The Doctor by E.L. Todd | Book Review & Discussion

In this special extended episode, we review E.L. Todd's forbidden romance novel The Doctor, the first book in her four-book series — and we've included our full Post-Show as a bonus for our listeners! If you love slow burn romance, forbidden romance books, or grumpy sunshine stories with unexpected depth, this book club discussion is for you!

📚 BOOK DETAILS:

Title: The Doctor

Author: E.L. Todd

Genre: Forbidden Romance, Contemporary Romance

Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️

Our Rating: 3.5/5 - 4/5 Stars

Available: Kindle, Audible, Kindle Unlimited (Books 2-4)

🎧 WHAT WE COVER:

✅ Full spoiler book review of The Doctor

✅ Forbidden romance tropes: brother's ex-wife, slow burn, grumpy sunshine

✅ Why flat characters can still be completely compelling

✅ The toxic love interest red flags Pepper keeps ignoring

✅ Audiobook narrator discussion (valley girl vocal fry warning)

✅ The biggest plot hole nobody talks about

✅ Romance vs Smut vs Erotica classification

✅ March Book of the Month announcement: Brutal Prince by Sophie Lark

🔥 ROMANCE TROPES IN THIS BOOK:

Brother's ex-wife forbidden romance

Slow burn romance

Grumpy sunshine dynamic

Friends to lovers (adjacent)

Military hero romance

No strings attached gone wrong

Divorce recovery & self discovery

💬 OUR HONEST THOUGHTS:

We discuss why this unexpected Stuff Your Kindle Day find became one of our best reads of 2026, why flat characters can still carry a series, and how a knockoff Fifty Shades cover almost stopped us from reading one of our new favorite series. This episode is longer than usual as we have included the full Post-Show as a bonus!

📖 MENTIONED BOOKS & AUTHORS:

Brutal Prince by Sophie Lark

Paladin's Grace by T. Kingfisher

A Fate Inked in Blood

Saved by the Caladrius by Mary E. Jung

Fifty Shades of Grey

Salt Kiss Series

I read over 300 books in 2025 and I'm sharing my most memorable reads—both amazing and awful! Join me for The Pretty Little Death's first-ever reading wrap-up as I discuss 12 noteworthy titles from my year of reading nearly a book a day.

📚 BOOKS DISCUSSED:

BEST READS:

• Bride of Brutal Hearts - fae vampire romance with representation
• A Most Forgettable Girl - plus size FMC, matchmaking romance
• His Orc Lady - female monster romance, fated mates
• War Maiden - orc warrior romance, enemies to lovers
• Dark Fae trilogy (combo volume) - vampire fae, MMF romance
• A Vow of Blood and Tears - deaf/mute FMC, Beauty and the Beast retelling

WORST READS:

• Between Two Kings - disappointing sequel
• Traitor - dark motorcycle club romance gone wrong
• A Wife for Silas - disturbing dark romance
• Valhalla is Full of Hunks - ridiculous premise, no plot
• Bought - bait and switch murder mystery
• Entwined - biggest disappointment of the year

KEY TOPICS: ✨ AI-generated books flooding the market ✨ Problems with Kindle Unlimited quality ✨ Importance of professional editors vs. ARC readers ✨ Monster romance recommendations ✨ Dark romance vs. truly dark content ✨ Romance industry trends 2025

Honeycutt by Sierra Simone Book Review | Salt Kiss Sequel Disappointment

Is Honeycutt by Sierra Simone worth reading? We're reviewing the spicy romance sequel that left us FRUSTRATED. After loving Salt Kiss, book 2 in the Lyonesse series was a major letdown. Here's our honest romance book review!

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Intro & What We're Reading 5:00 - Honeycutt Plot Summary 15:00 - Why We're Disappointed 25:00 - Plot Holes & Character Issues 35:00 - The Smut Scenes (Our Rating) 45:00 - Would We Recommend This Book? 50:00 - February Book Pick Reveal

📖 IN THIS REVIEW: ✅ Honeycutt vs Salt Kiss comparison ✅ Tristan and Isolde retelling analysis ✅ BDSM romance book review ✅ Spicy romance recommendations ✅ Book series review: Lyonesse trilogy ✅ Sierra Simone author discussion ✅ Romance book plot holes explained ✅ Best spicy books 2025

⭐ OUR RATING: 2/5 Stars

🔥 BOOKS MENTIONED:

• Honeycutt by Sierra Simone (2025 release)
• Salt Kiss by Sierra Simone
• Bitter Burn by Sierra Simone
• The Doctor by E.L. Todd

💬 JOIN OUR COMMUNITY: 📱 Discord: https://discord.gg/CYk65uYq6e

🎧 LISTEN ON: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music | Google Podcasts

🔔 SUBSCRIBE for weekly spicy book reviews, romance book recommendations, and booktok discussions!

