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Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet (1996) turned 30 this month, and I'm convinced it turned a whole generation of millennial girls into romance readers. The fish tank, the soundtrack, Leo screaming at the sky. It was the whole package. I've been blogging about romance books since 2011, so I went back to the movie that started it for a lot of us. The aquarium scene and fated mates, the soundtrack as our first book playlist, why Leo spent the late 90s dying for love in Romeo + Juliet and Titanic, what Shakespeare in Love did with the same story, and how all of it grew into Twilight, paranormal romance and romantasy. Romantasy books that feel like Shakespeare, sorted by play: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/romantasy-shakespeare/ The written version of this video: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/romeo-and-juliet-1996/ What stayed with you most? Leo, the soundtrack, the fish tank, or the whole thing at once? Chapters 00:00 Why It Hit So Hard 00:59 Teen Life in 1996 01:42 Baz Luhrmann Aesthetic 03:20 The Fish Tank Moment 04:33 Fated Mates Origins 05:30 Soundtrack as Romance 06:46 BookTok Then and Now 07:06 Watching It at 40 08:32 Leo and the Yearning Hero 09:44 Titanic and Doomed Love 10:47 Shakespeare in Love Era 12:15 From Shakespeare to Romantasy 13:35 Why We Read Romance Anyway 14:00 Wrap Up and Comments ✨ Loved the episode? Follow Reading Under the Covers wherever you listen and leave a quick review. It helps more romance readers find us (and lets me know what you’re loving). 💕 💌 Talk to Me: Got a rec, trope request, or hot take? → Drop me a voice message. ☕ Support the Show: Enjoyed hanging out? Leave us a tip. Even a dollar keeps the mics on and the coffee flowing. 📚 Stay Connected: Blog: reviews, book lists, and seasonal reading inspo.YouTube: book chats, reading lifestyle and recs.Newsletter: join our insider for the latest updates. 💖 This episode may contain affiliate links. We earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show!

Publishers once said no one wanted vampires. Then a writer they’d dropped came back with Dark Lover, and the Black Dagger Brotherhood changed vampire romance. I went down a rabbit hole on how we got from “vampires are dead as a genre” to one of the biggest paranormal romance series ever. In this episode of Reading Under the Covers, a romance podcast: - the vampire romance that came before J.R. Ward, from Barnabas Collins to Silhouette Shadows - the Insider’s Guide stories about Dark Lover’s three-book deal and the call 21 days after release - the rules Ward rewrote for her vampires - whether Dark Lover was actually revolutionary 📖 Read the full story on the blog: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/j-r-ward-vampire-romance/ 🦇 The history of vampire romance before Dark Lover: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/history-of-vampire-romance/ 🗡️ Black Dagger Brotherhood reading order: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/black-dagger-brotherhood-series-guide/ 📚 Books like the Black Dagger Brotherhood: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/books-like-black-dagger-brotherhood/ 🩸 When did we start romanticizing vampires? https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/romanticizing-vampires/ 📜 Dark Lover’s chapter in The Oxford History of the Novel in English: https://academic.oup.com/book/56332/chapter/445459557 Books mentioned: Dark Lover by J.R. Ward: https://on.ltk.com/+v1JERuWkti4GVEEJUJgGMA The Black Dagger Brotherhood 20th Anniversary Insider’s Guide: https://on.ltk.com/+FPQF1x-YbLJX8mOyg-oYww What was your first vampire romance? Tell me in the comments. Timestamps 00:00 Nobody Wanted Vampires 01:26 Origins of Vampire Crushes 02:59 Early Vampire Romance Roots 04:38 Publishers Said No 05:53 Enter J.R. Ward 06:46 Dark Lover’s Breakthrough 08:42 The Rules Ward Rewrote 10:49 A Modern Worldbuilding Shift 13:19 Was It Revolutionary? 14:41 Fandom and the Genre Ripple 16:23 Legacy and Where to Start 17:17 Final Thoughts ✨ Loved the episode? Follow Reading Under the Covers wherever you listen and leave a quick review. It helps more romance readers find us (and lets me know what you’re loving). 💕 💌 Talk to Me: Got a rec, trope request, or hot take? → Drop me a voice message. ☕ Support the Show: Enjoyed hanging out? Leave us a tip. Even a dollar keeps the mics on and the coffee flowing. 📚 Stay Connected: Blog: reviews, book lists, and seasonal reading inspo.YouTube: book chats, reading lifestyle and recs.Newsletter: join our insider for the latest updates. 💖 This episode may contain affiliate links. We earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show!

