Mary Balogh

Reformed Rakes

Instagram: @reformedrakes

21:04

Step into the mysterious and visually stunning world of The Electric State as host Francesca Amiker takes you behind the scenes with the creative masterminds who brought Simon Stålenhag’s dystopian vision to life. In this premiere episode, directors Joe and Anthony Russo, stars Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt, writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, and producers Angela Russo-Otstot and Chris Castaldi reveal how they transformed a haunting graphic novel into an epic cinematic experience. Watch The Electric State coming to Netflix on March 14th. Check out more from Netflix Podcasts . State Secrets: Inside the Making of The Electric State is produced by Netflix and Treefort Media.…

8 weeks ago 1:27:57

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Today, we’re discussing the career of Mary Balogh. Balogh is a Welsh author who now lives in Canada and we’re recording this near the fortieth anniversary of the publication of her first Regency romance, A Masked Deception. A Masked Deception was a Signet Regency Romance published by New American Library in February 1985. Balogh’s most recent publication was Remember When, also a Regency Romance, published by Berkley and published just this January. Emma talks to Beth and Chels about the history of mass-market publishing in the United States, including category romances, and themes of Balogh’s work throughout her career. The story of Balogh’s work is a story of the last forty years of Regency romance outside the tent poles of romance history thinkpieces.

Support us on our Patreon!

Visit our website for transcripts and show notes: reformedrakes.com

Twitter: @reformedrakes

Thank you for listening!

48 episodes

#Books #Arts #Reformed Rakes

Mary Balogh

Reformed Rakes

published 8 weeks ago

MP3•Episode home

Support us on our Patreon!

Visit our website for transcripts and show notes: reformedrakes.com

Twitter: @reformedrakes

Instagram: @reformedrakes

Thank you for listening!

48 episodes

#Books #Arts #Reformed Rakes

All episodes

Reformed Rakes

1
The Phoenix Bride 1:12:10

11 days ago1:12:10

1:12:10

The Phoenix Bride is set in 1666 and Cecilia Thorowgood and David Mendes have both recently lost their great loves to the plague. David has thrown himself into his work as a doctor, taking on more clients outside his small Jewish community and Cecilia has fallen into a depression, staying at her sister’s London house and refusing to see company. Her sister employs David as a last resort, considering his medicine practice close to paganism. David seeks to heal Cecilia’s emotions as much as her health and they fall into a tenuous friendship that they both know has an expiration date. As Cecilia regains her will and strength, she seeks further connection with David, despite her sister’s restrictions on her movement in London and David’s religious identity. David is dealing with the loss of his best friend, Manuel, and unspoken romantic feelings he harbored for the man, as well as pressure to marry within the small community of Jewish Portuguese immigrants in London. Siegel writes an incredibly romantic love story the definitionally is a romance novel, but with an unconventional happily-ever-after. Support us on our Patreon! Visit our website for transcripts and show notes: reformedrakes.com Follow us on social media: Twitter: @reformedrakes Instagram: @reformedrakes Beth’s TikTok Chels’ TikTok Emma’s TikTok Chels’ Substack Emma’s Substack Thank you for listening!…

Reformed Rakes

1
Honeytrap 1:45:35

25 days ago1:45:35

1:45:35

Honeytrap is a Soviet/American spy romance set in 1959 between Daniel Hawthorne and Gennady Matskevich. Daniel and Gennady are charged with finding who is behind the attempted assassination of Nikita Khrushchev during his 12-day trip to America. As the bullet only hits the side of a train, the attempt is not well-known. What then ensues is basically an American roadtrip as Daniel and Gennady piece together clues. Unknown to Daniel, Gennady’s boss instructs him to try and “honeytrap” him—essentially seducing Daniel for information or blackmail purposes. Support us on our Patreon! Visit our website for transcripts and show notes: reformedrakes.com Follow us on social media: Twitter: @reformedrakes Instagram: @reformedrakes Beth’s TikTok Chels’ TikTok Emma’s TikTok Chels’ Substack Emma’s Substack Thank you for listening!…

