Heaving Bosoms

Hey HBs! Mel and Sabrina are here with AVARITIA by Colette Rhodes! This series is much beloved by both of them and this book didn't disappoint. Plus, we've got a heroine that is 100% HMHB (Hot Mess HB). It's a grumpy and adorably delusional Shadow Daddy plus a sunshine, go-with-the-flow, sex-positive maximalist. We went into this book with the promise of tentacle restraints, somnophilia, and prima...

Hey HBs! We're here with a brand new historical era: Dickens' Times! Elizabeth Hoyt came out swinging with WICKED INTENTIONS , the first book in her Maiden Lane series. We've got a do-gooding heroine who needs cash for her orphanage, a bad boy aristocrat who needs entree into London's worst neighborhood, a murder mystery, a vigilante hero clown, and some BIG SWOONS. We're super into it. Bonus Cont...

It's been a minute since we've recapped an alien romance, and HERE WE ARE, HBs! ARTEK by Honey Phillips manages to be both Western Times and alien, which is hard to pull off. This slice-of-life Seven Brides for Seven Brothers retelling was a romp from beginning to end! Bonus Content: Sabrina's Libby nemesis is still abusing her with book 2 of the Spymaster series, Mel can't remember alien names, N...

Hey HBs! Mel and Sabrina are here with LOVE & OTHER DISASTERS by Anita Kelly! This queer contemporary romance is set on an amateur cooking show. Dahlia is a divorcee who quit her job to be there and doesn't quite know how she'll pay rent if she doesn't win the $100k prize. Meanwhile, London is the show's first non-binary contestant, this is their national coming out declaration, and they want...

Hey HBs! We're here with the second half of THE SPYMASTER'S LADY by Joanna Bourne! Our couple is on a fall-in-love trek on foot all the way to London and boy does Annique feel guilty about being attracted to boy Grey and Robert... little does she know, they're the same bloke! Come with us as we finish our journey through spy times! Bonus Content: Mel gets recognized by a mom at her school, the gal...

Hey HBs! We're here with THE SPYMASTER'S LADY by Joanna Bourne! It's great to be back in France Times with an extra dose of intrigue and nefarious plots! We meet Annique, a 19 year old lifelong spy and Grey, the second in command of all the British spies right after the French Revolution. They are undoubtedly enemies who can't trust each other, unless they find out they've got way more in common t...

Hey HBs! We're here with our first Nora Roberts book, THE VILLA! It's winerytimes and the Giambelli matriarch is here to shake up with corporate structure! But also intrigue and murder with no less than 3,000 characters. And in this head-hopping 3rd person book, everyone (and we mean EVERYONE) gets a POV moment. Plus, not one but two romances! Bonus Content: Pebbling as a love language, Treat Life...

Hey HBs! Mel's here with gueesstttssss! BFFs of Mel and the pod Jenny Nordbak and Katee Robert (of Bonkers Romance ) are here to recap the movie Challengers, starring the one and only Zendaya. Jenny and Mel had no idea what they were in for and BOY did this romantic psychological thriller deliver. It's so sexy! And messy! And mean! And baffling! And we loved it. Just a quick note: Mel had some rid...

Hey HBs! We're here with masterpiece of sorcery! Emma Hamm's WHISPERS OF THE DEEP took every single one of Sabrina's phobias and said we shall overcome with seggsy swooniness! It's a monster romance between a merman and a human deep, DEEP under the sea. Like, in the vast deep. He kidnaps her to get information that his people will use to destroy hers, he thinks every part of her body is disgusting...

Hey HBs! We're here with a contemporary sapphic romance! It's a fake relationship extravaganza with a buttoned-up couple's counselor and a cool, alt actor. CW: Mel got really triggered by this book, so look out for discussions of disordered eating, diet culture, rampant fatphobia, and more. Bonus Content: Mel cut her own hair!, where is all the roller skating the cover promised?, moaning in front...

Hey HBs! We're back with another book we didn't know was part 1 of a 4 part series with the same couple. WHOOPS, but no regrets. BENEATH BLACK SAILS by Clare Sager is a historical fantasy pirate adventure with a famous pirate queen and the pirate hunter sent to take her down. This heroine is brash and fun and we can't get enough of her. Bonus Content: we're hot messes who got suckered!, this dedic...

Hey HBs! This week we've got a delicious contemporary lesbian romance: D'Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding by Chencia C. Higgins! This perfect morsel has so many things we love! Reality TV, fat rep, queer rep, overcoming religious trauma, loving and eccentric families, and WOWZA the spicy times are faaaantastic. This is a hard recommend from us! Bonus Content: Mel just like her drinks dry, Sabrina ca...

Hey HBs! We're here with the contemporary Scottish romance ON DUBLIN STREET by Samantha Young! It's Edinburgh, it's family tragedy, it's basing life decisions on great bathtubs. There's an emotionally skittish heroine, an alpha hero who's eight years older, a friends-with-benefits arrangement, and a little too much boundary pushing for Mel's complete comfort. And we knew this before, but we pinpoi...

