Reading Under the Covers: A Romance Novel Podcast

In 1988, Lisa Kleypas wrote a hero who pulls a girl out of a frozen river and decides, while she's still dripping wet, that she belongs to him. In this episode of Reading Under the Covers, a romance novel podcast, Becky from Too Stupid to Live joins me for our Ripped & Ravished book club discussion of Love Come to Me, one of Kleypas's earliest historical romances, written years before the Wallflowers, the Ravenels and Derek Craven.

We talk about the Civil War backdrop the book glosses over, a fiancé and an ex who never add real tension, the miscommunication that one conversation would have fixed, the forced seduction scene, and why there always has to be another woman as the villain. We also get into what it does well: a hero who stops and admits when he's wrong, a heroine who's allowed to want things, and why this might be the safest bodice ripper we've read this year. Our final ratings, and whether you should start your Lisa Kleypas journey here, are at the end.

Read the full discussion and review: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/love-come-to-me-review/

Next up, we're closing out the year with Vivid by Beverly Jenkins. Join the Ripped & Ravished book club emails to read along and be the first to hear the 2027 picks: https://underthecovers.myflodesk.com/ripped-ravished

Catch up on every book we've discussed this year: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/bodice-ripper-book-club/

Follow Becky:

Too Stupid to Live on Substack: https://tstlpodcast.substack.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tstlpodcast

Chapters

00:00 Preview: the stalker reveal

00:24 Book club setup and the premise

01:46 First impressions and early Kleypas expectations

05:33 Pacing problems

09:20 No real central conflict

11:11 The Civil War backdrop

15:12 Tacked on antagonists and a darker forced marriage

18:08 Lucy's naivety and the miscommunication

24:10 An ending with no grovel

28:29 Forced seduction, virginity and naivety

32:46 The father problem

35:06 Chemistry, best scenes and a safer 80s romance

38:25 Women's pleasure on the page

42:17 The other woman as the villain

48:40 Kleypas then vs now

53:29 Ratings, recommendations and watching authors grow

59:08 Wrap up and next read

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1. Blog: reviews, book lists, and seasonal reading inspo.
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3. Newsletter: join our insider for the latest updates.

💖 This episode may contain affiliate links. We earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show!

Curious about historical romance but not sure where to start? This episode of Reading Under the Covers, a romance novel podcast, is your crash course. I break the genre down by the kind of reader you are: whether you came in through the Bridgerton show or the books, you're looking for modern romance, you want to get out of the ballroom, you love a genre mashup, or you're a dark romance girly looking for a historical that still pushes your comfort zone. I also cover the classics every historical romance reader should know, plus a quick guide to the eras and types of historical romance so you know what to look for next.

Books mentioned:

You're the Problem, It's You by Emma R. Alban

Ana María and the Fox by Liana De la Rosa

Duke's Got Mail by Samara Parish

The Scoundrel and the Siren by Christy Carlyle

A Caribbean Heiress in Paris by Adriana Herrera

The Wallflowers series by Lisa Kleypas

Queen of Lombard Street by Lisa Kleypas

Spindle Cove series by Tessa Dare

Duke of My Heart by Kelly Bowen

Scandal of the Summer by Alexandra Vasti

The Last Lady B by Eloisa James

Vivid by Beverly Jenkins

The Austen Affair by Madeline Bell

In Bed with a Highlander by Maya Banks

A Stitch in Time by Kelley Armstrong

Firelight by Kristen Callihan

Kiss of Steel by Bec McMaster

Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match by Sally Thorne

Maiden Lane series by Elizabeth Hoyt

Victorian Rebels series by Kerrigan Byrne

Sea of Ruin by Pam Godwin

Rough Surrender by Cari Silverwood

Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase

The Bride by Julie Garwood

The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley

Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean

Transcendence by Shay Savage

The Rogue of Fifth Avenue by Joanna Shupe

An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole

Sherry Thomas

Read Vivid with us for book club in November and December: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/bodice-ripper-book-club/

READ MORE ON THE BLOG

What is a bodice ripper? How to read vintage romance: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/read-vintage-bodice-rippers/

Our all-time favorite Highlander romances: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/must-read-highlander-romances/

15 diverse historical romances to add to your TBR: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/diverse-historical-romances/

Historical romantic comedies to make you smile: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/historical-romantic-comedy/

Historical romances set outside of England: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/historical-romances-set-outside-of-england/

✨ Loved the episode?

