Sabriiiiina is here to recap The Warlord Wants Forever by Kresley Cole! It's the first in the Immortals After Dark series and we're here to say... maybe don't skip it! We've got two immortals, one femme fatale, one warlord hot dummy, FATE, savage goodbyes, memorable reunions, VERY questionable/dubious/non-existent consent (also enthusiastic consent), and so much more! Could this be viewed as problematic? Sure. Did we super love it? Very yes. Bonus content: series hopping and existential crises, ...
Jun 12, 2023•1 hr 44 min•Ep. 309
THE TWINS ARE HERE!!!! Kimberly Lemming and Alexis the Sword join Mel to recap Crow by A Zavarelli! Irish Mafia, missing BFF, scrappy boxer's daughter orphan, MAGNETIC ATTRACTION, Russian Mafia, basement Dexters, pole dancing!, and Rob Zombie lap dances. CW: sexual assault, violence against women, and mentions of child abuse in a later book in the series. Look, Mel loved book. Kim and Alexis, not so much. But the great thing is, there's room in romance for everyone! Serious reminder: we chat as ...
Jun 05, 2023•2 hr 7 min•Ep. 308
HBs, we're back with this delicious display! Display of what? Still not totally sure! All we know is we loved almost every second of it. Bonus Content: applause post-first sexytimes, Two Face, and so much more! Lady Loves: Naima: Charlize Theron always. She makes an excellent St. Vincent. Mel: Check on your thermoses! Maybe they say "push to clean" and you don't have to deal with weird, dangerous tastes for weeks. Don't be an illiterate bridge troll! Subscribe! Rate! Review! Tell all your friend...
May 29, 2023•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 307
Oh golly! Your pal and mine Naima Simone has turned this into a Yoshi Appreciation Podcast. That's right, she's back to talk about our new problematic fave Through My Window on Netflix! This dubbed classic is a new adult stalking extravaganza that gave us all the delicious conflicting feelings! It's Venezuelan Twilight and we're not mad about it. Content Warnings: stalking, emotional abuse by a romantic partner maybe?, parental emotional abuse for sure, the perpetuation of the predatory teenage ...
May 24, 2023•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 306
Hey y'all! It's part 3 of The Bride! The final part! This last 20% of the book is so action packed that it'll make your head spin. Bonus Content: demanding bribes for adulting, severe aversions to heights, necrophilia jokes that Mel understands right in front of you, Sabrina putting the mystery's puzzle pieces together in real time, and so much more! Don't miss out on the Dangerous Tides Kickstarter ! It ends this week! Lady Loves: Mel: Hoopla! OMG! Librarian HBs, if you know of a way for Sabrin...
May 15, 2023•2 hr 6 min•Ep. 305
Hey HBs! Sabrina is back for part 2 of The Bride by Julie Garwood! We start with the morning after the consummation and watch these two hot dummies try to parse their feelings while also shedding a bit more light on the suspense subplot! (There's a murderer in their midst) Bonus Content: blinking like a broken cupie doll, abandoning sexytime metaphors, and so much more! Lady Loves: Sabrina: Frozen pot stickers! In the air fryer! Sooooo good! Mel: This darn Kickstarter for Dangerous Tides ! I'm j...
May 08, 2023•1 hr 52 min•Ep. 304
HB Sabrina and Mel begin our saga covering The Bride by Julie Garwood! Boy this book is bonkers! We couldn't stop talking about this Medieval Highlander Times gem, so this is part 1 of 3. Bonus Content: Approaching books with an open heart but wary mind, loving books even if they're problematic, Mel tells problematic childhood stories, getting scruffed, Fishbowl Jamie, 1100s saddle? What is?, and so much more!
May 01, 2023•1 hr 48 min•Ep. 303
Hey HBs! It's part two of Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake by Alexis Hall! Meredith and Mel recap the competition, the switcheroo, and so much more! Lady loves: Meredith: Pansies. It's flower season and flowers are happy! And annuals are cheap and cheerful! Mel: Also spring flowers! My magnolia tree is blooming for the first time since we moved into the new house and I'M OBSESSED!!! Dangerous Tides launches on April 28th at 12:30pm ET! Don't miss it! Subscribe! Rate! Review! Tell all your friends ...