In 1988, Lisa Kleypas wrote a hero who pulls a girl out of a frozen river and decides, while she's still dripping wet, that she belongs to him. In this episode of Reading Under the Covers, a romance novel podcast, Becky from Too Stupid to Live joins me for our Ripped & Ravished book club discussion of Love Come to Me, one of Kleypas's earliest historical romances, written years before the Wallflowers, the Ravenels and Derek Craven. We talk about the Civil War backdrop the book glosses over, a fiancé and an ex who never add real tension, the miscommunication that one conversation would have fixed, the forced seduction scene, and why there always has to be another woman as the villain. We also get into what it does well: a hero who stops and admits when he's wrong, a heroine who's allowed to want things, and why this might be the safest bodice ripper we've read this year. Our final ratings, and whether you should start your Lisa Kleypas journey here, are at the end. Read the full discussion and review: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/love-come-to-me-review/ Next up, we're closing out the year with Vivid by Beverly Jenkins. Join the Ripped & Ravished book club emails to read along and be the first to hear the 2027 picks: https://underthecovers.myflodesk.com/ripped-ravished Catch up on every book we've discussed this year: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/bodice-ripper-book-club/ Follow Becky: Too Stupid to Live on Substack: https://tstlpodcast.substack.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tstlpodcast Chapters 00:00 Preview: the stalker reveal 00:24 Book club setup and the premise 01:46 First impressions and early Kleypas expectations 05:33 Pacing problems 09:20 No real central conflict 11:11 The Civil War backdrop 15:12 Tacked on antagonists and a darker forced marriage 18:08 Lucy's naivety and the miscommunication 24:10 An ending with no grovel 28:29 Forced seduction, virginity and naivety 32:46 The father problem 35:06 Chemistry, best scenes and a safer 80s romance 38:25 Women's pleasure on the page 42:17 The other woman as the villain 48:40 Kleypas then vs now 53:29 Ratings, recommendations and watching authors grow 59:08 Wrap up and next read ✨ Loved the episode? Follow Reading Under the Covers wherever you listen and leave a quick review. It helps more romance readers find us (and lets me know what you’re loving). 💕 💌 Talk to Me: Got a rec, trope request, or hot take? → Drop me a voice message. ☕ Support the Show: Enjoyed hanging out? Leave us a tip. Even a dollar keeps the mics on and the coffee flowing. 📚 Stay Connected: Blog: reviews, book lists, and seasonal reading inspo.YouTube: book chats, reading lifestyle and recs.Newsletter: join our insider for the latest updates. 💖 This episode may contain affiliate links. We earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show!

Curious about historical romance but not sure where to start? This episode of Reading Under the Covers, a romance novel podcast, is your crash course. I break the genre down by the kind of reader you are: whether you came in through the Bridgerton show or the books, you're looking for modern romance, you want to get out of the ballroom, you love a genre mashup, or you're a dark romance girly looking for a historical that still pushes your comfort zone. I also cover the classics every historical romance reader should know, plus a quick guide to the eras and types of historical romance so you know what to look for next. Books mentioned: You're the Problem, It's You by Emma R. Alban Ana María and the Fox by Liana De la Rosa Duke's Got Mail by Samara Parish The Scoundrel and the Siren by Christy Carlyle A Caribbean Heiress in Paris by Adriana Herrera The Wallflowers series by Lisa Kleypas Queen of Lombard Street by Lisa Kleypas Spindle Cove series by Tessa Dare Duke of My Heart by Kelly Bowen Scandal of the Summer by Alexandra Vasti The Last Lady B by Eloisa James Vivid by Beverly Jenkins The Austen Affair by Madeline Bell In Bed with a Highlander by Maya Banks A Stitch in Time by Kelley Armstrong Firelight by Kristen Callihan Kiss of Steel by Bec McMaster Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match by Sally Thorne Maiden Lane series by Elizabeth Hoyt Victorian Rebels series by Kerrigan Byrne Sea of Ruin by Pam Godwin Rough Surrender by Cari Silverwood Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase The Bride by Julie Garwood The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean Transcendence by Shay Savage The Rogue of Fifth Avenue by Joanna Shupe An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole Sherry Thomas Read Vivid with us for book club in November and December: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/bodice-ripper-book-club/ READ MORE ON THE BLOG What is a bodice ripper? How to read vintage romance: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/read-vintage-bodice-rippers/ Our all-time favorite Highlander romances: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/must-read-highlander-romances/ 15 diverse historical romances to add to your TBR: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/diverse-historical-romances/ Historical romantic comedies to make you smile: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/historical-romantic-comedy/ Historical romances set outside of England: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/historical-romances-set-outside-of-england/ ✨ Loved the episode? Follow Reading Under the Covers wherever you listen and leave a quick review. It helps more romance readers find us (and lets me know what you’re loving). 💕 💌 Talk to Me: Got a rec, trope request, or hot take? → Drop me a voice message. ☕ Support the Show: Enjoyed hanging out? Leave us a tip. Even a dollar keeps the mics on and the coffee flowing. 📚 Stay Connected: Blog: reviews, book lists, and seasonal reading inspo.YouTube: book chats, reading lifestyle and recs.Newsletter: join our insider for the latest updates. 💖 This episode may contain affiliate links. We earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show!