Follow Reading Under the Covers wherever you listen and leave a quick review. It helps more romance readers find us (and lets me know what you’re loving). 💕

💌 Talk to Me:

Got a rec, trope request, or hot take? → Drop me a voice message.

☕ Support the Show:

Enjoyed hanging out? Leave us a tip. Even a dollar keeps the mics on and the coffee flowing.

📚 Stay Connected:

1. Blog: reviews, book lists, and seasonal reading inspo.
2. YouTube: book chats, reading lifestyle and recs.
3. Newsletter: join our insider for the latest updates.

💖 This episode may contain affiliate links. We earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show!

Everyone is packing an analog bag right now, but the supplies add up fast, and sometimes the bag just ends up sitting in the corner. So I turned my iPad into mine.

In this episode of Reading Under the Covers, a romance novel podcast, I talk about how trying to break my doomscrolling habit back in February sent me down a cozy games rabbit hole, why hobby stacking with audiobooks changed how I read, and how I set up my iPad so work, social media, and YouTube can't follow me there. Then I share the free apps I use for every analog hobby: coloring, diamond art, brain games, puzzles, cozy games, reading, and catching up on blogs without relying on the algorithm.

You don't need a Switch, a new e-reader, or a pile of supplies. If you already have an iPad or any tablet, you already have the bag.

Apps I mention:

Coloring: Happy Color, Lake, Infini

Diamond art: Dazzly

Brain games: CubeAway, Screwdom 3D, Word Search, Magic Sort, Yarn Fever, Bus Traffic Fever, ClueSearch, Meowdoku, Hidden City

Puzzles: Jigsaw Puzzles

Cozy games: Good Coffee Great Coffee, Good Pizza Great Pizza, Heartopia, CatMart

Apple Arcade: Hello Kitty Island Adventure, Disney Dreamlight Valley, Wylde Flowers

Reading: Kindle, Libby, NetGalley, Audible, Libro.fm

Read it later: Instapaper, Feedly

Planning and notes: Goodnotes, Notion

Also on my iPad: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Procreate, Pinterest

Read more on the blog:

Cozy iPad games: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/cozy-ipad-games/

Hobby stacking with audiobooks: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/hobby-stacking-audiobooks/

Using your iPad as an e-reader: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/ipad-mini-as-an-e-reader/

✨ Loved the episode?

Follow Reading Under the Covers wherever you listen and leave a quick review. It helps more romance readers find us (and lets me know what you’re loving). 💕

💌 Talk to Me:

Got a rec, trope request, or hot take? → Drop me a voice message.

☕ Support the Show:

Enjoyed hanging out? Leave us a tip. Even a dollar keeps the mics on and the coffee flowing.

📚 Stay Connected:

1. Blog: reviews, book lists, and seasonal reading inspo.
2. YouTube: book chats, reading lifestyle and recs.
3. Newsletter: join our insider for the latest updates.

💖 This episode may contain affiliate links. We earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show!

For years I had historical romance filed under "mom's romance novels." Then in May 2011 I read Secrets of a Summer Night by Lisa Kleypas, and historical romance became the genre I reach for when I need comfort.

In this episode of Reading Under the Covers, a romance novel podcast, I'm telling you how one book (and my blog co-founders, who would not stop recommending Lisa Kleypas) turned me from a historical romance skeptic into a lifelong fan. We're chatting about the Wallflowers series, why historical romance is where it's at if you're craving yearning, the clinch covers I used to judge and now collect, and Lisa Kleypas's first new book in five years, The Queen of Lombard Street.

Grab a drink and come sit for a bookish brunch with me. Then tell me in the comments: what was your gateway historical romance?

📚 BOOKS MENTIONED Secrets of a Summer Night by Lisa Kleypas (Wallflowers #1)

It Happened One Autumn by Lisa Kleypas (Wallflowers #2)

Scandal in Spring by Lisa Kleypas (Wallflowers #4)

The Queen of Lombard Street by Lisa Kleypas

Love Come to Me by Lisa Kleypas

The Luna Sisters series by Liana De La Rosa

🎧 I listened to Secrets of a Summer Night on audio, narrated by Rosalyn Landor, and she did a fabulous job.

