“META ROMANCE”
This week Melinda & Melanie host the podcast and continues our April tribute to Romance Friendly Librarians with special guest Jess Pryde and a focus on self-referential romance
EP 230 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 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 SmexyBooks (https://smexybooks.com/) and you can follow Melanie on Twitter @Melon_Reads
EP 230 GUEST
> JESS PRYDE (she/her) is a librarian for a public library system in Southern Arizona. She’s also a contributing editor for Book Riot, where she co-hosts the “When In Romance” podcast. Jess loves romance of all kinds, and can be found squeeing about her faves on twitter @JessIsReading and Instagram @Jess_Is_Reading
EP 230 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-March during the coronavirus pandemic of 2020-21
> Yes, that is one of Melinda’s dogs wagging their tail on the floor in the background
> Check out Jess’ podcast, When in Romance
Link: https://bookriot.com/listen/shows/when-in-romance/
> Are you familiar with your local library’s patron recommendation options?
> Title: Playing the Part
Author: Robin Covington
Relation to theme: Romance novelist MC, actor MC playing one of her characters
Representation: Indigenous author; interracial m/f couple (white female MC, biracial Male MC)
Content Warnings: TBD (need to revisit)
Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/lists/rombkpod-melinka-recs/
Kindle: https://amzn.to/2OXzKKk
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18300510-playing-the-part
> WHAT ARE THESE FEELINGS?
> Jess also recommends Robin’s new Redhawk Reunion series with Harlequin
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/series/290759-redhawk-reunion
> SNARK TO LOVERS <3 <3 <3
> Title: Meet Cute Club
Author: Jack Harbon
Relation to theme: Romance book club
Representation: Multiracial, queer author; interracial m/m couple (Black MC, white MC)
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: Just Like This (Albin Academy #2)
Author: Cole McCade
Relation to theme: romance reading MC
Representation: Multiracial, queer author; interracial m/m couple (MC with indigenous heritage)
Content Warnings: toxic family relationship; indication of illness or abuse (resolved)
Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/lists/rombkpod-melinka-recs/
Kindle: https://amzn.to/3soCrSy
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53443222-just-like-this
> Title: The Story Guy (Lakeside novellas)
Author: Mary Ann Rivers
Relation to theme: Librarian MC
Representation: white author, white m/f couple
Content Warnings: traumatic brain injury relating to car accident, grief, loneliness
Bookshop: unavailable
Kindle: https://amzn.to/3ahX90u
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18096568-the-story-guy
> Title: Take a Hint, Dani Brown (Brown Sisters #2)
Author: Talia Hibbert
Relation to theme: romance reading MC, romance-inspired gesture of love
Representation: Black, queer, neuro-divergent author; queer m/f couple (Black, bisexual, witch MC, Pakistani-British Muslim MC with anxiety)
Content Warnings: PTSD, grief, past death of parent, past death of sibling, anxiety, depression, evil ex
Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/lists/rombkpod-melinka-recs/
Kindle: https://amzn.to/3mwxCWl
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48568248-take-a-hint-dani-brown
> Title: Spoiler Alert
Author: Olivia Dade
Relation to theme: fanfic writing MC
Representation: white author; white m/f couple; fat rep
Content Warnings: fat shaming, anxiety, hero is dyslexic and shamed by his parents for his learning disability, toxic parental relationships, sexism and misogyny
Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/lists/rombkpod-melinka-recs/
Kindle: https://amzn.to/2Q7ceej
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53410266-spoiler-alert
> Title: Ever After Always (Bergman Brothers Book 3)
Author: Chloe Liese
Relation to theme: romance reading MC
Representation: white author; white m/f couple; anxiety rep
Content Warnings: anxiety, past food insecurity, past poverty
Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/lists/rombkpod-melinka-recs/
Kindle: https://amzn.to/2Q0di3M
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55929228-ever-after-always
> Title: Three Part Harmony (Plot Twist #2)
Author: Holley Trent
Relation to theme: MCs work in publishing
Representation: Black author; m/m/f triad
Content Warnings: toxic family
Bookshop: unavailable
Kindle: https://amzn.to/3doJG96
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44668988-three-part-harmony
> Title: Two Rogues Make a Right
Author: Cat Sebastian
Relation to theme: Seduction via books
Representation: white, queer author; white m/m couple; chronic illness rep
Content Warnings: PTSD, MC with drug addiction, MC with on-page illness
Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/lists/rombkpod-melinka-recs/
Kindle: https://amzn.to/3cAOENS
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52737554-two-rogues-make-a-right
> Who’s your favorite romance friendly librarian? What’s the best romance recommendation you received from a librarian? Let us know on Twitter or Instagram @RomBkPod
Happy Reading!
EP 230 MUSIC CREDIT
Music: “Lift Off” by Jahzzar
From the Free Music Archive
CC BY-SA 3.0
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