🎄 Christmas Eve Special: A Romance Gone Wrong

Nigel and the Critic review Megan Quinn's "How My Neighbor Stole Christmas" - a 482-page holiday romance that crashes harder than Santa's sleigh. This Hallmark-meets-Grinch mashup featuring Story Taylor and Cole Black delivers everything you don't want: bad poetry, inconsistent characters, and a plot hole big enough to fit the North Pole.

Episode Highlights:

• First impressions: 9% in and already hating it
• The narrator vs. Cole Black arguments that break the fourth wall
• Why dual first-person POV ruins everything
• Story Taylor: the most insufferable protagonist of 2024
• Cole Black: surprisingly good character development wasted
• Major plot holes: fake injuries and impossible competitions
• The smut that arrives at 63% and ruins a salvageable story
• Marry/F*ck/Kill: Atlas, Aunt Cindy, and Taryn edition

Our Rating: 1.5/5 stars - Skip this one

Next Episode: Honeycutt (Lioness Series Book 2) in January 2025

Join our Discord for book suggestions and real-time discussions!

In this episode, we review Sylvia Day's 2012 Regency romance novel Seven Years to Sin. If you love historical romance, spicy romance books, or Bridgerton-style stories, this book club discussion is for you!

📚 BOOK DETAILS:

• Title: Seven Years to Sin
• Author: Sylvia Day
• Genre: Historical Romance, Regency Era Romance
• Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
• Our Rating: 3/5 Stars
• Available: Kindle, Audible, Libby App

🎧 WHAT WE COVER: ✅ Full spoiler book review of Seven Years to Sin ✅ Regency romance tropes: widow romance, age gap, forced proximity ✅ Why the subplot was better than the main romance ✅ Historical accuracy issues in Regency era romance ✅ Comparison to contemporary romance vs 2012 romance novels ✅ Audiobook review and narrator discussion ✅ Romance recommendations for longing/yearning readers

⚡ TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Intro & Book Selection Drama 5:30 - Seven Years to Sin Plot Summary 15:45 - Main Romance vs Subplot Discussion 32:20 - Regency Era Accuracy & That Red Dress 45:10 - Spice Level & Writing Style Analysis 58:30 - Our Rating & Final Thoughts 1:12:00 - Romance Book Recommendations

🔥 ROMANCE TROPES IN THIS BOOK:

• Widow heroine romance
• Older woman younger man age gap
• Childhood longing & yearning
• Forced proximity on ship journey
• Class differences & social scandal
• Marriage of convenience (secondary plot)
• Infertility representation

💭 OUR HONEST THOUGHTS: We discuss why this longing-heavy romance had a subplot that completely stole the show, the rushed ending that left us wanting more, and how 2012 romance novels differ from today's AI-influenced publishing landscape.

📖 MENTIONED BOOKS & AUTHORS:

• Interview with the Vampire
• Frankenstein
• Jane Austen novels
• Fifty Shades of Grey comparison
• Bared to You by Sylvia Day
• When Strangers Marry
• Brandon Sanderson fantasy recommendations

🔥 BRUTALLY HONEST Omegaverse Book Review 🔥

We're reviewing "Not Enough" by J.P. Sina and Allie Santos - and spoiler alert: this dark romance Omegaverse harem book MISSED THE MARK. If you're wondering whether to read this Kindle Unlimited book, watch this review first!

📚 IN THIS EPISODE: ✅ Not Enough book review - full breakdown ✅ Omegaverse explained for beginners ✅ Why this "dark romance" isn't actually dark ✅ Major plot holes you NEED to know about ✅ Spicy book recommendations that are actually GOOD ✅ Kindle Unlimited romance worth your time ✅ Character analysis: the good, bad, and confusing

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Intro & Content Warning 5:00 - What is Omegaverse? 12:00 - Not Enough Plot Summary 25:00 - Our Ratings & Why We're Disappointed 40:00 - Major Plot Holes Discussion 50:00 - Better Book Recommendations

🚨 CONTENT WARNING: This podcast discusses mature themes including SA, kidnapping, dark romance tropes. NOT for children. Resources available 24/7 - see links below.

⭐ OUR RATING: 1 STAR (and that's generous)

BETTER BOOKS WE RECOMMEND:

• Salt Kiss series
• Morning Glory Milking Farm
• Sweet Berries (Mothman romance!)

📖 NEXT MONTH'S BOOK: Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff - 727 pages, 4.5 stars, 10K+ reviews!

💬 JOIN THE CONVERSATION: 🔗 Discord 📱 Instagram🎧 Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio

COMMENT BELOW: What's YOUR least favorite part of this book if you've read it? Top 3 questions in our Discord get answered next episode!

