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Dark romance, romantasy, and spicy reads - served with chaos, warmth, and absolutely zero filter. The Spicy Librarian Podcast is the dark romance and romantasy podcast for readers who love yapping about books just as much as reading them. Every Thursday, D and Katie bring you honest, unhinged, and genuinely obsessive conversations about the romance books everyone is talking about, the indie titles you need to add to your TBR immediately, and the ones that kept them up until 3am. From morally grey love interests to enemies-to-lovers slow burns, from sapphic romance to why choose - if it's spicy, if it's dark, if it has made at least one of them feral, it's on the pod. Plus, as the team behind Europe's biggest independent romance bookshop, D and Katie bring a perspective on the romance community that goes far deeper than just the books. Expect book club deep dives, author interviews with some of the biggest and most exciting names in dark romance and romantasy, unhinged games, hot takes, and the kind of honest book chat you only get from your most chaotic, well-read book besties. New episodes every Thursday. Subscribe so you never miss a drop. Perfect for fans of: dark romance, romantasy, spicy books, BookTok, book club, enemies to lovers, why choose romance, indie romance authors, morally grey, slow burn, spicy romance podcast The Spicy Librarian Podcast - part of the Voices & Visuals network.
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Dark romance and romantasy podcast The Spicy Librarian is back — and this week Dee and Katie are being dropped into their favourite books, whether they like it or not. Would you rather learn magic or warfare? Lead armies or strategies? Forced proximity or enemies to lovers? They don't have to agree. They do have to justify. This week on The Spicy Librarian Podcast, we are asking the questions that actually matter. Katie and Dee are being dropped headfirst into the worlds of their favourite dark romance and romantasy books — and they have to choose. High-stakes wars or slow-burn romance? Intense physical challenges or forbidden magic systems? Lead the army or mastermind the strategy from the shadows? Face your enemies-to-lovers moment or suffer through forced proximity until someone breaks first? Every answer has to be justified. Every disagreement has to be defended. And there are a lot of disagreements. This is the episode for every reader who has ever finished a book and immediately thought — I know exactly what I would do in that situation. You probably wouldn't. Neither would we. But we had a very good time pretending. Books Mentioned- Games God’s Play- Abigail Owens (Romantasy, Greeks Mythology) Fourth Wing- Rebecca Yarros (Romantasy, Enemies to Lovers) A Court of Mist and Fury - S. J Maas (Romantasy) A Court of Silver Flame- S. J. Maas (Romantasy, Enemies to Lovers) A House of Earth and Blood- S. J. Maas (Urban Romantasy) Kingdom of Ash- S J Maas ( Fantasy) Quicksilver/ Brimstone- Callie Hart (Romantasy, Enemies to Lovers) Auction- Sadie Kincaid (Dark Romance) Lights Out- Navessa Allen (Dark Romance) Under Yours Scars- Ariel Anderson (Dark Romance, Indie) Haunting Adeline- H D Carlton (Dark Romance) A Touch of Darkness- Scarlet St. Clair (Romantasy, Greek Retelling) Nightshade/ Daybreak- Autumn Woods (Dark Academia) Starside- Alex Aster (Romantasy) Dire Bound- Sable Sorenson (Romantasy) Heated Rivalry- Rachel Reid (Sports Romance, Queer) Powerless - Elsie Silver (Sports Romance) The Dorians- Nick Cutter (Horror) Incidents Around The House- Josh Malerman (Horror) Little Stranger- Leigh Rivers (Dark Romance, Taboo) White Rose Painted Red- Elena Lawson (Dark Romance, Why Choose, Indie) Daggermouth- H M Wolfe (Dystopian Romance) To Cage A Wild Bird- Brooke Fast (Dystopian Romance) Timestamps- 00:00 Intro and meeting Yob the Bear 5:09 - Would You Rather 32:39- Continued Chaos 38:39- Katie’s Driving History 40:05- Back to Would You Rather 1:07- Goodbye and See you Next week xo If you loved this episode follow the podcast so you never miss a drop, leave us a review — it genuinely means the world — and head to our website or Instagram to send in your own would you rather questions for a future episode. We'll see you next Thursday. 🖤
Dark romance and romantasy podcast The Spicy Librarian is back with the August reading roundup — summer is over, the ber months are here, and we read an unreasonable amount of books. We're debriefing our summer reads, defending our choices, and getting very hyped for the MaasVerse deep dive coming in September ahead of a vey exciting release… Summer is drawing to a close, holidays have been had, and we are ready to welcome the ber months with open arms and a very long reading list. This week on The Spicy Librarian Podcast we are debriefing everything we read over August, looking ahead to our MaasVerse deep dive, and already getting hyped for all things autumnal. Katie opens with a passionate defence of Nightshade & Daybreak by Autumn Woods — a dark academia slow burn that divided the room and we are still not over it. Then we get into the full August roundup covering dark romance, contemporary, thriller, romantasy and everything in between — from Grave Matter by Karina Halle and Body