Welcome to Reading Under the Covers, a romance novel podcast where we chat, fangirl, and maybe even swoon over our latest reads. I'm Francesca from Under the Covers Book Blog, and today I’m joined by historical romance legend Eloisa James to talk about her newest release, Hardly a Gentleman — and so much more.

This episode is for you if you love:

• Grumpy Scottish heroes who fish naked in streams 🐟
• Proper heroines on the run who just want to read in peace 📚
• Accidental marriage? Yep.
• He falls first? Oh, absolutely.

We’re diving into:

• How Hardly a Gentleman fits into the Accidental Brides series
• The hilarious (and kilty) setup for this romance
• Why pirates are hard to write these days 😅
• The evolution of romance over the decades: from bodice rippers to booktok
• Whether stepbacks might be making a comeback (Eloisa has thoughts — and art)
• Balancing academia and writing bestsellers
• And why romance is a radical, joyful act of resistance

We also talk about the misogyny still embedded in how romance is viewed and why that makes stories like these matter even more. Plus, Eloisa shares her current reads and what’s coming next (spoiler: haunted abbeys and secret rock star dads).

📚 Books Mentioned:

– Hardly a Gentleman (all about her current release)

– A Kiss at Midnight, When Beauty Tamed the Beast (tropes she loves in her backlist titles)

– Viscount in Love (how the heroine has a piece of her life experience)

– Wilde in Love, Too Wilde to Wed (cover inspiration)

Eloisa's recommendations:

– Earl Crush by Alexandra Vasti

– There's Something About Mira by Sonali Dev (available on Kindle Unlimited)

– Small Bomb at Dimperley by Lissa Evans

– I Captured the Castle by Dodie Smith

🔗 Resources Mentioned:

– Substack series on the Evolution of Romance

– Eloisa James’ commissioned stepback artwork (on her website)

– The Ripped Bodice bookstore (for special editions)

🖤 If you're a romance history nerd or just love a Scottish Laird with no pants, this episode is a must-listen.

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