October 23, 2025 • 57 mins
A crumbling manor, a lost past, and a love that refuses to stay buried—this one had us arguing, laughing, and rethinking what makes a gothic romance actually work. We dive into The Cruel Dark’s 1928 setting, the eerie allure of overgrown gardens and empty halls, and a professor whose grief and magnetism complicate everything. Along the way, we unpack whether the story leans supernatural or psychological, how poison lore (hello, datura) shapes both plot and metaphor, and why some twists satisfy while others feel like the floor just vanished under your feet.
We split on pacing and predictability, which made for a lively roundtable. Some of us wanted more breadcrumb trails toward the culprit; others loved being blindsided. We talk craft—how to seed a reveal without yelling it—and romance—how amnesia flips power dynamics and turns a brooding guardian into a man learning to love a partner who’s no longer the same. The companion novella gets a shout for deepening character stakes without breaking the original book’s perspective.
If you’re into modern gothic romance with clear trigger cues and strong vibes, we’ve got you covered with read‑alikes: Jane Eyre, Crimson Peak, Mexican Gothic, What Moves the Dead, and more. We also preview Romanticy Con, the authors on our must‑meet list, and the nerdy gear hacks we’re packing to survive long signing lines with style. Press play for atmosphere, argument, and a pile of recommendations that’ll keep your TBR haunted in the best way.
Enjoyed the conversation? Tap follow, rate the show, and share this episode with a friend who loves crumbling mansions and messy hearts. Your reviews help other romantasy readers find us—tell us where you landed on the twist!
Links from the News Segment and Show
- Sequel to Shield of Sparrows has been announced
- Rites of the Starlimg
- Between by L L Starling audiobook now available on audiobook
- New special edition of Quicksilver from Lilac Library
- Juliette Cross’s sequel to her Wraith King releases October 2025
- Leigh Bardugo releasing a new Six of Crows story - A Darker Shore
- Sebastian Nothwell’s Oak King Holly King available on audiobook
- An Outstretched Hand: A Tarot Spread of Queer Stories - anthology with several notable author
Follow us:
Instagram - @ofswordsandsoulmates
Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/ofswordsandsoulmates
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Intro (00:00):
Views expressed in this podcast are solely those of the
participants.
The hosts make no claims to beliterary experts, and their
opinions are exactly that.
Opinions.
All creative works discussed orrefused are the intellectual
property of the creators of saidstories, and is being used
under the fair use doctrine.
Mari (00:27):
Hello and welcome to Of Swords as Soulmates, a podcast
where we read, watch, anddiscuss romanticy stories.
I'm one of your hosts, Mari,and with me I have Kelly.
Kelly (00:35):
Hey everyone, it's Kelly.
We also have Ashley.
Ashley (00:38):
Hey guys, it's Ashley.
We also have Jonathan.
Jonathan (00:41):
Ooh, was that spooky enough?
It's JP.
How's everybody doing today?
Is this this is this is theHalloween edition?
Mari (00:47):
This is.
This is the spooky episode.
So today we're going to bediscussing The Cruel Dark by
Bia.
I should I probably should havelooked up how to say her name.
It's B-E-A by Bia.
We're going to say Northwick.
But first, as always, somenews.
So starting off, there is thisthe sequel to Shield of Sparrows
(01:11):
has been announced.
It will be coming out April27th of next year.
And it's going to be calledRites of the Starling.
They haven't released the coverimage yet, but the name and the
date is out.
And if it seems like from whatthe author's saying, it's going
to be like the first book whereif you like pre-order it or buy
it early, they're going to havespecial edges and everything.
(01:32):
And then after those are soldout, they're sold out.
Um no pressure, guys.
Yeah.
Has has has anybody read thatbut me?
Ashley (01:40):
I was just going to say no, but I feel like you really
enjoyed that one, right?
Mari (01:44):
Yeah, yeah.
I mean, I I think it was fun.
It wasn't like the best thingI've ever read, but it really,
like, I still think about it.
And I'm like, well, what'sgoing to happen to this and how
are they going to resolve this?
And it's been a few months andI've read a good many books in
between.
So to me, that's good enoughthat it's still stuck in my head
that I am I'm intrigued.
(02:05):
So I'm, yeah, I will definitelybe reading the sequel.
And probably as soon as theyshow like the special order one
or whatever with the specialedges, sprayed edges, whatever
it is, I'll probably order thatone.
Because the first one I got wasa fancy one with sprayed edges.
And I think that was justbecause I found it in a
(02:25):
bookstore.
Like I think it was like I wasat maybe visiting my parents in
Barnes, and there was a Barnesand O books.
We don't have one here.
And I think that's where I sawit.
It's a fun read.
Maybe we can read it for thepodcast before that April of
next year, and maybe in March orsomething of next year.
And then if you guys like it,you'll have you won't have to
wait long for the sequel.
Ashley (02:47):
Like the way you think.
I think I bought it and I mighthave told you about it, but I
maybe I bought it just becauseI'd seen a video on like TikTok
or something, and I I did buy itwithout knowing anything about
it.
And so now it is on my shelfsomewhere.
Mari (03:00):
I think it's supposed to be three books total, so it's
not like it's gonna be a hugeand law involved series.
Like I think it's just threebooks.
Ashley (03:07):
Um looks like there's an audio, Jonathan.
Jonathan (03:10):
Oh yeah, it says audio coming.
Intro (03:11):
Yeah.
Ashley (03:12):
Well, I meant for Shield of Sparrows.
Jonathan (03:14):
Oh, okay.
Mari (03:15):
Yeah, so there's already one for yeah, for Shield of
Sparrows.
So maybe we can do that towardsthe beginning of next year.
How do you guys feel aboutthat?
Jonathan (03:22):
Oh, that's fun.
I'm I've tried I follow blindlyin the stuff.
Is that the first one, Ashley?
Mari (03:27):
Yeah.
Jonathan (03:28):
Oh, well then you gotta get this second one that
get the match set.
Mari (03:30):
Yeah, this one is the spray trick's.
Yeah, it's pretty.
The first one is pretty forsure.
Kelly, you down to read thatnext year?
Jonathan (03:39):
Sure.
Mari (03:40):
Cool.
It's a thick one, Kelly.
Ashley (03:42):
I know those are your feet.
Mari (03:44):
This is why I'm saying it ahead of time.
We'll have plenty of time toread.
Ashley (03:49):
She a thick girl.
Mari (03:51):
It's yeah.
Jonathan (03:52):
Big letters, big letters, though.
Ashley (03:54):
It is.
It actually is a larger part ofthe game.
Mari (03:55):
Yeah, I think it went pretty fast.
Like, I don't remember itdragging on any parts.
You know what I mean?
Like some of these, whetherit's a thick book or not,
sometimes books drag a littlebit.
I don't remember it dragging.
I thought it was a pretty fastread for the size it was.
Ashley (04:08):
It's like high praise from you.
Mari (04:10):
Yeah, yeah.
Because like there's it's notnecessarily a bad thing.
Like, there's plenty of booksI've liked that still have parts
that drag.
But I thought this one was likeit didn't have any any down
spots.
So all right.
Next bit of news is the bookBetween by LL Starling.
The audiobook for that book isnow available on Libby and on
(04:30):
all the audiobook platforms.
So it was available last yearas an audiobook.
I bought it last year, I readit last year.
It it it was like my entirefall read last year because it
was I listened to it as anaudiobook last year.
It was 32 hours.
Oh it was the longest book Iread last year.
I was gonna say SJM or what?
Yeah, it was, it was, it was,yeah, but it was very, very
(04:52):
good.
And it's basically two books inone.
It's not heavy.
It's like a it has a fairytale, like a light fairy tale
vibe about it, kind of like acompass to the villain, that
kind of a vibe.
So it's not, it's not, itdoesn't have a lot of heavy,
heaviness to it.
Um and it basically has aregular town and then like a a
(05:15):
bridge or a gate or whateverinto like a fairyland kind of
town.
And the first half of the bookis told from one character's
perspective, and then the secondhalf of the book is told from
another character's perspective.
Um so it it all it basically islike two books in one.
But I think I started readingit like in August last year and
finished it in November.
So it was my entire fall read,but I wasn't like rushing to get
(05:37):
through it because I wasenjoying just being in that
world for a little bit everyday.
But anyways, it's now availablelike on Libby and stuff and in
all the all the audiobookplatforms.
I would recommend it if anyonewants like a a fall light
comedic.
Um it's got a little bit of I'mtrying to remember if I don't
(05:59):
think it has any spice actually,but it's got a little bit of
like glimpses and kisses, soit's got a little bit of
romance, but it's not it doesn'teven take that very seriously.
Like it's very um irreverent,is the word I would use.
It's very irreverent.
Ashley (06:13):
My library has not jumped on the LL Starling train
yet.
So I will keep looking.
Mari (06:22):
I think I think because I'm on the author's Facebook
group where she's like active orwhatever, and I think she has
finished writing the sequel, butit's not available.
There's no like date oranything where it's gonna be
out.
But I know that there is gonnabe a sequel, and I believe she's
finished writing it.
Um there is a a special, a newspecial edition of Quicksilver
(06:49):
that's by Lilac Library.
Lilac Library does they do fulllike books, book special
editions, but also do like thefancy covers.
Like if you guys remember onthe picture we had for when we
did Fourth Wing, those black andmetal covers I had on the on
the picture, those were LilacLibrary dust covers.
Um, they have dust covers for alot of major books, but this is
(07:12):
like a whole book, and it's gotlike special contact by content
by Callie Hart, and it's gotlike the edges are have an
image, it's got interiorpictures on both sides at the
end pages, it's got a whole likepicture on the cover, and then
it's got a whole dust coversituation.
(07:32):
Um, it's 46 bucks, it'savailable for purchase now, and
it ships February of next year.
Dang.
Jonathan (07:40):
It looks delightful, absolutely.
Ashley (07:41):
It looks really pretty pretty, yeah.
Jonathan (07:43):
Yeah.
Ashley (07:44):
It's very, from what I remember, representative of the
story.
Like this, this has nailed itfor sure.
Mari (07:51):
That more than any version I've seen of as far as pictures
and all, I I agree.
Like they did a really good jobwith it.
Jonathan (07:59):
I don't even think that's a bad price tag picture.
I think it's a good, I thinkit's a good price pack.
Ashley (08:04):
I mean, I think you're getting a lot of quality for
that price.
Yeah.
Mari (08:06):
And like I said, I've never ordered a book from them,
but I've ordered several dustcovers, like slip jackets or
whatever, from them.
And they've all been very highquality.
They've come, you know, shippedwell, where they're not bent or
anything, and and on time whenwhen they said it would come.
And it's good quality, like theslip covers.
Um, I've got the fourth wing,iron flame, dust covers, and I
(08:31):
believe they're the same peoplethat I got my throwing of glass
slip covers from too.
Ashley (08:37):
I do wish they would make this into a dust cover.
Same because I I know thatCallie Hart's super excited, you
know, for the new versions thatare dropping.
Yeah.
Um and we love her, right?
Like we love Callie.
Yeah.
But this is stunning, and Iwould I would pay money for a
slipcover.
Mari (08:56):
Right.
And to me, slipcovers like theway that you satisfy lots of
people.
Yeah.
Um, I don't know if you guyshave seen, and I I guess I
should probably should havelinked it here, but there was
like just this little snippet oflike a video thing I saw.
I don't know when this wasrecorded, but Callie Hart was
sitting with someone in aninterview, and it was like it,
it was almost like a panel likecon setting.
(09:16):
There were people in anaudience, and the the the image
was of her and the person thatwas interviewing her.
And the snippet that I saw washer talking about the slip
covers or the the the image onthe front, not the slip covers,
I'm sorry, the image on thefront of the original
Quicksilver, and how peoplehated it, hated to the point
where they would like messageher about it.
(09:37):
They would feel necessary tocomment, say that they hated it,
that it was just the worstthing ever, that it was AI, that
just all sorts of things, whichis why she changed it.
And I mean, there's stillpeople that were unhappy about
that, but it was just likeauthors should have the right to
(09:58):
portray their world and theircovers of their slides, you
know, of their books, whatever,however they want.
If you don't like it, then youget a slip cover for it.
Ashley (10:07):
And not for nothing, but she was self-publishing under
that cover.
So, like, you know, time,resources, money, all that stuff
is limited.
Mari (10:15):
I think, and I'm not sure because I I didn't delve into it
further, but the way she madeit sound, I think she's the one
who made the image.
She is.
I'm just like, so not only areyou telling the author you made
a bad choice, you're telling theartist you suck.
Ashley (10:28):
Yeah.
Like, man.
I think that was probably thehardest part for her.
That's horrible.
Yeah, I actually liked theoriginal cover too.
I thought it was, you know,impactful.
I was, you know, like it's notthat it's it's not what this is,
like Lilac Library.
Like, there's no competingagainst that.
But like I wasn't upset by it.
I've seen like, you know, merchand stuff on the socials with
(10:50):
those symbols, and it's, youknow, you know exactly what it
is.
Right.
I think that's really what thatstruck me.
Like from then on, I knew, youknow, what the story was.
Like anytime I saw that image,I was gonna trace it back to
this book.
Mari (11:04):
Yeah.
Ashley (11:04):
So I think that's why the new covers were let down for
me personally, because I I didenjoy the original, but like I
understand that when you moveover to like major publishing
that changes are gonna happen,you know?
Mari (11:16):
Yeah.
And I'm like, if you don't likeit, get a slip cover.
Like, there's there's plentyout there.
Right, you know, right?
Make your own, whatever.
If it's that big of a deal, youknow, if it's really gonna
affect the way you enjoy theinside of the book, there are
ways to change that.
Ashley (11:30):
Sure.
Mari (11:31):
So all right.
Next little bit of news I haveis that Juliet Cross announced
her sequel to The Wraith King.
Um, it's coming out veryshortly, like in a few days
after this episode airs.
It's coming out October 28th.
It's gonna be called The BeastLord.
The image is really cool.
(11:51):
It's just like the Wraith Kinghad that really highly
illustrated, really cool cover.
This one has a very likeartistic illustrated cover, too.
Oh, pretty.
Yeah, right.
Dang.
Jonathan (12:04):
Which one?
