Romance ME Podcast

In this episode, we discuss Tears of Tess by Pepper Winters.  While on a romantic anniversary trip with her vanilla boyfriend, Tess still feels like something is missing from her seemingly perfect life. While trying to ignore the absence of a certain je ne sais quoi and appreciate what she has, she is abducted and sold to a mysterious man who may be able to fulfill her long-wished, unspoken fantas...

In this episode, we discuss Rafe: A Buff Male Nanny by Rebekah Weatherspoon. Unexpectedly deserted by her live-in nanny, single mother Dr. Sloan Copeland needs someone, hopefully more reliable, to watch her precocious daughters. She hires Rafe Whitcomb, tattooed, bearded, and highly recommended. They have immediate chemistry and begin developing a romantic relationship.

In this episode, we discuss The Right Swipe by Alisha Rai. When former linebacker Samson re-enters entrepreneur Rhiannon’s life after previously ghosting her, she must decide whether he deserves a second chance.

In this episode, we discuss Across a Moonlit Sea by Marsha Canham. Pirate Simon Dante must decide if there is honor among thieves when he and the remainder of his crew are offered rescue after being left for dead on the wide open seas. Pilot Beau Spence doesn’t trust Dante after he repeatedly threatens to harm her (imagine that).  Can these two suspicious seafarers put their cynicism aside to find...

In this episode, we discuss The Roommate by Rosie Danon. Professional academic and carefully boring Clara moves across the country to win the affections of a man who isn’t interested. Uninterested Man has better places to be, but thoughtfully leaves her a replacement roommate. His name is Josh; he’s a professional porn performer. Will self-described prude Clara be brave enough to follow her own dr...

In this episode, we discuss An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole. Elle Burns is a former slave with an eidetic memory working for Lincoln’s Loyal League during the Civil War when she meets fellow undercover agent, Malcolm McCall. Pretending to be sympathetic to the Southern cause, Pinkerton Detective Malcolm uses his jovial charm and develops a “friendship” with a Confederate Senator’s family to...

Today we’ll be discussing Pitifully Ugly by Robin Alexander. Displeased with her life and with wine in hand, Shannon impulsively creates a dating profile to prove she can manage her own love life, thank you very much. While enduring romantic misadventures, she makes a connection with “Newbie,” a shy woman who is unwilling to meet in person, except, maybe, they have already met.

In this episode, we discuss His Human Assistant by Michele Mills. While working for the Intergalactic Business Bureau, Avery Klein needs somewhere, anywhere, to hide after her secret cover is blown. Hannibal Hellstone is a businessman in need of an assistant and Avery takes the assignment. While they are mutually attracted to each other, Hannibal has sworn to never fall in love again. Avery didn’t...

In this episode, we discuss The Code for Love and Heartbreak by Jillian Cantor. Emma is co-president of the high school coding club along with her friend and academic rival George. As co-presidents, it is their responsibility to come up with a project idea and Emma’s idea to make a match-making app is popular with everyone but George. The club moves forward with the matching app and it seems to be...

In this episode, we discuss Real Men Knit by Kwana Jackson. After his mother unexpectedly passes away, Jesse is determined to keep her knitting shop open, in spite of his brothers’ doubts that he can be successful. His childhood friend Kerry agrees to help him with learning to run the business, despite her lifelong crush on him. As they work together to save the shop, they discover that their shar...

In this episode, we discuss Sustained by Emma Chase. Jake is a criminal defense lawyer and he’s good at his job. He likes to live a “complication free life” and it’s been working out for him until he meets Chelsea. Chelsea’s life is anything but uncomplicated. She’s the legal guardian of her six nieces and nephews and she has no support network until Jake steps in. Soon, Jake is living the family...

In this episode, we discuss Mr. Perfect by Linda Howard. On their regular girls’ night out, Jaine and her friends create a list for what would make a man Mr. Perfect. Although it was meant to be a private bit of fun, the list gets shared around at work, and then it spreads to the news. While many think the list is funny, some people are offended, maybe even offended enough to kill. When one of her...

In this episode, we discuss Love is a Rogue by Lenora Bell. Lady Beatrice longs for the freedom of spinsterhood, when she will finally be allowed to work on her etymological dictionary and enjoy a life of solitude. She just has to get through one more London season as a wallflower before she can begin her life. Unfortunately, she keeps running into Stamford Wright, a handsome carpenter with a rogu...

