What we’re reading:
Hitha just finished The High Dive by Chelsea Fagan, a steamy, smart class-clash romance set on a luxury yacht in the Mediterranean. She’s also excited to start Fitting Indian by Jyoti Chand, a graphic novel that explores the experiences of Indian millennial girls growing up in the U.S.

And in true Chaos Queen fashion, she skipped book one and jumped straight into the Psy-Changeling Trinity series by Nalini Singh, a second-wave romantasy universe full of intricate worldbuilding and slow-burn reveals.

Laura’s got two very different picks: Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix, a rage-fueled, culturally resonant revenge fantasy about girls sent to a 1970s home for the “wayward,” and The Path of Temptation by Auryn Hadley, a steamy “why choose” romantasy where one heroine is trained in seduction—for spiritual purposes, of course.

We’re also talking about Everyone Is Lying to You by Jo Piazza—Hitha has the galley, Laura is jealous, and the tradwife thriller is already a contender for most addictive book of the summer. Also coming soon: Kyra Alessy joins us on the podcast, which means more romantasy homework for Hitha.

What’s bothering us:
Laura reacts to DHS reportedly floating a “citizenship game show”—yes, a real policy concept—and Hitha explains why Senator Hawley’s prescription drug bill is political theater, not real reform. She breaks it down in more detail here, including why smart, effective legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act deserves more attention.