Not Another Heroine

If you've been kind of iffy on Jude through part one, there's a very particular hand scene in part two where Jude establishes herself as one of the most badass heroines in the genre. This is the gritty, resilient kind of main character every romantasy author tries to write with middling success. ------------------------------------------ Is there anyone who hasn't read The Cruel Prince yet? This i...

This week Katie is exploring all of Ali's forays into romance territory. Her most recent book, Deep End, seems to bridge the gap between the spicier side of romance (Not in Love) and her traditional rom-coms like Love, Theoretically and The Love Hypothesis. Deep End explores BDSM themes, power dynamics, and a peculiar type of love triangle. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/212808709-deep-end Wa...

Is there anyone who hasn't read The Cruel Prince yet? This is an urban fantasy (kind of) filled with deliciously evil fairies, a bloodthirsty heroine, and a very questionable romantic lead. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26032825-the-cruel-prince Check out Tithe by Holly Black for Lord Roiben's story. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46777.Tithe Want more of Jordan, Katie, and Not Another...

If you like the trope of damsel-gets-saved-by-badass-protector (of the ghost, demon, death, variety) then this is the book for you. Ladybirds is a younger, entry-level introduction to this author, who also wrote the darker romantasy duology Peaches & Honey. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59086069-ladybirds?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=hmdg2hUPuJ&rank=1 Other books mentio...

Want more of Jordan, Katie, and Not Another Heroine? Join us on Patreon for bonus episodes and to listen to our Patreon-exclusive series, Tawdry Tuesday! https://patreon.com/notanotherheroine Time travel? Check. A teeny, tiny, Corlath moment of romance? Check. More dragon books? Check. We're closing out Dragonflight this week, but come back next Monday for our first epic series of the season: The...

We all need a break from romantasy sometimes and Katie is fully invested in her contemporary romance era: enter her current obsession with Christina Lauren. Check out the whole series for a dual, first person POV style, and for bonus points, the audiobook has a very nice British narrator for the MMC. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62361081-the-true-love-experiment Other books mentioned in thi...

Want more of Jordan, Katie, and Not Another Heroine? Join us on Patreon for bonus episodes and to listen to our Patreon-exclusive series, Tawdry Tuesday! https://patreon.com/notanotherheroine It's time for the mating flight. Yes, readers, remember Fourth Wing's cringey dragon sex? Here's the original. This is where the book started to lose us as it quickly shifts into F'lar's perspective. --------...

Under the Star of Paris is a very clean, slow-burning, contemporary romance published in the 1950s - for today's reader, the cultural norms and gender roles are so dated, this feels like a historical. Take it as a palate cleanser - easy to read in a few hours on a rainy day. Also, a very believable, not toxic love triangle will keep you guessing the whole book. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/...

Want more of Jordan, Katie, and Not Another Heroine? Join us on Patreon for bonus episodes and to listen to our Patreon-exclusive series, Tawdry Tuesday! https://patreon.com/notanotherheroine The OG of dragon stories and science fiction (yes, it's both), Anne McCaffrey wrote Dragonflight almost 60 years ago. If you're a Fourth Wing fan, you'll recognize many (sometimes alarmingly) similarities bet...

Type A heroine, flipped gender roles, fake dating. Can you tell it's Katie's pick this week? This was a surprisingly good, clean romance. Katie consumed it via audiobook but believes it can stand alone in either format. Whether you're an avid contemporary romance consumer or you're interested in dabbling in the genre, this is a perfect little cream puff of a book. https://www.goodreads.com/book/sh...

Wish fulfillment is what the story feels like and there ain't nothing wrong with that, except when: a mustache-twirling villain hijacks the plot (at least it was exciting); the MCs have a taste for exhibitionism but awful timing; and, the heroine is an inconsistent idiot. We finished it (shocking considering how many issues we found in the overall design), but we highly recommend skipping this pod...

Sincerely Yours is a gender-swapped Dramione retelling of You've Got Mail. Hidden identities, letter writing, self-growth - all wrapped into a tidy novella. This is a perfect introduction to fanfiction if you're not a die-hard HP fan and tomes like Manacled are a little intimidating. https://archiveofourown.org/works/48211207/chapters/121579090 Other books mentioned in this episode: Forget Me Not...

