Contemporary

In this episode, we discuss The Break-Up Artist by Erin Clark and Laura Lovely. Narrated by Regan Linton
When life gets her down, Zelda applies her creative writing gifts to the composition of break-up e-mails for others using facts provided to her by the dumper. It's a stress reduction outlet she doesn’t question until one day she realizes that the recipient of one of her creations is someone she knows and likes. 
Newly single Jake recently received a message brutally canceling his previous relationship, a fact that Zelda soon discovers and finds deeply upsetting. Now, Zelda has a front row seat to the devastation she helped cause while falling for the same guy she’d mocked for being a loser. Unfortunately for her, karma wields a jackhammer when it becomes evident that Zelda’s secret identity will be revealed, one way or another. 
As Zelda’s choices come back to haunt her, what will happen to the blooming relationship she’s developing with Jake?
Content warning: Ableism, homophobia, transphobia, death of family members, grieving death of a parent.
Website: romanceMEpodcast.com | Coming next: Ask, Tell by E.J. Noyes

In this episode, we discuss Crushing on You by Jen Trinh.
When Anna sits next to Ian on the plane, she immediately decides she wants nothing to do with him, even after learning they are traveling to the same event. But, by the end of the weekend, Anna realizes that there may be more to him than she’d first suspected. He’s not the well-mannered stereotype she had thought him to be. Perhaps it’s even safe for her to open up to him about her own hardships. As they get to know each other, they share passions and sorrows, and eventually learn there is a validity to living life differently.
Content warning: Abusive parents, alcohol addiction, racism, death of family members
Website: romanceMEpodcast.com | Coming next: An Easter Demon for Eloise by Chloe Alice Balkin

In this episode, we discuss My Phony Valentine by Courtney Walsh.
In order to prove to her childhood bully that she isn’t a romantic late bloomer, Poppy claims a random man as her boyfriend without at first realizing that he was so hunky, or such a well-known hockey player. As luck would have it, said hockey player Dallas feels magnanimous towards a pretty stranger and plays along. 
Once they get to know each other and their respective situations better, they devise a mutually beneficial plan to enter into a fake relationship. But, once her business is no longer in the red and his reputation is no longer in a fiery dumpster, will they be brave enough to admit their real feelings?
Content warning: Character’s past includes neglectful abuse. Financially abusive ex. 
Website: romanceMEpodcast.com | Coming next: Crushing on You by Jen Trinh

In this episode, we discuss Homecoming King by Penny Reid.
Pro-football player Rex is always a boyfriend but never a husband, sending many of his exes into the arms of his teammates. Meanwhile, bartender and crafter Abby had a fairytale love story gone bad, convincing her to give up on love.
When Abby’s lifelong crush Rex walks into her bar, Abby is suddenly forced to reexamine her views on love. Rex has a proposal that will hopefully help both of them out and Abby agrees in spite of herself. 
As they spend more time with one another, will Rex take a chance and lower his grumpitudinous walls? Will Abby continue to assume her childhood crush is too good to be true?  And what does too good to be true really mean, anyway?
Content warning: Abusive and predatory ex, and stalking
Website: romanceMEpodcast.com | Coming next: Ambrosia by C.N. Crawford

In this episode, we discuss Role Playing by Cathy Yardley.
At age 48, Maggie has learned to embrace her inner bog witch, possibly to the point of being detrimental to her mental and emotional well being. Various people in her life are encouraging her to be more social and less of a hermit, but the one with the power to reach her is her son, Kit. Based on Kit’s quid pro quo logic, she finds herself joining a local online guild where she can obtain loot, talk shit, and potentially make friends, like with the guild leader Otter. 
Unbeknownst to Maggie, Otter, who’s real world name is Aiden, isn’t a 20-something being nice to some woman old enough to be his mother, but instead a 50 year old nurse taking care of his actual mother. Isolated from the very family he’s helping, Aiden struggles to assert himself and fight for the life he wants. 
When they finally meet in person, their friendship grows. Can Maggie the bog witch give Aiden the confidence he needs so that he can tell his family to find another scapegoat for the things they don’t like about their own lives? And, in return, can a playful otter really fall in love with a grumbly old bog witch?
Content warning: Queerphobia, racism, emotionally abusive exes
Website: romanceMEpodcast.com | Coming next: Frost by C.N. Crawford