Mari (12:05):
The Beast Lord is the one I'm talking about, but they're
both very pretty.
Jonathan (12:08):
Which one is pretty?
Mari (12:09):
Yeah, yeah.
I I'm not gonna lie, I boughtthe Wraith King hardcover, like
unseen, because I was like, oh,it's Juliet Cross, and it's
really pretty.
Ashley (12:18):
So I do have the right having not bought it at the book
con last year.
Jonathan (12:23):
Maybe either this year.
Ashley (12:25):
Um I don't know that she does it in that same cover
anymore.
Jonathan (12:28):
Yeah, I like her co I like I think I like her cozier
stuff.
Um like quite honestly, I havea hard time seeing her in two
different ways.
Mari (12:35):
Changes your mind.
You know, different authorshave different voices for
different types of books.
It's like T.
Kingfisher is another one thatdoes this.
So I'm not a fan of T.
Kingfisher's horror, but I loveT.
Kingfisher's romance and fairytale retellings.
But I'm not a fan of herhorror.
Same thing with Juliet Cross.
Like, I love her like whateverStaya Spell is.
(12:56):
Her like modern, paranormal,cozy romance, whatever that is,
those books, I love those.
Like, I reread Wolfgone Wildagain last month.
Jonathan (13:09):
I saw I saw that on Goodreads.
I was like, oh, she's I waslike, wait, she uh she just does
a reread.
I got it.
Mari (13:14):
Because we went to New Orleans, and I'm like, what's
gonna make me feel like I'm allheaded to New Orleans?
Well, I'm gonna listen to thison the plane, and that's what it
I listened to on the plane.
Jonathan (13:22):
Um you gone into her new stuff yet?
Mari (13:25):
Yeah, yeah.
I I am not as big of a fan ofher like darker romance fantasy,
which is what Wraith King is,it's a darker vibe, just like
oh, what was the other onecalled?
Phoenix Rising?
Jonathan (13:38):
Firebird.
Is that uh Firebird?
Mari (13:41):
Firebird.
Firebird had that kind ofdarkness to it too, that I don't
like it as much.
I don't like her voice in inthat as much.
Um, but I'm also not as much ofa fan of that type of like dark
romance, isn't it's veryparticular niches of dark
romance that I like.
So it's just not really true.
Jonathan (14:01):
I might try to give Firebird a read before it over
in the next week.
Oh, so much to do unless you'regonna be able to do that.
Mari (14:07):
I know the trigger warnings.
Jonathan (14:10):
Maybe I'll give Firebird a rest then, because I
I can't.
Mari (14:13):
Firebird's kind of a big one.
And it's it's also heavybecause it's based off of
ancient Rome.
So, you know, there's a lot ofheavy topics in in ancient Rome.
So yeah, I'm I'm trying mygoal.
So, listeners, so you can havea little peek behind the
curtain.
Today is the 18th of October,and this this episode airs just
(14:36):
before Romanticy Con.
So we're trying real hard toget as much read as we can of
the people who will be atRomanticy Con.
I know I've got like three orfour books I'm gonna try and
finish from people who are gonnabe there.
Not that I'm gonna finish them,but I'm gonna try.
Jonathan (14:52):
So I've been pretty good about like trying to like
as soon as I'm done reading tolabel them and put them in in
the cart and then to take themup with me.
But yeah, there's a few that II'm just now understanding how T
VRs get out of control.
Ashley (15:10):
Yes.
It all makes sense.
Mari (15:14):
Yeah, yeah.
Next bit of news is LeahBardugo.
She's releasing a new Six ofCrows story.
It's a short story, it's calledA Darker Shore, and it takes
place after Crooked Kingdom.
So it's gonna release June30th, 2026.
I will probably buy this andread this and enjoy it because I
(15:37):
that's that series on Netflixand then afterwards going
reading it is what like got meback into reading after the
pandemic.
Like it sparned this TBRmonster I have now.
I especially the the Six ofCrows storyline.
Like, I love their storyline.
I would I hate that the showgot canceled before more of
(16:01):
their story got told.
Yeah.
But I am excited about this.
I think I think it'd be good toto see a little bit more of of
what's gonna be happening uhwith them.
And I might do a reread beforebefore it gets there.
Ash, you've read the GrishaVirge stuff, right?
Ashley (16:19):
I started.
I did not finish.
It did not I remember youalways saying that you liked the
si the Six of Crows.
Yeah um part of it better, andI don't think I think I started
book two.
Mari (16:35):
You're not quite there.
Ashley (16:36):
No, yeah, like it just it was not grabbing me.
Yeah.
But I think I have I definitelyhave book one and two.
I don't know if I have bookthree.
I really wanted to because Ithink that was when you and I
really started getting into theweeds of the books that we were
reading.
You were so excited about it.
And I think Jonathan and I hadstarted watching the series, we
might have finished, you know,season one.
(16:58):
But like to your point, itdidn't finish, right?
Like they stopped it.
Yeah.
And so I was like, what's thepoint?
Mari (17:04):
Yeah.
Intro (17:05):
Yeah.
Mari (17:05):
Kelly, how you you read some of them, right?
Or did you read all of them?
Kelly (17:10):
I only read a couple.
Mari (17:11):
Okay.
Kelly (17:12):
Mostly the ones with the crows.
Intro (17:14):
Yeah.
Mari (17:14):
Those are the, in my opinion, the better ones.
Um I don't know.
I they they yeah, they calledme more.
They were very well-writtenpersonalities.
They were like very fullyfledged.
Nobody was truly good or trulybad.
They felt like fully formedpeople.
Ashley (17:32):
Yeah.
I remember you raving aboutthem.
Yeah.
Mari (17:35):
So I'm excited about that.
Even though I think it's Ithink it's a very short story.
Like I think it's like 60 pagesor something.
There's not a whole lot to it,but still excited.
Yeah.
Yeah.
All right.
Last little bit of news I haveis our friend Sebastian Nothwell
has been super busy.
So he, the Oak King Holly Kingbook that we read is available
in audiobook now.
(17:56):
Um, the audiobook is performedby Gary Furlong, and he's also
contributed to a fantasyanthology that's coming out next
month, November 11th, 2025.
It's called An OutstretchedHand, a Tarot Tarot Spread of
Queer Stories.
(18:16):
So it's going to be a story, astory by him, by R.K.
Ashwick, Luna Day, TessCarletta, Carolina Cruz, and
Noah Hawthorne.
Um I I have an arc of it, but Ihaven't started reading it yet.
But the synopsis of thedifferent stories sound pretty
cool.
So it's like a little bit of adark, like spooky vibe.
(18:38):
Not necessarily like scary.
It's not horror, but I thinkthey're gonna have a little bit
of a of a of a spooky kind ofvibe to them.
Okay.
So yeah, I'm I'm curious to seehow those go.
I finally read something elseby him.
I read Mr.
Warren's Profession, which ishis like historical romance.
(18:59):
Um, and it was really good.
I really enjoyed it.
Ashley (19:02):
Um I did enjoy his tone like the books.
Mari (19:05):
Yeah.
Like it felt like it waswritten in in that era, but it
also didn't feel like convolutedor hard to read.
Ashley (19:11):
Authentic.
Mari (19:12):
Yeah, right.
Yeah.
So yeah, that was that wasgood.
Anyone else have any newstidbits?
Intro (19:18):
No.
Ashley (19:19):
I don't.
Mari (19:20):
I don't think so.
Jonathan (19:21):
I I don't.
Mari (19:23):
Okay.
So why we chose this book?
We wanted to read a book forHalloween for spooky month, and
we wanted to read another bookby an author that was going to
be at Romantic Con if possible.
So there's a lot of authors atRomantic Con this year that I
did not know anything about.
And also we wanted to make surewe get one that was like spooky
and one that was available onaudiobook and that we could all
(19:46):
have access to.
So I went on the Fabled FantasyDiscord and I was like, hey
guys, looking for a spooky read.
And this is the one of the onesthat they recommended.
So we decided to read it.
It was new to all of us.
And so I'm gonna read a littlebit about it, and then we can
get into details.
This book was published October31st, 2023, so Halloween.
(20:09):
Millicent Foxborough ishaunted, not by ghosts, but by
the anguish of her past and theuncertainty of her future.
After all, even in theprogressive year of 1928, most
people would balk at hiring awoman who'd spent two months in
a mental ward for traumaticamnesia.
So when an uncommonassistantship to a reclusive
(20:30):
professor of mythology fallsinto her lap with an ungodly
salary attached, her desperationfor stability overrides her
cautious nature.
To Millie's dismay, the widowedprofessor Caleb Hughes and his
estate, Willowfield, are morethan she bargained for.
The once magnificent home,known for its sprawling gardens
and dazzling parties, is fallingto pieces after the death of
(20:51):
the professor's fragile wife.
What's more, the staff has beenreduced to the only three
people not frightened away byrumors of ghosts, leaving the
halls empty and languishing inbitter memories.
The professor himself is agrim, intense man with unclear
expectations, unpredictablemoods, and hungry eyes that
ignite Millie's own dormantpassions.
The closer she finds herselfdrawn to Professor Hughes and
(21:14):
his strange world of flowers andfolklore, the more the house
closes in, threatening to revealher secrets.
But the professor is keepingsecrets of his own, and the most
dangerous of all is hers todiscover.
So I will say this before weget into any discussion.
I'm pretty sure as we get intodiscussion, there will be
(21:35):
mention of mental health issuesand or mention of miscarriage.
So if that is something that isa trigger situation for anyone,
you may want to skip this ormaybe look at the trigger
warnings and decide if it's foryou or not before you go on.
That being said, somebody otherthan Ash or I who went first
(21:58):
multiple times, what did youguys think?
Jonathan (22:01):
Kelly, you want to rock paper scissors me for it?
Mari (22:04):
You want to sort of I think you've been volatile,
Jonathan.
Dang.
Jonathan (22:10):
Um okay, so medium to okay on my end.
I thought the story started outreal well.
And then as it progressed, Istarted to kind of like piece
some stuff together in my head.
But then I'm not gonna lie, Ithink the author did something
that I'm not always super keenon, and that they just kind of
(22:31):
invented an ending out of thinair for me.
And there were like there wasnothing I would could look back
on to like tie things together,and I don't like when people do
that.
So it felt rushed for you.
And with that said, like I knowwe're inventing a story.
(22:55):
Like I'm not, I don't expectI'm not like a I didn't read
like, hey, this is true events.
No, that I know this is aninvention of somebody's or
somebody's creative work, but Ifeel like out of out of when you
have a story out of ingredientsthat you've introduced
throughout a story, then youhave you can build an ending.
(23:17):
And I don't think that fullyoccurred for me or like it
didn't bring you along for theending.
Yeah, it just they were justyeah, they were just like, ha,
gotcha.
And I was like, Well you goteverybody because this you
weren't even we nobody was like,yeah, it's yeah, they the the
the per the person responsibleexisted, yeah.
(23:39):
But like there was you gave nohints throughout the book.
Like, come on.
Like some murder, like murdershe wrote has a ton of hints,
right?
But like there should be, Ifelt like there should have been
g give us a little bit more tochase is all.
(24:00):
That's all otherwise I Ienjoyed it.
Yeah, I could I could as I wasreading it, I could envision the
the characters' faces in mymind.
Like I just I could I couldrelate to it and and just think
like like who's the who's theguy who played on Drew Carey,
but like the the the goofysidekick but with the dark hair,
(24:21):
like that guy.
I forget I don't even know whatother roles that guy played in.
Ashley (24:25):
Yeah, I'm not sure what you're talking about.
Jonathan (24:27):
He's a swell dude.
I saw him a bunch.
Mari (24:32):
Okay.
Jonathan (24:33):
Yeah.
How about you, Kelly?
Kelly (24:36):
What were your thoughts, Kelly?
I didn't care for this bookthat much.
I think that the pacing wasn'tvery good.
The romance pacing was off.
It felt didn't feel right.
I think the characters, whileinteresting, were fairly
predictable.
I think the big plot twist wasvery predictable.
(24:57):
It's not the first time thatkind of plot twist has been done
in literature or film.
So kind of expected, wasn'treally surprised.
I don't know.
Ashley (25:09):
I just it wasn't for you.
Kelly (25:11):
It wasn't for me.
I felt this was more liketrying to be a suspense book.
Like the author set out to theauthor set out to write a book
that had parallels to CrimsonPeaks or something similar, but
just couldn't bring it together.
Ashley (25:29):
Should you want to go next or should I?
Yeah, no, I'll go next.
I like the book.
I don't maybe I'm the sillyone.
I like the book.
I didn't think it was I didn'tfeel too predictable.
I I didn't see that one bigplot twist that happened.
Jonathan said he did, so then Ifelt silly.
But I don't know.
I think I don't go looking forthe patterns, right?
(25:49):
For me, this is supposed to beentertainment.
I want to feel blind going in.
And I thought it was, you know,it did a really good job, you
know, explaining and and visgiving that visual of this wild
estate, you know, wild beinglike massive and haunted and
(26:11):
mythical and the gardens, right?
And and all the things that arein there and what they
represent.
I I thought for a short book itdid a really good job.
It didn't feel like a novella,right?
Like it was bigger than anovella, but it was smaller than
a novel.
And I think it did, itdefinitely felt wrapped up, you
know, with a a really crisp bowat the end, but I wasn't mad at
(26:34):
it.
I got my closure.
I feel good about it.
I liked it.
Mari (26:37):
Okay.
I I very much enjoyed this.
I read well, I listened to it.
This is one that I listened to.
So we were doing a lot ofdriving back and forth, so I
opted to listen to it.
And I wasn't crazy about someof the voices, but the story
itself for like maybe threequarters of it, I thought it was
(27:00):
gonna be a Jane Eyre retelling.
That's what it felt like.
Like I didn't think that goingin, but once we started
listening to everything, I'mlike, oh, this is Jane Eyre in
the 1920s.
Has anyone has anyone else readJane Eyre?
Or do you know the storyline toJane Eyre?
Mm-mm.
Yeah.
So you know, was that yes orno?
I'm sorry.
That was a no for no okay.
So it's like it's a classicbook.
(27:20):
It's like Charlotte Bronte,like 180-year-old book.
So spoilers for this180-year-old book.
Um, but like let me say this.
