Why Do We Love Rakes? A Week to be Wicked with Drea Clark!

Welcome to Reading Smut where we read horny books and talk to the people who love them. I'm Bria Grant here with Mallory O'Mara and this month we're talking about a week to be wicked with returning guest, Drea Clark. Adjust your bosoms, get ready. Make sure you have more than one bed in your home. Okay. But before we smud it up, let's hear some pillow talk from our listeners.

Uh all right, so Megan wrote in to say hi Brian Mallory. I just listened to your episode on pestilence and had to send this in. If you want a book about pestilence with much more interesting powers, bodies, and sex, then you should try Deal with the Demon by Kay Lorraine and Meg Ann. I did the audio book. Oh interested in some more powers in that one. Yeah, maybe Mr. Puss will be uh will be in this book.

And Molly wrote in and said, hello, friends, old time glass you're here. I've loved learning about and enjoying romance and smut over the past few years with you both, and I love the new podcast. My sketch comedy team has a book club and my straight sis non-smuddy male teammate picked Morning Glory Milking Farm. What a read. I'll never look at a massage table the same again. One thing led to another, and my team ended up writing and performing the attached sketch at our December show.

Belle is disappointed that Beast turns human because she wanted to fuck a Minotaur. It is our horniest sketch ever, got lots of laughs, and was a great way to close out another wacky year on planet five. Oh, that's lovely. And uh I like that Molly attached attached uh uh the We won't read it out'cause it's take too long, but uh we do have it and it is fantastic and I'm surprised that no one has done that more because that is such a great premise.

Yeah, that's really I mean and I feel like everyone in my God.

Okay. Remember you can always email us at readingsmut podcast sixty nine at gmail dot com. You can sign up for our monthly newsletter. There's a link in the show notes. And we got merch. Folks, we have so much cool merch. I wear my thinking about smut hat constantly, probably too much.

Sometimes I'm wearing it. I'm like, maybe I'm in a situation where I should not be wearing this hat. But if you're looking for some fun bumper stickers, bookmarks, t-shirts, hats, get over there. We have some awesome, awesome merch. There's a link in the show notes. And we're gonna get into a week to be wicked after a short break.

And we are back to Reading Smut this month. We're talking about a week to be wicked with our first returning guest, fellow Max Funster, producer and festival programmer Drea Clark. Yeah, Drea, you are our first person we brought back. Oh my god, sincerely touched. For for a regular episode, we did a bonus episode with about heated rivalry, but this is our first main feed. We had to have you back. Sincerely and uh happily touched.

Which seems appropriate. And then we were like, Well, we're doing historical romance. We have to bring Drea. I was like, We can't do Spindle Cove without Drea. So welcome back. I would have been very jealous. You were on the show last year, you recommended the series to us when we recorded our Smuddy Adaptations episode. So we were like, If we're gonna do some Bindle Cove action, we need Drea. So before we dive into the book itself, tell us about your history with historicals, like

Oh, has this always been your sub genre? Honestly, I remember reading these like in elementary school. Oh yeah. Well before I knew anything that was being covered. And there was a large part of it that I was like, I don't know about that. And they were I mean, there's varying degrees Of said smut, right? Like things get saucier and spicier. I certainly feel and maybe it's just because of the access I've had, like reading um Oh, it's not even a good like Laverle Spencer or something young.

is different than reading Tessa Dare Young. Yeah, this is a this is on the spicier side because this is a this is a classic historical romance novel and we know there's a spectrum within the romance world, but this is on the this is on the spicier side. This is pretty explicitly there's shafts, there's buds There's you know, things are blooming and blossoming. Don't forget about clubs. Yeah, yeah, yeah. The soft gloves. Globes is one of the few words that's used twice.

I I I I give many things up to Tessa Dare but like there's no throbbing member nonsense like She's like, it's thicker at the root than the tip. Let's get into it. Yeah. Which I I really respect. I don't want I don't want flowery like, tell me about that dick. And she's she's

She can get right there. So so you've been reading historicals since you were a kid. Yeah, I learned earlier my our next door neighbor, Fran, who was wonderful and had a Saint Bernard. There was many things to enjoy about going to her house. And she also had um like knew I was like absolutely indoor kid reader.

And she had so many books, so many wonderful paperbacks. This is the kind of person I hope to be someday, by the way. That's what I'm aiming to be. Mallory, Mallory, you currently are. Don't sell you to shelf shorts. Just get yourself a Saint Bernard guy. Your friend, your friend. Find a neighbor. Like something you need. Yeah. But she also had something that I took with, not just like finding and enjoying these.

But she had no shame in displaying these books, right? There wasn't like a separate section. There wasn't a like, oh, you know, like, oh, those are my guilty pleasures. She's just like, Yeah, these are my books I love. Like I don't even think it occur it occurred to her that when I was like going through and borrowing things

that I would find that section, but I surely did. Um so yeah, I always loved that. And I loved the I mean, I think so many people I think so many American uh readers in general, like there's something about English or Scottish, like there's something oh like fantastical but I still know the language, so I'm keeping up. Like there's something about

Not fantasy in the way of like dragons, but it does feel very like ro maybe r the word I'm looking for is like romantic. Like there's like this Vaseline over the left when we're looking at England and Scotland. And there's like there were words I had to look up. Like I didn't know. What was the word for her like um wedding her wedding show outfit? I was like, what the fuck?

And I had to do a Kindle search. We and Trousseau go way back. Although I was impressed because they they straight up she pluralized it with an X, which is like very au Francais. Like Trousseaux I know. Yeah. I I mean honestly I must know them from historical romances. But I was definitely familiar with that one. There is there are so many weird parts of my

Sprinkled knowledge of the world because of these kinds of books. I was gonna say you learn a lot of stuff through historical romance. You have a pretty wide array of interesting words to pull from for things. Yeah. Time travel me. I'll get in. All right. Let's get in there. Do I know what I know what a Spencer is? Do you insane? I don't no. Tell us. Tell us. They dropped we dropped we outlandered Drea and she's perfectly fine. She has no problems. We we check back in three weeks.

They don't even know she's from the the future. She's just a normal lady. They do because I keep yelling about how there's no tampons. And there's there's there's some problem there. Uh the Spencer is that little like crop jacket that goes over the onpier dress. Like Oh, I love those. I love those. Yeah. Okay I'm sure that was on your question list. What's a Spencer?