Everyone is packing an analog bag right now, but the supplies add up fast, and sometimes the bag just ends up sitting in the corner. So I turned my iPad into mine. In this episode of Reading Under the Covers, a romance novel podcast, I talk about how trying to break my doomscrolling habit back in February sent me down a cozy games rabbit hole, why hobby stacking with audiobooks changed how I read, and how I set up my iPad so work, social media, and YouTube can't follow me there. Then I share the free apps I use for every analog hobby: coloring, diamond art, brain games, puzzles, cozy games, reading, and catching up on blogs without relying on the algorithm. You don't need a Switch, a new e-reader, or a pile of supplies. If you already have an iPad or any tablet, you already have the bag. Apps I mention: Coloring: Happy Color, Lake, Infini Diamond art: Dazzly Brain games: CubeAway, Screwdom 3D, Word Search, Magic Sort, Yarn Fever, Bus Traffic Fever, ClueSearch, Meowdoku, Hidden City Puzzles: Jigsaw Puzzles Cozy games: Good Coffee Great Coffee, Good Pizza Great Pizza, Heartopia, CatMart Apple Arcade: Hello Kitty Island Adventure, Disney Dreamlight Valley, Wylde Flowers Reading: Kindle, Libby, NetGalley, Audible, Libro.fm Read it later: Instapaper, Feedly Planning and notes: Goodnotes, Notion Also on my iPad: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Procreate, Pinterest Read more on the blog: Cozy iPad games: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/cozy-ipad-games/ Hobby stacking with audiobooks: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/hobby-stacking-audiobooks/ Using your iPad as an e-reader: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/ipad-mini-as-an-e-reader/ ✨ Loved the episode? Follow Reading Under the Covers wherever you listen and leave a quick review. It helps more romance readers find us (and lets me know what you’re loving). 💕 💌 Talk to Me: Got a rec, trope request, or hot take? → Drop me a voice message. ☕ Support the Show: Enjoyed hanging out? Leave us a tip. Even a dollar keeps the mics on and the coffee flowing. 📚 Stay Connected: Blog: reviews, book lists, and seasonal reading inspo.YouTube: book chats, reading lifestyle and recs.Newsletter: join our insider for the latest updates. 💖 This episode may contain affiliate links. We earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show!

For years I had historical romance filed under "mom's romance novels." Then in May 2011 I read Secrets of a Summer Night by Lisa Kleypas, and historical romance became the genre I reach for when I need comfort. In this episode of Reading Under the Covers, a romance novel podcast, I'm telling you how one book (and my blog co-founders, who would not stop recommending Lisa Kleypas) turned me from a historical romance skeptic into a lifelong fan. We're chatting about the Wallflowers series, why historical romance is where it's at if you're craving yearning, the clinch covers I used to judge and now collect, and Lisa Kleypas's first new book in five years, The Queen of Lombard Street. Grab a drink and come sit for a bookish brunch with me. Then tell me in the comments: what was your gateway historical romance? 📚 BOOKS MENTIONED Secrets of a Summer Night by Lisa Kleypas (Wallflowers #1) It Happened One Autumn by Lisa Kleypas (Wallflowers #2) Scandal in Spring by Lisa Kleypas (Wallflowers #4) The Queen of Lombard Street by Lisa Kleypas Love Come to Me by Lisa Kleypas The Luna Sisters series by Liana De La Rosa 🎧 I listened to Secrets of a Summer Night on audio, narrated by Rosalyn Landor, and she did a fabulous job. 🔗 LINKS My Queen of Lombard Street review: coming soon Why we hid our romance covers (the cover shame video): https://youtu.be/yLhUnGTa0Fg Ripped & Ravished book club discussion of Love Come to Me: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/bodice-ripper-book-club/ ⏱️ CHAPTERS 00:00 Why I thought historical romance wasn't for me 04:38 The book that changed everything 06:25 Secrets of a Summer Night (spoiler-free) 11:01 Why historical romance became my comfort genre 14:37 From judging clinch covers to collecting them 16:30 Lisa Kleypas's new release 17:32 Where I'd tell you to start 17:54 What was your gateway historical romance? 👀 WATCH NEXT: - What to Read After Bridgerton Season 4: https://youtu.be/os_IuXcpe0Q - What would Jane Austen Read? Her Modern TBR: https://youtu.be/IWAhj0aLhpo ✨ Loved the episode? Follow Reading Under the Covers wherever you listen and leave a quick review. It helps more romance readers find us (and lets me know what you’re loving). 💕 💌 Talk to Me: Got a rec, trope request, or hot take? → Drop me a voice message. ☕ Support the Show: Enjoyed hanging out? Leave us a tip. Even a dollar keeps the mics on and the coffee flowing. 📚 Stay Connected: Blog: reviews, book lists, and seasonal reading inspo.YouTube: book chats, reading lifestyle and recs.Newsletter: join our insider for the latest updates. 💖 This episode may contain affiliate links. We earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show!