I don't know if you ever planto read this.
Do you mind if I talk aboutspoilers?
No, please.
Okay.
Um, so basically, and Jonathan,you you're okay with it too?
Jonathan (27:40):
Yeah, I'm cool with it.
Mari (27:41):
Okay, so Jane Eyre is a really good book, but it's also
a gothic romantic romance book.
It is in Jane Eyre, you have awoman who comes from like not a
lot of means, and she iscontracted to this isolated big
(28:02):
mansion out in, I don't know,the moors, and there's this
surly, moody, dark professortype, Mr.
Rushester.
Um, and Jane Eyre and him endup having this this flame like
(28:23):
there is here, and to the pointwhere well she she keeps hearing
things in the house, she's notallowed on the third floor,
there's very little help there.
The staff is very cold to her.
Like it is absolutely thisbook.
I'm like, is this just a JaneEyre retelling?
Yeah.
And I'm like, oh my god, is thisis this what's happening?
(28:44):
So in in Jane Eyre, she getsengaged to Mr.
Rochester, and then all howbreaks loose because it turns
out that Mr.
Rochester's first wife wasn'treally dead.
She was locked up in the atticbecause she had gone mad.
Oh shit.
Um Yeah.
So I thought that that wasfully where this is going.
(29:05):
I'm like, oh my god, don't goon the third floor.
She's seeing this ghost, butit's not really ghost, but it's
the prior wife that nobody talksabout.
You know what I mean?
I was like, this is exactlythis book.
And I think Bea Northwicktricked me.
She's like, anyone who's readJane Eyre, she was like, this is
gonna be Jane Eyre.
Like, you I didn't tell you itwas gonna be Jane Eyre, but you
know, you and I know this isJane Eyre.
(29:26):
And then it wasn't.
And then it wasn't.
And I was like, wait, what?
I enjoyed it.
I enjoyed this a lot because Iwas like, oh, I know what's
happening.
I know what's gonna happenhere.
And then it I did not.
And then you didn't.
And then you didn't.
I in fact did not know what washappening.
So there were some parts thatwere predictable, which I'm okay
with.
I don't have to be like fullyblown away by plot twists to
(29:49):
enjoy a story.
I thought it was reallyinteresting.
And I I don't know anything,I'm not a mental health
profession professional.
So but I thought it was reallyinteresting the idea of like she
kind of had to find herselfagain to have to get get all
these memories.
Like it was like she washaunting herself, which is very
(30:11):
like tragic and yeah, gothic andhaunting and just yeah, really
interesting.
I feel like there were plentyof breadcrumbs for the the
datura for the poison because itwas mentioned pretty early on.
And it's even the flower on thecover of the book.
(30:32):
But I did not think that theGardner situation was in any way
hinted at.
So I agree, that part came outof like left field for me.
But I enjoyed this to the pointthat I then read the novella
that comes after this, thecompanion novella, which is very
short, but it's basically theevents told from Mr.
(30:54):
Hughes' viewpoint.
It's called Lover.
And oh my god, this book likeis haunting my brain.
Yeah, because think about it.
Imagine we're all married here.
Look to your spouse.
Imagine that your spouse diedtragically in your house.
And it's been a year, you'rebroken, you are just trying to
(31:18):
exist in life, trying to getpast this horrible trauma in
your life, and then you get acall that wait, they didn't
actually die, but they're notgonna know you.
And we have to try and do allthis to get them to like get
better, and you have to liketreat your spouse like a
stranger.
Right.
Like Jonathan would never it itjust got me.
(31:43):
Like, I know it's a crazyconcept, it's a wild concept,
but it just it was just like thethe the novella really fleshed
out the book, but I don't thinkthat she could have written his
viewpoint into the original bookand and not messed up the
story.
So I think it had to be aseparate story, yeah.
Um but it really rounded outtheir whole story and also his
(32:05):
viewpoint as they are getting tolike as she is finding herself,
he realizes that she's notshe's still not the same woman
he married because she's likefound her own power.
Millie has like she comes intoherself, she is more saving
herself and has more confidencein herself and can take care of
herself.
Um, more so where when theywere first dating, he was always
(32:29):
her knight in shining armor.
He was always the oneprotecting her, saving her.
And through everything that shewent through, when they do
finally get together again fortheir second chance, she is a
different person.
And, you know, all of us herehave been with our spouses for a
while, whether we were marriedor not, we've been with each
other for a while, and we allknow that that person sitting in
(32:51):
that room across from you isnot the same person that you
married, and and you're not thesame person they married.
Like life changes you, and youhave all these versions of
yourself that you go through atdifferent stages of your life.
Um, and it's kind of like in aweird, twisted goth romance way,
it was like a second chanceromance, the story was, among
everything else that it was.
(33:12):
I enjoyed it.
Like the only reason I did notgive it five stars is because
I'm not sure that this issomething I would reread.
Because now that I knoweverything that happened, I
don't know.
And maybe come this time nextyear I'll feel like rereading it
and I may change it to fivestars.
But for now, it's a very strongfour-star, like very high read
for me.
Um, I just don't know that it'sone I'm gonna reread over and
(33:33):
over.
And you guys know that's myqualifier for like a five-star
read.
It's one something that Ireread over and over.
Ashley (33:38):
I feel like it's a four and a half though, because you
went and chased down thenovella.
Mari (33:42):
Yeah, yeah.
It's a high, yeah, very high.
Yes.
A high four.
Yeah.
I enjoyed it.
It was it was it was uh goodfor this time of year.
It was had some of that darktwistedness where you don't know
is it magical, is it haunted,what's going on here?
Um, yeah, I enjoyed it.
(34:03):
I enjoyed it a lot.
I yeah, I will probably I Ithink Bia has one more book.
She's only written, I think,three.
So it's this one, the novellathat goes with it, and then a
book called Black Wicket.
So I will probably read thatone too.
Because I'm I'm kind of likingher voice and her style.
Ashley (34:26):
So yeah, I think I'm not super great about going back
and like reading more from anauthor I enjoyed.
I think it's like my form ofADHD.
Like I love it, I love it, Ilove it, but I don't always
remember to go back and look formore.
There's so many good stuff outthere.
Yeah.
I'm definitely distracted.
But I think, you know, if I ifI was scrolling, right, like
(34:48):
Doom Scrolling through KindleUnlimited as one does, I I would
pause, you know, when I see hername now moving forward, and
I'll be, you know, I'll be like,oh, that was good before.
This is probably worth, youknow, looking into.
Right.
Um, but I I did.
I I really enjoyed this book.
I enjoyed the plot twists,whether they were predictable or
(35:08):
not.
I definitely saw that she wasbeing poisoned.
I thought it was Felicity,though.
Mari (35:14):
Yeah.
Jonathan (35:15):
I thought it was Felicity.
Like because there's contactthroughout the book.
Ashley (35:21):
Yeah.
Jonathan (35:22):
The the brother's only there a couple times.
Just like, whoop, hey, oh, I'mhere.
What's up?
Mari (35:26):
I think it was Felicity, but I think the brother was like
bullying her into doing ituntil she finally got like
guilty and decided to comeclean.
Right.
Jonathan (35:36):
Yeah.
It was almost like they werelike, hey, this is too
predictable.
How do you throw a curveball inat the end?
Ashley (35:43):
Yeah.
Jonathan (35:43):
And then maybe the brother was just an edit later.
Like, let's go.
I said that ending and add themin.
Ashley (35:49):
It makes it just as good.
Like, I was pleased.
I was glad that it wasn'tFelicity.
Intro (35:54):
Yeah.
Jonathan (35:54):
It's it's it's a much more mature and less comical
overboard.
The movie style.
Mari (36:05):
It definitely has some overboard elements for sure.
Ashley (36:10):
I don't know how I feel about that one.
Jonathan (36:12):
Hey, Overboard's a kissing movie.
Ashley (36:13):
It is.
Jonathan (36:14):
Have it on good authority.
Ashley (36:17):
I don't disagree with that.
I need to think about thisbeing it about it being
connected to the book though.
What do you think, Kelly?
Kelly (36:29):
I mean, it shares a lot of the same elements, but I mean
the whole amnesia thing in thistype of setting is pretty
overdone.
There's tons of stories thatuse it.
Mari (36:44):
Who's done it the best?
I have oh, I have something.
I I think 51st dates.
Kelly (36:52):
Oh, that was good.
That was great.
Jonathan (36:54):
That was good job, Kelly.
That's a kissing book.
Mari (36:58):
That is a kissing book.
I'm trying to figure out ifthis is gonna be a spoiler or
not.
Kelly (37:07):
Or I mean, even better, probably the Muppets Take
Manhattan.
Ashley (37:10):
We don't watch the Muppets in my house.
Kelly (37:13):
You can't do weapons.
Mari (37:14):
I do.
Muppets Take Manhattan wasgood.
I think for me, the best thebook that did the amnesia
situation the best was ProjectHail Mary.
Main character wakes up andcan't remember anything, and
they're in a ship in space.
That's the beginning of thebook.
Ashley (37:31):
A ship in space?
Yeah.
Ashley writes down notes.
Mari (37:35):
I there's a movie coming out.
Don't look at anything aboutthe movie.
Don't watch the trailer.
Read the book first.
The book is an experience.
It was so good.
Like so good.
Ashley (37:47):
No time.
Mari (37:48):
Because you're figuring it out like the main character is.
And and it's done very well.
It's not done in a heavy-handedor in a tropey way.
Yes.
I would absolutely recommendthis.
But you don't want to find outtoo much because you don't you
want to have preconceivednotions.
I would say absolutely read it.
Intro (38:04):
Okay.
Ashley (38:05):
Did you write it down, husband?
Jonathan (38:07):
No, I was busy looking at the synopsis for a while you
were sleeping.
Mari (38:12):
Distracted.
All right.
So while you guys do well,let's say it's so I I guess we
all agree it's a kissing book.
Jonathan (38:19):
Wait, what?
Yeah.
This one?
Mari (38:21):
Yeah.
Yeah.
Jonathan (38:22):
I'll give it, I'll give it a yeah.
Mari (38:23):
What do you think, Kelly?
Jonathan (38:24):
Yeah, it's a kissing book.
Mari (38:25):
I agree.
Like it's none of this wouldhave happened without the
romance.
Like, yeah, 100%.
That wouldn't have beenworthwhile.
But while you you look up thewhile you were sleeping
situation, I will say I havesome recommendations.
If anyone liked this book, Iwould recommend Jane Eyre by
Charlotte Bronte.
Like I know it's like a180-year-old book, and we may
(38:47):
have all been forced to readbooks in school that we didn't
like.
But if you like this this book,or if you sounds like you might
like this book, then I wouldgive Jane Eyre a try.
There's also several movieadaptations of it if you don't
want to read it, but you wouldprobably enjoy Jane Eyre if you
enjoyed this book.
Um also Crimson Peak, which isa movie that Guillermo del Toro
(39:11):
did, which is so beautifullyvisually done.
It's so well done that theythen did a book adaptation of
the movie, and the book feelslike an original gothic romance
book.
Um the book was written by thebook adaptation of the movie is
written by Nancy Holder.
Would absolutely recommend.
North Anchor Abbey by JaneAusten.
(39:31):
Would absolutely recommend.
One of the main characters isobsessed with gothic romances.
Phantasma by Kaylee Smith.
You read that one, wasn't it?
Yeah.
Right?
I would say the similar vibes.
Yeah.
So Phantasma for sure.
And there's a sequel which I'venot read yet.
Mexican Gothic by Sylvia MorenoGarcia, which is very much like
(39:57):
this kind of vibe, but also alittle bit of a Edgar Allan Poe
Fall of the House of Usherretelling mixed in.
Along those lines, What Movesthe Dead by T.
King Fisher is kind of anotherFall of the House of Usher
retelling, which also hassimilar vibes to this.
Phantom of the Opera, the bookby Christian LaRoe.
(40:19):
Not that long.
Absolutely has these vibes.
She wrote The Vampires of ElNorte that we read recently.
Um The Yellow Wallpaper.
It's a short story by CharlottePerkins Gilman.
Highly recommend if you likethis book.
It's a haunting short story.
It's a very good short story.
(40:40):
And The Haunting ofHeatherhurst Hall by Sebastian
Nothwell.
So you got a whole list ofgothic romance stories.
If this is the vibe that you'reyou're falling into, would
highly recommend.
Yeah.
Ashley (41:00):
That was a spicy one.
Mari (41:01):
Yeah.
Jonathan, did you find youranswers?
Jonathan (41:05):
I went down a whole different rabbit hole.
Mari (41:08):
We'll never know now.
Jonathan (41:10):
So I'm so sorry.
I got distracted this weekend.
Big time.
Yeah.
I think this.
I might I've had a wholeconversation in my head in the
last 30 seconds, just so youknow.
And nobody else was there.
Ashley (41:28):
Well, tighten up, bro.
We're on here right now.
Jonathan (41:30):
My bad.
Ashley (41:31):
Focus, focus.
Lock it in.
Mari (41:37):
Um, anything else anybody wants to say about the book?
Ashley (41:41):
Um.
Although I would not like tolive in a mansion estate like
that.
No.
Jonathan (41:49):
It's too much, too much maintenance.
Ashley (41:52):
Love stuff.
Mari (41:53):
Yeah.
Like those old houses neededall that stuff for a reason.
Like it had to have so muchmaintenance and upkeep.
It was like its own littleecosystem.
You know, and when they startto fall apart, like they fall
apart.
Like Crimson Peak is like that.
It's this beautiful, gorgeoushouse in England, and it is
falling apart, you know?
Which is, you know, happened toa lot of places.
(42:15):
Like a lot of these old housesor mansions or like, you know,
historical places.
If there was nobody or no moneyinto or no ability to keep them
up, they just fall apart.
Ashley (42:28):
I also would not like a house that talks back.
No thanks.
Mari (42:34):
Yeah.
Yeah.
So do you guys think that therewas any supernatural elements
in this book?
Or do you think it was I thinkit was all the drug, all the
datura.
It was hallucinations, is my iswhat I feel out of it.
Jonathan (42:46):
Well, is it can a drug, can a drug be considered
supernatural?
Mari (42:50):
No.
It's natural.
Like by definition, it was aflower.
It was of nature.
