Ep #226 – LUST & FOUND

“FRIEND-BUILDING”

This week Melinda hosts the podcast with guest host Melanie & special guest author Katrina Jackson as they continue our March theme: Platonic Friendship, and discuss how friendships are vital to world-building

EP 226 HOSTS

> MELINDA UTENDORF (she/her) was that child reading Baby-Sitters Club and Sweet Valley High books with a flashlight until 2 a.m. and checking out stacks of books from the library every week. After getting sick of ‘important’ books in her English degree classes, she turned to romance and HEAs and hasn’t looked back since. Melinda spends her time doing puzzles, listening to podcasts, and helping as admin for @RomanceSparksJoy. When she’s not busy with all of that, she’s a freelance editor or talking about books as @MelindaEdits

> MELANIE (she/her) A life-long bookworm, Melanie discovered her love of books with kissing at a pretty early age. Gilbert Blythe was her very first book boyfriend. Since then, she’s developed a love for contemporary, historical, and more recently, paranormal romances. Basically, if it involves humans or vampires or shape shifters or even aliens falling in love and living happily ever after, chances are high she’ll be interested in reading it. When she’s not immersed in a book, she can usually be found baking and hanging out with her husband and daughter. You can find Melanie’s reviews at SmexyBooks (https://smexybooks.com/) and you can follow Melanie on Twitter @Melon_Reads

EP 226 GUEST

> KATRINA JACKSON (she/her) Katrina Jackson is an overworked and perpetually tired professor who misses the sun and outside. She writes diverse erotica and erotic romance, with lots of queer people of color and recently a bunch of old Black women trying to set them up with people and one time a ghost. You can follow Katrina on Twitter @KatrinaJax and on Instagram @KatJacksonBooks

EP 226 DISCUSSION

> We love Kit Rocha and spoke to them about Found Family earlier this season in RBP #209

LISTEN NOW: http://lustandfoundreads.com/rombkpod/ep-209/

> Title: Every New Year (Love at Last #1)

Author: Katrina Jackson

Relation to theme: Group of friends over time

Representation: Black author; interracial m/f couple (Black woman, white man)

Content Warnings: parental illness (cancer)

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/lists/rombkpod-melinka-recs/

Kindle: https://amzn.to/3s9At8H

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48751344-every-new-year

> Title: Office Hours

Author: Katrina Jackson

Relation to theme: Supportive work friends

Representation: Black author; interracial m/f couple (Black woman, Latinx man)

Content Warnings: work burnout, toxic coworkers, systemic abuse

Bookshop: unavailable

Kindle: https://amzn.to/3uCHh00

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53186281-office-hours

> Title: The Spies Who Loved Me (The Spies Who Loved Her #1)

Author: Katrina Jackson

Relation to theme: Supportive friends

Representation: Black author; interracial, polyamorous f/f/m triad (Black woman, white woman, white man)

Content Warnings: bosses/employee relationship, murder, non-consensual surveillance, non-consensual kidnapping and bondage, interrogation, torture, dismemberment, consensual kink

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/lists/rombkpod-melinka-recs/

Kindle: https://amzn.to/3ta1Xfz

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40517558-pink-slip

> Title: So Sweet (Sugar Baby #1)

Author: Rebekah Weatherspoon

Relation to theme: Friendship breakup, supportive friend group

Representation: Black author; interracial m/f couple (Black woman, white man)

Content Warnings: sexual assault, toxic friend

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/lists/rombkpod-melinka-recs/

Kindle: https://amzn.to/3rSfqr3

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26209241-so-sweet

NOTE: This book was previously discussed on RBP #205 with Rebekah herself

LISTEN NOW: http://lustandfoundreads.com/rombkpod/ep-205/

> Katrina also loves the friendships in Rebekah’s Beards & Bondage series which is on the angistier end of the romance spectrum

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/series/203119-beards-bondage

> We love novellas! Never hesitate to rec a novella on RBP <3 <3 <3

> Title: A Tale of Two Cities Holiday collection

Author: Alexandra Warren

Relation to theme: Short stories featuring various groups of friends

Representation: Black author; Black m/f couples

Content Warnings: none identified

Bookshop: unavailable

Kindle: https://amzn.to/2OJTIbk

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44301706-a-tale-of-two-cities

> Katrina compares these Alexandra Warren novellas to the Before Sunrise film series starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112471/

