😭 😭 😭 😭 😭 😭 😭 😭  It's so incredibly hard to believe it, but here we are!! The last episode of season one and we really cannot begin to express the love and joy we found producing this first season. It has hilarious moments, and steamy moments for sure, but also some fairly in-depth conversations about, well, life. And damn, if we didn't love every second of it. In this, our final episode, we are so truly in love with the author under our adoring gaze, Jennifer Armentrout. Another paranormal romance author (with tons and tons of books. And alpacas), she has created incredible worlds to dive into, not only meant for the young (as she writes primarily for YA), but for all ages. In this episode, we dive into her genius of taking a normal high school experience (starting at an actual school) and layering it with the actual end of the world. Not just the end of the world that we all thought it was when our crush didn't like us back. Preach. Toss in demons, gargoyles, angels, wardens, and a whole lot of sexual tension while trying to save the world, and we surrender all of our time to reading this series! Don't miss out on a chat about seeing things from a new perspective, how every day we get to choose how we show up in the world, and also, the help that authors must need when choosing the actual title of their books. It's a thing. Because sometimes they are the worst. And also, one word: Roth. Delicious. Sexy. Hot. And our go-to guy, favorite character of this series. Let's have more of him. Thanks for joining us and watch out for season 2 coming in early 2022 - now that we've got our feet wet, we are feeling pretty fresh and fly about what's coming next. Until next time, 💋 Krista + Rosemary. Resources + Books Mentioned in Today's Episode: Jennifer Aremtrout Books: https://jenniferlarmentrout.com/books/ Marion Zimmer Bradley, The Mists of Avalon: https://www.amazon.com/Mists-Avalon-Marion-Zimmer-Bradley/dp/0345350499 Anna Bradley, The Swooning Virgin Society Series: https://www.amazon.com/Virgin-Ruined-Swooning-Virgins-Society-ebook/dp/B082WRTGSN

Ooo, this was a tough one for us. We both loved it, and struggled with it at the same time. Because while there was lovely writing, it was also disjointed, with a shit ton of love stories but also lacking in some love-depth (and definitely lacking in some deeper sex scenes, if you catch our drift). But we can, and do, appreciate a well-written and new perspective of a romance, and Taylor delivers just that. We also fully applaud an author that can write across genres, delivering various voices across the huge breadth of novels that she has written. In this episode, we go a little more serious, chatting about the  portrayal of marriage from 7 different perspectives, the incredible challenges of being a woman in the 50s loving another woman, and the tragedies that can befall us all as we are flawed, messy, complicated creatures. On the lighter side, we also delve upward into how traditional marriage norms are shattering, and who you love CAN be messy and complicated, and it doesn't have to just be one person forever and always. We touch on new types of love, rebuilding community, and how no matter the circumstances, you can't change your mind about who you love. Grab the Kleenex, and raise a glass to changing out-dated programming and societal norms! Resources + Books Mentioned in Today's Episode: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Taylor Jenkins Reid: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32620332-the-seven-husbands-of-evelyn-hugo The Immortals Series, Tamara Pierce: http://www.tamora-pierce.net/series/the-immortals/ Guenevere, Queen of the Summer Country, Rosalind Miles: https://www.amazon.com/Guenevere-Queen-Summer-Country-Novels/dp/0609806505

Well, in this episode, things go off the rails just ever so slightly, but can you blame us? I mean, we are talking about the delightful Evie Dunmore, our new Scottish lass girl-crush. And when you are speaking about historical romance, one of our all-time favorites, you can't help but go down the rabbit hole of Hallmark Christmas movies (trust us, it's possible), and things that make you feel like you've just been offered a warm chocolate chip cookie and a massage. Yes. Please. But in this first book of 3 (and a 4th being written), we SO appreciate the time and effort this Oxford graduate took to offer up a really interesting perspective (and history!) of the women's suffragette movement in the UK and how we really had a shit time of if over there. And of course, a really good love story. But on the flip side, Evie, we needed more sex. Like a lot more, cuz the one or two that you wrote were really good, and you seriously left us hanging. But don't miss this episode where we spill all the beans about Bringing Down the Duke, rate the sex scale (again, give us more), and where we chat about everything from how do you balance too much sex and too little, do authors really want to be authors full time (where is the "real" world for them?), and cultural traditions that may seem a little foreign to us. And the sex. Did we mention that? Tune in! And check out the lovely Evie below, along with what we are currently reading this week! Resources + Books Mentioned in Today's Episode: Evie Dunmore: http://eviedunmore.com/ Crown and Court Duel, Sherwood Smith: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/21060.Crown_Duel

