Bonkers Romance

We’re joined by Monica Corwin to recap A Kiss of Shadows (first book in the Merry Gentry series) by Laurell K. Hamilton!

Laurell K. Hamilton is one of the original queens of bonkers, an author who was pushing boundaries long before it was cool! Please be aware that in this episode we discuss content in the book that is typical of something written in the late nineties—including mention of a rape that occurs on page and sexual violence as punishment. We don’t get deep into that stuff, but mention that it happens. On a related note, there are dick-eating butterflies!

Monica has a new book out in a few weeks called Snowed in With the Mafia Boss…and if that title doesn’t catch your attention, we don’t know what will!

Our After Care suggestions were:

-The Thornchapel series by Sierra Simone

-It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (movie Melody couldn’t remember the title of)

-Call Her Leviathan by Cooper D. Barham

If you’re reading ahead, here are some of the books we’ll be reading in upcoming episodes (though the schedule isn’t set yet):

The Initiation by Nikki Sloane

The Mabon Feast by C.M. Nascosta

The Mummy (film)…Jenny has never seen it!

If you want more bonkers in the meantime, there’s a ton of bonus content in The Temple of Defiant Joy! For links to all of the books mentioned, check the show notes on our website!

Make sure to follow Monica: @rosetyper9 on Instagram, @monica_corwin on Twitter, Monica's Facebook page, Monica's Website

To support the show, check out theTemple of Defiant Joy

Mentioned in this episode:

Pirates are waiting for you!

Six brand new bonkers pirate books you can read THIS MONTH from Katee Robert, CM Nascosta, Naima Simone, Andie J. Christopher, Jenny Nordbak, and Nina Saxena! Plus, foiled special editions with sprayed edges, gorgeous art, and so much more! Don't miss it!

Dangerous Tides!

September in the Temple!

- This month we're back with Katee regaling us with more Fertile in My Ex-Boyfriend’s Dungeon (and we discover an actual hard limit for Katee!), and Hannah Whitten is going to stop by to give us all her best spooky season recs.

Temple of Defiant Joy

We’re joined by Kenya Goree-Bell to recap Her Soul to Take by Harley Laroux!

It’s the first horror romance we’ve covered and we bow down before the magnificence of Harley Laroux’s kinky, sexy, slightly scary, deeply satisfying story of a human who falls for a demon! Also be sure not to miss Kenya’s brand new release, The Kronic, out now on KU!

Our After Care suggestions were:

-The Road to Rose Bend by Naima Simone and His Leading Lady by Jenny Nordbak

-Edin by Lily Mayne

-The Last Kingdom (on Netflix)

For links to all the books we mentioned, check the show notes on our website!

If you’re reading ahead, here are some of the books we’ll be reading in upcoming episodes (though the schedule isn’t set yet):

The Initiation by Nikki Sloane

A Kiss of Shadows by Laurell K. Hamilton

We’ll be back next week to recap A Kiss of Shadows (the first Merry Gentry book) by Laurell K. Hamilton with Monica Corwin! If you want more bonkers in the meantime, there’s a ton of bonus content in The Temple of Defiant Joy!

Support for this episode provided by:

The Temple of Defiant Joy!

Our exclusive community gets you access to the last episode of every month as well as bonus content, video of the episodes, free books, artwork, and more!

Join before 2/6 to receive the two February books as part of the Bonkers Book Club!

Dating Dr. Dil by Nisha Sharma features a love-phobic doctor who has to convince a love obsessed homebody that they’re meant for each other (for romance reasons) to save his clinic. It’s the sexy, witty, rom com we deserve.

The Astronaut and the Star is a sparkling debut from Jen Comfort featuring a focused and driven female astronaut who’s forced to agree to “astronaut training” a movie star in order to rehab her image.

Mentioned in this episode:

Pirates are waiting for you!

Six brand new bonkers pirate books you can read THIS MONTH from Katee Robert, CM Nascosta, Naima Simone, Andie J. Christopher, Jenny Nordbak, and Nina Saxena! Plus, foiled special editions with sprayed edges, gorgeous art, and so much more! Don't miss it!

Dangerous Tides!

September in the Temple!

- This month we're back with Katee regaling us with more Fertile in My Ex-Boyfriend’s Dungeon (and we discover an actual hard limit for Katee!), and Hannah Whitten is going to stop by to give us all her best spooky season recs.

We’re joined by Lillian Lark to recap Manix by Grace McGinty!

Lillian brought us an omegaverse, mpreg, warrior cat shifter book—with knotting! Whether you’re a seasoned pro or you just went on a google adventure looking up those terms, this episode should delight you.

Be sure not to miss Lillian’s latest, Deceived by the Gargoyles, a monster romance which also features knotting, breeding, and multiple hot gargoyles with a curvy librarian!

If you’re reading ahead, here are some of the books we’ll be reading in upcoming episodes (though the schedule isn’t set yet):

The Initiation by Nikki Sloane

Her Soul to Take by Harley Laroux

A Kiss of Shadows by Laurell K Hamilton

We’ll be back next week to recap Her Soul to Take by Harley Laroux with Kenya Goree-Bell! If you want more bonkers in the meantime, there’s a ton of bonus content in The Temple of Defiant Joy!

For links to all the books we mentioned, check out the show notes on our website!

Mentioned in this episode:

Pirates are waiting for you!

Six brand new bonkers pirate books you can read THIS MONTH from Katee Robert, CM Nascosta, Naima Simone, Andie J. Christopher, Jenny Nordbak, and Nina Saxena! Plus, foiled special editions with sprayed edges, gorgeous art, and so much more! Don't miss it!

Dangerous Tides!

September in the Temple!

- This month we're back with Katee regaling us with more Fertile in My Ex-Boyfriend’s Dungeon (and we discover an actual hard limit for Katee!), and Hannah Whitten is going to stop by to give us all her best spooky season recs.

Temple of Defiant Joy

We’re joined by Eva Moore to recap That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming!

This episode is a frothy cocktail of effervescent joy and we couldn’t be more delighted with the book Eva picked to bring us back from hiatus! Be sure not to miss Eva’s brand new release, Reclaimed Dreams, which is the deeply satisfying conclusion to her Exposed Dreams series (but it can be read as a standalone)!

Our Aftercare suggestions were:

-Penzey’s Spices

-Art Hub on Youtube and Reclaimed Dreams

-Gaslighter by The Chicks (and instilling that kind of don’t fuck with me energy in our young girls)

For links to the books we mentioned, check out the show notes on our website!

If you’re reading ahead, here are some of the books we’ll be reading in upcoming episodes (though the schedule isn’t set yet):

Manix by Grace Mcginty (it's a reverse harem, omegaverse with MPREG)

The Initiation by Nikki Sloane

Her Soul to Take by Harley Laroux

We’ll be back next week to recap Manix by Grace McGinty with Lillian Lark! If you want more bonkers in the meantime, there’s a ton of bonus content in The Temple of Defiant Joy!

Mentioned in this episode:

September in the Temple!

- This month we're back with Katee regaling us with more Fertile in My Ex-Boyfriend’s Dungeon (and we discover an actual hard limit for Katee!), and Hannah Whitten is going to stop by to give us all her best spooky season recs.

Temple of Defiant Joy

Pirates are waiting for you!

Six brand new bonkers pirate books you can read THIS MONTH from Katee Robert, CM Nascosta, Naima Simone, Andie J. Christopher, Jenny Nordbak, and Nina Saxena! Plus, foiled special editions with sprayed edges, gorgeous art, and so much more! Don't miss it!

Dangerous Tides!

Happy New Year's Eve! We decided to end the year by showcasing an insightful chat with one of our Bonkers Book Club Spotlight Authors - Alexis Hall! We talk all about his upcoming release and January book club offering SOMETHING FABULOUS, what we can expect from him in the near future, the balance of creating art while navigating the expectations of an audience, wanting to be A Writer vs. wanting to Write, the confusion of celebrity in the age of niche media, and so much more!

Today (Dec 31, 2021) is the last day Temple members can download the 6 ebooks for December and also the last day to sign up for the Temple at the Joy Bringer tier or above to get access to advance copies of SOMETHING FABULOUS by Alexis Hall and IMMORTAL by Gena Showalter.

Mentioned in this episode:

September in the Temple!

- This month we're back with Katee regaling us with more Fertile in My Ex-Boyfriend’s Dungeon (and we discover an actual hard limit for Katee!), and Hannah Whitten is going to stop by to give us all her best spooky season recs.

Temple of Defiant Joy

Pirates are waiting for you!

Six brand new bonkers pirate books you can read THIS MONTH from Katee Robert, CM Nascosta, Naima Simone, Andie J. Christopher, Jenny Nordbak, and Nina Saxena! Plus, foiled special editions with sprayed edges, gorgeous art, and so much more! Don't miss it!

Dangerous Tides!

We’re joined by Liz from the Make Out Already podcast to recap Sing Me to Sleep by R.M. Virtues!

We discuss how Melody is into grandpa fucking and why Jenny is livid she didn’t get to read this book (which has since been rectified!). Because y’all. It’s about a sexy, protective sleep paralysis demon. I’m not telling you more than that. It’s too good to summarize. Everyone needs to go read this book immediately.

The podcast Liz mentioned for Aftercare is the Get Sleepy podcast. The movie Jenny couldn’t remember the title of was Bounce.

If you’re reading ahead, here are some of the books we’ll be recapping when we get back from hiatus in January:

A Lady of Rooksgrave Manor by Kathryn Moon

Manix by Grace Mcginty (it's a reverse harem, omegaverse with MPREG)

That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming

We’ll be on hiatus after 12/2, but back with more shenanigans in January! If you miss us in the meantime, there’s a ton of bonus content in The Temple of Defiant Joy!

Mentioned in this episode:

September in the Temple!

- This month we're back with Katee regaling us with more Fertile in My Ex-Boyfriend’s Dungeon (and we discover an actual hard limit for Katee!), and Hannah Whitten is going to stop by to give us all her best spooky season recs.

Temple of Defiant Joy

Pirates are waiting for you!

Six brand new bonkers pirate books you can read THIS MONTH from Katee Robert, CM Nascosta, Naima Simone, Andie J. Christopher, Jenny Nordbak, and Nina Saxena! Plus, foiled special editions with sprayed edges, gorgeous art, and so much more! Don't miss it!

Dangerous Tides!

We recap I Married a Naga by Regine Abel with Stacey Hamel! Many of you already know and love Stacey, but for those who don't, we thought it was high time to introduce you to her beautiful brain. She's an admin of our Facebook group,The Altar of Defiant Joy, and Patron Saint of the Bonkers Romance TikTok. We've affectionately dubbed her our Adminotaur.

We talked about many things, but the most important is clearly that Jenny finally got to recap a book with a motherfudging c*ck pocket! This book features a human woman who is forced into an arranged marriage with an alien snake man when she accidentally violates the law on his planet. But he’s marrying her to save her from being executed and is actually a cinnamon roll, sexy provider whose snake parts convince his lady that humans are vastly inferior lovers.

For the full episode, check out The Temple of Defiant Joy, our members site that gets you exclusive content, bonus episodes, free books, custom artwork and more! The last episode of every month is only available in full to our members, but all the other episodes will continue to be available to everyone.

If you’re reading ahead, here are the upcoming books:

12/2 Sing Me to Sleep by RM Virtues

A Lady of Rooksgrave Manor by Katherine Moon will be coming sometime early next year.

We’ll be on hiatus starting 12/3, but back with more shenanigans in January!

December Bonkers Book Club features six free ebooks from authors we love, so if you aren't a member yet, you can join on our website!

Mentioned in this episode:

Pirates are waiting for you!

Six brand new bonkers pirate books you can read THIS MONTH from Katee Robert, CM Nascosta, Naima Simone, Andie J. Christopher, Jenny Nordbak, and Nina Saxena! Plus, foiled special editions with sprayed edges, gorgeous art, and so much more! Don't miss it!

Dangerous Tides!

September in the Temple!

- This month we're back with Katee regaling us with more Fertile in My Ex-Boyfriend’s Dungeon (and we discover an actual hard limit for Katee!), and Hannah Whitten is going to stop by to give us all her best spooky season recs.

Temple of Defiant Joy

We're joined by Alexis Daria to recap Alien Quarantine Rescue by Robin Lovett! This was Jenny’s very first Robin Lovett book and she’s obsessed! It starts in an all too realistic setting where the world has gone to hell after a pandemic and the heroine has been alone for five years…but very, very quickly changes to a marvelous fantasy when an alien lands in her front yard offering antibodies. Copious amounts of antibodies.

We talked about how much we love romances like this when the love interests are from different species having to learn about one another, why Robin Lovett is an effing genius, that one time Jenny f*cked someone unconscious, and why semen is going to be a complete disappointment after this book.

Be sure to check out Alexis’s latest book, A Lot Like Adios!

If you’re reading ahead, here are the upcoming books we'll be recapping:

11/25 Sing Me to Sleep by RM Virtues

12/2 A Lady of Rooksgrave Manor by Katherine Moon

We’ll be on hiatus the rest of December, but back with more shenanigans in January!

Desperate Measures by Katee Robert is on sale right now for $.99 and YOU NEED IT!

Links to all the books we discussed are included in the show notes on our website!

Mentioned in this episode:

Pirates are waiting for you!

Six brand new bonkers pirate books you can read THIS MONTH from Katee Robert, CM Nascosta, Naima Simone, Andie J. Christopher, Jenny Nordbak, and Nina Saxena! Plus, foiled special editions with sprayed edges, gorgeous art, and so much more! Don't miss it!

Dangerous Tides!

September in the Temple!

- This month we're back with Katee regaling us with more Fertile in My Ex-Boyfriend’s Dungeon (and we discover an actual hard limit for Katee!), and Hannah Whitten is going to stop by to give us all her best spooky season recs.

Temple of Defiant Joy

We're joined by Adriana Herrera to recap Beyond the Highland Mist by Karen Marie Moning! We talk about why we’re Moning Maniacs, why this was the Golden Age of paranormal romance, and why falconer dirty talk is so sexy. This book has it all...time travel, a heroine fleeing a dark secret in her past, meddling fae, a murderous ex girlfriend, not one but two near death sick bed scenes, sensory deprivation, Highlander Times viagra, an accidental aphrodisiac scene, light kidnapping, and one swaggering Highlander who’s so generously hung that comparisons to actual horses are made.

Be sure to check out Adriana’s latest book, Just for the Holidays! You also won’t want to miss Rake I’d Like to F!

CW: there's mention of various threats of sexual assault and some actual sexual assault in a few different scenes. There is also nervous/uncomfortable laughter from the hosts while trying to navigate these descriptions.

For links to all the books we mentioned, see the show notes on our website!

If you’re reading ahead, here are the upcoming books we'll be recapping:

11/18 Alien Quarantine Rescue by Robin Lovett

11/25 Sing Me to Sleep by RM Virtues

12/2 A Lady of Rooksgrave Manor by Katherine Moon

We’ll be on hiatus the rest of December, but back with more shenanigans in January!

Mentioned in this episode:

Pirates are waiting for you!

Six brand new bonkers pirate books you can read THIS MONTH from Katee Robert, CM Nascosta, Naima Simone, Andie J. Christopher, Jenny Nordbak, and Nina Saxena! Plus, foiled special editions with sprayed edges, gorgeous art, and so much more! Don't miss it!

Dangerous Tides!

September in the Temple!

- This month we're back with Katee regaling us with more Fertile in My Ex-Boyfriend’s Dungeon (and we discover an actual hard limit for Katee!), and Hannah Whitten is going to stop by to give us all her best spooky season recs.

Temple of Defiant Joy

We're joined by Andie J. Christopher to recap Coyote Ugly (which somehow came out 20 years ago??)! We discuss early aughts fashion, dancing on bars, and this film’s impact on our bisexual awakening—or in one of our cases, a definitive confirmation of straightness. Please enjoy the references to a Minotaur Cock Water Gun (which could only possibly be understood by Romancelandia) and Fievel Does Fleet Week!

Andie just revealed the cover of her next book, Thank You, Next…and we’re obsessed with it! If you haven’t gotten Hot Under His Collar (with Father What-a-Waste) yet, you’re missing out! You can come back and thank Jenny when you reach a certain steamy bar scene.

Aftercare Mentions:

• Andie: Morning Glory Milking Farm by C.M. Nascosta and Bombshell by Sarah MacLean
• Mel: Magic Mike XXL
• The Thomas Crown Affair with Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo—the bisexual awakening we all deserve.

If you’re reading ahead, next week’s episode will be Beyond the Highland Mist by Karen Marie Morning with Adriana Herrera and the following week will be Alien Quarantine Rescue by Robin Lovett with Alexis Daria!

You'll find links to all the books we mentioned in the show notes on our website!

We encourage you to check out Romance for Roe, an anthology of 36 romance stories in aid of Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice

Mentioned in this episode:

Pirates are waiting for you!

Six brand new bonkers pirate books you can read THIS MONTH from Katee Robert, CM Nascosta, Naima Simone, Andie J. Christopher, Jenny Nordbak, and Nina Saxena! Plus, foiled special editions with sprayed edges, gorgeous art, and so much more! Don't miss it!

Dangerous Tides!

August Book Club in the Temple!

Temple members at the Joy Bringer and Celebrant tiers can look forward to a bundle of the first three books in Kit Rocha's BEYOND series as well as CAUGHT A VIBE by Eva Moore! We. Are. SO STOKED!!!

Book Club