Whoa!mance: Romance and Ourselves

202. Ranch Water, baby! "His Secondhand Wife" by Cheryl St. John

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 09:04:00 +0000

Whoa!mance is back in the saddle with a cozy sleeper set on the Colorado front range. In Cheryl St. John's His Secondhand Wife (2005), Noah's rakish brother is murdered in a saloon, leaving behind a pretty new bride, and a baby on the way! Honor demands Noah take Kate home. And boy howdy is Kate grateful that this brooding hermit of a rancher who hates gaslamps and sunlight has whisked her away from a life of drudgery in ye old Boulder. But Kate just wants to be of use, and Noah won't let her. Cue the slow burn.
Morgan and Isabeau dig into the Beauty and the Beast bones of this one — the formula, the fantasy, and the lies we tell ourselves about who we are and what we deserve. Sometimes it takes a beloved outsider to call us on our nonsense and set us straight. And underneath it all: what does it look like when two people's vulnerabilities are seen and honored?
Hitch the wagon, listeners — we're going for a ride!
Tags: romance novels, historical romance, western romance, Beauty and the Beast, marriage of convenience, forced proximity, slow burn, reluctant hero, pregnant heroine, Cheryl St. John, book podcast, romance podcast, cowboy romance, Colorado, frontier romance, redemption arc, vulnerability, emotional romance, found family, cozy romance Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

201.2: True Dark Romance - "Alchemised" by SenLinYu [Part 2]

Fri, 29 May 2026 09:00:00 +0000

We're back for part two of our discussion of ALCHEMISED by SENLINYU! Be sure to listen to part 1 and take a look at trigger warnings for the book. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

201.1: Harry Potter x Handmaid's Tale - "Alchemised" by SenLinYu [Part 1]

Sat, 18 Apr 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Is that a wand base metal in your pocket, or are you just happy to see us again? This episode yr grlz begin their conversation about ALCHEMISED by SENLINYU.You're probably wondering how Helena ended up in a storage facility with most of her memory gone. So is she! And so is the High Reeve. The could-be inheritor of a very evil overlord and the person (zombie???) tasked with finding her pesky hidden memories in order to track down the last shreds of resistance in Paladia,.OR IS HE WONDERING AT ALL?!?! Cue flashback and oh, look at that, they were once in love...can they ever be again?What does hurt/comfort tell us about desire? How can we negotiate our nostalgia urge via FanFic? How do we even talk about this book?Only one way to find out...tune in for PART 1! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

200. The Time War is Foreplay--"This is How You Lose the Time War" by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 10:01:00 +0000

We dive into the exquisite love-letter architecture of This Is How You Lose the Time War and ask what happens when desire is literally written into existence. We linger on what it means to love with (or without) a body—across a multiverse full of potential and very real war crimes. Red and Blue, our sapphic leads, slip across timelines and into each other’s hearts in achingly human ways.
But let’s say the quiet part out loud: romance does not need literary fiction to legitimize it. Distinct genres have distinct pleasures and emotional beats—that’s not a bug; it’s a feature. Excellent books exist within the genre, and outside it--maybe we just stop trying to collapse the publishing multiverse and let genre conventions function as intended?
Come for the yearning and love letters, stay for the unapologetic defense of the kissing books.#RomancePodcast #SapphicRomance #ThisIsHowYouLoseTheTimeWar #EnemiesToLovers #EpistolaryFiction #QueerRomance #BookDiscussion #ScienceFantasyRomance Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

199: Forty Shades of Green - "The Ground She Walks Upon" by Meagan McKinney

Sat, 07 Feb 2026 10:00:00 +0000

And now we arrive in Ireland. Finally. To discuss THE GROUND SHE WALKS UPON by MEAGAN MCKINNEY (1994).Ravenna is a social outcast who is also magically bound via geish to the Lord of her home, County Lir. Either Niall, at 20 years her senior, woos her, a lowly peasant, or his family looses the land they occupy in Ireland. What is the point of magic if it is just friendship or whatever? Does good romance determine a good romance, or is it all the other stuff? Is there ever such a thing as a good aristocrat?Trigger warnings: We talk about death and political violence. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Whoa!nus 2025 Year In Review

Thu, 01 Jan 2026 10:01:00 +0000

What was 2025, really? What did we say we were going to do—and did we do it?
In this Year-in-Review episode, we take stock of the year with clear eyes. We revisit the wins, the misses, and the pacing problems from our shelf this year—from Ali Hazelwood’s Deep End to the dark-romance chaos of Nocticadia. We did a shadow-daddy bracket (a rigorous, peer-reviewed process; dissenting opinions noted for the record) that functioned as a useful tool for Isabeau, and found time to accidentally fall head first into the zeitgeist.
Who earned the hardest Whoa!? Who took home the most definitive No? And which couples earned space on our mental shelves forever?We close by looking ahead to 2026: what we’re pursuing, what we’re done negotiating, and what we’re leaving behind—because not every arc deserves a redemption. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

198: The Reason for the Peenin' - The Earl's Christmas Pearl by Megan Frampton

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 09:00:00 +0000

Man the canons, yr Colonels in the War on Christmas are attacking THE EARL'S CHRISTMAS PEARL by MEGAN FRAMPTON.The titular Earl meets the titular Pearl after her family abandons her in London over Christmas a la (kind of, vaguely) Kevin McAllister. He uses his skills as a Welshman to care for the young miss, even though his ankle like, really hurts and he doesn't even LIKE Christmas that much. Along the way, he doesn't just fall in love with the holiday...Are wealthy twenty somethings in historical romance essentially just teens? What story elements are crucial to a Christmas tale? Are purple prose penises better than just "Penis"?Tune in - we're stokin' fires AND frying' eggs this Yule.______additional sounds in this eppy:sleigh bells_.wav by Stagno sexy funk + strings & piano by kbrecordzz
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197.2: Return to SpookyU: Nocticadia by Keri Lake

Wed, 29 Oct 2025 09:00:00 +0000

In part two of our discussion of NOCTICADIA by KERI LAKE yr grls dive into chapters 39 - epilogue. Does the ambiguity of an HEA in horror make it impossible (if already strange) bedfelllows with romance? What is the appeal of "dark" romance and what is the bright side for those of us who don't lean into taboo? TWINS???
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197: Gothy McGotherson: Nocticadia by Keri Lake

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 09:00:00 +0000

Stop twitching, that isn't the fluttering of dusty moth wings in your ear - its yr grls discussing NOCTICADIA by KERI LAKE.Lilia Vespertine is a destitute but extraordinarily hot smart orphan in evil Baltimore who happens to get a mysterious full ride to spooky Dracadia University - a private institution on an isolated island with a 30-year-old tenured professor of...biology? I guess? Let's see if you can guess what he looks like. If you screamed "ADAM DRIVER!!!!!". Yeah. You're right. You got it. They both, unbeknownst to one of them (no points for guessing this one), share a research interest in these specific moths and their gooey babies. But it turns out...sing along it if you know it...that is not the only interest they share. Nor, the only mystery...How does horror work, or not work, with romance? What is the itch that dark romance or taboo romance scratches? Can all this be solved by the appointment or a new Provost? Okay, sure, but what about a more robust student council?Don your velvets. We're putting the slimthicc (ah, those were the days) in Gothic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

196: NOThic: The Ruin of Evangeline Jones by Julia Bennet

Sat, 20 Sep 2025 09:00:00 +0000

Don't be scared! That is just the loud cracking of our ankles over a totally normally recording of Whoa!mance's discussion of THE RUIN OF EVANGELINE JONES by JULIA BENNET.The titular Evie is a psychic medium scammer under the control/support of a Svengali type. Harcastle is a Due under the oppression of his dead father. Plus his hobby is busting fake spiritualists in Victorian London. But, Evie is tempting in that mysterious buttoned-up-but-secret-nudie-photo-past that maybe...just maybe...he'll be doing bustin' of a different kind. Please don't tell anyone that I wrote that.What isn't a gothic romance (shoutout to Emerald Fennell's Wuthering Heights trailer)? Why would you include a plucky child and/or dog in your novel? What IS good pacing anyway?Touch pinkies and tuck winkies - this seance we're summoning a big ol' Whoa. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Final Four: Who's Your Shadow Daddy?

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 09:01:00 +0000

Welcome to the Shadow Daddy Bracket: Final Four, where our pleasures are interrogated and pitted against one another. Our contenders? Rochester brooding in his attic-bound domestic gothic, Rhysand a fae High Lord wielding sovereignty and seduction, a couple of aristocrats flexing thier authority, and Buffy’s Angel/Spike—vampiric embodiments of tortured desire and ethical ambiguity.
But the bracket isn’t just about who wins a romance face-off. We’re also asking: why now? At a moment of resurgent authoritarianism, and renewed assaults on feminist gains, the cultural magnetism of shadow daddies feels especially charged. Join us as we illuminate the shadows and the allure, tackling the familiar pleasures and the deeply unsettling things it may reveal about us.
#shadowdaddy #bracket #romance #romantasy #acotar Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Shadow Daddy Bracket

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 09:01:00 +0000

Shadow Daddy's abound. But how do you pick the best one? what would the best even mean? How do you quantify or categorize the shadows and the daddies?Morgan and Isabeau developed a tournament style bracket ranking the shadow daddies of the past, present, and super natural--follow along and make your own!
Who will take the crown? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

195.2 A Kingdom of Cocks and Shadows: Quicksilver Part 2: by Callie Hart

Sat, 23 Aug 2025 09:01:00 +0000

Morgan and Isabeau return to the back half of Quicksilver—and yes, the vampires have arrived. With plenty of biting insights, they unpack what makes for a strong first-person narrative (and what can throw it completely off kilter). Then it’s on to the heart of romantasy: shadow daddies and fated mates. Why do some bonds feel electric while others fall flat? She's just the most beautiful mortal in two realms with magical abilities and a seemingly bottomless anxiety spiral. He's a prince, a lord and a tortured big brother just trying to make things right. All the ingredients are on the page but this pound town cake is giving yr grls trouble.
Maybe it takes more than magic tattoos and a surly disposition to make the romance in romantasy?

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195.1 Shadow Daddy: The Sum of His Parts: QuickSilver By Callie Hart

Fri, 15 Aug 2025 09:01:00 +0000

This week we’re diving deep into the shadowy (haha) corners of QuickSilver—where Saeris Fane finds herself escaping a burning kingdom in the arms of a shadow daddy by the name of Kingfisher. Badass tattoos and appellation aside what makes a shadow daddy? Is it literally just commanding shadows and six pack? Is it the brooding and the martyr complex? Kingfisher checks all the boxes, and with a winning backstory and clear motivation so does Saeris--so what's the hold up?
Follow along in this two parter where we unpack what we are really attracted to when our heroines get tangled in the fantasy of female subjugation. We're ready to do the work on this 1800 year old manchild--but is he? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

194. Kit is the whole caboodle: A Shore Thing by Joanna Lowell

Sun, 03 Aug 2025 09:00:00 +0000

Doff your strawiest cap, we're on a summer holiday to Cornwall with "A Shore Thing" by Joanna Lowell.Muriel has been pigeon-holed into presenting on seaweed instead of her preferred botany interests. Thankfully, the English seaside is not only home to many kelps but also one Kit, a painter who Muriel initially admires as an illustrator of flora and later as an igniter of her more...fauna instincts. Kit is finally living as himself (though not out as trans, this is 1888) and doesn't want to...rock the boat. But that's what falling in love is all about! There's a bicycle race as well. When it comes to character development, what's the difference between personal history and personality? What can cozy romances show us about the unique pacing challenges in romance, broadly? And, in this day and age, what does it mean to be tender with the lads?
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193. Intergalactic Gothic: Thrum by Meg Smitherman

Sun, 13 Jul 2025 09:00:00 +0000

Do...do you hear that? That-that...throbbing hum? Then adjust your speakers! You're gonna wanna hear us discuss THRUM by MEG SMITHERMAN.Astronaut Ami is the lone survivor of a mysterious accident that killed the rest of her crew. It also means she is the lone Earthling guest of the extra-terrestrial calling himself Dorian Gray. I bet you can see where this is going...(no, you definitely can't, actually) (but it is a Happily Ever After?).What are the contours of the sci-fi or horror romance? What are the contours of the gothic romance? What are the contours of sentient object romance while we're at it?Set phasers to OH GOD THE HORRORS THE HORRORS!!!!!!! and tune in. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

192.2 What is Romance without Affection? Yield Under Great Persuasion by Alexandra Rowland

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 09:01:00 +0000

We read the second half and discovered that you can live with a heart murmur, but maybe a romance can't exist well without some critical affection for its main characters. Join us as we investigate the missed opportunities and stumbling blocks holding this "cozy" would be charmer back. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

192.1 Profoundly Un-cozy: Yield Under Great Persuasion by Alexandra Rowland pt. 1

Sat, 21 Jun 2025 09:00:00 +0000

It is a renn fest season and Pride month. Perfect time to chat about chapters 1 through 8 of Yield Under Great Persuasion by Alexandra RowlandTam and Lyford get it on like all the time. Much to Tam's chagrin. Not that it is like a non-con situation, just that he hates how much he likes having sex with the Lord. For...reasons. And pretty much everything else. His god/desses, his little village with a cute downtown, himself, maybe all women. In spite of this (fittingly) he is sent on a quest to like just be chill about it and maybe come to terms with enjoying the company of Lord Lyford. Can a beautiful world, alone, make a story beautiful? Does Romantasy cease without angst (pronounced aughnstuh)? Did your county fair host any good orgies?Please, only drink a reasonable amount of tea before this one. The ep might raise your blood pressure all on its own. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

191.2 Give to the Poor: Through a Dark Mist By Marsha Canham prt. 2

Sat, 07 Jun 2025 09:01:00 +0000

Well we stood and are now delivering to you part 2:This episode covers chapter 15 through the epilogue of THROUGH A DARK MIST by MARSHA CANHAM, book 1 of the Black Wolf Trilogy.To recap we learn that not only is Lucien Wardieu Lord of Bloodmoor Keep, he is also a highwayman, is not dead in the crusades, and gains a whole new identity as Eleanor of Aquataine's most decorated and loyal knight.
But rest assured gentle readers, young Servanne learns to love all of these identities and will passionately join the fight to oust the bastard brother and his extremely sexually liberated consort and restore Lucien to his ancestral home. Or at least that's the project we thought Lucien was on, but as things unfold and the villains lose interesting dimension the back drop of 1991 comes into focus and so too does the cultural war. Is a woman only as good as her perceived potential motherhood? Is this just a big door stop of slut shame? Have we come so far only to hurtle ourselves back onto the dark shores of the 90s?
Keep your cross bows handy--there's trouble ahead Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

191.1 Steal From the Rich: Through a Dark Mist By Marsha Canham pt. 1

Sat, 31 May 2025 09:00:00 +0000

What ho! A new challenge faces yr grls as they attempt a new format. An intentional two-parter! This episode covers the prologue through chapter 14 of THROUGH A DARK MIST by MARSHA CANHAM, book 1 of the Black Wolf Trilogy. Lucien Wardieu is Lord of Bloodmoor Keep. Or he is a highwayman. Or he is dead in the crusades. Or he is basically Robin Hood. Or he is basically Satan. In any case, young widow Servanne is headed right toward him - to become his bride and Lady of Bloodmore Keep and/or become his captive in semi-magical woods. Confused? Don't be. One Lucien Wardieu has brown hair and the other one is blond. What does this novel set ca.1194 tell us about life under late-capital in 1991? How can a novel show without telling? Do you think this villainess will shake out to be an interest, fully realized character by the end of the book?Stand, deliver, and don't forget to read chapters 15 - Epilogue for the next eppy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Time Sucks

Sat, 24 May 2025 09:01:00 +0000

On this whoa!nus listen along as Morgan and Isabeau engage with Time magazine's 50 Best Romance Novels to Read right now (August 2024). You can hear in real time (haha) as Isabeau is faced with the dubious metrics of 'acclaim and social impact'. What books did the list get right? What books did they miss? We cover it all and share our opinions on what Romancelandia really needs. As always come to your own conclusions--just maybe don't make it a listicle. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emily Henry is a romance novelist. [Whoa!nus]

Sat, 17 May 2025 09:00:00 +0000

Over one frenzied month Morgan read all five of Emily Henry's original adult romance novels. Along the way, she lost herself. She turns to Isabeau to help her trace her way back, though the work and the public and personal reception.What differentiates a romance novel from everything else? And what can we learn from a breakthrough star?Assumptions are challenged. Late capital is contoured. The word "prophylactic" is uttered.Featuring special guest appearance by a piece of loose leaf notebook paper with a completely normal matrix of EH novels!This one is quite different from our usual stuff, but maybe you will still like it (almost unlike Emily Henry novels in every way).
Isabeau references Love the One You're With and Baby Proof by Emily Giffin.The Substack post Morgan references is, in fact, a poorly remembered comments thread on this piece. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

190. Water Bored: Deep End By Ali Hazelwood

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 09:00:00 +0000

Hold your nose and close your eyes - we're jumping feet first into DEEP END by ALI HAZELWOOD.
Scarlett Vandermeer attends real-life American University Stanford on a diving scholarship. Tall, blond, Swedish, heavily-siblinged (ring any bells?) Lukas Blomqvist (...sure) attends the same very real school and is swim team captain. Other common interests include attending medical school someday, working in the lab of a previous Hazelwood main character, BDSM, and Scarlett's only friend/Lukas's secret ex Penelope. Will these two ever be able to don the goggles of love and truly see one another through the stinging chlorine of circumstance?
Is real person fic as toxic as it is pervasive? Who are trigger warnings for and what do they actually do and are they as toxic as they are pervasive? For such a clean dive, how did this book manage such a big splash?
You can fear the tree all you want, but remember that it is Whoa!mance who will judge you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

189. Resurrection Boyfriend: Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match By Sally Thorne

Fri, 18 Apr 2025 06:05:30 +0000

It's an Easter Miracle! Christos Anesti--or in this case handsome dead stranger is risen, in more ways than one! Sacrilegious dick jokes aside--this one has it all! Earnestly weird heroine with a mean brother and rambling estate. Hot stranger who doesn't get why the smart and pretty rich lady is in to him, and you know a monster roaming the woods. This Frankenstein retool by Sally Thorne of The Hating Game fame cooks up a hot mystery on a resurrection slab, and revives Isabeau and Morgan from their reading slump. But the religious undertones don't stop with this come back, nor the problems facing romance and ultimately all of us. Join yr girls for a deep dive as they revisit this author on her new and imaginative swing. No friends of Lazarus required Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

188. Your Mask doesn't make you cool: Velvet Chains by Constance O'Banyon

Sat, 29 Mar 2025 09:00:00 +0000

Isabeau found a romance from a free library--the cover was gorgeous, the title bananas.
The premise: a revolutionary American privateer kidnaps a british artisto named Season and then proceeds to gaslight her and the reader about his varied identities against the backdrop of the American War for Independence. Season, a classically plucky coddled only child with ginormous boobs changes her politics, when love opens her eyes to "freedom" but does the book understand it's own 80s hottakes? What does incrementalism get us in the end?
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Whoa!nus Goes To The Movies with Andrea Martucci from Shelf Love: Your Monster

Fri, 21 Mar 2025 09:00:00 +0000

Join fan fav and beloved friend of the pod Andrea Martucci from podcast Shelflove as we discuss 2024's 'Your Monster' a love story about female rage and personal growth. This discussion spans personal taste, romance conventions as adapted by other mediums, and of course that great white way: Broadway. As we've said before horror and romance share a wet middle in the venn diagram of genres, but what happens when they're part of the same narrative arc? Hot takes and divergent opinions make pod friends forever
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187. Try Hard Tropes--When Grumpy Met Sunshine by Charlotte Stein

Fri, 07 Mar 2025 10:00:00 +0000

This week, we tackle Charolette Stein's When Grumpy Met Sunshine, a listener request that's keeping us honest! We've reviewed this author previously and concluded then that we would like to read her again later. Listeners we did.
When Grumpy Met Sunshine is a romance that pits supposed opposites against each other with mixed results. Mabel is a ghost writer with a predictable penchant for bright clothes, and Alfie is an ex-footballer from the wrong side of the tracks with a wardrobe like Johnny Cash. How couldn't these goofs fall in love or dry hump at a Beyonce concert? From shared bad dads, to some pretty funny social media mishaps we explore how this particular story’s struggle with its own self-consciousness (a trend in current romance) seems to illuminate something brittle. The weight of modern romance expectations? The translation of fanfic into fic fic?
If every trope shines this brightly are we not all blind?
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RE!Mance - "Never Sweeter" by Charlotte Stein

Fri, 28 Feb 2025 10:00:00 +0000

A listener held us accountable. A listener reminded us that at the end of this very episode from 2018 we said we'd be curious what this author wrote in the future. And now, ahead of that discussion of a very new book by this very same author coming out next week, we want to give all of you the context you so richly deserve. Original notes below.____________________At some point we’ve all felt bullied. But did you ever think, as you stared out through the slits of a locker, your new home, that perhaps your tormenter just needed to work through some misplaced sexual desire? That in fact, your personal Roger Klotz was just biding their time to tell you how they really felt? What’s the statute of limitations on attempted murder? Can a novel be both problematic and titillating? Morgan and Isabeau grapple with Letty and Tate’s relationship, barn weddings, and what to do when your mind’s telling you no, but your body, your body, has been reshaped by toxic masculinity.
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186. Re-straint: Meet Me At the Anvil by Kate Prior

Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Please, no need to swoon - it's just us, talking about MEET ME AT THE ANVIL by KATE PRIOR.Prior isn't just the author's surname, it also describes when we talked about this author re: LOVE, LAUGH, LICH - look it up in the feed where you found this one!Diane is fine marrying Martin - as long as she has her special drawings and her special horn. That is until it isn't fine after one of her frequent faints (courtesy of staring too long at Martin's ruggedly handsome best man and cousin, Liam) interrupts the ceremony and leads to a perspective-shifting goat encounter. She and Liam hit the road to nowhere, or is it...to forever?Does centering the body, even the marginalized body, equal objectification? What has romance writing lost in the fronting of author personalities? Why is it so hard to think of weird parts with novellas?Keep your eye on that goat and your ear on this podcast - they're both wily son-of-a-guns.
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185. True Love Waits...IN HELL! - The Saint of Heartbreak by Morgan Dante

Sat, 08 Feb 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Trigger warnings abound everyone - sexual assault, dubious consent, Biblical characters of Judas and Satan falling in love, child death and miscarriage, suicide. Tread lightly, be gentle with yourself - it's just a podcast.
The Devil is a lie, The Devil is in the details, The Devil is afraid to be vulnerable, The Devil is afraid you can't love him the way he thinks he wants to be loved. The Judas Iscariot (we'll wait while you gather your feelings) and The Devil (yep, horns, tail, etc.) meet in The Ninth Circle of Hell and embark on one of the most complex journeys of mutual self-discovery by way of esoteric billionaire, rakish Duke romance ever committed to pages read by these, your podcast hosts. Along the way, the text dives into a rather comprehensive collection of Bible fan fictions (Dante, Milton, Kabbalah, your most beautiful, tragic Aunt's pet theories...) and creates some of its own.What does romantasy lose in its fear of scope? What does this novel lose in its embrace of stakes? Is this the future liberals want?

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Baggage Claim Paging Billionaires

Fri, 31 Jan 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Morgan and Isabeau are joined by romance author Esme Brett as we discuss In Flight--a romance that took off in the wake of Fifty Shades. In this free wheeling discussion we tackle fanfiction's influence on the genre, the rise of self publishing, and the ethics of depicting BDSM in romance. What are we responsible for? Who are we responsible to? How can we sell more romance novels in New Zealand?
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Whoa!nus - Maybe it's not Twenty Twenty for you??? 2024 in Review

Sat, 11 Jan 2025 10:00:11 +0000

We were in the books in 2024 and now 2024 is in the books. Hardest and softest no!s and whoa!s, the places we visited the most in literature, what we did great at and where we came up short. All that and more as we look back on the year that was...2024.

Meet Me in Los Feliz by Kelly Reynolds

Sat, 28 Dec 2024 10:00:04 +0000

One last round of eggnog, we're talking "MEET ME IN LOS FELIZ" by KELLY REYNOLDS. Nora accidentally barges in on Bowie peeing and catches feels for the (sort of) Short King. Is king a slur if you're a Brit in LA who inherited a house and tea shop(pe)? Amid the hustle of trying to make it as an actress, Nora makes room for a new love. What makes a novella work? Does normalizing rough sex minimize it? How much are CBD lattes going for in your local area? Pick your exit off the 210 carefully, we're parked in this holiday traffic.

Whoa!nus at the movies: Carol (2015) w/ Ellie from Butt Out Baby podcast

Fri, 20 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Ellie from the Butt Out Baby Podcast had the best idea. For all of us to watch Carol (2015) directed by Todd Haynes and then talk about it. Therese gets a funny feeling when she first sees the glamorous Carol, and it isn't just because its Christmastime. But it is the 1950s, and Carol is going through a divorce, and is a devoted mother, and is at least a decade older and a gajillion dollars richer, and it's Christmas! What is it they about the course of true love? Do age gaps matter? Does Christmas matter? And what even happened with that ending! Be sure to tune into this romance-centered discussion of Carol. And, by the way, I like your hat...

182. Short Days, Long Teeth - "Cold Hearted" by Heather Guerre

Wed, 11 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

If Whoa!mance had a nickel for every time we discussed a novel featuring a werewolf who flies personal aircraft, we would have TWO nickels. Thanks for the hypothetical pay raise, COLD HEARTED by HEATHER GUERRE. Grace has to Teach for America her way away from her terrible ex and terribler Chicago. So she makes her way to the small, insular, warm yet secretive community of Longtooth, Alaska. Even thought Grace really sets local boy Caleb's maybe-metaphorical-maybe-literal tail to wagging, he's been burned by City Folk before and he isn't going to be heartbroken again, dang it! When it turns out Grace's ex was worse and more supernatural than just a boring stalker, he's going to have to put his feelings aside...or actually, for some reason, centering them works better? What makes a comfort read comfortable? Is a villain more captivating than the main character a failure in a romance, or just the The Nature of the Beast? Its 10 p.m., do you know how many copies of "Watership Down" are within driving distance of you right now? Turn "Deadliest Catch", we've got something much sexier and equally Alaskan to discuss.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: Chapter 61 - Public Access Read-a-Long

Wed, 04 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Here it is, the last chapter. The bow tie. The final thoughts. The Darcy. The Rochester. The end.

A Little Dark(romance) Meat: Lights Out By Navessa Allen

Fri, 29 Nov 2024 10:00:22 +0000

Ready for some dark romance this holiday season? Sure you are! The days are short anyway. We've got a labrador retriever male main character who makes masked man thirst traps and does some stalking. And we've got a snarky female main character who loves those thirst traps and is looking for a little IRL action. Listen while Morgan and Isabeau untruss this popular bird, get at the juicy bits and carve out what makes this a mega romance audiobook hit.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: Chapter 60 - Public Access Read-a-Long

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 10:00:25 +0000

Pride and Prejudice gets PENULTIMATE! In this, the second to last chapter of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, there are lots of sweet nothings and victory laps to be had. And the conversation begins circling the drain that leads to...romance novels?

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: Chapter 59 Read A Long

Fri, 15 Nov 2024 10:00:19 +0000

Darcy and Lizzy need to tell the Bennets what's what

180: Actually, it's Frankenstein's Incel - "Pride and Prometheus" by John Kessel

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 09:00:26 +0000

What webs we weave, indeed! This episode we attempt to unknot that cross-over of the century - the NINETEENTH century that is - PRIDE AND PROMETHEUS by JOHN KESSEL. Mary Bennet decides to take one last crack at life before resigning herself to spinsterhood and two people wind up dead. That's what happens when you pin your hopes to the saddest Swiss nerd at the ball. Especially when they have the kind of baggage that is super tall, speaks at least three languages, has committed murder in the name of loneliness, and is technically their child. Do the major differences of "Frankenstein" and "Pride and Prejudice" boil down to imagination vs. domesticity? Where is the fascination of sex to be found without love and affection? What can be made of men talking about women talking about men? Trigger warnings - we talk about anatomy, sterilization, murder, and miscarriages in this episode.

179: Kingdom of Newtstria - The Falcon and the Sword by Patricia Werner [ICE WINE 2.4]

Wed, 23 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

We're back, and we're going totally medieval on THE FALCON AND THE SWORD by PATRICIA WERNER for the final act of this Ice Wine season. Judith, the most normally named character in this whole book, abandons a convent to find herself in the kingdom of Neustria amongst a bunch of Franks who will never get her as a Visigoth. Along comes handsome-in-a-different-kind-of-white-way, advisor to the King of Austrasia to spark her interest, and then away he goes for the vast majority of the book until he returns in the fourth (eighth?) act to profess his love in the murder mystery cum Medieval slice of life this Romance Novel is. Why did romance in the 90s spend so much effort towards everything but character? What does the centering of small folk tell us about a place and time? What is the difference between Visigoths and Goths? Hope you've got a knee brace, because these Middle Ages are hard on your joints.

Re!Mance PLUS Secret Baby Revealed! - Nobody's Baby But Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 09:00:10 +0000

A Re!mance for an extremely special ocassion. Plus an update on Ice Wine Deux. <3 We did it y'all. Yr girls have arrived at the final stop on this Entrop[e]y tour with one last trope: the secret baby. This week on Whoa!mance, Morgan and Isabeau tackle the culture wars relic, Nobody’s Baby But Mine, Book 3 in the Chicago Stars series by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Jane Darlington, a 34 year old physics professor, wants a baby. But she doesn’t want that baby to be a smarty pants weirdo like their mom. The solution: fuck a dumb guy. Who better than star quarterback and potential neanderthal Cal Bonner? But when Cal proves to have brains to match his brawn, Jane learns how poor calculations can still yield positive if strange results. What are the hallmarks of a good girl? Who should get a second chance? What even is a clip on headband? We’re closing this thing out with a bang y’all so call a sitter.