When did the vampire stop being the thing that eats you and become the guy who'd die before he let anything touch you? I went looking for that answer and it happened much earlier than I expected. It was us. My answer to a TikTok I can't stop thinking about: the monsters we love come out of whatever makes us feel safe. This is how the vampire got there. If you want to make a whole vampire month (or season) out of this, I put together a free Vampire Personal Curriculum with required reading, a watchlist, games, free resources on vampire folklore and more: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/vampire-personal-curriculum/ LINKS FROM THIS VIDEO - My friend Victoria's series on the bookish scandals of classic authors (Polidori included): https://www.youtube.com/@bibliolifestyle - Why the paranormal alpha is making a comeback: https://youtu.be/AaTGtoc8EmU - Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles in reading order: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/vampire-chronicles-reading-order/ - My original Vampire Academy movie review: https://archive.underthecoversbookblog.com/movie-review-vampire-academy/ - My thoughts on The Vampire Lestat season 3: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/vampire-lestat-season-3/ Timestamps 00:00 What the monster we love says about us 01:05 Stage one: Before he was hot. Folklore to Dracula 02:47 1931: Lugosi's fan mail 03:54 The four stages 04:28 Anne Rice and falling for him anyway 08:55 Stage two: restraint (Angel, Edward, Stefan) 11:03 Stage three: the partner (Anita, Sookie, Cat and Bones) 14:18 Stage four: the protector (Black Dagger Brotherhood) 16:37 Why the 2000s made the vampire so popular 18:09 The boom cools off, then BookTok brings him back 21:32 The Vampire Personal Curriculum BOOKS AND SHOWS IN THIS VIDEO Shop the whole reading list on LTK: https://liketk.it/6oTfx (This is an affiliate link, which means I receive a small commission at no cost to you.) The Vampyre by John Polidori Dracula by Bram Stoker (and the new audiobook narrated by Jonathan Bailey) Dracula (1931), Bela Lugosi Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice, the 1994 film by the same name and Queen of the Damned (2002), plus the new AMC show from 2022 John Carpenter's Vampires (1998) Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel Twilight by Stephenie Meyer and the 2008 film The Vampire Diaries by L.J. Smith and the TV series Anita Blake by Laurell K. Hamilton Vampire Huntress Legend by L.A. Banks Underworld movie franchise Sookie Stackhouse by Charlaine Harris and True Blood Night Huntress by Jeaniene Frost Jaz Parks by Jennifer Rardin Undead and Unwed by MaryJanice Davidson Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward Argeneau Vampires by Lynsay Sands Immortals After Dark by Kresley Cole Midnight Breed by Lara Adrian Eternal Hunger by Laura Wright Bonded by Blood by Laurie London Vampire Academy (2014 film) and book series Dracula Untold (2014) From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout A Bargain of Blood by Vasilisa Drake ✨ Loved the episode? Follow Reading Under the Covers wherever you listen and leave a quick review. It helps more romance readers find us (and lets me know what you’re loving). 💕 💌 Talk to Me: Got a rec, trope request, or hot take? → Drop me a voice message. ☕ Support the Show: Enjoyed hanging out? Leave us a tip. Even a dollar keeps the mics on and the coffee flowing. 📚 Stay Connected: Blog: reviews, book lists, and seasonal reading inspo.YouTube: book chats, reading lifestyle and recs.Newsletter: join our insider for the latest updates. 💖 This episode may contain affiliate links. We earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show!

I sat down to talk about a 1995 alien romance and ended up in a six and a half year lawsuit. In today's episode of Reading Under the Covers, a romance novel podcast, we are diving into Knight of a Trillion Stars by Dara Joy. Our July/August Ripped & Ravished Book Club book. Three words: Highlanders in Space But then I got curious about what happened to Dara Joy, a bestselling author who simply disappeared for twenty years. That turned into a whole rabbit hole including a contract lawsuit, an argument about whether a book counted as science fiction or romance, a self-publishing attempt that went wrong. And the book at the centre of that scandal sent me looking for where all the dominant women were in 2000s romance. This episode covers an author's litigation and business history. Everything is sourced and linked below, and I've quoted both sides in their own words. Timestamps 00:00 The Rabbit Hole 00:53 Book Club Housekeeping 01:41 Meet the Alien Knight 03:02 Sci-Fi Con Fish Out of Water 05:18 Rating and Red Flags 07:11 Writing Style Surprise 09:04 Suzanne's Review, and the Spice 11:41 Series Talk: Rejar 13:14 Where Is Dara Joy? 14:02 The Dorchester Lawsuit Timeline 19:05 The Self-Publishing PayPal Mess 21:33 The Ritual of Proof Twist 25:53 Femdom Market Deep Dive 31:52 Power Dynamics Takeaways 34:01 Wrap Up and Next Pick Books Mentioned Knight of a Trillion Stars by Dara Joy (1995), Matrix of Destiny #1 Rejar by Dara Joy (1997), Matrix of Destiny #2 Ritual of Proof by Dara Joy (2001) Holding the Cards by Joey W. Hill (2002), Nature of Desire #1 Natural Law by Joey W. Hill (2004), Nature of Desire #2 The Vampire Queen's Servant by Joey W. Hill (2007), Vampire Queen #1 Truly Helpless by Joey W. Hill (2017), Nature of Desire #10 A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux (1989) From the blog Knight of a Trillion Stars review, including Suzanne's original 2011 review: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/knight-of-a-trillion-stars-review/ Rejar review: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/rejar-by-dara-joy-review/ Ripped & Ravished Book Club: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/bodice-ripper-book-club/ How to Read Vintage Bodice Rippers Without Gaslighting Yourself: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/read-vintage-bodice-rippers/ A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux review: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/a-knight-in-shining-armor-by-jude-deveraux/ My review of The Vampire Queen's Servant by Joey W. Hill: https://archive.underthecoversbookblog.com/the-vampire-queens-servant-by-joey-w-hill/ Jennifer's review of Truly Helpless by Joey W. Hill, quoted in this episode: https://archive.underthecoversbookblog.com/truly-helpless-by-joey-w-hill-2/ Sources Everything in this episode is sourced. Here is where it all came from. ON THE DORCHESTER DISPUTE Dorchester Publishing's public statement, 10 February 2005, archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20070208005519/http://www.dorchesterpub.com/DorchSpecialFeatures.cfm Dara Joy's own 2005 statement, quoted in Maya Reynolds, "Another Cautionary Tale," April 2007. The original page on her website has since been deleted and is not archived: https://mayareynoldswriter.blogspot.com/2007/04/another-cautionary-tale.html Dear Author, "Authors Behaving Badly: Dara Joy," July 2006. The most detailed contemporary account of the litigation and the self-publishing complaints: https://dearauthor.wordpress.com/2006/07/03/authors-behaving-badly-episode-1-dara-joy/ Dara Joy, "Great news from Dara Joy," 1 February 2008, announcing the settlement: https://officialdarajoy.com/2008/02/01/great-news-from-dara-joy/ Dara Joy's official site and current self-published catalogue: https://officialdarajoy.com/ ON RITUAL OF PROOF All About Romance review: https://allaboutromance.com/book-review/ritual-of-proof/ Mrs Giggles review, April 2002: https://mrsgiggles.com/ritual-of-proof-by-dara-joy/ Beauty in Ruins review, October 2024: https://sallybend.wordpress.com/2024/10/05/book-review-ritual-of-proof-by-dara-joy-sff-romance/ ON ELLORA'S CAVE AND BDSM ROMANCE Smart Bitches Trashy Books, "Interview with the Folks from Ellora's Cave," 2006: https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/stuffwelike/interview_with_the_folks_from_elloras_cave/ Sarah S. G. Frantz, "The History of BDSM Fiction and Romance," in Fifty Writers on Fifty Shades of Grey (2012), via the Romance Scholarship Database: https://rsdb.vivanco.me.uk/bibliography/history-bdsm-fiction-and-romance Joey W. Hill's Nature of Desire series, publication history and book descriptions: https://storywitch.com/series-nod/ Join the Book Club Ripped & Ravished is our vintage romance readalong. One book every two months, and a podcast discussion for each one. September and October is Love Come to Me by Lisa Kleypas. She has a new book out in October, Queen of Lombard Street, her first in five years, so it felt like the right moment to go all the way back to where she started. Join the Ripped & Ravished email track and you'll get the pick, the discussion link, and a bit of context every two months: https://underthecovers.myflodesk.com/ripped-ravished And reply to those emails. Genuinely. Reader replies have changed how I've read these books more than once. ✨ Loved the episode? Follow Reading Under the Covers wherever you listen and leave a quick review. It helps more romance readers find us (and lets me know what you’re loving). 💕 💌 Talk to Me: Got a rec, trope request, or hot take? → Drop me a voice message. ☕ Support the Show: Enjoyed hanging out? Leave us a tip. Even a dollar keeps the mics on and the coffee flowing. 📚 Stay Connected: Blog: reviews, book lists, and seasonal reading inspo.YouTube: book chats, reading lifestyle and recs.Newsletter: join our insider for the latest updates. 💖 This episode may contain affiliate links. We earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show!

June 2026 was my best reading month in years: 22 books, nearly 8,000 pages, and a full-blown C-drama obsession that reshaped everything I picked up. This is Reading Under the Covers, a romance novel podcast, and today's my June reading wrap-up: every book and the show that started my new binge. It began with Pursuit of Jade on Netflix. I fell hard, that man yearns like nobody's business, and once the show had me, I went looking for books that felt the same way. Pull up a chair, this is a long one. Timestamps 00:00 Intro 00:57 StoryGraph Reading Stats 01:48 C Drama Obsession Begins 02:30 Pursuit of Jade Recap 06:07 More C Dramas to Watch 07:56 Back to the Books 08:05 Regency Pirate Rom Com 09:45 Paris Poly Romance 10:46 Immortality Lyrical Fantasy 12:21 True Crime Thriller 13:47 MM Urban Fantasy Romance 17:02 Small Town Suspense Romance 18:52 Rival Wizards Rom Com 20:26 Magical Vet Academia 22:59 Villain Love Triangle 24:47 Classic Time Travel Romance 26:58 Cozy Quest Romantasy 28:38 Wildcat Dark Stalkers 31:39 Space Mystery Romance 33:11 Grumpy Sunshine Foodie 34:49 Assassin Gothic Dark Romance 37:15 Chinese Mythology YA 38:21 Fake Dating Mooncakes 39:35 Cinderella Inspired Fantasy 41:24 Wrestling Rival Romance 43:43 Gothic Fantasy Yearning 45:47 Death God Fantasy Quest 47:36 Pride and Prejudice Korea 49:16 Wrap Up and Community Links Shop the books from this episode: [LTK LINK — shop the books] Read along & catch up on the blog: Summer 2026 Reading Challenge → https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/summer-2026-reading-challenge/July 2026 Book Releases → https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/july-2026-book-releases/Summer 2026 Romance Releases → https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/summer-2026-romance-releases/Summer 2026 Mystery Releases → https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/summer-2026-mystery-releases/Queer Summer 2026 Book Releases → https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/queer-summer-2026-book-releases/ Want the full discussion of A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux? We covered it in two Ripped & Ravished Book Club episodes with Becky from Too Stupid To Live → https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/a-knight-in-shining-armor-by-jude-deveraux/ ✨ Loved the episode? Follow Reading Under the Covers wherever you listen and leave a quick review. It helps more romance readers find us (and lets me know what you’re loving). 💕 💌 Talk to Me: Got a rec, trope request, or hot take? → Drop me a voice message. ☕ Support the Show: Enjoyed hanging out? Leave us a tip. Even a dollar keeps the mics on and the coffee flowing. 📚 Stay Connected: Blog: reviews, book lists, and seasonal reading inspo.YouTube: book chats, reading lifestyle and recs.Newsletter: join our insider for the latest updates. 💖 This episode may contain affiliate links. We earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show!