Jonathan (42:56):
Yeah.
Ashley (42:57):
Jonathan read this book like two weeks ago.
Jonathan (43:00):
Yeah.
I read it when I read it as itwas assigned.
Ashley (43:04):
Yeah.
Jonathan (43:04):
And then I had a way.
Mari (43:06):
You gave us a little bit too much time for this homework.
I had to like- I think I justfinished it yesterday and then I
finished the follow-up littlenovella today.
So it's fresh for me.
And then I was like, wait, isthis Datura really exist?
It does.
And it really is like that badwhere like touching it can can
do stuff to your skin, smellingit can be poisonous.
(43:27):
Um, like it's it's not good.
It's really pretty.
It's also goes by the name theDevil's Trumpet.
It's a very pretty lookingplant.
Ashley (43:34):
Oh, so that name I recognize.
Yeah.
Interesting.
Mm-hmm.
I definitely like when they dotheir homework and they make,
you know, those parts reallyauthentic.
Mari (43:47):
So it's funny.
Hemlock and silver that T.
Kingfisher recently released isthe it's like the story of Snow
White, but told from theviewpoint of this woman who's
like, she reach researchespoisons to find antidotes.
So the Snow White's fathercomes to her to like get her to
save Snow White.
So T.
Kingfisher was at Drancon anddid like a panel, and she was
(44:10):
talking about like she had to doall this research on poisons
because this her main characterwas a poisoner.
Like that was her bread andbutter.
She knew, like that was herobsession, that was what she
did.
That was her you know vocation.
And so she had to get stuffright, and she had to know all
this stuff, and she had to likedo all this research, and she
was like turned to her husband,and she's like, You cannot
(44:30):
possibly die while I'mresearching this.
So the next I will be suspectnumber one.
Ashley (44:36):
Right.
For the next 36 months, you arethe pinnacle of health, dear.
That's funny.
Mari (44:44):
Oh, yeah, yeah.
But I'd say that this authordefinitely also did her research
on poisons and stuff, at leastas far as I did.
I didn't do deep research, butI was like, oh, okay.
Detour is a real thing.
Devil's trumpet.
Oh, I've seen what that flowerlooks like.
Oh, this is what's on thecover.
Okay.
This all checks out.
Legit.
Yeah.
All right.
Anything else we want to sayabout the book or anything else
(45:06):
before we wrap it up?
Jonathan (45:08):
Um come and if you're it if you're listening to this
on Thursday, the was it the23rd?
Ashley (45:16):
Um I don't know what day it is anymore.
Jonathan (45:18):
Yeah.
If you're listening to this onthen and you wake up in the
Orlando area on the 24th or the25th, swing by RomancyCon will
be meandering around.
Ashley (45:29):
With a ticket, though.
Jonathan (45:30):
Yeah, oh yeah, you should bring a ticket.
That's the best way to get in.
Ashley (45:33):
Yeah.
They're particular about thatthese days.
Yeah.
But yeah.
And if you're gonna be at thecon, like find us.
Um we should get name tags, youguys.
Mari (45:41):
Yeah, yeah.
Well, we'll have littlebookmarks to give away if if if
you'd like one.
And I have the book cart thatI'm gonna have is like tan, and
it's got a big, huge stickerthat is our logo on it.
It is bigger than my head.
So look for that and you'llfind us.
Jonathan (46:01):
Absolutely.
Mari (46:02):
Minus Kelly.
Kelly won't be there this thisyear, but you'll see the three
of us there.
So come by, say hi.
You know, we won't bite.
Jonathan (46:09):
Unstee.
Unless you ask nice.
Intro (46:11):
Yeah.
Jonathan (46:11):
Yeah.
I have, yeah, I mean, like,there's if if you see a guy, uh
like the odds that it's me.
Mari (46:19):
It's gonna be you or it's gonna be the one male author
that's set to be there, right?
Yeah.
You or same jail brody?
Jonathan (46:25):
Oh yeah.
Oh yeah.
I hope I put his book in ourcrate.
Mari (46:28):
Um The dating dismemberment of Yeah, I do like
that one.
Jonathan (46:31):
It's uh when I hand some of these, I hope they're
not offended because I'm gonnagive them like like twisted and
tattered books and be like, hey,I read your shit hard.
Mari (46:38):
I mean, I think I think as long as you tell them that, I
think they would be honored.
I I would assume.
Jonathan (46:42):
Um you know?
And they can I'll probablybring stuff.
I don't know if I want them tosign on the cover or not on the
cover.
I don't know.
I have to figure that out.
Ashley (46:49):
You should figure that out quick.
We're almost out of time, dear.
Jonathan (46:51):
And if yeah, well, I'm so excited.
I'm so let me tell you, I'm soI asked him earlier.
Ashley (46:56):
I did not get this wealth of of emotion, just so
you know.
Jonathan (47:00):
I'm so proud of the pockets that I've considered.
Spoiler.
Oh, I cannot wait to meet someof these authors and offer them
a bit of apparel equity.
Ashley (47:09):
Yeah.
Apparel equity.
Did you show Mari what youmade?
Yeah, you sent the picture.
Oh, he did?
Okay.
Mari (47:15):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Jonathan (47:16):
Yeah, they came out real well.
Mari (47:18):
So who are you guys looking forward to seeing, to
meeting there?
Jonathan (47:25):
Take a deep breath.
Mari (47:26):
Anna Nicole Nair.
Jonathan (47:27):
That's the one?
Ashley (47:28):
That's she's pretty good.
Yeah.
Jonathan (47:32):
Cool.
Ashley (47:33):
That's pretty high up there.
I just finished book three,Accomplice to the Villain.
And I am delighted, by the way.
I I love the narrator.
I don't think I I'm gonna havetrouble reading those books one
day because I've been listeningto all the audios, and it's such
a unique like voice that shehas.
Like the way that she speaks,it's all it's almost like a
(47:55):
robot, but not because you hearthe emotion.
I don't know how a better wayto explain that or nicer way,
but I love it.
I was like scrambling todaybecause I had 30 minutes left in
the audiobook, and and my timewith Libby was expiring in like
15.
The panic I had, but they gaveme another hour after I returned
(48:16):
it.
Thank you, Libby.
Yeah, but that was so it wassuch a good book.
I giggled so much.
You get a whole different POV,a whole new one, and it was so
delightful.
You have to read it, guys.
Mari (48:27):
Yeah, I've not I've not gotten to that one yet.
Yeah, that was so good.
Jonathan?
Jonathan (48:32):
I'm looking forward to A.
L.
Brody, uh uh April L.
Moon, Hannah Nicole Mayor, ofcourse, Sarah Beth Durst,
Juliette Cross.
I like I just like seeing her.
Anyone else that they have on?
Rebecca F.
Kennedy is on my list.
And then I'm interested also, Iwant to be introduced to an
(48:52):
author and their work that Ihaven't been introduced to yet.
So to the unknown author outthere, I'm gonna meet you.
We're gonna meet, we're gonnameet as meeting people.
Ashley (49:03):
I met someone last year and bought the book.
I have not finished the book,but it's in my it's in my
closet, which also secondariesas like my reading space, but
Jonathan doesn't let me go be bymyself, so that's a separate
conversation for a differentday.
But hear you all the time.
It's like a gender-bent RobinHood story.
And when I tell you I thinkabout this book all the time, I
(49:26):
think about it all, I justhaven't had time to literally
sit down and read a physicalbook since Onyx Storm.
Like I'm not even gonna lie toyou guys.
I might just buy it on Kindleso that I have the easy access
to it in my phone to read itwhile I'm, you know, staying up
until 2 a.m.
accidentally.
Mari (49:43):
I would know anything about that.
Ashley (49:44):
Yeah, no, nothing, right?
And I can't remember her nameoff the top of my head, but she
was a delight to talk to.
She signed everything, she haslike a whole little phrase that
goes with the story.
And I think about I think aboutthat book a lot.
I need to finish it.
So, in the vein of the unknownauthors, like there were a lot
of books that I bought last yearwithout knowing who or what
(50:07):
they were about, and they've allbeen superb, even if I haven't
finished them.
Like I I think about them.
Mari (50:13):
Yeah.
I am looking forward to meetingSarah Beth Durst.
I've got a ticketed thing tomeet her.
I'm looking forward to RebeccaF.
Kennedy.
That's gonna be probably thefirst one I go to.
That's gonna be my stop numberone.
I need to figure out which ofher books that I have I'm going
to get her to sign.
(50:34):
Or maybe just bring them alland see what happens.
Um so she's those two areprobably the big, big ones.
I'm looking forward toreconnecting with Juliet Cross
because, you know, still lovingher books.
I don't think I'm gonna get totalk to Hannah Colmara because I
didn't get one of her tickets,so I don't know I'm gonna be
able to see her, but I'm excitedthat you guys are.
(50:56):
And Bay Northwake, if nothingelse, to ask how to pronounce
her first name.
But also tell her how much Ienjoyed her book.
Now that I've read it, I I willprobably, if she has it there
for sale, I'll probably get itfrom her and get her to sign it.
I think those are the big ones.
Oh, and I'm looking forward totalking to Grace Draven again.
She wrote Radiance that we readlast year.
(51:18):
Um, but I've now read two moreof her books, and I'm really
enjoying it.
So I'll be bringing that forher to sign.
Paige Lavoie's gonna be there,but we met at another call.
Yeah, I'm excited to hear abouther newest project, which she's
teasing.
She's teased publicly now, sowe can talk about it.
She's writing some sort of likea swamp creature.
(51:39):
It's like a new series.
So she's done with Mothman insome sort of like a swamp
situation.
I'm excited.
Jonathan (51:46):
Swamp situation.
Yeah.
There was a ticketed authorthat we read recently.
I can't remember what whichone.
I think you have you got aticket, Mari and Kelly.
Mari (51:56):
The only ticket I have is for Sarah Beth Durst.
That's the only author ticketsI was able to get in the
kerfuffle of all that.
Jonathan (52:04):
Who did we get close to but miss out on, Ashley?
Ashley (52:07):
I have to go back.
I'm pulling it up now.
I don't remember off the top ofmy head full schedule.
Jonathan (52:12):
Um I'm gonna go look at my Goodreads just in case.
Ashley (52:16):
So we did not get Adeline Grace, Kaylee Smith,
maybe it was Kaylee Smith.
Jonathan (52:21):
Kaylee Smith was probably the one else.
Kaylee Smith was Phantasma.
Ashley (52:24):
Yeah.
Jonathan (52:24):
Oh, wait, who did I want to?
Ashley (52:26):
So her, we've we've well, I met Cali.
Well, I talked to Kaylee lastyear.
I don't think I've got anythingor like got anything signed by
her.
But I remember like bandgirling slightly.
Mari (52:36):
Yeah, I remember we talked.
We both talked to her because Ithink I got the book because we
talked about it.
Oh, maybe.
Ashley (52:42):
Adeline Grace.
Alex Aster.
You like Alex Aster because youread what's it called?
Intro (52:48):
What's it called?
Jonathan (52:51):
Oh, did I oh, yeah, that's probably why.
I'm looking at the books thatI've read and I'm like, oh yeah,
that's oh, oh, I gotta makesure that goes in there too.
Ashley (52:59):
Alex Aster, gosh, I'm blanking and he's not helping.
Jonathan (53:02):
Yeah, no, because I'm looking at it.
Mari (53:04):
I'm excited also to meet while you guys look that up.
Jonathan (53:06):
Uh Lightlark.
Mari (53:07):
Lightlark, sorry.
Thank you.
Jonathan (53:09):
My bad.
Mari (53:10):
Um, JD Evans, who wrote of Rain and Ruin, that I am almost
done reading.
It had been on my list for fora while.
And I'm enjoying that.
I'm definitely not gonnafinish.
It's like a multi-book series.
I'm definitely not gonna finishit before the the con, but I'm
enjoying the book one that Iwill have done by then.
J.D.
Evans, Rain and Ruin.
It's like a desert Arabicsetting political, romanticy
(53:37):
situation with magic.
Yeah, it's intriguing.
So I'm looking forward tomeeting them because I've
actually talked to them beforeon on Reddit.
And so it'll be interesting totalk to them some more.
Yeah, this and of course, likeyou guys said, all the new
authors to us that we haven'tmet yet, that we haven't been
exposed to yet.
It'll be interesting to, youknow, meet them and other
(54:00):
people.
We may meet vendors and andwhatnot there.
So I'm so excited for thevendors.
Ashley (54:05):
Yeah.
I love stuff.
A lot.
I love stuff.
Last year, I think I wasslightly disappointed because I
was hoping for more stuff, and Ithink we're gonna get it this
year.
Because I was looking throughthe vendor list like a month
ago, and I was super excited,like of all the knickknacks and
the jewelry.
I'm really excited for jewelry,guys.
I hope there's jewelry, likeearrings, rings, bracelets.
(54:26):
Oh, I want the stuff.
Jonathan (54:28):
If you're a vendor listening, I hope you brought it
in.
Ashley (54:30):
I hope you're putting the stuff, guys.
Mari (54:32):
Yeah, I think it'll be it'll be cool to see.
See what all everybody has.
Ashley (54:35):
I got a rolly cart this year.
I'm ready and a tote bag.
Oh, yeah.
Jonathan (54:38):
I just put the I put two, I put two zip, I put an
empty zippered pack in there foryou.
The empty zipper pack.
Ashley (54:46):
They're expensive.
Jonathan (54:47):
I know.
But I put another, I putanother, I took Mari's advice
for like a little zipper pouch.
For the little things?
Yeah, so I put two in there,Ash.
One is for one holds thepockets.
I wanted to keep them separate.
Mari (55:00):
Oh, I will tell you one other bit of advice for the
Rolly Cart that I just found outand I just got.
And you guys may have access tothis because you have little
kids in your life.
The little add-on cup holdersthat you can clip on baby
strollers.
You stop it right now, that'sgenius.
Yes.
So I got one.
I got one and I have now on theinside of my cart, so I can put
my drink down inside the cartand it not go anywhere.
Ashley (55:23):
What did you look up?
Is it just like a strolleraccessory?
Oh, you're so smart.
Accessories.
Mari (55:30):
I can send you the link.
I did not come up with this.
It was on a Discord group, butI don't remember if it was the
Fabled Fantasy Discord or theMonster Rotica book con Discord.