Reformed Rakes

1
His Lordship’s Mistress 1:45:35

6 weeks ago1:45:35

1:45:35

Jessica Andover needs money to pay off the mortgage on her estate. Instead of capitulating to her blackmailing neighbor who holds the mortgage and marrying him, Jessica decides to go to London and act on the stage, under an assumed name. In Regency England, this is her way of soliciting a protector. Philp Romney, Earl of Linton is the clear choice for Jessica, though many men vie for her, as she is a sudden sensation on stage. Philip quickly suspects there is more to Jessica’s story, even as she closely guards her past. Unsurprisingly, they fall in love along the way, complicating things. In a genre filled with convenient marriages and “oh no I love my wife” revelations, Joan Wolf’s 1982, His Lordship’s Mistress, takes a path less trod. Check out Sara’s writing about mistresses in historical romance. Support us on our Patreon! Visit our website for transcripts and show notes: reformedrakes.com Follow us on social media: Twitter: @reformedrakes Instagram: @reformedrakes Beth’s TikTok Chels’ TikTok Emma’s TikTok Chels’ Substack Emma’s Substack Thank you for listening!…

Reformed Rakes

1
Mary Balogh 1:27:57

8 weeks ago1:27:57

1:27:57

Today, we’re discussing the career of Mary Balogh. Balogh is a Welsh author who now lives in Canada and we’re recording this near the fortieth anniversary of the publication of her first Regency romance, A Masked Deception . A Masked Deception was a Signet Regency Romance published by New American Library in February 1985. Balogh’s most recent publication was Remember When , also a Regency Romance, published by Berkley and published just this January. Emma talks to Beth and Chels about the history of mass-market publishing in the United States, including category romances, and themes of Balogh’s work throughout her career. The story of Balogh’s work is a story of the last forty years of Regency romance outside the tent poles of romance history thinkpieces. Support us on our Patreon! Visit our website for transcripts and show notes: reformedrakes.com Follow us on social media: Twitter: @reformedrakes Instagram: @reformedrakes Beth’s TikTok Chels’ TikTok Emma’s TikTok Chels’ Substack Emma’s Substack Thank you for listening!…

Reformed Rakes

1
The Warm Hands of Ghosts 1:38:14

10 weeks ago1:38:14

1:38:14

The Warm Hands of Ghosts opens on Laura receiving her brother’s clothes in the mail in January 1918. Her brother Freddie fights for the Canadian army in Belgium. Something doesn’t add up about his supposed death so Laura, a discharged combat nurse, decides to go to Belgium herself to find Freddie. From there, the book alternates point of view chapters between the Iven siblings and timelines. Laura is the present timeline and Freddie’s timeline follows a few months behind. Freddie wakes in an overturned German pillbox with a wounded German soldier. In this hellish landscape both siblings find love. Freddie with the wounded German soldier Hans Winter, and Laura with the surgeon Stephen Jones. Arden creates a dark landscape with this novel’s explorations of, “Did you see a new hell too?” Bayley’s tiktok Support us on our Patreon! Visit our website for transcripts and show notes: reformedrakes.com Follow us on social media: Twitter: @reformedrakes Instagram: @reformedrakes Beth’s TikTok Chels’ TikTok Emma’s TikTok Chels’ Substack Emma’s Substack Thank you for listening!…

Reformed Rakes

1
The Countess Conspiracy 1:24:49

12 weeks ago1:24:49

1:24:49

We would characterize Milan’s works as the best possible combination of historical research and alternative realities that serve her characters’ stories. She doesn’t fudge history out of laziness or received wisdom, but in order to tell a better romance and backs up her creative license with research into aspects of history that might go underdeveloped in a weaker author’s books. She says of her settings: “I try to write books that I say are historically possible, but not historically average.” The Countess Conspiracy is the third book in the Brothers Sinister series, which is linked together by two brothers, one the heir and one illegitimate and their best friend, who is their cousin, from school. This book’s hero is the best friend from school and the heroine is his childhood best friend, with whom he shares a deep secret about his career as England’s leading researcher on genetics in botany. Support us on our Patreon! Visit our website for transcripts and show notes: reformedrakes.com Follow us on social media: Twitter: @reformedrakes Instagram: @reformedrakes Beth’s TikTok Chels’ TikTok Emma’s TikTok Chels’ Substack Emma’s Substack Thank you for listening!…

