In today’s episode, Claire chats with comics editor, critic, and cartoonist Claire Napier to discuss her new horror-romance comic, The Magic Necklace: Ann-Rita’s acting differently since she came back, because she’s not afraid of men any more. Not her brother, not the fuzz, and not the guy who’s standing right behind her. Whatever he does… It just …

In today’s very special episode, we open with a chat about what Blythe has been up to for the last year: Having a baby! We get deep into the body horror otherwise known as pregnancy, and Blythe’s experience giving birth and breastfeeding. We talk exploding boobs and so much more. Then, join us for a festive discussion about A Merry Little Meet Cute…

“Villains get to be the most romantic, because they don’t let morals stop them.” –Hailey Piper. We are so excited and happy to finally announce that Blythe is pregnant – congrats, Blythe!!! – but as such, she’ll be taking some time off from the podcast. Don’t worry, though, we have some great guest episodes planned for the future, starting with tod…

In this episode, we discuss Vanessa North’s M/M romance, Out of Sync: “Jacks Williams is Ritchie Ford’s one great love. Their life as the rhythm section of the band Vertical Smile is perfect—only upstaged by the one they share as lovers. Until one night Jacks locks himself in the bathroom and slices his arms open, shattering everything Ritchie know…

In this episode, we discuss Katrina Jackson’s MMF erotic romance, Room for Three?: “When Precious rents Cali and Mike's spare bedroom she's in the middle of a housing crisis and feeling betrayed by her best friend. When Mike and Cali rent their spare room to Precious, their relationship is hanging on by a thread. None of them expect anything more f…

In this episode, we discuss Rose Lerner’s kinky Regency romance, All or Nothing: “England 1819: the hottest summer in years. Simon Radcliffe-Gould's career as an architect is stalled and his bank account is almost empty. Yet every week he finds himself losing money he can't afford at Maggie da Silva's bohemian gambling den, just so he'll have an ex…

In this episode, we talk about Claire Kann’s young adult romance novel, Let’s Talk About Love: "Alice had her whole summer planned. Non-stop all-you-can-eat buffets while marathoning her favorite TV shows (best friends totally included) with the smallest dash of adulting--working at the library to pay her share of the rent. The only thing missing f…

In this episode, we talk about Claire Cray’s M/M romance-mystery, In Strange Woods: "Reeling with grief after the mysterious massacre of his wealthy family, moody New York photographer James Worthington Crane decides to take his downward spiral to the rural Oregon Coast, where he’s just inherited a piece of property hidden somewhere in the woods up…

In this special episode, we talk about Hulu's fantastic show, Pen15 (or "penis" if you're a middle schooler), and growing up and learning about sex in the early 2000s. We get into masturbation shame, the power of a good thong, and the trauma of bad first kisses. We also wax nostalgic on 00s fashion (scrunchies! butterfly clips!), the infinite appea…

In this episode, we talk about Elle Kennedy’s M/F new adult romance, The Mistake: "College junior John Logan can get any girl he wants. For this hockey star, life is a parade of parties and hook-ups, but behind his killer grins and easygoing charm, he hides growing despair about the dead-end road he’ll be forced to walk after graduation. A sexy enc…

In this episode, we talk about Elle Kennedy’s M/F new adult romance, The Deal: "Hannah Wells has finally found someone who turns her on. But while she might be confident in every other area of her life, she's carting around a full set of baggage when it comes to sex and seduction. If she wants to get her crush's attention, she'll have to step out o…

In this episode, we talk about Francesca Lia Block’s magical erotic short story collection, Nymph: “As in her other works, Block weaves together themes of subtle magic, youthful hopes, modern urban decay, and deep emotion, told with lyrical storybook language. The stories in NYMPH bear all the hallmarks of classic Francesca Lia Block—punk spirited …

In this episode, we talk about Vanessa North’s F/F romance, Roller Girl: “Recently divorced Tina Durham is trying to be self-sufficient, but her personal-training career is floundering, her closest friends are swept up in new relationships, and her washing machine has just flooded her kitchen. It’s enough to make a girl cry. Instead, she calls a pl…

In this episode, we talk about Jay Northcote’s M/M new adult romance, Starting From Scratch: “Ben is transgender and back at university after hormone treatment and chest surgery. His new housemates have no idea about his history and Ben would prefer to keep it that way. He’s starting from scratch and his life is finally on track, except in the roma…

In this episode, we talk about Jay Northcote’s M/M new adult romance, Practice Makes Perfect: “Getting experience with the guy next door seems like a great idea-until the lines blur. Dev, a geeky first year physics student, has zero sexual experience and he's determined to change that ASAP. After a bad time in halls of residence, he's starting the …

In this special episode, we discuss Emily Nagoski's groundbreaking book on female sexuality, Come As You Are: "Researchers have spent the last decade trying to develop a 'pink pill' for women to function like Viagra does for men. So where is it? Well, for reasons this book makes crystal clear, that pill will never be the answer—but as a result of t…

In this episode, we talk about Jay Northcote’s M/M new adult romance, Like a Lover: “Josh has a plan: get through uni with a good degree and no debts. Focused on his goals, he’s working as an escort to pay his way. He enjoys the no-strings sex and doesn’t have the time or inclination for a relationship. Falling in love definitely isn’t part of the …

In this episode, we talk about Sarina Bowen's M/F new adult romance, The Shameless Hour: "For Bella, the sweet-talking, free-loving, hip-checking student manager of the Harkness men’s hockey team, sex is a second language. She’s used to being fluent where others stutter, and the things people say behind her back don’t (often) bother her. So she can…

In this episode, we talk about Sarina Bowen's M/M new adult romance, The Understatement of the Year: "Five years ago, Michael Graham betrayed the only person who ever really knew him. Since then, he’s made an art of hiding his sexuality from everyone. Including himself. So it’s a shock when his past strolls right into the Harkness College locker ro…

In this episode, we talk about Sarina Bowen's M/F new adult romance, The Year We Fell Down: "She expected to start Harkness College as a varsity ice hockey player. But a serious accident means that Corey Callahan will start school in a wheelchair instead. Across the hall, in the other handicapped-accessible dorm room, lives the too-delicious-to-be …

Meet your hosts, Claire and Blythe, as we discuss our new devotion to romance novels and invite you on our journey of discovering all we can about sexy books and our own desires. In this episode, we talk about how and why we became interested in romance novels, what our history is with sexy smut, and what we're hoping to get out of this podcast. Th…