All right, Bria. What let's get into this book. What's the smut on this one? Who are we? Where are we? What are we doing? Who are we? Where are we? What are we doing? Um okay, the title A Week to Be Wicked by Tessa Dare. It's a novel. It it is also in Mass Market Paperback. It's three hundred and fifty six pages. This brought me right back reading a mass market paperback. I was like, Oh baby, I'm in I'm in ninth grade all over again.

It's available in all formats, but this is the second book in the series. We have continu we've done a lot of second books. But this is in the vein of romance novels, this was the second I it was I it was s the sort of a reading experience where I could see their that where this this was picking up off of stuff based in the first book, but you can just jump right in on the second book. It really was not a problem. Yeah. No worries. Um what's under the covers? Mallory you wanna do it.

Only one bed, only one cave, fake engagement, and rake. Then for wheelhouse that's outside of romance stuff, we've got Regency England, little bit of Edinburgh, geology, road trip, shy protagonist who has a secret strength.

And male protagonist dealing with some trauma. All right. So I'm gonna speed run through the plot of this. Uh so we open we're in the lovely English seaside village of Spindle Cove. I Wait, I have questions about spindle cove. Can I just ask one question? So is Spindle Cove I'm already spindle. Spindle Cove Drea you've read the other ones in this series, yes.

Okay, and and it's a town full of like quirky people. That was sort of the sense I got that everyone there's a little quirky. It's a s it's just small and so everyone knows everyone. Yeah, it's small. It's um a vacation town, so there's also like people from the tawn coming in and out.

Which livens things. There's also um intermittent military presence as you can note in this one. So the, you know, officers coming through are also a component of this. But one of the elements of it is for For whatever reasons, this has also been a place where a lot of like the aristocratic daughters or whatever that are the sort of it's the spinster cove that they're that they're sent there and then there's a kind of like finishing school element of

They're under the tutelage, but not in an official like school capacity. Me and Fran would be living in Spindle Cove. I I think you would be snapped up and, you know, have your your Your inner specialness unlocked real quickly. But we should all be so lucky to be you'd rather be part of Spindle Cove than like

What are you one of the dorks back in town? Like, no thank you. Very true. Very true. Okay. So we meet our we meet our female protagonist. Uh her name is Minerva. She's very awkward. She's bespectacled. She's a young woman. I think she's twenty one. She does not care about marriage. She knows she's very internalized a lot of the shame that her mother has put on her. She's like, I'm I'm too awkward and weird for marriage. I'm not even gonna care about it.

This bitch cares about rocks. She's really into geology. And she's been having a great time in Spindle Cove because she's like everyone's weird here. No one's noticing that I'm like walking the beach every day and looking at rocks. However, her very attractive sister is a very eligible match and does want to get married. And Min Minerva hears some gossip that one of the local military leaders and known rake, Colin,

uh who cannot touch his in he has to he has an inheritance but he can't touch until he gets married, which is a pretty common historical romance thing. Uh she hears gossip that Colin is gonna propose to her sister, which she does not like'cause she doesn't want Her delicate sister wrapped up in this scandalous man. So she's so she's so honorable. She's so honorable. So she has a she has a alternate plan.

She says there's this geology symposium in Edinburgh and there's a five hundred guinea cash prize, which is a lot. And she is like, I found I found I made this great find here in Spindle Cove. If you will accompany me to the symposium

I will give you all of the money and then you can take that money and leave Spindle Cove and it'll tide you over until you can get your inheritance and you can leave my sister alone. And after a lot of back and forth, he really doesn't want to go. He's he keeps accidentally insulting her, like by sort of implying that

People would not even though he that's not what he means, he sort of implies that people wouldn't believe that he would want to be with her because he's this big he's the town slut and she's the town awkward girl. They finally get like figure it out and they decide to go. They're off on this adventure. It's a big road trip. As like a fake as like a fake romance. It's like a fake relationship. Yeah. And like to the point where she even like

like leaves behind letters he wrote her. Well she tries to it was a quite the ruse that she proposed. Yes. And I felt it was a bit extreme, but I liked it. Yes, it is very it is like the Benny Hill theme could be playing through a lot of this book. Which is pretty funny. There's a third And also Yes. How little she cares about marriage. How little she's like you can ruin my future like she wants her rocks. Also so

We're on we're on this sort of adventurous fun road trip. There's a lot of mishaps that happen, and she finds out that Colin is a rake because he was traumatized as a child and he has insomnia and he cannot sleep unless someone's in the bed with him. So he became a slut so he can get some sleep. Uh okay. Well I love this, but can we first of all can we define rates? We're gonna we're going to

We're going to okay,'cause this is a word that I was not as familiar with, but now I'm not sure. It's very popular in the historical romance world. So most of this book is a road trip story. They like it's by hook or by crook. They're going by various carriages, they're getting into wacky adventures. At some point they get like

They have to pretend they're siblings, they get held up by a highway m man, they and but all every night, most nights, they have to share a bed at the inn by either pretending they're Must. They must sleep alone. And of course, while they're in bed Colin starts giving Minerva lessons in sex, which is really cute because she's it's both very turned on, but she's also like, this is so interesting.

Why is your penis doing that? And it's very funny. Um and after many mishaps and fin they finally bang, they fall in love, they make it to the symposium with a minute to spare, only to discover that the symposium will not let Minerva in because she is a woman. Even though she's been corresponding with one of the members

She never disclosed that she was a woman. But this man that she's been corresponding with takes them all out afterwards to talk about science. She starts building her reputation as a geologist. Colin and Minerva continue to do everything backwards. They begin courting after fucking, which is really adorable. And at the end they finally decided they're they're getting.

Um, okay, so before we get into all these questions, Drea, what is it about Spindle Cove that you love so much? There's so much historical romance. You mentioned this one in particular that you love. Is it is it just a r a town full of awkward women, like that that has won your heart? Yeah, I mean invite me to your town full of awkward women, I'm always gonna enjoy it. There's nothing to not love there.

Um, I think I mean in general I'm a big Tessa Dare fan. She has a real gift with like specificity of characterization so that everyone in our especially like our lead couples, but even the, you know, sort of side characters

feel really thought out and they're packed with like idiosyncrasies and vulnerabilities and smarts and Spindle Cove in particular does that really well because it's set up with the idea that, oh, it's just peopled with all of these women who are considered unconventional or overlooked and Because of that, the focus is on growing personal agency and awareness and confidence.

