“WE LIKE THEM A LOT, ACTUALLY”
This week Ana hosts the podcast with guest Lillie as they introduce our March theme “Unlikable” MCs and challenge this misleading label
EP 125 HOST
> ANA COQUI (she/her) A lifelong genre reader, Ana grew up reading fantasy, sci-fi & mystery novels in Puerto Rico, before finally wandering into the romance section of the library in search of HEA’s after bawling through one too many dystopian novels. When she is not reading, knitting, writing about romance for Love in Panels or running #RomBkLove on Twitter as @anacoqui, Ana is a school librarian
EP 125 GUEST
> LILLIE (she/her) has been reading and loving romance for over 20 years. A former blogger and reviewer, she is now a series bible maker, proofreader, and occasional copy editor. She can be found on Twitter @lillie_80 at all hours talking about all things romance
EP 125 DISCUSSION
> Title: Lush Money (Filthy Rich #1)
Author: Angelina M Lopez
Relation to theme: Female MC Roxanne
Representation: Latinx author, Mexican-American MC
Content Warnings: abandonment, medical non-con, coercion
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46038661-lush-money
> Title: A Gentleman in the Streets (The Campbell Siblings #1)
Author: Alisha Rai
Relation to theme: Female MC Akira
Representation: South-Asian author, Asian-American bisexual MC
Content Warnings: past trauma with family addiction, unhealthy family relationships
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23569243-a-gentleman-in-the-street
> Title: Xeni (Loose Ends #2)
Author: Rebekah Weatherspoon
Relation to theme: Female MC Xeni
Representation: Black author, black bisexual MC, white bisexual MC
Content Warnings: Secrets, biphobia, homophobia grief, mentions of miscarriage, mentions of abortion, Past Trauma: emotional abuse, coercion
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48359637-xeni
> Title: Drawn Together (Brown Family #5)
Author: Lauren Dane
Relation to theme: Female MC Raven
Representation: White author, bisexual heroine
Content Warnings: Child abuse, including sexual, and abduction and death of a teen, not on page but discussed, mental illness, BDSM
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16075145-drawn-together
> Title: A Duke by Default (Reluctant Royals #2)
Author: Alyssa Cole
Relation to theme: Female MC Portia
Representation: Black author, black MC, ADHD rep, Scottish-Latinx MC
Content Warnings: secrets, toxic family dynamic, anxiety, self-doubt, problem drinking, racism
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35564582-a-duke-by-default
> Title: Beast Behaving Badly (Pride #5)
Author: Shelly Laurenston
Relation to theme: Female MC Blayne
Representation: Black author, black MC
Content Warnings: violence, abduction, human trafficking
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6972157-beast-behaving-badly
> Title: Big Bad Beast (Pride #6)
Author: Shelly Laurenston
Relation to theme: Female MC Dee-Ann
Representation: Black author
Content Warnings: violence, human trafficking
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8538297-big-bad-beast
> The new series Lillie refers to is The Honey Badger Chronicles by Shelly Laurenston
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/210022-honey-badger-chronicles
> Title: Gilded Cage (Lilywhite Boys #2)
Author: KJ Charles
Relation to theme: Female MC Susan Lazarus
Representation: White author, bisexual MC
Content Warnings: miscarriage, abandonment, kidnapping, abuse
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46368222-gilded-cage
> Ana also mentions Any Old Diamonds by K.J. Charles, but Gilded Cage can also be read as a stand-alone
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42925241-any-old-diamonds
> Title: Mercy (Holton Woods #1)
Author: HelenKay Dimon
Relation to theme: Female MC Becca
Representation: White author, white cis het MC
CW: violence, spy games
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18668046-mercy
> Title: Beyond Series
Author: Kit Rocha
Relation to theme: ALL of them!
Representation: Bisexual authors, bisexual characters
CW: violence, war, past trauma, addiction, BDSM
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/87051-beyond
> Title: Belonging (Trewton Royd #2)
Author: Rhoda Baxter
Relation to theme: Female MC Harriet
Representation: South-Asian author
CW: Binge drinking, grief
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41796319-belonging
> Title: Tempting Her Neighbor (Small Town Temptations #1)
Author: Laura Jardine
Relation to theme: Female MC Rachel
Representation: Asian author
Content Warnings: “slut” shaming
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34741853-tempting-her-neighbor
> Title: Working Title (Plot Twist #3)
Author: Holley Trent
Relation to theme: Female MC Finch
Representation: Black author
Content Warnings: none identified
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49294664-working-title
> Title: Stripped (Happy Endings #1)
Author: Zoey Castile
Relation to theme: Female MC Robyn
Representation: Latinx author, Latinx MC
Content Warnings: Harassment, anxiety, depression
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38740616-stripped
> Title: Beary Christmas, Baby
Author: Sasha Devlin
Relation to theme: Female MC Sira
Representation: Black author
Content Warnings: car accident due to snow
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29873875-beary-christmas-baby
> Title: Kiss of Snow (Psy-Changeling #10)
Author: Nalini Singh
Relation to theme: Female MC Sienna
Representation: Asian author
Content Warnings: child abuse, violence, war
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11014249-kiss-of-snow
> Title: Shards of Hope (Psy-Changeling #14)
Author: Nalini Singh
Relation to theme: Female MC Zaira
Representation: Asian author
Content Warnings: child abuse, abduction, torture, suicide, violence
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17159943-shards-of-hope
> Title: Teach Me
Author: Olivia Dade
Relation to theme: Female MC Rose
Representation: White author, fat MC
Content Warnings: spousal abuse, workplace harassment
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44648234-teach-me
> Title: Moonglow (Darkest London #2)
Author: Kristen Callihan
Relation to theme: Female MC Daisy
Representation: White author, white cis het MCs
Content Warnings: violence, assault, discussion of past domestic and sexual violence
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13223523-moonglow
> Title: Winterblaze (Darkest London #3)
Author: Kristen Callihan
Relation to theme: Female MC Poppy
Representation: White author, white cis het MCs
Content Warnings: secrets, sexual violence
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13389546-winterblaze
> Title: Hard Knocks
Author: Ruby Lang
Relation to theme: Female MC Helen Chang
Representation: Asian author, Chinese-Canadian MC, white MC
Content Warnings: CTE, aging ill parent
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28080614-hard-knocks
> Title: Viking Flame (Afótama Legacy #3)
Author: Holley Trent
Relation to theme: Female MC Nadia
Representation: Black author, bisexual MC
Content Warnings: BDSM, consensual humiliation kink
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29452044-viking-flame
> Title: Kinked (Elder Races #6)
Author: Thea Harrison
Relation to theme: Female MC Aryal
Representation: White author, biisexual MC
Content Warnings: violence, BDSM
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15808775-kinked
> Title: Fire on the Ice
Author: Tamsen Parker
Relation to theme: Female MCs Blaze & Maisy
Representation: White, bisexual author, bisexual MCs
Content Warnings: controlling family, BDSM
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36471949-fire-on-the-ice
> What does “unlikeable” mean to you? How do we better define these “unlikeable” characters to avoid confusion? Which “unlikeable” MCs do you love? Tag us @RomBkPod or share with us in the comments
EP 125 MUSIC CREDIT
Music: “Lift Off” by Jahzzar
From the Free Music Archive
CC BY-SA 3.0
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