But somebody there came up withit.
I'm like, that's genius.
I will absolutely be doing thatso I don't have to carry my
drink andor potentially spill iteverywhere.
Jonathan (55:47):
Yeah.
I love it.
Mari (55:49):
Yeah.
All right.
So ready to wrap this up?
Yeah.
We can do this all night.
Yes, we can.
All right.
So thanks for listening to OfSwords and Soulmates.
Before we go, make sure tocheck out the show notes, rate,
review, and subscribe to us onyour podcast app of choice.
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(56:10):
at Of Swords and Soulmates.
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If you'd like to offer asuggestion for a future episode,
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If you want to read along withus as we prep for a new episode
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(56:31):
Book Club on there.
And last but not least, we hopeyou'll join us in two weeks for
our next episode when we willbe talking about our 2025
Romanticy Con experience.
Bye.
Views expressed in this podcast are solely those of the
participants.
The hosts make no claims to beliterary experts, and their
opinions are exactly that.
Opinions.
All creative works discussed orrefused are the intellectual
property of the creators of saidstories, and is being used
under the fair use doctrine.
Mari (00:27):
Hello and welcome to Of Swords as Soulmates, a podcast
where we read, watch, anddiscuss romanticy stories.
I'm one of your hosts, Mari,and with me I have Kelly.
Kelly (00:35):
Hey everyone, it's Kelly.
We also have Ashley.
Ashley (00:38):
Hey guys, it's Ashley.
We also have Jonathan.
Jonathan (00:41):
Ooh, was that spooky enough?
It's JP.
How's everybody doing today?
Is this this is this is theHalloween edition?
Mari (00:47):
This is.
This is the spooky episode.
So today we're going to bediscussing The Cruel Dark by
Bia.
I should I probably should havelooked up how to say her name.
It's B-E-A by Bia.
We're going to say Northwick.
But first, as always, somenews.
So starting off, there is thisthe sequel to Shield of Sparrows
(01:11):
has been announced.
It will be coming out April27th of next year.
And it's going to be calledRites of the Starling.
They haven't released the coverimage yet, but the name and the
date is out.
And if it seems like from whatthe author's saying, it's going
to be like the first book whereif you like pre-order it or buy
it early, they're going to havespecial edges and everything.
(01:32):
And then after those are soldout, they're sold out.
Um no pressure, guys.
Yeah.
Has has has anybody read thatbut me?
Ashley (01:40):
I was just going to say no, but I feel like you really
enjoyed that one, right?
Mari (01:44):
Yeah, yeah.
I mean, I I think it was fun.
It wasn't like the best thingI've ever read, but it really,
like, I still think about it.
And I'm like, well, what'sgoing to happen to this and how
are they going to resolve this?
And it's been a few months andI've read a good many books in
between.
So to me, that's good enoughthat it's still stuck in my head
that I am I'm intrigued.
(02:05):
So I'm, yeah, I will definitelybe reading the sequel.
And probably as soon as theyshow like the special order one
or whatever with the specialedges, sprayed edges, whatever
it is, I'll probably order thatone.
Because the first one I got wasa fancy one with sprayed edges.
And I think that was justbecause I found it in a
(02:25):
bookstore.
Like I think it was like I wasat maybe visiting my parents in
Barnes, and there was a Barnesand O books.
We don't have one here.
And I think that's where I sawit.
It's a fun read.
Maybe we can read it for thepodcast before that April of
next year, and maybe in March orsomething of next year.
And then if you guys like it,you'll have you won't have to
wait long for the sequel.
Ashley (02:47):
Like the way you think.
I think I bought it and I mighthave told you about it, but I
maybe I bought it just becauseI'd seen a video on like TikTok
or something, and I I did buy itwithout knowing anything about
it.
And so now it is on my shelfsomewhere.
Mari (03:00):
I think it's supposed to be three books total, so it's
not like it's gonna be a hugeand law involved series.
Like I think it's just threebooks.
Ashley (03:07):
Um looks like there's an audio, Jonathan.
Jonathan (03:10):
Oh yeah, it says audio coming.
Intro (03:11):
Yeah.
Ashley (03:12):
Well, I meant for Shield of Sparrows.
Jonathan (03:14):
Oh, okay.
Mari (03:15):
Yeah, so there's already one for yeah, for Shield of
Sparrows.
So maybe we can do that towardsthe beginning of next year.
How do you guys feel aboutthat?
Jonathan (03:22):
Oh, that's fun.
I'm I've tried I follow blindlyin the stuff.
Is that the first one, Ashley?
Mari (03:27):
Yeah.
Jonathan (03:28):
Oh, well then you gotta get this second one that
get the match set.
Mari (03:30):
Yeah, this one is the spray trick's.
Yeah, it's pretty.
The first one is pretty forsure.
Kelly, you down to read thatnext year?
Jonathan (03:39):
Sure.
Mari (03:40):
Cool.
It's a thick one, Kelly.
Ashley (03:42):
I know those are your feet.
Mari (03:44):
This is why I'm saying it ahead of time.
We'll have plenty of time toread.
Ashley (03:49):
She a thick girl.
Mari (03:51):
It's yeah.
Jonathan (03:52):
Big letters, big letters, though.
Ashley (03:54):
It is.
It actually is a larger part ofthe game.
Mari (03:55):
Yeah, I think it went pretty fast.
Like, I don't remember itdragging on any parts.
You know what I mean?
Like some of these, whetherit's a thick book or not,
sometimes books drag a littlebit.
I don't remember it dragging.
I thought it was a pretty fastread for the size it was.
Ashley (04:08):
It's like high praise from you.
Mari (04:10):
Yeah, yeah.
Because like there's it's notnecessarily a bad thing.
Like, there's plenty of booksI've liked that still have parts
that drag.
But I thought this one was likeit didn't have any any down
spots.
So all right.
Next bit of news is the bookBetween by LL Starling.
The audiobook for that book isnow available on Libby and on
(04:30):
all the audiobook platforms.
So it was available last yearas an audiobook.
I bought it last year, I readit last year.
It it it was like my entirefall read last year because it
was I listened to it as anaudiobook last year.
It was 32 hours.
Oh it was the longest book Iread last year.
I was gonna say SJM or what?
Yeah, it was, it was, it was,yeah, but it was very, very
(04:52):
good.
And it's basically two books inone.
It's not heavy.
It's like a it has a fairytale, like a light fairy tale
vibe about it, kind of like acompass to the villain, that
kind of a vibe.
So it's not, it's not, itdoesn't have a lot of heavy,
heaviness to it.
Um and it basically has aregular town and then like a a
(05:15):
bridge or a gate or whateverinto like a fairyland kind of
town.
And the first half of the bookis told from one character's
perspective, and then the secondhalf of the book is told from
another character's perspective.
Um so it it all it basically islike two books in one.
But I think I started readingit like in August last year and
finished it in November.
So it was my entire fall read,but I wasn't like rushing to get
(05:37):
through it because I wasenjoying just being in that
world for a little bit everyday.
But anyways, it's now availablelike on Libby and stuff and in
all the all the audiobookplatforms.
I would recommend it if anyonewants like a a fall light
comedic.
Um it's got a little bit of I'mtrying to remember if I don't
(05:59):
think it has any spice actually,but it's got a little bit of
like glimpses and kisses, soit's got a little bit of
romance, but it's not it doesn'teven take that very seriously.
Like it's very um irreverent,is the word I would use.
It's very irreverent.
Ashley (06:13):
My library has not jumped on the LL Starling train
yet.
So I will keep looking.
Mari (06:22):
I think I think because I'm on the author's Facebook
group where she's like active orwhatever, and I think she has
finished writing the sequel, butit's not available.
There's no like date oranything where it's gonna be
out.
But I know that there is gonnabe a sequel, and I believe she's
finished writing it.
Um there is a a special, a newspecial edition of Quicksilver
(06:49):
that's by Lilac Library.
Lilac Library does they do fulllike books, book special
editions, but also do like thefancy covers.
Like if you guys remember onthe picture we had for when we
did Fourth Wing, those black andmetal covers I had on the on
the picture, those were LilacLibrary dust covers.
Um, they have dust covers for alot of major books, but this is
(07:12):
like a whole book, and it's gotlike special contact by content
by Callie Hart, and it's gotlike the edges are have an
image, it's got interiorpictures on both sides at the
end pages, it's got a whole likepicture on the cover, and then
it's got a whole dust coversituation.
(07:32):
Um, it's 46 bucks, it'savailable for purchase now, and
it ships February of next year.
Dang.
Jonathan (07:40):
It looks delightful, absolutely.
Ashley (07:41):
It looks really pretty pretty, yeah.
Jonathan (07:43):
Yeah.
Ashley (07:44):
It's very, from what I remember, representative of the
story.
Like this, this has nailed itfor sure.
Mari (07:51):
That more than any version I've seen of as far as pictures
and all, I I agree.
Like they did a really good jobwith it.
Jonathan (07:59):
I don't even think that's a bad price tag picture.
I think it's a good, I thinkit's a good price pack.
Ashley (08:04):
I mean, I think you're getting a lot of quality for
that price.
Yeah.
Mari (08:06):
And like I said, I've never ordered a book from them,
but I've ordered several dustcovers, like slip jackets or
whatever, from them.
And they've all been very highquality.
They've come, you know, shippedwell, where they're not bent or
anything, and and on time whenwhen they said it would come.
And it's good quality, like theslip covers.
Um, I've got the fourth wing,iron flame, dust covers, and I
(08:31):
believe they're the same peoplethat I got my throwing of glass
slip covers from too.
Ashley (08:37):
I do wish they would make this into a dust cover.
Same because I I know thatCallie Hart's super excited, you
know, for the new versions thatare dropping.
Yeah.
Um and we love her, right?
Like we love Callie.
Yeah.
But this is stunning, and Iwould I would pay money for a
slipcover.
Mari (08:56):
Right.
And to me, slipcovers like theway that you satisfy lots of
people.
Yeah.
Um, I don't know if you guyshave seen, and I I guess I
should probably should havelinked it here, but there was
like just this little snippet oflike a video thing I saw.
I don't know when this wasrecorded, but Callie Hart was
sitting with someone in aninterview, and it was like it,
it was almost like a panel likecon setting.
(09:16):
There were people in anaudience, and the the the image
was of her and the person thatwas interviewing her.
And the snippet that I saw washer talking about the slip
covers or the the the image onthe front, not the slip covers,
I'm sorry, the image on thefront of the original
Quicksilver, and how peoplehated it, hated to the point
where they would like messageher about it.
(09:37):
They would feel necessary tocomment, say that they hated it,
that it was just the worstthing ever, that it was AI, that
just all sorts of things, whichis why she changed it.
And I mean, there's stillpeople that were unhappy about
that, but it was just likeauthors should have the right to
(09:58):
portray their world and theircovers of their slides, you
know, of their books, whatever,however they want.
If you don't like it, then youget a slip cover for it.
Ashley (10:07):
And not for nothing, but she was self-publishing under
that cover.
So, like, you know, time,resources, money, all that stuff
is limited.
Mari (10:15):
I think, and I'm not sure because I I didn't delve into it
further, but the way she madeit sound, I think she's the one
who made the image.
She is.
I'm just like, so not only areyou telling the author you made
a bad choice, you're telling theartist you suck.
Ashley (10:28):
Yeah.
Like, man.
I think that was probably thehardest part for her.
That's horrible.
Yeah, I actually liked theoriginal cover too.
I thought it was, you know,impactful.
I was, you know, like it's notthat it's it's not what this is,
like Lilac Library.
Like, there's no competingagainst that.
But like I wasn't upset by it.
I've seen like, you know, merchand stuff on the socials with
(10:50):
those symbols, and it's, youknow, you know exactly what it
is.
Right.
I think that's really what thatstruck me.
Like from then on, I knew, youknow, what the story was.
Like anytime I saw that image,I was gonna trace it back to
this book.
Mari (11:04):
Yeah.
Ashley (11:04):
So I think that's why the new covers were let down for
me personally, because I I didenjoy the original, but like I
understand that when you moveover to like major publishing
that changes are gonna happen,you know?
Mari (11:16):
Yeah.
And I'm like, if you don't likeit, get a slip cover.
Like, there's there's plentyout there.
Right, you know, right?
Make your own, whatever.
If it's that big of a deal, youknow, if it's really gonna
affect the way you enjoy theinside of the book, there are
ways to change that.
Ashley (11:30):
Sure.
Mari (11:31):
So all right.
Next little bit of news I haveis that Juliet Cross announced
her sequel to The Wraith King.
Um, it's coming out veryshortly, like in a few days
after this episode airs.
It's coming out October 28th.
It's gonna be called The BeastLord.
The image is really cool.
(11:51):
It's just like the Wraith Kinghad that really highly
illustrated, really cool cover.
This one has a very likeartistic illustrated cover, too.
Oh, pretty.
Yeah, right.
Dang.
Jonathan (12:04):
Which one?
Mari (12:05):
The Beast Lord is the one I'm talking about, but they're
both very pretty.
Jonathan (12:08):
Which one is pretty?
Mari (12:09):
Yeah, yeah.
I I'm not gonna lie, I boughtthe Wraith King hardcover, like
unseen, because I was like, oh,it's Juliet Cross, and it's
really pretty.
Ashley (12:18):
So I do have the right having not bought it at the book
con last year.
Jonathan (12:23):
Maybe either this year.
Ashley (12:25):
Um I don't know that she does it in that same cover
anymore.
Jonathan (12:28):
Yeah, I like her co I like I think I like her cozier
stuff.
Um like quite honestly, I havea hard time seeing her in two
different ways.
Mari (12:35):
Changes your mind.
You know, different authorshave different voices for
different types of books.
It's like T.
Kingfisher is another one thatdoes this.
So I'm not a fan of T.
Kingfisher's horror, but I loveT.
Kingfisher's romance and fairytale retellings.
But I'm not a fan of herhorror.
Same thing with Juliet Cross.
Like, I love her like whateverStaya Spell is.
(12:56):
Her like modern, paranormal,cozy romance, whatever that is,
those books, I love those.
Like, I reread Wolfgone Wildagain last month.
Jonathan (13:09):
I saw I saw that on Goodreads.