Apr 24, 2023•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 302
Hey HBs! Meredith is back to recap Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake by Alexis Hall! Structurally, it's one of the most interesting romance novels I've read. Plus, it comes with Alexis Hall's signature wit AND WE LOVED IT! Did it elicit some completely rational text messages from Mel to Meredith? No. This text required hard muppet texting; that's what good books do! They make you care. [Insert sheepish giggles here] Bonus Content: soliciting chickens, GBBO background, bi-phobia, Meredith and Mel ar...
Apr 17, 2023•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 301
Sophie Jordan is here to recap Gentle Rogue by Johanna Lindsey! It's Pirate Times! It's England Times! It's America Times! It's all the head hopping! It's George's adventure and she's falling in love along the way. It's also a HUGE inspiration for CM Nascosta's book in the Dangerous Tides series TO RAVISH A ROGUE. Nascosta takes Lindsey's delicious bonkers framework and adds monsters and more baths and so so so so so much more. I CANNOT. Make sure to check out THE COUNTESS , book 1 of Sophie Jor...
Apr 10, 2023•1 hr 43 min•Ep. 300
HAPPY ST. VINCENT DAY, HBs!!!!!! It's a community celebration! Thank you to everyone who wrote in and sent audio files! I LOVED hearing and reading all your thoughts! I'm basically obsessed with you. #stvincentwouldalways Thank you for celebrating Sebastian St. Vincent with us! Socials referenced: @theheakitchen | @quote_quake Books recommended: Again the Magic by Lisa Kleypas The Luckiest Lady In London by Sherry Thomas A Duke of Her Own by Eloisa James The Devil Is a Marquess by Elisa Braden D...
Apr 02, 2023•48 min•Ep. 299
KIMBERLY LEMMING IS BAAAACK!!!!!!! Let us rejoice! And she brought a fabulous contemporary novel that involved a bakery, a boxing gym, an ex's wedding, a divorce party, a cake eating contest, a parrot in a shirt, and more nouns that feel like they maybe shouldn't go together but actually did. BEAUTIFULLY, in fact. Mimi Grace did it with Make a Scene. Oh, also dirty talk! Truly a marvel. Bonus content: Fat Bottomed Girls by Queen, Sir Duncan: Knight of our Hearts, Clown Jail, cheek licking, nodul...
Mar 27, 2023•1 hr 37 min•Ep. 298
Hey HBs! Blair Leigh and Bryan are here to help Mel recap Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall! Luc and Oliver are here with all the witty banter, misunderstandings, and fake dating goodness! Plus, a fabulous cast of side characters we couldn't get enough of. AND THE SWOON FACTOR! It's high! Whew. Bonus Content: Achilles penises, bathroom antics on dates, distraction snuggles, "DELETE, BLOCK," and so much more! Lady Loves: Mel: Something Fabulous by Alexis Hall. Same voice, but lots of sex! Bryan: ...
Mar 20, 2023•2 hr 13 min•Ep. 297
Hey HBs! We're back with part 2! In which we go into orc mountain and Gwen SHOWS him her mettle and wit and hunger! Finely Fenn is a MASTER! TW: discussions of abortion, self harm, and negative self talk. Follow Dangerous Tides !! Read Naima's AMAZING books ! Subscribe! Rate! Review! Tell all your friends :) Get more content on PATREON!! Sign up for our Newsletter ! MERCH! Teepublic , Chicaloo Kate , Redbubble , Etsy Instagram: @heavingbosoms Twitter: @heaving_bosom s TikTok: @heaving_bosoms Men...
Mar 13, 2023•2 hr 6 min•Ep. 296
Ahhhh! Naima Simone is back to play! And there are orcs!! This book was SOOO good, y'all. We're obsessed with it. A lot of times good romance not only delivers on the swoony and schmexy components, but it comments on the world we inhabit. This book does that on every level at an 11!! Plus is Bonkers in all the best ways. So! This is part 1 because we chatted for 4 hours. Content Warnings: This episode contains discussions of freedom of choice, abortion, teenaged pregnancy, loss of a pregnancy, h...
