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Raging Romantics
Raging Romantics episodes
- #26 Today's Romance Novels with the Ripped Bodice LA
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)
0 min - #25 A (not-so-brief) Brief History of Romance
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":
- Romance novel-first attested to as a description for a novel in 1964- focused on the development of a romantic relationship; DERIVED FROM:
- Romance literature-extended in the 17th century to refer to love stories; DERIVED FROM:
- Romaunce - ca. 1300CE meaning "a story, written or recited, of the adventures of a knight, hero, etc., often one designed principally for entertainment." These medieval vernacular tales usually told chivalric adventures full of marvelous incidents and heroic deeds. In reference to literary works, often in Middle English meaning ones written in French but also applied to native compositions; DERIVED FROM:
- Romanz - Old French, originally an adverb, "in the vernacular language;" DERIVED FROM:
- Romanice Scribere - Vulgar Latin meaning "to write in a Romance language" (one developed from Latin instead of Frankish); DERIVED FROM:
- Romanicus - Latin meaning "of or in the Roman style;" DERIVED FROM
- Romanus - Latin meaning "Roman
Terms:
- HEA - Happily Ever After
- HFN - Happily ever after for now
- Oral Tradition -
- Oral tradition, or oral lore, is a form of human communication wherein knowledge, art, ideas and cultural material is received, preserved, and transmitted orally from one generation to another. The transmission is through speech or song and may include folktales, ballads, chants, prose or verses.
- Chivalric Tales
- A type of prose or verse narrative that was popular in the aristocratic circles of High Medieval and Early Modern Europe. Chivalric romances celebrate an idealized code of civilized behavior that combines loyalty, honor, and courtly love.
- Gutenberg Printing Press
- Reformation
- Renaissance
- English Renaissance
- Romanticism
- An attitude or intellectual orientation that characterized many works of literature, painting, music, architecture, criticism, and historiography in Western civilization over a period from the late 18th to the mid-19th century.
- Gothic Literature
- European Romantic pseudomedieval fiction having a prevailing atmosphere of mystery and terror.
- Regency
- For more information on the regency period, see Raging Romantics episode 13
- Age of Revolutions
- Dime Store Novel
- Serials
- Serials are print or non-print publications issued in parts, usually bearing issue numbers and/or dates. A serial is expected to continue indefinitely. Serials include magazines, newspapers, annuals (such as reports, yearbooks, and directories), journals, memoirs, proceedings, transactions of societies, and monographic series.
- Penny Dreadful
- Mills & Boon
- Harlequin
- Bodice Ripper
- A historical romance novel with a very specific type of cover- usually depicting the heroine swooning in the hero's arms, and her dress/bodice has been ripped.
- BDSM
- Short for Bondage and Discipline, Dominance and Submission, Sadochism and Masochism. For more info on this see Raging Romantics episode 15
Stories/Books/Legends we mention:
- Pamela
- Tristan and Iseult
- Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
- Romeo and Juliet
- Midsummer Night's Dream
- Pride and Prejudice
- Hunchback of Notre Dame
- Frankenstein
- Wuthering Heights
- Les Miserables
- Flame and the Flower
- Fifty Shades of Grey
Authors:
- Emily and Charlotte Bronte
- Victor Hugo
- Tessa Dare
- Nora Roberts
- Danielle Steel
- Sandra Brown
- Beverly Jenkins
- Karen Marie Moning
- Sherrilyn Kenyon
- Christine Feehan
Articles we read:
- "James Patterson: Is the world's bestselling author the main writer?" (O'Sullivan, 2017)
- "Evolution of the Romance Novel" (Harber, 2013)
- "A Brief History of the Romance Novel" (Pagan, 2019)
- The myth of Tristan and Iseult (britannica.com)
- The History of Publishing (britannica.com)
- "American Dime Novels 1860-1915" (Pope, n.d.)
- "Why We Still Call Them Bodice Rippers" (Higgs, 2017)
48 min - #24 Inclusivity Gets the Rose!
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
Books we discuss:
- King Sized by Jessa Kane
- Baking Me Crazy by Karla Sorenson
- Joss suffers from transverse myelitis, a disease
- One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London
Terms:
- Body dysmorphia - When you have body dysmorphic disorder, you intensely focus on your appearance and body image, repeatedly checking the mirror, grooming or seeking reassurance, sometimes for many hours each day. Your perceived flaw and the repetitive behaviors cause you significant distress, and impact your ability to function in your daily life.
- Asexual - aka "ace", people who identify with this term may have little interest in having sex, even though most desire emotionally intimate relationships. Within the ace community there are many ways for people to identify.
- Aromantic - an orientation characterised by a lack of romantic attraction. While asexuality is a sexual orientation, aromanticism is a romantic orientation, and the two don’t necessarily correlate.
- Slow burn romance - refers to stories featuring characters who gradually and naturally fall in love or lust before beginning a romantic or sexual relationship.