Fan-fucking fiction at its finest. Today we are talking about 50 Shades of Gray, the instant cult obsession creating a huge literary fan base around the world. And even though it's been years (literally) since we've read the series, that doesn't matter. The prose aren't that great, but the sex scenes live on forever - how can they not? But we actually speak very little (well, kind of a little) about the sex, and mostly about how awkward it is to read romance novels in public places (primarily planes which = tight quarters). We do give full credit to James though because despite the terrible prose, she made the BDSM world much more accessible to all of us, and opened up this genre of romance for readers and other authors alike - BTW, Goop is hot on your tail. If Yoni eggs are your jam, stick one up the vajayjay, and let's talk about the following: 1. How James really did make it okay for anything to be okay between 2 consenting adults in the world-oh-sexy time. 2. How do you read romance novels in public, without everyone knowing it?? 3. The fan fiction lead up from Twilight to 50 Shades, and does writing such an instant and global success cause you to never be able to write again? We see you, J.K. and The Casual Vacancy. 4. And Bonus, why the male and female perspective of the world will literally NEVER line up. Ever. Ask our husbands. Or don't, they might not get it. Resources + Books Mentioned in Today's Episode: 50 Shades of Gray, EL James: https://www.amazon.com/Fifty-Shades-Trilogy-Darker-Freed/dp/034580404X Johannes Cabal the Necromancer, Jonathon Howard https://www.amazon.com/Johannes-Cabal-Necromancer/dp/0767930762

There are literally no words for how much we love this book. We are in Love. We are in Adore. We are in Enamored. We are Infatuated. We want Casey to write many, many more books before we die, it's just that damn good. If you haven't read this novel, we aren't sure we can be friends with you anymore because pretty much everyone has read this one and if not, they are waiting in the year-long queue in their Libby app to get it! In this episode, we range far and wide on what has quickly become an international sensation and NYT Bestselling book (casual) about an alternate love story reality, where we are discussing the delicious sex scenes to be sure (which make us want to be a 22-year-old boy for a bit of time), but we also cover a huge range of topics because there are just so many amazing things to discuss. Grab a glass of wine, cuz you are going to need it as it gets a little warm under the sweatshirt for this one. We fan ourselves while talking about the following: 1. How anyone can relate to a sexual tension build-up when it's well-written (this is), and it doesn't matter if the main characters are the same sex or how they identify. Indeed, we do a deep dive into how we wish all labels would just be gone and love is recognized as love. Soul to soul. Human to human, and fuck everything else. #loveisloveislove 2. We don't want to be politicians. But we would vote for the Oprah - Dwayne Johnson ticket. 100%. But Casey does make them seem more like real people, which is probably a good thing. Probably. 3. The absolutely brilliant writing being done here, and the incredible realness with which the characters are written. Just a bang-up job from Casey about creating a world that we hope is the norm someday very soon. And the love story will make you swoon, give you all the chills, and feel like that first bit of an ooey, gooey chocolate chip cookie. Resources + Books Mentioned in Today's Episode: Red, White, and Royal Blue, Casey McQuiston: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/41150487-red-white-royal-blue The Four Agreements; https://www.amazon.com/Four-Agreements-Practical-Personal-Freedom/dp/1878424319 Twice Tempted by a Rouge, Tessa Dare: https://www.amazon.com/Twice-Tempted-Rogue-Stud-Trilogy/dp/034551887X

