We sit down with Leah Koch, co-owner of the Ripped Bodice bookstore in Culver City, Los Angeles to put our thumb on the pulse of 2021 romancelandia. Together we discuss the history of the Ripped Bodice, traditional vs. independent publishing, the fallacy of publishing trends, how booktok (book side of tiktok) has influenced the world of romance, and how Leah finds the next big romance books. We also have a serious discussion about how romance and romance publishing is failing us, the consumers. So buckle in sparkly romance nerds, it's time for some real talk with some good laughs along the way.

Content Warning: language use and some shame upon Nicholas Sparks and James Patterson...sorry not sorry.

What is Booktok?

Ripped Bodice information

• Instragram @TheRippedBodice
• Tiktok @ TheRippedBodice
• Twitter @ TheRippedBodice
• Read, Romance, Repeat

Books/Authors we talk about

• Mad and Bad: Real Heroines of the Regency by Bea Koch (signed edition!)
• The minotaur book...sorry guys, please don't open this link in view of other people, for your own credibility
• Heroine Complex by Sarah Kuhn
• Jennifer Probst
• Rebekah Weatherspoon
• Take a Hint Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert
• Get a Life Chloe Brown also by Hibbert
• The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
• The Roommate by Rosie Danan
• Witch Please by Ann Aguirre
• Saint by Sierra Simone

Other romance bookstores!

• Love's Sweet Arrow
• Ever After (Australia)

We're still here a year later! In honor of our first birthday we're diving backwards into time to look at the evolution of the romance genre, and romantic literature, throughout the ages. Spoiler alert...it goes back further than the 1970s. WAYYYYYY further. Break out your snacks and a notebook, it's time to go to school. Now, this is not an official history; ask a number of different literary historians and they will all have different answers. This is just Jackie and Jen's observational opinion as professional readers. Other historians observations/theories are linked down below!

Content Warning: discussion of rape and rape culture in earlier romance novels, language use,

The etymology of a "romance":

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First off, Jackie apologizes for her voice; she had laryngitis/a cold and we simply had to record. So, if her voice doesn't annoy you too much...enjoy our discussion of books featuring body diversity and representation! Also, are you one of those who loves to hate to watch The Bachelor/Bachelorette? Let us know! Email us at [email protected]

Content Warning: Discussions of eating disorders, fatphobia, online trolls, and bullying

National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) helpline

STOPBullying

The CyberSmile Foundation

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Content Warning: discussions of body size and acceptance, toxic doctor-patient relationships, diet culture, disordered eating, and disability representation. Language usage

Welcome back glittery romance nerds. It's time for a serious discussion about body representation in romancelandia..buckle in because this one gets a bit rambly. In this episode, we get down into the nitty gritty as we talk about all types of bodies, not just in relation to size, but also disability. Is romance truly the most inclusive genre out there? Or does it still fall behind other genres out there? Also be warned...we had a bad day and swear a lot in this one.

Don't forget, you can always email us at [email protected]!

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Welcome back to the land of paranormal romancelandia! Jen and Jackie are diving right on in with a discussion of two paranormal romance books, one an old favorite, and one newer that's...not really a favorite. Have we finally found an original romance read that is still good to read today?! What are the differences between indie published books and traditionally published? And what do you think- will physical books ever be obsolete? Don't forget, you can always emails us at [email protected]!

Thank you to everyone for tuning in. We love you all!

Vocab:

• Indie Publishing - a way of publishing literary works that does not involve going through traditional publishing houses; one of the more popular methods is through Kindle Unlimited
• More on Indie Publishing
• Macedon/Macedonia - the empire of historic Macedonia occupies the region of northern Greece and the Balkan peninsula, not Turkey as Jackie mistakenly said in the episode. Read this article on History.com for more information!
• Deus Ex Machina - an unexpected power or event saving a seemingly hopeless situation, especially as a contrived plot device in a play or novel.
• Priapus - the Roman god of vegetable gardens and fertility that Jen keeps purposefully mispronouncing
• Reverse Harem - A trope that consists of one female protagonist and three or more male love interests.

