BookTalks Podcast

It's time for our A Court of Silver Flames reread! In Episode 123 of Booktalks Podcast, Kayla and Marisa are diving back into Nesta Archeron's story, and we're reminded all over again why we love this book so much. We discuss Nesta and Cassian's relationship, their banter and mating bond, and why Nesta's journey of healing is one of our favorite character arcs in the ACOTAR series. We also talk ab...

A gothic university, dark magic, a murder mystery, and an achingly romantic love story?! We're joined by debut author Wanda Hellmund to talk about *Our Dark Incantations*—the gothic fantasy romance that brings together everything fantasy readers love! Set at a magical university, *Our Dark Incantations* follows Mira Winters, who swears off magic after a devastating war—until she finds herself stud...

We need to talk about Feyre, Nesta, and the Night Court. Because after rereading *A Court of Frost and Starlight* by Sarah J. Maas, we have a LOT of thoughts. In this episode of BookTalks Podcast, Kayla and Marisa revisit ACOFAS, the bridge novella between *A Court of Wings and Ruin* and *A Court of Silver Flames*. And let's just say… our reread did not make us love this book more. We're discussin...

It's time for our A Court of Wings and Ruin reread! In episode 120 of Booktalks Podcast, Kayla and Marisa discuss the third book in Sarah J. Maas's A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) series, and this reread has brought out some HOT takes. We dive into the war against Hybern, Nesta Archeron's character development, Elaine's future, and the complicated Azriel, Elaine, and Gwyn debate. We also disc...

September was a MONTH. We may have been in a reading slump, but that didn't stop us from having A LOT to say. In this episode of BookTalks Podcast, we talk about our September reading, what we're planning to read in October, and some of the biggest bookish conversations happening right now. We have THOUGHTS on Ali Hazelwood's upcoming sequel to The Love Hypothesis, whether authors revisiting belov...

September was a MONTH.We may have been in a reading slump, but that didn't stop us from having A LOT to say. In this episode of BookTalks Podcast, Kayla and Marisa are talking about their September reading, what they're planning to read in October, and some of the biggest bookish conversations happening right now. We have THOUGHTS on Ali Hazelwood's upcoming sequel to The Love Hypothesis, whether...

Booktalks Podcast episode 118: We’re talking all about The Love Hypothesis movie! Kayla and Marisa break down Ali Hazelwood’s highly anticipated book-to-screen adaptation, comparing the movie to the original novel and discussing the biggest changes from page to screen. ⚠️ SPOILERS AHEAD for both the book and movie! We’re talking Adam and Olive, fake dating, the changes to Tom’s storyline, why Hold...

We are rereading A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas — and this time, we’re looking at the book with a few more years of reading experience behind us. ACOMAF is one of the most beloved books in the ACOTAR series, but does it still hit the same on a reread? We’re talking Feyre, Rhysand, Tamlin, the Inner Circle, our favorite moments, the things that stood out differently this time, and all of...

This week on Book Talks Podcast, we're discussing our August Book of the Month: Out on a Limb by Hannah Bonam-Young! ⚠️ SPOILER WARNING: This episode contains FULL SPOILERS for the entire book, including the ending! We’re talking all things Win and Bo, the surprise pregnancy trope, disability representation, their relationship, the lack of conflict, the happily-ever-after ending, and all of our th...

We’re sitting down with romance author Maggie Gates to talk about what really makes a romance story feel fresh—even when it uses familiar tropes. Maggie shares her “tropes are ingredients” philosophy, how real life inspires her characters, why she cries while writing, and how writing helped her process some of her most personal experiences. We also talk about negative reviews, plotting vs. pantsin...

Booktalks Podcast Episode 114: We’re rereading A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas! 📚✨ We’re going back to the beginning of the ACOTAR series and looking at the first book with everything we know now. Does A Court of Thorns and Roses hold up on a reread? Are Feyre and Tamlin really the love story we remembered? And how much more obvious are the Rhysand clues when you already know where...

Booktalks Podcast Episode 113: We’re wrapping up our August reading and looking ahead to our September TBR! 📚 August was a rough reading month for both of us, with busy work schedules, life updates, and a very hyped fantasy book sending Kayla into a reading slump. We’re talking about the books we finished, our ratings, a few DNFs, romance reads, our August Book Club pick, and the books we’re plan...