Other people/sources
- Tess Holliday - plus-size model, blogger, and make-up artist based in Los Angeles. Find her on Instagram, Twitter, and facebook
- Smarty Pants Romance
- Penny Reid and the Winston Brothers
Other representative books we recommend:
- When She's Bold by Ruby Dixon (sci-fi)
- Devi's Distraction by Ruby Dixon (Ice Home #7, amputee hero)
- Brown Sisters trilogy by Talia Hibbert (SO MUCH REPRESENTATION)
- ANYTHING by Olivia Dade
- Romancing the Duke by Tessa Dare (Castles Ever After #1, blind hero)
Sources:
- Body Dysmorphic Disorder (helpguide.org)
- Eating Disorders in Men and Boys (NEDA.org)
56 min - #23 The Spectrum of Body Positivity
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]!
Terms:
- BBW - short for a "big beautiful woman"
- Instalust- When two characters are instantly sexually-attracted to one another
- MMA - Mixed Martial Arts
- HEA - Happily Ever After
- HFN - Happily ever after For Now
- The Body Positivity Movement - The movement officially started in 1996 and its mission is “to develop balanced, joyful self-care and a relationship with our bodies that is guided by love, forgiveness, and humor." Visit The Body Positive for more information: bodypositive.org
- Body Neutrality - The idea of accepting your body as it is in its current state. Unlike the body positivity movement, it does not need to involve self-love talk or mantras about your body.
Books/Authors we mention:
- Extreme Love by Abby Niles (the book Jackie couldn't remember)
- Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
- Never Seduce a Scot by Maya Banks
- Brown Sisters trilogy by Talia Hibbert
- For the Love of Men by Liz Plank (the book recommended by Lyssa Kay Adams about toxic masculinity)
- Dad Bod Contracting series by Jasinda Wilder
- Isn't it Bromantic by Lyssa Kay Adams (Vlad's book)
- Olivia Dade
52 min - #22 Vampires need not apply
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
52 min - #21 Into the Unknown With Paranormal Romance
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
Terms:
- Paranormal romance- a large subgenre of romance which includes elements beyond the range of scientific explanation, blending together themes from the genres of fantasy, science fiction, and horror. Common hallmarks are romantic relationships between humans and vampires, shapeshifters, ghosts, and other entities of a fantastic or otherworldly nature.
- Shifters - Short for shapeshifters
- Wendigo - In the north woods of Minnesota, the forests of the Great Lake Region, and the central regions of Canada, there is said to live a malevolent being called a wendigo (also spelled windigo). This creature may appear as a monster with some characteristics of a human, or as a spirit who has possessed a human being and made them become monstrous. It is historically associated with cannibalism, murder, insatiable greed, and the cultural taboos against such behaviors. Known by several names — Windigo, Witigo, Witiko, and Wee-Tee-Go — each of them roughly translates to “the evil spirit that devours mankind”.
- Seelie/Unseelie - types of faeries/faery courts- "The Faerie Courts"
- Found-Family Trope - Involves two or more people choosing to treat one another as family in an emotional sense; can also be when multiple characters join together to create a "family" group even though they're not related by blood.
Authors we mention:
- Karen Marie Moning
- Christine Feehan
- Sherrilyn Kenyon
- Kresley Cole
- Ruby Dixon
Books we talk about:
- Fever series (Karen Marie Moning)
- The Price of Pleasure (Kresley Cole)
- Twilight
- The Chill (Scott Carson)
- The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires (Grady Hendrix)
- Devolution (Max Brooks)
- Night Hunters (Sherrilyn Kenyon)
- Acheron
- Shadowhunter Chronicles (Cassandra Clare)
Articles read:
- "P is for Paranormal- Still" (Dyer, 2010)
- "Why We Read Paranormal Romance Stories—And Why I Write Them" (Holley, 2014)
- "Why Paranormal Romance?" (Dean, 2017)
- "The Wild power of paranormal romance: Why readers miss these stories when they fall out of popularity" (Field, 2018)
- "What is Paranormal Romance?" (Newitz, 2010)
- "Contemporary Paranormal Romance: Theories and Development of the Genre’s Feminism (Or Lack Thereof)" (Kollman, n.d.)
- "The Sad, Murky Story of Paranormal Romance Writer Sherrilyn Kenyon" (Faircloth, 2019)
- "Sherrilyn Kenyon said her husband poisoned her" (Shapiro, 2019)
- "Sherrilyn Kenyon drops 'Shakespearean plot' case against husband" (Flood, 2019)
- "Best-selling paranormal romance writer accuses her husband of 'Shakespearean plot' to poison her" (Stanley-Becker, 2019)
- "Dark-Hunter' Author Sherrilyn Kenyon Says her Husband Tried to Poison Her to Death" (Reinstein, 2019)
48 min - #20 We ❤ Cowboys
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
Books read:
- Only Mine by Elizabeth Lowell
- Wild Rain by Beverly Jenkins
- Down Home Cowboy by Maisey Yates
Other books we mention:
- Lorelei James Rough Riders series
- Libertie by Kaitlyn Greenidge
- Only His by Elizabeth Lowell (Willow and Caleb's story)
- Mr. Perfect by Linda Howard
Terms:
- Dubcon - dubious consent
- Bully Romance - where the heroine falls for a hero who is a bully. He may torment, tease, belittle, or deride the main character and others in the story.