Which is one, for a series, like a great way to have a number of heroines in one locale. Yeah. Um and there's a sense of sisterhood and support with all of them. Um but also like the consistent idea of like hidden strength. Because everyone has them but certainly if you're looking at A any time in history, the further back you go, the less women are tasked with having strengths or interests or curiosities. at all. Like so the idea of these women and and in in this one in particular

Sure, I'm just an amateur geologist. Like specific, right? Like that is nonsense. And I love that. Like loves rocks. Right? Loves. Don't be fooled by the rocks that she's got. Like they're it's so Cut not silly, but like, yeah, why not? Like it's not do you know what I mean? They're not like, oh, you know, I've really gotten into knitting or whatever. Embroidery. And so I I think that

Spindle Cove just does a really good job of setting those women up to win. Like the idea and I think a lot of women, even people who are seen as extroverted or comfortable or possessing of like social graces or whatever. Everyone has hidden talents and interests. And the idea that this series is very interested in excavating those

And then also demanding the same kind of introspection from the male romantic partners. Of you also need to dig into all of your stuff. Like these are all people who are like rich with history and whatever. And I'm sh we'll get it more into that. But I I that's part of my thing of of Spindle Cove in particular. It's also set up as nice of

No, the people who live there generally like it. Like they love it. These women do I mean she's like I'm very happy in this life here. So much of these are like uh you need to fake marry me so I can get rid of this uh away from this abusive family or

Her mother and like her mother is meddling, but like consistently shows throughout like she really just wants the best for her, you know. So Yeah, this is the only way she knows how to take care of her daughters. Yeah I like that. I like that okay, so a rake.

For anyone who's not as strong a romance fan, is officially defined as a fashionable or wealthy man of promiscuous habits. So it's a fuck boy. It's a Regency fuck boy, essentially. It's a rich fuck boy. They have to be rich. Yes. Yes.

Well I guess in this era to not work. No, you can be fa you can have a not rich wit Reagan. I will say there is a there are a lot of books where like part of the storyline is and you kinda see it with Colin a little bit, but it's like this really hot, charming man, but he has no money.

And Colin does have money and land but he just has he he's not old enough to to to get it yet. If they yeah, if they don't have money, they have title or something. Do you know what I mean? Or it's like, oh, he built his he doesn't have title or esteem, but he like built a gambling hall and so has Like riches in that way. Like you gotta have a little something going for ya.

Got it. I cause when I fur when we first meet him, it's the middle of the night, and sh Minerva goes over there and she's like, I have a plan. And she's like talking to him, and there's he has some sort of like In my head is it's like some sort of hay loft or something he's sleeping in, some sort of loft situation. And I was like, Oh the fuck loft. Yes, the fuck loft this.

And this was I was like, this man has no what is she doing? What is she making this plan with this man for? But then slowly it's revealed that he obviously has some money and then there's a woman up in the fuck loft the whole time she's making not just a woman. A widow. Oh yes. A widow. A widow. Yes, that's right. Weeks love some widows. Oh they do? Liddows are how rakes and not to like jump in, but like that's another component of a rake is that there is some kind of

Code of conduct. Like it it's why these are like the ultimate he's not bad, he's just misunderstood character. Yeah, yeah. Per good or for bad. Like ultimate magnet, yeah. All right, well'cause his code of conduct is that he doesn't he doesn't have No no his code of conduct is that he doesn't want to have sex with virtues. He doesn't want to hurt anybody. Like he has a he he is a fuck boy with morals. Like he is a fuck boy with rules.

So And he's sleeping next to these women, but he isn't necessarily having sex with them every time. Which is also what a boy solution to be like I can't sleep unless anyone's in the bed. I'm just gonna sleep with everybody ever instead of thinking of a s different solution. A man a man will nap next to a stranger before he'll get therapy. Yes, truly, truly. All right, so what a Treya, what do you think of rakes and why do we think

these are s they're such a popular choice for romance me m male protagonists. Why do we think that is? I I mean I love a rake. Like give if I I think I told you guys before. If the word Duke or rake is anywhere near the title I'm in, and they're generally interchangeable, honestly, until they get married and then they're like the most devoted monogamous.

Um, I think that there's uh another element, especially with like Regency, with this kind of period detail, because of that background, they have like this blend of Total sexual mastery, right? They're super magnetic. They're always smoking hot because all they do is like Ride their horses, shoot things, and bed for those.

Yeah. Yeah. And then the the and the widow's thing, like that code of conduct, and it's a little different for each of them, like I'll never I'll never sleep with a virgin or do you know what I mean? Because they do understand and live by The propriety standards. Like they're following the same social code that Hemming in all of these women. Um, but because of that. And the all of the widows apparently that are out there that they get to sleep. It means that when you get to the eventual

betting of uh whichever virgin you're you're following. It it helps with those sex scenes because they are going to be totally inexperienced because of their situation, their station, the time, unless they're one of the aforementioned widows. So you want at least one of them to know what they're doing, right? Like Yeah, that's true. Because if you're if you're getting lessons, like don't let me have someone bumbling around with how your bits work.

Yeah. So it seems like rates a good point. And they're fun. They're fun. I feel it feels like they're fun. This guy's a fun time, he's making up stories and for strangers, like he can like shoot stu like they're they seem like it's a real fun guy to have around. Oh yeah. Like I understand the idea. It seems like rakes are the safest type of bad boy that you can get in these types of novels because

They are there is that like sort of mystique of the bad boy who's like had so many other girls, but then you become the special, special one. But he's like we said, he still has a has a code of conduct. You're not gonna get hurt from a rake. your reputation might uh take a take a beating but he's not like nothing bad is gonna happen and there's like

It's that kind of catnip that's that some people love of like, ooh, can I fix him? Like can I taint can I be the special, special one to tame the rake, which I'm sure is the title of a romance novel. Like you If it isn't, it should be. To tame the right But that's like it th I think there's there's an excitement in if you d if it's if you don't if you're not bothered by the fact that he's been with a lot of other women, I think some people get really excited by the fact that like it's you.

He wanted more you he's been with so many other women, but none of them got captured his heart except for you. And I think there's some some romance to that.