Booktalks Podcast Episode 112: We’re wrapping up July with everything we read this month and looking ahead to our August TBR! 📚 Kayla read an impressive 13 books, including a major Maggie Gates and Jay Salmon binge, while Marisa shares her July reads including Wild Card, Poker Face, Elle Kennedy’s The Mistake, This Story Might Save Your Life, and more. We’re talking romance, surprise pregnancy tr...

Thornbird by Elle Kennedy surprised us… because this wasn’t the romance book we expected. In this BookTalks Podcast episode, Kayla and Marissa discuss their July book club pick, Thornbird by Elle Kennedy, and why they think it works best as a thriller with a romance subplot rather than a romance trying to become a thriller. We break down: Ryan’s complicated journey as the daughter of a serial kill...

We’re halfway through 2026, so it’s time to check in on our reading lives! We’re looking back at the goals we set in January, sharing how many books we’ve read, and revealing the stories that surprised, disappointed, and completely consumed us. We discuss our unexpected Maggie Gates obsession, whether the Fourth Wing series deserves its hype, our plans to continue Red Rising and Shield of Sparrows...

Did Amazon stay true to Carly Fortune's bestselling romance? In this spoiler-filled episode, we compare Every Year After to Every Summer After, discussing the biggest changes, what worked, what didn't, and why so many fans are disappointed with the adaptation. We also chat about One Golden Summer, successful adaptations like Off Campus, and finish with a recommendation for Maggie Gates' Beaufort P...

In Booktalks Podcast Episode 108, we're sharing everything we read in June and the books we're hoping to tackle in July! Kayla wraps up an incredible month of reading 11 books, including a deep dive into Maggie Gates' romance universe, while Marisa gives an update on her physical TBR challenge and shares her latest thriller and romance reads. We also discuss Every Summer After , The Deal , The Som...

Booktalks Podcast Episode 107 reviews Every Summer After by Carley Fortune before watching the TV adaptation. This is Part 1 of our Every Summer After series! We discuss Percy and Sam's relationship, Charlie, the alternating timelines, our favorite moments, what worked, what didn't, and whether the TV show has a chance of living up to the book. ⚠️ Full spoilers for the novel. Next week we'll be ba...

We watched Amazon’s Off Campus series… and we have THOUGHTS. In this episode of Booktalks Podcast, we’re comparing the Off Campus TV show to Elle Kennedy’s book The Deal! We break down what changed, what was left out, the biggest storyline differences, and whether the adaptation actually improved the original story. Did the show stay true to the book? Did the changes work? Were there moments we mi...

Booktalks Podcast Episode 105 is our full spoiler review of Someday Garden by Ashley Poston! After catching up on our latest reads, Kindle purchases, summer reading plans, and the Off-Campus series, we dive into Ashley Poston's newest novel to discuss everything from the magical realism and emotional storytelling to the romance, grief, symbolism, and whether this book is actually a romance at all....

Book Talks Podcast Episode 104: The Deal by Elle Kennedy Review (Part 1 of Our Off Campus Series) This week we're kicking off our two-part Off Campus series with a full review of The Deal by Elle Kennedy. Before diving into the new TV adaptation, we wanted to revisit the hockey romance that started it all. We discuss Garrett Graham and Hannah Wells, the fake dating trope, college romance dynamics,...

In this episode of Booktalks Podcast, we sit down with author Alicia Thompson to talk about her writing journey, creating memorable characters, and the inspiration behind her books. Alicia shares her thoughts on storytelling, romance, character development, and what goes into bringing a book from an idea to the page. Whether you’re a longtime Alicia Thompson reader or discovering her work for the...

In this episode of Book Talks Podcast, we're sharing everything we read in May and what we're hoping to read in June! We discuss our thoughts on Shield of Sparrows , Golden Son , The Shippers , and the surprise books that completely took over Kayla's reading month. Kayla dives into her newfound obsession with Maggie Gates, why Our Perfect Storm might be her favorite book of the year, and why she's...

In today's BookTalks Podcast episode, we're reviewing Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry and discussing whether this new fantasy romance has what it takes to become the next massive fantasy series. From the worldbuilding and characters to the romance, plot twists, and overall reading experience, we're breaking down everything we loved, what surprised us, and whether we think Shield of Sparrows des...

This week on Book Talks Podcast, we’re discussing The Shippers by Katherine Center — one of the biggest romance releases of 2026! We dive into JoJo and Cooper’s friends-to-lovers story, the cruise ship setting, hilarious rom-com moments, emotional depth (or lack of it), and whether this book lived up to our expectations as longtime Katherine Center readers. We also rank our favorite Katherine Cent...