Reading For Pleasure

Pour one out for the last episode of Orctober :( Why can't Kim and Sarah ever like the same book? Do limitations on the magic of a fantasy world enhance the plot or detract from it? Can an orc give a blow job through their tusks? Trigger warnings: Captivity, moderate violence, death of family recounted, sex on page, attempted murder, house fire, harassment, mentions of blood, brief violence Tropes...

Do you need indicators (ex. hair) when a main character is Black or a person of color? Is Black representation held to a different standard in paranormal vs. contemporary romance? Why do the social identities of the villains matter? TW/CW: emotional abuse, assault (off-page), torture, decapitation, homophobia, murder, physical abuse, poisoning, pregnancy, profanity, violence, threats to harm a fet...

Does modern language in "historical" books add context, or take you out of it? How does the inclusion of differing cultures increase miscommunication? Is there such a thing as too much cum?!? TW/CW: Includes: abduction; betrayal; unequal power dynamics; cruel and manipulative behavior from main male character toward main female character; humiliation of female main character before others; voyeuri...

How do you date men when you hate men? How does a character's self esteem impact their likability? If a dick is stretching your mouth to the LIMIT, wouldn't your teeth get in the way first?!?! TW/CW: violence, discrimination, classism, racism, death, drug addiction (off-page), mention of a fictional illegal drug Tropes: forced proximity, one bed, mafia/organized crime, size difference, the slowest...

Welcome to ORCTOBER! For week one, we had to take it back to our favorite, the one that started it all, Games with the Orc! "So it's like a shake weight?!?" Why are orcs hot? How does romance/smut give us room to explore new kinks in a safe manner? And finally, a statement: sex work is WORK! Content warnings: Dominant/submissive role-play, sex work, primal play, light consensual/non consensual, ch...

All month long we're celebrating one of our favorite smutty sub-genres: ORCS! In this mini episode, we explain WHY we are doing this, what to expect, and a sneak peek of the books we'll be covering this month...

Sarah had Covid last week, so we're giving you one of the episodes we recorded during our testing phase! Zoey Chant (the Zoeys) also wrote Kim's favorite book ever, Firefighter Seadragon, so we hope you enjoy this erotic tale of a sexy man who shifts into a giant prehistoric kangaroo. G'Day Mate, indeed. TW: violence, blood, drugs, "beastiality" Capitalism? Master Kim’s Corne...

What's the difference between anxiety and angst? Why do we know so little about the modern experiences of American Indians? Is it more or less satisfying when the hero can't use money to save the damsel in distress? TW/CW: racism, cultural appropriation, racial slurs, sexism, misogyny, classism, alcohol, bullying, abandonment by a parent (off-page), death of a parent (off-page), strained familial...

Why aren't there more drugs in romance novels? What is it about vampires that we just can't get enough of? Can you "belong" to someone in a polyamorous relationship? TW/CW: war (off-page), violence, murder, suicide, death, gambling, alcoholism, addiction, confinement, emotional abuse, death of a family member recounted (off-page), grief, drugs, knotting, biting, blood drinking, l...

We went out on a limb this week to see if being a female dominant would turn us on. Spoiler alert, it did not. Why is "good girl" so hot while "good boy" makes us want to throw up in our mouths? Are dominant women in the streets more likely to be submissive girls in the sheets? Do people "superlike" on purpose? TW/CW: dom/sub (femdom), sex work, strained familial rela...

We're joined this week by Molly from "In My Omegaverse Era!" Instagram: inmyomegaverseera TikTok: inmyomegaverseera Facebook group: In My Omegaverse Era Red hair in romance... why so much of it, and why does it matter? What kind of cultural indicators do we expect for BIPOC characters? Why so much of the hurt/comfort trope in the "why choose" genre? TW/CW: slut shaming, sta...

Does it even count as a billionaire romance if they never buy anything? What makes an alpha an alpha? Why is everyone so afraid to say ABORTION?!? Content/trigger warnings: Stalking, violence on page, swearing, sexual assault off page, PTSD, Coercion, sexually explicit content Tropes: omegaverse, why choose, hurt/comfort, forbidden romance, blast from the past, billionaire romance, surprise pregna...

Hi, welcome to the leading podcast among Kathryn Moon fanatics probably. Is there a pick-me girl beta in all of us? When a character is described as "tan," what race does that indicate to you? What constitutes a good "scent" in the omegaverse? Trigger/content warnings: Rape (in the past, alluded to) Sexual assault Abusive relationship recounted Alcohol consumption Drugging reco...