Everybody hold onto your panties, this episode is one for the books 😎  as we veer wildly over a whole host of topics and yet, manage to stay directly on point. It's shocking, really. Today we are chatting about the power writing duo of Christina Lauren and more specifically, their "Beautiful Bastards" series and IT. IS. A. LOT. And by that we mean, the sex meter is 10+ at the moment. It's actually an interesting departure from CL's usual writing style as there is a lot of sex, it's pretty graphic and detailed, and it's also highly inappropriate (someone call HR stat). But also covered are the following gems! 1. Authors who suck at social media (it's all of them) and why can't they have a decent IG feed? 2. The writing duo process vs. the individual mind - it seems like either is still going to be a clusterfuck. 3. Do romance novelists think of the sex scenes first, or the plot line? 4. We don't know if we could always be without underwear like the main character in the first book of the series. The lady parts have to stay up, if you know what we mean. 5. Following your calling, even if it doesn't pay off - but it certainly has for CL who have written many lovely books, spanning the genre from true fluff, to more intense, to challenging, to this series which is basically just about sex, with a hint and dash of a storyline. Right up anyone's alley if you are looking for an easy read, and then want to grab your vibrator later. Sit back and enjoy - and know that even in our late 30s, we won't ever be able to share this podcast with our parents. Resources + Books Mentioned in Today's Episode: Christina Lauren: https://www.goodreads.com/series/90828-beautiful-bastard The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern: https://www.amazon.com/Night-Circus-Erin-Morgenstern/dp/0307744434 Game of Thrones; https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13496.A_Game_of_Thrones Crystal Reiki Healing: https://www.amazon.com/Crystal-Reiki-Handbook-Healing-Mind/dp/145493025X Lunar Abundance: https://www.amazon.com/Lunar-Abundance-Cultivating-Purpose-Phases/dp/0762463570 Magdalen Manuscript: https://www.amazon.com/Magdalen-Manuscript-Alchemies-Horus-Magic/dp/193103205X Evie Dunmore, Portrait of a Scotsman: http://eviedunmore.com/

It's only taken us 3 episodes but we are finally chatting about one of the OG Queens of romance novels and that is the estimable Nora Roberts, who has written over 225 novels 🤯 and is still cranking them out at what we assume is the tender age of 106 (it's actually 71). Nora was the true beginning of Krista's romance novel addiction and she hasn't stopped since. In this episode we talk about our jealousy of the authors writing process (well, some of them) because who wouldn't want to wake up, have some tea, go for a walk, read for a few hours, then sit down after lunch and write for a few hours - umm, yes please. Sounds like the life! We also discuss how much we loathe novellas and anthologies, the gorgeous imagery that Nora creates in every book, the critical themes of friendship and family that are necessary for every romance novelist, ghostwriting, and finally, we have created a sex scale to be applied to all the novels we are reviewing on this podcast, and Nora ranks pretty damn high. 9/10 if we are being honest. Don't knock the books that your Mom and Grandma have been reading their entire lives, we promise you'll love them too! Today, we look specifically at her writing for trilogies, as she seems to have a thing for writing in 3s. Resources + Books Mentioned in Today's Episode: Nora Roberts: https://noraroberts.com/ Jennifer Armentrout: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54823478-grace-and-glory Paula Braxton: https://www.amazon.com/Witchs-Daughter-Novel-Paula-Brackston/dp/125000408X

Okay. So legit, this episode really needs no introduction or show notes because unless you've been under a literal rock or your parents, spouse, or children are the spawn of Satan and didn't allow you to partake, we know you've at least watched the most-watched tv series that Netflix has EVER produced. That's right ladies and gents, today we are chatting about Bridgerton the TV series, and in case you also missed this little tidbit, the novel series as well. It's okay, if you didn't know that there were books until now (or before the series came out, or well into episode 4), we forgive you. Like we had to forgive ourselves 😎 . We do the deep, deep dive into one of our greatest love affairs from this past year, and we go over all the effort it must take to go from the books to the screen, to the mad genius that is Shonda Rhimes. We love Julia Quinn too, for her novel being  signaled out among the thousands (millions?) of historical romance novel series out there. We go over the highs, lows, and steamy scenes (but wished there were more in the books!), our favorite characters, and the transitions from books to tv! And we are completely honest in how many times we've watched the series. No judgement! Take a dip in cold water and then take a listen! Resources + Books Mentioned in Today's Episode: Bridgerton: https://juliaquinn.com/series/bridgertons/ The Virgin Who Ruined Lord Gray https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50346959-the-virgin-who-ruined-lord-gray Soundtracks by Jon Acuff https://www.amazon.com/Soundtracks-Surprising-Overthinking-Jon-Acuff/dp/1540900800 Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness https://deborahharkness.com/all-souls-world-home/the-all-souls-world-books/