Want more of Jordan, Katie, and Not Another Heroine? Join us on Patreon for bonus episodes and to listen to our Patreon-exclusive series, Tawdry Tuesday! https://patreon.com/notanotherheroine You know when you're hungry and the only thing available is a gas station sandwich that's a few days old but somehow still has some flavor? So you finish it and you feel less hungry but somewhat disappointed...

Reality TV is about how Katie sums this book up. It's not great, there are definitely other books that surpass Icebreaker in general quality, but if you need something to fill the time and you're in your hockey romance era, this just might tide you over until you find a better read. *Mild caution for some eating disorder themes. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61767292-icebreaker Other books m...

We have entered our era of fanfiction. This week we're reading "The Right Thing To Do" by LovesBitca8 (aka Julie Soto, the author of Forget Me Not). This work is the author's first fanfiction, posted in 2017 and served as the inspiration for another beloved fic, "The Auction," due to be published later this year under the title "Rose in Chains." "The Right Thing To Do" feels like a 16-episode corp...

It's another DNF week for both of us but not for the reasons you might think. Throne in the Dark is the first book in the Villains & Virtues series and it is all over the romantasy subbreddit. This book is frequently recommended hand in hand with Reign & Ruin by J. D. Evans (which we loved), but this just hits a little different. Well-written but created in the vein of Spaceballs and The P...

We have entered our era of fanfiction. This week we're reading "The Right Thing To Do" by LovesBitca8 (aka Julie Soto, the author of Forget Me Not). This work is the author's first fanfiction, posted in 2017 and served as the inspiration for another beloved fic, "The Auction," due to be published later this year under the title "Rose in Chains." "The Right Thing To Do" feels like a 16-episode corp...

Rival gang members in early 20th century Shanghai battle a mysterious plague while battling feelings for each other: seems like a stay-up-all night reading concoction but this take on Romeo and Juliet falls flat. Katie recommends it if you're an Allison Saft fan (which she is not) but maybe check out Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross or Dance of Thieves by Mary Pearson instead. https://www.goodreads.c...

We have entered our era of fanfiction. This week we're reading "The Right Thing To Do" by LovesBitca8 (aka Julie Soto, the author of Forget Me Not). This work is the author's first fanfiction, posted in 2017 and served as the inspiration for another beloved fic, "The Auction," due to be published later this year under the title "Rose in Chains." "The Right Thing To Do" feels like a 16-episode corp...

An introverted librarian with a talking plant escapes a burning city to flee to her island home out in the boondocks. A gorgeous neighbor delivers her delicious treats. And that's as far as Jordan got in this book. Despite its GoodReads Choice Award nomination, this one is standing on a pretty cover and a cottage-core setting only. It's not bad, it's boring...and blue. The Spellshop by Sarah Beth...

This week we're finishing "The Songbird & The Heart of Stone" by Carissa Broadbent. Despite great world-building and compelling character backstories, this book was ultimately boring and predictable. Recycled tropes, a grating heroine, and a hero with everything going for him except personality. Rating: 2 Spicy: 3.5 (not plentiful but very explicit) Genre: Fantasy Sub-genre: more plot than rom...

This book is everywhere so Katie finally gave in and immediately started a Reddit argument. Campy, rife with misogyny, reminiscent of an early 2000's teen girl series - it's something when Katie recommends Fourth Wing over another book. Just read for the vibes, man. The Zodiac Academy: The Awakening But, seriously, read A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik or The Cruel Prince by Holly Black instead.

This week we're reading "The Songbird & The Heart of Stone" by Carissa Broadbent. Despite great world-building and compelling character backstories, this book was ultimately boring and predictable. Recycled tropes, a grating heroine, and a hero with everything going for him except personality. Rating: 2 Spicy: 3.5 (not plentiful but very explicit) Genre: Fantasy Sub-genre: more plot than roman...

We did it, readers! 100 episodes, two seasons, and a third yet to come. Join us on Monday, January 13th for our first book of 2025, Carissa Broadbent's "The Songbird & The Heart of Stone." https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/209740448-the-songbird-the-heart-of-stone The NAH Awards Best Heroine: Kestrel from "The Winner's Curse" by Marie Rutkoski https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16069030-the...

Welcome to Jordan's corruption: i.e. Katie has hyped up fanfiction so much that Jordan has come and joined the dark side - and started with reading the ENTIRETY of PacificRimbaud's catalog. For your four course meal, Jordan recommends starting with the funny and sweet, Love and Other Historical Accidents (covered in full length pod episodes too!), then a quick and smutty palate cleanser, The Secre...