That is such a great point. That idea of all of that history, all of those people, and yet and that's a big corner that like I'll get into later of uh I'm sure because I love it. But that idea of The earning between both of them. of like of affection, of desire, of all that. And it's one of the reason I think that this series and Tessa Dare is so good at what she does is that even though Minerva which that's just mean to give her that name. Like

There's an ongoing joke of how he doesn't call her that and like doesn't remember it. Yes. And I'm like, fair enough, it's a terrible fucking name. But it's the name of a woman who wears spectacles. But I say as a woman who wears the spectacles, but It's less that she's like this blank slate and like, oh, I'm devoid of anything, and more set up, oh, I'm curious, I'm turned on, I haven't had any of these before. And then she's met with this man and they're

So they're both bringing out strengths and weaknesses, you know, that it's that they're they're coaxing into. And the idea that That he would see something in her. Yeah, that's such a great point. And I'll I do want to say so Bria made no noted this and something we always try to try to take a moment to talk about in these books is that normally in the with these books that we read, the male protagonist gives the female protagonist a

fucking stupid nickname. And that was not in this book, but there is an ongoing joke where he calls her the wrong name, which I actually fucking loved because It's great. You dropped it. I loved it. Because well but it's also where I come from. Where I come from, m roasting somebody is how you showed that you like them. And I had like I I had an axe where uh two of uh f parents of a friend of mine

kept calling him by every single my ex's name Jeremy, who's still my still my friend. And every time they'd see him they'd be like, How ya doing, Jack? Joe's here. Like and it was so funny'cause to me You can take it in a couple of ways. I'm sure there are people who didn't like it and thought that it was disrespectful, but for me it was him constantly making fun of himself for not remembering her name one time and

I we love a bit. We love a running bit and I love I love being made fun of by people that I that I'm interested in. Like that's the way to flirt with me is to give me shit. So I I will take I I I would rather have him be calling her jokingly calling her the wrong name instead of him calling her little sparrow or whatever the fuck, you know. Oh my god, absolutely. Little little wren. It's also integrated into their trajectory really well.

Because at the beginning she genuinely thinks that he can't remember her name, that she's not memorable, that she does not stand out to him and that men like him will not ever find her of interest. And that's part of why she's like, I'm fine sacrificing this, nobody wants me anyway. And then not only does she slowly realize, oh no, this is a banter, it's a it's that's that's it's the weather. That's exactly it. It's banter. It's there's then a full reveal later.

And he rehearsed those names. He wrote on the names of M names that that old Kate, the music teacher back who clearly like she and Captain Thorpe, that's how they do these. You're like, Oh, I guess I know who we're following the next book. Yeah, or Yeah, romance. But like the she sees this list of M names and is like immediately like just Hercule prorose it Oh my god Oh Oh he he never calls her Minerva and he was practic he's in love with her.

This is proof. Mm-hmm. If somebody rehearsed making fun of me, if someone researched making fun of me, I would marry him. Like

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, so how do we feel about so this is a kind of a classic matchup between like the sexy rake and the awkward virgin? Like is that an annoying matchup or do we think it's kind of cute sexy? What do we think? I mean I think it totally works. I think there's absolutely ways where I've seen this done and I'm like uh boo. Yeah. Right? Like just of it it's either pandering or insulting to one or both of them. Yes. This is

This is, I get a sense, you know, not just the idea of consent, but willing engagement on both of their parts. And it also does turn who like who's instigating change. You know, who wants to push it further changes. It's not just him being like, All right. Time for me to show you the ropes again. Like let's get some new ropes. She's loving it.

She's loving it. She's like, let me see that day. Yeah. She is she's pushing it forward. Yeah, for sure. There's also the progression of it. And maybe that's what you're gonna say, Mallory. Like the progression of it. They have numerous hookups for lack of a better word. And You know, like any good book, each one should feel different than the one before. There's

Not only like are they on the road, so they're literally progressing, but like the very first one, they're fully clothed. I mean, they're completely wet for very interesting reasons, but like they're fully clothed and it's just this like

Do you want me to kiss you? Yes, I would like to kiss. And then, like each one, there's a little more, there's a little less clothing, there's a little further on. And that And that again with who's who's changing, who instigates each time, makes it that the the structure of it and the power dynamic is really great.

What well what I was gonna say is that this is normally a trope that doesn't really do it for me'cause I love a I love a uh a strong like a woman who has like a big personality and w and like big s a big slutty loudmouth. Like that's my shit. But I liked this because her scientific mind about sex kind of equalizes the power dynamic. Because even though he has all the sexual knowledge, the fact the way that she approaches sex.

kind of takes him down a notch. Like He in there's many moments where he thinks he's dazzling her with his big cock and she's just like Huh, this is fascinating and he's like uh o okay. Like in it oh and she had none right. And she had none of the eras like hang ups which I think is interesting to me as a person who doesn't read historical stuff, is that obviously like I think of this era and I'm like, Well she would think

She can't be doing this or this is gonna ruin her reputation. But she was like, Well, I don't give a fuck about my reputation, which really first of all endeared her. to me, but also just was very it was it was We made the whole thing seem way more fun. Yeah because she just was like, I don't I don't care. I just wanna explore what she's like.

You know, they have all the sexual knowledge, these women don't know what they're doing, but she just completely neutralizes all power that he has by not I don't want to say diminishing, but kind of make making it so scientific for her, you know. Yeah. And she it's scientific, but like she's also getting something out of it sexually. It's not just like a detached curiosity. It's a nice combination of those things. But you're right, it's that

shifting of the power dynamic. The other thing that I love about the immediate structure of this is She is an admittedly again like these are not wallflower types, but sort of overlook types. However, like she sets all of this in motion. She comes to him. Do you know what I mean? Like the agency is a hundred percent always on her. She sets it up. She's like, Oh, these are the parameters. He says before

Like as a way to reject her, he says the whole thing of like, Yeah, I have to sleep with someone. It's not some like co thing he pulls on her when they get there and it's like, Oh, didn't I mention this? These are the rules of engagement. And she thinks about it. She's like, Yeah, I'm in. Like and that there's an absence She's innocent by virtue of lacking experience, but she does not have coinness to her, which I really like. There's and I think that that helps a lot.

Yeah. Coifree zone. A coi free zone. Okay, so another thing that happens in this book uh is that Minerva fe once she finds out about cause his Colin was his his parents died in a really tragic carriage accident. He was trapped in the carriage when it happened. And being in closed spaces and and dark spaces makes him unable to sleep. As soon as she finds that out, she immediately is like, I must fix this man with my love.

How do we feel about that like healing with the power of love trope? This is pretty it's not I mean it's It's not super common, but it's it's not uncommon. And especially there's uh something that you see in a lot of historical romance novels is the male protagonist was like. injured in war or something there's something that he needs to be healed. Are we are we into this? Are we a little tired of women fixing men? What do we think?

And I think also it extends beyond romance novels. I think we see it in regular in all sorts of novels where the you know, it's a novel, so it's gonna or it's a movie. You know, it ends with the power of love heals all, you know. I a hundred percent hate that as a trope. Like that's that's nonsense. I'm kinda w I'm I'm with Andrea. It's not really That's more that's a more nonsense concept than like getting fingered in a coat.