In this episode, we discuss Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert.
After a brush with death, Chloe rearranges her priorities and writes a list that will ensure she’ll be remembered well once she dies. Chloe is now determined to live her life to the fullest, despite living with the chronic pain of fibromyalgia. To complete the items on her list, she enlists the help of a man who doesn’t like her so she can successfully become all the Chloe she can be.
Always looking to play the knight in shiny armor, Red is a happy-go-lucky artist unless he is reminded of his painful romantic past, involving an upper class woman who, unfortunately, reminds him of Chloe. Despite this, he agrees to assist with getting Chloe a life in exchange for her professional website building expertise.
As Chloe and Red become friends, and maybe more, can they trust each other’s intentions once Chloe finally has achieved a life?
Content warning: An emotionally and physically abusive ex and living with chronic pain.  
Website: romanceMEpodcast.com | Coming next: Role Playing by Cathy Yardley

In this episode, we discuss Depraved by A.J. Merlin.
Having lived through a formative, terrifying experience when she was young, Sloane works and lives at a camp nestled into a residential area. Virgil is a serial killer just trying to get away from it all and take a little mini-vacay. Sloane finds him intriguing with his snake tattoo, charming looks, and easy way with her guard dog. But, once she finds out that he spends his leisure time un-aliving people, can she ever feel her heart is safe with him?
Content warning: Minimal animal cruelty, kidnapping, panic attacks/anxiety/PTSD, trauma survivorship. Dark romance including stalking, knife play, light strangling, primal play, light BDSM, consensual non-consent, and dubious consent.
Website: romanceMEpodcast.com | Coming next: Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

In this episode, we discuss Enemy Lines by Alex Lidell.
Kyan is determined to rescue everyone he can to make up for the one person he didn’t save. This includes his doctor Ivy, who moved to Denton Valley to escape the danger threatening her life. For mutual benefit, they make an arrangement: He will help her learn to function under constant pressure and she will help him get his medical clearance renewed. But, when Ivy backs out of their deal, will Kyan be able to forgive her and finally work to save himself?
Content warning: Trauma survivorship, unhealthy couple dynamics, emotional manipulation/abuse, physical altercation between the couple, indentured servitude
Website: romanceMEpodcast.com | Coming Next: Never Seduce a Scot by Maya Banks

In this episode, we discuss Beard in Mind by Penny Reid.
Beau has a vision of his future, and that vision does not include Shelly, the infuriating, rude mechanic his brothers hired to ensure their family business doesn’t turn into a parking lot. As he grapples with the complexity of Shelly’s prickly exterior, he realizes that there is more to the woman than he first assumed. When a family secret comes to light, will Mr. Fix-It Beau allow Shelly to provide him with the emotional support that he didn’t even realize he needed?
Content warning: OCD as a major theme, self harm
Website: romanceMEpodcast.com

In this episode, we discuss Happy Place by Emily Henry.
Although Harriet and Wyn know they have been broken up for five months, no one else does. When they are summoned to Maine for their annual Summer meetup with their besties, they don’t want to let said besties know that there is trouble in paradise. In fact, paradise is lost, possibly for good. 
So, to keep the peace for one final summer hang, they agree to remain fake-engaged before going back to their separate, uncoupled lives. But, as the forced proximity with Wyn causes Harriet to relive their greatest hits, she begins to wonder if her Happy Place is actually a place at all.
Website: romanceMEpodcast.com | Twitter: @romanceMEcast | Facebook: @romanceMEpod

In this episode, we discuss By the Book by Jasmine Guillory.
Isabelle works in publishing, helping to encourage authors to bring their stories to life. While she enjoys her work, she is feeling underappreciated by her boss. She wishes she could grow her career and she doesn’t really want to be a babysitter for a beastly writer who isn’t writing.
Beau, the grumpy pants author, has writer’s block and the bad attitude that often accompanies it. He is clearly not prepared for Izzy to intrude upon his domain, armed with tips, tricks, and a spine of steel. Izzy confronts Beau, his bullshit, his writer’s block, and his personal baggage. Izzy is clearly good for Beau, but is Beau good for Izzy?
Website: romanceMEpodcast.com | Twitter: @romanceMEcast | Facebook: @romanceMEpod