Mar 07, 2023•1 hr 48 min•Ep. 295
Hey HBs! Kristina, Kim, and Anna from the Flights of Fantasy podcast joined Mel to discuss all things NESTA! That's right. The bitch is back and Cassian is simping hard. As Anna so wisely says, "in SJM we trust." Bonus content: Elriel or Gwynriel?, Nesta still DID NOT kill the King of Hybern, Mel asks why Sarah J. Maas is gaslighting all of us, the stratagems of BJs, how Mel knows SJM will cahnge her mind about Nesta and resents it, and audiobook narrators saying ENORMOUS. Plus, WAY MORE! Subscr...
Feb 27, 2023•1 hr 59 min•Ep. 294
Ooooooh HB Taylor is here to recap The Lake House with Melody! This 2006 movie with Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves definitely holds up! There's time travel, architecture, a magic dog, and so much more. Taylor is an architect and she brought some amazing insight into this recap! Mel got to hang out with Taylor because she's a patron at the Competence Boner level, which gets you an invite to cohost one episode a year! Lady Loves: Taylor: The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen . It's an...
Feb 20, 2023•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 293
Oooooh, it's a special crossover event! Sarah Wendell is here with part 1 of The Madness of Lord Ian MacKenzie by Jennifer Ashley. Then, this Friday February 17th part 2 will come out on Smart Podcast, Trashy Books ! Mel fell in love with both Ian and Beth. "Detective Hate Boner" didn't go amiss either. ENJOY! Head over to our new Etsy shop for tons of goodies! Subscribe! Rate! Review! Tell all your friends :) Get more content on PATREON!! Sign up for our Newsletter ! MERCH! Teepublic , Chicaloo...
Feb 13, 2023•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 292
Hey y'all! Mel and Tanya are back with part 2 of Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade! In which Marcus gets caught, April teaches a master class in setting boundaries, Alex helps her see the stakes Marcus was facing, Marcus comes out as the smart guy he is, and everyone publicly declares their love and devotion! Bonus Content: great sex communication from a PhD level fuck partner, Elise Myers and the 100 tacos , and more! Lady Loves: Tanya: SOME FICS. Pretty by astolat (Jaime Lannister and Brienne of Ta...
Feb 06, 2023•1 hr•Ep. 291
Hey HBs! Tanya is here with Mel to recap Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade! THIS BOOK, y'all! It hit us in all the feels! In addition to everything else, Olivia Dade made earthquakes sexy?! Wizardry. Fanfic, fat rep, neurodivergence rep, sexy GEOLOGY, cosplay, fandom, secret identities, and tons of NECK STUFF. Plus, Zero to Steel Magnolias, The Westminster Daddy Show , the NASA InSight Lander's goodbye tweet , "Almond Moms," and so much more! We'll be back next week with part 2! You can find Tanya on...
Jan 30, 2023•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 290
Hey y'all! Jen Comfort joins Mel to squee about their shared childhood obsession with Phantom of the Opera! When she was writing Midnight Duet she obviously did a lot of research and she BRINGS RECEIPTS about the production and cast! Bonus Content: Andrew Lloyd Webber always being *extra* , explaining the Hades and Persephone trope to a 4 and 6 year old, "doing a gondola on her", a 4 year old exclusively calling Raoul "Christine's true love", how Mel almost fought a girl because she dared laugh ...
Jan 23, 2023•2 hr 5 min•Ep. 289
Oooohhhhhhh! Kimberly Lemming is here to recap Mea Monique's brilliant debut The Grim Reaper's Lawyer ! Joyce is self-confidence goals, Aiden is the king of mixed messages, the lawyering is clever, the voice is crystal clear, and the bureaucracy is WHIMSICAL! Plus the sex is scorching hot! And she nails the comedic timing every time! Bonus Content: Mel and Kim's upcoming album, learning to wink, the kind of dad's we'd be on a trip, Make sure to check Kim and her books out , and follow her on soc...