🔗 LINKS

My Queen of Lombard Street review: coming soon

Why we hid our romance covers (the cover shame video): https://youtu.be/yLhUnGTa0Fg

Ripped & Ravished book club discussion of Love Come to Me: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/bodice-ripper-book-club/

⏱️ CHAPTERS

00:00 Why I thought historical romance wasn't for me

04:38 The book that changed everything

06:25 Secrets of a Summer Night (spoiler-free)

11:01 Why historical romance became my comfort genre

14:37 From judging clinch covers to collecting them

16:30 Lisa Kleypas's new release

17:32 Where I'd tell you to start

17:54 What was your gateway historical romance?

👀 WATCH NEXT:

- What to Read After Bridgerton Season 4: https://youtu.be/os_IuXcpe0Q

- What would Jane Austen Read? Her Modern TBR: https://youtu.be/IWAhj0aLhpo

✨ Loved the episode?

Follow Reading Under the Covers wherever you listen and leave a quick review. It helps more romance readers find us (and lets me know what you’re loving). 💕

💌 Talk to Me:

Got a rec, trope request, or hot take? → Drop me a voice message.

☕ Support the Show:

Enjoyed hanging out? Leave us a tip. Even a dollar keeps the mics on and the coffee flowing.

📚 Stay Connected:

1. Blog: reviews, book lists, and seasonal reading inspo.
2. YouTube: book chats, reading lifestyle and recs.
3. Newsletter: join our insider for the latest updates.

💖 This episode may contain affiliate links. We earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show!

When did the vampire stop being the thing that eats you and become the guy who'd die before he let anything touch you? I went looking for that answer and it happened much earlier than I expected. It was us.

My answer to a TikTok I can't stop thinking about: the monsters we love come out of whatever makes us feel safe. This is how the vampire got there.

If you want to make a whole vampire month (or season) out of this, I put together a free Vampire Personal Curriculum with required reading, a watchlist, games, free resources on vampire folklore and more:

https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/vampire-personal-curriculum/

LINKS FROM THIS VIDEO

- My friend Victoria's series on the bookish scandals of classic authors (Polidori included): https://www.youtube.com/@bibliolifestyle

- Why the paranormal alpha is making a comeback: https://youtu.be/AaTGtoc8EmU

- Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles in reading order: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/vampire-chronicles-reading-order/

- My original Vampire Academy movie review: https://archive.underthecoversbookblog.com/movie-review-vampire-academy/

- My thoughts on The Vampire Lestat season 3: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/vampire-lestat-season-3/

Timestamps

00:00 What the monster we love says about us

01:05 Stage one: Before he was hot. Folklore to Dracula

02:47 1931: Lugosi's fan mail

03:54 The four stages

04:28 Anne Rice and falling for him anyway

08:55 Stage two: restraint (Angel, Edward, Stefan)

11:03 Stage three: the partner (Anita, Sookie, Cat and Bones)

14:18 Stage four: the protector (Black Dagger Brotherhood)

16:37 Why the 2000s made the vampire so popular

18:09 The boom cools off, then BookTok brings him back

21:32 The Vampire Personal Curriculum

BOOKS AND SHOWS IN THIS VIDEO

Shop the whole reading list on LTK:

https://liketk.it/6oTfx

(This is an affiliate link, which means I receive a small commission at no cost to you.)

The Vampyre by John Polidori

Dracula by Bram Stoker (and the new audiobook narrated by Jonathan Bailey)

Dracula (1931), Bela Lugosi

Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice, the 1994 film by the same name and Queen of the Damned (2002), plus the new AMC show from 2022

John Carpenter's Vampires (1998)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer and the 2008 film

The Vampire Diaries by L.J. Smith and the TV series

Anita Blake by Laurell K. Hamilton

Vampire Huntress Legend by L.A. Banks

Underworld movie franchise

Sookie Stackhouse by Charlaine Harris and True Blood

Night Huntress by Jeaniene Frost

Jaz Parks by Jennifer Rardin

Undead and Unwed by MaryJanice Davidson

Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward

Argeneau Vampires by Lynsay Sands

Immortals After Dark by Kresley Cole

Midnight Breed by Lara Adrian

Eternal Hunger by Laura Wright

Bonded by Blood by Laurie London

Vampire Academy (2014 film) and book series

Dracula Untold (2014)

From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

A Bargain of Blood by Vasilisa Drake

✨ Loved the episode?

Follow Reading Under the Covers wherever you listen and leave a quick review. It helps more romance readers find us (and lets me know what you’re loving). 💕

💌 Talk to Me:

Got a rec, trope request, or hot take? → Drop me a voice message.

