S03.09: The Romance Your TBR Summer Reading Program

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
We crave donut and so we must keep this concise so that we can go get donut.

(00:06):
I'm so excited.
I woke up today and I really should have just went and got them when I woke up, but that's
not who I am fundamentally.
No, I get up just in time for work.
I did pop out to go get my Dunkin.
Like you buy a drink and you get a free donut and then I was annoyed because I placed the
order online and I went and they didn't have the flavor or whatever type of donut that

(00:27):
I had requested so I had to pick another one and then the donut wasn't even good.
It was like kind of stale.
I was like, who's giving me a stale donut at 11 a.m. on national donut day on national
donut day.
That's a crime.
Yeah, I would say so.
I was planning to go to Dunkin.
So this is this is just normally I like Dunkin.
Yeah, me too.

(00:48):
I love their iced coffee because I don't like really sweet coffee.
So I just get there without any sugar.
I am quite literally still working on this.
I see the straw.
I know we have like a local donut shop, but they didn't post anything for national donut
day.
So I don't know what's going on with them.
There's one I'm going to go to after this to get some.

(01:09):
They're not doing like free donuts, but they're I can't remember how old they are.
Yeah, they've been open for many years.
I think it's 30 years, something like that.
So they're bringing back like this original flavor for the original price of like a dollar
or something.
Then it's like a one day only they're bringing back this raspberry donut.

(01:31):
And I love a raspberry flavored thing.
Me too.
I used to not like like jelly filled donuts, but I feel like since I had Duncan's little
whatever the time the ball, what are their donuts?
Yes, I completely forgot.
Pulling.
They have like the best their little jelly filled munchkins are so good because it's

(01:55):
like the perfect amount of jelly to the munchkin because like I find when there's like a yeah,
when there's like a full jelly donut, there's just so much jelly.
There's a lot of and it just goes everywhere.
But the munchkins are perfect, but they're always the ones sold out.
So I do take that kind of personally.
Well if you couldn't tell we are recording this on Friday, National Donut Day, because

(02:17):
I don't even have a good excuse.
I was just no, I mean, yeah, I mean, to be fair, Wednesday, I was like, I could text,
but I didn't.
I don't know what I was doing.
Probably a puzzle or something.
I don't know what I was doing Wednesday either.
I know I got home.
What was Wednesday?
Not too late.

(02:37):
I don't know.
Look, I don't it's just it's just busy.
It is the days run together.
It's already June 7th.
What is life?
Don't tell me that.
It's illegal.
It should be.
It really should be.
Anyway, so you're listening to this after the fact, whenever this goes up.
You know what?

(02:58):
And it's fine.
I've decided.
I just need to get her done and get her up.
There are just a lot of jokes in my brain right now and I'm going to go ahead and skip
past those.
Hello and welcome to Romancer TBR.
We hope that you got a donut today.
We really do.

(03:19):
That wasn't stale and not the one that you wanted.
Honestly, I know.
And I hope if you have dietary restrictions, you have a local vegan or gluten free donut
place.
I know my dad and sister are gluten free and there's like no place to get like a fresh
gluten free donut.
There was this one lady who did it at the farmers market last summer.

(03:39):
Every Saturday we went now.
She's not there.
And we're like, where are your donuts?
So we're going to see tomorrow.
Wish us luck.
But I am ye of little faith.
So I don't know.
I don't think I am ye of little faith.
I know.
I am me.

(04:00):
That's that me espresso.
I am so obsessed with the new one.
Like I like the lyrics fine and I like the song, but I love the instrument like the instrumental.
Like it just sounds so cool.
And then when she says motherfucker, like the country, it just sounds like something really
satisfying about the way she says motherfucker.

(04:20):
Specifically, it's like a twang.
It's like, you know, did you watch the video?
Yeah.
Yeah.
When she like the first time she does it, when she's slamming the trunk and there's
something about the delivery of that where I was like, oh, she's an actor.
Like that's what I remember.
I was like, OK, so yeah, he's an actor.
Yeah.
I'm like, this makes a lot of sense.

(04:40):
Also the way that I gasped when Barry Keegan showed up, I was like, OK, pop icon, putting
your actual boyfriend in the.
I also feel like she was like, oh, you guys don't think my boyfriend is hot.
I agree.
Him being the hottest I've ever seen.
I didn't either.
I see.
I did the exact same thing.
He showed up in the all black criminal fit and I was like, oh, yep.

(05:01):
He was like beating people up in that room.
Oh, yeah.
It was a good vibe.
I'm excited.
My friend is hot.
New episode, historical romance to give the vibes of whatever was going on in that video.
I don't know any off the top of my head, but I want them.

(05:25):
The only one I can think of is a Madison Michaels where the guy is truly just shy of villain
status.
I love a just.
Yeah.
Criminals.
Yeah, exactly.
We can do it.
We can do it.
We can pull it together.
Yeah.
Like brothel or not brothel.
I mean, do I know any brothel in fiction?
Probably in gaming, gaming, hell, then thing people.

(05:49):
We've got it.
Sarah McLean.
There's Lorraine Heath.
You have those.
We can do it.
I have.
I am me of immense faith.
That's that me of immense faith.
Espresso.
Espresso.
I love that song, also a song that I can't stop singing.
Also just like the pop icon behavior of writing a song about how your boyfriend is like embarrassing

(06:12):
and then putting your real life boyfriend in the video about how your boyfriend is embarrassing
you.
She is just so funny.
How can someone be so hot and so funny?
It's not fair.
I don't know.
Her tweets, like everything she tweets are common.

(06:34):
She just has perfect comedic timing and just knows what to say.
I'm like, I'm jealous.
I don't know.
But that song, both of them.
And then she was smart enough to release the two songs, both on an EP, like the Please,
Please, Please and Espresso, so I can listen to them just over and over again on a loop.
And I'm like, thank you for putting those two together for me.
I am just listening to one after the other after the other.

(06:58):
I know my friend wants to go to her tour and I just fear for Ticketmaster these days.
Yeah.
But because we went to Ed Sheeran in Kansas City and that was super fun.
So she goes to Kansas.
I would love to do that.
It's all expensive now.
I know.
I go to T. McCray and I was like, yeah, there is that.

(07:20):
That's that concert espresso.
I just love how celebrities just keep talking about their Mi Espresso.
There was this band.
He was singing.
It was a very dramatic song.
And then he just goes, all right, all right.
That's that Mi Espresso.
Randomly.
I'm like, what?
I didn't even find out who it was.

(07:40):
It's just a stupid phrase.
The lyric is so stupid.
We all just collectively were like, yeah.
It's so funny.
What does that mean?
I mean, I know what it means.
I want to know how she came to know what it meant.
I want to know how she came to discover it.

(08:03):
Yeah.
Was that something she said?
I mean, the idea of I'm keeping somebody up at night.
But I never would have thought to say that phrase.
Exactly.
Getting there.
That's the part that fascinates me.
Beautiful.
It's art is what it is.
It is art.
It's that Mi Espresso.
Yes, it is.
Oh.
Speaking of things that keep me up at night, our TBRs are simply so long.

(08:30):
They really are.
Well, number one got asked, I had done a question box or something on Instagram a while ago
of what kind of episodes would you like to see if somebody had asked for our TBRs?
And then Faded Mates did a really excellent podcast episode recently, very recently in
the past few days.

(08:51):
Of their TBRs.
And number one, you should actually pause this episode and go listen to that.
Because they talk about discoverability.
And I thought everything that they had to say was really great.
I mean, we have our own kind of ways of discovering books, but it's different when you're not
working in publishing or entrenched in book spaces.

(09:11):
Well, yes.
I mean, before I had Bookstagram, I had no clue where to find books.
Exactly.
It was a random Facebook group for a YouTuber I watched and they were terrible recommendations.
They still haunt me to this day.
And I remember, because I think Bookstagram is the only reason I kept on reading historical.
Because I loved bringing down the Duke and I had a few, like I read the When He Was a

(09:33):
Wicked and a few other ones, but I didn't know what else to do.
I didn't know what historical romance really was or like that series were a thing, like
interconnected but standalone series.
And so like I didn't know there were other Bridgerton books or anything, but it was really
Bookstagram that was like, oh, here are all these books.
And then connecting with authors and stuff.
I mean, they really covered all the bases.

(09:53):
The only thing I would add was like they didn't say anything about if you're in a traditionally
published like following publishers, which I always go check like Berkeley and Avon's
feet.
They don't always post all of their upcoming books, but it's worth taking a glance.
Yeah, Berkeley's been doing like a month preview or whatever.
Yeah.

(10:13):
I mean, forever we do the same thing.
Yeah.
So they'll post whatever books are publishing within that coming month, which is nice.
And then I personally show the book like we post galleys or upcoming books.
And so just scrolling the feed, you might find something.
So yeah, give that a listen for that.
But then also they went through their summer TBRs and books that they have not read but

(10:35):
are excited about.
And I was like, oh, that's perfect because I have a lot of books that I have not read,
but I'm excited about and would like to try to get through this summer.
And it's also perfect because I have read one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight,
nine, ten.
You've been reading arcs.
I have reached a point where I would like to get back to reading arcs.
And I do have some from NetGalley, but I have to read the books that I'm working on so early

(10:58):
that most of the time I'm like catching up on books that are already out from other publishers
and then reading my books that I'm working on, which I'm not going to talk about any
forever books.
But I definitely think Lady Scandal.
That's one that I really enjoyed.

(11:18):
Everyone should read.
Yeah.
I mean, Fated Mates, they talked about several, which was very exciting for me personally,
because some of them are books that I am working on.
But I'm just not putting any forever books on my list because I personally am only going
to talk about books that I haven't read yet or that one of them I have just started.
Yeah.

(11:39):
Yeah.
I have a solid amount.
I feel like that I haven't read.
And then at the end, I'll just go through all the ones that Fated Mates want to read
that I've read.
Do you want to run through it now since we're talking about the Fated Mates episode?
Yeah.
Here are books that Fated Mates talked about on that episode that Hannah has read and
would recommend.
I don't think they want to read any book that I have read and disliked, which is a plus

(12:01):
for them and for me.
So these are all just ones that I've read and liked.
Congrats, Sarah and Jen.
Hannah approves.
I know that's what they've been waiting for.
Only my approval.
But the ones I've read and loved have been The Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood.
I know Sarah was talking about the kind of like death industry books.

(12:22):
That one was really good and I didn't know how it was going to end.
And it was like a very peaceful and like romanticized way of viewing death, which I personally enjoyed
because that shit scares me.
And then Love and Other Conspiracies by Mallory Marlowe.
It's the kind of they have to like get together and do like a podcast on different conspiracy

(12:42):
theories and they go like hunting for Bigfoot and stuff.
That one was really fun.
I liked the writing.
And then A Love Like the Sun by Rissam Nielsen.
Just read an arc of that.
I think it just came out.
Friends to Lovers, Fake Dating.
My favorite way to read Friends to Lovers is through fake dating because a lot of times
Friends to Lovers takes so long for them to like do anything couple-y.