Welcome to week one of Aug-Megaverse! Why are so many Omegaverse books also "why choose"? What do you want your boyfriend to smell like? and the kicker... is it incest for two brothers to have a threesome with the same woman?!?!? Trigger Warnings: Abusive relationship. Physical abuse (hair-pulling, hitting). Sexual assault (implied, fade-to-black). Bad/non-existent parental relationship....

Is this a romance novel? (NO) Why do people keep saying it is? Is this book a "good" representation of domestic violence? What does that even mean?!? Trigger/Content Warnings:   Domestic violence. Abuse. Death of a family member. Sexual assault. Attempted rape. PTSD/depression/anxiety related themes. Tropes: “I don’t date but you are the exception” teenage boyfriend re enters your life b...

How can a romantic partner best support someone with a chronic illness/disability? Why aren't there more boys with bubble butts in romance? If you met your #1 celebrity super crush, how would you react? Trigger/Content warnings: chronic illness, parental abandonment Tropes: grumpy sunshine, workplace/sports romance, he falls first Master Kim’s Corner: - Fandom Went Mainstream in the 2010s – fo...

Is NYC the ultimate city background for a novel? Why are women so frequently the villain in a romance novel, and why does it matter? Why is there so much smutty Star Wars fanfiction?!?! Tropes: enemies to lovers, he falls first Trigger/Content warning: parental abandonment recounted, divorce, recreational drug use, death of a parent recounted, depression, sexually explicit content Master Kim's...

Is it sexy to have a man slowly realize you're actually like, really pretty? Is it better or worse to have actors to picture while reading? Why couldn't Penelope have stayed fat?? Tropes: Friends to lovers, wallflower, fats, ugly duckling turned beautiful swan, unrequited love, best friends brother. Content/Trigger warnings: fatphobia, bullying, emotional abuse, manipulation, blackmail, se...

ADHD, a good or bad thing? Cannibalism, bad, right? What the hell is purple prose? Tropes: Blast from the past, Sassy and Grump, Alphahole, Hate to Love, Multiple POV, Dark Fantasy Romance, Fated (?) Mates, Unreliable Narrator, Second Chance, Forced Proximity, Dominant Alpha Hero, First Love, Kidnapped, Secrets, Shared Past, Trauma Healing, Emotional Scars, Dark Romance, Plus Size FMC, He Falls Fi...

Is there such thing as a good billionaire? Have you ever cried after sex? How has Sarah never read Pride and Prejudice??? TW/CW: Racism, prejudice, microaggressions, mentions of jail, scams, MLMs, mentions of death, car accident, grief, abandonment, Who might feel repped? People from DC, interracial relationships Tropes: enemies to lovers Master Kim's Corner: ‘Least Desirable’? How Racial Disc...

We've got another guest this week, Brit! Is "y'all" strictly a word used by Southerners, or has it also entered African American Vernacular English? Is there a strained familial relationship in every family? And of course, what makes a Black Character Black? Trigger/Content Warnings: Panic Attacks/Mental Illness, referred war/battle, magical violence, attempted murder, generation...

Does it live up to the hype of Fourth Wing? Is enemies to lovers the ultimate trope? What else is there to know?!? TW/CW: war, psychological & physical torture, imprisonment, intense violence, severe injuries, blood, dismemberment, burning, murder, death, animal death, graphic language, loss of life, grief, and, as always, sexual explicit content, men who lie Who might feel repped? People that...

Why do so many characters in romance have purple eyes? How do authors indicate a character's race without stating it, and does it matter? How does disability representation in romance change the way we see people with disabilities? Content warnings: war, battle, perilous situations, intense violence, brutal injuries, death, poisoning, graphic language, bullying, ableism, chronic illness, death...

It's Trans Rights Readathon week! We encourage you to read books by and about trans folks frequently, but we decided to bump this episode up the release list to celebrate. Depictions of alcohol use are frequent in romance, but drug use is rare, particularly in books that feature white characters exclusively. Is cannabis use black-coded? How can reading about characters with neo-pronouns help u...

Find us on threads? What's an "Alpha Male," and is Zaf one? Doesn't everyone who goes viral get called fat? Why aren't there more stories with mixed race couples where neither is white? Content warnings: Car crash, death, mentioned/discussed death of close family members, grief, general anxiety disorder, panic attack, over developed gag reflex, and, as always, explicit sex Tr...