☕ Support the Show:

Enjoyed hanging out? Leave us a tip. Even a dollar keeps the mics on and the coffee flowing.

📚 Stay Connected:

1. Blog: reviews, book lists, and seasonal reading inspo.
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3. Newsletter: join our insider for the latest updates.

💖 This episode may contain affiliate links. We earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show!

I sat down to talk about a 1995 alien romance and ended up in a six and a half year lawsuit. In today's episode of Reading Under the Covers, a romance novel podcast, we are diving into Knight of a Trillion Stars by Dara Joy. Our July/August Ripped & Ravished Book Club book.

Three words: Highlanders in Space

But then I got curious about what happened to Dara Joy, a bestselling author who simply disappeared for twenty years. That turned into a whole rabbit hole including a contract lawsuit, an argument about whether a book counted as science fiction or romance, a self-publishing attempt that went wrong. And the book at the centre of that scandal sent me looking for where all the dominant women were in 2000s romance.

This episode covers an author's litigation and business history. Everything is sourced and linked below, and I've quoted both sides in their own words.

Timestamps

00:00 The Rabbit Hole

00:53 Book Club Housekeeping

01:41 Meet the Alien Knight

03:02 Sci-Fi Con Fish Out of Water

05:18 Rating and Red Flags

07:11 Writing Style Surprise

09:04 Suzanne's Review, and the Spice

11:41 Series Talk: Rejar

13:14 Where Is Dara Joy?

14:02 The Dorchester Lawsuit Timeline

19:05 The Self-Publishing PayPal Mess

21:33 The Ritual of Proof Twist

25:53 Femdom Market Deep Dive

31:52 Power Dynamics Takeaways

34:01 Wrap Up and Next Pick

Books Mentioned

Knight of a Trillion Stars by Dara Joy (1995), Matrix of Destiny #1

Rejar by Dara Joy (1997), Matrix of Destiny #2

Ritual of Proof by Dara Joy (2001)

Holding the Cards by Joey W. Hill (2002), Nature of Desire #1

Natural Law by Joey W. Hill (2004), Nature of Desire #2

The Vampire Queen's Servant by Joey W. Hill (2007), Vampire Queen #1

Truly Helpless by Joey W. Hill (2017), Nature of Desire #10

A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux (1989)

From the blog

Knight of a Trillion Stars review, including Suzanne's original 2011 review: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/knight-of-a-trillion-stars-review/

Rejar review: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/rejar-by-dara-joy-review/

Ripped & Ravished Book Club: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/bodice-ripper-book-club/

How to Read Vintage Bodice Rippers Without Gaslighting Yourself: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/read-vintage-bodice-rippers/

A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux review: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/a-knight-in-shining-armor-by-jude-deveraux/

My review of The Vampire Queen's Servant by Joey W. Hill: https://archive.underthecoversbookblog.com/the-vampire-queens-servant-by-joey-w-hill/

Jennifer's review of Truly Helpless by Joey W. Hill, quoted in this episode: https://archive.underthecoversbookblog.com/truly-helpless-by-joey-w-hill-2/

Sources

Everything in this episode is sourced. Here is where it all came from.

ON THE DORCHESTER DISPUTE

Dorchester Publishing's public statement, 10 February 2005, archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20070208005519/http://www.dorchesterpub.com/DorchSpecialFeatures.cfm

Dara Joy's own 2005 statement, quoted in Maya Reynolds, "Another Cautionary Tale," April 2007. The original page on her website has since been deleted and is not archived: https://mayareynoldswriter.blogspot.com/2007/04/another-cautionary-tale.html

Dear Author, "Authors Behaving Badly: Dara Joy," July 2006. The most detailed contemporary account of the litigation and the self-publishing complaints: https://dearauthor.wordpress.com/2006/07/03/authors-behaving-badly-episode-1-dara-joy/

Dara Joy, "Great news from Dara Joy," 1 February 2008, announcing the settlement: https://officialdarajoy.com/2008/02/01/great-news-from-dara-joy/

Dara Joy's official site and current self-published catalogue: https://officialdarajoy.com/

ON RITUAL OF PROOF

All About Romance review: https://allaboutromance.com/book-review/ritual-of-proof/

Mrs Giggles review, April 2002: https://mrsgiggles.com/ritual-of-proof-by-dara-joy/