(13:04):
But fake dating makes them couple up and like at least pretend to do things a lot sooner.
And that man was down so bad.
The third act is a little dramatic, but like I don't care.
Like, did he need to apologize to do anything?
No.
But I enjoyed what he did because he was so down.
Like I really enjoyed it.
And the audiobook was so good.
Isabel and the Rogue.

(13:24):
That one again just came out by Liana De La Rosa.
Another one.
Very good.
I'll be rereading the audiobook at some point.
And there's a hot balloon scene akin to Bridgerton.
And then Lady Scandal that I mentioned by Laura Lee Gurkey.
That's a forever one.
I read that a few months ago, but it was very good.
An experienced hero and he was willing to learn.

(13:48):
And she was kind of like a little, she was widowed, like they said a few times.
I'm looking for some fun.
And this Savoy is just a fun background because Bookshop Cinderella was also.
Dana and I are going to London at the beginning of July for the Formula One race, as one does.
And my parents are also overlapping on their cruise.

(14:10):
And so we like overlap by one day.
And so I was like, oh, like we should get dinner or whatever.
And of course, my parents are like doing a million things every day.
So they're like, do you want to join?
And they're doing like a tour of some Abbey and what?
So I'm like, yeah, sign us up for whatever you're doing.
That afternoon we'll join.
And they were like, and then we're going to go get dinner at the Savoy.
And I texted Dana and I was like, we have to bring copies of Laura Lee Gherke's, the

(14:30):
Bookshop Cinderella and Lady Scandal so that we can take pictures at the Savoy.
I was so excited.
You need to do that because I'm very excited to see all the pictures and stuff because
like, oh yeah, I just got my passport.
Well applied for it.
And that like passport picture process was the most humbling thing I've ever experienced
in my life.
I'm just going to leave it there.

(14:52):
But it was horrible and I want to sue.
So anyway, yes.
You also read this one.
You Should Be So Good by Kat Sebastian.
Fantastic book.
I was sobbing.
I knew it was going to end.
You Should Be So Lucky.
That shit.
I can find them.
We could be.
I know I did the same thing.
We're on the.
I know I was when I was in the back.

(15:13):
I was like, yep.
OK, you should be so lucky.
Yeah.
I was a crying mess.
Yeah, but very good.
Yeah.
So Witty and Pink by Erica George was the YA one historical.
I've mentioned before, too, that like if you want first person narration and historical
YA is where you're going to find it.
And also J.J.

(15:34):
McAvoy in her Do Bells series, my personal favorite, Hey, They're the Prince.
But yeah, I wonder if we'll get be getting more first person just to see.
Because it's kind of like a good jump from contemporary to historical that way.
Yeah, it feels very.

(15:55):
You know how we have like gateway historicals that we talk about?
Well, that's.
Yep.
That's what I put in the news letter.
I was like, if you like are new, new and are like very hesitant, go to Hey, They're the
Prince, like skip the first two books.
They're good.
But like, hey, they're the prince is like a very perfect introduction because it's first
person.
They're pretty young.

(16:16):
Like they're in their early 20s and it's very easy, like the language is accessible and
everything is diverse.
And I just think that would be like the first person is a very good place to start, like
if you're scared of like the writing or just getting into like a historical world.
Yeah, I don't I mean, I don't have a lot of strong feelings about POVs.

(16:40):
I mean, I read that second person POV novella the one time.
Yeah.
Like so I know you have feelings about POVs and tenses and all that.
And I'm not typically somebody who does first person, though, is harder for me.
I don't I don't really care about the tense, like first person, present versus past.
But I don't mind first present.
A lot of people actually dislike that one more than third present, which I'm happy I

(17:02):
don't mind it.
Yeah, I don't I just I have a harder time with first person.
I think typically I don't know if it's because actually I do think I know why now that I'm
thinking about it.
I think it's because typically if you're writing in first person, you have to have the character's
voice really nailed.
Yeah.
So if it's like Rick Riordan POV, yes.
So if it's dual POV, you have to convince me that when you're alternate, like your narrative

(17:28):
voice should sound different in these.
And a lot of times that's really hard because you have like an authorial style.
I agree, because I mean, I read like I grew up reading YA.
So most of that is first person person.
But the trend in POV, like dual POV or whatever, didn't really like it was obviously a thing.
But most of the YA that I read, it was just single person, which can work first person.

(17:52):
Yeah.
Well, which I really enjoyed.
I think that's why I enjoy just single POVs opposed to dual POVs in contemporary stuff.
And even YA, I obviously want both in historical.
But I think I'm like you, so I don't really have an issue, but I do agree that since it
is more new or like newer, I guess to have like dual first person, I haven't run into

(18:17):
that a lot.
But I could definitely see where that would be a lot harder.
I think that was my issue with Aphrodite and the Duke.
Or I thought the book was fine.
I think that was one of the things that kind of bothered me when I read it was that I was
like the narrative voice sounds the same all the way throughout.
Which if you're going to give me multiple POVs, you need to be distinct.

(18:38):
I would try that.
I feel like they're pretty different.
Oh, no, I'm planning on it.
Yeah.
And the audio book was so good.
I think it's like Shane, West or East or something.
There are like two hot guys with hot voices who have directions as names.
But I will.
But the other thing with first person is that if I don't like your authorial voice, like

(18:59):
Emily Henry has a very clear style and all of her books are first person, single POV.
And I like her voice.
So they really work for me.
But I've read first person where I'm like, you are so voicey that I can't stand it.
Yeah.
Which is just personal preference.
So I find it.
It all really is because I mean, I read that Kat Sebastian one in third president and I

(19:20):
didn't notice it at all.
Even like, I know, that's just because Kat Sebastian is really good.
So good.
Because I mean, I noticed it and we could be so good.
I'm like combining the names.
Like I noticed it there and I had to get over it.
But this one, like it was like a non issue.
And I think I had read another book in third president before that.

(19:43):
And like, I can read it.
Like it's fine.
But you could just tell the craft level was just so different compared to Kat Sebastian.
Like, yeah.
So I had no issue.
I still can't really do it in audio.
I don't like how it sounds.
Like I need to read it physically.
But yeah, so I'm happy.
I also have Emma, I guess one of my on my TBR is the third president one so I can talk

(20:08):
about that later.
And then the last few, The Prince's Bride by Sheris Michaels.
Did you read that?
No, it's not my I think my Libby hold is still passing.
That one is so good.
Yeah.
If you read the first one, you'll love this one.
If you didn't read the first one, go do that and then read this one.
Amazing.
So he's an exiled prince and he lives in a cave and trains horses.

(20:30):
I was going to say, isn't he a horse whisperer?
Yes, he's a horse whisperer.
He's like an exiled French prince.
So like he's been in the cave for like 15 years.
Now he's all alone because his like, or like I guess his adoptive family, like the older
man died and then the sons are away and he hasn't really been with a woman in years.
I mean, he's had the I know we're so bad, like had the occasional dalliance, but he's

(20:51):
never like been close to a woman like intimately just near.
And so he's so confused and silent, but also he loves it.
And he's a waterfall in his cave.
As one does, as one does.
So read that one because it is a perfect follow up to the book one.
The Mistress, the Mistress experienced by Scarlet Peckham was fantastic.

(21:15):
I wasn't a huge fan of book one or two.
I know you like book one.
I don't know the what the siren.
No, nope.
Dang.
What is the name of that?
I don't know.
I don't know.
But I'm going to cover the the Ray Cass Ray Cass.
There we go.
Society of Sirens.
OK, yeah.
So great cover.
So I read that one and then I read the second one.

(21:35):
But book three, five stars.
It was so good.
He's looking for sex lessons.
He hires a courtesan and they just go off to the country and they don't touch.
Yeah, he buys it.
They don't touch for a really long time, which normally is like bait and switch for me in
like a sex lesson book where like they're not going to be doing fulfilling a promise

(21:55):
of the premise.
Yes, but it worked.
So enjoyed it.
I ate it up.
Yep.
Yep.
That covers for that whole series also.
So good.
They're so beautiful.
Mm hmm.
Mm hmm.
Mm hmm.
I'm just like remembering everything about that one.
So definitely I will be repeating because I read that one a while ago, too.

(22:20):
And then the last one was Viscount in Love by Eloisa James.
Now this one was fun because at any point it was either two stars or five stars.
I started off and I was like, do I like this?
And I was like, I really like the hero.
Then he ended so much of a simp that like it kind of rewired my brain and I still think

(22:40):
about it because like again, I don't I didn't know if I was liking the book for like I'm
like a good half of it.
But then I was like, what it fuck it.
Like it was really good.
So that one was a fun experience if you want a guy who just gets completely like down bad
at the gym, but he doesn't really like realize it's happening until he's like massaging her

(23:02):
stomach because she gets stressed and stomach aches and she's just like, what are you doing?
He's like, I don't know.
It's just so good.
So it reminded me that Eloisa James is like a great writer because to be honest, her past
two books have like very disappointed.
Like I've been very disappointed.
And so like this one was another we're so back like.

(23:26):
So all those were great.
Here we are into our actual TBRs.
Yes.
I've got well, so technically I've got eight historicals on my summer TBR that I would
love to get to if my brain allows it.
And then four contemporaries that I'll just kind of throw in at the end as a little bonus

(23:48):
also books that I'm looking for.
I mean, we've already kind of knocked it down because the mistress experience is on my list.
And then the other one that we already are that you already talked about was Isabel and
the Rogue, which is also it's already out.
It came out very recently, a couple of days ago.
But I just started the audiobook.

(24:10):
I don't love the narrators for it, but I do really like Liana's writing.
So like it's one of those like I'll be fine.
You know, I'll push through.
But it's I mean, she's a Mexican spy.
I mean, she's a Mexican like heiress who is spying for the Mexican government.
And then he's also like a spy of sorts.

(24:31):
And so then they run into each other and they're very confused as to why they're both.
They're also very into each other, but not talking about it.
I mean, at least not yet.
I'm only I'm not very far into it.
So that's my we already talked about those two.

(24:52):
Do you hear that?
Yeah.
What is that?
Is that me?
It's gone.
That was weird.
I thought you were like starting to beatbox or something.
I was like, no, simply would never happen.
I was going to say user again.
If you heard that, it was like sound like something was disconnecting.

(25:14):
If you didn't hear that, it sounded like something was disconnecting.
But it's gone.
So hopefully we're all good.
All right.
Vaguely in sort of semi chronological order, I don't know if it technically is.
The first one I've got on here is another one that is already out, which is a blue stockings
guide to decadence.
Yes, that's on my list.

