Happy Valentine’s Week! Amanda and I have voicemail messages, updates on tattoos, book and lip balm recommendations, and more! Come hang out with us and nosh on all that half price candy. What candy are you buying? Thank you to Nancy, Claudia, Jimmy, StylinsonBirds, Leslie, and Ann! … Music: purple-planet.com

It’s part II of our recap of The Invisible Goddess by AC Dawn, a retelling of the myth of Hestia, goddess of the hearth and home. Have you read it? Did you like it? I have some things to tell you! A NEW PODCAST! I’m co-hosting LoveStruck Daily with Alisha Rai! LoveStruck Daily is a new podcast from iHeartRadio produced by Frolic Media that will deliver a true love story and those HEA feels every … Continue reading 497. The Invisible Goddess, Part II, with Melody from Heaving Bosoms! →

Melody is back! Some of our most popular episodes are our crossovers with Heaving Bosoms, and we have a new one for you! We read The Invisible Goddess by AC Dawn, a retelling of the myth of Hestia, goddess of the hearth and home. We had a LOT to talk about, so I’ve divided this into two episodes. Here in episode one, we’ll recap about half the story, and you’ve got options! You can read … Continue reading 496. The Invisible Goddess, Part I, with Melody from Heaving Bosoms →

I follow Vanessa North on Instagram and after she posted a picture of her first completed project of 2022, I had to talk to her about knitting. So of course we also talk about gender, crafting, raising fearless trans teenagers, photography, and writing romance. Plus book recs, as always. LPT: Always Buy Extra Buttons! … Music: purple-planet.com

Amanda and I catch up on her “lots of things to look forward to” plan, which now includes things that were done! We talk about anxiety, therapy, angsty books, trimming your own bangs, and we have book and video game recs, plus new year’s wishes from Elyse, Pudding, and Jane B! Do you like angsty books? Are there books that help you feel things cathartically? … Music: purple-planet.com  

Time to deep dive into another classic YA Romance: Sweet Dreams #7, Green Eyes by Suzanne Rand. Julie has a problem with the green-eyed monster, and it lasts for a lot of pages. We’ve got: Insecure teenagers Swim team! Yet Another Teen Hangout with a Fun Name Just Talk to Each Other for Goodness’ Sake Join me as I struggle. Seriously, it’ll be fun. NB: I misread “Chip” as “Chuck” but they’re the same person. … Continue reading 493. Sweet Dreams Romance Recap: Green Eyes by Suzanne Rand →

My guest this week is Olivia Dade! We had such a good time talking about fan supercuts, watching shows through gifsets, Game of Thrones spoilers, writing characters with ADHD and learning disabilities. Highlight: we discover a vintage ship we have in common and we exclaim at each other. Thank you to Rachel, Alanna, and Kelly from the Patreon community! … Music: purple-planet.com

Amanda and I are saying goodbye to 2021, and looking ahead to 2022! We talk about exciting things coming in January, including the 17th anniversary of Smart Bitches, plus we talk about books that got us through 2021. Super bonus: we’ve got messages from Tara, Catherine, Sneezy, and Martin who have book recs, wishes for the new year, and lots and lots of jokes. This episode is our New Year’s wish for you: stay safe … Continue reading 491. Book Recs, Wishes, and Jokes: Farewell to 2021, and Wishes for 2022 →

It’s time to recap Sweet Dreams #6, California Girl by Janet Quin-Harkin, also known as Rhys Bowen! Jennie is a swimmer with her eyes on the Olympics, and Mark is a grumpy loner on crutches who sketches Jennie one day in the cafeteria. We’ve got: Overbearing sports parents Snark about Texas drivers Homesickness Lots and lots of swimming Learning to set boundaries Dreamy grumpy artist hero! Alas, CW/TW for ableist language and anti-fat bias in … Continue reading 490. Sweet Dreams Romance Recap: California Girl by Janet Quin-Harkin →

My guest this week is Nalini Singh! I have reader questions from our Patreon community and publicist and past podcast guest Erin Galloway about Archangel’s Light, Nalini’s latest release. We cover writing multiple series at the same time. We also talk about fan art, which she absolutely loves, and about reading slumps – and how to escape them. Thank you to Ann, C, Varian, and Erin for the questions!

This week, we have lots to talk about! First, some of y’all wrote fantastic epilogues to the very unsatisfying ending of Princess Amy, recapped in episode 486, and I share my ideas, too. Then, it’s time for Sweet Dreams 5, Little Sister. We’ve got: Big Misunderstandings Plot Points that were in the cover copy so they’re not that dramatic Snarky sister fights Really loving and supportive, thoughtful parents And Drama Kids! Lots of ‘em! Thank … Continue reading 488. Sweet Dreams Recap: Little Sister by Yvonne Greene →