I was like, oh, she's I waslike, wait, she uh she just does
a reread.
I got it.
Mari (13:14):
Because we went to New Orleans, and I'm like, what's
gonna make me feel like I'm allheaded to New Orleans?
Well, I'm gonna listen to thison the plane, and that's what it
I listened to on the plane.
Jonathan (13:22):
Um you gone into her new stuff yet?
Mari (13:25):
Yeah, yeah.
I I am not as big of a fan ofher like darker romance fantasy,
which is what Wraith King is,it's a darker vibe, just like
oh, what was the other onecalled?
Phoenix Rising?
Jonathan (13:38):
Firebird.
Is that uh Firebird?
Mari (13:41):
Firebird.
Firebird had that kind ofdarkness to it too, that I don't
like it as much.
I don't like her voice in inthat as much.
Um, but I'm also not as much ofa fan of that type of like dark
romance, isn't it's veryparticular niches of dark
romance that I like.
So it's just not really true.
Jonathan (14:01):
I might try to give Firebird a read before it over
in the next week.
Oh, so much to do unless you'regonna be able to do that.
Mari (14:07):
I know the trigger warnings.
Jonathan (14:10):
Maybe I'll give Firebird a rest then, because I
I can't.
Mari (14:13):
Firebird's kind of a big one.
And it's it's also heavybecause it's based off of
ancient Rome.
So, you know, there's a lot ofheavy topics in in ancient Rome.
So yeah, I'm I'm trying mygoal.
So, listeners, so you can havea little peek behind the
curtain.
Today is the 18th of October,and this this episode airs just
(14:36):
before Romanticy Con.
So we're trying real hard toget as much read as we can of
the people who will be atRomanticy Con.
I know I've got like three orfour books I'm gonna try and
finish from people who are gonnabe there.
Not that I'm gonna finish them,but I'm gonna try.
Jonathan (14:52):
So I've been pretty good about like trying to like
as soon as I'm done reading tolabel them and put them in in
the cart and then to take themup with me.
But yeah, there's a few that II'm just now understanding how T
VRs get out of control.
Ashley (15:10):
Yes.
It all makes sense.
Mari (15:14):
Yeah, yeah.
Next bit of news is LeahBardugo.
She's releasing a new Six ofCrows story.
It's a short story, it's calledA Darker Shore, and it takes
place after Crooked Kingdom.
So it's gonna release June30th, 2026.
I will probably buy this andread this and enjoy it because I
(15:37):
that's that series on Netflixand then afterwards going
reading it is what like got meback into reading after the
pandemic.
Like it sparned this TBRmonster I have now.
I especially the the Six ofCrows storyline.
Like, I love their storyline.
I would I hate that the showgot canceled before more of
(16:01):
their story got told.
Yeah.
But I am excited about this.
I think I think it'd be good toto see a little bit more of of
what's gonna be happening uhwith them.
And I might do a reread beforebefore it gets there.
Ash, you've read the GrishaVirge stuff, right?
Ashley (16:19):
I started.
I did not finish.
It did not I remember youalways saying that you liked the
si the Six of Crows.
Yeah um part of it better, andI don't think I think I started
book two.
Mari (16:35):
You're not quite there.
Ashley (16:36):
No, yeah, like it just it was not grabbing me.
Yeah.
But I think I have I definitelyhave book one and two.
I don't know if I have bookthree.
I really wanted to because Ithink that was when you and I
really started getting into theweeds of the books that we were
reading.
You were so excited about it.
And I think Jonathan and I hadstarted watching the series, we
might have finished, you know,season one.
(16:58):
But like to your point, itdidn't finish, right?
Like they stopped it.
Yeah.
And so I was like, what's thepoint?
Mari (17:04):
Yeah.
Intro (17:05):
Yeah.
Mari (17:05):
Kelly, how you you read some of them, right?
Or did you read all of them?
Kelly (17:10):
I only read a couple.
Mari (17:11):
Okay.
Kelly (17:12):
Mostly the ones with the crows.
Intro (17:14):
Yeah.
Mari (17:14):
Those are the, in my opinion, the better ones.
Um I don't know.
I they they yeah, they calledme more.
They were very well-writtenpersonalities.
They were like very fullyfledged.
Nobody was truly good or trulybad.
They felt like fully formedpeople.
Ashley (17:32):
Yeah.
I remember you raving aboutthem.
Yeah.
Mari (17:35):
So I'm excited about that.
Even though I think it's Ithink it's a very short story.
Like I think it's like 60 pagesor something.
There's not a whole lot to it,but still excited.
Yeah.
Yeah.
All right.
Last little bit of news I haveis our friend Sebastian Nothwell
has been super busy.
So he, the Oak King Holly Kingbook that we read is available
in audiobook now.
(17:56):
Um, the audiobook is performedby Gary Furlong, and he's also
contributed to a fantasyanthology that's coming out next
month, November 11th, 2025.
It's called An OutstretchedHand, a Tarot Tarot Spread of
Queer Stories.
(18:16):
So it's going to be a story, astory by him, by R.K.
Ashwick, Luna Day, TessCarletta, Carolina Cruz, and
Noah Hawthorne.
Um I I have an arc of it, but Ihaven't started reading it yet.
But the synopsis of thedifferent stories sound pretty
cool.
So it's like a little bit of adark, like spooky vibe.
(18:38):
Not necessarily like scary.
It's not horror, but I thinkthey're gonna have a little bit
of a of a of a spooky kind ofvibe to them.
Okay.
So yeah, I'm I'm curious to seehow those go.
I finally read something elseby him.
I read Mr.
Warren's Profession, which ishis like historical romance.
(18:59):
Um, and it was really good.
I really enjoyed it.
Ashley (19:02):
Um I did enjoy his tone like the books.
Mari (19:05):
Yeah.
Like it felt like it waswritten in in that era, but it
also didn't feel like convolutedor hard to read.
Ashley (19:11):
Authentic.
Mari (19:12):
Yeah, right.
Yeah.
So yeah, that was that wasgood.
Anyone else have any newstidbits?
Intro (19:18):
No.
Ashley (19:19):
I don't.
Mari (19:20):
I don't think so.
Jonathan (19:21):
I I don't.
Mari (19:23):
Okay.
So why we chose this book?
We wanted to read a book forHalloween for spooky month, and
we wanted to read another bookby an author that was going to
be at Romantic Con if possible.
So there's a lot of authors atRomantic Con this year that I
did not know anything about.
And also we wanted to make surewe get one that was like spooky
and one that was available onaudiobook and that we could all
(19:46):
have access to.
So I went on the Fabled FantasyDiscord and I was like, hey
guys, looking for a spooky read.
And this is the one of the onesthat they recommended.
So we decided to read it.
It was new to all of us.
And so I'm gonna read a littlebit about it, and then we can
get into details.
This book was published October31st, 2023, so Halloween.
(20:09):
Millicent Foxborough ishaunted, not by ghosts, but by
the anguish of her past and theuncertainty of her future.
After all, even in theprogressive year of 1928, most
people would balk at hiring awoman who'd spent two months in
a mental ward for traumaticamnesia.
So when an uncommonassistantship to a reclusive
(20:30):
professor of mythology fallsinto her lap with an ungodly
salary attached, her desperationfor stability overrides her
cautious nature.
To Millie's dismay, the widowedprofessor Caleb Hughes and his
estate, Willowfield, are morethan she bargained for.
The once magnificent home,known for its sprawling gardens
and dazzling parties, is fallingto pieces after the death of
(20:51):
the professor's fragile wife.
What's more, the staff has beenreduced to the only three
people not frightened away byrumors of ghosts, leaving the
halls empty and languishing inbitter memories.
The professor himself is agrim, intense man with unclear
expectations, unpredictablemoods, and hungry eyes that
ignite Millie's own dormantpassions.
The closer she finds herselfdrawn to Professor Hughes and
(21:14):
his strange world of flowers andfolklore, the more the house
closes in, threatening to revealher secrets.
But the professor is keepingsecrets of his own, and the most
dangerous of all is hers todiscover.
So I will say this before weget into any discussion.
I'm pretty sure as we get intodiscussion, there will be
(21:35):
mention of mental health issuesand or mention of miscarriage.
So if that is something that isa trigger situation for anyone,
you may want to skip this ormaybe look at the trigger
warnings and decide if it's foryou or not before you go on.
That being said, somebody otherthan Ash or I who went first
(21:58):
multiple times, what did youguys think?
Jonathan (22:01):
Kelly, you want to rock paper scissors me for it?
Mari (22:04):
You want to sort of I think you've been volatile,
Jonathan.
Dang.
Jonathan (22:10):
Um okay, so medium to okay on my end.
I thought the story started outreal well.
And then as it progressed, Istarted to kind of like piece
some stuff together in my head.
But then I'm not gonna lie, Ithink the author did something
that I'm not always super keenon, and that they just kind of
(22:31):
invented an ending out of thinair for me.
And there were like there wasnothing I would could look back
on to like tie things together,and I don't like when people do
that.
So it felt rushed for you.
And with that said, like I knowwe're inventing a story.
(22:55):
Like I'm not, I don't expectI'm not like a I didn't read
like, hey, this is true events.
No, that I know this is aninvention of somebody's or
somebody's creative work, but Ifeel like out of out of when you
have a story out of ingredientsthat you've introduced
throughout a story, then youhave you can build an ending.
(23:17):
And I don't think that fullyoccurred for me or like it
didn't bring you along for theending.
Yeah, it just they were justyeah, they were just like, ha,
gotcha.
And I was like, Well you goteverybody because this you
weren't even we nobody was like,yeah, it's yeah, they the the
the per the person responsibleexisted, yeah.
(23:39):
But like there was you gave nohints throughout the book.
Like, come on.
Like some murder, like murdershe wrote has a ton of hints,
right?
But like there should be, Ifelt like there should have been
g give us a little bit more tochase is all.
(24:00):
That's all otherwise I Ienjoyed it.
Yeah, I could I could as I wasreading it, I could envision the
the characters' faces in mymind.
Like I just I could I couldrelate to it and and just think
like like who's the who's theguy who played on Drew Carey,
but like the the the goofysidekick but with the dark hair,
(24:21):
like that guy.
I forget I don't even know whatother roles that guy played in.
Ashley (24:25):
Yeah, I'm not sure what you're talking about.
Jonathan (24:27):
He's a swell dude.
I saw him a bunch.
Mari (24:32):
Okay.
Jonathan (24:33):
Yeah.
How about you, Kelly?
Kelly (24:36):
What were your thoughts, Kelly?
I didn't care for this bookthat much.
I think that the pacing wasn'tvery good.
The romance pacing was off.
It felt didn't feel right.
I think the characters, whileinteresting, were fairly
predictable.
I think the big plot twist wasvery predictable.
(24:57):
It's not the first time thatkind of plot twist has been done
in literature or film.
So kind of expected, wasn'treally surprised.
I don't know.
Ashley (25:09):
I just it wasn't for you.
Kelly (25:11):
It wasn't for me.
I felt this was more liketrying to be a suspense book.
Like the author set out to theauthor set out to write a book
that had parallels to CrimsonPeaks or something similar, but
just couldn't bring it together.
Ashley (25:29):
Should you want to go next or should I?
Yeah, no, I'll go next.
I like the book.
I don't maybe I'm the sillyone.
I like the book.
I didn't think it was I didn'tfeel too predictable.
I I didn't see that one bigplot twist that happened.
Jonathan said he did, so then Ifelt silly.
But I don't know.
I think I don't go looking forthe patterns, right?
(25:49):
For me, this is supposed to beentertainment.
I want to feel blind going in.
And I thought it was, you know,it did a really good job, you
know, explaining and and visgiving that visual of this wild
estate, you know, wild beinglike massive and haunted and
(26:11):
mythical and the gardens, right?
And and all the things that arein there and what they
represent.
I I thought for a short book itdid a really good job.
It didn't feel like a novella,right?
Like it was bigger than anovella, but it was smaller than
a novel.
And I think it did, itdefinitely felt wrapped up, you
know, with a a really crisp bowat the end, but I wasn't mad at
(26:34):
it.
I got my closure.
I feel good about it.
I liked it.
Mari (26:37):
Okay.
I I very much enjoyed this.
I read well, I listened to it.
This is one that I listened to.
So we were doing a lot ofdriving back and forth, so I
opted to listen to it.
And I wasn't crazy about someof the voices, but the story
itself for like maybe threequarters of it, I thought it was
(27:00):
gonna be a Jane Eyre retelling.
That's what it felt like.
Like I didn't think that goingin, but once we started
listening to everything, I'mlike, oh, this is Jane Eyre in
the 1920s.
Has anyone has anyone else readJane Eyre?
Or do you know the storyline toJane Eyre?
Mm-mm.
Yeah.
So you know, was that yes orno?
I'm sorry.
That was a no for no okay.
So it's like it's a classicbook.
(27:20):
It's like Charlotte Bronte,like 180-year-old book.
So spoilers for this180-year-old book.
Um, but like let me say this.
I don't know if you ever planto read this.
Do you mind if I talk aboutspoilers?
No, please.
Okay.
Um, so basically, and Jonathan,you you're okay with it too?
Jonathan (27:40):
Yeah, I'm cool with it.
Mari (27:41):
Okay, so Jane Eyre is a really good book, but it's also
a gothic romantic romance book.
It is in Jane Eyre, you have awoman who comes from like not a
lot of means, and she iscontracted to this isolated big
(28:02):
mansion out in, I don't know,the moors, and there's this
surly, moody, dark professortype, Mr.
Rushester.
Um, and Jane Eyre and him endup having this this flame like
(28:23):
there is here, and to the pointwhere well she she keeps hearing
things in the house, she's notallowed on the third floor,
there's very little help there.
The staff is very cold to her.
Like it is absolutely thisbook.
I'm like, is this just a JaneEyre retelling?
Yeah.
And I'm like, oh my god, is thisis this what's happening?
(28:44):
So in in Jane Eyre, she getsengaged to Mr.
Rochester, and then all howbreaks loose because it turns
out that Mr.
Rochester's first wife wasn'treally dead.
She was locked up in the atticbecause she had gone mad.
Oh shit.
Um Yeah.
So I thought that that wasfully where this is going.
