Check This Bookout

"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...

Happy Halloween! 🎃 Join us for a hilarious game of blind-picking halloween costumes for our favorite book characters! Featuring group costumes for Fourth Wing & Throne of Glass to couples’ costumes for Beach Read and Just For The Summer, we were dying laughing! (P.S. This episode is spoiler free!) 🤍 CTB Links!: https://linktr.ee/checkthisbookout 📖 Books Mentioned: ​Butcher and Blackbird (The Ru...

October is here & so is our honest review of Brynne Weaver's latest release, Tourist Season! 🔪🩸 We talk about the novel's witty banter, dark romance, vigilante serial killing, & many plot points. Was the suspense worth it? Tune in to find out! (P.S. this episode contains spoilers!) 🤍 CTB Links!: https://linktr.ee/checkthisbookout Tourist Season Synopsis: “Cape Carnage is a seaside town of color...

Now that it's officially fall, we wanted to curate a list of cozy, spooky, & whimsical reads to suit the season! 🍂 We have book recs for magic academies, academia romance, & mysteries whether you just love fall & all the cozy vibes or you're feeling the back-to-school excitement! (P.S. this episode is spoiler free!) 🤍 CTB Links!: https://linktr.ee/checkthisbookout 📖 Books Me...

They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but what about its first line... 🧐 Today, we're putting that idea to the test! Did these first lines hook us? Confuse us? Make us want to remove it from our TBRs? Tune in as we react in real time, & stay till the end as we debrief our August TBR picks & catch up on life outside of the Pod!   🤍 CTB Links!: https://linktr.ee/checkth...

Our brutally honest review of The Knight and The Moth is in... 🗡️🦋 This highly anticipated novel by Rachel Gillig was a gothic, eerie fantasy with new magic and beloved tropes. In our review, we dissect the world building, Rachel's whimsical prose, the magic system, the plot, & the characters. (P.S. This episode contains spoilers!)   🤍 CTB Links!: https://linktr.ee/checkthisbookout   📖 Book...

It's that time of year for a reading wrap up! 📚 We’ve been busy reading & have a variety of fantasy & romance books to share with y'all. We also thought to spice up our TBRs by choosing 3 books for each other to read this August. So grab your TBR & tune in! (P.S. This episode is spoiler-free!)   🤍 CTB Links!: https://linktr.ee/checkthisbookout   🔗 Madeline's Fable Stats: https://fab...

Introducing Blood Over Bright Haven🩸, one of our all-time favorite 5 star reads. This book left both of us sobbing & reeling, & we have to debrief it with y'all. We unpack the book’s world building & plot, dissect the morally complex characters, & explore how Wang tackles ethics with gut-punching emotional stakes. (P.S. This episode contains spoilers!)   🤍 CTB Links!: https:/...

Last but far from least... We're closing out the Red Rising Saga review with a bang! Morning Star by Pierce Brown gave us everything we hoped for (& plenty we weren’t emotionally prepared for) & we're here to discuss it all. Special guest Nolan joins us as we dig into the jaw-dropping plot twists, powerful character arcs, & the trilogy's unforgettable conclusion. You won’t want to miss...