Jan 16, 2023•1 hr 55 min•Ep. 288
Hey HBs! We're here with the annual Reading Embrace! Your favorite cult mods, Meredith and Sabrina, are here to help me wrap you up in the sweetest embrace of your life! The 2023 HB Reading Embrace is ready for you! If you want to share what you're reading for each category, @ us and tag your social posts with #hbreadingembrace! I cannot say this enthusiastically enough: Order Midnight Duet by Jen Comfort! And join our Patreon to get a 6K word bonus scene from Midnight Duet by Jen Comfort! It's ...
Jan 09, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 287
Hey HBs! Jen Comfort is here to swoon over Lindsay Lohan and Tad Fairchild! We're recapping Netflix's Falling for Christmas, in which a hotel mogul's spoiled daughter gets amnesia, a discount Chris Hemsworth *doesn't* come up with a clever plot, and Creepy Father Christmas is actually the villain! Plus, a new segment *Bing Boong Bong* Hotel Stuff with Jen. Seriously, she knows so much! Make sure to pre-order Jen 's newest release Midnight Duet ! It's a gender-swapped Phantom of the Opera and I D...
Dec 19, 2022•1 hr 52 min•Ep. 286
Hey y'all! We're baaaack! And Sierra Simone and Julie Murphy are here! We're recapping the Jonathan Taylor Thomas film I'll Be Home for Christmas in which Jessica Biel is the late '90's feminist of our dreams! If you want to be kind to yourself, check out their first team up A Merry Little Meet Cute ! It's the Christmas book I've always wanted. HB - Make sure you email your 2022 Reading Embrace entries by Dec 30th of this year to be sure you get shouted out in our January episode! You can email ...
Dec 12, 2022•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 285
Surprise! To celebrate the last few days of Naima's Book Boyfriends Box, we're releasing our first recap of The One That Got Away! We're up to episode 7 now on Patreon and this show only gets better from here! Bonus content: worshipping at the altar of Anthony, breastfeeding with elastic boobs, and so much more! Naima's Book Boyfriends Subscribe! Rate! Review! Tell all your friends :) Get more content on PATREON!! Sign up for our Newsletter ! MERCH! Teepublic , Chicaloo Kate , Redbubble , Etsy I...
Oct 19, 2022•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 284
Hey HBs! IT'S OUR FIRST LIVE SHOW!!! Nat and Sara recap Halfway To The Grave by Jeaniene Frost. Boy does this Spike and Buffy homage not age well... CWs: off-page sexual assault in the past, descriptions of kidnapping, illusions to sexual assault in the present, on-page drugging with the intention of sexual assault, slut shaming, sex trafficking, and the term "white slavery" is used to describe sex trafficking. After this the public feed is going on a short hiatus. Call it a back-to-school break...
Sep 06, 2022•1 hr 51 min•Ep. 283
Hey HBs! Sally Thorne is here! Bearing gifts! First, Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match (out Sept 6th, preorder now!). It's Sally's newest release, first historical, has all the sparkly Sally dialogue, and is the perfect spooky season read! Next, she introduced Sara and Mel to Howl's Moving Castle! Ehrrmehhhgeerrrrdddd it's SO GOOD. Are we now in love with a cartoon man? WHAT OF IT. Bonus Content: Christian Bale saying "that's my girl" and "you're beautiful" are life-changing, Sally also LOVE...
Aug 29, 2022•1 hr 53 min•Ep. 282
Hey y'all! Liz from the Make Out Already Podcast is here to chat about Reel by Kennedy Ryan! WOW this book is gorgeous! It's showbiz and glitz with beautiful commentary on art and creation and the fight. The fight for your life, for justice, for love. Bonus Content: an episode of Behind the Bastards about the Twilight Zone movie , being a Chad with a B, rollerskating, juicy peaches, and being so petty your body would reject a kidney. CW for illness, terminal illness, racism, cheating (in the pas...
Aug 22, 2022•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 281
Hey y'all! EF Dodd is here to recap the 2018 movie Book Club! We had so much fun worshipping Jane Fonda's wardrobe, watching Murphy Brown make a romantic comeback with Mr. Holland's Opus, and yelling about terrible daughters! Lady Loves: EF: Fancy coffee makers and the best friends who support you in everything! Mel: Paint your ceiling yellow and get the most florescent rug you've ever seen in your life... of whatever your equivalent is! Just make your space yours because it feels really great. ...
Aug 15, 2022•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 280
