Romance on the Rocks

Send us Fan Mail Holiday romance should feel like stepping into a warm kitchen: familiar, fragrant and a little bit daring. We open with two cocktails that embody that spirit — a risky Latke Sour with potato syrup and egg white, and a bright cranberry cosmo sweetened with local honey. Then we dive into two Hanukkah-centered love stories that test how much flavor, heat and heart a seasonal read can...

Send us Fan Mail A hockey crush in 8th grade and a lifelong love of the game set A.C. Wonderland on an unexpected path: slow-burn romances that feel as tense and electric as a tied third period. We pull up a chair with A.C. to talk about her books One Shot and Summer Shot , why golden retriever male leads deserve their flowers, and how to write intimacy that actually moves the story forward. If yo...

Send us Fan Mail The ice is cold but these love stories are blazin'. We’re pouring drinks, pulling on jerseys and diving into two hockey romances that deliver big feelings, bigger chemistry and the kind of character growth that lingers after the final buzzer. First up:  One Shot by A.C. Wonderland . It's a slow-burn college romance where a PR hopeful and the youngest team captain in prog...

Send us Fan Mail Let’s end spooky season with a clink:  a neon-blue zombie cocktail meets a cozy Oktoberfest beer as we close our creature feature month and dig into two wildly different monster romances. First up, Zombie Moon by Lori Devoti drops us into "Brain Alley", Wisconsin, where a werewolf zombie-hunter and a mystery woman collide over brain bait and secrets. We unpack the moral...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when a debt-crushed millennial takes a job at a "milking farm" and a runaway stumbles into the arms of a golden-sapped tree man who can sew, garden and cook? We pour a drink (okay, a few), roll up our sleeves, and unpack two monster romances that are equal parts spicy, sweet and unexpectedly practical. From fictional Cambric Creek to a swamp sanctuary outsid...

Send us Fan Mail Do monsters make the perfect mate? We kick off with our signature cocktails — Buttersquatch whiskey for a Sasquatch fling and a citrus-spiked Werewolf’s Call — then dive into two paranormal romances that couldn’t be more different in pace, tone, and payoff. First up:  a 97-page sprint where a half-banshee heroine bolts from an arranged marriage straight into the path of a half-Sas...

Send us Fan Mail A forgotten summer, a hungry garden, and a winged legend with a soft spot for small kindnesses. Our creature-feature month kicks off with two romances that trade jump scares for emotional stakes.  We start in Yarrow, Kentucky, where three generations of Haywood witches tend a shadow garden that grows on sorrow and fuels a rival distillery’s enchanted bourbon. When the town collect...

Send us Fan Mail Something remarkable is happening in Milwaukee — a renaissance of dedicated romance bookstores creating vital community spaces where readers connect over shared literary passions. As we celebrate our one-year podcast anniversary, we're thrilled to spotlight two visionary women transforming the local literary landscape. Meet Natasha Meyer from The Well Red Damsel , who transit...

Send us Fan Mail Fall in love with small-town romance as Nicole and Meghan exchange books perfectly tailored to each other's interests in this delightful end-of-summer reading episode. Their thoughtful book exchange showcases the power of friendship through literature, with Nicole receiving a hairstylist-centered romance and Meghan diving into a story featuring baseball and thrifting. Nicole...

Send us Fan Mail Nicole and Meghan dive headfirst into uncharted territory with their first-ever romance novel exchange. And things get spicy faster than either of them anticipated. After exchanging books based on loose personal connections (Nicole's husband is named Bob), the hosts discover they've accidentally thrust each other into the deep end of the romance pool. Nicole tackles &quo...

Send us Fan Mail Ever wondered what happens when you inherit a bookstore from your murdered grandfather? Or when a city lawyer falls for a struggling resort owner in rural Minnesota? This episode dives deep into two contemporary small-town romances that explore what happens when urban professionals leave behind their city lives for love in communities where everyone knows your business. Meghan rev...

Send us Fan Mail Summer heat has us craving refreshing drinks and equally refreshing romance novels! We're diving into contemporary romance novels this month, and both our selections had us staying up late turning pages. Nicole sips a piña colada (perfectly matching her book) while discussing " Mixed Signals " by B.K. Borison . This slow-burn romance features Caleb, a Spanish-teachi...