(25:36):
Perfect.
That's probably going to happen.
Our TBRs, I assume are probably not super different.
I'm trying to find my thing where I like screenshotted when it's coming out.
I mean, it's already out, but like what it's about, I don't remember.
All I do remember is that I really liked the first two books in that series by Jess Eberle.

(26:00):
They were both Acolyan like M.M.
And this one is FF, Safek, Fun.
And we met, I actually don't remember who the heroine is in this.
Again, we haven't read or I haven't read these books on my list.
So why am I into it?
Because I liked the other two books in the series.

(26:21):
And Jo has been a side character in those previous books in the series.
And she's in a lavender marriage, which is funny to me because I feel like you don't
actually see that very much in queer historicals.
Even though every time I read one, I'm like, why don't you just marry a gay man?
Why don't you just set up a lavender marriage?

(26:44):
And that's never the solution, because obviously in a romance, you want to be yourself and
live proudly.
I feel like I could see readers being.
No, I know why, but it's just every time I read a historical, I'm like, well, the obvious
solution is a lavender marriage because that actually was a solution that people used.
And for obvious H.E.A. reasons, that's not what they do.

(27:04):
But in Jo's case, she is in a lavender marriage.
Maybe there was one that I read where she was in one, but the guy died.
Damn.
But I don't.
But I don't remember what that was.
So who is to say?
Oh, OK.
So the heroine, I mean, or the love interest is the doctor who has been brought in to take

(27:28):
care of her husband's pregnant paramour.
I love that for me and you.
So very excited.
That one's out, you said, right?
Yes, I believe it is.
It also, I think just it was the same release day as.
Yep.
Oh, look at that.
Yeah.
So I need to get the audiobook stat and read that.

(27:50):
Because it's also Pride Month.
So happy Pride Month.
Exactly.
So that should be fun.
And that was, oh, my gosh, a Blue Stockings Guide to Decadence by Jess Eberly.
Am I going next?
Yeah, I figure.
OK, let's do.

(28:12):
This one is probably on your list.
A Sure Thing by Joanna Lowell.
That was my next one.
Yep.
Perfect.
I knew this was going to happen.
I started this audiobook yesterday, but it was a curious case of my brain being on Friday
time, even though it was Thursday.
And I listened probably an hour because I was sped up.
So it registered as two hours.

(28:34):
I probably retained 10 minutes of information and I had already restarted at once, even
though that was like eight minutes in.
And so I had to put it on hold.
I'm reading or I'm rereading Tefl's Daughter because I was like, I can't process any new
information.
But from the 10 minutes that I digested, it was very good.

(28:54):
I'm very excited.
The relationship is between a woman and then a transmask hero.
And I know Joanna started the book saying that she is in a similar relationship, I believe
her partner is also transmasked and she wrote it very closely.
So like, I didn't know that.

(29:14):
I didn't mean either.
So it was a cool author at the beginning.
And it's about bicycling.
I know he like runs into her with his bike.
Sleigh.
And they're just all cut.
Like, there's just so much bike stuff.
I am notorious for not knowing how to ride a bike.
So like, I mean, I probably could.
I shouldn't be trusted on one.

(29:36):
Like breaking is hard or like I could go in a straight line.
That's probably about it.
Crossing streets is a no no, anything like that.
So I'm listening with envy at all these bike riders, but I will be reading it.
I just don't know if I should.
I think I need to like sleep a little bit more.
I love that it's also I mean, I'm just like looking up the description.

(29:59):
We're also incorporating the various elements from her previous books because he is or was
like formerly an artist and now has apparently lost the ability to paint.
So his decide and I'm quoting this year.
Why not devote himself to selling bicycles and twisting with the holiday makers?
As one does, honestly, I get that.
Well, in the two hours I listened to that I read and she's a botanist, which is also

(30:23):
from the other series painting and plants.
But I know she the one Muriel, she's the one that they thought in the Runaway Duchess.
You're so right.
I did not connect those dots.
This is probably pretty obvious, but we're to anyone else.
This is great news to me because I loved the Runaway Duchess as my favorite in that series.

(30:43):
I am actually going to reread that and then read this.
But she's already they've already kissed and then she's already proposition propositioned
him to do some artwork in this first.
So like that's like more the tension is that like he can't do art, but she wants him to.
So I am very excited.
I just cannot believe I didn't connect.

(31:06):
I mean, I read about Muriel's all that often, so I really should have noticed that.
I didn't connect those dots either.
No, that makes so much sense.
Also, I love a pun.
And as Kit and Muriel spend their days cycling together, their desire begins to burn with
the heat of the summer sun.
But are they peddling towards something impossible?

(31:26):
I also the from what I again got for the 10 minutes I digested, I think it's very fascinating
because, you know, especially in like in modern historical romances, there are like so many
like women's groups and like they're all progressive and, you know, they're all advocating for
change or at least on the outside or whatever.
And this one, I believe the hero has felt very rejected because in his former life,

(31:52):
he was part of a woman's group and his friend that he told she completely rejected him and
did not understand him.
And so I feel like that's a very interesting and fascinating thing to discuss, whereas
like maybe some of like I've seen discussions about some modern historical feeling rather

(32:13):
performative in some regards and stuff.
Yeah, because a lot of times you get rich.
I read another one where they came out to their family and it was just like they were
all very accepting, which on the one hand, I don't think shouldn't be written because
I'm sure that's very therapeutic and good to read for so many queer people.
And so I would never ever say that that's a bad thing to write.

(32:36):
But sometimes I am like that.
But but what if they weren't?
Yeah, well, and even just like the groups of like rich white women in these groups,
who are super being the the ones advocating for change, but then still having like servants
and like, like there are like all these things that I think like, on one hand, they were

(32:56):
white feminists.
Yeah, exactly.
I think this is a very interesting like, like, it's just very, I'm very excited to see how
that works.
Again, I will be reading it.
And then I'll probably have more to say after.
But I did think that was very just poignant and a cool thing, not necessarily cool, because

(33:17):
it's not great for the character, but just to read about.
But yeah, that one in the cover so good.
Oh, yes, very interesting.
It's very summary.
So yes, I mean, they're like, like, you know, yes, I don't like what more what more do you
want guys?
Literally.

(33:38):
Okay.
My next one, which probably also is in your list.
I don't think you've read this.
I feel like I would have noted if you had but India Holton has got another book.
I did.
You did.
Okay.
I couldn't remember.
When did I month or month ago?
Only about me is I'm an India Holton Santa till I die.

(34:00):
So have I read this book yet?
No.
Do I know I'm going to love it?
Yes.
I did read the little excerpt of it.
The Raptor, I think, or Raptor, whatever the website they posted an excerpt.
And I was like, we're so back.
The Ornithologist's Field Guide to Love.
What a title.
India Holton.

(34:21):
What a writer.
All that I need to tell you and I mean, you've read it so I'm sure you can add on here.
But the first line of the description is rival ornithologist, which if you don't know listener
is bird.
They're studying birds.
Which is hilarious because in the book, no other character because they're trying to
make ornithology cool.
That's the whole premise.
That's why this competition is happening because they're trying to market it.

(34:42):
So they're like, we need a romance to market it because it's not cool.
So then they set these two up to be a romance.
They don't know they're being set up.
But they're throwing them together in all these situations.
But then every side character who's not in ornithology completely mispronounces it.
And it's the running bit of the book.
And that's very funny.
I love India Holton.
Same.
Same.
I loved the PR aspect.

(35:03):
It was hilarious.
That's just excellent is what that is.
Rival ornithologists hunt through England for a rare magical bird in this historical
fantasy rom-com reminiscent of Indiana Jones, but with manners, tea and helicopter parasols.
Which is everything I want, actually.
She's so funny.
I love a historical fantasy romance.

(35:24):
We're obsessed with her other books.
So of course I'm going to be obsessed with it.
I just am so excited.
I mean her writing, again, the way she writes humor in camp needs to be studied, preferably
by many universities.
Because it was so funny.
And seriously, I don't know how she came up with the idea of making ornithology cool through

(35:48):
a PR romance.
Hilarious.
I will say there was a lot of bird content, which obviously there's going to be.
And I didn't quite care about the birds.
Sorry to the birds.
Just because there was a lot of saving birds and bird hunting or not hunting that bad.
Bird rescuing.

(36:08):
But I have no egrets.
Nice.
That was excellent.
I'm trying to find Reactor's excerpt.
In the last book, I don't know if it's in the actual book or just in the galley, but
there was an excerpt from the very first chapter or whatever.

(36:31):
But this one was...
I don't remember.
I don't think it says where from the book it's pulled from.
I'm sure within the first few chapters, but it's not the very beginning of the book.
And so we'll link it in the show notes.
I will send it to you.
I mean, you've read the book, but the excerpt is him catching her.

(37:02):
Like catching her snooping around.
It really gives...if your favorite Dangerous Damsels book was The Wisteria Society, this
one is very reminiscent of that.
So personally, I'm very excited for book two or book three, because I think book one is

(37:26):
my least favorite in that series, even though they're all five stars.
But this one felt like the relationship, very insta-love, very opposites, but similar.
Like Nealia, I just created a couple names.
Oh, ship name?
Ship name Nealia.
They're not really...they're pretty similar once you get down to it, which I feel like
is what this is.

(37:47):
They have the same interests.
They go about it differently, but under everything, they're very similar, which is a very fun
dynamic because you don't really get similar, similar a lot.
You get opposites attract.
But this one, it really gave me book one of the last series.
I'm going to read this little chunk just because I think...this also embodies one of my favorite

(38:10):
India Holt and whatchamacallit, a feature of her writing, which is personifying...personifying
generally, but specifically personifying wiles or wits or the aspects of your experience
into parts of you that are doing things that you don't want them to be doing.

(38:32):
And she does that in all of her books and it's one of my favorite things and it's so
funny every time she does it.
So let me just...this is her looking at this man.
You're getting a dramatic reading just because I'm so excited.
He was implausibly handsome for a university professor who in Beth's experience were a
paludlot, rather musty with a constant yearning in their eyes for dinner wine and their latest
lecture to magically right itself.

(38:54):
But if there was any yearning to be done in regard to Devin Lockley, it was almost certainly
not by him, but toward him.
Not that Beth felt any such yearning.
Heavens no, she was far too sensible for that.
The riotous sensations in her stomach were merely due to French tea.
She also suspected him of possessing masculine wiles.
He probably kept them up his sleeve or in a trouser pocket, upon which thought Beth

(39:16):
glanced at said pocket and managed to prevent herself from blushing only by a dint of general
aggravation.
She hauled her vision up by the scruff of its neck and discovered Devin watching her
smugly as if he could guess her thoughts and was considering whether to reach his naked
hand into that pocket and bring out something truly scandalous indeed.
Her aggravation increased by several notches.