Reformed Rakes

1
An Extraordinary Union 1:34:16

24 weeks ago1:34:16

1:34:16

In An Extraordinary Union , published in 2017, is the first in Cole’s The Loyal League series, both main characters are attempting to shape the politics of their time through espionage. Elle Burns is a freedwoman who has been living in New England with her parents after their enslaver died and his son freed them. She has an eidetic memory that has been treated somewhat as a party trick for most of her life, including by well-meaning, but thoughtless white abolitionists in the North. Elle joins the Loyal League, a network of spies aiming to aid the Union in the Civil War, to try and use her gift to help the cause. While Elle is working she meets Malcolm McCall, who has been sent by the Pinkertons to collaborate with Elle. He is also undercover—though he lives as a Rebel soldier, using his easy charm and good looks to ingratiate himself into Southern society. Cole takes a setting that has a history in romance, but one that ignores the people most subjugated by it and gives us a story that is part espionage thriller, part slow burn enemies to lovers. Support us on our Patreon! Visit our website for transcripts and show notes: reformedrakes.com Follow us on social media: Twitter: @reformedrakes Instagram: @reformedrakes Beth’s TikTok Chels’ TikTok Emma’s TikTok Chels’ Substack Emma’s Substack Thank you for listening!…

Reformed Rakes

1
Fabio: Part Two 1:57:02

26 weeks ago1:57:02

1:57:02

Last episode, we covered Fabio’s not-so-humble upbringing, his journey to America, his early romance career, and his rise to fame. In this episode, we’ll start at the height of Fabio Mania in 1994 and end in present day, thirty years later. We’ll be taking you through viking battles, chivalry lessons, an A-list celebrity beef, and, unfortunately, a right wing rabbit hole. As a spokesman, Fabio billed himself as “a gentleman,” but what did he become instead? This episode is dedicated to THE GOOSE. 1999-1999, RIP. Some of the Fabio media from this episode will be on our Instagram! Check it out. Support us on our Patreon! Visit our website for transcripts and show notes: reformedrakes.com Follow us on social media: Twitter: @reformedrakes Instagram: @reformedrakes Beth’s TikTok Chels’ TikTok Emma’s TikTok Chels’ Substack Emma’s Substack Thank you for listening!…

Reformed Rakes

1
Fabio: Part One 2:10:08

28 weeks ago2:10:08

2:10:08

In the 90s the face of romance was the Italian cover model Fabio Lanzoni, who broke out of the insular romance fandom into mainstream superstardom. Known briefly as “The Fabulous Fabio,” he and his managers parlayed his success in romance modeling into an internationally recognized brand. Fabio was no longer just a model, but a spokesman for romantic, courtly love. But what some people might not know is that even during the height of his fame, he was a lightning rod amongst romance fans and authors. Some embraced him for increasing book sales, and others felt like they were being made a fool of. This is going to be a two-part episode, and in part one we are covering Fabio’s rise to fame, the romance authors who loathed him, and how a conservative man uncomfortable with overt sexuality became synonymous with salacious book covers. This episode is dedicated to Lizzy's Angelfire fansite of John DeSalvo . Thank you for your service, Lizzy. Some of the Fabio media from this episode will be on our Instagram! Check it out. Support us on our Patreon! Visit our website for transcripts and show notes: reformedrakes.com Follow us on social media: Twitter: @reformedrakes Instagram: @reformedrakes Beth’s TikTok Chels’ TikTok Emma’s TikTok Chels’ Substack Emma’s Substack Thank you for listening!…

Reformed Rakes

1
Hold Fast 1:35:07

30 weeks ago1:35:07

1:35:07

Hold Fast is a medieval Scottish romance and MacArthur invites and garners a lot of comparisons to perhaps the most famous romance novelist who wrote this subgenre: Julie Garwood. Hold Fast is the story of a woman who was handfasted to an abusive laird and once free of that arrangement, assumes she will never be in a relationship with a man again. Her love interest Ewan is laird of a nearby, rival clan whose lost members of his family in ways that made him anxious to fall in love, so he similarly assumes that he will never marry. Both assumptions get complicated when they meet each other and are immediately drawn together. Reni from @reniesan joined us for this episode and chose this book for us. Reni’s tiktok , instagram , and twitter . Support us on our Patreon! Visit our website for transcripts and show notes: reformedrakes.com Follow us on social media: Twitter: @reformedrakes Instagram: @reformedrakes Beth’s TikTok Chels’ TikTok Emma’s TikTok Chels’ Substack Emma’s Substack Thank you for listening!…

Reformed Rakes

1
Rake Recommends 2 2:31:55

32 weeks ago2:31:55

2:31:55

Maybe a yearly tradition? Where we recommend books to each other. Chels recommended the first in the Psy-Changeling series to Beth because of their shared love of Heather Guerre. Emma recommended a Carla Kelly because she’s quickly becoming a pod favorite. Keeping with last episode, Beth recommended two contemporaries. Emma and Chels did like an uno reverse to each other and recommended two kind of heavy-hitter political histroms. A good time was had by all. Support us on our Patreon! Visit our website for transcripts and show notes: reformedrakes.com Follow us on social media: Twitter: @reformedrakes Instagram: @reformedrakes Beth’s TikTok Chels’ TikTok Emma’s TikTok Chels’ Substack Emma’s Substack Thank you for listening!…

Reformed Rakes

1
Keeper of the Dream 1:28:53

34 weeks ago1:28:53

1:28:53

Keeper of the Dream, published in 1992, has this real threat of danger throughout the book. Arianna is the daughter of the Welsh prince and Raine pledges his fealty to Henry II, who is currently invading Wales. In the first scene, Raine kills one of Arianna’s brothers in a skirmish and the book doesn’t really let up from there. Arianna is a seer and has visions, which include insight into the past and future. Raine is the unloved, illegitimate son of an earl and he is seeking power and status by trying to secure his own lands. Williamson writes an incredibly romantic and funny love story on top of this violent war. That opening scene doesn’t sound like it could be the beginning of what I could describe as a cute, miscommunication romance. Or I could describe it as a bodice ripper. Or one of the saddest romances I’ve ever read. This book is a lot of things as once, but Williamson pulls it off. Support us on our Patreon! Visit our website for transcripts and show notes: reformedrakes.com Follow us on social media: Twitter: @reformedrakes Instagram: @reformedrakes Beth’s TikTok Chels’ TikTok Emma’s TikTok Chels’ Substack Emma’s Substack Thank you for listening!…

Reformed Rakes

1
Fingersmith 1:31:22

36 weeks ago1:31:22

1:31:22

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters is a Victorian crime novel centered around two young women: Susan Trinder, who grew up in a house of thieves, and Maud Lilly, a lady who is trapped by her uncle in a macabre house called Briar, and compelled to work for him as a secretary. When it was initially published in 2002, Fingersmith made waves for its central lesbian relationship, as well as its shocking twist in the second act. The book was critically lauded: shortlisted for both the Booker Prize and the Orange Prize, launching Sarah Waters into literary stardom. Through popular adaptations like 2005’s BBC miniseries directed by Aisling Walsh, and 2016’s The Handmaiden , directed by Park Chan Wook, the story of Fingersmith has found a broader audience, and is widely beloved to this day. Support us on our Patreon! Visit our website for transcripts and show notes: reformedrakes.com Follow us on social media: Twitter: @reformedrakes Instagram: @reformedrakes Beth’s TikTok Chels’ TikTok Emma’s TikTok Chels’ Substack Emma’s Substack Thank you for listening!…

Reformed Rakes

1
Waterloo 2:12:28

38 weeks ago2:12:28

2:12:28

In this episode, we’re specifically focused on Waterloo, Napoleon’s last stand and a favorite backdrop of historical romance. Waterloo took place June 18, 1815, when Napoleon’s Army of the North was met by the Seventh Coalition, an army composed of Wellington’s English troops, and various German and Dutch units at a small village just outside of Brussels. Around 50,000 soldiers died in the conflict. The battle led to the voluntary surrender of Napoleon to the British a month later, after a series of increasingly desperate military and political moves on his part, and his eventual final exile on St. Helena, a remote island in the Atlantic Ocean. The battle happens right in the middle of the Georgian and Regency periods, a favorite setting for historical romance. This, of course, means Waterloo has a huge presence in the genre, as a setting, as a disabling event for characters, as a fulcrum pushing England over the cliff into the modern age. We’re going to talk about the history and impact of the battle on real life and in fiction. Support us on our Patreon! Visit our website for transcripts and show notes: reformedrakes.com Follow us on social media: Twitter: @reformedrakes Instagram: @reformedrakes Beth’s TikTok Chels’ TikTok Emma’s TikTok Chels’ Substack Emma’s Substack Thank you for listening!…

Reformed Rakes

1
A Caribbean Heiress in Paris 1:48:43

40 weeks ago1:48:43