Right? Like nobody Nobody's healed by love. That's not how either love or healing. We figured an occurrence. Yeah, sign me up please. Yeah, yeah. But it's again another reason I love Tessa Dare is Even if she incorporates elements of those tropes, she grounds them. In this, it's yes, they both grow and are healed in certain ways, but it's not like some fairy tale love magic. It's because of insights they've gleaned from each other, the experiences. They just have this.

intimacy that grows throughout, which allows them to share vulnerabilities, which allows them to feel more secure and seen. So like do they both feel like better, more complete people by the end? Yes, is it because of what they've gone through together? And uh yes, but like she even in the like oh I w like Part of her inner monologue is I want to heal him I want to be seen this way, but she also knows she can't.

And and likewise like because you can't, like that's a futile endeavor. You can absolutely be there as a support system, as a resource, as whatever for any kind of partner or friend or you know.

random that's having problem on the street. But I I didn't advise Yeah, I didn't think that this book was giving us a Isn't it great they fixed each other in the end because they are the and like Mallory alluded to the idea that they have this weird thing like they just they're like okay we're gonna fake a loop And then we're just gonna finger bang across northern uh England.

And then we're and then he's like, No, I really like you. Now I wanna court you and that like so their whole thing is like out of sequence. However, they're doing everything backwards. They're doing everything backwards, but with that it means that when they get to the end, what they have are two people who like know each other so well and the reason that they would like feel better or have settled some of the like

demons or have a new perspective is because of all of those experiences. Yeah. Is not because one of them is like, oh, let me hold you as you sleep. Yeah. No. It wasn't super sexy for me, but it didn't it didn't fill me with rage like it normally does because it's sh this she teaches the this man basically figures out that he needs to communicate and talk and like Yeah. And that's the real romance for women. Yeah. And that's so again it wasn't like

I mean in this m there's a scene when she finds this out, it like m makes her entire inside blossom. She's immediately her heart her eyes turn to hearts and she's like I must love this man. Uh like

That doesn't happen to me. I'm like, Oh crap, more shit I gotta do. But it didn't the way that it played out in this book didn't bother me. I was like, I actually I I completely agree with you, Dre. I was like, I like the way that this is done because he's kind of she's helping him help himself, really.

Yeah. It's m this whole book is about self actualization. It's the same thing with her. Like she only sees herself one particular way. And then he's like all of the structure and there's sort of like two kind of ending feelings be and it's because of that. They're in service of these people where the self actualization is the most important thing. I think the other reason I was I I understand that trope being used. Especially in ones that aren't putting so much time into the characterization.

is there's like so little else that women are allowed to bring to the table back then. Right. Like she's like, I'm not bringing you wealth. I literally like also ladies of the house. They're useless. Like what are you she gonna embroider you something? Like they don't they don't even cook. They're not like, oh, let me like Uh make you feel better in this way or blah blah blah blah. Like

All they can do is all right, I'm gonna fix you. All I do is listen. That's my job. I'm supposed to be pretty and listen. So I guess I'll do that. Listening is a skill though, Dream. Oh absolutely. But when that's like the only thing you're like uh offered to to be like bringing to the table. So I get like feeling hamstrung by that, but yeah, it's that's never been my like F I mean, you know, I I watched Dirty Dancing too young. You can't fix them.

No, no. They gotta fix themselves. You really can't? No. And I don't think and I think Dre's right, we didn't we didn't never you don't see them getting it's not totally that like everything is happily ever after. I mean it is, you know, but it's like I feel like these two are It is absolutely not only I feel like these two still are are like who they are which I appreciate. It's definitely a happier ever after and it's definitely a like you know how it's a good ending'cause they got married.

And like that's certainly a thing I don't know but again of the like history component of it. A whole extra chapter to earn it emotionally. Yeah, that's true. Like there's a fake out marriage. Where you'd be like, All right to sort of get it. But they're like, Nope, we're gonna put in a whole other thing of how they both have to really get it first. Yes. Um all right. Before we m we move on, Bria, do you wanna you wanna love a man back to back to back to self actualization? What do you think?

Y I don't think you can love a man to self I think I think they have to sex self actualize themselves. I'm not gonna even I don't think we need to to d to go go there. But Mallory, I need to know At one point this almost feels like a love triangle because Yeah. At first I was like, Oh, it's kinda wild she wants to go to this geology thing so bad she'd ruin her reputation. I didn't realize how much of a nerd she was. But then you know, her nerdy comes out, we understand. I always me I but it was

that she was exchanging letters with a man there who like wrote her kind of a sweet letter and I was like, Oh, is she going?'Cause she like is hoping something's gonna happen with this man at the geology con conference. And we find out my beacon is like There's like an illusion to him. Oh really? I feel like he was... But he was handsome for sure, right? I mean we There is like a cool Alistair, yeah, that's his name. And so then I was like, Oh, is this gonna be a love triangle? And Mallory

Drea hates love triangles. So the question is, Mallory, was it a little too love triangle for you at any point? Were you scared? I was scared. And what I thought was gonna happen is that I thought That she was gonna keep resisting Colin and then she was gonna we were gonna get to Edinburgh, meet this other guy, and he was gonna be a huge piece of shit.

And then she was gonna be like, Oh, what am I doing? I need to be with you know, uh I need to be with th with Colin instead. I actually am really happy with the way that it it shook out because I, you know, I deeply hate a love triangle situation.

And it almost it like teases and I was like, Oh no, oh no, but this it it it landed perfectly and uh and I actually really liked it because that Even i this is one of those things in romance novels that is kind of problematic in real life, but it can be really fun in a book.

And I've had this actually happen to me in real life where Colin is trying not to be interested in this awkward girl and then he finds out that somebody else is writing to her and he's like, Well, excuse me, that's my woman. And you're like, wait, what? Like that actually had the uh I had a guy who I asked out, turned me down, and then he found my profile on a dating site and was like, Well, I don't want you to date anybody else. And I was like, You're a piece of shit.

What? Yeah, but it's uh so but I kinda do love it in a book'cause I was like, oh, he immediately starts seeing her in that light and then is like, Well, hold on now, hold the phone or hold the hold the quill. Hold the quail hold my quill. I had less of a concern that it was gonna tip into like um a love triangle just because

Of my like the tessedareness of it and and also like when he's introduced like it's I I just was like, they're not gonna be that guy till so long. What I did like about what Lord Alistair represented. Why is it That there was like we don't know. He he could have been an old guy, he could have been a you do me like an interesting But there is this idea of like, Oh, there's other prospects for this girl. Like it you know, it's not just like only one man can ever help her or be the one for her

Which I also think is like a damaging kind of trope of Do we think this nerdy little hot girl's gonna show up to the rock conference and be the only woman there and not be the most excited? This lady is she is definitely Oh my god, she's gonna be she's gonna this if if Conlin had did not exist, this woman would have been married with by the end of the weekend. Yeah, yeah. All right. Before we decide whether or not this is sexy, we're gonna take a quick break.