Books talked about:

• A Coven of Her Own by Saskia Walker
• Fantasy Lover by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Other books/authors we recommend:

• JR Ward
• Gena Showalter
• "Warlord"
• Ruby Dixon
• Alexa Riley (not paranormal)
• Kresley Cole 
• "A Hunger Like No Other"
• "Lothario"
• Christina Dodd
• Laurel K. Hamilton
• Anita Blake series
• Christine Feehan
• Charlaine Harris
• Katie Macalister
• "Blow Me Down"
• Kristin Ashley
• Christine Warren
• The Others series
• Eliza Rain
• Alessa Thorne
• The Court of the Underworld series
• GA Aiken
• Molly Harper "How to Train Your Dragon"
• Penelope Bloom "Kiss Kiss Fang Fang"
• Tessa Bailey
• Phenomenal Fate series
• 
  

Ruby Dixon article from CNN

Priapus' mythology

We tackled vampires, so now it's time to dive into the realm of the supernatural...werewolves and faeries and shifters OH MY! And maybe some sasquatches? In this episode your favorite librarians explore what exactly quantifies as a paranormal romance novel, favorite authors, and why we love to read about crazy monsters as our romance heroes. Jen also drops some major tea about Sherrilyn Kenyon, romance author extraordinaire.

(Also, what side of the fence are you on- do you believe in the 'Squatch?)

The infamous swan hat

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The librarians ride again, back into the land of cowboy romances with a book discussion! We chose two historicals and one contemporary romance to take a deep dive into the journey the cowboy trope had gone on. We discuss what original cowboy romance books look like, problematic heroes, cinnamon rolls, independent women, and whether or not Jen will read more cowboys now. Jackie also discovers that once again, you should never reread books that were your favorites years ago...because you will question your life choices.

Content Warning: Discussions of abusive relationships, domestic abuse, bully romances, forced consent, rape, dubious consent, age gaps, racial slurs, slavery and divorce, and use of language

The below links are resources for you to use at your own discretion. We here at Raging Romantics support and love you.

National Domestic Violence Hotline

National Teen Dating Hotline

RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline

National Resource Center on Domestic Violence

National Human Trafficking Hotline

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Congratulations to the winner of our Lyssa Kay Adams giveaway! We had fun doing this and we will DEFINITELY be doing similar giveaways in the future, so stay tuned!

Have you ever dreamed of riding off into the sunset with a faithful steed and a cowboy hat? Have you ever wanted to hear a debate about what a modern cowboy actually is...ad nauseam? WELL YOU ARE IN LUCK, because this month we get into cowboy romances, both historical and contemporary! Jen also makes it clear what she thinks of modern westerns...let us know what you think!

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Don't forget to send us an email at [email protected] to be entered to win a copy of Crazy Stupid Bromance! You have until May 28 to enter. We will announce the winners on the June 4th episode.

May the odds be ever in your favor...

Content Warning: Discussions of #MeToo, victim blaming, internalized misogyny and toxic masculinity, as well as mild language use

We're back with another Bromantic episode! Make sure to go give episode #17 a listen if you haven't done so yet, because we had the high honor of interviewing bestselling author Lyssa Kay Adams! In this episode Jen and Jackie fangirl over the Bromance Book Club series by Lyssa, and there are quite a few spoilers. If you haven't read the series yet, go do so then come fangirl with us! We talk covers, characters, plot, favorite scenes, steam level, and theorize about the next book!

Book #4, Isn't It Bromantic comes out July 20! Preorder here: Penguin Random House (or go chat with your local small bookstore and support small businesses!)

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It's finally here! Jen and I were so honored to get to sit down with the amazing Lyssa Kay Adams, author of the Bromance Book Club Series!!! In this episode we have a (very long) casual conversation with Lyssa about her career as a romance author, her journey to the bestseller list, her inspirations, and the best part about being an author. We also hype up a bunch of newer/lesser known/inclusive romance authors for you to check out!

Content Warning: Discussions of #MeToo and sexual harassment

Do you want to win a signed copy of Crazy Stupid Bromance??! Of course you do, duh. Email us at [email protected] by MAY 28 with your name, and why you're excited to read the Bromance series!

We'll announce the winner on the episode that airs June 4!

Lyssa's website

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Random restaurant in Nashville that Jackie couldn't remember: Pinewood Social! (seriously an amazing place for brunch if you're ever in town)