder by P. J. Nelson, (List Price: $28, Minotaur Books, 9781250909954, December 2024)

Reviewed by Jan Blodgett, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina

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