(29:05):
I'm like, oh my god, don't goon the third floor.
She's seeing this ghost, butit's not really ghost, but it's
the prior wife that nobody talksabout.
You know what I mean?
I was like, this is exactlythis book.
And I think Bea Northwicktricked me.
She's like, anyone who's readJane Eyre, she was like, this is
gonna be Jane Eyre.
Like, you I didn't tell you itwas gonna be Jane Eyre, but you
know, you and I know this isJane Eyre.
(29:26):
And then it wasn't.
And then it wasn't.
And I was like, wait, what?
I enjoyed it.
I enjoyed this a lot because Iwas like, oh, I know what's
happening.
I know what's gonna happenhere.
And then it I did not.
And then you didn't.
And then you didn't.
I in fact did not know what washappening.
So there were some parts thatwere predictable, which I'm okay
with.
I don't have to be like fullyblown away by plot twists to
(29:49):
enjoy a story.
I thought it was reallyinteresting.
And I I don't know anything,I'm not a mental health
profession professional.
So but I thought it was reallyinteresting the idea of like she
kind of had to find herselfagain to have to get get all
these memories.
Like it was like she washaunting herself, which is very
(30:11):
like tragic and yeah, gothic andhaunting and just yeah, really
interesting.
I feel like there were plentyof breadcrumbs for the the
datura for the poison because itwas mentioned pretty early on.
And it's even the flower on thecover of the book.
(30:32):
But I did not think that theGardner situation was in any way
hinted at.
So I agree, that part came outof like left field for me.
But I enjoyed this to the pointthat I then read the novella
that comes after this, thecompanion novella, which is very
short, but it's basically theevents told from Mr.
(30:54):
Hughes' viewpoint.
It's called Lover.
And oh my god, this book likeis haunting my brain.
Yeah, because think about it.
Imagine we're all married here.
Look to your spouse.
Imagine that your spouse diedtragically in your house.
And it's been a year, you'rebroken, you are just trying to
(31:18):
exist in life, trying to getpast this horrible trauma in
your life, and then you get acall that wait, they didn't
actually die, but they're notgonna know you.
And we have to try and do allthis to get them to like get
better, and you have to liketreat your spouse like a
stranger.
Right.
Like Jonathan would never it itjust got me.
(31:43):
Like, I know it's a crazyconcept, it's a wild concept,
but it just it was just like thethe the novella really fleshed
out the book, but I don't thinkthat she could have written his
viewpoint into the original bookand and not messed up the
story.
So I think it had to be aseparate story, yeah.
Um but it really rounded outtheir whole story and also his
(32:05):
viewpoint as they are getting tolike as she is finding herself,
he realizes that she's notshe's still not the same woman
he married because she's likefound her own power.
Millie has like she comes intoherself, she is more saving
herself and has more confidencein herself and can take care of
herself.
Um, more so where when theywere first dating, he was always
(32:29):
her knight in shining armor.
He was always the oneprotecting her, saving her.
And through everything that shewent through, when they do
finally get together again fortheir second chance, she is a
different person.
And, you know, all of us herehave been with our spouses for a
while, whether we were marriedor not, we've been with each
other for a while, and we allknow that that person sitting in
(32:51):
that room across from you isnot the same person that you
married, and and you're not thesame person they married.
Like life changes you, and youhave all these versions of
yourself that you go through atdifferent stages of your life.
Um, and it's kind of like in aweird, twisted goth romance way,
it was like a second chanceromance, the story was, among
everything else that it was.
(33:12):
I enjoyed it.
Like the only reason I did notgive it five stars is because
I'm not sure that this issomething I would reread.
Because now that I knoweverything that happened, I
don't know.
And maybe come this time nextyear I'll feel like rereading it
and I may change it to fivestars.
But for now, it's a very strongfour-star, like very high read
for me.
Um, I just don't know that it'sone I'm gonna reread over and
(33:33):
over.
And you guys know that's myqualifier for like a five-star
read.
It's one something that Ireread over and over.
Ashley (33:38):
I feel like it's a four and a half though, because you
went and chased down thenovella.
Mari (33:42):
Yeah, yeah.
It's a high, yeah, very high.
Yes.
A high four.
Yeah.
I enjoyed it.
It was it was it was uh goodfor this time of year.
It was had some of that darktwistedness where you don't know
is it magical, is it haunted,what's going on here?
Um, yeah, I enjoyed it.
(34:03):
I enjoyed it a lot.
I yeah, I will probably I Ithink Bia has one more book.
She's only written, I think,three.
So it's this one, the novellathat goes with it, and then a
book called Black Wicket.
So I will probably read thatone too.
Because I'm I'm kind of likingher voice and her style.
Ashley (34:26):
So yeah, I think I'm not super great about going back
and like reading more from anauthor I enjoyed.
I think it's like my form ofADHD.
Like I love it, I love it, Ilove it, but I don't always
remember to go back and look formore.
There's so many good stuff outthere.
Yeah.
I'm definitely distracted.
But I think, you know, if I ifI was scrolling, right, like
(34:48):
Doom Scrolling through KindleUnlimited as one does, I I would
pause, you know, when I see hername now moving forward, and
I'll be, you know, I'll be like,oh, that was good before.
This is probably worth, youknow, looking into.
Right.
Um, but I I did.
I I really enjoyed this book.
I enjoyed the plot twists,whether they were predictable or
(35:08):
not.
I definitely saw that she wasbeing poisoned.
I thought it was Felicity,though.
Mari (35:14):
Yeah.
Jonathan (35:15):
I thought it was Felicity.
Like because there's contactthroughout the book.
Ashley (35:21):
Yeah.
Jonathan (35:22):
The the brother's only there a couple times.
Just like, whoop, hey, oh, I'mhere.
What's up?
Mari (35:26):
I think it was Felicity, but I think the brother was like
bullying her into doing ituntil she finally got like
guilty and decided to comeclean.
Right.
Jonathan (35:36):
Yeah.
It was almost like they werelike, hey, this is too
predictable.
How do you throw a curveball inat the end?
Ashley (35:43):
Yeah.
Jonathan (35:43):
And then maybe the brother was just an edit later.
Like, let's go.
I said that ending and add themin.
Ashley (35:49):
It makes it just as good.
Like, I was pleased.
I was glad that it wasn'tFelicity.
Intro (35:54):
Yeah.
Jonathan (35:54):
It's it's it's a much more mature and less comical
overboard.
The movie style.
Mari (36:05):
It definitely has some overboard elements for sure.
Ashley (36:10):
I don't know how I feel about that one.
Jonathan (36:12):
Hey, Overboard's a kissing movie.
Ashley (36:13):
It is.
Jonathan (36:14):
Have it on good authority.
Ashley (36:17):
I don't disagree with that.
I need to think about thisbeing it about it being
connected to the book though.
What do you think, Kelly?
Kelly (36:29):
I mean, it shares a lot of the same elements, but I mean
the whole amnesia thing in thistype of setting is pretty
overdone.
There's tons of stories thatuse it.
Mari (36:44):
Who's done it the best?
I have oh, I have something.
I I think 51st dates.
Kelly (36:52):
Oh, that was good.
That was great.
Jonathan (36:54):
That was good job, Kelly.
That's a kissing book.
Mari (36:58):
That is a kissing book.
I'm trying to figure out ifthis is gonna be a spoiler or
not.
Kelly (37:07):
Or I mean, even better, probably the Muppets Take
Manhattan.
Ashley (37:10):
We don't watch the Muppets in my house.
Kelly (37:13):
You can't do weapons.
Mari (37:14):
I do.
Muppets Take Manhattan wasgood.
I think for me, the best thebook that did the amnesia
situation the best was ProjectHail Mary.
Main character wakes up andcan't remember anything, and
they're in a ship in space.
That's the beginning of thebook.
Ashley (37:31):
A ship in space?
Yeah.
Ashley writes down notes.
Mari (37:35):
I there's a movie coming out.
Don't look at anything aboutthe movie.
Don't watch the trailer.
Read the book first.
The book is an experience.
It was so good.
Like so good.
Ashley (37:47):
No time.
Mari (37:48):
Because you're figuring it out like the main character is.
And and it's done very well.
It's not done in a heavy-handedor in a tropey way.
Yes.
I would absolutely recommendthis.
But you don't want to find outtoo much because you don't you
want to have preconceivednotions.
I would say absolutely read it.
Intro (38:04):
Okay.
Ashley (38:05):
Did you write it down, husband?
Jonathan (38:07):
No, I was busy looking at the synopsis for a while you
were sleeping.
Mari (38:12):
Distracted.
All right.
So while you guys do well,let's say it's so I I guess we
all agree it's a kissing book.
Jonathan (38:19):
Wait, what?
Yeah.
This one?
Mari (38:21):
Yeah.
Yeah.
Jonathan (38:22):
I'll give it, I'll give it a yeah.
Mari (38:23):
What do you think, Kelly?
Jonathan (38:24):
Yeah, it's a kissing book.
Mari (38:25):
I agree.
Like it's none of this wouldhave happened without the
romance.
Like, yeah, 100%.
That wouldn't have beenworthwhile.
But while you you look up thewhile you were sleeping
situation, I will say I havesome recommendations.
If anyone liked this book, Iwould recommend Jane Eyre by
Charlotte Bronte.
Like I know it's like a180-year-old book, and we may
(38:47):
have all been forced to readbooks in school that we didn't
like.
But if you like this this book,or if you sounds like you might
like this book, then I wouldgive Jane Eyre a try.
There's also several movieadaptations of it if you don't
want to read it, but you wouldprobably enjoy Jane Eyre if you
enjoyed this book.
Um also Crimson Peak, which isa movie that Guillermo del Toro
(39:11):
did, which is so beautifullyvisually done.
It's so well done that theythen did a book adaptation of
the movie, and the book feelslike an original gothic romance
book.
Um the book was written by thebook adaptation of the movie is
written by Nancy Holder.
Would absolutely recommend.
North Anchor Abbey by JaneAusten.
(39:31):
Would absolutely recommend.
One of the main characters isobsessed with gothic romances.
Phantasma by Kaylee Smith.
You read that one, wasn't it?
Yeah.
Right?
I would say the similar vibes.
Yeah.
So Phantasma for sure.
And there's a sequel which I'venot read yet.
Mexican Gothic by Sylvia MorenoGarcia, which is very much like
(39:57):
this kind of vibe, but also alittle bit of a Edgar Allan Poe
Fall of the House of Usherretelling mixed in.
Along those lines, What Movesthe Dead by T.
King Fisher is kind of anotherFall of the House of Usher
retelling, which also hassimilar vibes to this.
Phantom of the Opera, the bookby Christian LaRoe.
(40:19):
Not that long.
Absolutely has these vibes.
She wrote The Vampires of ElNorte that we read recently.
Um The Yellow Wallpaper.
It's a short story by CharlottePerkins Gilman.
Highly recommend if you likethis book.
It's a haunting short story.
It's a very good short story.
(40:40):
And The Haunting ofHeatherhurst Hall by Sebastian
Nothwell.
So you got a whole list ofgothic romance stories.
If this is the vibe that you'reyou're falling into, would
highly recommend.
Yeah.
Ashley (41:00):
That was a spicy one.
Mari (41:01):
Yeah.
Jonathan, did you find youranswers?
Jonathan (41:05):
I went down a whole different rabbit hole.
Mari (41:08):
We'll never know now.
Jonathan (41:10):
So I'm so sorry.
I got distracted this weekend.
Big time.
Yeah.
I think this.
I might I've had a wholeconversation in my head in the
last 30 seconds, just so youknow.
And nobody else was there.
Ashley (41:28):
Well, tighten up, bro.
We're on here right now.
Jonathan (41:30):
My bad.
Ashley (41:31):
Focus, focus.
Lock it in.
Mari (41:37):
Um, anything else anybody wants to say about the book?
Ashley (41:41):
Um.
Although I would not like tolive in a mansion estate like
that.
No.
Jonathan (41:49):
It's too much, too much maintenance.
Ashley (41:52):
Love stuff.
Mari (41:53):
Yeah.
Like those old houses neededall that stuff for a reason.
Like it had to have so muchmaintenance and upkeep.
It was like its own littleecosystem.
You know, and when they startto fall apart, like they fall
apart.
Like Crimson Peak is like that.
It's this beautiful, gorgeoushouse in England, and it is
falling apart, you know?
Which is, you know, happened toa lot of places.
(42:15):
Like a lot of these old housesor mansions or like, you know,
historical places.
If there was nobody or no moneyinto or no ability to keep them
up, they just fall apart.
Ashley (42:28):
I also would not like a house that talks back.
No thanks.
Mari (42:34):
Yeah.
Yeah.
So do you guys think that therewas any supernatural elements
in this book?
Or do you think it was I thinkit was all the drug, all the
datura.
It was hallucinations, is my iswhat I feel out of it.
Jonathan (42:46):
Well, is it can a drug, can a drug be considered
supernatural?
Mari (42:50):
No.
It's natural.
Like by definition, it was aflower.
It was of nature.
Jonathan (42:56):
Yeah.
Ashley (42:57):
Jonathan read this book like two weeks ago.
Jonathan (43:00):
Yeah.
I read it when I read it as itwas assigned.
Ashley (43:04):
Yeah.
Jonathan (43:04):
And then I had a way.
Mari (43:06):
You gave us a little bit too much time for this homework.
I had to like- I think I justfinished it yesterday and then I
finished the follow-up littlenovella today.
So it's fresh for me.
And then I was like, wait, isthis Datura really exist?
It does.
And it really is like that badwhere like touching it can can
do stuff to your skin, smellingit can be poisonous.
(43:27):
Um, like it's it's not good.
It's really pretty.
It's also goes by the name theDevil's Trumpet.
It's a very pretty lookingplant.
Ashley (43:34):
Oh, so that name I recognize.
Yeah.
Interesting.
Mm-hmm.
I definitely like when they dotheir homework and they make,
you know, those parts reallyauthentic.
Mari (43:47):
So it's funny.
Hemlock and silver that T.
Kingfisher recently released isthe it's like the story of Snow
White, but told from theviewpoint of this woman who's
like, she reach researchespoisons to find antidotes.
So the Snow White's fathercomes to her to like get her to
save Snow White.
So T.