In this episode, we discuss Husband Material by Alexis Hall.
Four weddings, one funeral, but no Andi Macdowell in this romantic comedy. Instead, we are reacquainted with Luc and Oliver! They fell in love with each other in Boyfriend Material and now, two years later, they are still in love, watching those around them do the next socially expected thing: aka get married. As Luc and Oliver work out what they want in their ceremony, and struggle to compromise, they learn whether they are forever-level compatible.
Content warning: Homophobia, abusive parents.
Website: romanceMEpodcast.com | Twitter: @romanceMEcast | Facebook: @romanceMEpod

In this episode, we discuss Shame On You by Tara Sivec.
Army veteran Kennedy is struggling with her new normal: civilian life, single parenthood, and new business ownership. In the course of her duties as a bounty hunter, she joins forces with Griffin, a former friend who kept her husband's infidelity a secret while she was serving her country in Afghanistan. While on the hunt for the bail jumper, can Kennedy discover who the actual bad guy is? And, can she learn compassion for the men who've wronged her? 
Content warning: In this world, casual misogyny, man-hating, gun violence, and familial abuse are funny.
Website: romanceMEpodcast.com | Twitter: @romanceMEcast | Facebook: @romanceMEpod

In this episode, we discuss The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas.
New romance writer Rosie moves into her bestie’s empty apartment to avoid being crushed to death by the bathroom ceiling in her own apartment. Bestie is on her honeymoon, so Rosie can’t ask her for permission, but assumes it’s fine. While there, she meets bestie’s cute older cousin Lucus, who she’s had an online crush on for months. Unlike her, he is supposed to be there. 
Since neither Rosie nor Lucas want the other to be out of a place to stay, they agree to cohabitate as roommates until Rosie’s apartment is fixed. It is under this not-crumbling roof that they devise a plan to help Rosie out of her romance writer’s block by engaging in dating experiments. When it works to inspire her, she and Lucus are left wondering if they can truly believe in the results.
Website: romanceMEpodcast.com | Twitter: @romanceMEcast | Facebook: @romanceMEpod
Check out Em's recommendation for this episode: Moment of Truth by PBS NewsHour.

In this episode, we discuss Book Lovers by Emily Henry.
Nora Stephens is not a small town girl. Nora Stephens is the city girl who gets dumped by boyfriends for the small town girl. As a last hoorah before her sister gives birth, Nora and her sister Libby go to Sunshine Falls, NC, so they can have a vacation from city life… a life Nora loves. 
But, what’s a vacay without a checklist? Not one Nora and Libby want to be on, so they devise a list of Small Town Must Dos to keep themselves occupied – one of which is for Nora to date a small town guy. Nora goes along with this despite the fact that she’s developing feelings for a not-so-small town guy who doesn’t count as far as her sister is concerned.
Website: romanceMEpodcast.com | Twitter: @romanceMEcast | Facebook: @romanceMEpod

In this episode, we discuss A Ticking Time Boss by Olivia Hayle.
Perhaps you’ve heard this before: a journalist and a billionaire walk into a bar and become texting buddies. 
The journalist, Audrey Ford, is having a panic attack because blind dates are stressful, and the billionaire, Carter Kingsley, is just the sort of guy who can help out with a joke or two. They bond, exchange phone numbers, and stay connected. 
Later, Audrey meets Carter face to face once again when she goes to interview her new boss, who turns out to be Carter. Awkward. As they try to figure out who they are to one another and whether they can even still be friends, Audrey and Carter might just discover a truth they didn’t see coming.
Website: romanceMEpodcast.com | Twitter: @romanceMEcast

In this episode, we discuss There’s Something about Merry by Codi Hall.
When her life implodes after yet another terrible ex, Merry Winters moves back home to Mistletoe, Idaho to be where she feels rooted. Single dad Clark Griffin is now working on the Christmas Tree farm owned by Merry’s parents. When the position on the farm Merry wants is given to Clark, a tension develops, causing isolationist Clark to actively avoid the boss's daughter.
Longing for an adult connection, Clark signs up on an online dating site where he meets KnottyGirl. As he juggles his feelings for Merry and KnottyGirl, Clark wonders if there just isn’t something about Merry.
Content warning: Animal abuse (but they are still okay, guys) and characters with history of childhood abuse.
Website: romanceMEpodcast.com | Twitter: @romanceMEcast

