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What was 2025, really? What did we say we were going to do—and did we do it? In this Year-in-Review episode, we take stock of the year with clear eyes. We revisit the wins, the misses, and the pacing problems from our shelf this year—from Ali Hazelwood’s Deep End to the dark-romance chaos of Nocticadia. We did a shadow-daddy bracket (a rigorous, peer-reviewed process; dissenting opinions noted for the record) that functioned as a useful tool for Isabeau, and found time to accidentally fall head first into the zeitgeist. Who earned the hardest Whoa!? Who took home the most definitive No? And which couples earned space on our mental shelves forever? We close by looking ahead to 2026: what we’re pursuing, what we’re done negotiating, and what we’re leaving behind—because not every arc deserves a redemption. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Man the canons, yr Colonels in the War on Christmas are attacking THE EARL'S CHRISTMAS PEARL by MEGAN FRAMPTON. The titular Earl meets the titular Pearl after her family abandons her in London over Christmas a la (kind of, vaguely) Kevin McAllister. He uses his skills as a Welshman to care for the young miss, even though his ankle like, really hurts and he doesn't even LIKE Christmas that much. Along the way, he doesn't just fall in love with the holiday... Are wealthy twenty somethings in historical romance essentially just teens? What story elements are crucial to a Christmas tale? Are purple prose penises better than just "Penis"? Tune in - we're stokin' fires AND frying' eggs this Yule. ______ additional sounds in this eppy: sleigh bells_.wav by Stagno sexy funk + strings & piano by kbrecordzz Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In part two of our discussion of NOCTICADIA by KERI LAKE yr grls dive into chapters 39 - epilogue. Does the ambiguity of an HEA in horror make it impossible (if already strange) bedfelllows with romance? What is the appeal of "dark" romance and what is the bright side for those of us who don't lean into taboo? TWINS??? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stop twitching, that isn't the fluttering of dusty moth wings in your ear - its yr grls discussing NOCTICADIA by KERI LAKE. Lilia Vespertine is a destitute but extraordinarily hot smart orphan in evil Baltimore who happens to get a mysterious full ride to spooky Dracadia University - a private institution on an isolated island with a 30-year-old tenured professor of...biology? I guess? Let's see if you can guess what he looks like. If you screamed "ADAM DRIVER!!!!!". Yeah. You're right. You got it. They both, unbeknownst to one of them (no points for guessing this one), share a research interest in these specific moths and their gooey babies. But it turns out...sing along it if you know it...that is not the only interest they share. Nor, the only mystery... How does horror work, or not work, with romance? What is the itch that dark romance or taboo romance scratches? Can all this be solved by the appointment or a new Provost? Okay, sure, but what about a more robust student council? Don your velvets. We're putting the slimthicc (ah, those were the days) in Gothic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Don't be scared! That is just the loud cracking of our ankles over a totally normally recording of Whoa!mance's discussion of THE RUIN OF EVANGELINE JONES by JULIA BENNET. The titular Evie is a psychic medium scammer under the control/support of a Svengali type. Harcastle is a Due under the oppression of his dead father. Plus his hobby is busting fake spiritualists in Victorian London. But, Evie is tempting in that mysterious buttoned-up-but-secret-nudie-photo-past that maybe...just maybe...he'll be doing bustin' of a different kind. Please don't tell anyone that I wrote that. What isn't a gothic romance (shoutout to Emerald Fennell's Wuthering Heights trailer)? Why would you include a plucky child and/or dog in your novel? What IS good pacing anyway? Touch pinkies and tuck winkies - this seance we're summoning a big ol' Whoa. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the Shadow Daddy Bracket: Final Four, where our pleasures are interrogated and pitted against one another. Our contenders? Rochester brooding in his attic-bound domestic gothic, Rhysand a fae High Lord wielding sovereignty and seduction, a couple of aristocrats flexing thier authority, and Buffy’s Angel/Spike—vampiric embodiments of tortured desire and ethical ambiguity. But the bracket isn’t just about who wins a romance face-off. We’re also asking: why now? At a moment of resurgent authoritarianism, and renewed assaults on feminist gains, the cultural magnetism of shadow daddies feels especially charged. Join us as we illuminate the shadows and the allure, tackling the familiar pleasures and the deeply unsettling things it may reveal about us. #shadowdaddy #bracket #romance #romantasy #acotar Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shadow Daddy's abound. But how do you pick the best one? what would the best even mean? How do you quantify or categorize the shadows and the daddies? Morgan and Isabeau developed a tournament style bracket ranking the shadow daddies of the past, present, and super natural--follow along and make your own! Who will take the crown? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Morgan and Isabeau return to the back half of Quicksilver—and yes, the vampires have arrived. With plenty of biting insights, they unpack what makes for a strong first-person narrative (and what can throw it completely off kilter). Then it’s on to the heart of romantasy: shadow daddies and fated mates. Why do some bonds feel electric while others fall flat? She's just the most beautiful mortal in two realms with magical abilities and a seemingly bottomless anxiety spiral. He's a prince, a lord and a tortured big brother just trying to make things right. All the ingredients are on the page but this pound town cake is giving yr grls trouble. Maybe it takes more than magic tattoos and a surly disposition to make the romance in romantasy? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we’re diving deep into the shadowy (haha) corners of QuickSilver—where Saeris Fane finds herself escaping a burning kingdom in the arms of a shadow daddy by the name of Kingfisher. Badass tattoos and appellation aside what makes a shadow daddy? Is it literally just commanding shadows and six pack? Is it the brooding and the martyr complex? Kingfisher checks all the boxes, and with a winning backstory and clear motivation so does Saeris--so what's the hold up? Follow along in this two parter where we unpack what we are really attracted to when our heroines get tangled in the fantasy of female subjugation. We're ready to do the work on this 1800 year old manchild--but is he? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Doff your strawiest cap, we're on a summer holiday to Cornwall with "A Shore Thing" by Joanna Lowell. Muriel has been pigeon-holed into presenting on seaweed instead of her preferred botany interests. Thankfully, the English seaside is not only home to many kelps but also one Kit, a painter who Muriel initially admires as an illustrator of flora and later as an igniter of her more...fauna instincts. Kit is finally living as himself (though not out as trans, this is 1888) and doesn't want to...rock the boat. But that's what falling in love is all about! There's a bicycle race as well. When it comes to character development, what's the difference between personal history and personality? What can cozy romances show us about the unique pacing challenges in romance, broadly? And, in this day and age, what does it mean to be tender with the lads? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do...do you hear that? That-that...throbbing hum? Then adjust your speakers! You're gonna wanna hear us discuss THRUM by MEG SMITHERMAN. Astronaut Ami is the lone survivor of a mysterious accident that killed the rest of her crew. It also means she is the lone Earthling guest of the extra-terrestrial calling himself Dorian Gray. I bet you can see where this is going...(no, you definitely can't, actually) (but it is a Happily Ever After?). What are the contours of the sci-fi or horror romance? What are the contours of the gothic romance? What are the contours of sentient object romance while we're at it? Set phasers to OH GOD THE HORRORS THE HORRORS!!!!!!! and tune in. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We read the second half and discovered that you can live with a heart murmur, but maybe a romance can't exist well without some critical affection for its main characters. Join us as we investigate the missed opportunities and stumbling blocks holding this "cozy" would be charmer back. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It is a renn fest season and Pride month. Perfect time to chat about chapters 1 through 8 of Yield Under Great Persuasion by Alexandra Rowland Tam and Lyford get it on like all the time. Much to Tam's chagrin. Not that it is like a non-con situation, just that he hates how much he likes having sex with the Lord. For...reasons. And pretty much everything else. His god/desses, his little village with a cute downtown, himself, maybe all women. In spite of this (fittingly) he is sent on a quest to like just be chill about it and maybe come to terms with enjoying the company of Lord Lyford. Can a beautiful world, alone, make a story beautiful? Does Romantasy cease without angst (pronounced aughnstuh)? Did your county fair host any good orgies? Please, only drink a reasonable amount of tea before this one. The ep might raise your blood pressure all on its own. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Well we stood and are now delivering to you part 2: This episode covers chapter 15 through the epilogue of THROUGH A DARK MIST by MARSHA CANHAM, book 1 of the Black Wolf Trilogy. To recap we learn that not only is Lucien Wardieu Lord of Bloodmoor Keep, he is also a highwayman, is not dead in the crusades, and gains a whole new identity as Eleanor of Aquataine's most decorated and loyal knight. But rest assured gentle readers, young Servanne learns to love all of these identities and will passionately join the fight to oust the bastard brother and his extremely sexually liberated consort and restore Lucien to his ancestral home. Or at least that's the project we thought Lucien was on, but as things unfold and the villains lose interesting dimension the back drop of 1991 comes into focus and so too does the cultural war. Is a woman only as good as her perceived potential motherhood? Is this just a big door stop of slut shame? Have we come so far only to hurtle ourselves back onto the dark shores of the 90s? Keep your cross bows handy--there's trouble ahead Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What ho! A new challenge faces yr grls as they attempt a new format. An intentional two-parter! This episode covers the prologue through chapter 14 of THROUGH A DARK MIST by MARSHA CANHAM, book 1 of the Black Wolf Trilogy. Lucien Wardieu is Lord of Bloodmoor Keep. Or he is a highwayman. Or he is dead in the crusades. Or he is basically Robin Hood. Or he is basically Satan. In any case, young widow Servanne is headed right toward him - to become his bride and Lady of Bloodmore Keep and/or become his captive in semi-magical woods. Confused? Don't be. One Lucien Wardieu has brown hair and the other one is blond. What does this novel set ca.1194 tell us about life under late-capital in 1991? How can a novel show without telling? Do you think this villainess will shake out to be an interest, fully realized character by the end of the book? Stand, deliver, and don't forget to read chapters 15 - Epilogue for the next eppy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.