Ep #215 – LUST & FOUND

“FOOD & FRIENDS”

This week host Danielle continues the Food in Romance theme with special guest reader/reviewer Kini, plus Kini reveals details of her new project

EP 215 HOST

> DANIELLE (she/her) is the voice behind LoveReadListen.com where she writes about her adventures in reading romance, YA, and audiobooks. Danie has a passion for promoting Black Romance and can’t wait to share her favorites with you. When she’s not reading, Danie enjoys anime, cartoons, and hip-hop. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @DanieReads

EP 215 GUEST

> KINI ALLEN (she/her) is a lifelong reader who has always enjoyed getting lost in books. She started reading romance about ten years ago and discovered the joy of a HEA and hasn’t looked back since. Kini is a knitter and is ruled by her cat, Kitty Scarlett O’Haira. She’s a fierce advocate for the romance genre and active participant of romance Twitter. Previously, she wrote reviews for and co-operated Smexybooks.com. Look for Kini on her upcoming site, AllMyBookishFriends.com. You can follow Kini on Twitter @kinilei1 and on Instagram @1kinilei

EP 215 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 late November during the coronavirus pandemic of 2020

> Title: North to You

Author: Tif Marcelo

Relation to theme: Food truck owner

Representation: Filipino-American author, Filipino MC

Content Warnings: death of parents (past), older sibling raising younger sibling, lie of omission

Bookshop: unavailable

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

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33835789-north-to-you

> Kini mentions the romance Paradise Cove by Jenny Holiday for its use of food as a love language

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50664835-paradise-cove

NOTE: This romance contains heavy themes including death of a child and cancer, please seek out full content warnings before reading

> Title: The Marriage Game

Author: Sara Desai

Relation to theme: Family restaurant

Representation: South Asian author, South Asian MCs

Content Warnings: parent suffers heart attack, parent arranges dates without MC’s consent

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/lists/host-danielle-s-recs/

Kindle: https://amzn.to/34IMYPI

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48717194-the-marriage-game

> Sara Desai’s next book, The Dating Plan, is due in March 2021

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54821393-the-dating-plan

> Title: A Taste of Sage

Author: Yaffa S. Santos

Relation to theme: Chef MC

Representation: Dominican-American author, Dominican-American MC, white MC

Content Warnings: toxic workplace, kitchen accident, dubcon

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/lists/host-danielle-s-recs/

Kindle: https://amzn.to/2Kps1T3

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50512447-a-taste-of-sage

NOTE: Danie loves how this book includes recipes

> Title: As Good As the First Time (Sugar Lake #1)

Author: K.M. Jackson

Relation to theme: Family bakery

Representation: Black author, Black MCs

Content Warnings: career stress, sick family member, single parent

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/lists/host-danielle-s-recs/

Kindle: https://amzn.to/3ap8KLU

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38363598-as-good-as-the-first-time

NOTE: This book also includes recipes, plus this book was also recommended in RBP #214

LISTEN NOW: http://lustandfoundreads.com/rombkpod/ep-214/

> Title: Sugar, Butter, Flour, Love: A Novella

Author: Nicole Falls

Relation to theme: Baker MC, baking competition

Representation: Black author, Black MCs

Content Warnings: sexual harassment at a club, reference to a minor character’s past cocaine use, non-Native use of “powwow”

Bookshop: unavailable

Kindle: https://amzn.to/2M67R0O

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42956300-sugar-butter-flour-love

> Title: The Worst Best Man

Author: Mia Sosa

Relation to theme: Wedding planner MC, family bakery

Representation: Afro-Latinx author, Brazilian-American MC, white MC

Content Warnings: broken engagement, parental abandonment

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/lists/host-danielle-s-recs/

Kindle: https://amzn.to/2KCF8jD

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45714292-the-worst-best-man

NOTE: This book was also recommended in RBP #213 and RBP host Ana beta read this book

LISTEN NOW: http://lustandfoundreads.com/rombkpod/ep-213/

> Danie and Kini also recommend Acting on Impulse from Mia Sosa’s Love on Cue series which involves a family Puerto Rican restaurant and has been recommended on RBP multiple times

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/lists/host-danielle-s-recs/

Kindle: https://amzn.to/2WIV7iG

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35442397-acting-on-impulse

> Danie and Kini mention following different romance authors on social media and being exposed to their food culture including Mia Sosa, Sara Desai, Tif Marcelo, and Sajni Patel who wrote The Trouble With Hating You

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51520901-the-trouble-with-hating-you

NOTE: This romance contains heavy themes including sexual and emotional abuse and slut shaming, please seek out full content warnings before reading

> Title: Tweet Cute

Author: Emma Lord

Relation to theme: Family deli, family fast-food chain

Representation: White, cishet author, white, cishet MCs

Content Warnings: none identified

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/lists/host-danielle-s-recs/

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

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53081837-tweet-cute

NOTE: This is a YA novel with romantic elements

> Title: Little Dark Desire (Big City, Small World, #2)