There's a book on your nightstand right now with a bookmark stuck about forty pages in. You already know you're not going to finish it and you feel a little guilty about it. That's the summer reading slump. And the way out isn't waiting for the mood to come back. It's a challenge... the fun, low-pressure kind. In this episode of Reading Under the Covers, a romance novel podcast, I break down the Heatwave Cup: the summer edition of Under the Covers' year-long Romanceopoly reading challenge, built for exactly the reader who's stuck. Four books, three months, no spreadsheet, no bingo board. A challenge you can technically win by reading less. I walk through all four prompts with picks straight from the Discord community plus my own summer TBR for it. The complete rec lists for every prompt, the free printable challenge cards, and the StoryGraph tracker all live on the blog. Whether you're playing the full Romanceopoly challenge or you just want your bookmark unstuck, this is your mid-year reading reset for your reading life. Come tell us which prompt you're starting with. Chapters: 00:00 The Summer Reading Slump00:55 Heatwave Cup: What It Is01:51 Rules, Dates & Tracking02:52 Prompt 1: Rift Run04:19 Prompt 2: Cursebreaker Clash05:23 Prompt 3: Double Faulted Desires06:41 Prompt 4: Enchanted Rally07:32 Wrap-Up & How to Join Links: Full challenge, all community recs, Storygraph & free printables: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/summer-2026-reading-challenge/Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/JfHWVdYz5URead with us on Fable: https://utcbookblog.com/CX9IoUCheck out Romanceopoly: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/reading-challenge ✨ Loved the episode? Follow Reading Under the Covers wherever you listen and leave a quick review. It helps more romance readers find us (and lets me know what you’re loving). 💕 💌 Talk to Me: Got a rec, trope request, or hot take? → Drop me a voice message. ☕ Support the Show: Enjoyed hanging out? Leave us a tip. Even a dollar keeps the mics on and the coffee flowing. 📚 Stay Connected: Blog: reviews, book lists, and seasonal reading inspo.YouTube: book chats, reading lifestyle and recs.Newsletter: join our insider for the latest updates. 💖 This episode may contain affiliate links. We earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show!

"She didn't need the knight. She became the knight." In this episode of Reading Under the Covers, a romance novel podcast, Francesca and returning guest Becky (Too Stupid To Live) close out their two-part Ripped & Ravished Book Club discussion of A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux, the 1989 classic that was the May/June bodice ripper pick. This is Part 2, covering chapter 19 through the end. If you haven't heard Part 1 (chapters 1–18), start there first. This is the half where the tone turns. The rom-com opening gives way to something darker and more Outlander-shaped: a re-love story, a rake at his worst, a heroine who has to win the same man twice... and an ending that asks whether a happily-ever-after has to mean two people standing together, or whether two souls finding each other across time is triumph enough. Francesca and Becky make their case for why it still counts as a romance, then dig into everything underneath it: Deveraux's own note that the book began as a story about alcoholism, the class and privilege threads running through the past, the low spice by modern standards, and the "write the story, not the tropes" argument. Next up for the book club in August: Knight of a Trillion Stars by Dara Joy, an old-school '90s futuristic romance. Subscribe to the Ripped & Ravished email list so you don't miss that discussion. Come tell us where you land on that ending on social, on the blog post, or by replying to the newsletter. Timestamps 00:00 Intro 01:32 Is It Still Romance 03:15 Souls Time Travel Love 07:14 Revisions Alcoholism Lens 10:14 Dougless Growth Arc 12:46 Back to Chapter 19 14:10 Rake Nicholas Challenges 16:37 Gross History Details 18:17 Shower Audience Scene 20:22 Women Allies Body Talk 23:10 Closure With Robert 25:15 Choosing Herself 27:03 Nicholas Legacy Romance 29:14 Fanfic What Ifs 31:38 Genre Shift Praise 33:54 Privilege And Class Themes 39:14 Spice And Romance Trends 43:38 Breaking Writing Rules 45:58 Time Travel As Healing 49:07 Tropes Versus Story 55:09 Ratings And Reactions 58:22 Ending And Epilogue Debate 01:02:21 Movie Adaptation Dreams 01:03:31 Podcast Plugs And Next Read 01:04:34 Book Club Wrap Up Links A Knight in Shining Armor on the blog: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/a-knight-in-shining-armor-by-jude-deveraux/The Ripped & Ravished Book Club: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/bodice-ripper-book-club/Join the Ripped & Ravished email list: https://underthecovers.myflodesk.com/ripped-ravishedBecky's podcast, Too Stupid To Live: https://tstlpodcast.substack.com Hungry for more time travel romance? Start here: Time Travel Romance Books: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/time-travel-romance-books/Time Loop Romance: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/time-loop-romance/YA Time Loop Romance Books: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/ya-time-loop-romance-books/ ✨ Loved the episode? Follow Reading Under the Covers wherever you listen and leave a quick review. It helps more romance readers find us (and lets me know what you’re loving). 💕 💌 Talk to Me: Got a rec, trope request, or hot take? → Drop me a voice message. ☕ Support the Show: Enjoyed hanging out? Leave us a tip. Even a dollar keeps the mics on and the coffee flowing. 📚 Stay Connected: Blog: reviews, book lists, and seasonal reading inspo.YouTube: book chats, reading lifestyle and recs.Newsletter: join our insider for the latest updates. 💖 This episode may contain affiliate links. We earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show!