Okay, and we are back to reading Smut and asking the most important question of the show. Drea, is this sexy to you? Is this book was this book hot? Hell yeah. I mean, I'll say in general, self actualization is sexy. So, uh, for all people, uh like that is you People you that comes in the package of like, oh, they're really confident. Oh, they're really assured. Like, that's what that is. Like people who know themselves and what they need to like these are characters that I like.

already and then by the end, like they just get better and better. But then, you know, so

You also have the characters, they're super drawn to each other and they see something in each other that transcends physical attraction or enhances it, right? So it means that they have all these confessional moments, all these intimacies, um Th the someone saying something they find attractive in the other, but it's that kind of romantic detail where like, oh, some he thinks this is sexy in me and no one else.

would even notice it. Like her he's like, Oh, I love how you look over your glasses or like she admires him like working at something because he normally like a Viscount wouldn't work. Like they have make small sacrifices both of them do throughout that the other one will notice. So like All of that stuff already, huh? The sex also very hot. Like all of like Tessa Dare is so good. With sexual descriptions With setting it to tone, with giving you like a full pace of like

Where they are, like and there's I mean, again, like I joke about the throbbing member and there's a moment, do you guys remember in um Ten Things I Hate About You that Alice and Jimmy's character? Right? And so she's like throbbing. Like so it's that thing of There's y there's only so many ways to describe it. Nay. There's so many ways. And I think she does a really great job. Like each of these I agree. Like you know what they're doing to each other and when.

But like without it sounding clinical, you know how they're emotionally responding to each moment. Like it's it's just I find it very, very sexy. Bria, why did we not call this podcast the throbbing member? Oh my god. That's what we should call our Max Fund members. Yeah, you really should. The throbbing members. The throbbing members. Oh my god.

If you join Max Fun today, you can also can be a throbbing member. Oh my god, Brian, Brian, you're a genius. Um Priya, did you think this book was hot? I loved it. I loved the book. I thought it was hot. I thought which we're gonna talk to in a second, but I think that well first uh Drea's right, like the they are

Full people and they weren't like apologetic about who they were. And they didn't weren't like, I'm gonna change myself for this person. It was like she's a little nerd and he's like a rake and they're gonna still get along and I love that. And they saw the best in each other and then Uh um They just were good communicators, in part because they were doing like a lot of sex lessons. So that was like they were talking to each other a lot. Communication is hot. That's a really good point.

is you have to if you're doing lessons you literally have to be communicating with each other. That's a you have to talk to each other. And y and it's just dirty talk at that point, but it is like it does mean they have a great rapport and they establish like uh communication skills and like how to talk to each other and that that to me I thought was really hot. And also, yes, she was great at r I'll read another book of hers'cause Is this your first Tessa Dare?

Both of us. Absolutely. My first wait, Drea, my first historical romance. I stay away from historical stuff and I was like, Okay, my mind is like being changed. Mallory, was it sexy? Uh yes. And uh I'm thinking like I think part or I I hadn't been able to articulate this to myself until now, but Dre, you hit the nail on the head is like the way the language that that is used, it's so well written.

And there's so many scenes, like I'm thinking of the cave scene in particular, like it's so sensual and you're thinking about like being pressed up against someone and the only thing in between you is wet clothes and like it's a little dark. Like there's the there's so much

sensation in this book that is very evocative that I really, really enjoyed. And I yeah, very sexy. Let's well let's dive in. Are the sex lessons, are they hot? Are they tedious? It seems like we're all on board with the sex lessons.

Liked him. Hell yeah. I mean again the the cave scene that you're talking about, I'm I've I was just nodding as if that was a movie scene that I watched. I was like, Oh visually, but it isn't just like you're like, Oh, I smelled the dankness of this cave and like that the light is increasing the whole time they're in there and the idea of the tide and how it affects like how they get there, like everything about that. But also it's incredibly sensual and drawn out. All they do is kiss.

That scene is you forget. Yeah. You forget that they only kiss'cause it feels so Uh-huh. I was just gonna say she it's literally a woman who's like, Why are you trying to put your tongue in my mouth? And he's like Oh that's how it works. Let me put my tongue in your mouth. I promise you'll like it. But and that's great and and And that they make that believable, right? Like that's the I love that Bria brought up the communication. Like that's the candor that's like there throughout of

What are you doing? Like I said I wanted to kiss you. Why are you trying to do that now? Like oh that's part of it. And without like judgment or embarrassment or anything. So it's like a very it's like a sweet candor. I think you're right. And I think too that the that

There's a lack of shame throughout. There's never the like, Oh, don't cover yourself up. Like there's a lot of those scenes. Oh yeah. When she's like, Let me see that dick. I wanna I wanna look at that thing. I love it. And likewise, she's like, Oh, okay, I'll show you my tits now.

So she takes her top off and she's like here are the girls. Like that there's that it's it ties into the lack of coyness, but there's not there's no need for shame in this. Like they've put their they put their ground rules out right away. She's like, I'm on board. Okay. Like there's permission, but there's not like, no, no, don't cover yourself up. She's not all hesitant. She's not all oh no, he could see like there's not time for that. And because of it, it makes it just

that great like rapport between two people, like they're both in it. They're both You know, responsive. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Mallory, did you did you like the second? I did'cause I like this I thought the structure of it was really fun. I love the restraint of it because it's not just like we're going full bore. It's like, well no, we have to learn this thing and then we have to learn this thing and then we have to learn like to get to here we have to do this other thing.

And I just I I thought there was something really sexy up I love a I love a thinly veiled we're gonna fuck situation. Like they know where we're going, but like the f like him being like, Do you wanna do this? This is what this is. Like it is it's almost like role playing, but not but she I mean, she did really need these lessons, so that was really fun.

Um, but again, because of the because of her the way that she approaches it and the way the power dynamics were going back and forth, I thought it was really I thought it was really sexy. I thought it was real a a really fun structure for sex. What do you think, Bria? Yeah. Um I do have a question. Is this our first grinding book? I think it might be a whole cyber.

I'm so glad you brought them there's a full dry hump scene. I love that. I actually loved the floor. I loved it too. I loved the dry hump scene. I couldn't believe I th I was There was a There is one sheet between them to describe to those who haven't read it. One sheet between them, same bed. They cat they're in the same bed every night.

This night he's like, We're not gonna do it, but we are gonna dry up to conclude But I thought it was fun because it's like breaking up that that trope. Like y yeah, you're only in one bed, but the first night you got there's there's a sheet in between you and I thought that was so fun. It made me rethink a lot of early dry humping of mine and I was like, We did not take that to full advantage. I that scene works and again because he's not like, oh, I'm so mad I have to do this. He's like

Oh, I'm gonna hump on you till you come. Like it's do what I mean, it's neither of them are like pissed about. It's not like a or an accident. It is an intentional this grinding right now. Intentional grinding moments. So honestly, I'm glad you brought that up.

I w I I'm gonna keep on a lookout for that because I was like, I really love this. Uh all right, so speaking of this the sheet in this bed, this book is so if you are a person who loves the only one bedrope, this book is so great because you get it night after night because they're on this road trip and they keep going to these different inns.

Why Yeah,'cause you're right. Normally it's just one night like, oh, the one night No, this is on one night, but yeah, but every night. Uh so why do we think this trope is so sexy and does do we think it works particularly well in the subgenre as a historical thing? What do we think? For sure. I mean i in historical I guess for anything it is'cause there's a permissive element of like, oh, I would do things here that I normally wouldn't.

myself in this curious scenario. But even more so again with like these are women who were not allowed to like be in a room alone with a man. You can't have conversations without a chaperone walking behind you in the park. So the idea of like um sharing a bed, like also married couples didn't sleep together. Like it wasn't uh oh ho hopefully someday I could share a bed with some Randy. But it sets up a scenario.

And it works particularly well in this one. I do'cause there's this full planes, trains and automobiles, except for it's all just wagons and fetons or whatever. Yeah. But like they And what was what's a Faiton? What's a Faiton? I'm sorry, that's another question I had. It's um It's the one you see, it's just like the the actual like cab. There's no top to it. And so you sit it's and you it's sort of like a really tight a tall buggy.

With like bigger wheels. It's for daytime. It's like uh you're not traveling long distances in this thing. The fate and is what you would take to the park to show off that you have money. It's a Ferrari. Like but like not a distance one normally. Yeah, there's a whole grand thing with the Phaeton at the end where they're like, We're gonna cover seventy three miles in one day, which is so beautiful. But also like with six horses, a Phaeton would normally have two horses like

It's a whole big thing they're doing to show like the drama of of that. But the bet so one fate in one bed. But the one bed thing, again, I think it, you know, it cuts out a lot of logistical corners. And so it also nods like

That scene is also only working if there's an inherent heat with both of them. Because there's plenty of people you could sleep next to where you're just gonna be kind of annoyed and not sleep well. But sleeping next to someone that you're like Into that's immediately a flavor. Yeah. Ria, what do you think? Does this the only one bed tr this is your first historical. Do you think it works in the context of a of a historical? Yeah, there's less beds. There's less beds in history.

In olden times there are literally less beds. You don't know how many beds I have in my house? So many beds. I am a collector of beds. I would have a day bed in every room if my husband would allow it. And there is one in my office behind me and There's one in the room next to me too. I have two Davids.

And two real beds. Back then not enough beds. So yeah, I think they just have less beds. And so I do think historical really works for it. Do you like the one bed trope, Mallory? Is that a thing true? Okay, so my whole thing with the one bed is that it's the how done it of the romance world. where you know what's gonna happen but you don't know how it's gonna go down.

You know, it's not a who done it. You know who you know who the players are, but you don't it's almost like a puzzle because you're like and it's f so fun because you're always like, All right, well who's gonna make the first move? And it's like it's like a game of chess and it's like Someone's maybe someone moved a little bit closer. Maybe you wake up and their arm is across like there's so many little tiny

little moments, little movements, little things to say, and it's really the tension is really high and it's always it's very fun to watch it go down. And I mean, I think you're both right. Like the it this trope almost works best, I think, in a historical because In a in a contemporary, like yeah, you're alone with a man all the time, but this is such a special moment it makes it so momentous.

Chile. Like I feel like in these books, the bed is like Las Vegas. Like what happens in the bed stays in the bed. It's a special place. It's a very special place where you can let loose and then no one else knows when you leave the inn. There's actually a really funny scene where

They're fucking and uh people the the people that they've been conning to give bring them along on their on this trip think they're brother and sister and then the people hear them and go, You people are disgusting and then they leave them behind. That's really funny. Great moment. Great. So oh my god, it made me laugh so hard. Uh all right, so To close out.

Why this is a Regency romance and Regency romances are so popular. What is it about this era? Like as opposed to Victorian, medieval, Renaissance. Like what is it about the Regency that like works so particularly well with with the with romance? Drea, what do you think? I think well the so many reasons. Like, first off, at this point people are so familiar with it. Um, and that helps. Like everyone's aware of the social construct.

of the visuals. It was a very high fashion area. And even though we would look at it and be like, yeah, those are pretty chaste, like there's a lot more bosom. Like those dresses are considerably sexier than Victorian dresses. Um and so it it it gives you With all those structures and like all of the like social cues and mores. There's romantic tension constantly. Because

It's like, oh, there's so many rules you have to follow that that can kind of be hot. That the idea of like, We shouldn't even be seen together, we'll need to be get married like That's hot that is hot threat right there. And so I think of knowing all of that, I also think People ascribe a sense of like wit and cleverness to Regency.

Largely based on like the talents and romantic writing from that time. You have like Jane Austen and Mary Shelley or Lord Byron. Like the people writing of that time were romantic. They were interested in witticisms. They were interested in like a rapport. There's social um machinations at court, but not in the same way as like

French court later on, do you know what I mean? Which is like bloodthirsty. This is all it's all genteel, it's all moving along, it's all like under mother's eye or whatever. So I I think that's why it stands like The medieval there's certainly like elements of it. Read some Alice Coldbreath or like Julia Garwood. Like there's hot medieval stuff to be found. Um

Obviously, like the Elizabethan era, which is like the English Renaissance, that's literally Romeo and Juliet. Like there's plenty of romance then, but it's less hot because there's there's things about the social cues of each of those or the fashion or what we know of them and I I do think that's why like Regency kind of leaps to the top of who who g what gets covered.