178: Newturopathic Medicine - Fever Rising by Maggie Ferguson [ICE WINE 2.3]

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 09:00:25 +0000

Naturopathic Practicioner Raven is thrown back into the measured embrace of regular, degular Dr. Jeff when she is accused of poisoning her clients. Because he loves her so darn much, and because it is obviously not her fault, and because it is 1997 and these things just happen, the McSteamy and Holistic Hottie team up to uncover the cause of this mystery illness and get infected with love along the way. Also with the mystery illness. What can a post-AIDS romance novel about disease teach us about Pandemic patterns? Are characters their jobs or is it just the Capitalism talking again? Can a person in 1996 be good, even if they are allergic to salad? Look out - there's gateway drugs in the echinacea!

FIXED: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Chapter 58 Public Access Read A Long

Fri, 13 Sep 2024 13:16:16 +0000

Wherein Darcy and Elizabeth have one conversation and Darcy makes all men, and romance heroes look like fools for the next two hundred odd years. #ThanksJaneAusten

Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen Chapter 58 Public Access Read A Long

Fri, 13 Sep 2024 09:00:14 +0000

In this chapter Darcy shows up and all the young people go for a walk. On the walk Darcy makes all other romance heroes look like fools, for the next 200 odd years. #ThanksJaneAusten

177: Newtucket Sound - Heaven Knows by Elaine Coffman [ICE WINE 2.2]

Fri, 06 Sep 2024 09:00:14 +0000

One last time to Nantucket before the cold winds blow! Free-spirited, head-strong Lizzie trades her youthful exuberance for matronly measure and stead-fastness in exchange for the love of one Tavis Mackinoon in 19th Century Nantuckey. Or...maybe "trades" has too much agency? What was America's perspective on history in the halcyon, Laura-Ashley-strewn days of 1994? How do we honestly feel about "blossoming"? How was the shape of women's identity and autonomy fraying against itselt? Try and remember the difference between port and starboard, we're setting sail in to some choppy waters with this one.

Pride and Prejudice By Jane Austen: Chapter 57 Read A Long

Fri, 30 Aug 2024 09:00:18 +0000

Mr Bennet receives a letter he can't wait to share with his favorite kid. Spiraling ensues

176. Manifest DestiNewt, Brat Summer - A Dangerous Man by Rosemary Rogers [ICE WINE 2.1] LIVE

Fri, 23 Aug 2024 10:34:18 +0000

Ice Wine Deux launches LIVE and in style from Love's Sweet Arrow (in Tinley Park, IL) with a real bi-coastal bitch - A DANGEROUS MAN by ROSEMARY ROGERS. Tory doesn't care what her dad thinks, or her uncle, or even Sexy, Dark and mysterious "Texas Ranger" Nick Kincade. But she is forced to rely on the latter as she tries to escape her own Manifest Destiny on an adventure up proto-Pacific Coast Highway. And maybe even, fall in love? What does The Brat signify in the emergence of third-wave feminism? Does a romance hero even need to like the heroine? What IS wrong with a little bump'n'grind? Prepare to ford the river, and chill that red as much as possible. We're getting very wet for this one.

Whoa!nus ICE WINE RETURNETH

Fri, 16 Aug 2024 09:00:17 +0000

When the dog days of summer start barking, the cubes start clinking. Yr grls are revisiting their ICE WINE project, a time to interrogate texts published by and for a previous generation. This round, we're pouring (over ice, of course): A DANGEROUS MAN by ROSEMARY ROGERS HEAVEN KNOWS by ELAINE COFFMAN FEVER RISING by MAGGIE FERGUSON But Whoa!mance needs your help choosing between THE DRAGON AND THE JEWEL by VIRGINIA HENLEY or THE FALCON AND THE SWORD by PATRICIA WARNER so be sure to vote on our Instagram or email whoamancemail@gmail.com It is Ice Wine Season - do you know where your Newt Gingrich is?

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: Chapter 56 - Public Access Read-a-Long

Fri, 09 Aug 2024 09:00:20 +0000

Knock knock! Who's there? Why! It is Catherine De Burgh! Here to rip Lizzie a new one while Jane and Bingley canoodle in the shrubbery. The worst part is? No one even visits the hermitage. That was here the whole time???? A split decision on this chapter folks, with a scathing rating of three out of five stars from one of our readers. Metadrama and metaconflict abounds.

174: Gentle(bildungsro)man - A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzie Lee

Fri, 02 Aug 2024 09:00:20 +0000

Monty is all set up for one sexy summer when he embarks on his Grad Tour with hot friend he's falling for, Percy. But this would-be teen sex comedy get real weird as Monty and Percy face a vengeful duke, a sinking crypt, a dead alchemists lonely adult children, their own marginalized identities, and falling in puppy love! What does it look like to write conscientious historical romance, effectively? Can anyone tell the difference between an adventure story, a romance, and bildungsroman? And, PLEASE! SOMEBODY! What even is "Young Adult"??? Light the braziers and tune up your crystals - we're turning lead into gold for real on this one!

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: Chapter 55 - Public Access Read-a-long

Fri, 26 Jul 2024 09:00:23 +0000

In chapter 55 Bingley stops by Longbourne, again. And again. And again. What is he UP to?

Whoa!nus - Burning "Bridgerton" Season 3

Fri, 19 Jul 2024 09:00:23 +0000

We did it. We watched Bridgerton Season 3. And it hurt our feelings. Join us as we excavate the societal wounds that have led to this latest outing in the Bridgerton universe.

Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen: Chapter 54 - Public Access Read-a-Long

Thu, 11 Jul 2024 09:00:19 +0000

Elizabeth and Darcy are finally in a room together at another party and then... Well and then Morgan threatens to quit the project. Tune in to find out why!

173: Love It or Neoliberal It - The Duke Gets Desperate by Diana Quincy

Fri, 28 Jun 2024 09:00:25 +0000

Entrepreneur? I hardly know her! This week your girls are discussing whether or not THE DUKE GETS DESPERATE by DIANA QUINN can stand on business. Raya just wanted to meet a penpal. Strick just wanted to own his Ducal castle. Instead, they end up in bed together - business-style! And also the other way. While Raya tries to get over the betrayal of her brother forcing her out of the business she helped build back in New York, The Duke of Strickland is trying to get over the betrayal of his father willing the family castle to her cousin (who then died mysteriously and willed it to Raya). But you know what they say, the best way to get over one capitalist venture is to get under another. But when the worlds of tourism, real estate, and The Nobility collide, sparks might fly. Can one appreciate a novel that isn't meant for them, politically? What if the politics are like thiiiiis close? Is a murder plot really necessary? Get the permits and a good respirator. We're going to take this one down to the studs.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: Chapter 53

Thu, 20 Jun 2024 09:00:17 +0000

We did it. We figured it out--in a far reaching conversation which starts when Mrs. Bennet comes out as a surprising mama bear for Lizzie, and Lizzie hates...every...second of it...we discover a few things. This book doesn't have enough affection for other women, and it's not wet enough. Come probe the spongy depths of our thinking as we tackle Bingely's return to Netherfield Park! Shut up Jane we know you're excited! Stop lying!

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: Chapter 52

Fri, 14 Jun 2024 09:00:17 +0000

In this public access read a long Lizzie receives a letter from her favorite aunt explaining all the important deets about Mr Darcy and the mystery surrounding Lydia's big day. As beloved Mrs. Gardiner reveals Mr. D's real problem isn't all the things we've talked about--it's obstinance. Do we agree? Do you? Listen and let us know!

172: Manifold Pleasures-You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty Akwaeke Emezi

Fri, 07 Jun 2024 09:00:21 +0000

In this episode Morgan and Isabeau dive into the deep end of what makes a romance a romance. Sure it's the beats, the structure and that all important HEA but...but...is there something more? Feyi is a young widow trying to bring herself back to life. She meets a handsome consultant whose dad is big in the art world, helping Feyi land an exciting exhibition on a tropical island. It's a picture-perfect romantic escape with artistic dreams realized—until Feyi finds herself thunderously attracted to the very last person on the island she should have the hots for. And wowza, does she have the hots! This book is steamy, confrontational, and insistent on its romance. It's not easy, but that's what makes it so different and worthwhile.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: Chpt. 51 - Public Access Read-a-Long

Fri, 31 May 2024 09:00:31 +0000

Knock knock! Who's there? A whole ass wife in the form of Lydia, of course. In chapter 51 Lydia and Wickham return to make everything awkward over the course of a short ten days. Just enough time for Lydia to drop a bombshell at the very end of the chapter. Does the text like Lydia, or is it just us giggling and kicking our feet in the air every time she gets the spotlight?

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: Chpt. 50 - Public Access Read-a-Long

Fri, 24 May 2024 09:00:23 +0000

In Chapter 50, Jane Austen creaks open a window in Mr. Bennet's pysche. And it sends your readers into a discussion of family, community, growing, and - of course - love. It also recalls Jane Eyre.

171: Razor Blades vs. Blunt Axes - "San Francisco Earthquake 1906" by Kathleen Duey

Fri, 17 May 2024 09:00:32 +0000

This episode, yr grls feel the earth move under their feet thanks to SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE 1906 by KATHLEEN DUEY. Sierra, she of the old-fashioned braids and humble dreams, works as maid in the grand Palace Hotel of San Francisco. Joseph Harlan, he of the ranch inheritance and general decency, is staying in The Palace Hotel. Joe is completely smitten with Sierra but she is coming to terms with her crush turning out to be a gold digger. Sierra and Joseph collide just as the Pacific Plate and North Atlantic Plate, and thus find themselves on the greatest adventure known to man. No, not love. Surviving the aftermath of an up to 8.3 on the richter scale earthquake in turn-of-the-century San Fran. Remember when men were men and young adult fiction was for young adults? And also historical? Have we expanded the possibilities to the point of choking out skilled, professional writing? You know what they say. If the tent's a-quakin', look out for the ensuing fires.

Re!mance: Episode 163 Hart And Mercy By Megan Bannen

Fri, 10 May 2024 09:00:27 +0000

Taking your back to a criminally underrated book and episode: Saddle up the Equimare or fuel up the Autoduck - in "HART AND MERCY" by MEGAN BANNEN, Marshall Hart's desperate plea for companionship transcends realms, landing in the hands of his nemesis, the super hot and sassy Undertaker Mercy. Amidst a backdrop of longing and rivalry reminiscent of "You've Got Mail" and "The Shop Around the Corner," Hart and Mercy reach out into the void for the connection they're missing, finding solace in anonymous correspondence. Dive into this poignant fantasy romance to unravel the depths of empathy, the allure of escapism, and the tingles of a country dance. Plus there are zombies. Don't miss out, it's a heart-tugger!

Whoa!nus: Independent Bookstore Day!

Fri, 26 Apr 2024 09:00:28 +0000

Do you love books? Do you love the vicarious thrill of blind dates? How about we combine those two? And you listen to us unwrap some delicious stranger novels, and delight each other with the contents. Support your local bookstores!

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: Chpt. 49 - Public Access Read-a-Long

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 09:00:25 +0000

Well, well, well. Guess who got discovered. Mmhm. And guess who continues to be overly optimistic? You got it. And guess who is kind of a classist jerk to their domestic workers? BINGO. You know what, maybe just sit this chapter out. You already know what's up.

Romantasy Fest Panel with Megan Mackie, Samara Breger, Melanie Moschella, Tamara Jerée

Thu, 11 Apr 2024 09:00:14 +0000

We had a blast talking with Megan Mackie, Samara Breger, Melanie Moschella, Tamara Jerée at the first ever Romantasy Fest at Otherworld Theatre. We dished about Romantasy history both public and personal, influences, Romantasy vs. supernatural, comparing fantasy and romance, and the unique process of authoring a romance novel. A note on sound - we recorded the panel using one mic, so the sound isn't what you're used to with our show. It is worth the listen, though!

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Chpt. 48 - Public Access Read-a-Long

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 09:00:19 +0000

Uhhhh, so who was going to remind us that Mr. Collins truly blows? Must run in the family…looking straight at you Mr. Bennet. After the Bennett receive a really mean letter from their current cousin/former paramour, their dear father returns home to say he’s taking responsibility for his family. Papa then goes on to earn that letter and top spot as Bad Dad on the Whoa!mance bookshelf. We also talk about conservative faced men.

170: BLOOD PRAXIS - Bride by Ali Hazelwood

Thu, 28 Mar 2024 09:00:21 +0000

You're going to want to double KNOT your Easter Bonnet for this one - because BRIDE by ALI HAZELWOOD is likely to blow it clean off. Vampyre, Misery, enters an arranged marriage with Alpha Werewolf, Lowe to protect a tentative truce between their cultures. And then...well, guess. We bet you can guess what happens next. Go ahead. What do you think? C'mon. Don't be shy. We know why you're here. We're right here with ya. Yeah. That's right. Omegaverse-style canid sex. Why do we seek out the bestial in our most human, romantic stories? When does Virginity stop being a social issue and become a personal one? What kind of personal aircraft will be acceptable when the revolution comes?

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Chpt. 47 - Public Access Read-a-Long

Thu, 21 Mar 2024 09:00:19 +0000

There seems to be nothing to do except return home after Lydia goes missing. But sometimes, as Lizzie is about to discover, family can be cold comfort in a crisis.

169: That Permission Structure Feeling - The Secret Heart by Erin Satie [LISTENER REC]

Thu, 14 Mar 2024 09:00:23 +0000

When you call, Whoa!mance answers! A special listener recommended THE SECRET HEART by ERIN SATIE when we asked for weird books. So you KNOW we had to pick it up and lay it down. I guess you could say we felt similarly to Adam, Earl of Bexley, when he first sees Caro Small in her ballet smalls - intrigued and horny! Caro decides to take advantage and improve her circumstances by throwing them both on the assignation-to-wedding pipeline. Sure he's her best friend's better-to-do cousin, and sure he's an entrepreneur (barf) AND secret pugilist-she can deal. But when Caro finds HERSELF kicking her feet and smiling, it all gets complicated in a new way. What's the distinction between bad and unlikeable? How responsible are masc characters for their predilections? Is the general obsession with lady smallness eeking anybody else out? If you have a book you'd like us to discuss, hit yr grls up via our socials or whoamancemail@gmail.com And if you'd like to join us for a LIVE romantasy panel, go to otherworldtheatre.org

Public Access Read-A-Long "Pride and Prejudice" Chapter 46

Thu, 07 Mar 2024 10:00:23 +0000

Baby sisters ruin everything. Or in this case Lydia's antics seriously harsh the vibe of Pemberly and the folks enjoying the views of the woods, and the views of Darcy's adorable face. Is all hope now as lost as Lydia's virtue? Only time and a few more chapters will tell

This Charming Land - "In Charm's Way" by Lana Harper

Thu, 29 Feb 2024 10:00:32 +0000

Quick Q - How whimsical are the jars you store your herbs in? Doesn't matter. Either way, Isabeau and Morgan are chatting IN CHARMS WAY by LANA HARPER. In the halcyon days of a Great Lakes region summer, Delilah's magically-caused memory loss (read: desperate circumstances) call for turning to blood magic and the help of sexy, gladiator-sandal-sporting, half-fae mercenary Catriona (read: desperate measures). But are their magical adventures mere illusion? Only two ways to find out! Reading the book or listening to this podcast. What can mend a righteous anger? How can romantasy ground a reader for maximum, magical effect? Is a rogue succubus just a tradwife (probably)? Want to join yr girls AND Lana Harper for a discussion of Romantasy? Get your tickets at https://www.otherworldtheatre.org/ for our panel March 23 @ 11am (feat. mimosa, ever heard of her?) Thank GODDESS we like this book, right?

Public Access Read-A-Long "Pride and Prejudice" Chapter 45

Thu, 22 Feb 2024 10:00:22 +0000

Well Lizzie is back at Pemberly and this time she's joined by a former frenemy: Caroline Bingley. Caroline attempts some pretty petty quips and only hurts herself. We also learn that Darcy thinks Lizzie is one of the handsomest women of his aquaintance! Thank you so much Caroline.

Looking Camp Right in the Ice - The Winter King by C.L. Wilson

Thu, 15 Feb 2024 10:00:11 +0000

Time to get cuffed - winter is upon us. Wynter of the Craig is the King of Wintercraig, and also a Weather Mage (guess what kind of weather he controls). Thamsin, a.k.a. Storm is a princess of Summerlea, and also a Weather Mage. They end up together for political reasons, but stay together for both-being-sexy reasons. But when the winds of magical evil and state-based evil converge against them, will they be able to weather the storm??? Where is the line between romance and fantasy? Or fantasy and historicism? What is camp and does it translate to the necessarily warm feelings romance inspires? Do you know how chimneys work? Don your furriest loin cloth, this one is chill in a NOT chill way.

Whoa!nus - A Court Of Fans And Theories

Fri, 09 Feb 2024 10:00:41 +0000

The soil of A Court of Thorns and Roses is rich, and from it bountiful fan theories bloom. At the dusk of reading the most recent installment, A Court of Silver Flames, for the podcast, and at the dawn of Cresecent City 3's release, yr erstwhile grls met to inhale the fragrance of and admire the colorful bloom from just such flowers. Moonbeams, owls, and that Ilyiad musical on TikTok all blossom in this conversation. Morgan even sprouts her own fan theory about the author. Spoilers abound, so make sure your caught up on our ACOTAR series episodes.

166: You Could Be My Silver Flames - A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

Thu, 01 Feb 2024 10:00:12 +0000

SARAH J. MAAS may have tried with A COURT OF SILVER FLAMES, but hasn't written one too long for us yet! Political wunderkind and human-turned-fae-by-mystical-creation-myth-cauldron Nesta is running from her problems in self-destructive ways. So her sister, her sister's mate, and her sister's mate's B-Fri's seclude her a mountain mansion until she can turn that frown upside down. The B-Fri in charge is Cassian, a bat-hunk who knows a thing or two about regret as well as tai chi as well as battle training, but is lacking in Diplomacy. I think you know where this is going. (A five page beej scene). How does the structure of a romance differ from a fantasy? And what are the nuances of both? What's going on with the portrayal of the Illyrians? WHERE IS THE THREESOME??? Shoot us a rude gesture down the bond if you must, just make sure to listen first.

Public Access Read-A-Long "Pride and Prejudice" Chapter 44

Fri, 26 Jan 2024 10:00:36 +0000

You know that feeling when your crush shows up and you want everything to go just right, and you want everyone in the room to think you're smart and funny? But you can't stop worrying that you're gonna put you're foot in your mouth so you spend the whole time like a ball of anxiety saying not that much at all and feeling really hot and bothered but not in a good way? Yeah no us neither. And not the dauntless Lizzie Bennet either....Are we all just a little bit Mrs. Bennet?

Public Access Read-A-Long "Pride and Prejudice" Chapter 43

Fri, 19 Jan 2024 10:00:25 +0000

We did it y'all. Lizzie and Darcy meet back up at his place. It's so embarrassing. It was an accident. He was sweaty. She was nervous. His housekeeper is really into giving him compliments. Big feels. Big fiz.

Whoa!nus: Deeper Cuts, Thicker Bindings, 2024 - The Year in Review

Thu, 11 Jan 2024 10:00:29 +0000

We're adjusting a rearview to take in a (disappointing) spreadsheet and share our objective data and subjective views on the texts and discussions from the Whoa!mance feed in 2023. What are our In/Outs and Resos for the year ahead? How did we live up to our own hopes for 2023? Glenn Howell????

Public Access Read-A-Long "Pride and Prejudice" Chapter 42

Thu, 04 Jan 2024 10:00:19 +0000

In this chapter Lydia is gone, relative calm returns to Longbourne house and the narrator gets contemplative on the conjugal felicity of Mr and Mrs Bennet or rather the horrific lack apparently. IS this a romance or a buildings roman? You decide, dear reader.

Public Access Read-A-Long "Pride and Prejudice" Chapter 41

Thu, 28 Dec 2023 10:00:09 +0000

In this chapter Lizzie confronts her dad about Lydia's reckless flirtations and too frivolous behavior. She really tries to get dear ole dadio not to let Lydia go to Brighton. But Pops does not see it Lizzie's way and Lizzie refuses to be more honest about her fears and concerns.

165: It's a Wonderful Strife: "A Court of Frost and Starlight" by Sarah J. Maas

Thu, 21 Dec 2023 10:00:10 +0000

Over the hills and through the woods, to Velaris we go! Feyre and Rhysand are getting ready for their first C̶h̶r̶i̶s̶t̶m̶a̶s̶ WINTER SOLSTICE together. All while reconciling the recent trauma of the War (see episodes 157, 158). What makes a Holiday Special special? How has the messaging around the true meaning of Christmas morphed in our current therapy-speak moment? Do you feel like you've been sufficiently fan serviced today? Join us as we weave the threads of The Star Wars Christmas Special, "It's A Wonderful Life", and Tom Bombadil together to make sense of the Phenom that is The Worst Book In This Series.

"Christmas Masquerade: A Pride & Prejudice Intimate Variation" by Vivien Norville

Thu, 14 Dec 2023 10:00:17 +0000

Ho! ho! ho no. This eppy, yr grls go whatever the opposite of carolling is about - Christmas Masquerade: A Pride & Prejudice Intimate Variation by Vivien Norville Lizzie and Darcy (who you know...) are spending their first Christmas together and Darcy is BLOWING it. Or wait, Lizzie is blowing it? Honestly, no one is getting blown. When did the public opinion pendulum swing from sweet to spicy? Is self-publishing the field from which we must harvest the bitter oats sown by celebrating ROI and SEO instead of the HEA as Romance's primary virtue? Is it just a conifer? This Christmas, get duped by Capitalism. Again!

Public Access Read-A-Long "Pride and Prejudice" Chapter 40

Thu, 07 Dec 2023 10:00:27 +0000

Jane and Lizzie finally get a chance alone to go over everything that has happened. Namely 1) Mr Darcy proposed like and ass but maybe isn't one? and 2) Wickham is the worst person on planet earth. Jane tries to have it both ways and Lizzie has none of it. And is Mrs Bennet a secret proto feminist?

Public Access Read-A-Long "Pride and Prejudice" Chapter 39

Thu, 30 Nov 2023 10:00:26 +0000

In this stunner of a chapter we again find ourselves in a carriage, but this time it's with the sisters fully reunited and on their way to Longborne. There's a hat box, a question of who paid for lunch and a lot of charm oozing from that youngest and potentially worst/best Bennet sister: Lydia.

Public Access Read-A-Long "Pride and Prejudice" Chapter 38

Sat, 25 Nov 2023 10:00:16 +0000

Full of the unsought advice of relatives? Ready to be at home with your actual favs and your comfy pants? Lizzie Bennet is too, y'all. Join this female main character on one more annoying carriage ride as she escapes her cousin Mr. Collins' tender and slightly belligerent farewells. Ready to hear us dish on writers and commenters--desperate goobers full of anxiety or blindly confident weirdos? We're serving hot takes only with this post holiday bonus! Get home safe

Public Access Read-A-Long "Pride and Prejudice" Chapter 37

Thu, 23 Nov 2023 10:00:23 +0000

You traveling this holiday? Lizzie Bennet too. Got relatives telling you which highways and byways and coaching inns are best? Yr girl Liz is in the same spot. Turns out time is a flat circle, and some chickens come home to roost sooner than others. Or in this case blindspots about dads. Enjoy your holidays!

Whoa!nus ft. Shelf Love: Shame Shame We Know Your Name "Lady of the West" By Linda Howard

Thu, 16 Nov 2023 10:00:23 +0000

In the thrilling conclusion to our Western Civ I, we tackle shame. Shameless or shameful, shame has a utility. Is it worth examining in the context of romance? You betcha buckaroo. Saddle up while we unpack this particular pair of chaps.

Whoa!nus ft. Shelf Love: Western Civ I - "Lady of the West" by Linda Howard

Thu, 09 Nov 2023 10:00:26 +0000

Why, it's Andrea Martucci of Shelf Love stopping by the Whoa!mance desk to talk about darling of her childhood, weird uncle of her adulthood - A LADY OF THE WEST by LINDA HOWARD. Victoria leaves Reconstruction behind for The American West, and, its representative, The Major (with her kid sister and cool cousin in tow). The Major got his ranch the old fashioned way. By murdering his boss's enitre family - or so he thinks - and loosing a testicle in the process. His employee, Jake, also wants to get the ranch the old fashioned way - but with a side of revenge. And Victoria. Mostly Victoria. He also doesn't want to lose a testicle. How can we wrestle with a book we enjoy that has harmful ideology? How can we trace the contours of conscientiousness if characters in romance don't share the text's awareness? Is Scarlett O'Hara the white woman's Patrick Bateman? Andrea, Morgan and Isabeau have some big saddlebags to unpack with this one. Which is why it is a two-parter.

Public Access Read-A-Long "Pride and Prejudice" Chapter 36

Thu, 02 Nov 2023 09:00:24 +0000

Join us for the what lies the wake of Darcy's thrilling bombshells. While Jane Austen doesn't invent headhopping she does a bang up job of walking us through Lizzie's reaction to Darcy's screed of a letter. Is this what growing up feels like? Who can say? Us. Us can say.

163: You've Got Empathy - "Hart And Mercy" by Megan Bannen

Thu, 26 Oct 2023 09:00:22 +0000

Saddle up the Equimare and/or gas up the Autoduck - this week yr grls pass through the veil of HART AND MERCY by MEGAN BANNEN. Marshall Hart sends a letter looking for a friend into the aether (which is not the strangest thing to do in the strange land of this book) and it lands on the desk of his nemesis - Undertaker Mercy. She also needs an anonymous friend, turns out. Does reading fantasy romance juice your empathy or is it just so much more escapism? What makes a retelling worthwhile? When was the last time you lusted after a blond? You'll want to check your box for this one, because we're sending it straight to your heart.

Public Access Read-A-Long "Pride and Prejudice" Chapter 35

Thu, 19 Oct 2023 09:00:20 +0000

Wherein Darcy unburdens himself in an epistle to the girl who won't have him. He's fine--thanks for asking! It's only 8am and he's only been lurking in the park waiting for Lizzie to chance by for a little over an hour. He's fine! What makes a manic pixie dream girl? How did Jane Austen know about them? And what makes declaring yourself punk rock? If anything?

162: The Federalism of Sex Scenes - "Jinxed" By Torri Heat

Thu, 12 Oct 2023 09:00:28 +0000

That a creaky stair or a creaky bed? Only one way to find out! Time to bust open the doors on "Jinxed" by Torri Heat. Savannah thinks she's gotten the deal of a lifetime when she buys an abandoned house to open a thrift store. And, indeed, she gets far more than knick-knacks. She gets three hunky...well, not ghosts. But like, frozen-in-time-via-a-curse fellas? I guess you would say? Can these three radically different dudes from different historic eras put their differences aside so they can gang make-love-to Savannah? AND break the curse? Sure hope so.. Can a book be conscientious and lean on stereotypes for storytelling? What would a "porn book" be and does it matter? Don't you want your boyfriends to kiss? This one may not be spooky, but it certainly has some twists.

Public Access Read-A-Long "Pride and Prejudice" Chapter 34

Thu, 05 Oct 2023 09:00:28 +0000

And here it is friends--the moment you've been waiting for--THE PROPOSAL! Darcy unburdens his heart, and offers it trembling and vulnerable with 10,000 a year. He also insults the ever living daylights out of our gal Liz, and she is having none of it. No heart, not money, no ego NO THANK YOU. Mr. Darcy did totally f.ck this up--but did Ms Austen leave him room to wiggle off his own hoisted petard? Listen and find out

161: Get Your Turkey Leg Over - "Well Met" By Jen DeLuca

Fri, 29 Sep 2023 09:00:26 +0000

Hoist up your bosoms, fill your tankards, and line up for facepaint - this week yr grls are travelling back in time to a general idea of "old" for WELL MET by Jen DeLuca. Simon is an uptight, high school English Teacher by day, and a sexy, flirty pirate by a different time of day. Emily is just trying to be a cool aunt (and make more, if not The Most, of her time in this small town) when she signs up to be a wench in his school's booster club/Renn Fest. Are sparks flying or is it just so many exploding splinters from the joust. Are romance novels influenced by Hallmark movies, or vise versa? What is the utility of an inoffensive book? What does it mean to be a grieving younger sib? Who, indeed, is Sub(aru)ing who? We've got plenty of digressions - our trip to the Bristol Renaissance Faire, "Pirates of the Carribean", etc. But don't worry, it all leads back to the book in the end. HUZZAH!

Public Access Read-A-Long "Pride and Prejudice" Chapter 33

Thu, 21 Sep 2023 09:00:23 +0000

Ever find yourself on a country ramble when the object of your ire and distain just happens to also ramble your way? No? Just us? Why is Darcy always around? Why is he asking pertinent and insightful questions? Why is his hot cousin talking about things he can't have? Is it all for Lizzie? Who knows dear reader--but we're about to find out!

160: 2 HAVE 2 HOLD - To Have And To Hold By Patricia Gaffney

Thu, 14 Sep 2023 09:00:28 +0000

Nobody move! There's blood on the floor. And yr grls can't find their hearts. Thanks to whispered romance classic- "To Have and To Hold" by Patricia Gaffney. Sebastian has everyone's fave romance hero first name and a brand new estate in an idyllic country town. Total snoozefest, but then most things are to Sebby. That is, until a captivating former-con with (gasp) SHORT hair named Rachel captures his fancy AND his rather horrid whimsy. Will these two be one another's reckoning in a good way or a bad way? Are historical romances actually written about three times - the setting, the publication year, and the time it is read in? How can a text deconstruct while bolstering conservative sexual politic? CAN "the help" consent???