Twenty-five years ago, Jacqueline Carey published Kushiel's Dart and changed what epic fantasy could do. To mark the anniversary, I sat down with her to talk about how she built the world of Terre d'Ange, why she wrote a heroine who is both a feminist icon and a divinely ordained masochist, and what she wants you to do when the first hundred pages feel like a lot. This conversation also kicks off our year-long Kushiel's Legacy readalong, so whether you have always wanted to read these books or you want to reread them with company, this is your starting point. In this episode of Reading Under the Covers, a romance novel podcast: The coffee-table-book accident that handed Carey an entire theologyWriting consent as a sacred tenet, and why she chose first personTurning the trauma-forged fantasy heroine on its headWhy she threw out the rulebook on her own proseMelisande, and the villain you are not supposed to root forJoscelin, Cassiel's Servant, and an easier way into the seriesHer advice for readers intimidated by the size"Love as thou wilt," and what 25 years of readers have meant to her Timestamps: 00:00 Podcast Welcome 00:48 25 Years Of Kushiel 01:42 Big Idea Origins 03:14 Writing Phedre Over Time 04:08 Feminism Consent Voice 05:03 Getting Into The World 05:42 Joscelin Retelling Entry 06:35 Building Terre Theology 08:36 Finding The Baroque Voice 10:34 Turning Tropes Inside Out 11:52 Crafting The Cast 12:46 Why Readers Love Melisande 13:35 Parallel Character Arcs 15:35 Returning To Joscelin 17:54 New Insights From Servant 19:10 Read Along Tips Themes 20:15 Love As Thou Wilt 21:00 Legacy And Reader Impact 23:01 Wrap Up And Read Along Read along with us: Join the Kushiel's Legacy readalong: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/kushiels-legacy-readalong/New to the world? Start with the reading guide: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/kushiels-legacy-reading-order/Read the full interview feature on the blog: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/jacqueline-carey-interview/Get the book: Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey: https://on.ltk.com/+oMD9q5qkEHc6YwbIv2MSxw (affiliate)Readlong email: https://underthecovers.myflodesk.com/kushielReadalong Discord: https://discord.gg/XdkabCdHYZ New episodes drop monthly as we read through the series together, so subscribe so you don't miss them, and come talk about each section with us in the Discord. If the show is your kind of thing, a rating or review helps other readers find it. Heads up: the books, and parts of this conversation, touch on mature themes, including BDSM and the role of pain and consent in Carey's world. ✨ Loved the episode? Follow Reading Under the Covers wherever you listen and leave a quick review. It helps more romance readers find us (and lets me know what you’re loving). 💕 💌 Talk to Me: Got a rec, trope request, or hot take? → Drop me a voice message. ☕ Support the Show: Enjoyed hanging out? Leave us a tip. Even a dollar keeps the mics on and the coffee flowing. 📚 Stay Connected: Blog: reviews, book lists, and seasonal reading inspo.YouTube: book chats, reading lifestyle and recs.Newsletter: join our insider for the latest updates. 💖 This episode may contain affiliate links. We earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show!

In this episode of Reading Under the Covers, a romance novel podcast, Francesca is joined by Becky from the Too Stupid To Live podcast for part one of the Ripped & Ravished Book Club discussion of A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux, chapters 1 through 18. It's a reread for Francesca and a first read for Becky, so you get both seats at the table: the comfort of a book that imprinted years ago, and the shock of meeting Nicholas, ice cream, zippers, and a 1980s dressing room for the very first time. They get into why this 1989 title plays lighter than the bodice rippers the club usually reads, Nicholas as an alpha who actually listens and learns, whether a naive heroine is quietly making a comeback, and the case for time travel romance as one of the most underserved corners of the genre. Then the chapter 18 cut lands, he's gone the moment she asks him to stay, and everyone around her thinks she dreamed the whole thing. Part two finishes the book. Timestamps 00:00 Heartbreak Cold Open 00:15 Podcast Intro and Book Club Setup 00:47 Why This Book Matters 02:54 First Impressions and 80s Shift 04:07 Nicholas as Learning Alpha 06:40 Audiobook Vibes and Rake Trope 08:04 Should Authors Revise Books 11:54 Fish Out of Water Comedy 16:49 Midpoint Twist and Gaslit Feeling 18:09 Dougless as 80s Heroine 22:15 Likability and Problematic Moments 27:11 Growth and Stakes Before Part Two 33:17 Simple Yet Deep 34:05 Slow Burn Moments 35:26 Mystery and Time Travel 36:01 Fated Mates Connection 37:21 Emotional Stakes Rising 39:40 Lighter Than Bodice Rippers 40:49 Why Time Travel Endures 42:22 Need More Time Travel 45:25 BookTok and Market Trends 51:09 Dougless and Self Worth 56:50 Happy Ending Reassurance 59:46 Episode Wrap and Callouts Links A Knight in Shining Armor on the blog: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/a-knight-in-shining-armor-by-jude-deveraux/The Ripped & Ravished Book Club: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/bodice-ripper-book-club/Join the Ripped & Ravished email list: https://underthecovers.myflodesk.com/ripped-ravishedBecky's podcast, Too Stupid To Live: https://tstlpodcast.substack.com Hungry for more time travel romance? Start here: Time Travel Romance Books: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/time-travel-romance-books/Time Travel Mystery Books: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/time-travel-mystery-books/Time Loop Romance: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/time-loop-romance/YA Time Loop Romance Books: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/ya-time-loop-romance-books/ Part two, finishing the book, coming soon. ✨ Loved the episode? Follow Reading Under the Covers wherever you listen and leave a quick review. It helps more romance readers find us (and lets me know what you’re loving). 💕 💌 Talk to Me: Got a rec, trope request, or hot take? → Drop me a voice message. ☕ Support the Show: Enjoyed hanging out? Leave us a tip. Even a dollar keeps the mics on and the coffee flowing. 📚 Stay Connected: Blog: reviews, book lists, and seasonal reading inspo.YouTube: book chats, reading lifestyle and recs.Newsletter: join our insider for the latest updates. 💖 This episode may contain affiliate links. We earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show!