Send us Fan Mail Christmas in July heats up as the Romance on the Rocks podcast tackles two holiday-themed romances that push boundaries in very different ways. Hosts Meghan and Nicole deliver equal parts humor and literary criticism while enjoying seasonal beverages — a festive "Snowball Old Fashioned" for Nicole and iced coffee for Meghan (who's admirably sticking to her health ch...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when you mix Christmas romance novels with scorching July temperatures? Pure magic, as it turns out! We're kicking off our "Christmas in July" theme with two delightfully different holiday romances that prove festive love stories work beautifully year-round. Nicole takes us through " Cowboy, It's Christmas " by Heatherly Bell , where auto...

Send us Fan Mail Fantasy worlds should sizzle with magic and romance, but what happens when the promised heat fizzles out like a damp sparkler? We tumble headfirst into two Fae romance novels that left us wanting more in the spice department, though they certainly delivered on world-building and character development. Meghan explores "A Dance with the Fae Prince" by Elise Kova , followin...

Send us Fan Mail Prepare for a brutally honest journey through the enchanted — and sometimes disturbing — world of fairy romance as Nicole and Meghan tackle two wildly different novels that left them questioning everything they thought they knew about the genre. When Nicole's chamomile-infused bourbon meets Meghan's aptly named "Bitter End" cocktail, you know you're in for...

Send us Fan Mail Dive beneath the waves as we explore two captivating underwater romances in our Mermaid Month special! Our oceanic journey takes us through magical underwater kingdoms, body-positive representation, and the universal challenges of communication in relationships. The first stop on our underwater adventure is "Call of the Sea" by Emily B. Rose, featuring Princess Makenna....

Send us Fan Mail Dive beneath the waves with us as we explore two vastly different underwater romance novels featuring magical sea creatures seeking human connection. Our special "Siren" cocktail (which might taste suspiciously like brackish seawater) sets the mood for a deep dive into mythological maritime love stories. Meghan takes us through "The Kraken's Sacrifice" by...

Send us Fan Mail Heatherly Bell transforms everyday love into extraordinary storytelling. In this revealing conversation, she takes us behind the curtain of her creative process as a romance novelist who expertly balances humor with genuine emotional depth. Beginning as a reader who was always drawn to the romantic subplots in novels across genres, Bell has crafted her own distinctive voice in the...

Send us Fan Mail Two cocktails, two small towns, and two heartfelt love stories by Heatherly Bell have us swooning on this episode of Romance on the Rocks. Grab your Topo Chico Ranch Water or Fireman's Sour and settle in as we explore what makes Bell's romance novels so addictively relatable. First stop: Stone Ridge, Texas, where elementary teacher/EMT Sadie Stephens returns to her homet...

Send us Fan Mail Two vastly different romance novels reveal the same profound truth: recognizing genuine love often comes after experiencing relationships that fall short. In this lively discussion, Nicole and Meghan explore what happens when characters mistake manipulation for affection before finding their perfect match. Meghan dives into "Tricks of the Trade," an LGBTQ romance set in...

Send us Fan Mail The perils of consent, agency, and "apple boobs" take center stage as Meghan Leigh and Nicole Danielle continue their Scottish/Irish reading theme with two wildly different romance novels. We kick things off with a slew of trigger warnings as Nicole delves into Bertrice Small's The Border Lord's Bride, a historical romance that doesn't shy away from graphi...

Send us Fan Mail The full moon and lunar eclipse bring out the wild side in our bookish biddies as Meghan Leigh and Nicole Danielle venture into the world of werewolf smut for a howling good time. Meghan delves into "The Wolf Wore Plaid" by Terry Spear, where Scottish clan werewolves provide security for a Hollywood film production at their ancestral castle. Heather McNeil, a successful...

Send us Fan Mail Ever wondered how a simple listener suggestion could spice up our entire podcast? This month, we're embracing a Scottish and Irish theme on Romance on the Rocks -- complete with fiery Scotch bonnet peppers add to our Scoville scale. Nicole and Meghan's beverage choices -- an Irish Manor liqueur and an oatmeal porter from Highland Brewing -- set the stage for a robust dis...

Send us Fan Mail Can a Sauvignon Blanc truly capture the essence of a political romance novel, or does scotch pair better with Scottish intrigue? Nicole Danielle and Meghan Leigh put their drink-pairing skills to the test in this lively episode as they embark on an amusing journey through romance novels and beverages. With Nicole feeling like Dorothy from the Golden Girls and Meghan bravely opting...