It is the season 2 finale for Must Love Books Podcast! Shae Winter (formerly known as shae.reads, now known as _shaewinter) has returned to the podcast to celebrate the holiday season with some of our favorite holiday romances, as well as a little sneak peek into an Australian Christmas.

For this episode, we read:

I’ll Be Gone for Christmas by Georgia K Boone

Holiday Ever After by Hannah Grace

The Nightmare Before Kissmass by Sara Raasch

Must Love Books Podcast will be returning with brand new episodes during the week of Valentine’s Day!

Thank you everyone so much for listening – be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode, and if you like what you hear consider rating 5 stars!

📌 Important Links 📌

Instagram:@_shaewinter

Must Love Books Podcast: @MustLoveBooksPodcast

Krystle Hope on Instagram: @KrystleHope

Threads: @krystlehope

TikTok: @Huttslayer_Hope

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/krystlehope

Substack: https://krystlehope.substack.com

www.MustLoveBooksPodcast.com

🔒🎧 Join the Book Lovers community on Patreon: www.patreon.com/MustLoveBooksPodcast

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/must-love-books/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The world ended 10 years ago when vampires showed up and took over. Vampire slayer-in-training Ruby is forced to strike a deal with the dangerous vampire X in order to save her twin sister Riply, who has become one of the undead.

Kalla Harris joins Must Love Books Podcast to celebrate her debut YA dystopian romance, THE GROUND THAT DEVOURS US and shares her top 10 vampire rankings – sink your teeth into this one!

📌 Important Links 📌

Instagram:@kallanharris

Threads: @kallanharris

TikTok: @kallaharriswrites

Website: www.kallaharris.com

Must Love Books Podcast: @MustLoveBooksPodcast

Krystle Hope on Instagram: @KrystleHope

Threads: @krystlehope

TikTok: @Huttslayer_Hope

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/krystlehope

Substack: https://krystlehope.substack.com

www.MustLoveBooksPodcast.com

🔒🎧 Join the Book Lovers community on Patreon: www.patreon.com/MustLoveBooksPodcast

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/must-love-books/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Tatiana Schlote-Bonne returns to Must Love Books Podcast to talk about her latest horror thriller, THE MEAN ONES. Join us for some murderous cults, dual timelines reminiscent of Yellow Jackets, the power of girlhood, and main characters that find their inner strength. This was my favorite horror read of 2025, so be sure to add this one to your TBR!

Thank you for listening – be sure to subscribe for new episodes, leave a 5-star rating, and check out these important links below!

📌 Important Links 📌

Instagram:@thebuffwriter

Threads: @thebuffwriter

Website: www.tatiana-schlote-bonne.com

Must Love Books on Instagram and Facebook:

@MustLoveBooksPodcast

Krystle Hope on Instagram: @KrystleHope

Threads: @krystlehope

TikTok: @Huttslayer_Hope

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/krystlehope

Substack: https://krystlehope.substack.com

Book Podcast Connection Networking Group: @BookPodcastConnection

🔒🎧 Join the Book Lovers community on Patreon: www.patreon.com/MustLoveBooksPodcast

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/must-love-books/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Joe Chianakas joins Must Love Books Podcast to talk about the importance of Pride and representation, as well as the release of PRIDE AND PERSISTENCE, sequel to SINGLETS AND SECRETS and book 2 of the Unveiling Aiden series.

Pride and Persistence is an official finalist for Young Adult Book of the Year at the 2025 Imaginarium Awards, and the audiobook has officially released today! It was also part of a summer special promotion with Bookshop.org called "Fearless and Fabulous: Queer heroes who fight back."

Pride and Persistence isn’t just another story—it’s a rallying cry for anyone who’s ever felt silenced.

Joe Chianakas, a karate Sensei and lifelong Karate Kid fan, has always yearned to see queer representation in his favorite stories. Motivated by the lack of representation, he took matters into his own hands. The result? A story that’s not only timely and enjoyable but also earned the endorsement of Cobra Kai creator Jon Hurwitz, who praised Chianakas’ work as “equal parts fresh, heartfelt, entertaining, and important.”