In this episode of Reading Under the Covers, a romance novel podcast, I walk you through everything I read in May 2026: eleven books, two five-star reads, and a lot of summer-ready picks that go beyond what BookTok is talking about. There's dark Hollywood romcom with revenge, a Paris fake-dating soccer romance ahead of the World Cup, a Loch Ness Monster shifter, a cozy vampire murder mystery with Interview with the Vampire energy, and two amazin five star books I'll be preaching about: a witchy urban fantasy and a biker MC second chance that wrecked me. Then a quick look at three June releases already on the must-read TBR. Timestamps: 00:00 May Wrap-Up Teaser 00:53 Reading Stats Snapshot 02:05 Dark Hollywood Revenge 04:48 Paris Fake-Dating Soccer 06:28 YA Ghost Rivals Mystery 08:28 Hockey DM Meet-Cute 11:33 Off Campus Reread Thoughts 14:33 More Soccer College Vibes 16:06 Sapphic Vineyard Book Club 17:55 Loch Ness Shifter Buddy Read 21:31 Cozy Vampire Mystery Getaway 24:50 Five-Star Witchy Urban Fantasy 28:56 Five-Star Biker Second Chance 36:43 June Must-Read New Releases 41:40 Final Recap & Goodbye Links Most Anticipated June Releases → https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/june-2026-book-releases/Romanceopoly Reading Challenge → https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/reading-challengeRomanceopoly Monthly Study Sessions → https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/romanceopoly-2026-study-sessions/Off Campus TV show review → https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/off-campus-season-1-review/Join the Discord → https://discord.gg/JfHWVdYz5U Tell me what you read this month and how Romanceopoly's going. Comment on the blog or reply to the newsletter. Mid-year Romanceopoly review coming soon. ✨ Loved the episode? Follow Reading Under the Covers wherever you listen and leave a quick review. It helps more romance readers find us (and lets me know what you’re loving). 💕 💌 Talk to Me: Got a rec, trope request, or hot take? → Drop me a voice message. ☕ Support the Show: Enjoyed hanging out? Leave us a tip. Even a dollar keeps the mics on and the coffee flowing. 📚 Stay Connected: Blog: reviews, book lists, and seasonal reading inspo.YouTube: book chats, reading lifestyle and recs.Newsletter: join our insider for the latest updates. 💖 This episode may contain affiliate links. We earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show!

If Interview with the Vampire broke you, these 6 books are what to read next before Season 3 (The Vampire Lestat) premieres June 7 on AMC+. Each book hits a different part of what makes ITV so consuming: - toxic immortal romance & gaslighting - sapphic gothic atmosphere, opulence, and the cost of survival - Victorian shadows, obsession, and the feeling of being watched - queer longing, vampire politics, slow burn ménage - Lestat rockstar energy, 1970s paranormal horror - camp, humor, cozy paranormal mystery Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/JfHWVdYz5U 📚 Books in this episode: ✦ A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson ✦ House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson ✦ The Poisoner by I.V. Ophelia ✦ Silver Under Nightfall by Rin Chupeco ✦ The Devil's Metal by Karina Halle ✦ Be Still My Unbeating Heart by Josh Winning 📚 Full list of 11 books coming soon on the blog ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Need More Lestat Vibes 01:47 What Makes the Show Hit 02:33 Dowry of Blood Pick 03:54 House of Hunger 05:04 The Poisoner 06:45 Politics and Queer Longing 07:50 Rockstar Devil Deal 09:08 Vegetarian Vampire Mystery 10:46 Wrap Up and Next Steps ✨ Loved the episode? Follow Reading Under the Covers wherever you listen and leave a quick review. It helps more romance readers find us (and lets me know what you’re loving). 💕 💌 Talk to Me: Got a rec, trope request, or hot take? → Drop me a voice message. ☕ Support the Show: Enjoyed hanging out? Leave us a tip. Even a dollar keeps the mics on and the coffee flowing. 📚 Stay Connected: Blog: reviews, book lists, and seasonal reading inspo.YouTube: book chats, reading lifestyle and recs.Newsletter: join our insider for the latest updates. 💖 This episode may contain affiliate links. We earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show!