Beauty in Ruins review, October 2024: https://sallybend.wordpress.com/2024/10/05/book-review-ritual-of-proof-by-dara-joy-sff-romance/

ON ELLORA'S CAVE AND BDSM ROMANCE

Smart Bitches Trashy Books, "Interview with the Folks from Ellora's Cave," 2006: https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/stuffwelike/interview_with_the_folks_from_elloras_cave/

Sarah S. G. Frantz, "The History of BDSM Fiction and Romance," in Fifty Writers on Fifty Shades of Grey (2012), via the Romance Scholarship Database: https://rsdb.vivanco.me.uk/bibliography/history-bdsm-fiction-and-romance

Joey W. Hill's Nature of Desire series, publication history and book descriptions: https://storywitch.com/series-nod/

Join the Book Club

Ripped & Ravished is our vintage romance readalong. One book every two months, and a podcast discussion for each one.

September and October is Love Come to Me by Lisa Kleypas. She has a new book out in October, Queen of Lombard Street, her first in five years, so it felt like the right moment to go all the way back to where she started.

Join the Ripped & Ravished email track and you'll get the pick, the discussion link, and a bit of context every two months: https://underthecovers.myflodesk.com/ripped-ravished

And reply to those emails. Genuinely. Reader replies have changed how I've read these books more than once.

✨ Loved the episode?

Follow Reading Under the Covers wherever you listen and leave a quick review. It helps more romance readers find us (and lets me know what you’re loving). 💕

💌 Talk to Me:

Got a rec, trope request, or hot take? → Drop me a voice message.

☕ Support the Show:

Enjoyed hanging out? Leave us a tip. Even a dollar keeps the mics on and the coffee flowing.

📚 Stay Connected:

1. Blog: reviews, book lists, and seasonal reading inspo.
2. YouTube: book chats, reading lifestyle and recs.
3. Newsletter: join our insider for the latest updates.

💖 This episode may contain affiliate links. We earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show!

June 2026 was my best reading month in years: 22 books, nearly 8,000 pages, and a full-blown C-drama obsession that reshaped everything I picked up. This is Reading Under the Covers, a romance novel podcast, and today's my June reading wrap-up: every book and the show that started my new binge.

It began with Pursuit of Jade on Netflix. I fell hard, that man yearns like nobody's business, and once the show had me, I went looking for books that felt the same way. Pull up a chair, this is a long one.

Timestamps

00:00 Intro

00:57 StoryGraph Reading Stats

01:48 C Drama Obsession Begins

02:30 Pursuit of Jade Recap

06:07 More C Dramas to Watch

07:56 Back to the Books

08:05 Regency Pirate Rom Com

09:45 Paris Poly Romance

10:46 Immortality Lyrical Fantasy

12:21 True Crime Thriller

13:47 MM Urban Fantasy Romance

17:02 Small Town Suspense Romance

18:52 Rival Wizards Rom Com

20:26 Magical Vet Academia

22:59 Villain Love Triangle

24:47 Classic Time Travel Romance

26:58 Cozy Quest Romantasy

28:38 Wildcat Dark Stalkers

31:39 Space Mystery Romance

33:11 Grumpy Sunshine Foodie

34:49 Assassin Gothic Dark Romance

37:15 Chinese Mythology YA

38:21 Fake Dating Mooncakes

39:35 Cinderella Inspired Fantasy

41:24 Wrestling Rival Romance

43:43 Gothic Fantasy Yearning

45:47 Death God Fantasy Quest

47:36 Pride and Prejudice Korea

49:16 Wrap Up and Community

Links

Shop the books from this episode: [LTK LINK — shop the books]

Read along & catch up on the blog:

• Summer 2026 Reading Challenge → https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/summer-2026-reading-challenge/
• July 2026 Book Releases → https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/july-2026-book-releases/
• Summer 2026 Romance Releases → https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/summer-2026-romance-releases/
• Summer 2026 Mystery Releases → https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/summer-2026-mystery-releases/
• Queer Summer 2026 Book Releases → https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/queer-summer-2026-book-releases/

Want the full discussion of A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux? We covered it in two Ripped & Ravished Book Club episodes with Becky from Too Stupid To Live → https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/a-knight-in-shining-armor-by-jude-deveraux/

✨ Loved the episode?

Follow Reading Under the Covers wherever you listen and leave a quick review. It helps more romance readers find us (and lets me know what you’re loving). 💕

💌 Talk to Me:

Got a rec, trope request, or hot take? → Drop me a voice message.