(39:37):
God, I...
The hauled her vision up by the scruff of its neck.
She suspected him of possessing masculine wiles.
Yep.
Like I could never have a bad time reading an India Houghton book because her writing
is truly no one is doing it like her.

(39:57):
I mean, like the closest I've come to was The Princess Bride by William Golding.
Like nothing really compares.
And book two, so I read like there was like a little teaser, I think.
So it's Second Chance.
So India Houghton writing Second Chance, Slay.
But it was a former marriage of convenience and current and estranged marriage of inconvenience.

(40:20):
So they got married for convenience.
All my favorite things.
I know.
I know.
And it's India Houghton, so I'm so excited.
So like, well, I liked this one.
I am very ready for book two already.
And she's just so good.
She's a national treasure, even though she's, I believe, from New Zealand.
Yeah.

(40:40):
We claim her.
We do claim her.
I specifically, the two of us, she's claimed by the podcast.
We've been talking about her since the inception of the podcast, so I do feel...
Yeah.
Also, she has shared our newsletter on her newsletter.
So we get a lot of newsletter subscribers coming from her hot tea newsletter.
If you go into our email and look into our new subscriber emails that we get from Substack,

(41:04):
it'll tell you where people came from.
And a lot of them are coming from India.
So this is the right place to be.
India, did you want to die for you?
You lovely, lovely woman.
I know.
So I'm very excited.
And I think there's a Goodreads giveaway going on for this book right now.
So again, go enter that as well.
I just love her.

(41:27):
I used to say if you didn't like, you know, with serious society, I used to be like, you
know what?
I get it if you don't.
But actually, I'm taking that back.
Yeah.
I think you're wrong.
I can understand book one because I do think to me that is a little bit harder to get into,
but I think I could get into book two and three easier because I already got into book

(41:50):
one.
So like, I think I'll say you're wrong if you read book one and then read book two and
also didn't like book two.
I actually think you're wrong if you didn't like book one.
I'm actually going to die on that hill.
And I would support you.
I'll be at the bottom of the hill with a big little parachute.

(42:10):
Yeah.
Yeah.
So that's my yeah.
Okay.
So we did that.
Did that.
Did that.
You're the problem.
It's you by Emma R. Alban.
I do have the art for this one.
Look at us go.
Have the art for that one.

(42:30):
Is it this whole weekend or was it just a...
I think it was two days.
Okay.
I think.
That is a great question.
Let me go check.
I'll look up.
You talk.
Oh, me talking.
I don't have much to say about this one just because again, I haven't read it and I requested
it as soon as it was live because I really enjoyed book one.

(42:51):
And I do know that I was living for this relationship in book one.
So like nothing was going to...
But you can still go request it.
Yes.
Enemies, televers, queer Victorian romance, follow up to don't want you like a best friend,
a young lord and a second son clash but find themselves thrust together again and again
by their meddling cousins.

(43:13):
Beautiful.
Yeah.
Well, we met them at the end of the first book and it was like, ooh.
Well because one of these guys, the one that like...
He inherited, right?
Yeah.
Neither of these were the ones that like either the heroines were trying or they were trying

(43:34):
to get the heroine, right?
I don't think so.
Because this is us having done no research and just going, yeah, we definitely want to
read the next book.
Which you know what?
This is what I classify as an auto-bi.
Yeah.
Like no thoughts, just vibes.
One of them is the brother or the cousin of one of the heroines, right?
And then I couldn't remember if like the other hero is like one that like...

(43:59):
No, no, he shows up at the end of the book because he like inherited from her.
He's like the new Viscount or whatever.
Viscount.
Got you.
So the one main character whose mother was also having her little romance is because
the mother was widowed.

(44:21):
And so he shows up as like the new Viscount.
And there's meddling and shenanigans.
Yeah.
I'm reading the summary and I am even more excited.
So maybe that's what I'll do this weekend.
I should probably reread book one, but again, it's first or third person president, so I

(44:42):
can't do the audiobook, but it is Mary Jane Wells.
So maybe I could suck it up.
Got to give and take.
But yeah, I am real excited and I love the cover.
I love the Taylor Swift-ness of it.
And it just sounds delightful.
And very summary.
I just know like when they interacted at the very end of the last book, I was like, yeah,

(45:04):
I'm going to sign me up.
Yep.
My review at the end of it is like, please, I need book two now.
And here we are.
And I have been edging it like a criminal.
So not edging like a criminal.
Edging like a criminal.
It's two guests.
That is also on mine.
My next one I also know very little about, but it's Untamed by Lisa Reign.

(45:31):
God bless.
I will come on when does that one come out?
July 30th.
That's sooner than I thought.
I was like, why are we talking about that one this soon?
I know.
It's a western.
This one wasn't on my list, but it should have been.
I didn't realize it was.
She uses the best little whorehouse in Texas as a cover.
I'm like, yeah, sign me up for that.
I will always love you.

(45:52):
Yeah.
So a black western, like historical western from God bless her, Lisa Reign, who we still
have to have on the podcast, maybe we didn't talk.
We plan to do an episode about the Scottish.
What's the name of it?
Never Cross a Highlander.
Never Cross a Highlander.
And it just didn't work out time wise because we're the worst.

(46:12):
So maybe this one will be the one that we have around to discuss.
His name is Blaze with two A's, first of all.
He's a...
I just simply have to have a little giggle.
He's like a retired, I think, unless I'm hallucinating.
Burned out bounty hunter Blaze Lasseter is all set to retire in a quiet, uneventful town.

(46:36):
He thought he'd found the perfect place to abandon his live by the gun ways.
But there's a she devil.
The she devil is proper Eastern lady Mary Catherine Templeton, who has inherited a saloon
out west.
And she discovers that the saloon, I believe, unless I'm hallucinating.
I'm assuming it's a brothel if she used the vessel of her house in Texas.

(46:59):
Yes.
Yes.
Her innocent sensibilities are shocked to discover it's other sinful commodity.
I honestly just another auto-buy.
I didn't read the description.
I did not.
I knew nothing about this.
I was just so excited when I saw her announce it.
So she changes the rules.
Clearly has outlawed the upstairs amenities.
Or not outlawed, but you know, I like that your little camera just gave a thumbs up.

(47:22):
So true.
Yeah, it really is.
I need the fireworks again.
But because she's done that, the frustrated men of Lawless, Lawless is the name of the
town, the frustrated men of Lawless have started a ruckus worthy of the town's name and detrimental
to Blaze's peaceful existence.
And now the backlash against her is life threatening.

(47:45):
And so Blaze feels, and I'm quoting, duty bound to strap on his guns again to protect
the woman who's got his blood riled in more ways than one.
And once he puts down this insurrection, he's going to take up a new leisure activity, one
that involves giving the Prissy College graduate a whole different kind of education.
Like everything happening here.

(48:07):
I just know that we were both, because I think this is only her second.
Historical.
Historical.
And we both thought she had like an extensive backlist.
We were so excited to like go read more.
And then there wasn't anything because she did such a good job of like selling us on
this book or like her first book at Steamy Lit.
Or her first historical.
I think she has her first historical.
Yeah, she's written other things.

(48:28):
And so like, I just thought that she would have more history.
Like I, she just seemed like she had more historical to give us and she didn't.
And so I'm so excited.
I was very excited to see the cover announcement again.
I didn't even read the summary.
I was just like, yeah, we'll be reading.
We'll be purchasing.
Yeah.
So ready.
Oh my God.
Bessalabra in Texas.
We so at our cabin, we've since upgraded, but we only had like a VHS and like a DVD

(48:53):
player for like the longest time.
And I don't think that movie was like on DVD at that time.
So we had to like scour flea markets for the best little whorehouse on Texas on VHS because
my mom wanted it.
And then we all watched it and it was very good.
Also Dolly Parton was so hot.
Still is.
But she was so hot.
I'm like, Dolly.
Yes, Queen.
Well, I'm excited.

(49:13):
Lisa's I believe we're going to be at Steamy Lit again.
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah.
Also Beverly Jenkins is going to be there.
Sarah McClain.
It's all coming together.
And so will we.
So so will we.
Yeah, I just just right below Beverly Jenkins and Sarah McClain.
Yeah.
100%.

(49:34):
That's where we need to be.
Yeah, I I was like, yeah, immediate.
Yes.
I also didn't even read the description.
Nope, I did.
And I was like, yeah, literally auto by definition.
So excited.

(49:54):
I have two ones from forever.
So Hot Earl Summer by Eric Ridley and then Good Duke Gone Wild by Bethany Bennett.
Summaries I also have not read.
So I don't know what they're I read Hot Earl Summer.
So I can tell you that I what a delight.
Hot Earl Summer is Elizabeth Winchester's book.
She is a disabled cane user with chronic pain, but her canes all have swords in them.

(50:19):
And she is constantly finding reasons to pull out said sword.
And she's on her first solo mission.
She shows up at this guy's castle.
He's a bad guy, or not a bad guy, but he's in this castle and they've been hired by like
an elderly aunt, something or other.
Somebody's died and she's she's like, you've left the castle or the castle's been left
to me and I need to turn it into an orphanage.

(50:41):
But the Earl is the worst and he won't leave and he won't talk to me.
So she shows up to quite literally hack his door down with a couple of battle axes.
And when she gets in, it's like all booby trapped and she discovers that actually the
Earl is missing.
And it's his reclusive inventor cousin who has been roped in by the Earl has been roped
into pretending to be him.

(51:03):
And meanwhile, there's a neighbor who's like really into war reenactments and fancies himself
kind of a Wellington and he won the castle in a bet from the Earl before he disappeared.
And so he's constantly trying to wage literal war on them.
And Elizabeth is giving romance to the Duke for war.
Yeah it is definitely it's so silly.

(51:26):
It's so funny.
And also they're like very into each other.
It's not like super steamy.
Erica's books aren't or at least the Winchester's aren't.
They are open door, but it's not a ton.
But it's just so funny.
Do you know when that one's out?
I have it sitting in front of me.

(51:47):
It is August 6th.
August 6th.
So I think I'm just going to wait for the audiobooks.
I've enjoyed all the audiobooks for the series, but I may not.
So who knows?
I mean, I like all of the Winchester's.
This one is just so like full of shenanigans.
It's a booby trapped castle.
And also there's the woman who or whatever, whoever she was, aunt that died and left the

(52:09):
castle.
She and her husband who died before her were very into riddles.
And so in order to find the will that has been updated to leave the castle to this other
lady, they have to solve a series of riddles hidden throughout the castle.
I love that.

(52:31):
Like so elaborate.
And so here's a quote for you.
This is again, not a book that I'm technically working on, but it's forever.
So I, you know, all opinions are my own standard disclaimer.
She says something about like measure the viscosity of this and his immediate response

(52:52):
is to drop to a whisper and say, and I quote, did you just say measure the viscosity?
I have never heard a phrase more erotic.
Prepare to lose your virginity.
And her response is I don't have any pay attention.
So those are the vibes.
I am ready.

(53:13):
And then good Duke Gunnwild, another one I have no clue what it's about, but I was thinking
recently.
I haven't read that one, but I think she's an erotic writer.
I was, I don't know if I asked you frequently or just myself when she was going to come
out with another book.
And then I think it was like announced.
I was like, Oh, I do remember you saying that.
Yes.
So we'll be reading, we'll be loving, very ready for that.

(53:38):
And I'm assuming that's sometime in the summer.
But again, I don't know.
I can't, I think they talked about that one on Faded Maids.
They did.
Same thing with Hot Earl Summer, I believe.
So that's another one that they did recommend.
And I love the pink dress on this cover and the cover is very good.
She's got a, this is again, a book that I'm not, but she's got her finger under his chin.

(53:59):
Yes, she does.
And that was so hot.
And his hand is like very clenched in her dress.
And he's got his white billowy shirt that's hanging on for dear life.
I just love the like, tipping his chin up with one finger.
It's a great cover.
This cover is, I think one of the best you guys have done recently or even within the

(54:19):
past few years.
Like this is like a perfect historical romance cover.
So love that.
A bookseller and a Duke.
Hell yeah.
That's all I need to know.
Oh my god.
Say less actually.
So when the intriguing bookseller he's hired to liquidate his late wife's library.
So he's a widower.
Oh yeah.
So liquidate his late wife's library finds love letters revealing an affair.

(54:42):
He is drawn into a mystery alongside a lady who sharp intellect dazzles him and dares
him to imagine a new adventure outside the gilded cage of the tongue.
Oh, her name is Caroline.
Really?
Yeah.
Oh, it's all coming together.
Bethany.
Squawk like a bird.
Caroline.
Caroline's historical tend to be bitchy.

(55:06):
Or named Caro.
Or named Caro.
It's one or the other.
Hannah's are always the maids.
Like nine times out of ten I'm a poor serving lunch or like a poor maid.
So servant.
So honestly not too far, far off from reality.
There have been a few.
There's a Caroline Lyndon.
I think that's Caroline Lyndon.
Which was great.
She got railed real nice.
Good for her.

(55:27):
I remember that she was like a widow.
Obviously her husband didn't know how to have sex.
Right.
Well, he's dead.
So that tracks.
Yeah.
Well, and then that one was fun because she meets a guy and then he's like, I'm going
to marry you.
But then they get to the altar and it's his brother up at the altar because the guy was
playing a trick on them both.
And then they get married because the one brother is like too starchy to refuse.

(55:51):
But then he's like super angry and very cold for like half the book.
And then it's just very good.
What was that called?
Because I can't just leave you here without.
It's in my heroines named Hannah shelf.
So I'll find it quickly.
Cause I do document that because it just gives me a good love retirement.
I'm not a maid.
That's so valid.

(56:14):
And I do also include Diana Quincy's Hannah, but spelled differently.
That one was what a gentleman wants by Caroline Lyndon.
Caroline.
Yes.
It's true.
Yeah.
My review was I love when a widow has a chance to get absolutely real.
It's really good for them.
Yep.
And she had a cute kid, I believe.

(56:34):
So loved that.
And then the dynamic Quincy one was the desk cover one.
The bike out made me do it.
And there are a few others.
So there's that.
Did you have another one?
I have one more.
Okay.
I do have one more as well.
Excellent.
So the founding oaths by Alexis Hall comes out August 27th.

(56:56):
And this is another mortal follies book.
Okay.
So yes, mortal follies.
Another book that I love.
This is one that I'm like this.
It doesn't matter to me if anybody else likes it because it was written for me.
Yes.
So the target audience was satisfied.
That one.
I don't know if this one is the same again.

(57:16):
I haven't read it.
That one was narrated by Puck or Robin Goodfellow.
So you have this third narrator character who's narrating this magical historical fantasy
romance that was also sapphic.
And it was just perfect.
It was just a goddamn delight.

(57:37):
And I love to see it.
So this one, I don't know much about it.
I know that it's called Confounding Oaths and I know that it's coming out August 27th
and I know that it's set in the same world.
And this one is about a nobleman who must work with a dashing soldier to save his sister
from a mystical bargain bargain gone wrong.
So he is orchestrating a successful coming out for his younger sister.

(58:02):
But according to the description, he is thwarted by the various interventions of a ragtag regiment
of soldiers, a mysterious military cult, and a malicious fairy godmother.
So his sister gets cursed by the Fair Folk and he has to work with the stolidly working
class yet inescapably heroic Captain James to rescue her.

(58:24):
That's an introduction.
Yes.
Love a captain.
I want to get more into pirates.
I know he's not a pirate, but I need more pirates in my life.
I bought a lot of pirate romance.
I want to get more into pirates.
I want pirates to get more into me if I'm being honest.
So real.
I just had such a good streak of pirate romances that they really can't be rivaled.

(58:48):
Unless another pirate wants to fight for me then they can be rivals.
Wow.
And lovers.
Wow.
Well, he's not a pirate.
He's a soldier.
But they're trying to save this guy's sister from the curse of a malicious fae.
I love that.
I need to reread.

(59:08):
I need to read book when that's another audio book where my brain got 10 minutes into it,
where physically I was three hours into it.
Yep.
I read it, I think three or four times.
So it's probably one that I should just read either if I'm not doing anything else and
just listen to the audio book or just read physically because I liked it.
Again, I just did not comprehend anything that I listened to.

(59:33):
So that one, that one was going to be good.
And then this next one is again, ones that I truly don't know the quality.
I don't know anything, but there's this thing called the rake review.
And it's a it's indie published and they're all in Kindle Limited.
And then every month you get a book for the month, but it's like are centered around the

(59:55):
month that it's in.
So like in May, I read One Fine May by Courtney McCaskill.
That one was very good.
She's a very good author.
And then she sent me the calendar that they made for it.
So like I have on my wall, the Scott who made June hot.
And it's like a man.
He's in a kilt.
He also has like a fanny pack.
I bought that for him.

(01:00:17):
So like that's my Fenton Edgewood.
So that's for June.
And then for July, it is Ruthless Rivals three point seven.
But the rake review number seven.
So it's for July and that's my birth month.
So I'm very excited because it's Kate Bateman.
So love that.
So it's indie published independent of her other series.

(01:00:38):
God bless.
That's a Kate Bateman I can read and talk about.
I know.
Boycotting the publisher.
I know.
So she also has one that you should read.
Phantom of Drury Lane.
That's also another indie that she did.
So she does a lot of like cool like indie collaborations.
So I do think this one is technically in that series that we can't talk about, but it's
indie.
So nice.

(01:00:59):
Very excited for that.
And it won't come out obviously to July 1st.
And then in August is an heiress for August by Kathleen Ayers.
And again, I know nothing about these books, but I will be reading Kate Bateman because
I love her.
I'll just read the other two because I want to read more indie.
And I just love the theme of it and the fact that I have the calendars.
It just makes me kind of sentimental.

(01:01:22):
And I love novellas.
I need more novellas in my life because sometimes my attention just can't handle it.
So there is that.
And then the only other one, again, I don't know anything is The Lady's Mistake by Cara
Devlin.
I think I've seen Dani at Overflowing Bookshelf.
I think she's read Cara Devlin.
I think she really likes her.
And I saw this one on Netgalley in the cover.

(01:01:45):
Caught my eye.
But again, I don't know what The Lady's Mistake.
Cara Devlin.
The Lady's Last Mistake.
Something about a scandalous secret.
She was, was she pregnant?
I don't know.
It seems dramatic and fun and has good reviews.

(01:02:07):
And I've heard her writing is very good.
And it's part of the Beaux Street Duchess Mystery series.
So there's a little bit of mystery, Beaux Street.
All the things I love.
And that's June 15th.
And it's indie, I think.
So boo, yeah.
There you go.
I do have four contemporaries that I was literally just going to zoom through.

(01:02:29):
We've done pretty good on time.
I'm impressed.
I'm just going to run through them and not really say too much about them.
The first one is, of course, Crossed a Line by Simone Soltani, which comes out July 23rd.
It's already out in the UK, but from Berkeley it comes out July 23rd.
And it's a Formula One romance.
I like our brother's best friend, F1 driver, social media manager.

(01:02:56):
I hear nothing but wonderful things.
And I have been meaning to read this or wanting to read it since before it was traditionally
acquired.
It's exciting.
Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood comes out June 11th.
I haven't read her.
Her last couple of books have been sitting on my TBR for a million years and I just have
not gotten to them even though everyone raves about them.

(01:03:17):
This one is interesting to me because it's been divisive.
Some people have hated it.
However, I did go to happy hour last night with Alice.
Alice is booked and our lovely friend, Sand, friend of the pod at Baskin Sons.
And both of them loved this book and are willing to fight people who are saying absolutely

(01:03:37):
nonsense things about it not being good.
There's no infidelity.
Let me say that.
They said that there is no infidelity and a lot of the discussion around it is people
being mad about infidelity and there like isn't.
I saw Ali has at the beginning a note saying that it's not really a romcom.

(01:03:58):
It's more of an erotic romance with an ATA which intrigued me.
I think Susanna Reads posted that the other day.
Well, interestingly, that came up during the discussion.
Sand said that's not in like her physical arc I want to say.
She said that Alice said it is in her digital arc and so they think she added that.
It was a digital arc I think.
After the fact.

(01:04:18):
Like after people started being like this.
They were mad that it was different from some of her other books.
Which is intriguing because I don't know what it is.
There are some authors or books that like I will read a book by theirs and not like
it and then still read their books.
And there are some where like I'll read one that I'll just never read their book again.
But like I don't really know what dictates that.

(01:04:42):
But so I read the love hypothesis and I wasn't a fan.
So I haven't read anything else by Ali Hazelwood.
But I mean I've heard nothing but good things.
And so this one definitely got me intrigued and I have the I think I have the ALC and
access to the arc if I want it.
So like I feel like this may be the one.
I've heard this is very horny.
Because they read.

(01:05:02):
I'm down for that.
Not another love song and this one back to back.
Both or both of them read them around the same time and not another love song.
Also a forever book.
Also possibly one of the horniest books I've ever read.
I'm obsessed with it.
I'm also waiting for the audiobook for that one.
This also is just deeply horny.
Like I just feel like maybe since it's not like a rom maybe that doesn't give it romcom.

(01:05:25):
Like maybe I'll like that more.
Because I just wasn't like there were things I didn't really like about the love hypothesis.
Just like writing wise and stuff.
But like I've given other authors other chances and stuff.
So this one I feel like maybe the one that I read again.