> Oh no! Nicole Falls didn’t rec Alexandra Warren when she chatted with us in RBP #131

LISTEN NOW: http://lustandfoundreads.com/rombkpod/ep-131/

> Melinda mentions Necole Ryse and her Holiday Shorts series, and stay tuned because Necole is our guest next week!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43786058-chocolate-covered-murder

> Title: Meet Cute Club

Author: Jack Harbon

Relation to theme: Book club

Representation: Multiracial author; interracial m/m couple (Black man, white man)

Content Warnings (from reader Leigh Kramer): recent death of grandmother, grief, Rex’s father is a serial cheater, past homophobia, secondary character is on a diet, secondary character’s mother is in remission (does not say from what), reference to a fictional character who does coke and dies

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/lists/rombkpod-melinka-recs/

Kindle: https://amzn.to/3s5r95z

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51054227-meet-cute-club

> Title: Destiny’s Embrace (Destiny #1)

Author: Beverly Jenkins

Relation to theme: Sister-in-law friendship; supportive community

Representation: Black author; Black m/f couples

Content Warnings: parental neglect and abuse, attempted kidnapping

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/lists/rombkpod-melinka-recs/

Kindle: https://amzn.to/3wW9D7N

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18431604-destiny-s-embrace

NOTE: This series has been discussed multiple times including with Ms. Bev herself

LISTEN NOW: http://lustandfoundreads.com/rombkpod/bonus-ep-jenkinsjuly-ms-bev/

> Title: Go Deep (Unexpected Lovers #1)

Author: Rilzy Adams

Relation to theme: Best friends who hook up

Representation: Black author; Black m/f couple

Content Warnings: off page cheating by heroine’s former fiance

Bookshop: unavailable

Kindle: https://amzn.to/3d9pjMT

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54290559-go-deep

NOTE: This book was previously discussed in our 2020 Faves ep

LISTEN NOW: http://lustandfoundreads.com/rombkpod/best-of-2020/

> Title: Like Lovers Do (Girls Trip #2)

Author: Tracey Livesay

Relation to theme: Supportive friend group

Representation: Black author; interracial m/f couple (Black heroine, white hero)

Content Warnings: racism

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/lists/rombkpod-melinka-recs/

Kindle: https://amzn.to/2OGsBhl

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50309161-like-lovers-do

> Title: If She Says Yes

Author: Tasha L. Harrison

Relation to theme: Supportive friend group

Representation: Black author; interracial m/f couple (Black woman, Mexican-American man)

Content Warnings: ex husband was a serial cheater and fathered a son with his mistress, death of husband, past cancer, infertility, past pregnancy loss, classism

Bookshop: unavailable

Kindle: https://amzn.to/326c5dw

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56181324-if-she-says-yes

> Title: A Princess in Theory (Reluctant Royals #1)

Author: Alyssa Cole

Relation to theme: Supportive friend group

Representation: Black author; Black m/f couple

Content Warnings: past death of parents, foster care, abandonment, epidemic, poisoning, systemic racism in academia

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/lists/rombkpod-melinka-recs/

Kindle: https://amzn.to/3mDBeFO

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35271238-a-princess-in-theory

NOTE: This series has been discussed many times, including in RBP #225 with Alyssa herself

LISTEN NOW: http://lustandfoundreads.com/rombkpod/ep-225/

> Melinda mentions How to Catch a Queen by Alyssa Cole

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49436862-how-to-catch-a-queen

> Title: Honey Girl

Author: Morgan Rogers

Relation to theme: Multiple groups of friends

Representation: Black author; interracial f/f couple (Black woman, Asian woman)

Content Warnings: racism, sexism, parental pressure, parental death, parental abandonment, possibly alcoholism, PTSD, mental health (institutionalized, self harm from anxiety)

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/lists/rombkpod-melinka-recs/

Kindle: https://amzn.to/3t9lOvC

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49362138-honey-girl

NOTE: This book leans towards lesfic with romantic elements

> Title: The Love Study (Love Study #1)

Author: Kris Ripper

Relation to theme: Friend group

Representation: White author; genderqueer rep, non-binary rep

Content Warnings: body dysmorphia, anxiety, panic attacks

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/lists/rombkpod-melinka-recs/

Kindle: https://amzn.to/2OJTelw

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53710329-the-love-study