☕ Support the Show:

Enjoyed hanging out? Leave us a tip. Even a dollar keeps the mics on and the coffee flowing.

📚 Stay Connected:

1. Blog: reviews, book lists, and seasonal reading inspo.
2. YouTube: book chats, reading lifestyle and recs.
3. Newsletter: join our insider for the latest updates.

💖 This episode may contain affiliate links. We earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show!

There's a book on your nightstand right now with a bookmark stuck about forty pages in. You already know you're not going to finish it and you feel a little guilty about it. That's the summer reading slump. And the way out isn't waiting for the mood to come back. It's a challenge... the fun, low-pressure kind.

In this episode of Reading Under the Covers, a romance novel podcast, I break down the Heatwave Cup: the summer edition of Under the Covers' year-long Romanceopoly reading challenge, built for exactly the reader who's stuck. Four books, three months, no spreadsheet, no bingo board. A challenge you can technically win by reading less.

I walk through all four prompts with picks straight from the Discord community plus my own summer TBR for it. The complete rec lists for every prompt, the free printable challenge cards, and the StoryGraph tracker all live on the blog.

Whether you're playing the full Romanceopoly challenge or you just want your bookmark unstuck, this is your mid-year reading reset for your reading life. Come tell us which prompt you're starting with.

Chapters:

• 00:00 The Summer Reading Slump
• 00:55 Heatwave Cup: What It Is
• 01:51 Rules, Dates & Tracking
• 02:52 Prompt 1: Rift Run
• 04:19 Prompt 2: Cursebreaker Clash
• 05:23 Prompt 3: Double Faulted Desires
• 06:41 Prompt 4: Enchanted Rally
• 07:32 Wrap-Up & How to Join

Links:

• Full challenge, all community recs, Storygraph & free printables: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/summer-2026-reading-challenge/
• Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/JfHWVdYz5U
• Read with us on Fable: https://utcbookblog.com/CX9IoU
• Check out Romanceopoly: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/reading-challenge

✨ Loved the episode?

Follow Reading Under the Covers wherever you listen and leave a quick review. It helps more romance readers find us (and lets me know what you’re loving). 💕

💌 Talk to Me:

Got a rec, trope request, or hot take? → Drop me a voice message.

☕ Support the Show:

Enjoyed hanging out? Leave us a tip. Even a dollar keeps the mics on and the coffee flowing.

📚 Stay Connected:

1. Blog: reviews, book lists, and seasonal reading inspo.
2. YouTube: book chats, reading lifestyle and recs.
3. Newsletter: join our insider for the latest updates.

💖 This episode may contain affiliate links. We earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show!

"She didn't need the knight. She became the knight."

In this episode of Reading Under the Covers, a romance novel podcast, Francesca and returning guest Becky (Too Stupid To Live) close out their two-part Ripped & Ravished Book Club discussion of A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux, the 1989 classic that was the May/June bodice ripper pick. This is Part 2, covering chapter 19 through the end. If you haven't heard Part 1 (chapters 1–18), start there first.

This is the half where the tone turns. The rom-com opening gives way to something darker and more Outlander-shaped: a re-love story, a rake at his worst, a heroine who has to win the same man twice... and an ending that asks whether a happily-ever-after has to mean two people standing together, or whether two souls finding each other across time is triumph enough. Francesca and Becky make their case for why it still counts as a romance, then dig into everything underneath it: Deveraux's own note that the book began as a story about alcoholism, the class and privilege threads running through the past, the low spice by modern standards, and the "write the story, not the tropes" argument.

Next up for the book club in August: Knight of a Trillion Stars by Dara Joy, an old-school '90s futuristic romance. Subscribe to the Ripped & Ravished email list so you don't miss that discussion.

Come tell us where you land on that ending on social, on the blog post, or by replying to the newsletter.

