
We’re taking a tour through the new releases across many genres from April 2005, nearly 20 (!!!) years ago. Romance has changed a wee little bit. How much cringe shall we find? Plenty! Other oddities? Mainstream includes YA and Chick Lit. Contemporary includes New Reality. Regency in Format includes Corinthians! And we’re trying to understand a character who wants to “dim the pain of turning 30.” It’s a ride, as usual. Side trips include Sea … Continue reading 609. Romantic Times Rewind: April 2005 Reviews →
by SB Sarah · Apr 5, 2024 at 1:59 am · Comments Off on Romantic Times Rewind: April 2005 Reviews
In this week’s podcast episode, we’re looking at the book reviews for the April 2005 issue of RT Book Reviews. Thank you to Kay Layton Sisk for this issue! You can also find all the RTRW content at our category page for Romantic Times Rewind. And, most importantly, if you want to listen and follow along with this entry, we have more detail in the audio, but you can click play and listen and read and … Continue reading Romantic Times Rewind: April 2005 Reviews →
This year, for April Fool’s Day 2024, we are expanding our reach to try to corner the angler angle, because, well, why not?! Smart Fishes Trashy Hooks knows you need top of the line bait and tackle while you while away the hours reading and fishing! We’ve got Hooks on Sale, and, of course…. Cover Shark. (This will never not make me snort!) Well played to Amanda for this year’s April Fool’s idea. Happy April … Continue reading April Fool’s 2024: Smart Fishes, Trashy Hooks →
Sarah: This book is extraordinary in that the cover copy, the plot, and the characters all hinted at many potential delights, and delivered on none of them. When Lara messaged me about the book since I’d mentioned it in a recent Hide Your Wallet, we decided to review the book together. The cover copy mentions that this is a “new high concept series, The Scandalous Ladies of London, which chronicles the lives of a group of … Continue reading The Duchess by Sophie Jordan →

Mel Blue was my guest when we discussed Spare – which has become one of my most listened-to episodes – so I asked her back to talk about the narratives of PR, why the weird stories around Kate Middleton grabbed attention worldwide, and why so many people were and are paying attention. On one level it’s a story that originated in gossip about rich and powerful people in an archaic power structure being weird. But … Continue reading 608. Women as Shields and Scapegoats: Talking Kate Middleton with Melissa Blue →
Hey DMV folks! It’s an in person event! Remember those?! Come join the lovely folks from the Really Reading Romance book club at East City Bookshop for a Romance Reader Happy Hour, April 5th from 6-8pm! Tickets are $10, and there’s going to be giveaways, activities, probably some mayhem, definitely a beverage! I’m extremely excited to be included this year, and will have stickers in my pocket. I say that now, and then I have stop … Continue reading Friday, April 5: Romance Reader Happy Hour! →

In Episode 606. Behind the Scenes of Classic Cover Art: Shirley Green and Sharon Spiak, I learned about the behind-the-scenes process of creating some of the romance covers I know very well. It was a fascinating conversation, and if you’re at all interested, there’s a transcript as well as a few pictures in the show notes. I also did a bonus episode video for the members of the podcast Patreon sharing images that Sharon and … Continue reading Vintage Cover Art Behind the Scenes with Sharon Spiak and Shirley Green →

We’re looking at the ads and features from the March 2016 issue of RT Book Reviews! We’ve got cowboy heads growing out of gravel roads, a dude who looks like he’s on fire, and that one guy who is always ripping his shirt off from romance covers. We decide on an in-house definition of “Castle Bangenschloss.” Oh! And a really angry reader wants self pub authors to stop using the same stock images for different … Continue reading 607. RT Rewind: March 2016 Ads & Features →
In this week’s podcast episode, we’re looking at the ads and features in the March 2016 issue of Romantic Times, aka RT Book Reviews. Special and massive thanks to Shannon Stacey for sending me this issue! You can also find all the RTRW content at our category page for Romantic Times Rewind. And, most importantly, if you want to listen and follow along with this entry, we have more detail in the audio, but you … Continue reading Romantic Times Rewind: March 2016 Ads & Features →