Amanda Diehl (Smart Bitches, Trashy Books; NPR Books) and Andrea duke it out to select their favorite Wallflower from Lisa Kleypas’s memorable Wallflower quartet series.

During the Wallflower Rumble, we share crowdsourced contributions from readers about their favorite characters and books.

In Trope Town, we recommend Girl Squad romance novels. (Mostly Amanda recommends, since she is the queen of book recs.) Amanda also shares the premise for a sexy spy heroine in Write This Book.

In the course of casting each book we talk about, Andrea discovers a surprising connection to her favorite GLOW actor. We also discuss the meaning of “maladjusted narcissist” and Lisa Kleypas’s amazing, long-lived career as a romance novelist.

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Thank you to the contributors of this episode: KB, Sue D., Jane Galen, Morgan, Robyn, Claire A., Malin, Jess, Erica, Jayne Hendry, Maida Malby

Amanda Diehl:

• Twitter
• Instagram

Mentioned:

• The Blacksmith Queen: Review on SBTB
• Podcast Amanda + Sarah Wendell about The Blacksmith Queen
• Interview on Smart Podcast, Trashy Books with Shelly Laurenston
• Storyland

People article title, 1987: “...Lisa Kleypas, New Wellesley Grad, Beauty Queen (Gasp!) and Successful Romance Novelist”

Origin of “All out of Spoons” aka Spoon Theory

Information on all Lisa Kleypas’s books/series

The Bechdel Test

Secrets of a Summer Night (2004)

It Happened One Autumn (2005)

Devil in Winter (2006)

Content warning in this book: kidnapping and threat of sexual assault

Dollar Princesses: https://www.history.com/news/american-heiress-marry-british-aristocrat

Scandal in Spring (2006)

Highly scientific research shows Devil in Winter is a fan favorite:

56% Devil in Winter

22% Secrets of a Summer Night

22% It Happened one Autumn

Every time Andrea says “holding a torch” she means “carrying a torch.”

Girl squad romances:

Amanda’s recommendations:

• Kresley Cole’s: Immortals after Dark (paranormal romance)
• Hudson Valley series by Alice Clayton (contemporary)
• Reluctant Royals series by Alyssa Cole (contemporary)
• Spindle Cove series by Tessa Dare (historical) - A Week to Be Wicked is one of Amanda’s favorite all-time romances.
• Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore (historical) - Suffragettes! Debut novel!
• Married Women’s Property Act (1882)
• Women gained the right to vote in the UK between 1918 and 1928

Recommendations from listeners:

Jayne Hendry:

• Kristen Ashley's Rock Chick series
• Call of Crows Series Shelly Laurenston
  • SPTB podcast episode: “We talk about writing badass sisterhoods in romance” Ep 198
• Maida Malby on Twitter:
  • Nora Roberts’ The Bride Quartet
  • Girls Night out series by Eva Moore

(PS: when Andrea says “forced intimacy” she means “forced proximity”.

If this sounds like a book you’ve read, email us at [email protected]

Social media/contact:

Twitter: @shelflovepod

Instagram: @Shelflovepodcast

Website: https://shelflovepodcast.com/

Email me at: [email protected] - I’d love to hear from you!
 

My child thinks we went to Disney World, but we actually went to Storyland.

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