(01:05:45):
Because I have seen really good things about it.
I haven't seen any of the negative stuff.
So that is interesting to me.
Yeah.
I wonder.
There were just things about like oh they got sent.
Like somebody saw that they had read it and was like here's like a really terrible review
they saw.
But here's my thing.
Y'all who are really really overly.
It's one thing to just be like I'm not a big fan of cheating in romance.

(01:06:08):
But there's like a subset of readers who are like if there's even a whiff of infidelity
they will go on a rampage against the book and talk about like is this a safe book to
read?
Like guys, guys, people are bad people sometimes.
Yeah.
Well because I mean I'm not a fan.
Like I definitely don't enjoy it.

(01:06:29):
But like I love in the Beverly Jenkins was I think it was book one that you just read
Destiny's Embrace.
I mean he was trying to go like sleep with another woman.
But he physically couldn't.
Like and I think that's so funny.
He's had up every time.
Yeah.
Like technically like he met the heroine already.
Like he was trying and then he was trying to like go and get her out of his system.

(01:06:51):
But it didn't work.
Like he could not get hard.
So like I think that was very fun.
But I feel like that would be crossing the line maybe for some type of readers.
I straight up don't care if they're not together yet.
Even if they've met.
I don't care.
I don't I mean I don't want to read and I think it's I don't think I've ever read where
like they are explicitly together and one of them cheats to my knowledge.

(01:07:14):
Yeah.
I've ever read that.
I like at the beginning, you know, like the Sarah McLane one and stuff like that.
But like that's different.
That's true.
But that if it's at the start then it's like a second show.
We have to come back from that.
Yeah.
And I've seen like a few authors talk about how like everything is so squeaky clean and
so moral.

(01:07:34):
It's so boring and so boring.
Like I've still like all the books that I've talked about are very fun.
And like all of that and there are some like the by count in love.
Like I feel like Eloise, I kind of gave you a hero who you're kind of like, what the fuck
for some of it.
But it made it fun because then by the end I was like, OK, I can definitely see like
why like why she loves him because now I love him and like he is so great.

(01:07:58):
But like he was not a perfect character.
And so I think it's very interesting.
So I think we had a conversation at Simulite with a few of the authors just about kind
of like what they enjoyed in historical romance and like some of the trends and stuff and
what they're seeing now.
And it is interesting that everything is very, you know, groups of women, like white women

(01:08:22):
in historical romance, like being very preachy and stuff.
I mean, even the.
Well, it's the readers, too, because the second that you.
Well, that's exactly because that's yes.
Right.
Almost dictating at this point.
Yeah, because the second that you write anything with a character who does something immoral,
you're going to get tons of read also probably mainly white women, but tons of readers jumping

(01:08:47):
on it and being like there's this inability for so many people to separate like.
Just because a character does something bad does not mean that the book is endorsing this
bad thing.
And so it's like, well, this is problematic because this character cheated.
No, that's I mean, it's one thing to just not like reading it.

(01:09:09):
I don't care if you don't like that's fine, whatever you're allowed to have your preferences.
But to be like on a rampage, one star problematic X, Y, Z, like.
Could it be that that's your personal taste and there's nothing immoral about writing
characters who do immoral things because we all do immoral things and that makes it more

(01:09:30):
interesting.
I do agree.
Like I just couldn't.
And I'm not a fan of like certain things, but there are other things that make it so
juicy and dramatic and fun and interesting and different.
I'm just like thinking of Sherry Thomas and like there's a difference between you saying
I don't like to read that and saying this is inherently problematic and no one should

(01:09:53):
write about it.
Yep.
And it would be very hard to be an author, especially an author of color, because they're
even held to even more standards.
And it's crazy.
There's a book I'm working on right now, which is kind of why the conversation came up.
So I won't say what book, but it has a.

(01:10:14):
And it's also like a white straight author.
So like it's not even whatever.
But it has a female main character who, because of certain things about the way she was raised,
has affected her.
Like she's mean.
She's mean and she does mean things to people that she loves.
And that's like explicitly explored in the text and her like reckoning with that and

(01:10:36):
trying to like she's self aware.
Those are some of my favorite heroines that I love.
Like, yeah, I also I'm like, oh, I love like she's mean and she knows it.
And she and the hero have this very like.
What's the word I'm looking for?
Like not the healthiest relationship.
Yeah.
Because they both have these like traumatic things that they are actively working through.

(01:10:59):
And sometimes that comes out in not healthy ways.
And that was just like so it's so fun for me to read these like two not always good
people trying to reckon with that and the way that they are like self aware of their
problems, but almost self sabotaging.
And like the way that the reviews for this book have been so mixed, which doesn't surprise

(01:11:20):
me.
I read it and I was like, this is a book that you're either going to love or it's like not
for you.
Absolutely not.
Which I think is normal and fine.
But the way that so many of the bad reviews that I have seen have been people being like,
I just hated this female main character like she was awful and terrible in XYZ.
And I'm like, you cannot ask me for complex, realistic women in romance.

(01:11:42):
And then when you're given a complex, realistic, flawed woman who does not act perfectly, you
should on the book.
That's what I've seen criticism about Rissam Nielsen's A Love Like the Sun.
Because I enjoyed the third act.
I knew where it was going and I can see why people didn't like it for that almost exact
reason.
But like of there was not the right thing for her to do.

(01:12:07):
But literally everything in her character led her to that.
Like you knew it would have been odd for it not to happen.
You're like, yeah, that you right.
Because I mean, I mean, the entire like undercurrent of the book was she was being gaslit by her
doctor and not being taken seriously.
And she was like, I'm feeling all these things and he's just not taking it seriously.
And it was a very poignant thing.

(01:12:29):
And I had seen Riss talk at a Berkeley influencer event, like talk about it.
And so I knew a little bit more context and maybe some other readers.
But like, one, I found that fascinating because I think it's a very real issue.
Two, it made her do things that maybe I wouldn't do.
But how do I know I wouldn't do that?
But even if it doesn't matter what I would do, because it's like it was not about it

(01:12:52):
was what the character exactly.
It's what the character was doing.
And like, I understood.
And like, it made it interesting because, again, like I knew where the third act was
going because of like specific things.
And like, it was not a mystery.
But I enjoyed how every character reacted to that.
I enjoyed what happened.
I enjoyed what it led to.
And like, I don't like it wasn't coming from a place of like harm or anything.

(01:13:14):
Like it just made sense.
Like it made a lot of sense.
But like, I've seen criticism of the third act and of things.
And I'm like, I don't know, like it was dramatic.
It did what I needed to do.
Like it made a very romantic book.
Like at the end, like I loved what it did.
I knew it was coming.
Like it would have been weird to subvert a third act because it would have been very
odd to me.

(01:13:35):
Like I wondered if so much of this like one besides the misogyny of always needing a squeaky
clean, squeaky clean heroine and you don't hold the mailman character to the same standards.
Obviously there's that.
But the like the absolute abhorrence of like cheating or any other immoral thing and the

(01:13:57):
criticism of like, well, I wouldn't do that in the third act or the like insistence on
a lack of a third act breakup.
All of this to me comes down to people who are exclusively reading for a self insert,
which isn't a bad thing in itself.
It's not bad to self insert when you read.
I do it sometimes.
I do it with every book, but sometimes it's really easy to do.
Pirates.

(01:14:18):
But it's the only thing that you are doing when you are reading is reading for self insert.
Number one, you're missing so much of what the books are doing.
And number two, suddenly you're holding it to weird standards like that.
Like, well, I wouldn't have done that in the third act.
And it's like, it's not about what you would have done.
It's about this character.
And then I also saw people, I'm like, it's showing a point.
Like it is illustrating.
Like this book is working two different things.

(01:14:40):
It's working the romance pot line, but it's also working this woman who is being gaslit
and misled by her doctor.
She's not supposed to see what she's missing at the beginning of the book.
Because so many people are like, oh, like she's so dumb.
Like, why didn't she notice this?
Like, she's just like, and I'm like, but that's not what the book is trying to do.
Like, what interest would that be if like right at page one, she was like, oh, my doctor

(01:15:00):
doesn't know what's wrong.
I'm going to go get a second opinion.
I'm like, she had to work through the entire book to get there.
And everyone knew all the things.
And if there was no conflict and no one ever did anything bad, there would be no book.
That's the exact like and I love a low angst book.
I love when things can be just done.
But again, the low angst books that I love still have in like they're so romantic and

(01:15:25):
they still do things and they still have third acts that are interesting.
And that makes sense for the book.
They're not just like, oh, we're not going to have any push internal conflict.
Yes, exactly.
Yeah.
Or like there still has to be some kind of internal conflict.
Well, no.
I mean, I love a mean heroine.
Like I honestly in the worst you can London, I wanted her to be meaner.

(01:15:47):
I'm like, girl, let let your mean flag fly.
I was like, I want you to yell at some people.
There was a book that is by Lisa Byrne, The Redemption of Philip Thane.
And it's like a Groundhog Day book.
And it got terrible reviews.
And I read it and like some of the reviews were like it was just so repetitive because

(01:16:08):
it was Groundhog Day.
I'm like, I can see that.
But he was a shitty character at the beginning.
Like he was a horrible person.
And I mean, he was like banging all these wenches and like doing all this stuff.
And then like in Groundhog Day, obviously, I'm like one look at the inspiration.
Was Bill Murray a great character?
No.
But I just think it made it such an interesting book because like by the end, I really enjoyed

(01:16:32):
him and like I really liked it.
Same thing with the Stacey Reed and Earl to remember.
Like so many reviews didn't get past the first 30 percent because he was a horrible person
at the beginning.
I'm like, have you seen Overboard?
Even if you don't haven't seen Overboard, aren't you fascinated as to why he's that
way?
Like it was so.
Do you have no concept of character development?
Yeah.

(01:16:53):
Like it's almost always better for me in a book if at least one, if not both of the characters
starts from a this isn't a good person or they are doing a bad thing, even if they're
not bad in their core.
You know what I mean?
Like you have to start low in order to have a satisfying arc.
Yeah.
Well, the Vivian Lorette one that's coming out in August, so that should also be on your

(01:17:14):
guys's list.
I mean, he is arguably doing a bad thing at the beginning.
Like he is blackmailing her and he is like lying to everyone.
But I'm like, I enjoyed it.
I mean, that one is a very silly campy book.
Like it's not really this, but even then, like most of the time you do want something
like that.

(01:17:35):
It's one thing if you have a bad character who is not like the author does not redeem
them sufficiently or how I do experience is not as gravel is a thing that I feel like,
especially with heroes, they don't have to grovel enough or they don't grovel enough
just in a very satisfying way.
I also feel like they're better grovels in slightly older historicals because now authors

(01:17:57):
are again being dictated by readers who will give them terrible reviews.
And a lot of authors feel like they can't start low with a character because readers
will DNF it in 10% and be like, oh, he was horrible.
And it's like, would you keep reading the book?
He has to get better.
Yeah.
Well, that's always heroes because everyone's afraid of writing a God forbid a heroine starts

(01:18:18):
in a bad place.
Which is crazy because it's like even for me, the cold hearted rake, like when I first
read that book, I was in some type of mood.
And I mean, I just listened to I think the first hour and then I DNF it because like
all the reviews were like, he never got better.
He was an ass objectively incorrect.
It is objectively incorrect.
But like I was there.
Like I also felt that way.

(01:18:39):
Like I don't even know what I was going through.
Yeah.
But if you had started it and you were like, I hate this man.
And then you had gone to the reviews.
And if the reviews were like, he gets so much better.
Would you have kept reading?
Yeah.
Yeah.
Because I literally in my initial review was like, it seems to be the case that he doesn't
improve.
I'm not going to waste my time.
Like that's literally what I wrote.
And then like when I read it, I was like, I was like that man.

(01:19:03):
And it's also I see people have criticism with marrying Winterborn as well.
I mean, most people, most people love that book.
But there are some people who think he is like a terrible Reese Winterborn doesn't even
start as a terrible person.
I love that man.
I mean, I'm like, guys, he's hot.
I'm on the devil's daughter now with Mary Reed.

(01:19:23):
And honestly, it should be the daughter.
I love him because Sebastian is like, dude, like you need like get on that.
Like what are you doing?
That's so real.
Sebastian pulls his weight in that book.
He said, oh, sorry, I didn't know you needed to marry a milk stop.

(01:19:46):
Like, he's literally like, I raised a fucking coward of a daughter.
And it's just it's I'm enjoying it the most I have on any reread of that book, because
I just for some reason, I'm like in the mood for it.
Like it's so good.
Obviously, you knew that.
But yeah, I just feel like it's interesting to see what's being written now in historical

(01:20:11):
and like what ones like what's happening in the feeling about the like morality standards.
I mean, so many like so insightful readers that I know talk about like romance is not
an instruction manual.
Its job is not to teach you or oftentimes they do teach you about things.
But like their job is not to teach you or to be a moral like what is the word I'm looking

(01:20:38):
for?
You should not be looking to this for morality lessons.
Yeah, that's not the point.
Well, it's like I understand like there are some books that just do it poorly, like from
a craft standpoint, from a writing standpoint, from a character development, like there are
some that like, I think sometimes there needs to be more editorial work, like pushing the
writer to do more and make these characters give us more.

(01:21:00):
But like, that's separate.
Right.
Well, that's like not wanting anything.
The book that I'm working on that I will not name, but that I have feelings about.
Yeah.
Like if I see a one star review where they're just like, I really did like struggle with
XYZ.
But I'm like, okay.
I mean, I disagree just because I like the book that I'm working on.

(01:21:21):
But like, I'm not going to tell you that you're wrong.
Like that's it's the ones where they explicitly are like I DNF'd at whatever percent she's
horrible where I'm like, that's a frustrating review to me.
One that's often why I don't DNF because I don't like to make those broad claims.
Right.
Without knowing the rest of the context.
Right.

(01:21:41):
Because I want to be able to back myself up.
And I can continue.
Yeah, because you understand the concept of character arcs.
DNF totally you guys if you want to.
But like, that's why personally for me, I like to argue.
So like, I like to read things fully to then have.
Well, but it's one thing to just like to talk about the craft or to be like this didn't
six or even to say like, she wasn't successfully.

(01:22:01):
Yeah.
Like if you I disagree with you.
But if you got to the end and you were like, I don't think that this character did the
work and that's your whatever.
But if you're just like, I hated her and she was mean.
I'm like, OK.
I'm like, I'm also mean.
I enjoy reading.
Like, they're just fun.
I mean, one of my favorite like YA books is like a Taming of the Shrew retelling.

(01:22:23):
And she starts off as like a pretty like a mean girl in high school.
And I just thought it was so fascinating.
The journey she had to go on.
And like I it's if I'm being honest by Austin Sigmund Broca and Emily Wibberley, my favorite
book by them.
And I just loved the journey that she went on because, again, she was not a great person,
but she's also in high school.

(01:22:44):
So like she doesn't need to be a good person, like great.
Like it.
Yeah, it's just so interesting.
Also why do you need someone to be completely like morally irreprehensible to enjoy their
story or to feel like they deserve to find an H.E.A.?

(01:23:06):
Yeah, there is not one person in real life who is perfect and is morally untouchable.
Well, it's also interesting to see where romance started to see where it's now come to and
just like that whole thing or that like that whole like timeline of like the different
trends of like things.
Because I know like even now, like whenever I recommend like Lady Pirate by Lindsay Sands

(01:23:29):
or anything pre like 2010, I'm always like just so I'm off the hook, know that it was
written that because I'm like every situation they got into in Lady Pirate was fan fucking
tastic.
But like I can definitely see where I want to just preface because like I don't I don't

(01:23:49):
want that responsibility of people, I don't know, being angry.
But I wish that book could be published today.
Beloved like it happened one autumn and devil in winter.
Yeah, it's some people like newer readers.
Like revisions and stuff that is also interesting to look at.
Oh, well, yes, that's a whole separate.
We could do a whole other separate episode on that.

(01:24:10):
But like, looking at the people who read a lot of historicals and the people whose opinions
I really trust and are willing to, you know, not do all of the things that we have discussed
and are willing to just be like, yeah, you know what, he does kidnap the heroine of the
previous book.
And he does it's understood you read in Devil in Winter that he would not have actually
done this.

(01:24:31):
But he threatens to forcibly marry and rape her.
Yeah, he doesn't.
And then again, in the second book, you come to understand that that was an empty threat.
But like, even if it is an empty threat, not an OK thing to do.
But like, Sebastian is one of the most beloved historical romance heroes of all time, because

(01:24:51):
Lisa Clayfister really did that.
And the book is like, I'm so good.
Yeah.
I'm obviously guilty.
I mean, some of the old old school books I read, I don't think I just fucking hate this.
It'd be like that sometimes.
Yeah.
Like I mean, personally, the writing and some of them was not for me.
But then you have a thing where like in the Lorraine Heath one where I was enjoying 75%
of the book and then the third act just I was like, what the hell is happening?

(01:25:15):
But there's even The Art of Catching Feelings by Alicia Thompson.
I already read it and I think it already came out to like not as relevant for summer.
But I don't think it's a summer book.
It's baseball.
Hasn't it?
I don't think it's out.
Oh, no, it's June 11th or June 11th.
Oh, why haven't I have?
I don't think it's out yet because I remember seeing it and thinking that it was.

(01:25:38):
Well, oh, yeah, that's why, because I requested my early copy of that from Berkeley because
I'm going to a Twins game next Tuesday and I wanted to have my copy.
It's the end of June, you're right.
So I wanted to have my copy at the game to take a picture.
And I was like, the only way I can get it early is if that's the book I choose, which
it worked.
I have it in my possession.
It is far lovelier.

(01:25:59):
Like the production of like the cover is gorgeous.
It is such a pretty book.
Like in person, I'm like enamored by it.
But that book even I started my review off with like, we just got to get this out of
the way because like she is lying throughout the entire book.
Like that is a thing that is happening.
And like there were parts of it that I was had an issue with, but it wasn't the fact

(01:26:21):
that she was like lying.
It was like some of the like how it was working and like things like that.
And I still really enjoy the book.
But I'm like, if you go into the book and get 10 percent, I'm like, she's going to be
like the premise of this book is that she is lying to him.
Right.
Like that is what's going to be happening.
So like I can just see and I've already seen reviews being like it was just too much to

(01:26:44):
see.
And I'm like, but it's just I don't I don't think you should write that book off because
you don't like lying.
I'm like, that is the entire book.
So without that, I don't know what about it.
And you read the premise of this book.
Why did you pick it up?
Yeah.
Well, that's why I like I started my I'm like, please, like if you don't like lying, like
maybe rethink this.
But here's why I think you should also read this, because it was very good and fun.

(01:27:07):
And I really enjoyed it, especially for a sports romance that I don't read a lot of.
But and again, like I think there were some things that could have maybe been different,
but taking lying out completely and making it like it would have been a different book.
I don't know how you would have done that.
Well, I mean, and so so many that are based on I mean, the one that you mentioned, the
Vivian Lorette where the premises is blackmailing her like, yeah, guys, it makes it interesting.

(01:27:34):
And you don't have to be doing you can write the softest squeakiest, cleanest.
I mean, Kat Sebastian, I don't think the one that we talk that you should be so lucky.
Yeah, there's really anything morally that either of them do wrong.
There's not like a problematic premise or anything like that.
It's very soft.
It's that's like an example of like how to write a low angst.
Yeah, like you can do it.

(01:27:55):
I'm not saying it's impossible to write an interesting romance without something bad
going on.
But like the requirement, I think, makes the genre as a whole less interesting.
I agree.
Because I just think I love a low angst, but it has to be done well.
And I think that is it's hard to do it well.
Yes.

(01:28:15):
Yeah.
And I think there's a difference between like a low angst relationship in a in a crazy
plot.
Things like that.
Sometimes you need a low angst relationship in a very wacky external plot because like
you can't be bogged down by both.
So you have to like pick and choose.
And so there are just I mean, obviously, you can have your preferences.
And if you don't like lying, don't read books.
But I also think that like, again, I have preferences like I don't really like friends

(01:28:38):
lovers, but I don't let that stop me always.
I'll be like, maybe that's not the one I want to pick up today, but I think if I didn't
read things that I wasn't huge, like I would never find ones that disprove my theory or
like go against the grain.
OK, you dislike friends to lovers.
That's whatever.
That's your preference.

(01:28:59):
That's fine.
But there's a difference between saying saying I'm not really a big shit.
Yeah.
Or like, I'm not going to pick it up.
I don't love friends to lovers.
And then reading a well written Friends to Lovers book and giving it one star just because
you're like, I hate friends to lovers versus reading one that it wasn't well done.
And you're like, this Friends to Lovers didn't work.
And again, like things can be well done and poorly done.

(01:29:20):
I mean, that one was very well done, especially because the fake dating.
And again, I mean, I've seen criticism of fake dating as well, which I love that trope
come at me.
I actually am enemies with anyone.
Actually, anybody who says inherently a trope is bad, you're wrong.
Yeah.
I mean, I think it's something to again be like, generally, this doesn't work for me,
which I think you do.

(01:29:41):
And that's great.
And that's fine.
And that's whatever.
But like, a lot of people don't like amnesia.
If you hate a trope, it's probably because you're reading poorly done ones.
I mean, I've read poorly done amnesia tropes where I really dislike it.
Like, I mean, it is just interesting.
This is the hill I'll die on with miscommunication.

(01:30:03):
Miscommunication isn't a trope.
Like, the trope that you hate when you say that you don't like miscommunication is poorly
done.
Third acts.
Well, I'm like, everything honestly should have some form of miscommunication.
Well, some people just miscommunicate.
That's just a fact of life.
And also, if you don't have any miscommunication, there's no book.
And also, most tropes are miscommunication.

(01:30:24):
What is fake dating if not two people who can't have an honest conversation about the
fact that they are in love with each other?
Marriage and convenience?
Same thing.
How much is?
Yeah, just interesting to see things happen.
You know who writes a really good problematic person but also problematic situation?
And I eat it up every time?

(01:30:46):
Sherri Thomas.
Her characters oftentimes, not every character, obviously, but they're not good.
Well, yeah, like the heroine in Private Arrangements.
I mean, she's schemed to get that man to marry her and I was like, full sent.
Those are two not good people.
The luckiest lady in London.
Yeah, I was like, do it.
And I was like, two not great people who are just like really horny and doing bad, like,
or not like bad things.

(01:31:07):
But I mean, the thing that he did to get her to marry him was inherently not great.
Yeah.
But I loved it.
I was like, yes.
It's so fun to read.
Do it.
Yeah.
Private Arrangements?
Two bad people.
I mean, okay, when I say bad people, I mean not perfect people.
That is what I should.
Like, they're not inherently evil to their core or anything like that.

(01:31:27):
But like, they do some fucked up stuff to each other.
But I love them.
It's so good.
Anyway, that was a very long rant.
The other two I wanted to mention were The Truth According to Ember, which was also mentioned
on Fated Nights by Danica Nava.

(01:31:48):
And it's a native romance, which is very exciting.
And then Marriage and Musty by Rishi Sharma.
Yep, that one's on mine.
Which I have the arc of, which I'm very excited about.
And it's, oh my god, what's the name of the historical that I mean, Shakespeare.
Twelfth Night.
Thank you.
Isn't it?

(01:32:08):
Yeah, I think so.
I believe it is.
I just read the Much Ado one.
Yes.
Not too long ago.
It is Twelfth Night.
It's the third book in the If Shakespeare Were an Auntie series, which I really liked.
You didn't like the first one, but I really liked the second one.
The thing is, this book is even an example of when I first read the, maybe the setup.

(01:32:30):
So after I finished the second book and then you know you got the little teaser of this
one, I was like, I don't know if that's going to be for me, the setup of this.
Then I went and read the summary and then reviews.
I'm like, oh wait, actually, no, that sounds so fun.
Because it did it different than I thought it was going to do just by having minimal
context of things because she's been pining for him, I think.
And then he's doing something.
I don't know.
Twelfth Night.

(01:32:51):
Yeah.
And then it's Twelfth Night.
And I'm like, well, it's going to be fun.
And so I'm very excited for that one.
So that one was on my list and now I get to talk about it.
Yes.
And it comes out in August, I believe.
I don't know the exact date, but.
Yes, I believe it's August.
So those were my other contemporary on my TBRs.
I have a few that published on my birthday, Sleigh, which is fun for me.

(01:33:16):
The X-Files by Jessica Joyce is one of them.
I want to read that.
And then Not Another Love Song is also July 16th.
So that's another one.
And then I believe Business Casual by BK Borison, yep, is July 16th.
I've heard really good things about that one.
I haven't read Love Like Four Arms or anything.
And honestly, it's not an author that I've ever felt the need to read, but I've seen

(01:33:39):
very good reviews about this one and I want to read it.
So I will be partaking in that as well.
I think that one just got a starred review from Library Journal.
I think it showed up.
I had another book that I'm reading on.
Oh yeah, yeah, because me and her books.
Because Beth, she writes for Library Journal, I believe.
Oh, I didn't know that.
And she's the one who she's basically the one who is like said this one's really good.

(01:34:03):
I believe that's by Beth.
I did not know this.
I just remember seeing it and I had another book that I'm working on that got a starred
Library Journal review.
And so I saw like the list of the ones that they had just published and I think that one
was on the list.
So I've heard very good things about that one and I've heard it's very spicy and exciting.

(01:34:23):
So we'll be reading.
Again, that's a I share a birthday with it.
So there's a fondness there.
Jewel.
Is it Julin Twice?
I don't think I know the heist ones.
Yep, by Cherish Reed.
Also on this one was also talked about a Fated Maids.
I love Cherish Reed.
If you haven't read Mickey Chambers Shakes It Up yet, do it.

(01:34:44):
Do yourself a favor.
It was so good.
So this one I'm very excited for everything I've read by Cherish Reed is just fantastic.
So that's one anticipated one.
This Summer Will Be Different by Carly Fortune, another author who like I have not had any
compunction to read before this one.
But I've seen good reviews from people I follow and just like it seems a little bit different

(01:35:06):
than her other two and it seems like a very perfect like summer one.
So I actually started the audiobook and then I was like, no, I have to get more into summer.
So I will be reading that.
Yeah, I'll be reading that when I'm like outside like by pool or a lake or something.
And I've also seen good things about actually that one may be SMP.
I may have to edit that out.

(01:35:29):
Shitballs.
Yeah, it's SMP.
OK, well, where's my list?
Oh, I'm sorry.
I'm malfunctioning.
We're OK.
Oh, and then Jackie Lau and her publicist sent me Love, Lies and Cherry Pie.
This one came out a little bit ago, but I'm very excited for that one.
I love Jackie Lau.
She writes a marvelous sex scene.
Her novellas were really good.

(01:35:51):
She's like two like movie star novellas.
I loved those.
And then Jenda Luca has one coming out, Haunted Ever After, which I'm very intrigued by because
I haven't liked the last few of the Well Met series ones, but I loved Well Met.
Like that's one of the books that got me into the genre.
So I'm excited and I just love ghosts.
I love a hot ghost.

(01:36:12):
We know nothing gets us going like a ghost.
Nothing does for good reason, because you need to read Ann Mallory is what you need
to do.
I know I do.
I know I saw.
That Earl, the Earl of her dreams.
Something for the Earl's pleasure.
Yeah, wild, wild.
Again, the hero is a very complex specimen.

(01:36:36):
What a fantastic book.
I was so stressed.
I was so sweaty.
I couldn't like I was not reading that book fast enough, like because there's no audiobooks
for a book.
So I was like, I need to like read a hyper speak.
So I'm like, I would be listening at three times, like if I could, like at the end, no
clue.
Like it was so good.
And then I literally read the next one.
Like this is also should be on your summer TBR.
Just like things to do is read Ann Mallory.

(01:36:58):
The other one was like a clue esque.
They're snowed in at an end.
She's pretending to be like a little man.
Yeah, she is statually little.
She's pretending to be like a tailor or something.
And then they had to like share a room.
And then obviously he's like, ha ha ha, your secret.

(01:37:18):
And then the selling point of that one is that so there's obviously a murder mystery.
And he's been like trying to like quietly seduce the heroine for the entire book.
And he's like not forcing her to do anything.
And like the first scene where they're like physically intimate, he like gets her off
and he's like, OK, I can't like I'm not going to take this any farther.
So then he like leaves the room.
He's like, I need to go like jerk one off, like in this bathroom.

(01:37:41):
Like I got to just get out of my system.
And so he's like in the bathroom and he like stumbles and then he breaks the wall and there's
like the murder weapon.
Like he like finds the murder weapon.
I saw your upshade for this book.
Yeah.
And he was like really like so he's like a heart like he's erect.
But he's also got this murder weapon and it's bloody.
He's like, what do I and then he like and then there's like a ghost hunter in this in

(01:38:03):
too.
So then he like sets off a ghost trap.
So then everyone that comes out, there's like a like a wailing sound.
So then like he's like aroused and confused and frustrated.
I also am constantly aroused and confused.
He's pretending to be a bowstreet runner.
Sure.
He's not.
He's an undercover like Earl.
It was so fun.

(01:38:24):
And I had a marvelous time and I proceeded to like buy a few more animal books and I'll
be buying her rest because she's written a lot, which is sad.
One night.
There's one that a lot of people I know talk about that I haven't read yet that's been
on my list for a long time.
That should be where he like wins three nights of sin.

(01:38:44):
No, I feel like I want to say it's like one night is never enough, but I don't know if
that's the actual title.
I've definitely heard of them.
They like play chess.
That's the notable thing about it that I hear a lot of people talking about is it's like
the best.
Oh, yeah, I have.
I bought that one.
Chess scene.
I've ever read.
Yeah, one night is never enough.
He like wins her in a.

(01:39:07):
I think is that the one I'm thinking of?
Yeah, it is.
Yeah, that written Gambler father and a game of chance.
Yeah, he wins her in a wager.
And they he like I think he wins like one night with her and he plays chess with her
or something like that.
Good.
I don't know.
But a lot of people that I really trust are like this is one of the best historicals.
I was like, she's a great write, like the fantastic writing.

(01:39:30):
Definitely not as big of a backlist as I'd prefer.
This book looks exactly like A Week to Be Wicked by Tessa Dare.
So that's intriguing to me because they look so similar.
But yeah, if you just need a good palate cleanser, like historical romance, that's like like
2000.
So that one's 2011.
It's like mid 2000s.
Oh, so good.

(01:39:50):
I think it was Chels.
I think their podcast they had talked about for the Earls pleasure about the ghost.
And I think being her books, then was reading it.
And then I saw there was a ghost and I was like, nothing gets me going like a ghost.
So then I read it.
It's great.
And then I bought a bunch more like paranormal historical romances at some used bookstores

(01:40:14):
this past weekend.
So I'm living large.
Well there you have it.
There's your summer TBR, our summer TBR, but also your summer TBR.
And also if you're the romance morality police, you're fucking boring.
And I don't know why you're listening to us.
Where's your applause?

(01:40:35):
Yeah, I wish I had it.
That's the end of the episode.
That's all I got.
That really is.
Okay, we're gonna go get donuts.
Hell yeah.
And two hours later.
Two hours later.
Nice.
Thank you.
It was terrible.
I got it.
I got the reference.
Thank you for listening.

(01:40:55):
If you have been, stay tuned for another newsletter next week.
And yeah, I think that is everything.
Happy summer reading.
Oh my god, I wish they had a summer reading program here at the library for like adults.
Just do it yourself.
I've heard of them.
I just, I mean.
Just give yourself a pizza party.
That's so true.

(01:41:16):
Make yourself a donut party and then a pizza party.
So true.
Wow.
Fantastic.
Okay.
I'm gonna go get some donuts.
I'm gonna go get some donuts.

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S03.09: The Romance Your TBR Summer Reading Program

NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal