Whoa!mance: Romance and Ourselves

Monty is all set up for one sexy summer when he embarks on his Grad Tour with hot friend he's falling for, Percy. But this would-be teen sex comedy get real weird as Monty and Percy face a vengeful duke, a sinking crypt, a dead alchemists lonely adult children, their own marginalized identities, and falling in puppy love! What does it look like to write conscientious historical romance, effectivel...

In chapter 55 Bingley stops by Longbourne, again. And again. And again. What is he UP to?

We did it. We watched Bridgerton Season 3. And it hurt our feelings. Join us as we excavate the societal wounds that have led to this latest outing in the Bridgerton universe.

Elizabeth and Darcy are finally in a room together at another party and then... Well and then Morgan threatens to quit the project. Tune in to find out why!

Entrepreneur? I hardly know her! This week your girls are discussing whether or not THE DUKE GETS DESPERATE by DIANA QUINN can stand on business. Raya just wanted to meet a penpal. Strick just wanted to own his Ducal castle. Instead, they end up in bed together - business-style! And also the other way. While Raya tries to get over the betrayal of her brother forcing her out of the business she hel...

We did it. We figured it out--in a far reaching conversation which starts when Mrs. Bennet comes out as a surprising mama bear for Lizzie, and Lizzie hates...every...second of it...we discover a few things. This book doesn't have enough affection for other women, and it's not wet enough. Come probe the spongy depths of our thinking as we tackle Bingely's return to Netherfield Park! Shut up Jane we...

In this public access read a long Lizzie receives a letter from her favorite aunt explaining all the important deets about Mr Darcy and the mystery surrounding Lydia's big day. As beloved Mrs. Gardiner reveals Mr. D's real problem isn't all the things we've talked about--it's obstinance. Do we agree? Do you? Listen and let us know!

In this episode Morgan and Isabeau dive into the deep end of what makes a romance a romance. Sure it's the beats, the structure and that all important HEA but...but...is there something more? Feyi is a young widow trying to bring herself back to life. She meets a handsome consultant whose dad is big in the art world, helping Feyi land an exciting exhibition on a tropical island. It's a picture-per...

Knock knock! Who's there? A whole ass wife in the form of Lydia, of course. In chapter 51 Lydia and Wickham return to make everything awkward over the course of a short ten days. Just enough time for Lydia to drop a bombshell at the very end of the chapter. Does the text like Lydia, or is it just us giggling and kicking our feet in the air every time she gets the spotlight?

In Chapter 50, Jane Austen creaks open a window in Mr. Bennet's pysche. And it sends your readers into a discussion of family, community, growing, and - of course - love. It also recalls Jane Eyre.

This episode, yr grls feel the earth move under their feet thanks to SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE 1906 by KATHLEEN DUEY. Sierra, she of the old-fashioned braids and humble dreams, works as maid in the grand Palace Hotel of San Francisco. Joseph Harlan, he of the ranch inheritance and general decency, is staying in The Palace Hotel. Joe is completely smitten with Sierra but she is coming to terms with...

Taking your back to a criminally underrated book and episode: Saddle up the Equimare or fuel up the Autoduck - in "HART AND MERCY" by MEGAN BANNEN, Marshall Hart's desperate plea for companionship transcends realms, landing in the hands of his nemesis, the super hot and sassy Undertaker Mercy. Amidst a backdrop of longing and rivalry reminiscent of "You've Got Mail" and "The Shop Around the Corner...

Do you love books? Do you love the vicarious thrill of blind dates? How about we combine those two? And you listen to us unwrap some delicious stranger novels, and delight each other with the contents. Support your local bookstores!

Well, well, well. Guess who got discovered. Mmhm. And guess who continues to be overly optimistic? You got it. And guess who is kind of a classist jerk to their domestic workers? BINGO. You know what, maybe just sit this chapter out. You already know what's up.

We had a blast talking with Megan Mackie, Samara Breger, Melanie Moschella, Tamara Jerée at the first ever Romantasy Fest at Otherworld Theatre. We dished about Romantasy history both public and personal, influences, Romantasy vs. supernatural, comparing fantasy and romance, and the unique process of authoring a romance novel. A note on sound - we recorded the panel using one mic, so the sound isn...

Uhhhh, so who was going to remind us that Mr. Collins truly blows? Must run in the family…looking straight at you Mr. Bennet. After the Bennett receive a really mean letter from their current cousin/former paramour, their dear father returns home to say he’s taking responsibility for his family. Papa then goes on to earn that letter and top spot as Bad Dad on the Whoa!mance bookshelf. We also talk...

You're going to want to double KNOT your Easter Bonnet for this one - because BRIDE by ALI HAZELWOOD is likely to blow it clean off. Vampyre, Misery, enters an arranged marriage with Alpha Werewolf, Lowe to protect a tentative truce between their cultures. And then...well, guess. We bet you can guess what happens next. Go ahead. What do you think? C'mon. Don't be shy. We know why you're here. We'r...

There seems to be nothing to do except return home after Lydia goes missing. But sometimes, as Lizzie is about to discover, family can be cold comfort in a crisis.

When you call, Whoa!mance answers! A special listener recommended THE SECRET HEART by ERIN SATIE when we asked for weird books. So you KNOW we had to pick it up and lay it down. I guess you could say we felt similarly to Adam, Earl of Bexley, when he first sees Caro Small in her ballet smalls - intrigued and horny! Caro decides to take advantage and improve her circumstances by throwing them both...

Baby sisters ruin everything. Or in this case Lydia's antics seriously harsh the vibe of Pemberly and the folks enjoying the views of the woods, and the views of Darcy's adorable face. Is all hope now as lost as Lydia's virtue? Only time and a few more chapters will tell

Quick Q - How whimsical are the jars you store your herbs in? Doesn't matter. Either way, Isabeau and Morgan are chatting IN CHARMS WAY by LANA HARPER. In the halcyon days of a Great Lakes region summer, Delilah's magically-caused memory loss (read: desperate circumstances) call for turning to blood magic and the help of sexy, gladiator-sandal-sporting, half-fae mercenary Catriona (read: desperate...

Well Lizzie is back at Pemberly and this time she's joined by a former frenemy: Caroline Bingley. Caroline attempts some pretty petty quips and only hurts herself. We also learn that Darcy thinks Lizzie is one of the handsomest women of his aquaintance! Thank you so much Caroline.

Time to get cuffed - winter is upon us. Wynter of the Craig is the King of Wintercraig, and also a Weather Mage (guess what kind of weather he controls). Thamsin, a.k.a. Storm is a princess of Summerlea, and also a Weather Mage. They end up together for political reasons, but stay together for both-being-sexy reasons. But when the winds of magical evil and state-based evil converge against them, w...

The soil of A Court of Thorns and Roses is rich, and from it bountiful fan theories bloom. At the dusk of reading the most recent installment, A Court of Silver Flames, for the podcast, and at the dawn of Cresecent City 3's release, yr erstwhile grls met to inhale the fragrance of and admire the colorful bloom from just such flowers. Moonbeams, owls, and that Ilyiad musical on TikTok all blossom i...

SARAH J. MAAS may have tried with A COURT OF SILVER FLAMES, but hasn't written one too long for us yet! Political wunderkind and human-turned-fae-by-mystical-creation-myth-cauldron Nesta is running from her problems in self-destructive ways. So her sister, her sister's mate, and her sister's mate's B-Fri's seclude her a mountain mansion until she can turn that frown upside down. The B-Fri in charg...