Thank you for listening – be sure to subscribe for new episodes, leave a 5-star rating, and check out these important links below!

📌 Important Links 📌

Instagram:@joechianakas

Threads: @joechianakas

Website: joechianakas.weebly.com

Must Love Books on Instagram and Facebook:

@MustLoveBooksPodcast

Krystle Hope on Instagram: @KrystleHope

Threads: @krystlehope

TikTok: @Huttslayer_Hope

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/krystlehope

Substack: https://krystlehope.substack.com

Book Podcast Connection Networking Group: @BookPodcastConnection

🔒🎧 Join the Book Lovers community on Patreon: www.patreon.com/MustLoveBooksPodcast

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/must-love-books/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Author Julia Fine joins Must Love Books Podcast to celebrate the release of the first novel under her new pen name Margaux Eliot, HONEYMOON STAGE. Brimming with wit and romance, this twisty trip back to the early 2000s follows Cassidy, a former production assistant whose upcoming marriage descends into the confusion, chaos, and karmic consequences of reality TV.

📌 Important Links 📌

Instagram:@margaux_eliot and @julia.r.fine

Website: www.julia-fine.com

Must Love Books on Instagram and Facebook:

@MustLoveBooksPodcast

Krystle Hope on Instagram: @KrystleHope

Threads: @krystlehope

TikTok: @Huttslayer_Hope

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/krystlehope

Substack: https://krystlehope.substack.com

Book Podcast Connection Networking Group: @BookPodcastConnection

🔒🎧 Join the Book Lovers community on Patreon: www.patreon.com/MustLoveBooksPodcast

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/must-love-books/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

It’s the 100th episode of Must Love Books Podcast! The Something Smutty Book Club are celebrating with books we love and hate, funny stories and hidden talents, talk some smack, and play some games!

Thank you everyone so much for listening to Must Love Books Podcast! I am truly grateful for each and every one of you. Here's to 100 more!

If you have enjoyed listening to Must Love Books Podcast, please subscribe for updates and leave a 5 star rating on whatever app you're listening. ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Something Smutty Members:

🔥Slowburn (Krystle)

🚫DNF (Kaylee)

🌩️Daddy Zeus (Stephanie)

👬👬 Reverse Harem BB (Amanda)

🏖️ Crazy Beach (Allison)

™️ Smut Slut (Brittney)

Everyone’s opinion is their own, views expressed here are not representative of Must Love Books Podcast.

📌 Important Links 📌

Must Love Books Podcast: @MustLoveBooksPodcast

Krystle Hope on Instagram: @KrystleHope

Threads: @krystlehope

TikTok: @Huttslayer_Hope

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/krystlehope

Substack: https://krystlehope.substack.com

www.MustLoveBooksPodcast.com

🔒🎧 Join the Book Lovers community on Patreon: www.patreon.com/MustLoveBooksPodcast

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/must-love-books/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This is our very first “Not Just Books” project on the Must Love Books Podcast Patreon: Stranger Things reactions, theories, and predictions.

For this episode, we are going to dive into season 1 of Stranger Things, from initial thoughts, ships, character development, plot reactions, and predictions. There will of course be some spoilers, so if you haven’t watched yet, this is your warning to come back later! This is Krystle’s first time watching the series, joined by ‘certified fan girl’ Stephanie (AKA “Daddy Zeus” from the Something Smutty Book Club”).

The Stranger Things reactions podcast series is a Patreon exclusive, with the first episode aired here as a little teaser. To continue listening to this series, check us out on the Patreon app or at www.Patreon.com/MustLoveBooksPodcast and join the $5 a month Book Lovers tier! As Stephanie says: for less than a cup of coffee, you can get exclusive access to mediocre content!

The Patreon features early access to new content as well as exclusive content that will not be available anywhere else. From behind-the-scenes videos and pictures, to random poetry, fan Q&As for podcast guests, and some very special “Not Just Books” projects (including the Stranger Things deep dives series and an upcoming Dungeons and Dragons campaign!). 

📌 Important Links 📌

Must Love Books on Instagram and Facebook:

@MustLoveBooksPodcast

Krystle Hope on Instagram: @KrystleHope

Threads: @krystlehope

TikTok: @Huttslayer_Hope

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/krystlehope

Substack: https://krystlehope.substack.com

Book Podcast Connection Networking Group: @BookPodcastConnection

🔒🎧 Join the Book Lovers community on Patreon: www.patreon.com/MustLoveBooksPodcast

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/must-love-books/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Emily Krempholtz joins Must Love Books Podcast to celebrate the release of her debut novel VIOLET THISTLEWAITE IS NOT A VILLAIN ANYMORE and talk about her writing inspirations, publishing journey, and what you should know about traditional publishing.

Thank you for listening – be sure to subscribe for new episodes, leave a 5-star rating, and check out these important links below!

📌 Important Links 📌

Instagram:@embakesbooks_

Threads: @embakesbooks_

TikTok: @writersofrohan

Website: www.emilykrempholtz.com

Must Love Books on Instagram and Facebook:

@MustLoveBooksPodcast

Krystle Hope on Instagram: @KrystleHope

Threads: @krystlehope

TikTok: @Huttslayer_Hope

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/krystlehope

Substack: https://krystlehope.substack.com

Book Podcast Connection Networking Group: @BookPodcastConnection

🔒🎧 Join the Book Lovers community on Patreon: www.patreon.com/MustLoveBooksPodcast

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/must-love-books/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Happy Life Day – a Star Wars Holiday dedicated to family, friendship, gratitude, and joy!

First created by the infamous 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special, a made for TV special, Life Day has become a Star Wars celebration world wide with multiple animated specials on Disney+ and celebrated at Disney Parks.

Star Wars cosplayer and indie filmmaker Blue Milk Drinker (also known as Tyler D Martin) joins the podcast to celebrate Life Day and to discuss one of the most political trilogies in Star Wars Legends history: The Black Fleet Crisis Trilogy by Michael P. Kube-McDowell, published 1996-1998. We talk about how this trilogy predicts events from the sequel trilogy (The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker) and how it stood as a metaphor for the Israel-Gaza Conflict.

📌 Important Links 📌

Instagram:@blue_milk_drinker

Threads: @blue_milk_drinker

Twitter: @BluemilkD

YouTube: @BlueMilkDrinker

 

Must Love Books Podcast: @MustLoveBooksPodcast

Krystle Hope on Instagram: @KrystleHope

Threads: @krystlehope

TikTok: @Huttslayer_Hope

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/krystlehope

Substack: https://krystlehope.substack.com

www.MustLoveBooksPodcast.com

🔒🎧 Join the Book Lovers community on Patreon: www.patreon.com/MustLoveBooksPodcast

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/must-love-books/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Beware! This episode is cursed!

Sangu Mandanna, the best-selling author of THE VERY SECRET SOCIETY OF IRREGULAR WITCHES, visits Must Love Books Podcast to talk about her latest witchy romance: A WITCH’S GUIDE TO MAGICAL INNKEEPING, plus challenges to writing and why you can’t separate the art from the artist.

📌 Important Links 📌

Instagram:@sangumandanna

Threads: @sangumandanna

Website: www.sangumandanna.com

 

Must Love Books Podcast: @MustLoveBooksPodcast

Krystle Hope on Instagram: @KrystleHope

Threads: @krystlehope

TikTok: @Huttslayer_Hope

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/krystlehope

Substack: https://krystlehope.substack.com

www.MustLoveBooksPodcast.com

🔒🎧 Join the Book Lovers community on Patreon: www.patreon.com/MustLoveBooksPodcast

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/must-love-books/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy