Smart Women Read Romance

Call the banners because Winter Is Here! We've got our fangirl t-shirts, wine, and decorations all ready for Sunday. Before the premiere of Game of Thrones, Jessen and Juliette discuss their favorite romance ships, their most anticipated character reunions, and predictions on who will be the last man/woman standing by the end of the final season!

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You've heard us drool over Sebastian St. Vincent in Episode 6, now meet his daughter Phoebe in this wonderful historical romance filled with out favorite tropes. You'll see quite a few cameos from Kleypas' other series, including Sebastian and Evie themselves! Before we deep dive into their story, listen to a brief  chit-chat/check-in with Jessen and Juliette talk about the musical Hamilton (01:26). Get to know the characters, setting, and tropes during their  spoiler-free discussion of Devil's Daughter (4:29). Spoiler Section:  Juliette and Jessen compete in a Showdown where they each offer up their  favorite scene to see which one reigns supreme (7:57). Then, take a  deep dive into all the SPOILERY details of one of this witty and swoony historical romance (12:50).

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Need any salt with that burn? Vera, a food truck owner, and the renowned head chef of Lilou - Killian Quinn - go head to head, when Vera parks right across from his restaurant. Sparks fly and these rival chefs become something more during the course of their friendly (oftentimes hilarious) competition. One of our favorite enemies-to-lovers plots!  Before we deep dive into their story, listen to a brief  chit-chat/check-in with Jessen and Juliette as they talk about their major anticipation of the final season of Game of Thrones (00:58). Get to know the characters, setting, and tropes during their  spoiler-free discussion of The Opposite of You (4:26). Spoiler Section:  Juliette and Jessen compete in a Showdown where they each offer up their  favorite scene to see which one reigns supreme (10:10)! Then, take a  deep dive into all the SPOILERY details of one of this hilariously sweet contemporary with a cool twist (16:12).

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Some romances keep you on your toes - dragging out the story and making our characters work for their HEA. And then there are INSTALOVE romances, where the hero and heroine know that something is special right from the first. Jessen and Juliette discuss what they find makes instalove romances more realistic, and give examples of book that get it right!

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The ultimate journey of friends to lovers - Torn will tear you up and put you back together again. Age-gap romances are hard to do well, but Carian Cole has got the magic touch and tackles the tough-to-tell stories in a way that feels completely realistic. Kenzie and Toren have a unique relationship and it grows and changes throughout the years. Before we deep dive into their story, listen to a brief  chit-chat/check-in with Jessen and Juliette as they talk about the Starz adaptations of Philippa Gregory's novels (1:14). Get to know the characters, setting, and tropes during their  spoiler-free discussion of Torn (5:45). Spoiler Section:  Juliette and Jessen compete in a Showdown where they each offer up their  favorite scene to see which one reigns supreme (10:00)! Then, take a  deep dive into all the SPOILERY details of one of this hilariously sweet contemporary with a cool twist (16:16).

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Beyond excited for this review because Lingus needs a whole hellavalot more love than it gets. It's one of our top three Zapata books and we are here to share the love. And yes, the title means exactly what you're thinking! Buckle up for this unconventional friends-to-lovers romance. Before we deep dive into their story, listen to a brief  chit-chat/check-in with Jessen and Juliette as they talk about appendectomies and grand-parent names - we were very random in this round of chit-chats (00:56). Get to know the characters, setting, and tropes during their  spoiler-free discussion of Lingus (6:21). Spoiler Section:  Juliette and Jessen compete in a Showdown where they each offer up their  favorite scene to see which one reigns supreme (11:51)! Then, take a  deep dive into all the SPOILERY details of one of this hilariously sweet contemporary with a cool twist (16:02).

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***TRIGGER WARNING***
This episode will discuss scenes depicting sexual assault and violence, which may be upsetting to listeners.

"I'd play you at the five." Que major swoon, because August West is taking a shot at winning the heart of Iris - but the play isn't that simple. It's not an easy road to their HEA, but the journey is raw and real. Before we deep dive into their story, listen to a brief chit-chat/check-in with Jessen and Juliette as they talk about the wonders of synesthesia and recording with a lot of eyes starring us down (1:05). Get to know the characters, setting, and tropes during their spoiler-free discussion of Long Shot (5:25). Spoiler Section: Juliette and Jessen compete in a Showdown where they each offer up their favorite scene to see which one reigns supreme (10:00)! Then, take a deep dive into all the SPOILERY details of one of this hauntingly beautiful sports romance (14:14).

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Pirate-historical romance? Yes, please! The harrowing story of the survivors of Newgate Prison continues in Kerrigan Byrne's latest installment which focuses on The Rook. He may not remember his past, but fans of the Victorian Rebels series are sure to connect a few dots to discover his identity! Before we get into the fangirling zone, listen to a brief chit-chat/check-in with Jessen and Juliette as they talk about Jessen's moving struggles and the new role that Juliette's husband is playing in Legally Blonde(00:48). Get to know the characters, setting, and tropes during their spoiler-free discussion of The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo(5:00). Spoiler Section: Juliette and Jessen compete in a Showdown where they each offer up their favorite scene to see which one reigns supreme (10:00)! Then, take a deep dive into all the SPOILERY details of one of this second-chance, pirate romance (14:19).

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To celebrate the Mardi Gras season, Juliette and Jessen give listeners a glimpse of what life is like living in the Acadiana area of Louisiana! They clear up common misconceptions popularized by Hollywood, explore the different cultures around Acadiana, and have a mini lesson in Cajun lingo. Stick around for a small sample of zydeco music to cap off the episode!

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You all knew this one was coming. We have waxed poetic about our favorite sexual lumbersnack and the not-so-Banana-Cake-Queen in previous episodes as well as our Book Boyfriend and Girlcrush minisodes. Now you get an entire episode dedicated to Cletus Winston and Jennifer Sylvester! We also have a special segment where you get Juliette's live reaction to reading selected parts of Dr. Strange Beard. Before we get into the fangirling zone, listen to a brief chit-chat/check-in with Jessen and Juliette as they talk about Les Miserables in New Orleans, the Sazerac, and a book rec from our listeners (00:59). Get to know the characters, setting, and tropes during their spoiler-free discussion of Beard Science (6:22). Spoiler Section: Juliette and Jessen compete in a Showdown where they each offer up their favorite scene to see which one reigns supreme (10:11)! Then, take a deep dive into all the SPOILERY details of one of our favorite contemporary romances of all time (15:00). LIVE REACTION: I pulled a few scenes from Dr. Strange Beard - which has a 5 year time jump and some very interesting developments in the Winston world - for Juliette to read and you get her unfiltered WTF reaction (1:13:35)!

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