Public Access Read-A-Long "Pride and Prejudice" Chapter 32

Thu, 07 Sep 2023 09:00:19 +0000

You know how sometimes you build a narrative around someone you maybe like, and then they totally mess it up for you? We're not saying that Lizzie is a bit of a small town girl or that Darcy is a city boy--but we are saying that Darcy got some cold reality and it bites.

Re!mance Episode 85: Beavers and Bunnies (Entrop[e]y #2) - Pucked by Helena Hunting

Fri, 01 Sep 2023 09:00:36 +0000

In light of the recent events around romance and it's fave sport, hockey, including our eppy on THE DEAL, we're rereleasing our discussion of the iconic stick slapper - PUCKED > Last time, yr girls explored the subversive quaintness of Amish romance in our inaugural Entrop[e]y episode. This week, Morgan and Isabeau are back in the game for our first installment on SPORTS romance with Pucked, by Helena Hunting. Here we find Violet, the step-sister of a successful hockey player, linking up with the impossibly hung team captain, Alex, for a night of passionate goal making. But when Alex starts to pursue Violet, her status among the other players, including her sexually possessive step-brother, takes a bender. What kind of relationship, if any, do yr girls have with hockey? When does a gesture become too grand? And did we mention how buck-fucking-wild this book is? We’re running this zamboni straight through yr five hole for this one y’all, so lace up.

Public Access Read-A-Long "Pride and Prejudice" Chapter 31

Thu, 24 Aug 2023 09:00:20 +0000

Is Lizzy a hedging sarcastic wit punching up at her social better while he (meaning Mr. Darcy himself) is meeting her in earnest and vulnerability? Is she just trying to be funny in front of Darcy's hot cousin? Hard to tell, but we try to suss it out for you--because we care.

159: Why Hockey? - "The Deal" By Elle Kennedy

Thu, 17 Aug 2023 09:00:09 +0000

Is that a hockey stick in your pocket or is your weiner just like super big and bent at the very end? Let's find out while discussing TikTok sensation "THE DEAL" by ELLE KENNEDY! Garrett needs help figuring out how different philosophers would justify genocide so he can pass his midterm and remain the beloved captain of his small liberal arts/Ivy-adjacent/D-1 unverisity's hockey team. Enter singer/songwriter/skinny-big-boobs Hannah. She's got an "A" in the class and a deal to strike. Tutoring for mutual orgasms so she can be ready for primetime with her quarterbackin' crush. What's a little sexual healing between friends, right?? Don't let the weird jokes about popular culture fool you, this book packs some high stakes trauma. Why is the US University a Utopia in romance fiction? Was 2015 in general politically unaware? Why hockey? We get timely and historical in this one, suit up and tune in.

Public Access Read-A-long "Pride and Prejudice" Chapter 30

Thu, 10 Aug 2023 09:00:16 +0000

Happy Belated Birthday Jane Austen--nobody does it better. We're still at Rosings waiting on what Mr. Darcy's gonna do when he finally appears. Join us as we discuss the deification of characters and what happens when we flatten the narrative.

158: Come for the Wings, Stay for the Ruin - "A Court Of Wings And Ruin" By Sarah J. Maas pt. 2

Thu, 03 Aug 2023 09:00:16 +0000

We aren't going to leave these takes flappin' in the wind - join us as we land the conversation with part 2 of our discussion on A COURT OF WINGS AND RUIN by Maas. What makes a "good" war text? How can we talk about gender and race in a fantasy-world divorced from our social reality? Or can popular fiction even effectively imagine such a world? Can you still get horny in a "Li-berry"? Spoiler alert: This one split the judges on Whoa v. No. Tune in and decide where you land

157: DADDY WAR BOOKS - "A Court Of Wings And Ruin" By Sarah J. Maas pt. 1

Thu, 27 Jul 2023 09:00:14 +0000

War! UH! Good gosh y'all! What is it good for? 699 pages! SAY IT AGAIN! That's right, we're back in Prythy-town to discuss the third (and obviously originally meant to be final) book in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series - A COURT OF WINGS AND RUIN by Sarah J. Maas. Feyre and Rhysand and their found family (plus Feyre's two kidney donors a.k.a. sisters) do a lot of stuff. They spy, they murder, they go through the arduous process of setting an executive-level meeting, they smooch, they knock boots, and they WAR, goodness how they war! All in the name of saving Prythian and the humans who happen to be there. Are these books more reliably a fantasy or a romance series? Are these books even reliable to each other? What is laid bare by how you consume the text (Graphic Audio, anyone???) ? And what order do you think the Inner Circle sits in for a massage train? Send a vulgar gesture down the bond and settle in, we're cruisin' for a Hybern bruisin'.

Public Access Read-A-Long "Pride and Prejudice" Chapter 29

Thu, 20 Jul 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Almost half way there y'all and in this chapter we meet the infamous Mrs. De Bourg. She's got opinions, she was once handsome, and remains really rich. Lizzie thinks of jokes that will tickle Wickam and tries real hard not to think about a certain other you-know-who

Public Access Read-A-Long "Pride and Prejudice" Chapter 28

Thu, 13 Jul 2023 09:00:20 +0000

Chapter 28 opens with a physical journey and closes with an emotional one for yr grls. Once Lizzy's quips were uncomplicated in their high humor, now tho, they hit different. Is it us? Is it Lizzy? Is it the 200ish years between us? Listen and you decide

156: Crypto Nepo Baby - The Astronaut and the Star by Jen Comfort

Thu, 06 Jul 2023 09:00:15 +0000

This episode we return to space! Or rather the Arizona mock-up of space - with THE ASTRONAUT AND THE STAR by JEN COMFORT. Reggie is a mean astronaut who wants to go the moon and Jon is a nice star who wants to win an Oscar. Maybe they can help each other become successful even moreso than their parents did? Or maybe they can fall in love? Or maybe those things aren't mutually exclusive? What makes a contempo-romcom a bestseller? When is off-branding a conspiracy theory in romance problematic? Are you turned on by "having a loud cum"? Tune in and blast-off!

Re!Mance: HBD AMERICA! - Mistress Firebrand by Donna Thorland

Thu, 29 Jun 2023 09:00:11 +0000

Yr grls are taking time this weekend to cough up the worst air in the history of Chicago to make room for cool, clear PBR. So we have enough time for "1776" AND "Independence Day", we are re-releasing this Star-Spangled oldie, but Yankee-Doodle Dandy goodie. We dish on American Revolution meets Ye Olde Show Biz romance MISTRESS FIREBRAND by DONNA THORLAND. Along the way we talk about French Letters and French Kisses...excuse us. FREEDOM Letters and FREEDOM Kisses. Stuck in traffic due to the NASCAR racetrack in downtown Chicago? Why not make it a double-feature and check out Isabeau's interview with the author as well - in this very feed!

Public Access Read-A-Long "Pride and Prejudice" Chapter 27

Thu, 22 Jun 2023 09:00:16 +0000

Have you heard April is the cruelest month? Wrong--it's February and boy does Lizzie Bennet know it! Without her best bud, without her best sis, without the sun what is Lizzie but a collection of misanthropic observations? Too harsh--you be the judge in this zippy little chapter

Dreaming of Who? Whoa!mance + Shelf Love on Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas - Whoa!nus

Thu, 15 Jun 2023 09:00:19 +0000

Can we get vulnerable for a bit? Hope so, because we did. Along with Jodie Slaughter and Andrea of Shelf Love Podcast, we come together - not unlike a certain Derek and Sarah - to reflect of what DREAMING OF YOU by LISA KLEYPAS. has to say about feminine identity, romance readers, and, as ever, ourselves. Why Derek Craven and why not Joyce? Why does Romance seek the approval of systems that do not serve it and indeed don’t even get it? Are we not all always already overidentifying with main characters? Does DoY have problems or is it all cunning craftwork? Be sure to listen to the separate Whoa!mance and Shelf Love discussions before diving into the meta-ness and meta-mess of this text.

Public Access Read-A-Long "Pride and Prejudice" Chapter 26

Thu, 08 Jun 2023 09:00:24 +0000

Welp Mr. Collins done married Mz Charlotte Lucas and Mr. Wickham has discovered a new first object and she comes with 10000 pounds. Lizzie feels one way about her bud Charlotte's choices and another about Mr. Wickham's. We begs the question--what does the text think about Lizzie? What do we think of her in this well rounded epistle driven storm of a chapter?

Episode 155 - This Guy? "Dreaming Of You" By Lisa Kleypas [Whoa-llab w/ Shelf Love]

Thu, 25 May 2023 09:00:18 +0000

This week, yr grls at long last encounter Derek Craven in "DREAMING OF YOU" by Miss Massachu herself LISA KLEYPAS. It is time for Morgan and Isabeau to wade into this collaboration with Shelf Love. You probably already know this - but Sarah is a regency country mouse who is secretly a best-selling novelist. Facing the dreaded sophomore slump, she seeks out a real Gambling Hell to research her next novel and instead finds Derek Craven. Derek's a gutter baby cum Cockney made good by establishing the most luxurious gambling den in London. But, it turns out, his personal tastes skew a bit more bucolic if you catch our drift (they fall in love!). What makes a character captivating and why doesn't Derek Craven have any of it? Is the sentimental version of the Culture Wars any more forgivable? It's 10 p.m. - is your child a Perry? Take our "lump of ice" and tune in as we give this "weep and wail" it's "early hours".

Whoa-llab w/ Shelf Love Part 1 - 140. Dreaming of You: Justice for Joyce

Thu, 18 May 2023 09:00:18 +0000

This episode we embark on a Duologoy, a duet of sorts with Shelf Love. In an attempt to highlight the manifold approaches one can have to a single text, we are each, discretely, discussing DREAMING OF YOU by Lisa Kleypas. We have not listened to one another's discussions prior to recording/editing our own episodes, so there might be cross-over, but that will be as interesting as the unique points we each explore. Because, as our Vice President so aptly observed, who doesn't love Venn Diagrams? Shelf Love is kicking things off, and the next round is on us. __________________________________________________________ Let’s talk about Joyce Ashby from Lisa Kleypas's novel Dreaming of You. We delve into the dichotomous portrayal of Joyce as an irredeemable villainess alongside her foil, the redeemable “hero” Derek Craven. We explore the parallel themes of violence, possessiveness, and animalistic sexuality resulting in problematically differing fates and treatment by the text. Belched from the underworld, Defender of Bisexual Villainesses Dame Jodie Slaughter joins Shelf Love in this special cross-over project with Whoa!mance - watch for the next episode, in which Morgan and Isabeau share their conversation about Dreaming of You. Shelf Love: NEW! Substack: https://shelflovepodcast.substack.com/ Website https://shelflovepodcast.com/ Twitter @shelflovepod Instagram @shelflovepodcast YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpr5TNh-BTvsp93ECCvpoFQ Email: Andrea@shelflovepodcast.com Guest: Dame Jodie Slaughter, Shelf Love’s Expert on Bisexual Villainesses Website https://www.jodieslaughter.com/ Twitter @JodieSlaughter Instagram @jodie_slaughter

P&p25

Thu, 18 May 2023 09:00:08 +0000

P&p25 by Whoa!mance: Romance, Feminism, and Ourselves

Ep. 154: Space Cadet - "The Darkness Outside Us" by Eliot Schrefer

Thu, 11 May 2023 09:00:20 +0000

Blast-off baby! This eppy yr grls are moon walking across some big topics in YA romance with THE DARKNESS OUTSIDE US by ELIOT SCHREFER. Ambrose is fulfilling his lifelong training of space travel, and he is fulfilling it to rescue his beloved sister. And so is soviet-adjacent Kodiak (without the sister part). Will the two be able to put aside their ideological differences, and the creeping feeling the mommy-voiced Operating System is not on their team, to fall in LOVE?! What are the ethics of consuming YA romance when you have a full-developed frontal lobe? Did the Cold War break our ability to think expansively? Do you HAVE to fall in love with the one other cadet on your space ship? Houston, we have another romance-reader existential crisis!

Public Access Read-A-Long "Pride and Prejudice" Chapter 24

Thu, 04 May 2023 09:00:27 +0000

We're 'doing the business' here in chapter 24. Jane and Lizzy almost fight, Mr. Bennet has some ideas about how to establish home harmony and we are dissecting world views and, as ever, interrogating the self.

Whoa!nus: BUTT OUT, BABY! - 4 - Peeping Johnny

Thu, 27 Apr 2023 09:00:27 +0000

We interrupt our regular programming to share a discussion on the BUTT OUT, BABY podcast with yr grls of Whoa!mance--on the introductory scene of no less a Prince of the City than JOHNNY CASTLE from Dirty Dancing. We had SO MUCH FUN. Just in time for summer. Per Ellie of BOB: Baby gets her first glimpse into the class structure at Kellerman's ft. Morgan & Isabeau of Whoa!mance + Johnny being attractive and gracefully insolent + The female gaze + The strange all-inclusive guest experience of Kellerman's + How bad boy romance leads are introduced and whether Dirty Dancing qualifies as a romance at all! Whoa!mance: a weekly podcast about Romance Novels and Ourselves Butt Out, Baby! is a scene-by-scene study of Dirty Dancing: A film that gets a lot of love — but not enough respect. Follow on the podcaster of your choice and at IG @buttoutbabypod

Public Access Read-A-Long: "Pride and Prejudice" By Jane Austen Chapter 23

Thu, 20 Apr 2023 09:00:36 +0000

The Fall out of Mr. Collins' second proposal continues. Mrs Bennet cannot even and we don't blame her. It sucks having your best friend excitedly contemplating your husband's death and impeding poverty. SoMeONe should think of poor Mrs. Bennet's nerves...LIZZY

Episode 153: Marry Italian - "Lord Of Scoundrels" By Loretta Chase

Thu, 13 Apr 2023 09:00:16 +0000

This ep yr grls visit the cultural rupture known as 1995 to (finally) discuss LORD OF SCOUNDRELS by Loretta Chase. Scoundrel, rake, blight of his family name, Lord Dain has a lot of baggage, the least of which is some dumb guy named Bertie. But gorgeous, brilliant Jessica has accepted her lot as a spinster and developed an actual personality, so her dumb brother, Bertie, happens to be her biggest baggage. Little do Dain and Jessica know they are about the become each other's sexy, sexy baggage. Nothin' slaps like the hits, y'all! What are the limits of "because it is a romance" as justification? How can novels show instead of tell the work of men deconstructing toxic masculinity? Who even is the main Main Character here? For fans of romance deconstruction and materiality, this one's for YOU! Whoa!mance is a part of Frolic Media.

Public Access Read-A-Long: “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen - Chapter 22

Thu, 06 Apr 2023 09:00:17 +0000

In which Collins has a “surprise” for Charlotte, and Charlotte has a surprise for Lizzie. Yr grls reflect on the historic and constant privilege of youth and beauty, and the historic and constant problem of being alone.

Episode 152: Ren Faire Enough - "That Time I Got Drunk And Saved A Demon" by Kimberly Lemming

Thu, 30 Mar 2023 09:00:18 +0000

Don ye flower crowns - yr grls are going full ren fest with "The Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon" by Kimberly Lemming. Cinnamon does the title with Fallon during a very auspicious time - a festivus when The Goddess's protection spells weaken and chosen heroes must pick up the slack. Cinnmaon is grateful she missed that particular calling, but Fallon is insistent she join him on an opposite quest - because The Goddess isn't really a goddess... Why does the context of fictional violence change the experience of it so drastically? Will fantasy, and its progeny, ever really be cool?

Public Access Read-a-long: "Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen - Chapter 21

Thu, 23 Mar 2023 09:00:28 +0000

In this chapter Jane receives a letter, Lizzy talks shit, and Mrs. Bennet continues to fret about the future.

Episode 151: Human Development in the Mafia Universe - "Twisted Pride" by Cora Reilly

Thu, 16 Mar 2023 09:00:20 +0000

This week we're leaving the gun, taking the cannoli (per usual) with "TWISTED PRIDE" by CORA REILLY. Seraphina is about to fulfill the promise of her midwest-Mob upbringing by marrying an underboss (like her dad, her uncle, her twin brother...) but she feels weird about it, Thankfully, certifiable Very Bad Person and capo of a rival mafia family, Remo, kidnaps her moments before her vows and takes her hostage in Las Vegas. After blood, sweat, tears, more blood, additional blood, then blood, they fall in love! But can she reconcile who she thought she was with who she is becoming? What are the limits of purity culture critique? Or the ability of the abject to pull you through a love story? How do you pronounce Giudice? Pour yourself an Amaro and settle in - not unlike Mario Puzo's "The Godfather", it's long but worth it.(There's a Bernie Mac attack at the end!)

Public Access Read-a-Long: "Pride and Prejudice Chapter 20"

Thu, 09 Mar 2023 10:00:18 +0000

Still recovering from the horrific proposal by Mr. Collins? Us too but that doesn't prevent us from wondering if Mr. Bennet is the real villain of this fair novel, and whether or not Mrs. Bennet's nervous condition stems from her being a sex idiot earlier in her life

Episode 150: Hot Jocks and Bad Boys "Here's the Pencil, Make it Work" by ignatiustrout

Thu, 02 Mar 2023 10:00:10 +0000

As we wrap up FanFicuary Morgan and Isabeau we couldn't leave Harry Potter behind. While JKRowling and her world view continue to be a dangerous dumpster fire, we ask where does the author end and the fanfic author begin? We also tackle the Everest of our times: The most fraught subject in all the world--PDA. Where's the pleasure in wrapping yourself in the coat of another adult human while they are wearing it--in public? How public is too public for deep throating your crush? Grab a butterbeer and your house colors as we meander through the warm fuzzies of the post Hogwarts ennui of 20 somethings trying to fledge. Its the headcanon of a lot people's dreams: Harry <3 Draco. Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Media Network

Episode 149: Title IXs All The Way Down - "The Love Hypothesis" by Ali Hazelwood pt. 2

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 10:00:17 +0000

We're back and we're ready to get down to the business of weirdest, sexiest, and whoa/no of THE LOVE HYPOTHESIS by ALI HAZELWOOD. This fic turned barn burner of a romance novel (you can buy it Target!) uses characters from the Star Wars universe to tell the story of a third year PhD candidate catching real feelings in a fake relationship with a tenured faculty in her department. What is the line between real person fic and character fic? What about fic demands delicious cringe? Are there breasts so small and mouths so big? In the words of Jar Jar Binks - Dissen ganna be bery messy!

Episode 149: Space Divorce - "The Love Hypothesis" by Ali Hazelwood pt. 1

Thu, 16 Feb 2023 10:00:25 +0000

This ep, we're staying space together (continuing FanFicUary) for the space kids (you, faithful listeners) by discussing THE LOVE HYPOTHESIS by Ali Hazelwood. Olive (Stanford University Biology PhD Candidate AU Rey from Star Wars) and Adam (AU Kylo Ren) should not be together - he is tenured faculty in the department she's working on a PhD in. Thank goodness they are not together for real. But as often happens, fake relationships can lead to real consequences. Especially when that consequence is true love and sex at a conference. Why does the zeitgeist choose fascists? Is the real HEA just being treated as another worthy being? Will "Woodiwissification" be the 2024 word of the year? This is part 1 of a two-part stand-off between fanfiction, publishing, Isabeau, and the Star Wars franchise. Please don't sue us, Mickey. Also, we have some technical issues start at approximately the 23 minute mark, thanks for sticking with us. Whoa!mance is a part of Frolic Media.

Ep. 148: The Beautiful Unfolding Flower of the Internet - "Rough Magic" By gondalsqueen via AO3

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 10:00:15 +0000

We're officially kicking off FANFIC-UARY here at Whoa!mance--We're dissecting an Isabeau fav fic in the Castlevania canon. Want to have sex on your period AND fight demons? Fanfic can get you there baby! Want to wander Eastern Europe in the Middle Ages killing Dracula's nigh creatures while watching two characters fall in love? Join us as we follow the winding questions of who's fanfiction written for? What is the earnest/sexy equation that creates the fanfic magic? Why do we love interacting with texts we already love? Why does fanfic love romance so much? Is it more than watching characters you love love up on each other? Yr grlz are pulling the threads that yoke romance and fanfic and their fans together in a beautiful and now lucrative tapestry. Whoa!mance is part of the Frolic Podcast Network

Whoa!nus: FanFic-uary Dawns

Thu, 02 Feb 2023 10:00:10 +0000

As we pass into the ultimate HURT / COMFORT month, we feel called to speak on a subject near and dear. The kissin' cousin of our beloved Romance Genre - FAN FICTION. How does cultural context inform fic and romance? Do you need to be a fan to enjoy fic? Why has this taken us so long? We will interrogate the boundaries of fic and romance via a beloved object- one of Isabeau's fave fics - "Rough Magic" by gondalsqueen on Archive of Our Own. We will compare the (slightly) alternate universes of fan fiction and romance, or should we say the fic to 'mance pipeline, via "The Love Hypothesis" by Ali Hazelwood. And lastly, we will consume and critique a fic recommended by YOU, the listener. This is sure to be as fluffy as it is angsty, Whoa!mantics. Please DM us your fic recs on Twitter, @mance_whoa, or IG @whoamance. You can also email your recomendations to whoamancemail@gmail.com Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Public Access Read-a-long: "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen - Ch. 19

Thu, 26 Jan 2023 13:37:08 +0000

In which Mr. Collins shows his whole a$$ and Morgan and Isabeau discuss what makes a whole a$$.

Ep. 147: Hand Stuff - "A Rose In Winter" by Kathleen Woodiwiss

Thu, 19 Jan 2023 10:00:13 +0000

Sometimes it gets cold enough in winter that you want to wear a hat on a hat. Times like that call for cozy romps like A ROSE IN WINTER by KATHLEEN WOODIWISS. Erienne is the prettiest gal in town, so her father - The Self-Same Mayor of Mawbry - has no problem auctioning her off to the mysterious and masked Lord Saxton. Problem is, she's still got butterflies over her family's sworn nemesis and noted American Christopher Seton. Also Seton and Saxton are cousins. Also the town is full of highwaymen. Also Saxton's home keeps getting burned down. Also, Seton's a ship captain. Also... Why is it always Beauty and the Beast (even when it isn't)? How can we reconcile the perpetuating sins of our canon? Why is it, in spite of all that, SO GOOD? File down the pointy edges and crack those knuckles, this hand stuff is serious.

Public Access Read-a-Long: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - Chapter 18

Thu, 12 Jan 2023 10:00:11 +0000

In which Lizzie has a really good time at a ball until she has a really, really bad time and yr grls Morgan and Isabeau ponder why Austen doesn't have more "Economy of Language" cred that Hemingway.

Whoa!nus: From Us (202)2 You - Year in Review

Thu, 05 Jan 2023 10:00:17 +0000

Don't know about you, but we're feeling '2̶2̶ '23. It is that time of year, when we reflect on the past and don shades to look into our bright, bright future. Is a year-in-review cliche? YES! But it isn't like we're doing a clip show or anything. These are FRESH and HOT takes, not just on the books, but romance culture and our own backlog. Join us as we get heated, remorseful, baffled, joyful while dishing on... Hardest and softest Whoa! / No of 2022 Sexiest part and weirdest parts we read this year Most surprising book Favoritest MCs What we want more of in 2023, and what we could use a lot less of in 2022 ...AND SO MUCH MORE! Those who forget history are doomed, positively doomed to repeat it. So join us as we take out doom insurance. Whoa!mance is a part of Frolic Media.

Public Access Read-A-Long: Pride And Prejudice By Jane Austen - Chapter 17

Thu, 29 Dec 2022 10:00:17 +0000

In which Lizzie becomes aware of Mr. Collins's plans for her cousin hands, but doesn't mind because there's a cool ball coming up, and Jane plants herself firmly on the fence about Darcy.

AgiftofJoy

Thu, 22 Dec 2022 10:00:22 +0000

AgiftofJoy by Whoa!mance: Romance, Feminism, and Ourselves

Ep.145 - Fantasy Denver: “One Winter’s Night” by Brenda Jackson

Thu, 15 Dec 2022 10:00:27 +0000

Happy Howdy-days, this eppy yr grls are staring hard at the tight jeans of Westmoreland Number 24 - ONE WINTER’S NIGHT by BRENDA JACKSON.
Alpha ditches Florida (plus an ex-fiancée, and parents who can’t accept her sister’s adult media past) to plan parties in Denver. But not just any parties in Denver! Riley Westmoreland drew the short straw managing the company Christmas party, but he ends up getting more than addendums pinned to the timeline—he starts at 6 week affair with Alpha. But guess what? They like each other for more than their mutual taste in themes and sex!
Why can’t Millennials conceptualize adulthood? What’s cozier conceptually than soap opera dialog? Why is women’s work so gendered in romance (even when it isn’t??)
Shut your oak porn cabinet door and tug down your sweater dress—this one is coming in hot.

Public Access Read-a-Long: PRIDE and PREJUDICE by JANE AUSTEN - Chpt. 16

Thu, 08 Dec 2022 10:00:24 +0000

In which Wickham is dishy and dishing, leading Morgan and Isabeau to ponder - what is the appeal here? Do hotties get lost in the translation of time? Whatever the answer, it makes Mr. Collins seem marginally less ick.

Public Access Read-a-Long: PRIDE and PREJUDICE by JANE AUSTEN - Chpt. 15

Thu, 01 Dec 2022 10:00:23 +0000

In which the gals bring their weird cousing, Mr. Collins, along on a walk to Meryton and we the readers end up feeling bad for Mr. Collins. And Isabeau and Morgan ponder - What did Denny know? What is Denny's culpability?

Ep. 144 - Cold Pricklies: Goddess Abducted by Scarlett Peckham

Thu, 24 Nov 2022 10:00:29 +0000

Novella November wraps (in a very diaphanous, sheer sort of way) with GODDESS ABDUCTED by SCARLETT PECKHAM.
Lydia Houghton is the titular Goddess Abducted when a highwayman picks her up in her Diana getup from a costume ball. But Lydia isn’t totally unwilling, and ends up on a very cozy hostage situation.
What did Bodice Rippers leave us? What do trigger warnings give us? Did we disclaim enough?
Keep your wits, this eppy sneaks up on you.
Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: Chapter 14 - Public Access Read-a-Long

Thu, 17 Nov 2022 10:00:29 +0000

In which Mr. Bennet gets tickled and Mr. Collins gets ticked and then Morgan and Isabeau get sad because why do these losers get to have such an okay time? #JusticeForMrsBennet.

Episode 143: Warm Fuzzies - The Craft of Love by E.E. Ottoman

Thu, 10 Nov 2022 10:00:22 +0000

Light a fire, wrap a quilt around your shoulders, and hold that mug with two hands - this episode yr grls get in their comfies with THE CRAFT OF LOVE BY E.E. OTTOMAN.
Benjamin is a silversmith in need of a quilt. Remembrance is a quilter in need of a tea service. Can I make it any more obvious (in the style of Avril Lavigne). Also, Benjamin is trans and Remembrance's ex is a woman and it is 1830.
What makes a work of fiction cozy? How can authors talk about marginalized identities and the working class in historical romance without talking down about them? Why does romance produce more angst than cozies?

Public Access Read-A-Long: Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen - Chapter 13

Thu, 03 Nov 2022 09:00:25 +0000

In which Mr. Bennet reads a letter from the relative who may turn out all the Bennet ladies on their ear and Isabeau gives Morgan a rather disappointing update on British politics.

Episode 142: Good As Dead - The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston

Thu, 27 Oct 2022 09:00:27 +0000

Ghosts exist yearround, but they are most welcome at Halloween Time. Thus Mo and Isa are discussing THE DEAD ROMANTICS by ASHLEY POSTON.

Professional ghost writer and hobby ghost talker-to'er Florence accidentally gets the tingles for her new editor, Kylo--EXCUSE ME--Benji, just as she loses tingles for her genre, romance. These problems get thrown into perspective when her father dies, followed shortly by the aforementioned editor. Don't worry though! Because Benji is a ghost now, so....

Are references overwhelming contemporary romance? Why aren't there Hallmark Halloween movies? And - we return to that deep question - what makes a Romance?

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Pride And Prejudice By Jane Austen: Chapter 12 - Public Access Read - A-Long

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 09:00:06 +0000

In which Darcy does a lot more thinking than finger flexing, causing Morgan to re-think that he's such a projector screen after all. Maybe we've made him that way ourselves?

Episode 141: Night Court - A Court of Mist And Fury by Sarah J. Maas

Thu, 13 Oct 2022 09:00:18 +0000

This week yr grls ask you to consider the toilet in their discussion of A COURT OF MIST AND FURY by SARAH J. MAAS.
Friend of the pod and noted Fae convert Feyre is feeling...weird about Tamlin (see that guy's deal in episode 140). Rhysand gets it and thus sweeps her away to high-fantasy Santa Fe one week at a time. Feyre slowly discovers not only a whole new world, but a whole new Feyre and maybe even a whole new man, in the process.
Do romance readers rationalize Bad People for the sake of tingles? Is fating mates an Out? Can breaking the world you built be good world building? Can you believe we didn't even get to the eye ball ring?
Grab your plungers and unfurl your senstivie-like-an-ear bat wings, we're getting to WORK on this one.

Public Access Read-A-Long: Pride and Prejudice By Jane Austen - Chapter 11

Thu, 06 Oct 2022 09:00:18 +0000

In which Jane feels a lot better, Caroline feels a lot worse, and Darcy and Elizabeth raise eyebrows at each other.
What can we make of a repetitive chapter by a talented author? What are the key changes in Bingley between text and film and why might that be? We don't know yet, but we're excited to talk about it with you.

Epsidoe 140: - Do I Make You Thorny, Baby? - A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Thu, 29 Sep 2022 09:00:12 +0000

Yr grls return to discuss everybody's favorite pandemic baby - A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES BY SARAH J. MAAS!
Feyre thought things couldn't get much worse while she was desperately hunting a mysterious wolf to feed her starving family. She was right! Because things actually get pretty groovy once she's kidnapped by Tamlin the Beast/Fae King of the Spring Court (whatever that means!). But then they do actually get worse when she chases her new love under the mountain and has to face a buncha magical trials.
How can a text subvert the dread Mary-Sue? Can we identify genre fiction by its references? IS this a romance?
Order a third El Presidente Margarita - this one is for the Maasholes and greenhorns alike! Spoilers ahead.

Public Access Read-A-Long: Pride and Prejudice By Jane Austen - Chapter 10

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 09:00:14 +0000

In which Caroline Bingley acts more like CRINGE-o-line Bing-leave-me-outta-it! and Darcy and Lizzie have...moment.

Hummingbird by LaVyrle Spencer (Triage a Trois Re!mance)

Thu, 15 Sep 2022 09:00:00 +0000

Do we talk about this book enough?
The red shoes?
The mother's wedding veil?
The pew?
Probably not. So we're just going to release the whole damn thing again.

Originally aired Summer 2020.

Abigail McKenzie felt like an outcast in her one train stop town. Yet when two men are wounded in the same train robbery, she agrees to take them in: David, the model of a gentleman, and Jesse, hot-tempered and alluring, vie for Abigail’s affections. But as she nurses them both back to health, intimacy and proximity push our heroine to explore her sensual side, and the true identities of her patients reveal a rich history beyond their injuries. This week, Morgan and Isabeau take a listener recommendation and fall in love with Hummingbird by LaVyrle Spencer. It’s got it all: gunfights, soup straws, moustaches, and above all, feet. Dust off a nice pair of something tall for this little ditty.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Public Access Read-a-Long: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - Chapter 9

Thu, 08 Sep 2022 09:00:00 +0000

In which Isabeau and Morgan maybe overidentifiy with the ridiculous Mrs. Bennet and the villainous Caroline Bingley.

Public Access Read-A-Long: PRIDE AND PREJUDICE - Chapter 8

Thu, 25 Aug 2022 09:00:08 +0000

In which Lizzie rethinks the whole "The Bingley Sisters aren't so bad" thing while Fitzwilliam continues to rethink the whole "My opinions about women are vaild" thing.

Public Access Read-A-Long: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - Chapter 7

Thu, 18 Aug 2022 09:00:06 +0000

In which Mrs. Bennet schemes (but is it smart...maybe?), Lydea and Kitty dox some soldiers, and Jane's life is in everybody else's hands. And we come up with a good band name - Boy Sphinxes.

Public Access Read-a-long: Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen - Chapter 6

Thu, 11 Aug 2022 09:00:06 +0000

In which Darcy keeps blowing it.

Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen: Public Access Read-A-Long - Chapter 5

Thu, 04 Aug 2022 09:00:12 +0000

There is even more to talk about regarding the ball but this time featuring the Lucases.

Episode 139: SQUID IN THE BUCKET - The Windflower by Laura London w/ @chels_ebooks pt. 2

Thu, 28 Jul 2022 09:00:02 +0000

Yo ho, ye Swee'peas!
Welcome back on board The Black Joke for the thrilling conclusions of our discussion on the more thrillingier THE WINDFLOWER by LAURA LONDON with the yet even more thrilling @chels_ebooks.
We pick up where we left off with the love story between Merry and Devon (but also Cat, Raven, a dream Unicorn, and the rest of the crew) and finally settle on our sexiest parts and weirdest parts.
Is a book being written in the eighties a valid excuse? Are romance authors written into the homes they describe? Are you sure that's a unicorn you're dreaming of?
Swash your buckles, poop your decks and bring the squid - we're bringing this one into port in style!

Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen - Chapter 4: Public Access Read-A-Long

Thu, 21 Jul 2022 09:00:02 +0000

Elizabeth and her best sister, Jane, reflect on that ball we just talked about. And it got Isabeau and Morgan thinking - is Bingley even that cool?

Episode 138: WEIRD SOUP - The Windflower by Laura London w/ @chels_ebooks pt. 1

Thu, 14 Jul 2022 09:00:18 +0000

Avast me hearties! This week the gals are the gang when @chels_ebooks of TikTok fame shares one of their favorite romances - THE WINDFLOWER by LAURA LONDON a.k.a. Sharon and Tom Curtis.
Merry is a sheltered lil’ patriot who gets in over her head when she’s kidnapped by pirates. The least pirate-y pirate, Devon, takes a shine to her….and so do all the other dreamy, fatherly, omnipotent, mysterious types that populate the ship.
Is a bodice ripper a bodice ripper if the bodice remains unripped? When is purple prose, you know, good? Sky rockets and roses or gears and pulleys?
Tangled feelings ahoy!
Whoa!mance is a part of Frolic Media.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: Chapter 3 - Public Access Read-A-Long

Thu, 07 Jul 2022 09:00:07 +0000

In which Darcy is tall first, handsome second, a real asshole third. Or is he?
Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network

Episode 137: Scry Baby - “Verity” by Colleen Hoover

Thu, 30 Jun 2022 09:00:17 +0000

Puttin’ the ghost back in ghost writer and the cock back in Hitchcock, this week yr grls go down into the creepy basement of VERITY by COLLEEN HOOVER
Lowen gets the opportunity of a lifetime - to assume the ready-made career (and romance) of an iconic suspense novelist. Too bad the best/worst thing Verity Crawford ever wrote is her own autobiography…
Can a person be a liminal space? Is this meta commentary on romance the genre? Or is it a meta commentary on you as a romance reader? Is it JUST you???
Settle your teeth into our bite marks and your ears into this episode.
Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Public Access Read-A-Long: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - Chapter 2

Thu, 23 Jun 2022 09:00:13 +0000

Introducing - The Bennet Bunch!

Episode 136: French Pharamacy - "The Duke Makes Me Feel" by Adriana Herrera

Thu, 16 Jun 2022 09:00:27 +0000

Bon-joooor, mess aymees! Yr grls are dusting off their berets to make a novella-sized meal of "The Duke Makes Me Feel" by Adriana Herrera, originally pubbed in "Duke I'd Like to F" but now its very own thing!
Victorian business woman Marena works hard to keep clientele and kiss'n'tell separate. Enter Duke of Linley and a trip to The City of L'amour and some very fancy lace to shake prod her boundaries.
Can making the political explicit be exploitative? Is there a new shape of historical romance or is it just contemporaries in older clothes? And is it just Isabeau or are they all full of Henry Cavill?
The bordelaise isn't the only thing getting creamed in this one!

Public Access Read-a-long: PRIDE & PREJDUICE - Chapter 1

Thu, 09 Jun 2022 09:00:14 +0000

Netherfield Hall is let at last. Do with that information what you will.

RE!Mance Not All Cavemen: Transcendence by Shay Savage

Thu, 02 Jun 2022 09:00:20 +0000

It's like all the fun parts of Encino Man with Brendan Fraser but somehow backwards and more tender? With a weirder age gap?

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Whoa!nus: The Dish Dish - “The Marriage Lesson That I Learned Too Late” by Matthew Fray & The Hero

Thu, 26 May 2022 09:00:00 +0000

What can the self reflection of a divorced heterosexual man tell us about the Happily Ever After secret sauce - THE APOLOGY.
More importantly, perhaps, what does that secret sauce say about us as Romance Consumers and Straight, Yt Ladies? Like, what is that secret sauce covering?

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Episode 135: Cult Classic - "Prince Of Midnight" by Laura Kinsale

Thu, 19 May 2022 09:00:19 +0000

Yr grls return once again to their be-hatted author safe space with THE PRINCE OF MIDNIGHT by Laura Kinsale. Don't get too comfy though, the Marquis Du Sade and a Murder Cult are here, as well.
They say never meet your heroes, and by they we mean Leigh. She has sought out infamous highwayman The Prince of Midnight to save her village and get vengeance from the man who stole her family from her. She finds a capital-R Retiree who has a loyal wolf and not much else to recommend him. However, he is determined to make her like him, like really, really like him. Thus begins the angstiest buddy roadtrip you've ever been on.
Can horror and romance vibe? What to do when the emotional stakes are something the hero can never grasp? Is doing that ON a horse basically doing it TO the horse?
Kinsale away, Kinsale away, KinSAIL away with us.

Whoa!nus: Hunk-a-Blunk Full o' Balls - What is Bridgerton?

Thu, 12 May 2022 09:00:13 +0000

In which Isabeau tries to answer Morgan's questions about "Bridgerton". Because, perhaps like you, we are just two assholes coughing up the dust Bridgerton has left us in.
Join us as we bumble through Blibberton - from Anthony to Cletus to Ghouly, totally forgetting about Francesca and Gregory. We unearth Twitter controversies, desperately try to get on the same page about The Bridgerton Ball and cough up a couple of spoilers along the way.
How does the show speak about race? And fatness? What is a Diamond, exactly? How does the show represent Romance to the broader public?
The episode for when you've consumed absolutely everything or absolutely nothing about Bubberton!

Episode 134: Beautiful aNUNymous - "A Nun for the Viking Warrior" by Lucy Morris

Thu, 05 May 2022 09:00:13 +0000

We're just as susceptible to a novel (as in new) title/cover combo, gang. And this week yr grls are taking vows for "A Nun for the Viking Warrior" by Lucy Morris.
Sweet baby novitiate Amée isn't super into the Viking husband her nobleman dad springs on her, until he's like really into revitalizing her 912 A.D. Francia community.
Is this book about a viking and a nun woke? How important is an outfit to fantasy? Are short women pursuing big men a survival mechanism?
Pick this one up like a GOOD habit.

Whoa!nus: Jane is Dead, Long Live Jane

Thu, 28 Apr 2022 09:00:11 +0000

At the conclusion of Jane Eyre, yr grls reflect on what brought us to Jane Eyre and where Jane Eyre has brought us - including, but not limited to, it’s contrasts with “Pride and Prejudice”.
Is Jane Eyre a self aware text or does it mostly benefit from modern readers seeing its Id? Is the Darcy more prevalent than The Rochester? Is an archetype it’s arc? What’s next?
What’s wet is always wet.

Jane Eyre Public Access Read-a-Long: Chapter 38

Thu, 21 Apr 2022 09:00:24 +0000

The story loose ends are tied and theory loose ends are frayed.

Jane Eyre Public Access Read-a-Long: Chapter 37

Thu, 14 Apr 2022 09:00:14 +0000

Jane is doing much better, thank you. And so is Rochy. That doesn't mean there aren't some...weird...moments. But there are lots of flirty, teasey, sitting in the sunshine moments.

Jane Eyre Public Access Read-A-Long: Chapter 36

Thu, 07 Apr 2022 09:00:28 +0000

We're back and so is Jane! Our Jane heeds to whispering, walloping call of Rochester's voice and finds her way back to Thornfield Hall. And boy, does she have a surprise coming.

Episode 133: Knotting Hill (Monster March No.4)- "Deceived by the Gargoyles" by Lillian Lark

Thu, 31 Mar 2022 09:00:13 +0000

1 month ago, suspicion and Kindle Unlimited ruled. It was a time of darkness, it was a world of fear, it was the age before we read a bunch of monster romance.
Swept up by a magic spell for a thousandish pages. Now here in Chicago....the spell is broken! AND WE MARCH AGAIN!!
To round out our Monster March with DECEIVED BY THE GARGOYLE by Lillian Lark.
Grace the witch is(gently, apologetically) manipulated into joining a Gargoyle throuple as the all-important fourth wheel.
Is spicy sex progressive sex? How much steam is too much steam and why are monster romance more likely to be saunas than fridges? What would you do with a tail?
We are defenders of the bad feeling/good feeling mix 'em up! We are Gargoyle (romance discussing in this epsiode)!

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Episode 131: Dragon Ass (Monster Mash No.3) - Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison

Thu, 24 Mar 2022 09:00:23 +0000

Our hearts take wing and our air mattress deflates in this installment of MONSTER MARCH featuring Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison.
Pia manages to steal from a dragon's - or rather THE Dragon's - hoard but doesn't manage to not leave highly incriminating personal evidence at the scene. Lucky for us, and lucky for her, that means one powerful man-dragon can seduce her! And also some stuff about corporate espionage between dragons and elves and fairies.
Is the miscommunication trope where our deepest insecurities hide? Can a fantasy novel be weird about race even in the absence of race? Who lied to us about the dragon dong?
Is that a single horn extruding from your small, stocky body, or are you just happy to listen this episode?

Episode 131: Vaginal Lich (Monster Mash No.2) - Love, Laugh, Lich by Kate Prior

Thu, 17 Mar 2022 09:00:23 +0000

Heeey listener, how's it going? Living the dream? Listen, we just wanted to touch base with you about "Love, Laugh, Lich" by Kate Prior? Yeah. Yeah. It is a romance novella about the executive assistant to a Lich who has office--you know--with her boss. Yeah, well the thing is, the Lich, has a real out-of-the-box...you know. Uh huh. I think we can circle back to that offline. And just to be clear, offline means online in this week's episode. Sound good? Well, some of the things we're thinking are...
Can comrades get turned on by billionaire boss boy romance with enough smoke and mirrors? Is your office Mount Doon wrapped in industrial carpet or is Mount Doon your office wrapped in mountain? How do you make ten bucks off a baby list?
Please advise.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network

Episode 130: Tentacle Porn (Monster March 1) - Acsquidentally in Love by K.L. Hiers

Thu, 10 Mar 2022 10:00:27 +0000

So he said what's the problem baby
What's the problem I don't know
Well maybe I'm a GOD(GOD!)
Searchin' for the killer of my acolyte
Tuckin' my tentacles in tight
Avoiding my family and Fallin' for a PI...
Monster March begins with the Cthulhu-adjacent, pun-apparent, politic-of-death-exploring, Acsquidentally in Love by K.L. Hiers.
Is it reasonable to approach a book with expectations as a reader? What is appealing about Urban Fantasy? What ISN'T appealing about tentacles?
Wake your darkly dreaming asses up! We're talking a lover with three appendages for sex and dozens for just hugs and holdin' hands and stuff.

This episode is brought to you by Kensington’s newest title, The Most Eligible Bride in London by Ella Quinn.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Whoa!nus: They Did The Monster March

Thu, 03 Mar 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Yr grls were working in the lab late one night, when their eyes beheld an eerie sight..
For a monster rose (a-wink) from the slab, and to their surprise
THEY DID IT IN MARCH! They did a MOoOnster March...
Join us for a seasonally inappropriate announcement. And then join us for the rest of the month as we read:
"Asquidentally in Love" by K. Hiers
"Love, Laugh, Lich" by Kate Prior
"Dragon Bound" by Thea Harrison
"Deceived by the Gargoyles" by Lillian Lark
Who needs October anyhow?

Jane Eyre Public Access Read - A-Long: Chapter 35

Wed, 23 Feb 2022 10:00:13 +0000

Our time in S------ is coming to a close, but St. John is not letting Jane go without a bang and one orgasmic head pat. But you know what speaks louder than orgasmic head pats? The voice of true love, that's what!
Join us as we reflect on our time away from Rochester, the bad feeling bleeding through the presence of Empire in the text, and that this part of the book may be the part that matters the most.

Jane Eyre Public Access Read - A-Long: Chapter 34

Thu, 17 Feb 2022 10:00:24 +0000

Gang, we're starting to think St. John doesn't REALLY see Jane as a sister?
This chapter, Christmas occurs for two seconds and then Jane enters into an emotionally wrought new language practice with her first cousin cum benefactee, St. John. And things escalate when St. John invites her to join him in a colonialist, racist project. To say the least...
Join us as we unpack how Jane Eyre continues to be a book about race, nationalism, and men filling the void of women's confused silence with their enthusiastic consent. Heads up - the text is more self aware of some of these things than others.

Episode 129: Sympathy for the Devil Pt. 2 - "The Flesh and the Devil" by Teresa Denys

Thu, 10 Feb 2022 10:00:37 +0000

We return to sweltering, medieval Spain for la segunda parte of our discussion on "The Flesh and the Devil" by Teresa Denys. And the climate is not the only thing making us sweat...join us as we turn over the sexiest and the weirdest parts of this book.
Are gloves the sexiest accessory? Is this the greatest title of any romance novel ever? Are you more willing to accept something for having things you love than disregard it for having the things you hate?
Paso the doble, please!

Trigger warnings: discussion of sexual assault, ableism, murder (not graphic).
Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.
IG: @whoamance
TW: @mance_whoa
FB: /Whoamancepod
www.whoamancepodcast.com
Also on Goodreads!

Episode 128: Sympathy for the Devil Pt. 1 - "The Flesh and the Devil" by Teresa Denys

Thu, 03 Feb 2022 10:00:25 +0000

Isabeau and Morgan return to an almost forgotten realm in Whoa!mance, but one that still remains familiar - THE BODICE RIPPER. And not bodice ripper as in "their boobs are so big it is ripping the bodice". But somehow, the experience of reading Denys is very, very different. And the reasons why feel as elusive as a copy of the book itself.
Can a long book still have brevity? Is "bodice ripping" something that you can condition yourself through or is it just a result or contextual relativism? Is this thing worth 800 U.S. dollars?
Trigger warnings: Sexual assault and murder.
Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network

Jane Eyre Public Access Read - A-Long: Chapter 33

Thu, 27 Jan 2022 10:00:04 +0000

Remember how St. John ripped that piece of Jane's drawing and then acted like nothing happened? Well spread some bird seed, it is time for those chickens to come home to roost!
On a stormy, snowy eve St. John visits Jane and reveals all. Is it a deus ex machina? *Shrug*. Is it fun? *vigorously nods*.

Whoa!nus Goes To The Movies: She-Devil! Feat. Andrea Martucci from Shelf Love

Thu, 20 Jan 2022 10:00:18 +0000

Get a soda pop the size of a tot and a slightly smaller barrel'o'popcorn because yr grls are going to La Cinema with friend-of-the-show Andrea from Shelf Love!
We are following up our live Tweet watch along of She-Devil (1989, dir. Susan Seidelman)with in-depth discussion of the film.
Who is the titular "SHEEEE Devil"? Is vengeance against a patriarchal wrong necessarily a feminist practice? Why Ed Begley Jr.?
Just don't crunch your popcorn too loudly, you don't want to miss any of the really super stuff we said.

You can find Andrea dishing regularly on her podcast, Shelf Love - also about Romance novels!
You can find our Live Tweets via #WhoaLoveSheDevil on Twitter (and please follow @mance_whoa and @ShelfLovePod while you're there!

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network

Jane Eyre Public Access Read-A-Long: Chapter 32

Thu, 13 Jan 2022 10:00:38 +0000

Excuse me, but - you can't look at that likeness like that. At least not in here. In front of...us. In this little house, with Jane standing right. there. I mean, get yourself together St. John. Oh my. Oh my goodness. You can't just jump into...you know...kneeling on an ottoman.

Join us as we try to keep it together while reading Chapter 32 of Jane Eyre.

Whoa!nus: Both Hands - Year in Review

Thu, 06 Jan 2022 10:00:12 +0000

WARNING: This week's episode may give you whiplash, looking back on '21 and forward to '22 so quick!
Yr grls look back on their stack as a whole and as individual books and experiences - what was the weirdest read of 2021? The sexiest? The suprisiest? The biggest WHOA and the lowest NO? And what did we learn? And what can we do with it moving forward?
Bring your novelty "2022" glitter glasses and those little arm garters old timey accountants used to wear, we're crunching data!

Whoa!nus is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Janey Eyre Public Access Read-a-Long: Chapter 31

Thu, 30 Dec 2021 10:00:22 +0000

Jane has a new life and a new job and is generally whelmed. St. John has a crush and crushes a tuft of daisies. Yr grl Morgan struggles to read in the present tense. Join us, won't you, for this lovely lazy river ride through the novel.

Episode 127: Hot Cuppa Xocolatl - "Twelve Drummers" by Angelina M. Lopez from Twelve Naughty Days

Thu, 23 Dec 2021 10:00:36 +0000

Yr Grls are wrapping up the festive season with a read that had us tugging at our cable knit turtlenecks.
In "Twelve Drummers" Angelina M. Lopez introduces us to a jewel thief who gets much more than she (or the security guard she's been oBsEErViNNg) bargained for in a sleepy museum in middle America. About twelve more...actually.
Where is the line between a steamy romance and an erotic romance? Can you decolonize Christmas while getting turned on? Should you read this in your childhood bedroom while you're home for the holidays?
Join us in the war on Xmas, the drummer boy is very horny.

Jane Eyre Public Access Read-a-Long - Chapter 30

Thu, 16 Dec 2021 10:00:20 +0000

In chapter 30 of Jane Eyre, Isabeau reads Jane reading St. John. And guess what? St. John goes on a long diatribe about St. John.

Episode 126: This Trope's For You - "A Highlander For Hanukkah" by Lori Ann Bailey

Thu, 09 Dec 2021 10:00:22 +0000

This week, yr grls discuss the show's first Hanukkah story from an anthology of shorts titled "Eight Kisses: Eight All-New Tales of Holiday Romance". Specifically we are back in bonnie Scotland for "A Highlander for Hanukkah" by Lori Ann Bailey (who also edited the anthology!)
Shoshana likes James, and James likes Shoshana even though she's Jewish and he's Catholic. But then a series of B'n'E's start cropping up, her dad goes out of town on business, and Hanukkah all coincide to help them discover they can and DO still want to make it.
Is all oppression equal? Is all comfort equal? And what makes a trope slap?
You're not going to wait for THIS Hot Pocket to cool before consuming.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Jane Eyre Public Access Read-a-Long - Chapter 29

Thu, 02 Dec 2021 10:00:22 +0000

Jane makes new friends. One of them has a Roman-esque profile and dreamy eyes. Another one has an offensive, phonetically written accent.

Episode 125: Medieval Midwifery - "The Secret" By Julie Garwood

Thu, 25 Nov 2021 10:00:29 +0000

Secrets, secrets are no fun. But THE Secret? By Julie Garwood? Well…
Judith leaves her dysfunctional behind in England to use her DIY doula skills to help her friend deliver a baby in the highlands. You know what they have in the highlands, don’t you? That’s right - HIGHLANDERS. Big, hunky, aloof-yet-communicative, laird-y ones named Ian.
Does the context a book was published in really matter? Is the appeal of highlanders just innocent plaid fun? Did you know Ian is Gaelic for John?

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast network.

Jane Eyre Public Access Read-a-Long - Chapter 28

Thu, 18 Nov 2021 10:00:11 +0000

For Chapter 28, Isabeau's melodic tones sweep us away to the beautiful Northern English countryside where Jane learns it is a hard knock life outside the walls of Thornfield, as well. But in a whole different way.

Whoa!nus: True Crime - UNAUTHORIZED AUTOBIOGRAPHY feat. Danielle Steel

Thu, 11 Nov 2021 11:00:41 +0000

Whoa!mance is once again donning their trench coats and magnifying glasses to bring you the only romance novel-specific crime conversations on the web. This time around, Morgan takes Isabeau on a journey to one of the dreariest corners - FAMILY COURT - via one of the most sparkling highways - CELEBRITY.
Danielle Steel.......'s husband sued two writers from People Magazine to keep adoption records sealed, and a book off the shelves in the process, and lost. But that particular champagne problem seems to have aged into a Wonder Bread problem while we were all signing up for the pre-Metaverse.
What responsibility do we have to our inspirations, particularly when they can't collect alimony? What makes a celebrity? Does it matter when we've all got the same amount of public information? Who owns your earrings?
A warning shot on data and privacy comin' at ya from 1993.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Jane Eyre Public Access Read-a-Long: Chapter 27

Thu, 04 Nov 2021 09:00:14 +0000

Good word, but that boy can talk!
In Chapter 27 Rochester wants Jane to know a few things, and then a few more. And then a few more.
Join us as Jane confronts, at least internally, Rochester.
TW: Sexual assault, abuse

Episode 124: Werewolf Baseball - "Mating the Huntress" by Talia Hibbert

Thu, 28 Oct 2021 09:00:14 +0000

Baby, yr grls are HOWLING for (and about) "Mating the Huntress" by Talia Hibbert this Halloween.
Chastity feels anything but chaste around local werewolf/fated mate/homeschooled-only-child Luke. The only problem? She comes from a family of huntresses--as in werewolf huntresses!
What's Halloween's whole deal? Are white people really ignorant about race, or is it just all getting channeled into metaphor? Are you cosplaying The Midwest right now?
We'd ask if Talia Hibbert is John Williams, but we already know the answer--and soon you will, too! TuuUUuune in, if you daaaare.
Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast network.
Want to join the Whoa!mance team and help us edit? Email whoamancemail@gmail.com

Episode 123: Tasty Squeeze - A Man of Taste by Shira Glassman

Thu, 21 Oct 2021 09:00:14 +0000

This week yr girls are keeping it short’n’sweet as carrots with A MAN OF TASTE by SHIRA GLASSMAN. Milly the Vampire decides to treat herself and make herself a snack of a snack (wink). Little does she know she just found the everlasting gobstopper of boyfriends/dinners.
Can women consume anything without it being a moral conundrum? Is camp essential to vampire horror? Why is romance so good at genre mashing?
Lick. It. Up.

Whoa!mance is a part of Frolic Media.

Episode 121: Pumpkin Spice Lay - Pumpkin Pounder by Laura Lovely

Thu, 14 Oct 2021 10:00:47 +0000

Halloween isn't all about spookies, sometimes it is about parties. This week, yr grls explore the latter with PUMPKIN POUNDER by LAURA LOVELY.
Titular Daisy pursues her preference for those with the MC1R gene into a rom-com cum softcore Halloween evening with a guy from Ireland. But guess what? He's different from the other pumpkins she's pounded, and her passion for pounding pumpkins could just be another costume.
Are fetishes romantic? Is Halloween romantic? Is New York romantic? Is The Nightmare Before Christmas romantic?
Be home before midnight, lest ye be pounded by this week's epiode.
This episode was edited by Ellie Gordon-Moershel

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Discover more Whoa!s and No!s on our website: https://www.whoamancepodcast.com/
Or our Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/82862949-whoa-mance
Feel free to at us: https://twitter.com/mance_whoa
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Episode 121: Autumnal Femininity - For The Wolf by Hannah Whitten

Thu, 07 Oct 2021 10:00:37 +0000

Awoooooooooooo-tmespheric season is upon us, and this week yr grls are bundling up in the wooly caress of FOR THE WOLF by HANNAH WHITTEN.
Red was born to be a sacrifice to the enigmatic Wolf in the Woods, bound long before her time by a curse that is a lot like a marriage. But it turns out, he's more puppy than predator. And the woods aren't quite the bloodsucking borderlands they appear. But that doesn't mean there aren't bloodsucking predators afoot....
If a fantasy is a fantasy and a romance is romance--why is that? What is romance's unique place in the genre pool? What is the particular appeal of Fall for femmes? Is that blood or sap?
Lick it and see!

Episode 119: Heyer and Heyer, Baby - Venetia by Georgette Heyer pt. 2

Thu, 30 Sep 2021 10:00:46 +0000

It's a livin' thing.
This week, yr grls conclude their discussion Georgette Heyer's seminal novel of VENETIA!
This time we get into the sexiest part, the weirdest part, and the final verdict on whether or not we Whoa! or No! Venny. We may not stroke your ego, but we will get you in your feels.
Is the romance vibe, on the whole, more Georgette or Jane? Who is the Emma in your friend group? If you can't answer that, you might be the Emma. But look on the sunny side! At least you're not the Venetia.

This episode is brought to you by Kensington’s newest title from Shelly Laurenston, Breaking Badger.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Discover more Whoa!s and No!s on our website: https://www.whoamancepodcast.com/
Or our Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/82862949-whoa-mance
Feel free to at us: https://twitter.com/mance_whoa
Peep the gram: https://www.instagram.com/whoamance/
Join the FB Group: https://m.facebook.com/Whoamancepod/

Episode 119: Georgie Girl - Venetia by Georgette Heyer pt. 1

Fri, 24 Sep 2021 10:00:39 +0000

It has been a long time coming, so we hope you don't mind if we stay awhile. This week, yr grls embark on two part discussion of VENETIA by Lioness in her Field GEORGETTE HEYER. In an English country village (alleged) nonpareil Venetia meets an infamous rake and...well you know how this goes. Georgette Heyer basically wrote the song after all.
A return to the canon means a return to the big questions in romance. We know Heyer is a bad person, but is Venetia? How extricable is perspective from heroine? Is a man who is good at reading romance aloud necessarily a feminist? How do we talk about the problematic hands that mold the objects we love?
Put down that dentist office People Magazine and pick up your earbuds, this one is spicy.

Venetia PartUNO

Wed, 22 Sep 2021 09:00:16 +0000

Venetia PartUNO by Whoa!mance: Romance, Feminism, and Ourselves

Jane Eyre Public Access Read-a-Long - Chapter 26

Wed, 15 Sep 2021 09:00:27 +0000

We return just in time for a wedding.
Time: Rushed.
Location: Church near the packed carriage, literally at your house.
Mood: Sometimes it is hard to tell if you're excited or scared, you know?
Guests: Unexpected.
Join us as we pick back up right where we left off with Chapter 26 of Jane Eyre.
If you enjoy this show, please let your friends know! If you're concerned about a pal's new love interest specifically, do send them this specific episode. The eerie feeling can always be far worse, and far closer, than Grace Poole.

Episode 118: The Cupcake/Tattoo Problem - Hurts To Love You by Alisha Rai

Wed, 08 Sep 2021 09:00:17 +0000

Is he hot or is he just from the wrong side of the tracks? This week on Whoa!mance we answer "YES" to both while discussing HURTS TO LOVE YOU by ALISHA RAI.
Fancy pants Evangeline has been secretly crushing cum app-enabled stalking flannel pants Gabe for years. And now at her family's wedding weekend *cough*regency house party*cough* she is ready to make a move.
Is slow burn > sudden burn? How have we landed in the current tattoo vs. cupcake shop spectrum? Is the only difference between historicals and contemporaries how close to the sun we feel reading them? Whats that musty chemical smell in your luxury chalet?
Better dye your shoes to match, we're fully committed to this one.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network

Check out our website - https://www.whoamancepodcast.com/
Follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/mance_whoa
Peep the 'Gram - https://www.instagram.com/whoamance/

Episode 117 Pt 2: Only in New York! - Evening Star by Catherine Coulter

Wed, 01 Sep 2021 09:00:25 +0000

Wowie kazowie there is a whole other part of Evening Star by Catherine Coulter where they go to New York and actually fall in love and have lots of pregnancy sex and lots of fights and Thanksgiving but way too early and bust a union and all cause like Women in Business! And man, that stuff really burrows into your grl's brains.
Is erasure preferable to hero/ines who acknowledge the problems of their time but don't make act against it? Why do historical romances, especially from the late 19th Century, feel so much hornier? When was the last time your adult body felt worshipped? Does this book punch through the membrane of genre?
Do you hear Harry Connick Jr. over this autumnal New York love story? NO! You hear Whoa!mance. Tune in now.
Part 1 ovah here! ----> https://bit.ly/2WzoHeb
Do you or someone you know have a little sound editing experience and an interest in editing a podcast? Drop us a line with "Editor" in the subject line at whoamancemail@gmail.com to learn more about an opportunity to work with Whoa!

Episode 117 Pt 1: When in Rome - Evening Star by Catherine Coulter

Wed, 25 Aug 2021 09:00:05 +0000

This week your girls disembark on a two parter on Catherine Coulter’s EVENING STAR aka SWEET SURRENDER.
We delve into the kinky, sweaty bordellos and just sweaty dinner parties of 19th Century Rome where young Giana is getting a pretty shallow lesson in womanhood from her uncle and meets an American, i.e. tall, businessman who is equal parts well-meaning and ruthlessly horny. I & M answer the questions Coulter has posed to her erstwhile reader and discover some Rome Truths along the way.
Why start with shock? Can we girlboss our way out of ideology? Does anyone have good intentions or are we just negotiating different ways to live with our selfish choices?
Sidle up to the velvet curtain and behold the one-way mirror to our conversation, we promise we don’t mind if you listen. ;)

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network

Episode 116: Purse'a'phone and Hayds - Neon Gods by Katee Robert

Wed, 18 Aug 2021 09:00:15 +0000

Is that a bottle of Pom Wonderful in your pocket or are you just excited for another modern retelling of Hades and Persephone? Either way you came to the right podcast! This week yr kores spring into “Neon Gods” by Katee Robert.
Modern It Girl Persephone runs away to the mysterious Under City (see what they did there?) to wait out her trust fund to move to Berkeley (pardon???). In order to stave off the unwanted amorous notions of Zeus she gets publicly f*ng’d by cinnamon roll in a black on black suit Hades. And then guess what happens!
Are we ever done reaping what 50 Shades of Grey has sown? Do you like bad boys or do you just like a project? Is world building the world of Romance?
Take a bite. We’d like you to stay a while.

This episode of Whoa!mance is sponsored by “Sweet Talking Rancher” by Kate Pearce from Kensington Books.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network

You can find Neon Gods on GoodReads here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54659771-neon-gods

We mentioned Rose Lerner's Audible Original, here it is: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Wife-in-the-Attic-Audiobook/B08W2P8GZN

Episode 115: Structural Villainy - Ties That Bind by Brenda Jackaon

Wed, 11 Aug 2021 09:00:05 +0000

This week, I & M tackle the multi-decade family saga slash love story “The Ties That Bind” by Brenda Jackson. When Rand meets Jenna at a college party in 1965, they kick off a romance (or twelve) that overcomes the ravages of time, distance, the Vietnam War, the fight for Civil Rights, classism, colorism, and a woman named Angela.
Is there such a thing as bad girl, or are they all just drawn that way? Is a villain’s relatability a form of carbon dating? Speaking of dating, does anyone date outside their family anymore in these books or are we just sensitive?

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Whoa!nus - Smart Bitches Trashy Books ft. Whoa!mance: Awakened by the CEO's Kiss by Therese Beharrie

Fri, 06 Aug 2021 09:00:34 +0000

Mama, we made it!
This week we are so excited to share our conversation with Sarah - she of ICONIC Smart Bitches Trashy Books fame. We discussed a brand spankin' new category romance. She got us an ARC and everything. Notes below!
And if you don't know about SBTB yet, check out the pod and go to https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/ to consume all of the delicious romance content they just let you have for free!
Also be sure to dip into our recent "Category Is..." series for some classic category content.
- - -
I’m joined by Morgan and Isabeau from the Whoa!Mance podcast! They are celebrating three years of podcasting, and their latest exploration of romance has been to look at category romances. I thought it would be fun to take a deep dive into a brand new contemporary romance, so we all read Awakened by the CEO’s Kiss by Therese Baharrie.

This episode is a low-spoiler discussion of the book, and of all the interesting and subversive things that it does. We cover kiss tension, books that give you chest tingles, and more. You can listen if you’ve read it, or if you haven’t, but you might really like this book so we recommend it either way!
- - -
Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network

Episode 114: A Tyranny Of Endearment - Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey

Wed, 28 Jul 2021 09:00:11 +0000

Baby batter up!
This week on Whoa!mance Isabeau and Morgan chew gum in the dugout of "Fix Her Up" by Tessa Bailey.
Former baseball superstar Travis returns to his charming home village sore from more than a career-ending shoulder injury. When a new opportunity comes knocking, he teams up with his friend's kid sister for a mutually beneficial (aren't they always?) fake relationship. Thankfully, her "baby" status in her family isn't an impediment to his affections.
Why don't more characters in fiction just, you know, meet? Are we all slowly boiling in the waters of incest-adjacency? Is cognitive dissonance in the boudoir any less dissonant?
It's 11:00pm. Do you know where your Baby Girl is?

Episode 113: Railed - One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

Wed, 21 Jul 2021 09:00:20 +0000

Risky Business eat your heart out. This week on Whoa!mance, Morgan and Isabeau visit NEW YAWK but better in “One Last Stop” by Casey McQuiston. August is still putting the “new” New York City when she meets timeless punk hottie Jane on the Q. When she discovers just HOW timeless, our gal Auggie puts her hereditary gumshoe skills, and chosen family slash roomies, to use is breaking Jane free from the amber of the MTA.
Is freaky the new vanilla? Does greater visibility equal meaningful progress? Did people like “Red, White & Royal Blue”?
Stand clear of the sliding doors, this episode is about to disembark.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

RE!Mance Episode 44: The OG (JANEuary #5) - Persuasion by Jane Austen

Wed, 14 Jul 2021 09:00:32 +0000

Romancelandia’s own Gathering of the Juggalos - Jane Austen Fetival - wrapped up this last week in Louisville! PlusJASNA’s Annual General Meeting will be hosted in our home of Chicago this year. Not to mention TWO imminent film adaptations of Persuasion? To celebrate all this and more we’re re-releasing our episode on Persuasion by Jane Austen.
---
We did it y’all; we’ve been through the now, the then, the if only, and the as if; it’s been a month dedicated to yr grrl Jane; a celebration of her influence, and an inquiry into the resonance of her scope. But we would be remiss not to guide it all towards the inevitable confluence of meeting the indelible force herself; the matron of Romancelandia; the true essence of all things that send your heart and situation aflutter: it’s Persuasion by Jane Austen. For you, by you; thank you now and always.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network

Episode 112: Almost Paradise - Bachelor in Paradise by Shai August

Wed, 07 Jul 2021 09:00:30 +0000

The Bachelor but with a Phoenix and a Thunderbird catching feels in the South China Sea? This could actually be the most dramatic season yet.
Mythical creature shifter and Regional-alpha Xi Sing is so immediately smitten with The Shifter Bachelor lovetestant Monday, he threatens to make bad TV. Little does the viewing audience know she's running from a witch-hunter right onto their screens.
This week, yr girls are knockin' on Heaven's Door discussing "Bachelor in Paradise" by Shai August, Along the way, they reflect on the history of Bachelor Nation by looking at a multicultural shifter-take with plenty of political intrigue, character studies, and loose ends
Is reality television just another repository for our collective id? Are bouillon-stealing gargoyles worse than a guy selecting a Neil Lane engagement ring for the wrong reasons? Can the sum of parts be greater than the whole?
One thing is for sure - Chris Harrison could never.

Episode 111: The Category is….An Aunt Is An Ocean - The Prodigal Spinster by Joan Overfieled

Wed, 30 Jun 2021 09:00:20 +0000

Category Is: Kissing Cousins Pygmalion Cotillion
Answer: “The Prodigal Spinster” by Joan Overfieled
Question: What is relations wanting to make relations after a “makeover” (actually just proper nutrition) thanks to a Puppet Master/Aunt who makes them think it was the work of their Cool Jock Friend and their Bumbling Too-Masc-To-Live Pal?
This week, Morgan and Isabeau don their most fabulous orange formalwear for the exciting conclusion of the first round of their “Category Is” series, discussing a motherf*#!ing Golden Heart Winner from 1988.
Are Pygmalions for the boyzzzz? Can a family member be a liminal space? If you walk down the stairs and not a single Adam’s apple bobs, does it even count?
Kiss me beneath the milky twilight, this episode is about to lead you out on the moonlit floor.

Episode 110: The Category is....Easy Riders, Golden Songbirds - The Golden Songbird by Sheila Wash

Thu, 24 Jun 2021 14:44:04 +0000

Category Is: Regency in shades of avocado, mulberry and ochre
Answer: “The Golden Songbird” by Sheila Walsh
Question: What is the wager calling everyone’s bluff until she ends up a Marchioness after some gun play, a cock fight, and a really bad trip?
This week, Morgan and Isabeau are joined by a Dark Passenger for their “Category Is” series, discussing a not-plagiarizing-Georgette-Heyer Regency from 1975.
Are the seventies the True Sixties? Was Woodiwiss even a radical? Are disco balls just big mirrors?
Cards on the table, we’re all in.

Episode 109: The Category is....Thatcher? I Hardly Know Her! - Tangled Threads by Susanne McCarthy

Wed, 16 Jun 2021 09:00:23 +0000

Category Is: English Rose seeks personified Daddy Issue
Answer: “Tangled Threads” by Susanne McCarthy
Question: What is pretending to be the wife of the brother who raised you and ending up deflowered by the father of your brother’s child bride and everyone looks the same and all the villains are immigrants?
This week, Morgan and Isabeau follow their “Category Is” series down the recently expanded British motorway system of 1991.
Can a contemporary romance be a “bodice ripper”? Has anyone traced the Thatcher Feminism to Boris Johnson Misogynist pipeline? What’s a Tory? And can anyone stop the urban sprawl of the West Midlands?
Heat up the pan, this is the Full English, innit?

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network

Episode 108: Problematizing Romance w/Shelf Love

Wed, 09 Jun 2021 09:00:23 +0000

Back at it again with the Shelf Love co-release! Isabeau and Morgan had a great time chatting with Andrea Martucci about what it means to problematize and what it means to fetishize. Especially when it comes to (what else?) Romance! Psyched to share this eppy of Shelf Love in our feed. Don’t forget your copy of Das Kapital—or the whips and giant cartoon fox head for that matter. This conversation is a hot commodity.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Network

Episode 107: The Category is....My Sister's Mister - How Can The Heart Forget? by Emilie Loring

Wed, 02 Jun 2021 09:00:23 +0000

Category Is: Posthumously Published Triangular Caper
Answer: “How Can The Heart Forgot” by: Emilie Loring
Question: What if Nancy Drew never left the suburbs and was also in love with sister’s fiancee?
This week, Morgan and Isabeau kick off our “Category Is” series with plenty of zip and dash all the way from 1961.
How does it feel to find out you’re on a political treadmill next to Donna Reed? Does depth of story require depth of character? Does choice feminism still count if the choice is a wool suit or a ball gown? Who IS going to the Country Club dance?
Button that dress that sets off your eyes to the neck. The weather for this triple wedding is bitingly cold.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Whoa!Nus: The Category Is.....

Wed, 26 May 2021 09:00:10 +0000

Answer: Announcing an exploration into the oft overlooked but undeniably pervasive works known as Category Romance.
Answer, but in the form of a question: What is the topic of this week's Whoa!nus?

Yr girls Isabeau & Morgan are excited to share their big summer plans: CATEGORY IS. Each week a new Category Romance (from Isabeau’s own random box of romance) published in a different post-war-pre-low-rise-jeans decade.

Monthly Doubles on the board, category is: Category Is.

This week’s episode of Whoa!mance is brought to you by An Earl, The Girl and a Toddler by Vanessa Riley. Available now from Kensington Books.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network

Jane Eyre Read Along - Chapter Twenty-Five

Fri, 21 May 2021 09:00:30 +0000

As the wedding day draws closer, Jane is taking stock of her new identity: that of the amorphous Mrs. Rochester. This week, Jane revisits the now lightning scared chestnut tree, reveals to have been befallen by a series of disquieting dreams, and confronts an incredulous Mr. Rochester directly when her nightmares trip-trap into her waking life. Is it cold feet, Grace Pool, or something far more sinister?

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Jane Eyre Read Along - Chapter Twenty-Four

Fri, 14 May 2021 09:00:46 +0000

After a night of tumultuous emotions, Jane is now set to marry Mr. Rochester. This week, Mrs. Fairax gives our heroine some unsolicited relationship advice, Jane’s happiness wanes at the idea of a lavish future, and everyone is on edge as Jane navigates retaining her sexual purity. Red flags abound.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Episode 106: A Sticky Wicket The Marriage Pass

Fri, 07 May 2021 09:00:30 +0000

Sometimes being a “family man” is less playing catch and more swinging. This week on Whoa!mance, Morgan and Isabeau dish on Briana Cole’s melodramatic romantic suspense The Marriage Pass.
Dr. Dorian Graham just wants to be a good husband—or at least a better husband than he was a boyfriend. When his prim and proper wife, Shantae, offers to make his life easier with a one-night-only freebie, Dorian complicates things by cashing in his Get-Out-Of-Monogamy Free card with his own sister-in-law, the very very sexy and intense Raegan. But exactly who is weaving the tangled web here becomes less and less clear. Why does it feel so good being bad? Is blood always thicker than bubble bath water? Is your body image ever entirely your own? And can you ever really know a person when they’re a woman and you don’t really see women as people? Give that amber liquid another swirl in the rocks glass ‘cause this one burns all the way down.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Jane Eyre Read Along - Chapter Twenty-Three

Fri, 30 Apr 2021 09:00:32 +0000

Our girl is barely back at Thornfield Hall, and already the weather is looking stormy. This week, Jane catches a whiff of her super hot boss while walking alone in the garden, Mr. Rochester offers Jane a pity job for when he marries that old try hard Blanche Ingram, and briefly, Jane ponders life alone. But we all know what can happen when it rains.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Re!mance: Flowers From the Storm by Laura Kinsale FEATURING MELONIE JOHNSON!

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 09:00:31 +0000

Dusting off a classic discussion of a classic this week! Taking it all the way back when we shared a microphone with the author of "Getting Hot With The Scot" and the upcoming "Too Good To Be Real" Melonie Johnson
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It’s a Whoa!mance double whammy this week y’all! Not only are Morgan and Isabeau joined by the brilliant and talented Melonie Johnson, but we’re getting a guided tour of Melonie’s all time favorite romance novel: Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale. Imagine if Flowers for Algernon and A Beautiful Mind were study buddies with benefits, with the bulk of the sadness exchanged for more divide and multiply. Additional ingredients include: dukes, quakers, and at the lord’s behest, openings. Plus, we get the scoop on Melonie’s upcoming trio of novels from the source herself. Summer 2K19 can’t come soon enough.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network

Jane Eyre Read Along - Chapter Twenty-Two

Sun, 11 Apr 2021 09:00:01 +0000

With Mrs. Reed safely in the ground, Jane prepares to leave Gateshead hall. This week, Eliza and Georgiana make plans for their futures, Jane receives a letter from Mrs. Fairfax that reeks of Mr. Rochester’s pending marriage, and, once again, Jane collides with an unexpected traveller on her way to Thornfield Hall.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Episode 105: Faking It - Reckless by Susan Sackett

Wed, 07 Apr 2021 09:00:22 +0000

The real deal. The genuine article. There’s a certain je ne sais quoi to bonafide authenticity. But oftentimes a good knockoff does just fine. This week on Whoa!mance, Morgan and Isabeau investigate a scandal rocking the Parisian artworld in Susan Sackett’s 1993 adventure romance, Reckless. Delia Hampton just wants to be a good daughter, and when her father is blackmailed for his prodigious abilities as an art forger, our heroine decides to lay her body on the line. Enter Chase Sutton, a private investigator and gifted sexual awakener, who vows to protect Delia at all costs: even if it means putting her in certain danger. How do we rebuild trust after the mask slips? How soon is too soon when there’s wine involved? Who cares if it’s fake if it works right? Because ultimately, true value is something we made up. Just like everything else.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network

Jane Eyre Read Along - Chapter Twenty-One

Sun, 28 Mar 2021 09:00:09 +0000

With the early morning exodus of Mr. Mason still lingering over Thornfield Hall, it’s Jane’s turn to receive an untimely visitor. This week, troubling revelations surface about John Reed, Jane returns to Gateshead Hall under dour circumstances, and Mrs. Reed is awful until the bitter end.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Episode 104: Dear Diary - Deception by Amanda Quick

Wed, 24 Mar 2021 09:00:29 +0000

We all lie. We soften hard truths and blur certain edges. Even those goody goodys who avoid harsh words and cracks in the sidewalk still let an ol’ fibber loose now and again. But what about a masquerade? Or a false portrayal - deployed perhaps to keep a low profile? This week on Whoa!mance, Morgan and Isabeau explore the pitfalls of well-meaning subterfuge in Amanda Quick’s 1993 historical, Deception. When the brilliant and scattered Olympia Wingfield agrees to translate an old diary for Jared Ryder, a handsome and extremely competent pirate, our heroine never predicted this swashbuckler would also offer to educate her three young nephews. Now, with this swarthy pirate-cum-tutor in the mix, and her housekeeping needs increasingly met, Olympia sets to work decoding the diary. But when Jared is spotted out and about in London, it seems our dexterous hero holds more titles than just tutor and pirate. It’s blouses and eyepatches this week y’all, or get ready to walk the plank.

This week’s episode of Whoa!mance is brought to you by Love at First by Kate Clayborn. Available now from Kensington Books.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network

Jane Eyre Read Along - Chapter Twenty

Sun, 14 Mar 2021 09:00:28 +0000

Can’t a girl just get some sleep? This week, Thornfield Hall is awoken in the night by sounds of struggle, Mr. Rochester runs defense to cover up prior transgressions, and Jane gets drafted to play doctor. Nothing a little old timey drugs and discretion can’t put to bed.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Episode 103: Mr. Fix-It - Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade

Wed, 10 Mar 2021 10:00:48 +0000

Game of Thrones may have faded behind the penumbra of popular culture, but there will always be ardent believers keeping the fires burning. This week on Whoa!mance, Morgan and Isabeau lurk on fanfiction message boards with one such crowd in Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade. When Marcus Caster-Rupp, heartthrob TV star of a GOT-esque show, asks regular person and superfan April Whittier out after her plus-size cosplay goes viral, the whole fandom erupts in excitement. But as Marcus and April break greater swaths of ice, Marcus realizes this is far from their first meeting: in the fan-fiction universe, they’re old, if anonymous, friends. How do we resolve schisms between adaptations and source material? What is proper fanfic etiquette? Is this the real life, or is this just fantasy? We may be discussing fiction about fanfiction this week, but please don’t flame us y'all.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Jane Eyre Read Along - Chapter Nineteen

Sun, 07 Mar 2021 10:00:12 +0000

There’s something fishy about this party crashing fortune teller. This week, Jane confronts the unknown to ascertain her fate, an unveiling of hearts and identities leads to greater intrigue, and Mr. Rochester gets cancelled (again). But the question remains: who is this Mr. Mason fellow?

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Jane Eyre Read Along - Chapter Eighteen

Sun, 28 Feb 2021 10:00:22 +0000

As the party rages on, Thornfield Hall is electric with elites and lowly alike. This week, Jane spies an advantage in her battle for Mr. Rochester’s affections, a game of charades becomes a whole fucking thing, and mysterious travellers keep trickling in.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Episode 102: Lunch In The Park - 3 Years of Whoa!

Wed, 24 Feb 2021 10:00:48 +0000

Well Whoa!mantics, we made it one more time around. We asked, and you graciously sent us your favorite titles and titillations. And in exchange for the DMs, we stitched them up into something nice we can all sprawl out and get crumbs on. This week on Whoa!mance, Morgan and Isabeau reflect on their arc of years behind the mic, wax poetic with the luxury of hindsight, and share which books still smoke and linger. A special thanks to all those who sent in recordings, and to all y’all for the continued support. It’s been a real cool time. Now go put on something comfy: we've got some lounging to do.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Jane Eyre Read Along - Chapter Seventeen

Sun, 21 Feb 2021 10:00:25 +0000

Out of sight, out of mind - until he comes riding in with a full entourage. This week, our heroine’s affections hit a fever pitch, Blanche Ingram leaves Jane looking pale, and Rochester can barely keep his hands to himself. So much for a healthy work/life balance.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Jane Eyre Read Along - Chapter Sixteen

Sun, 14 Feb 2021 10:00:12 +0000

When we last left our heroine, Jane was feeling rattled by a late night immolation. This week, Jane finds her employer has flown the coop, Mrs. Fairfax waxes poetic about some biddy named Blanche Ingram, and our lowly governess laments her self-supposed tepid appearance. A dark night of the soul indeed.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Episode 101: Like A Rolling Stone - Love’s Serenade (Decades #3) by Sheryl Lister

Fri, 12 Feb 2021 16:24:33 +0000

Studies show that staying put is the number one cause of FOMO among freewheelers and ramblers. But the long term health benefits of deep roots and steady love are often, criminally, underreported. This week on Whoa!mance, Morgan and Isabeau clear their spit valves to hit the high notes with a selection from Decades: A Journey of African American Romance, in Sheryl Lister’s Love’s Serenade. Set primarily in Harlem in the 1920’s, Leigh Jones, our heroine, escapes the American South and an arranged marriage after being spurred by Miles Cooper, our reluctant hero and aspiring jazz great, to pursue a life of independence. Immersed in the cultural heights of the Harlem Renaissance, Leigh and Miles navigate their new found freedom and pen their own tunes in the stolen moments of a white-supremacist society. How does the present inform our depictions of the past? How does Romancelandia reward and reinforce white readership? How much historical detail is too much? Bust out your Victrola y'all because this one’s going straight to 78.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Jane Eyre Read Along - Interview with Rose Lerner

Sun, 07 Feb 2021 10:00:18 +0000

Did you miss us? To celebrate the return of Whoa!mance’s Jane Eyre Public Access Read Along, Morgan and Isabeau are joined by author Rose Lerner to discuss the first 15 chapters of Jane Eyre, the life and work of Charlotte Bronte, and Rose's new book, The Wife in the Attic, available February 9th from Audible. Tune in for a spirited conversation of all things Jane, and be warned y’all: spoilers abound.

Check out Rose’s work at www.roselerner.com
Twitter: @RoseLerner
IG: rose.lerner

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network

REmance: Pass the Honey - Bear by Marian Engel

Wed, 03 Feb 2021 10:00:28 +0000

We are excited to return to The North and revisit our episode on Bear by Marian Engel. Be sure to check out the rest of our back catalog!

Did you miss us? We were taking a brief sabbatical in the north woods of Ontario when we stumbled upon a seductive stranger. Full in form and stature, an imposing specimen really, with many *ahem* physical attributes that left us feeling replete in both mind and body. The richness of his fur alone… hair, hair of coarse. Course. Dammit. His name? Yes yes, well we didn’t quite get that far. You know how throes of passion go, so lacking in formality. And with all that solitude to penetrate. Oh Bear. Dear! We need a swim to clear our heads. This one is for our neighbors to the north, and all your enticing wildlife.

ALSO - Send us your listener submissions so we can include your lovely thoughts and voices in our 3 year anniversary episode! Slide into our DMs or send us an email at whoamancemail@gmail.com - .mp3 or .wav files are preferable, but as long as it’s playable we can probably make it work.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Episode 100: Triple Digits - A Week To Be Wicked by Tessa Dare

Wed, 27 Jan 2021 10:00:07 +0000

ONE. HUNDRED. EPISODES. Can you believe it Whoa!mantics? When we started out we had two shitty microphones and a Mac desktop cobbled together from two different Mac desktops. Now, three years and 100 episodes later, we have slightly better shitty microphones, and that same computer is still chugging along like goddamn Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. But more importantly y’all, we couldn’t have done it without you and your continued support.

This week on Whoa!mance, Morgan and Isabeau are joined by producer Nick to reflect on the book that started it all, A Week To Be Wicked by Tessa Dare. What have we learned? What have we become? And what the fuck is up with this ending (seriously though, WTF is with this ending)? Tune in as we cover old ground with fresh eyes. I’m not crying, you’re crying.

ALSO - Send us your listener submissions so we can include your lovely thoughts and voices in our 3 year anniversary episode! Slide into our DMs or send us an email at whoamancemail@gmail.com - .mp3 or .wav files are preferable, but as long as it’s playable we can probably make it work.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Whoa!nus: Crossover w/ @ShelfLove: Strange Love

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 10:00:19 +0000

This week yr grls had the supreme pleasure of meeting up with @Shelflove to discuss Strange Love by Ann Aguirre. A mistaken identity trope leads to an alien abduction of a human Earth woman. Admitted she doesn't have a ton going on so why not compete in a Hunger Games style version of intergalactic Bachelor? It sounds crazy on paper but this romance is a thought piece on difference and accommodation. Buckle up for a space odyssey of love.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Whoa!nus: 3 Years of Whoa!

Wed, 13 Jan 2021 10:00:17 +0000

Believe it or not y’all, yr girls Morgan and Isabeau have been behind the mic for 3 whole years. But now we want to hear from you! We are asking you, dear listeners, to send us brief recordings of yourselves that we will weave into a patchwork quilt of Whoa!s to keep us all wrapped and warm in this ever-encroaching winter of our collective discontent.

What romance novel continues to hit that special spot only a true Whoa! can titillate? What’s your favorite Whoa!? Your most problematic Whoa!? A criminally underrated Whoa!? A Whoa! that doesn’t get the love that it, that we all, deserve?

Whether your chosen median is a voice memo, a laptop microphone, or two cans held fast by string - as long as that recording can make its way to our inbox, we’ll make sure to include it. Please send all submissions to Whoamancemail@gmail.com in either .mp3 or .wav format post haste, and we’ll get stitching!

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Jane Eyre Read Along - Chapter Fifteen

Sun, 10 Jan 2021 10:00:10 +0000

With intimacies on the table, Mr. Rochester has some explaining to do. This week, Adele’s origin story is laid bare, Jane suffers emotional anguish at the thought of losing her employer to greener pastures, and who knew bed curtains were so flammable? Stay safe and sleep tight y’all.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Episode 99: Fuck The Police - A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Mayhem by Manda Collins

Wed, 06 Jan 2021 10:00:24 +0000

It’s a New Year Whoa!mantics, but early forecasts are projecting the same holocaust of emotions. This week, Morgan and Isabeau cut through the red tape in A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Mayhem by Manda Collins. When our heroine Lady Katherine Bascomb hastily publishes overlooked evidence to a recent murder case in her newspaper, Detective Inspector Andrew Eversham becomes seriously butthurt. But when Katherine finds herself at a house party turned crime scene, Katherine and Andrew must put aside their differences before the killer strikes again. What happens when Romance tries on the tropes of True Crime? Why is every example of a good cop usually a fictional character? Who actually keeps us safe? This one’s for all the out of work editors out there - we need you now more than ever.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Jane Eyre Read Along - Chapter Fourteen

Sun, 03 Jan 2021 10:00:14 +0000

What’s not to like about postprandial levity? This week, Mr. Rochester lets the wine do the talking, Jane plays it cool in the face of lustful advances, and Thornfield Hall proves it could do with an HR department.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Jane Eyre Read Along - Chapter Thirteen

Sun, 27 Dec 2020 10:00:14 +0000

Mr. Rochester has come to Thornfield Hall, and the shift in energy is palpable. This week, our heroine is fully vetted by her new employer, Jane gets to show off some of her moody artwork, and Mrs. Fairfax sheds new light on Mr. Rochester’s treacherous family history.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Episode 98: Xmas Dickey - A Christmas Gone Perfectly Wrong by Cecilia Grant

Wed, 23 Dec 2020 10:00:18 +0000

We know the solstice is the real holiday y’all are out here getting wild for, but like any bird of prey, the Christmas-Industrial-Complex must be fed. This week, Morgan and Isabeau take aim at propriety with Cecilia Grant’s Blackshear Family novella, A Christmas Gone Perfectly Wrong. When the uptight and proper Andrew Blackshear ventured to buy a falcon for his sister’s impending marriage, the last thing he expected was to himself become the hunted. Our heroine and daughter of the falconer, Lucy Sharp, is anything but conventional; and when a carriage ride from Andrew results in calamity, they must assume the role of happily married, in order to share a bed in the home of some acquaintances below their station. But as passion creeps into Andrew’s waking life, the couple must decide between ardent love and social customs. What’s your preferred mode of hunting? Does convention handcuff progress? And does dry humping ever really solve anything? While we hope y’all are forever grabbing life by the scruff of its rodent neck, for fuck sake please stay home this holiday season. You deserve a break anyway.

This week’s episode of Whoa!mance is brought to you by Don’t Look by Alexandra Ivy. Available now from Kensington Books.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Jane Eyre Read Along - Chapter Twelve

Sun, 20 Dec 2020 10:00:08 +0000

As routine takes hold at Thornfield Hall, Jane is getting restless. This week, our heroine journeys to post a letter, comes to the aid of an off-putting and unhandsome traveler, and finally puts a face to the swirling mystery of her employer. First time readers beware - spoilers abound in this chapter. Skip 28:10 - 33:17 to avoid spoiling more than the HEA.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Jane Eyre Read Along - Chapter Eleven

Sun, 13 Dec 2020 10:00:10 +0000

Jane’s ad got a bite. This week, our heroine makes the acquaintance of her suspected employer, Mrs. Fairfax; Jane takes on the education of one Adèle Varens; and what’s the deal with Thornfield Hall?

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Episode 97: Snowed In - One Bed for Christmas by Jackie Lau

Wed, 09 Dec 2020 10:00:15 +0000

Holidays are hitting different this year, what with all the plague, but we at Whoa!mance are pledging to keep our Christmas humor to the last. This week, Morgan and Isabeau shack up with this festive friends-to-lovers novella, One Bed for Christmas by Jackie Lau. Our hero, Wes Chang, a freelance artist and barbershop quartet mascot, is thrown by fate or meteorological happenstance into close proximity with his college friend, long time crush, and successful dating app CEO, Caitlin Ng, when a sudden snow storm leaves her stranded in Wes' modest working person’s apartment. What began as a convenience of warmth blossoms into a confirmation of long held desires, as Wes and Caitin are imbued with the magic of both holidays and snow days. Does capitalism prevent us from keeping the holiday spirit alive year round? Does the kaleidoscopic nature of Christmas belie a dragon chase of toxic nostalgia? Is the “one bed” a metaphor for our singular planet hurtling toward climate destruction, leaving us to grasp and cling to whomever happens to be closest? This one's dedicated to all the bars we wish we could close this holiday season. Stay home and stay safe.

This week’s episode of Whoa!mance is brought to you by Don’t Look by Alexandra Ivy. Available now from Kensington Books.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Jane Eyre Read Along - Chapter Ten

Sun, 06 Dec 2020 10:00:05 +0000

Who knew bungling a health crisis could lead to a change in leadership? This week, conditions at Lowood improve when Mr. Brocklehurst files for unemployment, eight years fall away like a cartoon calendar, and our heroine has an epiphany about the classified ads.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Jane Eyre Read Along - Chapter Nine

Sun, 29 Nov 2020 10:00:02 +0000

This chapter hits way different during a global pandemic y’all. This week, Spring brings typhus to Lowood, Jane, in good health, is free to wander the grounds, and the harsh reality of Helen’s health comes into sharp focus.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Episode 96: Not All Cavemen - Transcendence by Shay Savage

Wed, 25 Nov 2020 10:00:02 +0000

Did you ever watch those Geico caveman commercials and think, “I bet that hoss can really lay some club?” This week, Morgan and Isabeau plow for answers in Transcendence, a prehistoric romp by Shay Savage. It opens with our heroine and unaccompanied minor, Beth, traveling tesseract-style through millennia to arrive in the welcoming and paternally minded arms of our hero, a Homo savage known only by the guttural proclamation of, “Ehd”. Beth, similarly truncated to just “Beh” for the ease of her new partner, must navigate a preverbal relationship, find footing in a vastly undeveloped world, and acquiesce to a blossoming love affair that only the threat of death can provide. Where would you journey to in a personal time machine? Does Beth being 15 make it weird? When you picture a prehistoric man, what do you see, and why is it a tan Brendan Fraiser? Tune in for questions and commentary guaranteed to make your bed rock.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Jane Eyre Read Along - Chapter Eight

Sun, 22 Nov 2020 10:00:03 +0000

Few things are worse than a poorly fact-checked public shaming. This week, Helen comforts our girl Jane in her post-Brocklehurst woes, Ms. Temple offers solace and a seed cake, and Jane finally gets to bask in the warm glow of absolution.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Jane Eyre Read Along - Chapter Seven

Sun, 15 Nov 2020 10:00:21 +0000

Who knew Christian charity could be so draconian? This week, Jane and her cohort at Lowood continue to suffer from a lack of nutrition and comforts, the chill in the air is met with the return of the dreaded Mr. Brocklehurst, and Ms. Temple proves herself once again to be an angel in disguise.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Episode 95: Fitting Together - The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 10:00:48 +0000

Spooky season may be over y’all, but it’s gonna take more than a new month to get yr girls out of Scotland. This week, Morgan and Isabeau embark on a historical romp through the Highlands in The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley. Our titular character, Lord Ian, is shrouded in rumors and hearsay when he crosses paths with our heroine Beth, on the arm of her then fiance. As her fiance’s appetites wend beyond the scope of Beth, our heroine is thrown further into the orbit of the mysterious Lord. But as suspicions gather around Lord Ian’s potential role in a double homicide, our lovers are forced to question the very fiber of their beings. What helps ensure the successful portrayal of neuro non-typicality? How do we account for perceived limitations of accurate historical representation? Could this election finally be over? All this and more on your favorite pod sluicing app.

This week’s episode of Whoa!mance is brought to you by If The Boot Fits by Rebekah Weatherspoon. Available now from Kensington Books.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Jane Eyre Read Along - Chapter Six

Sun, 08 Nov 2020 10:00:19 +0000

It’s day two at Lowood y’all, and things are looking bleak. This week, Jane wakes to frozen wash water, her new best-friend-in-the-making Helen Burns is publicly dragged by the repugnant Miss Scatcherd, and our heroine confides in Helen her desire to smash all those who treat her unfairly. We feel you girl.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Jane Eyre Read Along - Chapter Five

Sun, 01 Nov 2020 10:00:34 +0000

It’s Jane’s last morning at Gateshead, and despite the ever-present rain, things are looking up. This week, our heroine takes a slow coach to Lowood, meets the esteemed faculty, and maybe makes a friend.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Whoa!nus: The Monster Ball - Part 2

Wed, 28 Oct 2020 09:00:32 +0000

Yr girls are fresh from the cliffs and ready to slay some fey. This week, Morgan and Isabeau are back at the Ball with another selection from The Monster Ball Year 2; Assassin’s Match by Everly Frost. Our heroine Tanzanina (yikes) is a born-witch whose power and love have been stripped from her by an evil curse. But when her only hope of lifting the curse, a special spellbook, is stolen, our heroine must put herself in danger for a night of thrills and passion at the Monster Ball. Are magic-at birth-narratives ultimately trojan horses for eugenics? Is Paradise Lost just Bible fan fiction? How do we cope when our love is not reciprocated? All that, plus musings on birth order, gargoyles, and the perfect hot buttered rum. Happy spooky season y’all.

This week’s episode is brought to you by Christmas Kisses with My Cowboy, an anthology of stories by Diana Palmer, Marina Adair, and Kate Pearce. Available now from Kensington Books.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Jane Eyre Read Along - Chapter Four

Sun, 25 Oct 2020 09:00:16 +0000

With an out from Gateshead on the horizon, the anxiety is palpable. This week, Jane squares off with purity wonk Mr. Brocklehurst, tells her aunt where to shove it, and finds a new candor in Bessie.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Episode 94: Modern Gothic - Mistress of Mellyn by Victoria Holt

Wed, 21 Oct 2020 09:00:36 +0000

While the Ball rages on, yr girls have to refuel on angst and mood before another heavy bout of haunting. This week, Morgan and Isabeau journey to the edge of the Cornish cliffs in Mistress of Mellyn by Victoria Holt, a nom de plume of Eleanor Hibbert. Our heroine Martha Leigh is past her seasons. In lieu of a husband, she becomes a governess to the daughter of gaunt widower and lesser of two heroes, Connan TreMellyn. But as Martha gets closer to her aloof employer, questions surrounding his wife’s death disrupt their nascent arousal. In a mansion of lavish decor and furnishings, something lies rotten. What remains in the absence of a loved one? How should we remember roads not taken? What’s it like to trust and be trusted by a horse? Saddle up and stay shook y’all.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Jane Eyre Read Along - Chapter Three

Sun, 18 Oct 2020 09:00:04 +0000

Whew! That was a close call y’all. This week, Jane recuperates from a frightful stay in the Red Room, learns of poverty’s harsh realities, and is once again dreaming of escape.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Whoa!mance on Learning The Tropes

Fri, 16 Oct 2020 09:00:24 +0000

Special surprise drop - but for real this time! Yr girls Morgan and Isabeau joined our friends Erin and Clayton over at Learning The Tropes to talk romance, sexiest parts, and life on and off the mic. Check out Learning The Tropes wherever you get your podcasts - rate, review, and spread the love.

IG: @learningthetropes
Twitter: @learningtropes

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Whoa!nus: The Monster Ball - Part 1

Wed, 14 Oct 2020 09:00:34 +0000

To keep this spooky train rolling, we’re chugging on up to Auld Reekie for the supernatural event of the season. This week, Morgan and Isabeau crash a party with a selection from The Monster Ball Year 2, an anthology of works imagining that self same soiree, titled “Turning The Tides” by Wendy Higgins. In this telling, a malevolent beast known as the Magpie is throwing the Ball, and this once who’s who of the otherworldly has taken a sinister turn. Our heroine is Ada, a selkie (for brevity: shapeshifting seal people of yore), who in order to return to the sea, must retrieve her pelt from among the patchwork monstrosity adorning the Magpie. But with a little help from a dryad and a conniving necromancer, Ada just might get her wish. What makes for a memorable party? Is good sex just attentive sex? How young is too young for necromancy? Dust off your best frocks y’all - it’s game time.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Jane Eyre Read Along - Chapter Two

Sun, 11 Oct 2020 09:29:22 +0000

Can a girl just read about ducks? This week, the Red Room, its requisite terrors, and the pitfalls of childhood trauma. Is the Red Room the OG Chokey? Is that uncanny feeling just the lingering spirit of Jane’s beloved uncle? Tune in if you dare.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Episode 93: Cleaning House - Angie and the Ghostbuster by Theresa Gladden

Wed, 07 Oct 2020 09:00:17 +0000

It’s officially spooky season y’all, and we’re jumping in with both feet. This week, Morgan and Isabeau explore the categorical and the supernatural in Angie and the Ghostbuster, by Theresa Gladden. When paranormal investigator Dr. Gabriel Richards is drawn to a mysterious home, what he finds there raises more than just his neck hair. There to greet him is the blonde and dream-eyed Angie, Gabriel’s highschool crush, who has been living alongside the very same ghostly presence he’s come to eradicate. But when passion overtakes profession, the otherworldly isn’t the only thing getting a little exercise. What’s a category romance? Are ghosts just unresolved trauma? Does anyone ever get their affairs in order? We’ll be putting a little ectoplasm in your feed all this month, so stay tuned and live deliciously.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Jane Eyre Read Along - Chapter One

Sun, 04 Oct 2020 09:00:17 +0000

Friends we are beyond thrilled to be kicking off this new project, a podcast-within-a-podcast Jane Eyre Read Along! Each Sunday, yr girls Morgan and Isabeau will be taking turns reading Charlotte Brontë’s novel in its totality, one chapter at a time. This week, our eponymous heroine learns a bit about water fowl, Jane's cousin John Reed establishes himself as a real prick, and something called “the Red Room” raises growing concern. Get ready to climb this tentpole y’all.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Whoa!nus: Jane Eyre Read Along

Wed, 30 Sep 2020 09:00:34 +0000

The dour, windswept moors. A precocious, homely child. The intellectual and implied sexual education of said child. But more importantly, a tentpole Romance of the highest order. We’re of course talking about Charlotte Brontë’s 1847 novel, Jane Eyre. And what better way to explore this mother root of the genre than by reading it cover to cover. This week, yr girls Morgan and Isabeau preview a new project, and break off a piece of chapter one with the aim of answering one of Romance’s ever-looming questions: Darcy, or Rochester?

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Episode 92: Discreet Bylines - Behind These Doors by Jude Lucens

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 09:00:14 +0000

Everyone experiences the agonies and ecstasies of expanding a circle of friends, but what about the trials and tribulations of expanding a circle of lovers?. This week, Morgan and Isabeau mix with the hoipolloi of Edwardian elite in Jude Lucens’ polyamorous historical Behind These Doors, Radical Proposals Book 1. When a gossip columnist stumbles on the harmonious throuple of a Lord and Lady, and an Earl’s second son, a delicate balance of lust and heart strings is shifted. But buttoned up cultural norms be damned as passion mounts, and all involved grapple with the implications of propriety and class. Is love a scarce commodity? How do we navigate an array of uncontrollable feelings? May we share in this wash basin? Live free and love wide y’all.

Whoa!nus: Romance True Crime

Wed, 16 Sep 2020 09:00:38 +0000

When we say Jude Deveraux, you probably think: lioness in her field, titan of titillation. Both are true. But that’s only part of the story. This week, yr girl Morgan walks yr girl Isabeau through a truly bananas true crime story starring none other than Jude Deveraux. We’re talking psychics, heartbreaks, movie stars, and war criminals. Buckle up for a true crime side quest that’ll have you hooking up your fax machine.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Episode 91: Summa Cum Laude - Office Hours by Katrina Jackson

Wed, 09 Sep 2020 17:10:30 +0000

It’s no secret that Whoa!mance is a product of the university - a meeting of minds that began with the pursuit of knowledge and ended in a holocaust of emotions. But we digress. This week, Morgan and Isabeau audit a few classes with Katrina Jackson’s ivory tower romp, Office Hours. High-achieving and beleaguered Assistant Professor of Sociology Dr. Deja Evans is in a rut. With her 3-year track to tenure review looming, her separation between work and life has blurred into non-existence. But her desire for the tenured history professor and dressed-to-the-nines hunk of all things past, Dr. Alejandro Mendoza, is keeping her pilot light aflame. What’s a proper work/life balance? Can a romance novel test the depth of our allyship? Why does higher education make us feel so low? This one’s for all y’all left jilted by the educational-industrial-complex.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

This week’s episode is brought to you by The Siren and the Deep Blue Sea by Kerrelyn Sparks, out now by Kensington Books.

Whoa!nus - Stuff We Like

Wed, 02 Sep 2020 06:04:03 +0000

We don't know about y'all, but this summer had us spending way more time indoors than usual. This week, Morgan and Isabeau share some of what's been keeping them afloat and joyful in these trying times.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Episode 90: Soap Suds - You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria

Wed, 26 Aug 2020 16:17:52 +0000

Before we get started, this book is brand spankin’ new. And if you know anything about us here at Whoa!mance, y’all know we peddle in spoilers. You have been warned! This week, Morgan and Isabeau sneak on the set of a telenovela in You Had Me at Hola, the much anticipated new novel by RITA award winner Alexis Daria. Jasmine Lin Rodriguez, a budding star after a stunning rom-com debut, is back in NYC to pursue another leading role across telenovela heartthrob Ashton Suárez. But when their parts require a fiery on-screen chemistry, their pasts and insecurities collide. Do we have control over our attractions? Is representation enough? What is button work? This one’s for all the leads out there looking for their perfect roles.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Re!mance: Tempest - Beverly Jenkins

Wed, 19 Aug 2020 05:00:35 +0000

In honor of Romance Bookstore Day this past week, we're re-releasing one of our recommendations from the new romance section at Women & Children First in Chicago. Throwing it all the way back to episode 14! Giddy up.

For this episode Morgan and Isabeau tackle a western! Do you love cowboys, history, and sex positivity? Got secret hots for the country doc? This book has it all!

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Whoa!nus: Spring Fling with Scarlett Peckham - Part Two

Wed, 12 Aug 2020 05:00:33 +0000

As promised, Part Two of yr girls’ conversation with the illustrious Scarlett Peckham, and a deeper dive into Judith McNaught’s canonical debut novel Whitney, My Love. Sexiest parts, weirdest parts, and all the parts in between.

CW: sexual assault, intimate partner violence

If you experienced sexual assault and need or would like help, visit centers.rainn.com for resources in your area, or call 800-656-HOPE (4673) for confidential support.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Episode 89: Spring Fling with Scarlett Peckham - Part One

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 05:40:11 +0000

On July 25th, as part of the 2020 Chicago-North RWA Spring Fling Writers Conference, yr girls Morgan and Isabeau were joined by the brilliant and talented Scarlett Peckham for a very special live-via-zoom-taping of Whoa!mance, to discuss Judith McNaught’s authorial debut, Whitney, My Love. This week, part one of yr girls’ conversation with Scarlett on how this novel sparked a burgeoning love of Romance, the polarizing politics of pleasure, and how to judge a text that doesn’t age as well as its cover. Warning: this novel depicts scenes of rape and sexual violence, and the conversation reflects these difficult topics, listener discretion is advised. Stay tuned for Part two, coming to podcatcher near you.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Whoa!nus: Ten Week Turnabout

Wed, 29 Jul 2020 06:25:05 +0000

We don’t know about y’all, but after all that Entrop[e]y, yr girls needed a little faith restored. This week, Morgan and Isabeau dive into the new multimedia romance audio series Ten Week Turnabout, by Amelia Rose, produced by ConSensual. Told through a variety of means, the story follows the reunion of Ingrid and Noah, former high school crushes from a small town in Indiana, who are meeting again in the sweltering heat of a New York City summer. Whoa!mance got a sneak peak of this new immersive experience and it’s a real scorcher y'all so dress to sweat.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Episode 88: Baby On Board (Entrop[e]y #5) - Nobody’s Baby But Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Wed, 22 Jul 2020 06:18:41 +0000

We did it y'all. Yr girls have arrived at the final stop on this Entrop[e]y tour with one last trope: the secret baby. This week, Morgan and Isabeau tackle the culture wars relic, Nobody’s Baby But Mine, Book 3 in the Chicago Fires series by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Jane Darlington, a 34 year old physics professor, wants a baby. But she doesn’t want that baby to be a smarty pants weirdo like her mom. The solution: fuck a dumb guy. Who better than star quarterback and potential neanderthal Cal Bonner? But when Cal proves to have brains to match his brawn, Jane learns how poor calculations can still yield positive if strange results. What are the hallmarks of a good girl? Who should get a second chance? What even is a clip on headband? We’re closing this thing out with a bang y’all so call a sitter.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Whoa!nus: The Vivians

Wed, 15 Jul 2020 05:28:18 +0000

Back in December, the Romance Writers of America (RWA) tried to pull a yuletide fast one hoping twitter’s watchful eye was fixed on other cravings. This week, Morgan and Isabeau reflect on that fateful reckoning, the Ritas becoming the Vivians, and other reasons to be cautiously hopeful about the future of Romance.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Episode 87: In Uniform (Entrop[e]y #4) - Beyond What Is Given by Rebecca Yarros

Wed, 08 Jul 2020 05:23:56 +0000

With SPORTS shut down due to Entrop[e]y, yr girls are graduating to a more sinister set of games. This week, Morgan and Isabeau explore love in the military-industrial complex with Book Three in Rebecca Yarros’ Flight and Glory series, Beyond What Is Given. Lt. Greyson Masters is on track to become an Apache helicopter pilot when he gets a blip on his radar. Sam Fitzgerald, a civilian and as it turns out, also a girl, is suddenly his new roommate. Upon further reconnaissance, affections are confirmed. But when efforts to camouflage his feelings are compromised, Lt. Greyson knows it’s only a matter of time before Sam overruns his defenses, and learns his deepest secret. Can love exist as a hierarchical power structure? Who wins when you’re the only game in town? What does it mean to rock one’s curves, and who are one’s curves rocked for? We’re going behind enemy lines for this one y’all, get ready for dust off.

Whoa!nus: SPORTS Redux

Wed, 01 Jul 2020 05:00:41 +0000

After exploring romance through the lenses of hockey and American football, yr girls are calling a timeout to process all this masculine energy. This week, a few final thoughts on SPORTS romance, the normalization of male violence, and the toxicity of body image standards. Tune in since you can’t watch real SPORTS anyway.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Episode 86: Laces Out - (Entrop[e]y #3) - Fumbled by Alexa Martin

Wed, 24 Jun 2020 15:36:14 +0000

We raised a barn. We perfected our slapshots. This week, Morgan and Isabeau are back on the O-line discussing one of their favorite sources of bad feeling, the NFL, with Fumbled by Alexa Martin. Poppy Patterson has built a life for herself independent of her high school sweetheart TK Moore, and she couldn’t be happier. But when TK, now a starting wide receiver for the Denver Mustangs, re-enters her life, Poppy calls an audible. Can Poppy reconcile a life of independence with the added aggression of TK’s burgeoning head trauma? Do high ratings and sponsorships justify pervasive personal and familial harm? Does the NFL give a fuck about women? It’s another week of SPORTS y’all so huddle up.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Episode 85: Puck Bunnies (Entrop[e]y #2) - Pucked by Helena Hunting

Wed, 17 Jun 2020 05:00:34 +0000

Last time, yr girls explored the subversive quaintness of Amish romance in our inaugural Entrop[e]y episode. This week, Morgan and Isabeau are back in the game for our first installment on SPORTS romance with Pucked, by Helena Hunting. Here we find Violet, the step-sister of a successful hockey player, linking up with the impossibly hung team captain, Alex, for a night of passionate goal making. But when Alex starts to pursue Violet, her status among the other players, including her sexually possessive step-brother, takes a bender. What kind of relationship, if any, do yr girls have with hockey? When does a gesture become too grand? And did we mention how buck-fucking-wild this book is? We’re running this zamboni straight through yr five hole for this one y’all, so lace up.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Whoa!nus: Decolonize Your Bookshelf

Wed, 10 Jun 2020 05:00:38 +0000

If it isn’t readily apparent (full disclosure, it is) Whoa!mance is made by white people. This week, in lieu of an episode and in solidarity with Black Lives Matter, Morgan and Isabeau share some of their favorite black authors, critics, and thinkers in the romance community and beyond.

Black Chick Lit - https://blackchicklit.com
My Imaginary Friends with L. Penelope - https://lpenelope.com/podcast
Diverse Romance - http://diverseromance.com
Deadline City - https://deadlinecity.com/episodes
Rebekah Weatherspoon - @wocinromance
The Turn On - https://www.theturnonpodcast.com

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Whoa!nus: Gossip

Wed, 27 May 2020 06:21:45 +0000

We’ve all been talked about. And we’ve sure as shit all talked about. Then why, despite its ubiquity, does gossip still feel like a dirty word? This week, Morgan and Isabeau take a closer look at how gossip functions as a literary device, and how we benefit from its use as a complex social and pedagogical tool.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Episode 84: Amish Romance (Entrop[e]y #1) - The Wish by Patricia Davids

Wed, 20 May 2020 05:00:43 +0000

We’re coming out the gate at a wagon’s pace for this series y’all, beginning in the bucolic pastures of the middle west. This week, Morgan and Isabeau embark on a reverse rumspringa with a plunge into Amish romance, led by the deft hand of Patricia Davids in the first installment of her Amish of Cedar Grove series, The Wish. This slow burn sweet romance meanders through the agrarian and folksy close quarters courtship of our heroine, widow Laura Beth Yoder, and the formerly Amish and formerly incarcerated, Joshua King. But will the implications of racial and patriarchal supremacy outweigh the flutter of hands at the butter churn? Can a culture built on strict biblical fidelity produce enough heat to spark passion? Do yr girls have the patience for sweet romance? Unplug everything but yr podcatcher for this one y’all.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Whoa!nus: Introducing Entrop[e]y

Wed, 13 May 2020 05:00:43 +0000

That’s right y’all. We asked for fan favorites that center on yr girls' least favorite tropes, and y’all came through like you always do. This week, Morgan and Isabeau reveal the selections and get ready to dip their toes in the water.

This week's episode of Whoa!mance is brought to by "In To Her" by JA Huss. Available now at audible.com.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Preview - In To Her by JA Huss

Fri, 08 May 2020 05:00:44 +0000

Ever have a steamy threesome with a coworker and the mark yr boss sent y’all to murder? Of course you have. Whoa!mance is excited to offer a sneak peak at In To Her, a harrowing new tale of crime and passion by JA Huss. Available now at audible.com.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Episode 83: Whack-A-Mole - Nothing To Fear (Final Hour #2) by Juno Rushdan

Wed, 06 May 2020 05:00:54 +0000

Why do bad things sometimes make us warm? And we’re not talking about some slicked back James Dean or the guy in Misfits PPE. We’re talking about straight up military industrial complex, black site torture, for-profit CIA hijinx, the full front and back nine of bad feeling. Because that’s exactly the kind of bad this week’s book, Nothing To Fear by Juno Rushdan, manages to dress up for a night on the town. Our hero, Gideon Stone, is tasked with uncovering a mole in his deep state, Tom Clancy-esque, transcontinental murder-for-hire organization, Gray Box, before the whole operation is torn asunder. His chief suspect and our heroine, Willow Harper, is in his crosshairs for allegedly selling bio-agents on the black market, an act that’s surely grounds for termination. But as the real mole remains hidden in plain sight, Gideon will stop at nothing to keep Willow safe, even if it means dipping into his toolbox of grisly implements to extract the truth before it’s too late. Trigger warning: contains some descriptions of torture and the truth about for-profit military action in the name of unfettered capitalist growth.

This week's episode of Whoa!mance is brought to by "In To Her" by JA Huss. Available now at audible.com.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Whoa!nus: Whoa!mancing The Stone

Wed, 29 Apr 2020 05:00:28 +0000

While we’re still not leaving the house, yr girls are giving the books a rest in favor of Romance on the silver screen. For this Whoa!nus, Morgan and Isabeau are revisiting their mutual childhood favorite and sleepover film par excellence, Romancing The Stone, directed by Robert Zemeckis. Joan Wilder (post-Body Heat Kathleen Turner) is a successful but cloistered Romance novelist, who embarks on a journey of treasure hunting and self-becoming set in motion by the murder of her brother-in-law. Travelling through Colombia, Joan links up with exotic bird trafficker and egotistical boating enthusiast, Jack T. Colton (pre-sex symbol Michael Douglas) to find a prize emerald, El Corazon. But the dreaded Colonel Zolo is on their heels, and will stop at nothing to claim El Corazon for himself. It’s a harrowing tale of adventure, discovery, the perfect smokey eye.

This week's episode of Whoa!mance is brought to by "In To Her" by JA Huss. Available now at audible.com

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Episode 82: Having Fun With Misogyny - Not The Girl You Marry by Andie J. Christopher

Wed, 22 Apr 2020 05:00:33 +0000

As yr girls Morgan and Isabeau continue to shelter in place, stories of normal life - drinks in a cozy bar, dinner with a friend - are becoming just as titillating as the triumphs of our heroines. So imagine the excitement when Not The Girl You Marry by Andie J. Christopher was set in Chicago, with real life landmarks transported to the page like distant comforts. But the novel, which turns How To Lose A Guy In Ten Days on its head, is a not-so-friendly reminder that the “normal” we remember is still a funhouse mirror of patriarchal control. What makes a good ally? What role should believability play in a romantic fantasy? And aren’t we all just other girls? We may need a few more weeks indoors after this one y’all.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Boner-On-Us: Whoa!nus

Wed, 15 Apr 2020 05:00:25 +0000

This is an historic week y’all, for this is our final Boner. The ultimate rod. The closing chubby. That’s right, we’re going beyond the bone where no romance podcast has gone before, careening into the wild blue yonder to bring you: The Whoa!nus. Where it took plagues to discover gravity and write King Lear, our modern twist on the Black Death has generated untold megatons of creativity that bring you, dear listeners, the humble rebranding of our bonus episodes. And it is in this spirit of revision that yr girls Morgan and Isabeau are reaching back in this Whoa!nus to amend Whoa's and No's that don’t hold up in the face of time and memory. Dive into our inaugural Whoa!nus and see which bits of the Whoa!mance catalog are getting a well deserved tune up!

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Episode 81: Stay Home - Ayesha At Last by Uzma Jalaluddin

Wed, 08 Apr 2020 05:00:23 +0000

As you know, we at Whoa!mance possess an undying reverence for yr grrl Jane (see JANEuary if you don’t), and we’re smitten with this own voices retelling of P&P. This week, Morgan and Isabeau escape to Toronto in Ayesha At Last by Uzma Jalaluddin, a modern Muslim twist on the Austen classic. Ayesha is an aspiring poet struggling to repay loans to her wealthy uncle, when her life collides with Khalid. While their styles and worldviews clash, there’s an unavoidable tug each feels toward the other. Can traditional and modern interpretations of Islam find a common ground of titilation? Are office dress codes tools of negation and oppression? What is the value of 100 marriage proposals if none begets a bride? This rendition may keep it sweet, but the stakes are high y’all.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Boner-On-Us: AMA

Wed, 01 Apr 2020 05:00:32 +0000

Ever wonder what yr girls Morgan and Isabeau are like when they’re not behind the mic? Or what their high school experiences were like? Or the ins and outs of how they feel about this or that aspect of romancelandia? We asked you, our beloved listeners, to submit questions via our various social platforms, and thankfully, you asked back. This week, Morgan and Isabeau answer your questions in an exclusive, no holds bar, tell-all, exposé. For this Boner, we’re letting it all hang out.

This week’s episode of Whoa!mance is sponsored by Native.

Did you know that many conventional deodorants contain aluminum, which forms a plug in your sweat glands to keep you from sweating? Yikes! Native’s deodorant is made without aluminum so you can feel better about what you’re putting on your body.

Native comes in a wide variety of options for men, women and even teens! They also offer an unscented option and a baking soda free formula for those with sensitivities.

For 20% off your first purchase, visit nativedeodorant.com and use promo code "whoa" during checkout!

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Episode 80: Common People - Get A Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

Wed, 25 Mar 2020 05:00:20 +0000

If you caught a whiff of death, how would you restructure your life to make the most of its remainder? Chloe Brown’s penchant for computers, coupled with the chronic pain of fibromyalgia, has left her with a formidable bucket list. But it took a near-miss with a speeding car to get her busy living. This week, Morgan and Isabeau check off some to-do’s with Get A Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert. Our heroine, Chloe, grabs life by the horn in the shape of Redford ‘Red’ Morgan, the tattooed painter and building superintendent who’s equal parts bad boy and soft serve. But Red is weary of his new socialite bombshell, as Chloe’s trust-fund lifestyle is a little too close to his old flame that left him feeling burned. Will class divisions suppress their passion? Will Chloe’s social aires keep her stratified above the brooding Red? How do twee aesthetics make you feel? Don’t be fooled by the cover on this one y’all, it’s a real scorcher.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Boner-On-Us: Entropy

Wed, 18 Mar 2020 05:00:38 +0000

This unprecedented time of crisis and distancing has us thinking a lot about bad feelings. For yr girls, this means topics in Romance that are typically a no go on the show: secret babies, sports, and the armed forces. This week, Morgan and Isabeau raise this lil Boner to ask you, our beloved listeners, to share your favorite novels that feature one of these topics. What’s the cutoff age for a secret baby? Can for-profit military action be sexy? What’s your favorite ball in the bedroom? Send us your favorite recommendations and go wash your damn hands!

This week’s episode of Whoa!mance is sponsored by Native.

Did you know that many conventional deodorants contain aluminum, which forms a plug in your sweat glands to keep you from sweating? Yikes! Native’s deodorant is made without aluminum so you can feel better about what you’re putting on your body.

Native comes in a wide variety of options for men, women and even teens! They also offer an unscented option and a baking soda free formula for those with sensitivities.

For 20% off your first purchase, visit nativedeodorant.com and use promo code "whoa" during checkout!

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Episode 79: Bedtime Stories - The Wrath And The Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

Wed, 11 Mar 2020 05:00:30 +0000

What’s a dealbreaker for you? What’s something that, no matter how many luxurious nights and sumptuous meals, would continue to nag at the corners of your mind? Write it down. This week, Morgan and Isabeau get in touch with their teen angst for this YA retelling of One Thousand and One Nights, The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh. For this rendition, the Caliph of Khorasan has taken to marrying virgins, and killing them off the morning after consummation. Enter our heroine, Shahrzad, who volunteers to marry the Caliph and spare the fate of a friend bound for a grisly end. Bent on revenge, Shahrzad ensnares the Caliph with spellbinding tales that keep her alive night after night, as her passion for blood turns into an unexpected adoration. Now go back to your dealbreaker. Was it murder? Was it practicing blood magic? Was it books that kind of, maybe, somewhat, remind us of our month-long foray into sheik romance? For those that wrote down something innocuous like “snoring” or something vain like “they can’t have weird eyebrows”, this should be a wild ride.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Episode 78: Workplace Tension - Heartbeat Braves (Crooked Rock, #1) by Pamela Sanderson

Wed, 04 Mar 2020 06:46:02 +0000

We love Romance. But sometimes having all your stories feature muscular, taciturn, bodice-ripping, secret baby/royalty/wealth and/or spouse-having heroes is too much excitement in this chaotic world. Sometimes you just want a story that’s relatable. This week, Morgan and Isabeau tread the bureaucratic waters of non-profit management where Rayanne (heroine) and Henry (hero) are tasked with saving the Crooked Rock Urban Indian Center in its eleventh hour. Will they be able to overcome their mutual attraction to save Crooked Rock? Will they get the necessary funding? Can nepotism be sexy? Brush up on Own Voices and get your 501-c3s in order for this one y’all.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Boner-On-Us: Own Voices

Wed, 26 Feb 2020 06:00:30 +0000

We wanted to take a moment to pop this lil boner and organize our thinking on Own Voices. What do we mean when we say Own Voices? It’s when the author, artist, filmmaker, producer, etc. is a member of the community they are representing in a given medium. This week, Morgan and Isabeau discuss the societal barriers within mainstream [white] culture that can keep Own Voices stories marginalized, and how to be a good ally without succumbing to the pitfalls of tokenism. Plus, a few gardening tips from our registered green thumb, Morgan.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Episode 77: Uniquely The Same - The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

Wed, 19 Feb 2020 19:49:16 +0000

We’re celebrating our cotton anniversary this year at Whoa!mance, and what better way to wax nostalgic about marital bliss than to pretend to do it all over again. This week, yr girls Morgan and Isabeau are joined by producer Nick to unpack The Unhoneymooners by the writing duo Christina Lauren. This contemporary enemies to lovers features Olive, the perpetually unlucky twin sister of the soon-to-be-married Ami, who’s loathed to spend her sister’s special day with her worst nightmare, Ethan, who happens to be the brother and best man of Ami’s future husband, Dane. But when a seafood buffet spares only Olive and Ethan from an explosive fate, they are tasked to redeem the all-inclusive honeymoon package waiting under Ami’s name, the only catch is they have to play the part of newlyweds. Hilarity ensues as Olive and Ethan overcome their own misplaced hatred, and we settle into the long business of marriage.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Episode 76: The People’s Choice (JOHANNAuary #5) - Fires Of Winter by Johanna Lindsey

Tue, 04 Feb 2020 06:00:10 +0000

What a month y’all. This was a veritable roller coaster of emotions as yr girls Morgan and Isabeau took stock of Johanna Lindsey’s legacy and work, and sussed out how to feel about the harsher realities depicted in her novels. This week, our last installment of JOHANNAuary, features a viking novel of your choosing: Fires of Winter, Book 1 in the Haardrad Family Saga Series. Published in 1980, it’s not without its difficulties, but just as this novel has Lady Brenna, a headstrong and agential heroine, even roses have their merits. Held captive by the strikingly dangerous Garrick Haardrad, Lady Brenna witnesses the subjugation of her people as she is held in relative, if hostile, comfort. It's a problematic tale of passion guaranteed to melt your permafrost. A special thanks to all those who threw their support behind their favorite viking - you’re the real heroes.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Episode 75: Spanking Finds A Way (JOHANNAuary #4) - Brave The Wild Wind by Johanna Lindsey

Wed, 29 Jan 2020 06:51:32 +0000

As the ghost of JOHANNAuary continues to plague this humble project, we are reminded here at Whoa!mance of the importance of friends when doing battle with distraught paranormals. Yr girls Morgan and Isabeau are joined this week by Erin, the Veteran of Learning the Tropes, for a gracious re-recording to once again discuss Brave The Wild Wind, Book 1 of Johanna Lindsey’s Wyoming series. We meet our heroine, Jessie Blair, as her family is torn asunder by the quick anger of her father. This prologue of violence is a mark of frontier life, and a distinguishing characteristic of our hero, Chase Summers, who, along with a litany of other details, combine to make this a difficult read from the moral high ground of our current moment. But what’s a western without a little grit? What’s a boot without a spur? This one’s for all you cowpokes and horse girls.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Episode 74: Space Vikings (JOHANNAuary #3) - Warrior’s Woman by Johanna Lindsey

Wed, 22 Jan 2020 09:09:36 +0000

00h00m00s: message received via interplanetary communications systems re: distress signals circa terrestrial surface Kystran [] > [] terrestrial being i.e. “heroine” identified Tedra De Arr: class known: warrior re: terrestrial being i.e. “hero” Challen Ly-San-Ter: class known: bronzed_barbarian [] > [] unclear if distress product of misery/ecstasy; unclear as to issues of consent re: sexbots; unclear re: whoa/no spectral alignment; requires discussion [] > [] re: terrestrial beings i.e. "yr girls" Morgan: class known: Whoa!mance and Isabeau: class known: Whoa!mance [] > [] joined this week by terrestrial being i.e. "special guest" writer/critic Esme Brett: class known: FeministRomance [] re: celebrating life/works re: terrestrial being i.e. "subject" Johanna Lindsey: class known: lioness. [] >>>> [] end transmission

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

This week's episode is sponsored by LOLA - a modern approach to feminine care. LOLA is a female-founded company offering a line of organic cotton tampons, pads, liners, and all-natural cleansing wipes. Now featuring Sex by LOLA products too!

Episode 73: Boat Life (JOHANNAuary #2) - Gentle Rogue by Johanna Lindsey

Wed, 15 Jan 2020 06:00:42 +0000

It's another beautiful JOHANNAuary day, and yr girls Morgan and Isabeau are embarking on a farcical romp on the high seas. This week, Gentle Rogue, the third installment of Lindsey's Malory-Anderson Family Saga series, a sultry comedy worthy of the great Bard himself. The novel centers on Georgia Anderson, who, fed up with England, disguises herself as a cabin boy to secure safe transport back to America. But unbeknownst to our heroine, the ship's captain, ex-pirate James Malory, is aware of Georgia's ploy, and takes great pleasure in trying to reveal her true identity, and hopefully spark the passion they both feel churning within. Make ready your sea legs for this one you scalawags.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Episode 72: Yours To Keep (JOHANNAuary #1) - Defy Not The Heart by Johanna Lindsey

Wed, 08 Jan 2020 06:00:09 +0000

As many of you know, JOHANNAuary has fallen under a somber hue. With the news of Johanna Lindsey’s passing, this month’s project will take on a retrospective, celebratory stance that we hope will dovetail nicely with our usual bouillabaisse of critical and irreverent commentary. So, without further ado, JOHANNAuary commences with a real keeper, Defy Not The Heart by the indomitable Johanna Lindsey. Set back in the 1100’s, we meet Reina, armorclad and defending her stronghold from the mercenary Ranulf, sent to kidnap her into a forced marriage by the loathsome Lord Rothwell. But their chemistry proves greater than any amount of gold, and our hero must learn how to please a woman a fraction of his colossal size. It’s a stunning work by an artist in full command of her creative palette. Let your hair down and put the cat outside for this medieval romp.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Episode 71: Sleigh On - Vixen’s Fated Mate (Arctic Shifters Book 4) by R. E. Butler

Wed, 25 Dec 2019 06:00:33 +0000

Who’s the hottest of Santa’s reindeer? We posed this question to you, our dear listeners, and you replied with Vixen. So in the spirit of the season, yr girls Morgan and Isabeau took a trip to the North Pole to spend a little time with the deer/man himself, in Vixen’s Fated Mate, Book 4 of R. E. Butler’s Arctic Shifters Series. There’s a lot to unpack with this novella: Santa as a quasi-authoritarian leader, a Tom Clancy-esque crew of male shifters pulling Santa’s sleigh, a rigid caste system that excludes equal rights for elves, all sugar dusted with yuletide erotica that never cracks a smile. Polish up your favorite harness for this seasonal tale of fated mates, and make sure to invite any strange yet gorgeous men into your home this holiday season because you never know, they just might be a reindeer.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

This week's episode is sponsored by Audible--from romance to newscasts and everything in between Audible has got it all--go to www.audible.com/whoa or text WHOA to 500-500 for your free trial.

Boner-On-Us: JOHANNAuary Announcement

Wed, 18 Dec 2019 06:00:33 +0000

Last year, yr girls Morgan and Isabeau spent the month of January, excuse me, JANEuary, celebrating all things Jane Austen. This year, get ready for another deep dive into a high priestess of the romance genre, because JOHANNAuary is coming. Every week this January, yr girls Morgan and Isabeau will be exploring a different novel by the indomitable Johanna Lindsey, a lioness in her field, and an ever enduring force in the minds of your beloved hosts. It’s gonna be big y’all! Tune in for the preview, and get ready for a full month of JOHANNA.

Episode 70: Triage à Trois - Hummingbird by LaVyrle Spencer

Wed, 11 Dec 2019 06:00:23 +0000

Abigail McKenzie felt like an outcast in her one train stop town. Yet when two men are wounded in the same train robbery, she agrees to take them in: David, the model of a gentleman, and Jesse, hot-tempered and alluring, vie for Abigail’s affections. But as she nurses them both back to health, intimacy and proximity push our heroine to explore her sensual side, and the true identities of her patients reveal a rich history beyond their injuries. This week, Morgan and Isabeau take a listener recommendation and fall in love with Hummingbird by LaVyrle Spencer. It’s got it all: gunfights, soup straws, moustaches, and above all, feet. Dust off a nice pair of something tall for this little ditty.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

This week's episode is sponsored by Audible--from romance to newscasts and everything in between Audible has got it all--go to www.audible.com/whoa or text WHOA to 500-500 for your free trial.

This week's episode is sponsored by LOLA - a modern approach to feminine care. LOLA is a female-founded company offering a line of organic cotton tampons, pads, liners, and all-natural cleansing wipes. Now featuring Sex by LOLA products too!

Boner-On-Us: Fated Mates

Wed, 04 Dec 2019 17:28:13 +0000

For this Boner, Isabeau guides Morgan through the waters of fated mates, blood scenarios, and the requisite comfort/suffocation of inevitably. What is the difference between fate and destiny? Does the trope of love at first sight still sparkle through the lens of affect theory? Is male “passion” just camouflage for latent male aggression? Bring your own beret for this one y’all and start perfecting those french inhales, this may be our most philosophical Boner to date.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network

Episode 69: From Missives To Madness - My Sweet Folly by Laura Kinsale

Wed, 27 Nov 2019 15:29:46 +0000

Folie Hamilton thought nothing of corresponding with her husband’s cousin, Lt. Robert Cambourne, deployed across the world in the interests of the East India Company, on behalf of the English Crown. But when love creeps into their epistles, no distance or arrangement is beyond collapse. This week, Morgan and Isabeau swoon over My Sweet Folly by Laura Kinsale, a tale of passion, conspiracy, and unbalance depicting an England on the brink of turmoil. How should historicals reflect past atrocities? What makes good allyship? What does it mean to stay informed, and how do we enact change? Remember: sexy books can still pose serious questions.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network

This week's episode is sponsored by Audible--from romance to newscasts and everything in between Audible has got it all--go to www.audible.com/whoa or text WHOA to 500-500 for your free trial

This week's episode is sponsored by LOLA - a modern approach to feminine care. LOLA is a female-founded company offering a line of organic cotton tampons, pads, liners, and all-natural cleansing wipes. Now featuring Sex by LOLA products too!

Boner-On-Us: WebToon

Wed, 20 Nov 2019 09:46:19 +0000

Are we at a point in history where our passions have become our capital? And what are the repercussions, if any, that sometimes it might be totally worth it? For this lil’ Boner, Morgan and Isabeau explore how WebToon is contributing to the romance ecosystem, do a little self reflecting, and politely ask for more WebToon coins PLEASE.

Whoa!mance is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. You can find more outstanding podcasts to subscribe to at Frolic.media/podcasts

Episode 68: Lust In Translation - The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite

Wed, 13 Nov 2019 08:20:28 +0000

Lucy Muchelney is in a rut. But when she’s commissioned to translate a celebrated astronomy text by the deceased husband of Countess Catherine St. Day, her professional demeanor is eclipsed by desire. This week, Morgan and Isabeau turn their sights to 2019’s Great Big Romance Read The Lady’s Guide To Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite, a dovetail of caste and scholarly love set in post-Napoleonic Regency England. Why the Regency period? What responsibility should the present have in depicting the past? And is our refusal to hold the past accountable inviting a cultural retrograde? Keep your eyes peeled toward the cosmos for this one y’all.

Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network
This week's episode is sponsored by Audible--from romance to newscasts and everything in between Audible has got it all--go to www.audible.com/whoa or text WHOA to 500-500 for your free trial

Episode 67: Floating In The Blood - Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

Wed, 30 Oct 2019 09:24:33 +0000

Long before Twilight, and 26 years before Ol’ Abe Stoker had visions of Dracula, there was another drinker lurking in the annals of western lit. This week, Morgan and Isabeau explore the classic gothic vampire novella Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, a prototype for the prolific genre. Set in a shloss in the forests of Styria, Laura, our heroine, describes her lonely childhood through epistles and recounts the arrival of a peculiar stranger, the alluring and abhorrent Carmilla, as if conjured from a dream. But the novel’s languor is underpinned with anxiety as desire mixes with consumption, and questions of Carmilla’s origin prove all too familiar. It’s a sensual nightmare that revels in the repression of the Victorian Age, and may help explain our continued obsession.

Whoa!mance is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. You can find more outstanding podcasts to subscribe to at Frolic.media/podcasts

Boner-On-Us: Blow Jobs

Wed, 23 Oct 2019 17:42:25 +0000

One could say this is a boner about blow jobs. But blow jobs are about so much more than just blow jobs. This is a boner about power. A boner about tropes. A boner dissecting the misnomer of a “right” penis. It’s a boner about what we do with boners, and why what we do with boners does and does not matter.

Episode 66: Bear Head Revisited - My Boyfriend Is A Bear by Pamela Ribon

Wed, 16 Oct 2019 07:49:49 +0000

Why bears? What is it about our ursine cousins that prompts such a curious and violent fascination? This week, Morgan and Isabeau turn these questions over anew with the graphic novel My Boyfriend Is a Bear by Pamela Ribon, illustrated by Cat Farris. What does pop culture’s fetishization of bears say about our sexual proclivities? Are bears just apolitical lumberjacks? And what right do we have to anthropomorphize animals in the first place? If Bear by Marian Engel proved too on the nose for its deftness at delineating sexual/power imbalances, cuddle up with this little teddy and start working on that winter belly.

Episode 65: A Numbers Game - The Right Swipe by Alisha Rai

Wed, 02 Oct 2019 03:36:24 +0000

What are the rules of modern dating? For many this is an ethical or existential question, but for app developer Rhiannon Hunter, providing the correct answer could be the financial HEA of a lifetime. This week, Morgan and Isabeau tackle The Right Swipe by Alisha Rai, and put some overlooked institutional ducks in a row. Questions arise as to what a feminist dating app should look like; who, if anyone, does the NFL care about; and what your brand choice of mayonnaise says about your experience of heartbreak when used to fuck up the paint on an ex-lover’s car. Clear your schedules and lint roll a power suit for this one y’all.

Episode 64: Live at Love’s Sweet Arrow - Gorgeous by Motzie Dapul

Wed, 18 Sep 2019 08:56:29 +0000

There’s a lot to be excited about with this one y’all. Not only is there now a bookshop in Tinley Park, IL dedicated exclusively to the genre, but Love’s Sweet Arrow: A Romance Bookstore was kind enough to host the inaugural live recording of Whoa!mance. A special thank you to all those who came through and contributed to the conversation on Gorgeous by Motzie Dapul, a selection from Start Here: Short Stories of First Encounters edited by Ronald S. Lim and Brigitte Bautista. Yr girls Morgan and Isabeau discuss bullies to lovers, the craft of brevity, and crowdsource the parameters of a sweet romance. All live, because that’s showbiz baby.

Boner-On-Us: Cover Art

Fri, 13 Sep 2019 04:26:38 +0000

This one's for all you toons creeping in on Fabio's turf. Morgan and Isabeau discuss trends in cover art, the ethics of disguising a novel’s heat, and the politics of reading a good ol’ fashioned clinch on the bus. So don’t bother covering up this boner, because we’re letting it all hang out.

Episode 63: Casual Friday - The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

Wed, 04 Sep 2019 06:38:06 +0000

Have you ever despised someone so much you wet your desk chair? Or been so blinded by hate that you popped a boner? Of course you have. We all have. That’s what makes the Hating Game by Sally Throne so relatable, because a good romp is always the best way to relieve some tension. This week, Morgan and Isabeau track Lucy and Joshua, rival administrative assistants for two newly merged publishing houses, as they journey from enemies to workplace competitors to full on PnV horndoggies, all set in a cramped disco ball of an office. Despite the cutesy cover, it’s an HR disaster.

Episode 62: Leg Up - The Proposition by Judith Ivory

Wed, 21 Aug 2019 02:10:04 +0000

Shake the sand out of your corset and get ready for a cockney romp. This week, Morgan and Isabeau return to Judith Ivory to examine her 1999 novel The Proposition, where linguist and social etiquette coach Edwina is tasked to shape hunk of marble and rat catcher extraordinaire Mick into a right modern gentleman. If Beast didn’t quite tickle your ambergris, this reverse pygmalion will have you feeling it in your pants. This might be an all time favorite y’all.

Episode 24: The Devil In Winter....Begrudgingly

Wed, 14 Aug 2019 12:00:26 +0000

Do you like gaming hells? Bad dudes who become good dudes and heroines who find their voices? US TOO!!! In this week's episode Morgan and Isabeau tackle a peculiar faultline in Romancelandia--is "The Devil in Winter" really worth the hype and love it receives? Really? Listen and find out where Isabeau and Morgan land on the critical question.

Part of our Lisa Kleypas series.

Listeners be warned there is discussion of attempted assault.

Episode 61: A Lot Of Sand (Aha Sheik Heartbreak #3) Hired: The Sheikh's Secretary by Lucy Monroe

Wed, 07 Aug 2019 04:42:47 +0000

It's been quite the sojourn y’all. This week marks the third and final in our triptych on sheik romance, a series that we hope has never ceased to surprise and horrify. A familiar pattern continued in Hired: The Sheikh’s Secretary Mistress by Lucy Monroe, a text in full cultural retrograde as the title is quick to suggest, where Morgan and Isabeau were once again exposed to a veritable galaxy of stereotypes and erasures; a true fireworks display of unfortunate narrative decisions fit for an ending we thought would never come. And the worst part is this one’s not even super old. Who needs a drink.

Boner-On-Us: RWA Reflections

Wed, 31 Jul 2019 16:36:07 +0000

Last week, yr girls Morgan and Isabeau took a trip to the Big Apple to speak on a panel for the Golden Network as part of the Romance Writers of America’s annual conference. After much networking and mingling, there was so much to unpack. Is Romance inherently feminist, or should we demand more? Is pleasure, in and of itself, enough of a political statement? What is patriarchy, and how and with what do we smash it? Sometimes searching for answers y'all just leads to better questions.

Episode 60: Learn to Love Everything (Aha Sheik Heartbreak #2) - Savage Sands by Christina Nicholson

Wed, 17 Jul 2019 07:36:55 +0000

Ok. A lot of trigger warnings y’all; we’re talking about rape, human trafficking, colonial occupation, castration, and handsy nuns. But plz know yr Whoa!mance crew would never let you go in alone. This week, Morgan and Isabeau continue to hold Sheik romance accountable with a truly breathtaking example of what-the-fuckery: Savage Sands by Christina Nicholson. It’s a rolling blackout of unchecked sexuality and degradation, a narrative so carpet-bombed by the male id it’s almost as if it were written by a man...

Episode 59: Somebody’s Gonna Be First (Aha Sheik Heartbreak #1) - The Sheik by E. M. Hull

Wed, 03 Jul 2019 10:29:38 +0000

Back in the center ring, as promised, for the first of many sheik downs. To kick things off, Morgan and Isabeau crack the OG model for so-called “desert romance”, E. M. Hull’s 1919 novel The Sheik; and like any good origin story, it’s fraught with power and contradiction. Can a novel with such a damaging socio-political cache be redeemed by the resonant impact it has on the evolution of genre and reader interest? Or is it time we go cold turkey on this particular blend of hand-rolled erotica? We’re in this for the long haul y’all so make sure you layer up: it gets pretty cold at night.

Boner-On-Us: Critique the Sheik

Wed, 26 Jun 2019 06:15:42 +0000

If you’ve been around this whole mess long enough you know we love kicking up some dust. So that’s why we felt it was high time one of the elephants in this here circus gets called the fuck out. Clowns and jokers can take a hike for this next couple y’all; round these parts there’s no wishing our way out.

Episode 58: Liminal Spaces - Sleeping Together by Kitty Cook

Wed, 19 Jun 2019 06:50:53 +0000

Here at Whoa!mance, we believe wet dreams are always better with a buddy. That’s why this week, Morgan and Isabeau took a trip to the 206 to hang out with bored pharmaceutical employees Vanessa and Altan, as they explored their sexual tension in a shared hallucinatory dreamspace. But what began as a flirtation spiraled into addiction for Vanessa as her drug induced sexcoma proved a too tempting balm for the anxiety caused by her husband Pete and the aftershocks of her traumatic past. It’s a true mind fucking y’all.

Episode 57: Lithe Yet Womanly (ICEWINE #4) - Morning Comes Softly by Debbie Macomber

Wed, 05 Jun 2019 09:03:02 +0000

Much like a long day, ICEWINE could only set in the west. This week, Morgan and Isabeau put the series out to pasture with Debbie Macomber’s 1993 novel Morning Comes Softly where Travis, a rugged non-millionaire chauvinist cowboy is seeking a wife to help maintain his shack and family in Montana; lo and behold, Mary, a shy librarian in Louisiana, responds to his personal ad and travels sight unseen to go a-courtin’. It’s a love story of proximity that will make you wish your drink was closer too. Don’t forget to recycle yr boxes, bags, and bottles y’all; ICEWINE out.

Episode 56: Author Interview - Suleikha Snyder

Wed, 29 May 2019 08:42:41 +0000

BRAINFREEZE - all this ICEWINE’s got to our heads y’all. This week, Morgan and Isabeau take a break from the box to rub shoulders with the courtesans in Jeannie Lin’s novel The Jade Temptress; and who better to show them around than Chicago’s very own scribe of passion Suleikha Snyder, who selected this title as a personal all-time-fav. It’s a triple shot of historical mystery romance sure to get your noggins humming, arm hairs perked, and erogenous zones titillated all to a satisfying denouement. But don’t forget to refill those ice trays now...

Episode 55: To The Lifeboats (ICEWINE #3) - No Greater Love by Danielle Steel

Wed, 22 May 2019 07:01:27 +0000

Before James Cameron tackled the greatest sinkable metal of the modern era, Danielle Steel did it first and regrettably, with more chastity. This week, Morgan and Isabeau board a transatlantic voyage on the Titanic for an historically accurate, fade-to-black romp through the worlds of newspapers, publishing, old Hollywood, and the constrictive gender roles of yesteryear. Women and children first this week y’all; we see your ICEWINE and raise you an ICEBERG.

Episode 54: Take a Look at These Hands (ICEWINE #2) - Indigo by Beverly Jenkins

Wed, 15 May 2019 09:33:19 +0000

Did you know yr average box wine fits FOUR bottles of that sweet sweet Dionysian nectar? I hope you didn’t go to hard out the gate cuz we back for ICEWINE ROUND 2. This week, Morgan and Isabeau unpack Indigo by Beverly Jenkins, a novel that doesn’t shy away from posing difficult questions while managing to stand up to the harsh light of our present moment. Who says you can’t take aim at slavery, white-male-capitalist-patriarchy, and coercive sexual relationships AND get a few rocks off while you’re at it? This week’s episode is dedicated to not letting notions of propriety ruin a good time.

Episode 53: Duchess or Dead (ICEWINE #1) - Devil’s Bride by Stephanie Laurens

Wed, 08 May 2019 02:35:12 +0000

Break out the Franzia and give that bag a big ol’ slap y’all because it’s time for some motherbitchin’ ICEWINE. And what better way to begin than by taking a cold look at the skewed historical reality of Stephanie Laurens’ inaugural installment of her Cynster series, Devil’s Bride. One of the many missives of the 90’s culture wars, Morgan and Isabeau unpack the novel’s opinions on female agency and sexuality not-so-tacitly coded into the stuffy life of dukes and the messy business of murder. Don’t forget to restock the ice tray! Remember: you kill it, you fill it.

ICE WINE SEASON APPROACHING

Fri, 03 May 2019 18:37:50 +0000

While we’re still in the midst of fool’s spring here in Chicago, Morgan and Isabeau have their sights set on summer; and what better way to will its coming than to explore what titillates yr mom.

Episode 52: We All Deserve French Seams - The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

Wed, 01 May 2019 12:38:03 +0000

Break out your graphing calculators for this one y’all. Celebrated for its depiction of a non-neurotypical heroine, econometrician Stella Lane is on a quest to become a more competent lover when family pressure nudges her back onto the dating field. Enter Michael Larsen, a Vietnamese/Swedish sex worker and breadwinner for a large family and ailing mother: who better to help Stella spend her audacious salary on a trial run at intimacy? But despite the cutesy cover and inclusive narratives, there’s a kernel of Romance’s dark foundation lurking in this reverse Pretty Woman.

Episode 51: Full Frontal Floriculture - The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig

Wed, 24 Apr 2019 06:58:31 +0000

Well if it isn’t another twofer. This week, Morgan and Isabeau are taking a trip to the flower shoppe with the first installment of Lauren Willig’s Pink Carnation series, a novel set in the world of Baroness Orczy’s notable 1905 work The Scarlet Pimpernel. In Willig’s novel, graduate student Eloise is finishing her dissertation when she stumbles upon a communique of the notorious and as-of-yet unmasked Napoleonic-Era British spy, the Pink Carnation. Subterfuge. Disguise. Intrigue. And a hand job in a boat that gives Madame Bovary’s famous carriage ride a turn for its garter. Plus, donation tips to help realign the pain of Quasimodo’s recent furlough.

