“BUDDY READING”
This week host Melinda continues our Found Family theme with special guest reader/reviewer Melanie and they share their own found family story
EP 206 HOST
> 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
EP 206 GUEST
> 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 shapeshifters 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 Love In Panels https://www.loveinpanels.com, and you can follow Melanie on Twitter @Melon_Reads
EP 206 DISCUSSION
PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
NOTE: These notes include affiliate links to Bookshop.org and Amazon.com to support the RBP transcript project
NOTE: This episode was recorded in mid-September during the coronavirus pandemic of 2020
> Meka was not able to join us this month, but she sends her love! Love you, Meka!
> When Melinda says “RomBkPod” at the beginning she means “RomBkLove” the hashtag started by our host Ana Coqui
> Melanie also mistakenly refers to “RomBkPod” when she means “RomBkLove”
> Do you have a favorite romance series that utilizes the found family trope?
> Title: Haven (Beards & Bondage #1)
Author: Rebekah Weatherspoon
Relation to theme: Found Family
Representation: Black, queer author, disabled rep, kink rep
Content Warnings: serial killer plot, references to sexual assault, descriptions of physical assault, murder of a loved one, detailed descriptions of running from danger and an MC killing someone in self defense, grief, both traumatic grief and grief that’s not connected to trauma is threaded throughout the story, brief mention of loved one dying of cancer in the past, brief mention of loved ones dying in a car accident in the past, kink shame
Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/lists/hosts-meka-melinda-s-recs/
Kindle: https://amzn.to/2SxZQl0
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34745311-haven
> Title: Sanctuary (Beards & Bondage #2)
Author: Rebekah Weatherspoon
Relation to theme: Found Family, fake relationship, small town
Representation: Black, queer author, Autism rep, diabled rep, kink rep
Content Warnings: story opens with female MC being attacked in her apartment during a break in, PTSD, male MC has toxic relationship with his sibling
Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/lists/hosts-meka-melinda-s-recs/
Kindle: https://amzn.to/3jGuHI3
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35209847-sanctuary
NOTE: This is the one with all the dogs
> Title: Harbor (Beards & Bondage #3)
Author: Rebekah Weatherspoon
Relation to theme: Found Family
Representation: Black, queer author, queer MCs, kink rep, polyamory
Content Warnings: grief, death of a partner, infidelity (past)
Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/lists/hosts-meka-melinda-s-recs/
Kindle: https://amzn.to/2Iq0EH1
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54305666-harbor
> Don’t miss Rebekah Weatherspoon discussing how her books are connected in RBP ep #205
Link: http://lustandfoundreads.com/rombkpod/ep-205/
> Title: Scoring With the Wrong Twin (WAGS #1)
Author: Naima Simone
Relation to theme: Found Family, mistaken identity, no strings attached
Representation: Black author, black MC
Content Warnings: mistaken identity
Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/lists/hosts-meka-melinda-s-recs/
Kindle: https://amzn.to/2Fn4LSY
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37460470-scoring-with-the-wrong-twin
> Title: Scoring Off the Field (WAGS #2)
Author: Naima Simone
Relation to theme: Found Family, secret pining, friends to lovers, friends with benefits
Representation: Black author, fat rep
Content Warnings: foster system, adoption
Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/lists/hosts-meka-melinda-s-recs/
Kindle: https://amzn.to/3dlH6Pg
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38657358-scoring-off-the-field
> Title: Scoring the Player’s Baby (WAGS #3)
Author: Naima Simone
Relation to theme: Found Family, one night only, surprise baby
Representation: Black author, biracial MC
Content Warnings: divorce, infidelity (past)
Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/lists/hosts-meka-melinda-s-recs/
Kindle: https://amzn.to/3nFOlXn
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40575166-scoring-the-player-s-baby
> What’s your favorite example of male friendship in romance?
> Title: The Boyfriend Project
Author: Farrah Rochon
Relation to theme: Found Family, girlfriends
Representation: Black author, Black MCs
Content Warnings: infidelity, racist microagressions
Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/lists/hosts-meka-melinda-s-recs/
Kindle: https://amzn.to/3iMRalG
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52776397-the-boyfriend-project
NOTE: This book reads more as women’s fiction with romantic elements
> Do you like to buddy read with a friend?
> Title: Can’t Help Falling (Forever Yours #2)
Author: Cara Bastone
Relation to theme: Found Family, opposites attract
Representation: White author, white MCs
Content Warnings: foster system, parental death (off-page), older sibling as guardian
Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/lists/hosts-meka-melinda-s-recs/
Kindle: https://amzn.to/3lFi9Bn
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53064694-can-t-help-falling
> Title: Cemetery Boys
Author: Aiden Thomas
Relation to theme: Found Family
Representation: Latinx, trans author, Latinx MC, trans MC
Content Warnings: magic, allusions to deadnaming, gender dysphoria, misgendering
Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/lists/hosts-meka-melinda-s-recs/
Kindle: https://amzn.to/3lGtykE
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52359739-cemetery-boys
> Melinda highly recommends the audiobook for Cemetery Boys narrated by Avi Roque
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52102525-cemetery-boys
> Title: Hot and Badgered (Honey Badger Chronicles #1)
Author: Shelly Laurenston
Relation to theme: Found Family
Representation: Black author
Content Warnings: depression, mental illness
Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/lists/hosts-meka-melinda-s-recs/
Kindle: https://amzn.to/3jVmJef
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35534548-hot-and-badgered
> General favorite found family shout outs to…
>> Nalini Singh’s Psy-Changeling and Guild Hunter series
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/series/41454-psy-changeling
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/series/47942-guild-hunter
>> Beverly Jenkins’ Blessings series
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/series/61529-blessings
> What are your #InclusiveRomance Found Family favorites? Tag us @RomBkPod or share with us in the comments
Happy Reading!
EP 206 MUSIC CREDIT
Music: “Lift Off” by Jahzzar
From the Free Music Archive
CC BY-SA 3.0
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