- Cinnamon roll - A sweet, supportive, kind, and oh-so-sweet hero who is just too good for this world.
- Instalust - Immediate sexual attraction
56 min - #19 Saddle up cowpokes
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!
Terms:
- Cowboy- From British English 1725, "boy who tends to cows and drives them to and from pasture;" American English 1849 meaning a "man employed to have care of grazing cattle on the Great Plains for a stockman or ranch, doing his work on horseback"
- Cowhand/ranchhand - a person who works/lives/does something on a ranch/farm
- Cowherd - herds cattle
- Cowpoke - originally meant the person responsible for prodding cattle onto the railroad car; evolved into a slang term for a person dealing with cows/horses/etc.
- Old West - referring to the time period post Civil War-pre Depression era (ca. 1865-1930) during which westward expansion and the growth of American idealism was prominant- also called the golden age of the cowboy
- Romancelandia - the fictional land of romance novels
- MMF - romance trope that focuses on a relationship between two men and one woman
- Ménage a Trois - an arrangement where three people share a sexual relationship, usually involves a married couple and the lover of one of them.
- Reverse Harem- one female heroine with multiple male lovers (sic. a traditional harem but with gender role reversal)
Authors we mention:
- Beverly Jenkins
- Maisey Yates
- Lorelei James
- Lora Leigh
- Sophia Oke
- Lexi Blake
Books we recommend:
- Cattle Kingdom by Christopher Knowlton
- Hell's Eight series by Sarah McCarty (historical spicy westerns!)
- Cowboy Dragon by Terry Bolryder (the title says it all)
- One Night Rodeo by Lorelei James (Cowgirl/Professional Barrel Racer as the heroine!)
- Autumn Lover/Winter Fire by Elizabeth Lowell (featuring frontierswomen who own their own land after the Civil War and fight for their right to do so)
- Hillbilly Rockstar by Lorelei James (country music hero)
Movies Jackie recommends
- Dances with Wolves (1990, Kevin Costner and his beautiful mullet)
- Mask of Zorro
- All the Pretty Horses
Articles read:
- About Larry McMurtry "Novelist of the American West..."
48 min - #18 A Love Letter to Bromance Books
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!)
Books talked about:
- Bromance Book Club (#1)
- Undercover Bromance (#2)
- Crazy Stupid Bromance (#3)
- The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
- The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
- Playbook series by Alexa Martin
59 min - #17 Getting Bromantic with Lyssa Kay Adams
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
Lyssa's Books:
- Bromance Book Club
- Undercover Bromance
- Crazy Stupid Bromance
- Isn't It Bromantic (pub. July 20, 2021)
- Preorder here!
Books/Authors we talked about:
- Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
- The Day of the Duchess by Sarah MacLean
- Tessa Dare, Spindle Cove series
- Julia Quinn
- Shana Galen
- Heiress Gets a Duke by Harper St. George
- Cara Bastone
- The Fallout by Lesley M.M. Blume
- Melanie Harlow, Cloverleigh Farms series (Jackie said the wrong name in the podcast)
- Mara Jacobs, The Worth series
- Tracy Brogan, Bell Harbor series
- Susan Elizabeth Phillips
- Alyssa Cole
- Wakanda meets contemporary (aka Runaway Royals)
- Civil War series (aka Loyal League)
- Ruby Dixon, Ice Planet Barbarians
- Meet Cute Club by Jack Harbon
- Ruby Lang
- Ben Alderson
- ACOTAR (aka A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas)
Articles worth reading:
- "Why I'm Addressing Toxic Masculinity in my Romance Novels" (Adams, 2019)
- "Sex Hugs and Throbbing Boners: Inside a Bromance Book Club" (Rogers, 2020)
- RWA (Romance Writers of America Drama) "The Implosion of the RWA" (Ryan, 2019)
Podcasts listened to:
- "15. Author Interview: Lyssa Kay Adams" Read it Or List It podcast
Random restaurant in Nashville that Jackie couldn't remember: Pinewood Social! (seriously an amazing place for brunch if you're ever in town)
1 hr 22 min
About Raging Romantics
From the publisher's feed
Your favorite local librarians break down romance books. Keep an ear out for four+ episodes a month, with two guaranteed full-length episodes diving into romancelandia, plus bonus minisodes too, featuring book recommendations, reviews, and mini interviews! We can always be contacted at [email protected].
Rage on!