Episode 50: Author Interview - Melonie Johnson

Wed, 10 Apr 2019 04:19:21 +0000

It’s a Whoa!mance double whammy this week y’all! Not only are Morgan and Isabeau joined by the brilliant and talented Melonie Johnson, but we’re getting a guided tour of Melonie’s all time favorite romance novel: Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale. Imagine if Flowers for Algernon and A Beautiful Mind were study buddies with benefits, with the bulk of the sadness exchanged for more divide and multiply. Additional ingredients include: dukes, quakers, and at the lord’s behest, openings. Plus, we get the scoop on Melonie’s upcoming trio of novels from the source herself. Summer 2K19 can’t come soon enough.

Episode 49: But For Whom? - Wanna Get Lucky? by Deborah Coonts

Wed, 27 Mar 2019 11:30:14 +0000

This week’s a little bit of everything y’all. We got murder. We got Las Vegas. We got snakes. Morgan and Isabeau are joined by friend and OG Las Vegan Marie to talk about the first installment of Deborah Coonts’ Lucky O’Toole series. Did we mention the swingers? Did we mention the porn stars; and oddly, the prudishness? It’s a tour de force of repressed desires with a hard on for justice. A very, conservative hard on. Recommended for those who’ve never seen their own selves naked.

Episode 48: For the Troops - A Mermaid’s Kiss by Joey W. Hill

Wed, 20 Mar 2019 07:21:57 +0000

We’re going hard this Pisces season with some more fresh caught fish fuckery y’all. Have you ever wanted to fuck Ariel, but also Tinkerbell? Does repackaging sex as “joining magic” help or hurt one’s chances of getting a little fin? How old were you when you gave or received your first body job? This week, Morgan and Isabeau are going off the deep end for this mermaid/angel sexcapade cum theological smorgasbord that defies explanation, genre classification, and its own internal machinery. We promise you’ll never think of waterbeds the same way.

Episode 47: Fish Sticks - The Pisces by Melissa Broder

Wed, 13 Mar 2019 07:36:24 +0000

If The Shape of Water tickled your sashimi, Melissa Broder’s New York Times dubbed “romance novel for intellectuals” The Pisces will either turn you pescatarian for life or give you full blown mercury poisoning. This week, Morgan and Isabeau plunge romance’s murky depths through the depressive eyes of Lucy, a newly single academic, as she navigates the choppy surfs of Tinder, group therapy, pet care, and the dexterous tongue of a merman. Can you smell that fresh salt air? Catch of the Day: MP

Episode 46: Outsides Are Insides - The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss

Wed, 06 Mar 2019 14:11:45 +0000

When something is deemed a watershed moment, that something denotes that a larger thing is forever altered; often the phrase suggests a positive evolution or advancement. But what do we do when the thing that allowed for growth and expansion, is, in retrospect, more akin to a stagnant pond than a shimmering crystal lake? This week, Morgan and Isabeau travel back to 1972 to relive the groundbreaking release of The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss: a tome that elevated Romance to a new apex in the cultural zeitgeist. But the world reflected in F&F is fraught to say the least. We’re breaking out the big guns for this one y’all.

Episode 45: Pass the Honey - Bear by Marian Engel

Wed, 27 Feb 2019 16:18:17 +0000

Did you miss us? We were taking a brief sabbatical in the north woods of Ontario when we stumbled upon a seductive stranger. Full in form and stature, an imposing specimen really, with many *ahem* physical attributes that left us feeling replete in both mind and body. The richness of his fur alone… hair, hair of coarse. Course. Dammit. His name? Yes yes, well we didn’t quite get that far. You know how throes of passion go, so lacking in formality. And with all that solitude to penetrate. Oh Bear. Dear! We need a swim to clear our heads. This one is for our neighbors to the north, and all your enticing wildlife.

Shameless Boner - Patreon Announcement

Fri, 15 Feb 2019 18:58:51 +0000

We're taking a break from languishing in our post-JANEuary bliss to share some exciting news: Whoa!mance has a Patreon! What does this mean? Well, because capitalism is a scourge to creative minded people who value the humanities and using one's time to cultivate art and ideas, we are asking you, our devoted listeners and supporters, to help sustain this project in any way you can. In return, we will honor your support with shoutouts, gifts, book recommendations, and even the chance to pitch a novel you've always wanted us to cover. It's a win/win, and all for as little as the price of coffee.

Click the link below for more details - and see you next week for BEAR!

https://www.patreon.com/join/2348544?

Episode 44: The OG (JANEuary #5) - Persuasion by Jane Austen

Wed, 30 Jan 2019 13:07:09 +0000

We did it y’all; we’ve been through the now, the then, the if only, and the as if; it’s been a month dedicated to yr grrl Jane; a celebration of her influence, and an inquiry into the resonance of her scope. But we would be remiss not to guide it all towards the inevitable confluence of meeting the indelible force herself; the matron of Romancelandia; the true essence of all things that send your heart and situation aflutter: it’s Persuasion by Jane Austen. For you, by you; thank you now and always.

Episode 43: The Fans (JANEuary #4)- A Certain Persuasion by Julie Bozza et al.

Wed, 23 Jan 2019 18:00:43 +0000

JANE-U-VERSE - n. the world(s) expanded within and beyond Jane Austen’s novels as imagined by her readers through the act of emulation. This week, Morgan and Isabeau explore selections from A Certain Persuasion: Modern LGBTQ+ Fiction inspired by yr grrl’s novels, featuring stories by Julie Bozza, Fae Mcloughlin, and JL Merrow. It’s about the space between the novels; the nooks and crannies of potential intrigue; the nagging notion of a lingering ‘what if’ actualized. We’re going back in on fan fic for this cherished month of yr grrl y’all so plz don’t flame us ok?

Episode 42: The Adaptation (JANEuary #3) - Clueless (1995) and Emma (1996)

Wed, 16 Jan 2019 10:21:03 +0000

Crash positions listeners: it’s a JANEuary charm bomb. This week, Morgan and Isabeau pour one out for the chaste and stationary in their discussion of the classic Jane Austen adaptation and sleepover film par excellence, Clueless, directed by Amy Heckerling, and its lackluster bedfellow, Emma, directed by Douglas McGrath. What is a proper distillation of this novel’s essence - is it the tragedy of a trapped mind? Does a modern retelling highlight its comedic elements? Did Alicia Silverstone and Gwyneth Paltrow become Emma in real life? Where do you stand on Emma? Cuddle up with your favorite sexy step-brother for this one y’all because it’s movie night.

Episode 41: The Speculative (JANEuary #2) - For Darkness Shows The Stars by Diana Peterfreund

Wed, 09 Jan 2019 13:45:37 +0000

Dear Listeners, prepare to enter a tale as much yr grrl Jane as it is yr boi Aldous because this week Morgan and Isabeau are taking a trip to the other worldly. It’s Persuasion, generations after an event called "the Reduction", where love continues to blossom through the cracks of a biologically-enhanced hierarchical class structure. How does the framework of a mother text allow its children to run amok? Are epistles a creative crutch? Is alluding to it as “butterflies” an appropriate way for young-ish adults to discuss teenage sexuality? If we only had two syllables to describe this episode they'd be: it good.

Episode 40: The Remix (JANEuary #1) - Pride by Ibi Zoboi

Wed, 02 Jan 2019 13:53:53 +0000

It’s JANEuary in this beautiful New Year of yr grrl, and we’re going all in out the gate y’all. This week, Morgan and Isabeau are breaking off a little preview of Ibi Zoboi’s P&P remix, Pride, named the Great Big Romance Read of 2018 by the Ripped Bodice. It’s about being a castaway in the throes of youth culture. It’s about that-trendy-new-place-in-an-up-and-coming-neighborhood. It’s about Mr. Darcy’s relationship to the trope of the manic pixie dream girl. It's a modern telling of P&P with... teens. It’s all killer and no filler party people.

A Boxing Day Boner: Enemies To Lovers

Wed, 26 Dec 2018 08:41:34 +0000

Dismissive actions. Furtive eyes. Arguing and making out in the rain. Hate fucking that becomes love fucking. This week, for a special Boxing Day Boner, Morgan and Isabeau unpack the classic Romance trope of enemies to lovers through the lens of the indelible 2005 adaptation of Pride & Prejudice. Darcy. Gazebos. And displeasure turned titillating. Snuggle up with this cozy Boner and get ready because JANEuary, came early.

Episode 39: Fuckin’ Dukes - How the Dukes Stole Christmas by Tessa Dare et al.

Wed, 19 Dec 2018 19:43:07 +0000

Whether they’re kicking you and your loved ones off their property, enjoying a solitary brood on the snow swept moors, parroting Ebenezer Scrooge, or simply trying to run a successful newspaper, it seems Dukes are everywhere these days. This week, Morgan and Isabeau explore the men beneath the titles in How the Dukes Stole Christmas, an anthology of novellas by Tessa Dare, Sarah MacLean, Sophie Jordan, and Joanna Shupe. Can love coexist with wealth? Is Heiress Alone just Home Alone with more vitamin D? Does magic shortbread show up on a drug test? It’s a festive Duke down with all the trimmings. Eat and be merry!

Boner-On-Us: JANEuary Announcement

Wed, 12 Dec 2018 20:11:17 +0000

We said we wouldn’t do it. We said we’d never talk about Jane Austen on this show. She’s played out. Old hat. But this January, get ready for the faceoff you never thought possible, because it’s JANEuary motherbitches. Morgan and Isabeau are coming fully loaded with genre spanning Jane Austen inspired content, commentary, reviews, Clueless; the whole gamut.

But we want YOU to decide what Jane Austen novel to feature for JANEuary! Is it Emma? S&S? P&P? Northanger Abbey? Start thinking about where your loyalties lay, because this January is all about yr grrl Jane.

Vote here: https://twitter.com/mance_whoa/status/1072983335704637440

Episode 38: Every Rose Has Its Thorn - Until Forever by Johanna Lindsey

Thu, 06 Dec 2018 18:55:29 +0000

Tenured and bespectacled Roseleen White, Professor of Medieval Studies, has just discovered a rather peculiar sword. Tethered to the sword is Thorn, a Viking warrior who may be summoned at will and is at the mercy of its wielder. Could this immortal and immaculate being be the key to Roseleen’s career advancement and *removes glasses* her sexual awakening? Do you think I look hotter with my glasses on or off? *puts glasses back on* On. *removes glasses once more* Off. No? This week, Morgan and Isabeau unpack the complexities of the culture wars, discuss eyeglass appropriation, and marvel at the novel’s internal adherence to the ethics of time travel. I can’t tell if you’re nodding - are you nodding? You’re just a gorgeous blur. *puts on glasses yet again* Well?

Episode 37: Xmas Redux - A Christmas to Remember by Lisa Klepas et al.

Wed, 28 Nov 2018 23:50:30 +0000

Last year, two burgeoning podcasters recorded what was to be a true and undoctored account of their mental and emotional experience reading A Christmas to Remember featuring stories by Lisa Kleypas, Lorraine Heath, Megan Frampton, and Vivienne Lorret. Sadly, the recording and its sentiments were never recovered. Now, Morgan and Isabeau are back to reignite those lost feelings of arousal and outrage with a passionate reenactment of a previously unreleased Whoa!mance classic.

This never-before-heard deluxe edition includes: digitally remastered shots at the patriarchal coding of feminine beauty standards, an in-depth analysis of the capitalist rot beneath Santa’s suit, and takes categorically hotter than roasted chestnuts.

This episode is a perfect stocking stuffer for feet of all shapes and sizes - available now while supplies last!

Episode 36: Fumbling Memories - Turkey Day Tryst by Mia McAndrews

Wed, 21 Nov 2018 14:30:06 +0000

Thanksgiving is a time for indulging in corporeal comforts to distract from the guilt of America’s colonialist origin; the type of bad feeling that requires four distinct potato dishes and the gladiatorial sport of football to placate until bear baiting bubbles back into the zeitgeist. Why else would Debby choose to satisfy her most carnal of appetites in the warmth and safety of her childhood bed, the aroma of turkey fat thick in the air, her family moving about below? What could be better? What could be more repressed? What does your ideal penis look like? Morgan and Isabeau want to know; contains meat.

Episode 35: An Unbridgeable Breach - Never Sweeter by Charlotte Stein

Wed, 14 Nov 2018 17:54:31 +0000

At some point we’ve all felt bullied. But did you ever think, as you stared out through the slits of a locker, your new home, that perhaps your tormenter just needed to work through some misplaced sexual desire? That in fact, your personal Roger Klotz was just biding their time to tell you how they really felt? What’s the statute of limitations on attempted murder? Can a novel be both problematic and titillating? Morgan and Isabeau grapple with Letty and Tate’s relationship, barn weddings, and what to do when your mind’s telling you no, but your body, your body, has been reshaped by toxic masculinity.

Episode 34: Stunned and Humbled - Hidden Sins by Stacey Abrams

Wed, 31 Oct 2018 17:41:13 +0000

A first love. A religious cult. A hundred corpses. This week, Morgan and Isabeau join Mara Reed as she tries to outrun the violence of her past and survive in the Lone Star State. But not everything about Mara’s past is bent on her destruction: enter Dr. Ethan Stuart, forensic anthropologist and beefcake who needs Mara’s help to solve a mysterious case. Why Texas? Why violence? What is love? These questions and more y'all.

Episode 33: Covered in Victims, Looking Like a Snack - Anna Dressed In Blood by Kendare Blake

Wed, 24 Oct 2018 15:44:49 +0000

You know that feeling when you’ve been entrusted with your dead dad’s bloodknife to keep the spectral world from culling human victims, but you’re too hung up on getting a little ghost strange from bae to dispatch her to an unknown that’s likely worse than hell? This week, Morgan and Isabeau follow Cas Lowood to Thunder Bay, Ontario on his quest to rid the world of flesh-eating ghosts, chase tail, and pass biology. Trigger Warning - a dude gets ripped the fuck in half like a hamburger. $5 solo cup: keg in back.

Episode 32: Ripped and Hairless - Dark Desires by Eve Silver

Wed, 17 Oct 2018 16:11:35 +0000

What tempts you? What fixations lurk in the corners of your mind? Is it leather? Lace? Or perhaps...MURDER? This week, Morgan and Isabeau take a carriage ride to Whitechapel, London to meet Darcie Finch, and her mysterious new boss, anatomist and shit artist Dr. Damien Cole. But as whispers and disappearances continue to shroud Damien, Darcie is flayed by the peril of choice: to risk her love, or her life. SPOOOOOOKY!

Episode 31: A Dispora of One - The Prince by Katharine Ashe

Wed, 10 Oct 2018 14:56:10 +0000

Art. Passion. Surgeries. This week, Morgan & Isabeau explore the fourth installment of Katharine Ashe’s Devil’s Duke Series, The Prince. Is there a purer expression of love than building a prosthetic leg for one’s betrothed? Does the novel’s historical depiction of a culturally diverse Edinburgh resonate as *air quotes* modern or does it have more tokens than a Chuck E. Cheese? Is it time for Romance to outlaw the Shah? These questions and more! Dress code casual.

Episode 30: Dick, Dork, Dong--Hot Head by Damon Suede

Wed, 03 Oct 2018 17:02:12 +0000

In this week's episode Morgan and Isabeau tackle Damon Suede's Hot Head a pun-tastic m/m romance about firemen in NYC. These friends to lovers just don't know what to do with their feels. There's a lot to cover in this novel, and Isabeau and Morgan flow between the topics of sex work, sexual discovery, and masculinity over the course of this episode. If you like dicks this is the one for you!

Episode 29: Not Outlander We Promise---Awaken, My Love--Robin Schone

Wed, 26 Sep 2018 17:54:06 +0000

In this episode Morgan and Isabeau discuss a time traveling romance. And it's not Outlander. Our modern day heroine (who lives in Chicago!) is thrown back in time and into an entirely different body! She does her level best to figure out the mystery of how she not only swapped bods but also timelines and she has sex on a horse.
Morgan and Isabeau dive deep into questions around corporeal identity, consent, and what rage looks and feels like. Trigger Warning: This book is a lot and deals explicitly with molestation and rape.

A Very Special Website Announcement Boner

Fri, 21 Sep 2018 19:52:55 +0000

WE GET A WEBSITE YOU GET A BONER!

But seriously y'all check out our brand new, state-of-the-art, all-mod-cons with water and gas included WEBSITE where you can get caught up on all things Whoa!Mance. It's truly a thing of beauty.

https://www.whoamancepodcast.com/

And don't worry, this boner is on us.

Episode 28: Witchy Murder Ballad

Wed, 19 Sep 2018 17:01:12 +0000

On this week's episode Morgan and Isabeau interrogate a new medium for romance--Graphic Novels! Wild Rose is a graphic novel retelling of a popular Irish murder ballad. Writer Nicole Slaunwhite is kickstarting a wild Irish ride with a kick ass heroine who kinda gets her butt handed to her in the first issue---but there's big things in our Heroine's future or so says the witch and the tarot cards! This has it all sex, love, loss, magic, and Irish folks.

If you want to support Nicole in her efforts here's her website: https://wildrosecomic.wordpress.com/

Episode 27: "Married with Children" Making It Last by Ruthie Knox

Wed, 12 Sep 2018 15:30:11 +0000

On this week's episode Morgan and Isabeau tackle series ender and novella "Making it Last" by Ruthie Knox. The last book in the author's Camelot series--The question on the table is: What is romance and how do we know what counts as a Happily Ever After? Where do the genre boundaries get blurry?
And perhaps most importantly what turns your crank when you're cranky?

Episode 26: Lisa Kleypas-ter Syndrome--Suddenly Who?

Wed, 05 Sep 2018 15:17:33 +0000

On this week's episode, our last in our Lisa Kleypas Series, Morgan and guest star Sean tackle Lisa Kleypas's stand alone novel "Suddenly You". A novel about a spinster (she's 30) who orders a sexual awaken for her birthday! Listen in as Morgan and Sean dive deep on the surprises of the genre, how lived in and researched the world is--and the awkward messaging mashup of "scrappy" capitalism and blue-blooded hierarchy. Spoiler alert: they are both the worst.

Episode 25: Lisa Klepas-ter Syndrome Part 2: Who has the right to talk about Lisa Kleyas?

Wed, 29 Aug 2018 18:37:47 +0000

Lisa Kleypas-ter Syndrome Part 2: On this week's episode we welcome back our good friend Kim and talk about what it's like to grow through an author's work, what that does to how we read characters and setting, what that means for how we view the work and cherish it (or not). Romance is special because you can grow up with it, and grow up through it, and sometimes out grow an author--but can you every really out grow something you loved? Listen and find out!

Listen and find out.

Episode 24: Lisa Kleypas-ter Syndrome--The Devil In Winter....Begrudgingly

Wed, 01 Aug 2018 18:00:24 +0000

Do you like gaming hells? Bad dudes who become good dudes and heroines who find their voices? US TOO!!! In this week's episode Morgan and Isabeau tackle a peculiar faultline in Romancelandia--is "The Devil in Winter" worth the hype and love it receives? Listen and find out where Isabeau and Morgan land on the critical question.

Part of our Lisa Kleypas series.

Listeners be warned there is discussion of attempted assault.

Episode 23: All Revved Up on Hair--Sylvia Day

Fri, 27 Jul 2018 20:00:24 +0000

Buckle up Buttercups because on this week's episode Morgan and Isabeau deep dive into secret babies, body shaming, body hair of all kinds, but most of all romance. Listen in as we unpack our feelings about lies, masculinity and bikini lines

Boner On Us--Special Request

Wed, 25 Jul 2018 00:18:15 +0000

Whoa!mance wants to know! We've got questions and you've got answers! Morgan and Isabeau pose a series of questions that we are dying to hear our fans answer! Let us know what you think about Lizzy Bennet's hair, what man smells like, and your fav word for penis--you'll be featured on the podcast!

Episode 22: Author Interview Donna Thorland--Romance Across Mediums

Wed, 18 Jul 2018 15:15:23 +0000

In this episode Isabeau talks to author Donna Thorland about her craft, and romance across mediums. If you loved the TV show Salem, Buffy, and are interested in the reboot of Sabrina the Teenage Witch this is a good episode for you. If you've noticed that romance tropes are migrating toward your fav TV shows--you're right! We talk about that! And we talk about what it means to keep hope alive in the times we live in--romance being a key point of that. Romance is a subversive genre about revolution always--who can you love? What choices do you make? That's the romance question.

Episode 21: Love in the Time of Reagan - Wild Orchids by Karen Robards

Wed, 11 Jul 2018 17:34:33 +0000

Ever wonder what Romancing the Stone would have been like with a strong neoliberal bias? Unlike the big hair, there's a lot about the Reagan era that doesn't hold up no matter how much spray you lacquer on. This week, Morgan and Isabeau take Wild Orchids by Karen Robards to task for its worldview and experience some unexpected trickle-down titillation. Dedicated to all the far flung Midwesterners out there trying to find love in this mad world.

Episode 20: HBD America 🎆🎆🎆--Donna Thorland's Mistress Firebrand

Wed, 04 Jul 2018 20:19:59 +0000

Hey There Listeners! Do you love conversations about consent, safe sex, and revolutions internal and otherwise? Well this star spangled episode is just for you! Morgan and Isabeau break down Donna Thorland's Mistress Firebrand and get into the nitty gritty of french letters and french kissing. It's so much fun you might throw your tea in the harbor!

Episode 19: 177fic

Wed, 27 Jun 2018 23:32:31 +0000

In this episode Morgan and Isabeau tackle some of Isabeau's particular tipples--namely 1776 Fanfiction, America in general, and what it means to want to love things that are problematic. If you've ever had questions about fanfiction, what Mr. Feeney did before Boy Meets World, or if you're looking for a safe harbor in an increasingly bleak place--this episode is for you.
Conduct Unbecoming:
https://archiveofourown.org/works/8595313

New Girl on the Block:
https://archiveofourown.org/works/142864

Philidelphia is for Lovers…or something of that sort:
https://archiveofourown.org/works/11427357

The Course of Love Never Did Run Smooth:
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10378323/1/The-Course-of-True-Love-Never-Did-Run-Smooth

Episode 18: Bromancing--Dudes Read Romance: Paradise by Judith McNaught

Wed, 20 Jun 2018 12:00:24 +0000

In this special episode Isabeau interviews long time friends Nigel and Maarouf about the time in their early twenties when they read a romance novel out loud to each other. The novel? Paradise--by Judith McNaught a snazzy bit of 90s Regan Romance--bootstraps and all. This second chance scorcher takes place in Chicago--and boy howdy does it deliver. Boardroom brawls, blackmail, letters gone astray, miscarriage and HEAs all over the place. Want to hear how much two straight dudes learned from a romance? What lessons they took away? This episode is an unconventional look at how the genre we love can work its magic on everybody.

Episode 17: "Flock of Mongooses/geese" Mr. Impossible by Loretta Chase

Wed, 06 Jun 2018 16:49:34 +0000

In this episode Morgan and Isabeau welcome a dear friend to discuss one of her favorite romance novels. In this particular discussion we tackle cultural appropriation, colonization, and of course always female empowerment. If you've ever watched The Mummy and thought "IT ME!" this is the episode for you! Travel to the sun swept sand dunes of Colonial Egypt (yikes) and get whisked away into hilarity, adventure and happily ever afters!

Episode 16: The One Where We Agree on Everything----The Suffragette Scandal by Courtney Milan

Wed, 30 May 2018 19:43:31 +0000

It's our Sweet Sixteen! And on this week's episode we talk about Courtney Milan's delicious and scintillating "The Suffragette Scandal". Do you love men with damage? Do you love women with gumption? This book is for you! Let me tell you what Free is Victorian England's His Girl Friday and Morgan and Isabeau freaking love it!!!

Episode 15: "An Inconvenient Booty" A Pirate's Love by Johanna Lindsey

Wed, 23 May 2018 18:06:40 +0000

On this episode Isabeau and Morgan tackle a sea monster of a Classic in Johanna Lindsey's A Pirates Love--Readers be Warned this book deals explicitly with sexual assault----as our producer said it really puts the rape back into rape and pillage. It's a lot. So take care of yourself listener.

However if you want to brave the tides with Morgan and Isabeau on this classic anchors away me hearties! Lets get down and dirty.

Episode 14: "Tempest" by Beverly Jenkins

Wed, 16 May 2018 19:40:27 +0000

For this episode Morgan and Isabeau tackle a western! Do you love cowboys, history, and sex positivity? Got secret hots for the country doc? This book has it all!

Tell us which bit was the best bit - whoamancemail@gmail.com

Episode 13 Interview with a Romance Author: Caroline Linden

Wed, 09 May 2018 15:16:20 +0000

Whoa!

It's Whoa!mance's first ever author interview! Listen as Isabeau fangirls all over one of her favorite authors--the Rita Award Winning Caroline Linden. Curious about how Caroline broke into the field? The first romance she ever read? Or how she writes smutty periodicals for her hilarious and strong characters? Listen and find out--we cover everything from Happily Ever Afters to diversity in stories and publishing.

Episode 12: Gaywyck by Vincent Virga

Wed, 25 Apr 2018 16:32:29 +0000

If you love the sound of the ocean, sexual awakenings, murder plots, candles and late 19th century New York--this new Whoa!mance is just for you! The Grandfather of Queer Romance is a gothic stunner of sensual delights. Loosen your cravats m'lovelies this one gets good.

11: "Love And Other Scandals" by Caroline Linden

Wed, 18 Apr 2018 16:17:42 +0000

This week Morgan blows Isabeau's mind on the social construct of flattering fashion and what constitutes a freudian sex scene. If you love fancy balls, trashy mags, discussions of female friendship--and bobbing penises this is your episode! NSFW but you knew that.

Boner-on-us (Bonus) Episode: The Rita Awards

Sat, 14 Apr 2018 03:05:00 +0000

Isabeau patiently explains to Morgan the Rita Awards - especially the recent controversy over long-standing, systemic problems therein.

Apologies for the lack of cool tunes and sound-goodness--without Nick we really boner'd this ep. But we wanted to be timely.

10: "A Princess In Theory" by Alyssa Cole - Part Two

Wed, 11 Apr 2018 16:53:54 +0000

Pt. 2 of our two-part series on A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole. LISTEN as Morgan and Isabeau argue the difference between a strain and a reach, shout about what it means to be progressive and inclusive in genre fiction, and finish with some ASMR sound triggers. Hashtag intentional, indeed.

9: "A Princess In Theory" by Alyssa Cole - Part One

Wed, 04 Apr 2018 14:46:22 +0000

This week on Whoa!mance we're talking about Alyssa Cole's new and delectable book A Princess In Theory. If you love PhD candidates trying to scrape by under the oppression of the patriarchy in NYC--who suddenly meet a woke and hot as hell prince this is the book for you!

IT'S A TWO PARTER!!! Morgan and Isabeau had a lot of feelings on this gem.

8: "No Other Duke Will Do" by Grace Burrowes

Wed, 28 Mar 2018 12:50:25 +0000

Do you love libraries, castles, house parties and discussion of gauche merchants? You'll love Grace Burrows regency delight--this one takes place in Wales--and listeners you've nothing to loose but your inhibitions. That's right this gem is class conscience and NOT in a Cinderella way!

7: "Improper Arrangements" by Juliana Ross

Thu, 22 Mar 2018 00:40:03 +0000

In which we tackle "Improper Arrangments" (a novella-ella-ella eh eh by Juliana Ross), perspectives, family planning, sea sponges, underpants and more. Can you believe it--this was the second Whoa!mance ever recorded!
........
whoamance.tumblr.com
twitter: @mance_whoa
instagram: @whoamance
whoamancemail@gmail.com

6: "Shanna" by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss

Wed, 14 Mar 2018 12:20:47 +0000

Hold on to your stays for this romance classic! Shanna has it all! Pirates! A marriage plot! Assumed names! A feisty heroine and a Caribbean island. If you like Sandals Commercials you will like some of this book. Listeners beware there is discussion of non-consensual sex and slavery. #the70s #whoa!mance #romance

5: "Montana Sky" by Nora Roberts

Wed, 07 Mar 2018 13:22:59 +0000

We tackle "Montana Sky" by lioness in her field NORA ROBERTS while discussing the vanilla candles, The American West, and 1996 in general. Warning: This episode (and book) contains discussion of violence against women.

4: "Priest" by Sierra Simone

Thu, 01 Mar 2018 04:16:35 +0000

Heads up--there is discussion of rape and violence in this episode.

WOW! We talk about religion, Three Billboards, the complexity of complicity, the complexity of consent, the complexity of guys who won't shut up about their Women Studies class, and some pretty graphic sex!

3: "About Last Night" by Ruthie Knox

Thu, 22 Feb 2018 03:50:25 +0000

Whilst talking about "About Last Night" we also cover the mob, naughty knitwear, colonialism, and the quality of egg dish you DESERVE to be served by your lover.

@mance_whoa on TWITTER
@whoamance on INSTAGRAM

2: "Beast" by Judith Ivory

Tue, 13 Feb 2018 17:43:48 +0000

Morgan and Isabeau get weird with Judith Ivory's "Beast" and talk identity, whales, consent, Lynch, Baudelaire, Americans and aristocracy, and personal aroma.

1: "A Week to be Wicked" by Tessa Dare

Tue, 13 Feb 2018 17:17:46 +0000

Isabeau and Morgan kick off the podcast by talking about "A Week to be Wicked" by Tessa Dare, dinosaurs, agency, labor, the border between England and Scotland, and Trader Joes.