In this episode, we discuss Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall.  Luc is tangentially famous as the son of two rock stars from the 80s. Ever since his estranged father has made a comeback, Luc has been uncomfortably in the public eye. When a picture showing him in a bad light is released, Luc has to clean up his image in order to keep his job. To do that, he needs to find a nice, normal boyfriend. ...

In this episode, we discuss A Bollywood Affair by Sonali Dev. Mili has been married since she was a child in India, but she doesn’t remember the groom. She’s spent the last twenty years learning how to be the best possible wife she can be while she waits for her husband to finally come back and claim her. Samir is a famous Bollywood director, and the brother of Mili’s husband. He travels to Michig...

In this episode, we discuss Love Hacked by Penny Reid. Sandra is looking for a stable, long term relationship. She takes all her first dates to the same restaurant and every date ends the same way. The guy starts crying. One night, after Sandra’s newest date leaves in tears, Alex the waiter and Sandra share a passionate kiss. Alex is hot and obviously Mr. Wrong, but Sandra decides to enjoy a fling...

In this episode, we discuss Can’t Fix Cupid by Raven Kennedy. Trix Valentine is a cupid whose powers don’t work. She hasn’t been meeting her love match quotas, and may get popped out of existence if she can’t manage to fix herself. In a last ditch effort to do just that, she ends up partially human. Warren is a savvy businessman who refuses to fall in love. Unfortunately for him, Trix has decided...

In this episode, we discuss The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang. Stella has high-functioning autism, loves math, and is a brilliant and successful econometrician. She’s less successful at romance, so she decides to hire an escort to help her improve her skills. Michael, the escort she hires, can’t believe Stella is bad at sex, but he agrees to conduct a series of “lessons.” Immediately attracted to e...

In this episode, we discuss Kristin Ashley's Fantasyland series as a whole. In this series, there are two parallel worlds--our world and Fantasyland. Almost everyone in our world has a twin in Fantasyland, although, while these twins look exactly alike, they are often very different from each other. There are five books in this series, and each book involves a character from our world being transp...

In this episode, we discuss Midnight Soul by Kristen Ashley. Franka Drakkar has secrets, and to make everyone keep their distance, she wears a mask of cruelty. Noc Hawthorne, an undercover cop from our world, was transported to Fantasyland to help save it from evil. While there, he meets Franka. In a moment of vulnerability, her mask slips, and Noc sees her for who she really is. Noc wants Franka...

In this episode, we discuss Broken Dove by Kristen Ashley. Apollo is still grieving the tragic loss of his wife, Ilsa, when he learns there is a parallel world where everyone in his world has a “twin.” He arranges for the twin of his wife to be brought to his world, hoping that, in this way, he can have his wife again. Ilsa is on the run from her abusive husband, Apollo’s twin. When she is brought...

In this episode, we discuss The Christmas Pact by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward. Riley Kennedy and her colleague Kennedy Riley meet in person at the office holiday party after sparring over misdirected emails. While Riley was initially infuriated by Kennedy’s nosy responses to emails meant for her, he manages to convince her that he’d make a great date to impress her mother when she goes home for C...

In this episode, we discuss Fantastical by Kristen Ashley. Cora wakes up in, what she first assumes, a dream-world--where birds talk to her and the furniture defies physics. She inadvertently sets off a centuries-old curse, and soon realizes she is not actually dreaming but in an alternate world where the alternate her is not very nice. Noctorno rescues Cora from the effects of the curse, but he d...

In this episode, we discuss The Golden Dynasty by Kristin Ashley.  Circe wakes up, not in her bedroom in Seattle, but in a completely different world. A world filled with violence, barbaric warriors, and magic. Dax Lahn, king of the Korwahk Horde, takes one look at Circe and knows she is to be his golden queen and that together they will fulfill the legend of the Golden Dynasty. Lahn quickly captu...

In this episode, we discuss Wildest Dreams by Kristen Ashley. Finnie is always searching for the grandest adventure, so when a witch tells her of a parallel world, and offers to help her switch places with the other her, Finnie is more than willing to spend the money to make it happen. However, there are some secrets the other her has been keeping and not all of them are good.  Frey Drakkar quickl...