Timestamps

00:00 Intro

01:32 Is It Still Romance

03:15 Souls Time Travel Love

07:14 Revisions Alcoholism Lens

10:14 Dougless Growth Arc

12:46 Back to Chapter 19

14:10 Rake Nicholas Challenges

16:37 Gross History Details

18:17 Shower Audience Scene

20:22 Women Allies Body Talk

23:10 Closure With Robert

25:15 Choosing Herself

27:03 Nicholas Legacy Romance

29:14 Fanfic What Ifs

31:38 Genre Shift Praise

33:54 Privilege And Class Themes

39:14 Spice And Romance Trends

43:38 Breaking Writing Rules

45:58 Time Travel As Healing

49:07 Tropes Versus Story

55:09 Ratings And Reactions

58:22 Ending And Epilogue Debate

01:02:21 Movie Adaptation Dreams

01:03:31 Podcast Plugs And Next Read

01:04:34 Book Club Wrap Up

Links

• A Knight in Shining Armor on the blog: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/a-knight-in-shining-armor-by-jude-deveraux/
• The Ripped & Ravished Book Club: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/bodice-ripper-book-club/
• Join the Ripped & Ravished email list: https://underthecovers.myflodesk.com/ripped-ravished
• Becky's podcast, Too Stupid To Live: https://tstlpodcast.substack.com

Hungry for more time travel romance? Start here:

• Time Travel Romance Books: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/time-travel-romance-books/
• Time Loop Romance: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/time-loop-romance/
• YA Time Loop Romance Books: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/ya-time-loop-romance-books/

✨ Loved the episode?

Follow Reading Under the Covers wherever you listen and leave a quick review. It helps more romance readers find us (and lets me know what you’re loving). 💕

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💖 This episode may contain affiliate links. We earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show!

Twenty-five years ago, Jacqueline Carey published Kushiel's Dart and changed what epic fantasy could do. To mark the anniversary, I sat down with her to talk about how she built the world of Terre d'Ange, why she wrote a heroine who is both a feminist icon and a divinely ordained masochist, and what she wants you to do when the first hundred pages feel like a lot. This conversation also kicks off our year-long Kushiel's Legacy readalong, so whether you have always wanted to read these books or you want to reread them with company, this is your starting point.

In this episode of Reading Under the Covers, a romance novel podcast:

• The coffee-table-book accident that handed Carey an entire theology
• Writing consent as a sacred tenet, and why she chose first person
• Turning the trauma-forged fantasy heroine on its head
• Why she threw out the rulebook on her own prose
• Melisande, and the villain you are not supposed to root for
• Joscelin, Cassiel's Servant, and an easier way into the series
• Her advice for readers intimidated by the size
• "Love as thou wilt," and what 25 years of readers have meant to her

Timestamps:

00:00 Podcast Welcome

00:48 25 Years Of Kushiel

01:42 Big Idea Origins

03:14 Writing Phedre Over Time

04:08 Feminism Consent Voice

05:03 Getting Into The World

05:42 Joscelin Retelling Entry

06:35 Building Terre Theology

08:36 Finding The Baroque Voice

10:34 Turning Tropes Inside Out

11:52 Crafting The Cast

12:46 Why Readers Love Melisande

13:35 Parallel Character Arcs

15:35 Returning To Joscelin

17:54 New Insights From Servant

19:10 Read Along Tips Themes

20:15 Love As Thou Wilt

21:00 Legacy And Reader Impact

23:01 Wrap Up And Read Along

Read along with us:

• Join the Kushiel's Legacy readalong: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/kushiels-legacy-readalong/
• New to the world? Start with the reading guide: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/kushiels-legacy-reading-order/
• Read the full interview feature on the blog: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/jacqueline-carey-interview/
• Get the book: Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey: https://on.ltk.com/+oMD9q5qkEHc6YwbIv2MSxw (affiliate)
• Readlong email: https://underthecovers.myflodesk.com/kushiel
• Readalong Discord: https://discord.gg/XdkabCdHYZ

New episodes drop monthly as we read through the series together, so subscribe so you don't miss them, and come talk about each section with us in the Discord. If the show is your kind of thing, a rating or review helps other readers find it.

Heads up: the books, and parts of this conversation, touch on mature themes, including BDSM and the role of pain and consent in Carey's world.

✨ Loved the episode?

Follow Reading Under the Covers wherever you listen and leave a quick review. It helps more romance readers find us (and lets me know what you’re loving). 💕

💌 Talk to Me:

Got a rec, trope request, or hot take? → Drop me a voice message.

☕ Support the Show:

Enjoyed hanging out? Leave us a tip. Even a dollar keeps the mics on and the coffee flowing.

📚 Stay Connected:

1. Blog: reviews, book lists, and seasonal reading inspo.
2. YouTube: book chats, reading lifestyle and recs.
3. Newsletter: join our insider for the latest updates.

💖 This episode may contain affiliate links. We earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show!