Well. We are pretty sure we must be doing orgasms wrong, as we have never experienced the walls sheeting white as we come. But that's exactly what Zanetti describes as happening for most all her female protagonist characters across the entirety of her literary career. That's right, it's not limited to one main character or series, this intense orgasm knows no bounds and frankly, we want in on that kind of action. In today's episode, we dive deep into Zanetti’s Dark Protector Series, which is one of our favorites. And as Zanetti is a prolific writer with about 75 series with 75 books in them each, that's saying something. But this is one of our favorites because she is writing great sex, that's true, but she has a storyline that revolves around enhanced humans, vampires, witches, werewolves, demons, and other creatures. And honest to God you guys, this ain't Twilight because this is the most real storyline if in fact, creatures like these were all around us. Today. Vampires aren't exploding in the sunlight or drinking blood in a back-alley. Zanetti has made her characters seem entirely real and people that we basically want to be friends with! During this episode, we chat about the series, our favorite characters, (please ignore that Krista has a deep loyalty to every one of them, as she can't ever make decisions) the familial thread through the entire series that makes it so comfy and cozy, and we lift a glass to what must have been an enormous amount of research that Zanetti did for these books. We are pretty sure she can't fake talking about quantum physics, but what do we know? Bonus conversation is when we talk about the hilarity of all romance novel book covers (seriously, did Chris Hemsworth just pose for all of them?), and the shock you receive sometimes when you realize that A LOT of romance authors are 85 years old and wear bonnets in their hair. Trust us. It's not how we imagine these authors to be looking. Get comfy, cuz it's about to get loud and real today, our first true episode, taking a deep look into one of our more favorite romance novelists thus far. Resources + Books Mentioned in Today's Episode: https://rebeccazanetti.com/

Well, folks - here it is. After months of talking and manifesting and dreaming (and finding time on the calendar), the day has finally arrived where we have started up our "all things romance-novel obsessed" podcast, "The Bodice Rippers Romance Novel Podcast" - tis a long name and deservedly so. And we legitimately couldn't be more excited. Like, more excited than the birth of any of Rosemary's children. Or Krista's marriage to her hubby. This day eclipses them all because we are the nerd of nerds when it comes to reading, and especially when it comes to reading romance novels. From the great ones to the okay ones (where we are only still reading for the sex scenes), to the meh ones, to the truly awful ones - we'll read them all, and delight and take pleasure in every one of them. This podcast is the deep dive into all romance novels, their genres, sub-genres, formulaic narratives, the overarching female protagonist, the slightly sub-overarching male protagonist, and all the themes, plot lines, family threads, friendships - which allow for all those spin-off series, adventures, dangers, misdeeds, misunderstandings, and miscommunications, to only have the happy ending in the end, and of course, the steamy sexy scenes that we either read over and over again while we grab our hubby or the vibrator, or have to skip because the writing is just that bad. We cover it all. Welcome! Your guests are Rosemary Watson and Krista Lane, die-hard readers (to the extent that sometimes their marriages are threatened) and lovers of all things romance novel related. We'll be diving in each week with different authors, book series, loves/hates in the romance world, underlying themes, subtle plot twists, and bonus, random-ass tangents whenever we feel like it, followed up by what we are currently reading and how it moves us. Or doesn't. In today's episode, you'll get to know us a little more intimately, hear about our journey to reading romance novels, and generally any other wacky tidbits that give you an idea of who we are and why we wanted to start this podcast. Nothing is off the table, dear ones! So, buckle up, and enjoy the ride each week with us for funny, insightful (or so we think), sometimes serious, but mostly delightful conversations between two friends who want to inundate the audio waves with romance and literary love! Resources + Books Mentioned in Today's Episode: Essie Summers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essie_Summers Nora Roberts: https://noraroberts.com/ Outlander: http://www.dianagabaldon.com/books/outlander-series/

This podcast is where we chat about ALL. THINGS. ROMANCE. BOOKS. And the depth of where the conversations go is truly astounding ... it's not all about sexy time 🤓