Check This Bookout

Just in time for Halloween, we’re reviewing Grim Tidings by B.K. Borison! 👻 The autumn ambiance is here & the mood is set, but is the romance is to die for? We have plenty to say about the dual POVs, characters, plot, & more — some things we loved, some we didn’t! (P.S. this episode contains spoilers for Grim Tidings and Good Spirits!)🤍 All CTB Links: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/checkthisbookout...

Welcome back for Part 2 of our Immortal Great Souls series where we now get into the plot of both Bastion & The Rascor Plains by Phil Tucker! 🐸 As you can see by the length of this video, we have so much to unpack with y’all - from the Ruins, to the Academy, to the Fiery Shoals & back. And, of course, we have to talk about the most insane plot twist in book 2! Tune in to hear our best &am...

It’s time for our long awaited review of Iron Gold by Pierce Brown 🪐 After falling hard for the original trilogy, we were ready for another high-stakes journey through space, but some things left us disappointed. In this episode, we talk through what about this book’s character arcs and plot worked, what didn't, and whether it lives up to the books that came before it. (P.S. this book contain...

Introducing your next favorite progressive epic fantasy: Bastion by Phil Tucker! 📖 With only 7,500 ratings on Goodreads, this book is criminally underhyped. In Part 1, we're discussing the writing, world building, characters of both books 1 and 2 -- Bastion and The Rascor Plains -- of the Immortal Great Soul series. As always, we're getting deep in detail to break down what makes this ser...

We love a good fantasy standalone & The Everlasting is near the top of the list 🌳🗡️ This book delivers beloved historical fantasy settings with fairytale whimsy, but manages to write a devastatingly beautiful love story. In this book review, we gasp, laugh, & cry at how awe-inspiring this book is. Tune in to discover it for yourself! (P.S. This episode contains spoilers!) 🤍 All CTB Links...

Believe it or not, we're reviewing Light Wielder, the sequel to Metal Slinger by Rachel Schneider. After Metal Slinger's controversial cliffhanger, we admit we were curious whether Light Wielder redeems the series... (Spoiler: it does not.) We're talking unresolved plot holes, a FMC who completely loses her personality, & one of the worst-written battle scenes we've ever encountered. If you lo...

Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune might just be the book of the summer! 🌊 This book takes you on a tropical vacation in Tofino, a town off Canada's west coast, where heartbreak is healed & friendships are mended. Expect pining, emotional depth, complex characters, and a setting to die for in this contemporary romance. This book took us by storm & we know y'all will love it too!...

In honor of the World Cup, we're ranking fantasy and romance tropes as red cards or goals, covering everything from accidental pregnancies and surprise betrayals to sprayed edges, bonus chapters, and the infamous "she let out a breath she didn't know she was holding." Expect strong opinions, plenty of laughs, and callouts to books like Red Rising, This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me, and One Golden Summ...

"I fell asleep every time I opened it." That's how Madeline started her review of this month's book club pick, and Hannah wasn't about to let that slide. This week on Check This Bookout, we review ‘This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me’ by Ilona Andrews, a portal fantasy where a die-hard fan wakes up inside the unfinished, cliffhanger-ending series she's read a hundred times, and...

It's time for our mid-year reading check-in! 📖 In this episode, we highlight some books we've read so far, from DNFs to 5-star favorites. Along the way, we cover fantasy, romance, & romantasy releases, debate which books live up to the hype, & talk through what actually makes a book worth finishing versus worth putting down for good. We also recap of our first book signing experie...

One of us gave it 4 stars. One of us would have given it zero if that were allowed. And one of us was just trying to survive the chaos in between...Welcome back to Check This Bookout, the podcast where two sisters (and their honorary third sister Jamie) review fantasy, romance, and romantasy books. This episode is our full spoiler review of Metal Slinger by Rachel Schneider, our May book club pick...

We have a bone to pick with the romantasy genre. The misuse of tropes, the imbalance of romance & fantasy plot lines, the questionable quality… The list goes on. In this episode, we breakdown what makes a romantasy book/series successful within its genre. Specifically, we’ll list out books we’ve read that do romantasy a disservice & books that redeem why we should all still give romantasy...

Abby Jimenez’s new novel The Night We Met is here & we are feeling alllll the emotions. Tune in for our full review of this book in which we dive into the writing, characters, plot, romance, & more! Warning: tears ahead… (P.S. this episode contains spoilers!) 🤍 All CTB Links: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/checkthisbookout 💌 April Book Club: The Night We Met - Abby Jimenez 📖 Books Mentioned:  The...