Kingfisher was at Drancon anddid like a panel, and she was
(44:10):
talking about like she had to doall this research on poisons
because this her main characterwas a poisoner.
Like that was her bread andbutter.
She knew, like that was herobsession, that was what she
did.
That was her you know vocation.
And so she had to get stuffright, and she had to know all
this stuff, and she had to likedo all this research, and she
was like turned to her husband,and she's like, You cannot
(44:30):
possibly die while I'mresearching this.
So the next I will be suspectnumber one.
Ashley (44:36):
Right.
For the next 36 months, you arethe pinnacle of health, dear.
That's funny.
Mari (44:44):
Oh, yeah, yeah.
But I'd say that this authordefinitely also did her research
on poisons and stuff, at leastas far as I did.
I didn't do deep research, butI was like, oh, okay.
Detour is a real thing.
Devil's trumpet.
Oh, I've seen what that flowerlooks like.
Oh, this is what's on thecover.
Okay.
This all checks out.
Legit.
Yeah.
All right.
Anything else we want to sayabout the book or anything else
(45:06):
before we wrap it up?
Jonathan (45:08):
Um come and if you're it if you're listening to this
on Thursday, the was it the23rd?
Ashley (45:16):
Um I don't know what day it is anymore.
Jonathan (45:18):
Yeah.
If you're listening to this onthen and you wake up in the
Orlando area on the 24th or the25th, swing by RomancyCon will
be meandering around.
Ashley (45:29):
With a ticket, though.
Jonathan (45:30):
Yeah, oh yeah, you should bring a ticket.
That's the best way to get in.
Ashley (45:33):
Yeah.
They're particular about thatthese days.
Yeah.
But yeah.
And if you're gonna be at thecon, like find us.
Um we should get name tags, youguys.
Mari (45:41):
Yeah, yeah.
Well, we'll have littlebookmarks to give away if if if
you'd like one.
And I have the book cart thatI'm gonna have is like tan, and
it's got a big, huge stickerthat is our logo on it.
It is bigger than my head.
So look for that and you'llfind us.
Jonathan (46:01):
Absolutely.
Mari (46:02):
Minus Kelly.
Kelly won't be there this thisyear, but you'll see the three
of us there.
So come by, say hi.
You know, we won't bite.
Jonathan (46:09):
Unstee.
Unless you ask nice.
Intro (46:11):
Yeah.
Jonathan (46:11):
Yeah.
I have, yeah, I mean, like,there's if if you see a guy, uh
like the odds that it's me.
Mari (46:19):
It's gonna be you or it's gonna be the one male author
that's set to be there, right?
Yeah.
You or same jail brody?
Jonathan (46:25):
Oh yeah.
Oh yeah.
I hope I put his book in ourcrate.
Mari (46:28):
Um The dating dismemberment of Yeah, I do like
that one.
Jonathan (46:31):
It's uh when I hand some of these, I hope they're
not offended because I'm gonnagive them like like twisted and
tattered books and be like, hey,I read your shit hard.
Mari (46:38):
I mean, I think I think as long as you tell them that, I
think they would be honored.
I I would assume.
Jonathan (46:42):
Um you know?
And they can I'll probablybring stuff.
I don't know if I want them tosign on the cover or not on the
cover.
I don't know.
I have to figure that out.
Ashley (46:49):
You should figure that out quick.
We're almost out of time, dear.
Jonathan (46:51):
And if yeah, well, I'm so excited.
I'm so let me tell you, I'm soI asked him earlier.
Ashley (46:56):
I did not get this wealth of of emotion, just so
you know.
Jonathan (47:00):
I'm so proud of the pockets that I've considered.
Spoiler.
Oh, I cannot wait to meet someof these authors and offer them
a bit of apparel equity.
Ashley (47:09):
Yeah.
Apparel equity.
Did you show Mari what youmade?
Yeah, you sent the picture.
Oh, he did?
Okay.
Mari (47:15):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Jonathan (47:16):
Yeah, they came out real well.
Mari (47:18):
So who are you guys looking forward to seeing, to
meeting there?
Jonathan (47:25):
Take a deep breath.
Mari (47:26):
Anna Nicole Nair.
Jonathan (47:27):
That's the one?
Ashley (47:28):
That's she's pretty good.
Yeah.
Jonathan (47:32):
Cool.
Ashley (47:33):
That's pretty high up there.
I just finished book three,Accomplice to the Villain.
And I am delighted, by the way.
I I love the narrator.
I don't think I I'm gonna havetrouble reading those books one
day because I've been listeningto all the audios, and it's such
a unique like voice that shehas.
Like the way that she speaks,it's all it's almost like a
(47:55):
robot, but not because you hearthe emotion.
I don't know how a better wayto explain that or nicer way,
but I love it.
I was like scrambling todaybecause I had 30 minutes left in
the audiobook, and and my timewith Libby was expiring in like
15.
The panic I had, but they gaveme another hour after I returned
(48:16):
it.
Thank you, Libby.
Yeah, but that was so it wassuch a good book.
I giggled so much.
You get a whole different POV,a whole new one, and it was so
delightful.
You have to read it, guys.
Mari (48:27):
Yeah, I've not I've not gotten to that one yet.
Yeah, that was so good.
Jonathan?
Jonathan (48:32):
I'm looking forward to A.
L.
Brody, uh uh April L.
Moon, Hannah Nicole Mayor, ofcourse, Sarah Beth Durst,
Juliette Cross.
I like I just like seeing her.
Anyone else that they have on?
Rebecca F.
Kennedy is on my list.
And then I'm interested also, Iwant to be introduced to an
(48:52):
author and their work that Ihaven't been introduced to yet.
So to the unknown author outthere, I'm gonna meet you.
We're gonna meet, we're gonnameet as meeting people.
Ashley (49:03):
I met someone last year and bought the book.
I have not finished the book,but it's in my it's in my
closet, which also secondariesas like my reading space, but
Jonathan doesn't let me go be bymyself, so that's a separate
conversation for a differentday.
But hear you all the time.
It's like a gender-bent RobinHood story.
And when I tell you I thinkabout this book all the time, I
(49:26):
think about it all, I justhaven't had time to literally
sit down and read a physicalbook since Onyx Storm.
Like I'm not even gonna lie toyou guys.
I might just buy it on Kindleso that I have the easy access
to it in my phone to read itwhile I'm, you know, staying up
until 2 a.m.
accidentally.
Mari (49:43):
I would know anything about that.
Ashley (49:44):
Yeah, no, nothing, right?
And I can't remember her nameoff the top of my head, but she
was a delight to talk to.
She signed everything, she haslike a whole little phrase that
goes with the story.
And I think about I think aboutthat book a lot.
I need to finish it.
So, in the vein of the unknownauthors, like there were a lot
of books that I bought last yearwithout knowing who or what
(50:07):
they were about, and they've allbeen superb, even if I haven't
finished them.
Like I I think about them.
Mari (50:13):
Yeah.
I am looking forward to meetingSarah Beth Durst.
I've got a ticketed thing tomeet her.
I'm looking forward to RebeccaF.
Kennedy.
That's gonna be probably thefirst one I go to.
That's gonna be my stop numberone.
I need to figure out which ofher books that I have I'm going
to get her to sign.
(50:34):
Or maybe just bring them alland see what happens.
Um so she's those two areprobably the big, big ones.
I'm looking forward toreconnecting with Juliet Cross
because, you know, still lovingher books.
I don't think I'm gonna get totalk to Hannah Colmara because I
didn't get one of her tickets,so I don't know I'm gonna be
able to see her, but I'm excitedthat you guys are.
(50:56):
And Bay Northwake, if nothingelse, to ask how to pronounce
her first name.
But also tell her how much Ienjoyed her book.
Now that I've read it, I I willprobably, if she has it there
for sale, I'll probably get itfrom her and get her to sign it.
I think those are the big ones.
Oh, and I'm looking forward totalking to Grace Draven again.
She wrote Radiance that we readlast year.
(51:18):
Um, but I've now read two moreof her books, and I'm really
enjoying it.
So I'll be bringing that forher to sign.
Paige Lavoie's gonna be there,but we met at another call.
Yeah, I'm excited to hear abouther newest project, which she's
teasing.
She's teased publicly now, sowe can talk about it.
She's writing some sort of likea swamp creature.
(51:39):
It's like a new series.
So she's done with Mothman insome sort of like a swamp
situation.
I'm excited.
Jonathan (51:46):
Swamp situation.
Yeah.
There was a ticketed authorthat we read recently.
I can't remember what whichone.
I think you have you got aticket, Mari and Kelly.
Mari (51:56):
The only ticket I have is for Sarah Beth Durst.
That's the only author ticketsI was able to get in the
kerfuffle of all that.
Jonathan (52:04):
Who did we get close to but miss out on, Ashley?
Ashley (52:07):
I have to go back.
I'm pulling it up now.
I don't remember off the top ofmy head full schedule.
Jonathan (52:12):
Um I'm gonna go look at my Goodreads just in case.
Ashley (52:16):
So we did not get Adeline Grace, Kaylee Smith,
maybe it was Kaylee Smith.
Jonathan (52:21):
Kaylee Smith was probably the one else.
Kaylee Smith was Phantasma.
Ashley (52:24):
Yeah.
Jonathan (52:24):
Oh, wait, who did I want to?
Ashley (52:26):
So her, we've we've well, I met Cali.
Well, I talked to Kaylee lastyear.
I don't think I've got anythingor like got anything signed by
her.
But I remember like bandgirling slightly.
Mari (52:36):
Yeah, I remember we talked.
We both talked to her because Ithink I got the book because we
talked about it.
Oh, maybe.
Ashley (52:42):
Adeline Grace.
Alex Aster.
You like Alex Aster because youread what's it called?
Intro (52:48):
What's it called?
Jonathan (52:51):
Oh, did I oh, yeah, that's probably why.
I'm looking at the books thatI've read and I'm like, oh yeah,
that's oh, oh, I gotta makesure that goes in there too.
Ashley (52:59):
Alex Aster, gosh, I'm blanking and he's not helping.
Jonathan (53:02):
Yeah, no, because I'm looking at it.
Mari (53:04):
I'm excited also to meet while you guys look that up.
Jonathan (53:06):
Uh Lightlark.
Mari (53:07):
Lightlark, sorry.
Thank you.
Jonathan (53:09):
My bad.
Mari (53:10):
Um, JD Evans, who wrote of Rain and Ruin, that I am almost
done reading.
It had been on my list for fora while.
And I'm enjoying that.
I'm definitely not gonnafinish.
It's like a multi-book series.
I'm definitely not gonna finishit before the the con, but I'm
enjoying the book one that Iwill have done by then.
J.D.
Evans, Rain and Ruin.
It's like a desert Arabicsetting political, romanticy
(53:37):
situation with magic.
Yeah, it's intriguing.
So I'm looking forward tomeeting them because I've
actually talked to them beforeon on Reddit.
And so it'll be interesting totalk to them some more.
Yeah, this and of course, likeyou guys said, all the new
authors to us that we haven'tmet yet, that we haven't been
exposed to yet.
It'll be interesting to, youknow, meet them and other
(54:00):
people.
We may meet vendors and andwhatnot there.
So I'm so excited for thevendors.
Ashley (54:05):
Yeah.
I love stuff.
A lot.
I love stuff.
Last year, I think I wasslightly disappointed because I
was hoping for more stuff, and Ithink we're gonna get it this
year.
Because I was looking throughthe vendor list like a month
ago, and I was super excited,like of all the knickknacks and
the jewelry.
I'm really excited for jewelry,guys.
I hope there's jewelry, likeearrings, rings, bracelets.
(54:26):
Oh, I want the stuff.
Jonathan (54:28):
If you're a vendor listening, I hope you brought it
in.
Ashley (54:30):
I hope you're putting the stuff, guys.
Mari (54:32):
Yeah, I think it'll be it'll be cool to see.
See what all everybody has.
Ashley (54:35):
I got a rolly cart this year.
I'm ready and a tote bag.
Oh, yeah.
Jonathan (54:38):
I just put the I put two, I put two zip, I put an
empty zippered pack in there foryou.
The empty zipper pack.
Ashley (54:46):
They're expensive.
Jonathan (54:47):
I know.
But I put another, I putanother, I took Mari's advice
for like a little zipper pouch.
For the little things?
Yeah, so I put two in there,Ash.
One is for one holds thepockets.
I wanted to keep them separate.
Mari (55:00):
Oh, I will tell you one other bit of advice for the
Rolly Cart that I just found outand I just got.
And you guys may have access tothis because you have little
kids in your life.
The little add-on cup holdersthat you can clip on baby
strollers.
You stop it right now, that'sgenius.
Yes.
So I got one.
I got one and I have now on theinside of my cart, so I can put
my drink down inside the cartand it not go anywhere.
Ashley (55:23):
What did you look up?
Is it just like a strolleraccessory?
Oh, you're so smart.
Accessories.
Mari (55:30):
I can send you the link.
I did not come up with this.
It was on a Discord group, butI don't remember if it was the
Fabled Fantasy Discord or theMonster Rotica book con Discord.
But somebody there came up withit.
I'm like, that's genius.
I will absolutely be doing thatso I don't have to carry my
drink andor potentially spill iteverywhere.
Jonathan (55:47):
Yeah.
I love it.
Mari (55:49):
Yeah.
All right.
So ready to wrap this up?
Yeah.
We can do this all night.
Yes, we can.
All right.
So thanks for listening to OfSwords and Soulmates.
Before we go, make sure tocheck out the show notes, rate,
review, and subscribe to us onyour podcast app of choice.
It helps others to find us andlets us know what you're
enjoying and want more of.
Follow us on Instagram, TikTok,YouTube, Facebook, or Goodreads
(56:10):
at Of Swords and Soulmates.
Check us out on our website ofSwordsandsoulmates.com.
If you'd like to offer asuggestion for a future episode,
book, or topic, feel free toreach out to us on DMs of any of
those options.
If you want to read along withus as we prep for a new episode
and get chapter by chapterinteraction, join us on our
Fable app Book Club by searchingfor the Of Swords and Soulmates
(56:31):
Book Club on there.
And last but not least, we hopeyou'll join us in two weeks for
our next episode when we willbe talking about our 2025
Romanticy Con experience.
Bye.
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