National Human Trafficking Hotline

Languages: English, Spanish

Hours: 24 hours, 7 days a week

888-373-7888 Text Info to 233733

National Domestic Violence Hotline

Languages: English, Spanish and 200+ through interpretation service

Hours: 24/7

800-799-7233 Text Begin to 88788

Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

Languages: English, Spanish

Hours: Available 24 hours

988 Text 988

National Mental Health Helpline

1866-903-3787

Was Robert A. Heinlein's 1959 novel Starship Troopers actually good, or did Paul Verhoeven's campy 1997 film adaptation accidentally create something better? Spoiler: The book reads like military fanfic, and the movie wins by a landslide.

In this premiere episode of "The Book Was Better," we dive deep into the massive differences between Heinlein's militaristic novel and Verhoeven's satirical sci-fi action film. We explore why the movie bombed initially but became a cult classic, how the characters were completely transformed, the controversial fascist themes in both versions, and why the book feels more like military fiction than sci-fi.

Topics covered: Johnny Rico's journey, the Buenos Aires asteroid problem (complete with physics rant), missing sci-fi elements like power suits and psychic echo dogs, Heinlein's real Naval background, and our final verdict on which version actually tells the better story.

Next episode: Frank Herbert's DUNE (all three film adaptations!)

Runtime: 1:20:45

Join the hosts of Ink & Asteroids for their debut episode as they dive deep into Robert A. Heinlein's controversial 1959 classic, Starship Troopers. This isn't your typical sci-fi discussion - discover why this military-focused novel left both hosts questioning whether it truly belongs in the science fiction genre.

What We Cover:

• Why Starship Troopers feels more like military recruitment propaganda than space opera
• The philosophical heavy-handedness that dominates the middle chapters
• Johnny Rico as an unreliable narrator and possible author self-insert
• Cold War era influences and militaristic democracy themes
• The surprising lack of actual sci-fi elements in this "sci-fi" classic
• Women's roles and military segregation in Heinlein's future society
• That saccharine ending with Johnny's father (yes, we call BS too)
• Mini hydrogen bombs as grenades and other questionable tech choices

What happens when a guy reads his first spicy romance book? We gave "The Cryptid" Salt Kiss by Sierra Simone and his reactions are HILARIOUS!

This military bodyguard romance with BDSM elements definitely caught him off guard. From questioning the virgin soldier plot to critiquing military accuracy, his fresh perspective on the romance genre is eye-opening.

⭐ RATINGS: Story 4.5/5 | Spice Level 2/5 ⭐

🔥 WHAT WE DISCUSS:

• First male reader honest reactions
• Plot holes that made us laugh
• Military romance accuracy
• BDSM representation done right
• Male vs female gaze in romance

📚 OCTOBER BOOK: So I Fell For Bigfoot!

👇 JOIN OUR DISCORD for exclusive post-show content!

#BookReview #SpicyBooks #RomanceBooks #SaltKiss #MaleReaction #BookClub #AdultRomance #BookTok

Somehow, our YouTube version of this episode went up perfectly, but the audio version did not!

We are gearing up to come back from our hiatus which ends in Sept, and only just now realized WE HAD NO AUDIO FOR A WHOLE MONTH!

We are so sorry, all. Don't miss this episode, as it is a DOZY!

Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of sensitive material including trauma, BDSM themes, and adult content. Not suitable for children.

After a year-long wait, we finally dive into Rebecca Quinn's highly anticipated finale to the Brutes of Bristlebrook series. "Entwined" promised to be our most anticipated release of the year, but did it deliver? Join us as we discuss the 800+ page conclusion to Eden and the Brutes' story.

We break down everything from character development (or assassination), pacing issues, and the overwhelming amount of explicit content that dominated the narrative. From Jaykob's inexplicable personality shift to Dom's redemption arc, we explore what worked, what didn't, and what we wished had been different.

This episode covers our thoughts on the series as a whole, the challenges of writing ensemble casts, and why sometimes more isn't always better. We also discuss BDSM representation in romance novels and the importance of seeking proper resources for real-life situations.

Resources mentioned are available in the episode description. This is a work of fiction discussion for educational and entertainment purposes only.

Episode 11 of Season 2 - Part of our ongoing series coverage

Episode Highlights: Detailed spoiler-free review of the 800+ page finale Analysis of character arcs and development issues Discussion of pacing and structural problems BDSM representation in romance literature Comparison to previous books in the series Rating breakdown (plot vs. spice level) What we wished had been included from the "ghost book" Author's revision process and ARC feedback impact

Content Warnings: Discussion of trauma and PTSD

BDSM themes and practices

Adult sexual content

References to violence and captivity

Mental health topics

Remember: Fiction is not a substitute for professional help. Resources and hotlines are available 24/7 for those who need support.

National Human Trafficking Hotline

Languages: English, Spanish

Hours: 24 hours, 7 days a week

888-373-7888 Text Info to 233733

National Domestic Violence Hotline

Languages: English, Spanish and 200+ through interpretation service

Hours: 24/7

800-799-7233 Text Begin to 88788

Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

Languages: English, Spanish

Hours: Available 24 hours

988 Text 988

National Mental Health Helpline

1866-903-3787