In this episode, we discuss The Lucky Heart by Devney Perry.
Felicity returns home after a long absence to reconnect with her family. To make her home in Prescott once again, she must confront the person she used to be and prove to those who knew her, and to herself, that she isn’t that girl anymore. 
One of the people she assumes will need a lot of convincing is Silas, a former friend and infrequent friend with benefits. Both Felicity and Silas will need to reconcile their past feelings before they can begin their future.
Content warning: Domestic abuse, drug abuse, violence against women.
Website: romanceMEpodcast.com | Twitter: @romanceMEcast

In this episode, we discuss Ten Trends to Seduce Your Bestfriend by Penny Reid.
For the last six years, Winnifred and Byron have maintained distance while orbiting in the same social group. When a mutual friend backs out of a plan to boost Winnie’s online following, Byron offers to be the best friend/secret crush in her Challenge videos. 
Winnie and Byron now need to navigate through their respective comfort zones as they negotiate the boundaries of becoming friends to maybe more than friends. Will they be able to open up and trust each other with their squishy bits?
Content warning: Childhood trauma, abuse survivorship
Website: romanceMEpodcast.com | Twitter: @romanceMEcast

In this episode, we discuss Issued to the Bride One Marine by Cora Seton.
Two Willows rancher Lena Reed has worked on the family ranch her whole life in spite of her father, the General’s, frequent attempts to dictate how business will be conducted. In order to control and protect Lena and her sisters, the General has been sending cherry-picked servicemen to be their husbands. 
Lena’s would-be suitor Marine Logan Hughes is trying to avoid imprisonment after a botched knight in shining armor moment by marrying Lena, the daughter assigned to him. Fourth in line to get hitched, Lena is unwilling to kowtow to the General’s demands and marry her pre-approved husband. 
Now it’s up to Logan to convince Lena that he’s her man and not her father’s minion.
Content warning: Abusive ex, main character has panic attack,  heroine assaults hero multiple times, mentions of drug trade
Website: romanceMEpodcast.com | Twitter: @romanceMEcast

In this episode, we discuss Elijah: an Amish Story of Crime and Romance by Sylvia Price.
In Lincoln, Nebraska, Elijah Troyer is a young man on Rumspringa, the Amish rite of passage where young members of the community are given the freedom to choose if they wish to remain in the Amish community or live outside of it. While out on the town, he comes to the aid of Eve Campbell, a young woman in mortal distress. When push comes to shove, he soon realizes that the only thing he can't live without is Eve.
Content warning: Abusive ex-boyfriend, human trafficking
Website: romanceMEpodcast.com | Twitter: @romanceMEcast

In this episode, we discuss Roommaid by Sariah Wilson.
Maddison is cut off from family assistance at age 23, in a lot of debt, and doesn’t have much of a teacher’s salary to live on. Needing a place to live where cockroaches don’t also call it home, she agrees to live rent free in a really nice place in exchange for doing some light housekeeping and pet sitting.
This apartment comes with a wealthy hunk who isn’t looking for romance in a roommate after being stalked by the previous woman he roomed with. It all seems almost too good to be true, doesn’t it?
Website: romanceMEpodcast.com | Twitter: @romanceMEcast

In this episode, we discuss One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston.
While trying to distance herself from her mother’s pursuit of her missing uncle, August Landry moves to New York City to pursue higher education and higher rent. While boarding the subway, she meets the leather-jacket-wearing-cool-girl Jane Su, who saves her from coffee-shirt humiliation with a red scarf. August soon realizes there is more to the mysterious Jane than she first suspected, and she is forced to admit she wants to investigate Jane's past in order to save her dream girl.
Content warnings: Homophobia.
Website: romanceMEpodcast.com | Twitter: @romanceMEcast 

In this episode, we discuss Beach Read by Emily Henry.
January Andrews inherited a beach house and drama when her father passed away. She moves in to save money and figure out how to write a happily-ever-after while feeling beaten down by her crumbling fairy-tale life. Proving that misery did not like or want company, a loud party next door brought her face-to-face with college crush and now famous literary author Augustus Everett.
In an act of creative desperation and mutual attraction, they agree to each try writing in the other’s style, giving a shine to the shady pages and vice versa. But, creative excavation is dirty work and soon both of them have uncovered more than they bargained for. 
Content warning: Mentions of past child abuse and suicide cults.
Website: romanceMEpodcast.com | Twitter: @romanceMEcast