Romance ME Podcast

In this episode, we discuss Love Hacked by Penny Reid.

Sandra is looking for a stable, long term relationship. She takes all her first dates to the same restaurant and every date ends the same way. The guy starts crying.

One night, after Sandra’s newest date leaves in tears, Alex the waiter and Sandra share a passionate kiss. Alex is hot and obviously Mr. Wrong, but Sandra decides to enjoy a fling for once.

Alex is smart, secretive, and complicated. As Sandra begins to develop feelings for Alex, she realizes that maybe Mr. Wrong is perfect for her after all.

In this episode, we discuss Can’t Fix Cupid by Raven Kennedy.

Trix Valentine is a cupid whose powers don’t work. She hasn’t been meeting her love match quotas, and may get popped out of existence if she can’t manage to fix herself. In a last ditch effort to do just that, she ends up partially human.

Warren is a savvy businessman who refuses to fall in love. Unfortunately for him, Trix has decided that he needs her help. And she will do anything to help him... and hopefully help herself in the process.

In this episode, we discuss The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang.

Stella has high-functioning autism, loves math, and is a brilliant and successful econometrician. She’s less successful at romance, so she decides to hire an escort to help her improve her skills. Michael, the escort she hires, can’t believe Stella is bad at sex, but he agrees to conduct a series of “lessons.”

Immediately attracted to each other, the partnership starts to feel more like a real relationship. But, both Stella and Michael are hiding something. When the secrets come out, will love still be the logical conclusion?

In this episode, we discuss Kristin Ashley's Fantasyland series as a whole.

In this series, there are two parallel worlds--our world and Fantasyland. Almost everyone in our world has a twin in Fantasyland, although, while these twins look exactly alike, they are often very different from each other. There are five books in this series, and each book involves a character from our world being transported to Fantasyland and finding “love across worlds.”

Content warning: These books contain dubious consent, rape, sexual violence, abuse (including emotional, domestic, and violent child abuse), abuse survivorship, child loss, and slavery. There are several scenes where the hero is violent toward the heroine, including rape.

In this episode, we discuss Midnight Soul by Kristen Ashley.

Franka Drakkar has secrets, and to make everyone keep their distance, she wears a mask of cruelty. Noc Hawthorne, an undercover cop from our world, was transported to Fantasyland to help save it from evil. While there, he meets Franka. In a moment of vulnerability, her mask slips, and Noc sees her for who she really is. Noc wants Franka to come home with him, and promises her an adventure beyond her dreams. After a lifetime of keeping everyone at a distance, is Franka prepared to let Noc into her heart?

Content warning: Abuse survivorship, including violent child abuse.

Join us for a special bonus episode next week, when we discuss the Fantasyland series as a whole!

In this episode, we discuss Broken Dove by Kristen Ashley.

Apollo is still grieving the tragic loss of his wife, Ilsa, when he learns there is a parallel world where everyone in his world has a “twin.” He arranges for the twin of his wife to be brought to his world, hoping that, in this way, he can have his wife again.

Ilsa is on the run from her abusive husband, Apollo’s twin. When she is brought to Apollo’s world, she isn’t what he expected. And, Ilsa doesn’t want to be a constant reminder of what he lost. However, evil is on the horizon and Apollo must keep Ilsa close to keep her safe.

Content warning: This book has scenes depicting domestic violence, emotional abuse, and child loss.

In this episode, we discuss The Christmas Pact by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward.

Riley Kennedy and her colleague Kennedy Riley meet in person at the office holiday party after sparring over misdirected emails. While Riley was initially infuriated by Kennedy’s nosy responses to emails meant for her, he manages to convince her that he’d make a great date to impress her mother when she goes home for Christmas. In return, she agrees to be his date for his brother’s wedding.

Their act manages to fool everyone and, as they become closer, they both start to wonder if there is something more to their scheme than a simple agreement.

In this episode, we discuss Fantastical by Kristen Ashley.

Cora wakes up in, what she first assumes, a dream-world--where birds talk to her and the furniture defies physics. She inadvertently sets off a centuries-old curse, and soon realizes she is not actually dreaming but in an alternate world where the alternate her is not very nice.

Noctorno rescues Cora from the effects of the curse, but he doesn’t like her or trust her. When Cora tries to tell him who she really is, he thinks it’s all a game. But, he’s willing to play along as long as she stays sweet.

Content warning: Discussion and threats regarding rape, as well as elements of dubious consent.

In this episode, we discuss The Golden Dynasty by Kristin Ashley. 

Circe wakes up, not in her bedroom in Seattle, but in a completely different world. A world filled with violence, barbaric warriors, and magic.

Dax Lahn, king of the Korwahk Horde, takes one look at Circe and knows she is to be his golden queen and that together they will fulfill the legend of the Golden Dynasty. Lahn quickly captures Circe and forces her to be his queen.

In this primitive land with a completely different language and culture, Circe learns she must embrace her own warrior spirit to survive.

Content warning: This book has graphic violence, including sexual violence, rape, domestic abuse, and slavery. Sensitive readers should also be cautioned that the hero rapes and strikes the heroine. 

In this episode, we discuss Wildest Dreams by Kristen Ashley.

Finnie is always searching for the grandest adventure, so when a witch tells her of a parallel world, and offers to help her switch places with the other her, Finnie is more than willing to spend the money to make it happen. However, there are some secrets the other her has been keeping and not all of them are good. 

Frey Drakkar quickly realizes that his new bride isn’t the woman he actually knows. In fact, she’s much better. He plots to keep her with him always, but to do that, he’ll have to keep her safe. 

Content warning: Discussion and threats regarding rape, as well as elements of dubious consent.