What do you what do you think, Bria? Yeah, and I think also uh unlike uh mid medieval feels like it'd be a little like dirty, like physically dirty. Thank you so much for saying that. Yes. Right. Regency, they're taking baths. They're putting on pretty clothes. The amount of times that they are like, All right, you guys are all gonna take a bath'cause you're disgusting now and I'm like, Good. I want I either want them like Yeah, I either want them

Intentionally dirty while fucking when that's like part of it. Or if I already know you're on some uncomfortable like straw mattress. Please get clean. You've been sitting on a horse all day. Please get Sit in a tub that poor servants had to bring hot water up for you. Anyway, I'm glad you brought that up, Rhea. Thank you. Yeah, yeah. For me that helps a lot. Mallory, is it about the cleanliness for you or what is it?

From putting my my historian hat on, uh Regency occupies a really interesting place in time where for two reasons. One, for the reason we were just talking about, is like it's far enough in the past that it still feels sort of romantic and like the past.

But again, people are taking baths. They're wearing like they're there it feels more modern. Like there are there is an inn to stay at that is like kind of clean and you can like there's There's there's transportation, there's mail, there's like there's a lot of things that the like in inventions that can be used for plot and uh you know, people are the the food is more recognizable like

But again, it's still far enough away. But also so when the Victorian time started in England, that's when it was like women should just not be seen in public at all. Like it was sort of a backlash. But in the Regency, I mean Minerva ref references the blue stockings a few times.

Like it w there was a little little bit of a spike in like women being a little more independent, g being a little bit more educated, reading and where it and then there was the backlash in Victorian era and it was like, What if we just don't have women outside at all? What if they just don't talk?

So it's sort of like a magical spot in between all these eras where like women were kind of doing things. It's a little bit modern and we kind of recognize it, but people aren't going to be like bathing once a year, you know? Mm-hmm. Right. And again, the clothes are the clothes are great. We got the bosoms are all around.

They're they're all around I have one thing before we go, which is that um it's she at one point takes off her corset and it and I had this realization where I was like, Oh my god, this woman's been wearing a corset in a fucking on this trip the whole time. She only put it on that day.

It was part of her Trousseau. She was trying to spruce it, yeah. Yes, yes, yes. But I just kept thinking not sexy to have to wear one of the things. Depend so I actually sort of the novel that I'm writing the novel that I'm writing takes place in eighteen Mallory's wearing a corset right now. Uh the novel that I'm writing takes place in eight the eighteen thirties and I did consult with a fashion historian

And because there are d different types of corsets, I think we are thinking of like the super, super tight corsets. A lot of the corsets that that the stays that women were wearing back then, they weren't at that tight. It was really just to support your boobs. So I think there's a there's a a lot more there's more of a spectrum of corset and comfort comfort than we think. Um of course there is you know the

like moments where they're being they're tight as possible. I I really think that was more in the Victorian era though. In this in this era, flowing, soft forms were kind of the the thing. Yeah, yeah. You know? Hmm. All right. So what are uh out of out of one one through five chilies, I gave this a two because Wow, I think that's so low. Really? You think it should be higher?

I think it's higher. What do you think? I I would at least go with three chilies. It's not like sex on every page. There's a lot of plot. But the plot, but the sex is like ki it's pretty it's a lot. Like it's a lot, it's hot, it's like very there and it's pages of sex. Yeah. You know? Okay. We do a one cryo, I think. I mean I I would say a three. I don't know if you do half chilies, like a three and a half. Like there's like five or six sex scenes, which for a book of this

length uh that's giving you as much characterization and plot that it is. Um and I felt like the sex was consistently integrated into both of those things in a way. Yeah, the sex was definitely a big part of the plot. So and because of that it's like all of their time together has either like foreplay or like like

uh intimacy to it because it's you know just sort of this ongoing thing. You know they're gonna be sleeping together that night. Yeah. You know they're sharing that bed. Um and also the descriptions are so much better than so many things. There's just there's different levels of how people are handling, and I think her her um her ability with pros.

fit for me. Yes. Something I really like about this book is sometimes when you have couples it's not a slow burn and you have people I mean they start getting sexual with each other pretty quickly. I mean from the cave the cave scene is before they even leave on the road trip. So and I feel like sometimes we find that in these books, when people when the second Sex and sexual situations start really early. By the end of the book you're kind of like

Skimming th you're like, all right, all right, and there's sucking and fucking and slapping and slapping, okay, whatever. Yeah. I did not do any skimming. No. And this book I really feel like Tessa Dare does a great job of making all of the sex really like integral to the plot and characterizations.

And you're not like I was reading all of them. Even by the end I was like, Yeah, fucking get in there. Like I it's it I think it's it can be really hard to do that. So all right, I I could bump it up to three chilies.

Hm. Drea, would you like to tell people about where people can hear your voice and and check out the stuff that you do? Yes, I co-host a movie podcast where Sadly Nobody asked me my thoughts on smut. Um but I still make them hear things all the time. But yeah, it's a weekly movie podcast called Maximum Film on the old Maximum Fun Network. uh with uh film critic Alonso Duralde and comedian writer Kevin Avery.

And it's a treat. And uh yeah, other than that, I'm a festival programmer. I'm the artistic director of Gina Davis's Bentonville Film Festival. Um I program at Sundance and I'm the nominations producer for the Spirit Awards. I do a lot of movie things. Movie adjacent. Oh I I sometime we'll have to come if you ever if there's an erotic I know Pillion is probably already taken.

But if there's an erotic movie that comes out we gotta We are doing Pillion and we sadly have a guest or I would absolutely I We can talk as soon as this recording's over'cause I've already seen it. Oh yeah, it's great. Oh my god. But if there if there's a new erotic thriller, we would love to come on because that would be Good, okay. We'll bring the smut to Maximum Film. We would love to do that.

I'd be honored. Treya, thank you so much for coming back to the show. I'm so, so happy we had you for this episode. Thank you so much for having me. This was great. I was so happy. I was like, oh, sorry, I'm gonna cancel my plans. I gotta reread weeks to be. Sorry, I gotta I got some rakes to attend to

This has been another month of reading smut. Next month book is Queenie and the Krackens, folks. We are getting into a Y choose. It's happening. And not just Y Choose with normal human men, this is a Y choose with mermen, a motorcycle club of mermen. That's so many M's.

Queenie in the Krackens, there's a link in the show notes to that. We're gonna we're this is gonna be a really fun one. And if you wanna help the show and keep us reading small, you can give us a five-star rating and a lovely review on the podcast listening app of your choice. Email us at readingsmut podcast69 at gmail.com. And remember our smutty theme song is by Matt Glass. We love it. Thanks for smutting it up.

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