No book is perfect, but some are pretty close! 💐 In this episode, we recommend fantasy & romance books that we rated four stars. Sure, we docked a star in our rating, but they still deserve recognition! These books are dear to us, so we bet y’all will love them, too! P.S. This episode is spoiler-free! 🤍 All CTB Links: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/checkthisbookout 💌 April Book Club: The Night We Met...

On this weeks episode, we’re blasting off with Andy Weir’s hit novel Project Hail Mary. In this book review, we unpack the science, prose, humor, and plot and obsess over one of the most lovable characters we have ever read! (P.S. This episode contains spoilers!) 🤍 All CTB Links: ⁠⁠ https://linktr.ee/checkthisbookout 🤍 2026 Book Bingo Card: https://tr.ee/QO4azNLxDV   🤍 March Book Club: Project...

We’re bringing the Olympics to the bookish world & it gets competitive! We each drafted our romance & fantasy teams by pulling book titles blindly then strategically decided which category they would perform best in. From one-bed bobsled to the slow burn endurance trial, every round proved a challenge. And stay tuned post-game as we chit chat about our highs, lows, & current reads! (P....

For Valentine’s this year, we’re reviewing The Improbable Meet Cute: Second Chances collection! 💘 Six romance authors took the prompt of ‘a second chance at love’ & wrote six short stories to binge for the holiday. We read each one & surprisingly have conflicting opinions on what these beloved & new-to-us authors had to offer. Tune in for some sibling rivalry & many laughs! (P.S. This episode con...

Emily Henry is a staple author of ours so we must discuss People We Meet On Vacation with y’all!🌴 Diving deep into both the book & movie, we debrief the writing, characters, favorite scenes, & disappointments. This episode had us laughing hard & shaking our heads, so tune in for the chaos! (P.S. This episode contains spoilers!) 🤍 All CTB Links: ⁠⁠ https://linktr.ee/checkthisbookout 🤍 2026 Book...

We’re sharing the fantasy & romance book releases we can’t wait to get our hands on in 2026, along with our personal reading goals for the year ahead! If you're planning your TBR for the new year like us, this episode is packed with plenty of recs for you to kick off 2026! 🤍 CTB Links: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/checkthisbookout 🤍 Book Bingo Card: https://tr.ee/sH5fQ6VTZT📖 🧡 January Book Club: People...

Our annual, spoiler-free Reading Wrap Up is here! We each share 3 favorites and 3 flops of fantasy and romance books that we read this year, along with our DNFs & reading stats! 🤍 CTB Links: ⁠⁠ ⁠https://linktr.ee/checkthisbookout⁠  📖 Books Mentioned: ​Onyx Storm - Rebecca Yarros  ​The Knight and the Moth - Rachel Gillig ​Scythe and Sparrow - Brynne Weaver ​Tourist Season - Brynne Weaver ​Off To...

The Strength of the Few was a chaotic & suspenseful sequel & we discuss it all in this review! 🏛️ We dive deep into the layered world building, complex character development, political tension, & that unforgettable ending. We ponder theories & what’s to come, so tune in to hear our honest thoughts! (P.S. this review contains spoilers!) 🤍 CTB Links: ⁠⁠ https://linktr.ee/checkthisbo...

Romance author M. J. Hughes is joining us on the pod to talk all things writing & publishing of her spicy, college, hockey romance standalone series, A River Road Series! 🏒 From behind-the-scenes writing stories to navigating indie-publishing, this episode is packed with honesty, inspiration, & all the bookish chaos we love. M. J. shares how she went from passionate reader to self-publish...

The weather is getting colder, the books are getting cozier, & this paranormal romance by B.K. Borison suits the season perfectly ❄️ In our review of Good Spirits , we cry (literally), laugh, & gush over everything that made this book so special to us. The characters, magic, & emotional depth tucked into the quaint city of Annapolis left us dreamy & eager for more B.K. Borison para...

We're back with Part 2 of our deep dive into The Will of the Many! 🏛️ We’re unpacking everything that makes this book so addictive: the writing, the world, the politics, the twists, & that jaw-dropping ending. (P.S. This episode contains spoilers!) 🤍 CTB Links!: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/checkthisbookout⁠⁠ 🖋️ The Will of the Many Synopsis: "AUDI. VIDE. TACE. The Catenan Republic – the Hier...

The Will of the Many has completely taken over the fantasy community & we totally get why 🏛️ We’re unpacking everything that makes this book so addictive: the writing, the world, the politics, the twists, & that jaw-dropping ending. Join us for Part 1 of our Hierarchy series deep dive, & stay tuned for Part 2 next Tuesday! (P.S. This episode contains spoilers!) 🤍 CTB Links!: ⁠https://linktr.ee/ch...