Jess, my guest, is Shelf Love's first and most prolific listener contributor, and minted the term Shelf Lovelies, so she's basically a legend around here.

We normally choose one book to discuss per episode, but we couldn't decide between Rose Lerner's novel Listen to the Moon and her novella All or Nothing, so we decided to do a double-header episode. Between these two historical romances, we explore topics ranging from feeling out a polyamorous marriage, adulting and boundaries, daddy issues, Jewishness, and the big question: does it violate the laws of escapist reading to read about servants in a time period where there is so much manual labor involved? There is so much dusting, and it's somehow still so good!

Show Notes:

Shelf Love:

• Sign up for the email newsletter list | Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Email: [email protected]
• 58 Romance Novellas For A Quick Hit of Hope
• Check out Shelf Love’s updated website including the transcript for this episode

Guest: Jess

We Read:

Listen to the Moon & All or Nothing by Rose Lerner

Modern Romance Canon Nomination(s)

*The Cinderella Deal* by Jennifer Crusie

*Artistic License* by Elle Pierson

Notes:

• Jess made her first major appearance in episode 2, which was actually the first episode that was recorded. This was the Jennifer Crusie episode.
• Jess's voice first made an appearance in episode 15 when she shared a Write This Book.
• Behold: Jessica (Sunfire #6). Here's a list of more Sunfire romances.
• This was my tween romance series: my favorite was The San Francisco Earthquake, 1906 (Historical Disasters #2) by Kathleen Duey. I got all the dates just slightly wrong in the episode - for shame. Coincidentally given our discussion in this episode, the heroine in this was a maid!
• Snowpiercer (2013 film); John Cocteau's Beauty and the Beast (1946 film)
• Rose Lerner on Journeys of Romance episode 24 but it's also possible I was mostly remembering things I heard on episode 350 of Smart Podcast, Trashy Books or perhaps even episode 84 of Wicked Wallflowers. I'm not a meticulous researcher (unlike Rose Lerner).
• Sugar Baby Series by Rebekah Weatherspoon
• Georgette Heyer was an Antisemite and Her Work is Not Foundational Historical Romance by Felicia Grossman on Romance Daily News

Shelf Love:

• NEW! Substack for original writing and stuff | Website | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
• Email: [email protected]