Wooo! HBs we're here with book 1 of the Victorian Rebels series, THE HIGHWAYMAN by Kerrigan Byrne. We loooooved this book! As Sabrina is a longtime Kerrigan Byrne fangirl, it's not a shock. We've got a childhood-spouses-to-lovers book that knocked our socks off! But yikes, it gets dark. Lady Loves: Sabrina: if you're lonely, but don't have anyone around physically, get on a video call and play vid...

Hey HBs! In this episode, Sabrina and Mel recap DEATH'S OBSESSION by Avina St. Graves. It's a dark, paranormal, stalker romance that gave us KING OF FLESH AND BONE , SING ME TO SLEEP , and SOUL EATER vibes. Overall, they enjoyed the experience, but were generally underwhelmed. But! They talk a lot about reader "meters" and it's appropriately scientific and straightforward. During the epi...

Hey HBs! We're here with LOVE FOR THE COLD-BLOODED, OR THE PART-TIME EVIL MINION'S GUIDE TO ACCIDENTALLY DATING A SUPERHERO by Alex Gabriel! Boy, oh boy, this MM superhero fantasy novel is fan-damn-tastic; the voice is SO UNIQUE, the world-building is incredible, and the romance is SMOKING HOT. There's accidental sex work, it highlights the power of perspective, and someone puts quail eggs on pizz...

Hey HBs! We're here to recap JUST FOR THE CAMERAS by Viano Oniomoh! It's a fluffy contemporary with delicious and supported sex work, amazing communication, a sad sad Sebastian boy, best friendship goals, and an MMF menage that made us feel all gooey and sparkly inside. And WOW the hot hot sexy times! This is definitely an erotic romance. Bonus Content: this is a giggly episode, sad boy catnip, di...

Hey HBs! It's Post-Apocalyptic Times!! We're recapping CLAIMED by Elle Kennedy , and wow is outlaw country sex and kink positive! We've got a heroine with a BIG secret, a hero with a vendetta, and a passel of boys we can't get enough of! Bonus Content: Michael's angry bird artistic debut, that potent post-apocalyptic pussy, sexy hit point increases, the confusing commerce of outlaw country, flower...

Hey HBs! Mel and Sabrina are here to recap RAVISHED by Amanda Quick! It's a historical with a fossil-obsessed heroine, a VERY misunderstood hero, a dangerous ring of robbers, and a cavernous ruination!! Bonus Content: Mel got her 5 yards of dirt delivered, Sabrina wants to be BFFs with this heroine, the gals go on a crustacean tangent, Mel does a big word association on everyone because it's tired...

Hey HBs! HAPPY ST. VINCENT WEEK! Tomorrow, April 2nd, is officially the 3rd (or maybe 4th?) annual St. Vincent Day! Where we celebrate Sebastian St. Vincent, the misunderstood bad boy who's really just broken and wants to ensconce your feet in warmth and feed you and plan funerals so you don't have to and become the sexist casino business man and take bullets for you. CASUAL STUFF. Last year, we g...

Hey HBs! We haven't recapped an alien romance in a while... dare we say TOO LONG! We're here today with TAKEN TO VORAXIA by Elizabeth Stevens! As of the release of this episode, Mel has read through book 6 without any plans to stop. This series is sooo good! TW: discussions of sexual assault, slavery, and forced abortions. Bonus Content: Mel can't tear herself away from the Ruthless Bosses series...

Hey y'all! We're here with part 2 of IN THE MIDDLE OF SOMEWHERE by Roan Parrish! We left you in the middle of their first (and only?) fight, which we acknowledge was a mean thing to do. But! There's an HEA! CW: for discussions of parental death and attempted suicide. Bonus Content: Mel did some hyperfocus "cleaning" because there was no one around to stop her, Sabrina wants Ginger's book...

Hey HBs! We're here with IN THE MIDDLE OF SOMEWHERE by Roan Parrish! This is part 1 because we loved this book soooooo much. This MM romance features a tattooed professor with anxiety and a super burly, cabin-building, care-taking dreamboat. Bonus Content: Mel's bringing big grown-up-lady-sleepover energy, Sabrina is now tailoring reading lists to Mel's big mouth, both gals are horned up for love,...

Hey HBs! We're back with ANY DUCHESS WILL DO by Tessa Dare! We restart our tale right after the library finger-b*ng, and these two are convinced that they only have until the end of the week. Will he gut his BFF for this woman?? Content warning: discussions of infant death and mentions of miscarriage. Bonus Content: Mel just dropped her family off at the airport, Mel and Sabrina "haven't even...

Hey HBs! We're here to recap ANY DUCHESS WILL DO by Tessa Dare! It's an Englandtimes book featuring a sad, broken Duke, his desperate mother, and the serving girl who will change them all forever. Bonus Content: Mel's got a mesakkah dick on her phone screen now, Sabrina learned about screenshots a long time ago, Sabrina has special feelings about stickers, and so much more! Lady Loves: Sabrina: We...