Ep #113

“HOME IS WHERE THE ANGST IS”

This week Ana hosts the podcast with guests Geri and Agata as they introduce our December theme: coming home & second chance romance

EP 113 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 113 GUESTS

> GERI (she/her) started reading romance at 12 years old when she found a trove of Harlequin Presents under her aunt’s bed and hasn’t looked back since! She loves her books sweet and sexy with a little bit of angst thrown in. Read Geri’s blog at www.gerireads.com, or you can follow Geri on Twitter @GeriReads and on Instagram @geri_reads

> AGATA (she/her) is a hippie at heart who found a home at the coast of the Baltic Sea. Queer romance novels are her cryptonite because she finds stories with happy endings soothing for her frazzled brain and healing for her heart. She can be found tweeting about romance novels and cute baby animals while eating obscene amounts of dark chocolate on Twitter at @Aqueda_Veronica


EP 113 DISCUSSION

> Title: Love Your Frenemies (Chic Manilla #4)
Author: Mina V. Esguerra
Relation to theme: MC comes home for a wedding, second chance
Representation: Filipina author, Filipino MCs
Content Warnings: unlikeable heroine redemption, past infidelity
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10535978-love-your-frenemies

> Geri also mentions My Imaginary Ex (Chic Manilla #1) by Mina V. Esguerra which is also a second chance romance mixed with the fake relationship trope
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6692512-my-imaginary-ex

> Title: Her Christmas Cookie (Welcome to Seaport #4)
Author: Katrina Jackson
Relation to theme: MCs visit family for the holidays
Representation: Black author, black MCs, latinx MC, polyamory
Content Warnings: mention of alcoholic parents and childhood neglect in the past
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43164569-her-christmas-cookie

> Title: Hate to Want You (Forbidden Hearts #1)
Author: Alisha Rai
Relation to theme: MC returns home, second chance
Representation: South Asian author, Japanese/White/Hawaiian MC
Content Warnings: grief, depression
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29422692-hate-to-want-you

> Title: Wrong to Need You (Forbidden Hearts #2)
Author: Alisha Rai
Relation to theme: MC returns home
Representation: South Asian author, South Asian Bi MC, Japanese/White/Hawaiian MC
Content Warnings: grief, ableism, depression, anxiety and panic attacks, references to suicide, past trauma, imprisonment
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34217566-wrong-to-need-you

> Title: Tikka Chance on Me
Author: Suleikha Snyder
Relation to theme: MCs return home for different reasons
Representation: South Asian author, South Asian MC
Content Warnings: motorcycle gang, off-page arms dealing, off-page violence
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48694922-tikka-chance-on-me

> Suleikha? Any chance we can get a paperback with the new cover?

> Title: Perfect Day (New Milton #1)
Author: Sally Malcolm
Relation to theme: MC returns home, second chance
Representation: Queer MCs
Content Warnings: homophobia from family members
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39777839-perfect-day

> Title: The Day of the Duchess (Scandal & Scoundrel #3)
Author: Sarah MacLean
Relation to theme: MC returns home, second chance
Representation: White author, white cis het MCs
Content Warnings: infidelity, miscarriage
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31307650-the-day-of-the-duchess

> Title: Gilded Cage (Lilywhite Boys #2)
Author: K.J. Charles
Relation to theme: Second chance
Representation: Bi heroine
Content Warnings: past mentions of miscarriage, parental neglect, thievery, murder, conspiracy
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46368222-gilded-cage
NOTE: Gilded Cage was also discussed in ep #112
Link: http://lustandfoundreads.com/rombkpod/ep-112/

> Title: It Takes Two to Tumble (Seducing the Sedgwicks #1)
Author: Cat Sebastian
Relation to theme: MC returns home from the Navy
Representation: Bi author, queer MCs
Content Warnings: grief, death of a spouse, death of a lover, dyslexia, rumored sexual assault 
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35230501-it-takes-two-to-tumble
NOTE: It Takes Two to Tumble was also discussed in ep #108
Link: http://lustandfoundreads.com/rombkpod/ep-108/

> Title: A Lady’s Desire (The Townsends #2.5)
Author: Lily Maxton
Relation to theme: Second chance
Representation: bi/lesbian MCs, white MCs
Content Warnings: death of a spouse
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42627239-a-lady-s-desire

> Title: Once Ghosted, Twice Shy (Reluctant Royals #2.5)
Author: Alyssa Cole
Relation to theme: Second chance
Representation: Black author, black Haitian MC, black African MC, bi/lesbian MCs 
Content Warnings: deportation threats
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42128976-once-ghosted-twice-shy
NOTE: Once Ghosted, Twice Shy was also discussed in ep #109
Link: http://lustandfoundreads.com/rombkpod/ep-109/

> Title: A Mistletoe Affair (The Wintersage Weddings #3)
Author: Farrah Rochon
Relation to theme: MC returns home as a single dad
Representation: Black author, black MCs, Kwanzaa
Content Warnings: divorce, evil ex, makeover
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22717749-a-mistletoe-affair

> Ana refers to the movie Sabrina (1954) which was originally a play adapted for the screen and directed by Billy Wilder and starring Audrey Hepburn
Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047437/
>> The film was remade in 1995 starring Harrison Ford and Julia Ormond
Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114319/

> Based in The Philippines, #RomanceClass is a dynamic community of romance authors and devotees who write, workshop, and self-publish English-language romance. Founded by the talented Mina V. Esguerra, you can follow their work on Twitter at #RomanceClass and on Instagram @RomanceClassBooks

> On our TBR right now:

>> Nicola Davidson’s A Very Surrey SFS Christmas reunites all the characters for an update and released on Nov 14th
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48550048-a-very-surrey-sfs-christmas

>> Nalini Singh’s Madness of Sunshine is contemporary romantic suspense and released on Dec 3rd
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43419669-a-madness-of-sunshine

>> Xan West’s Eight Kinky Nights is a F/F Chanukah romance novella due Dec 16th
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47494597-eight-kinky-nights

>> Kate Clayborn’s Love Lettering is due Dec 31st
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44792512-love-lettering

>> Farrah Rochon’s The Boyfriend Project isn’t due until mid-2020
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48342046-the-boyfriend-project


> Which #InclusiveRomance favorites of yours did we miss? Let us know on Twitter or Instagram @RomBkPod

Happy Reading!

EP 113 MUSIC CREDIT
Music: “Lift Off” by Jahzzar
From the Free Music Archive
CC BY-SA 3.0