Count by Codie Crowley to Twisted Hate by Ana Huang, Dominion by Jean Kwok, and Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman. Then we turn our attention to September — a deep dive into the MaasVerse is coming, and we cannot wait. We're also discussing the August book club picks across dark romance, romantasy and contemporary, and dropping the September book club lineup, so stay tuned! Timestamps 06:08 — Nightshade & Daybreak: Katie's Defence 11:26 — Welcome to the Ber Months 16:29 — August Reading Roundup 35:12 — September TBR & The MaasVerse Deep Dive 47:24 — August Book Club: The Voice, Dominion & How to Kidnap a Fake Date 50:32 — September Book Club: A Bargain So Bloody, Friends with Monsters & Just Another Dead Boy Books Discussed: Nightshade & Daybreak — Autumn Woods (dark academia, slow burn) Grave Matter — Karina Halle (dark romance, paranormal) Us Dark Few & Us Deadly Few — Alexis Patton (dark romance) Twisted Hate — Ana Huang (enemies to lovers, contemporary romance) To Cage a Wild Bird — Brooke Fast (dystopian, romantasy) Dominion — Jean Kwok (romantasy) Just Another Dead Boy — Kelly McCaughrain (contemporary) The Only One Left — Riley Sager (thriller) How to Kidnap a Fake Date — Effie Campbell (dark romance, fake dating) Broken Country — Clare Leslie Hall (literary fiction) The Ghost Writer — Julie Clark (thriller) The Chain — Adrian McKinty (thriller) Thirst Trap — Gráinne O'Hare (contemporary romance, queer) So I Met This Guy — Alexandra Potter (contemporary romance) The Lure of Wolves and Whispers — Amanda Connolly (romantasy) Slip Stream — Madge Maril (sports, contemporary) First Flight Final Fall — C.W. Farnsworth (contemporary romance, sports romance) Body Count — Codie Crowley (horror, queer) Here Lies a Vengeful Bitch — Codie Crowley (horror) Friends with Monsters — Albany Walker (dark romance) Tide — Carian Cole (dark romance) Daddy Issues — Kate Goldbeck (contemporary romance) You Girls Play Nice — K.D. Aldyn (thriller) Dungeon Crawler Carl 1, 2 & 3 — Matt Dinniman (fantasy, LitRPG) Yesteryear — Caro Claire Burke (literary fiction) Around the World in 80 Dates — Jasmine Burke (contemporary) The Voice — Maggie Ray Jones (contemporary romance) August Book Club: The Voice — Maggie Ray Jones (contemporary romance) Dominion — Jean Kwok (romantasy) How to Kidnap a Fake Date — Effie Campbell (dark romance, comedy) September Book Club: A Bargain So Bloody — Vasilisa Drake (dark romantasy) Friends with Monsters — Albany Walker (dark romance, paranormal) Just Another Dead Boy — Kelly McCaughrain (contemporary) If you loved this episode follow the podcast so you never miss a drop, leave us a review — it genuinely means the world — and head to our website or Instagram for more details on everything we have coming up including the MaasVerse deep dive. We'll see you next Thursday. 🖤
Dark romance and romantasy podcast, The Spicy Librarian is back — and this week we are confessing our deepest, darkest reading secrets, exposing the community, and serving as judge, jury and executioner on your most controversial bookish takes. Court is in session. We have things to confess. You have things to confess. And somebody has to hold us all accountable — so this week on The Spicy Librarian Podcast we are doing exactly that. In the confessional, we get into our own deep dark reading secrets. The books we pretended to love, the ones we secretly hated, the ones we read in one sitting and told nobody about. The bookish habits we own, the ones we're ashamed of and the ones we just can't quit. We're covering Spark of the Everflame by Penn Cole, Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, The Never List by Jade Presley, Black Rose by Jade Presley and Elena Lawson, Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, and Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman and some of what comes out of this confessional are wild and shocking. Even to us. Then the community goes on trial and *we* go on trial. You submitted your most controversial bookish confessions and Katie and Dee are ruling as judge, jury and executioner on every single one. No one is safe. We are not sorry. Timestamps 1:29 - Confession Opens 26:57 - We offer you our confessions 36:52 - Questions from the community Books Mentioned Spark of the Everflame — Penn Cole (romantasy, slow burn) Fourth Wing — Rebecca Yarros (romantasy, enemies to lovers) The Never List — Jade Presley (dark romance) Black Heart Painted Gold — Elena Lawson (dark romance, indie, why chose) Song of Achilles — Madeline Miller (historical fiction, MM romance, greek retelling) Noughts and Crosses — Malorie Blackman (YA, dystopian) Daggermouth — H.D. Wolfe (dark romance) ACOTAR — Sarah J. Maas (romantasy, fae romance) If you loved this episode follow the podcast so you never miss a drop, leave us a review — it genuinely means the world — and head to our website or Instagram to submit your own confessions for a future episode. We'll see you next Thursday. 🖤
Dark romance, romantasy and everything in between. The Spicy Librarian Podcast is back with a post-holiday reading debrief nobody asked for and every book adaptation we are all having big feelings about. Dee and Katie read an unreasonable amount of books. We are not sorry. We planned an episode. We did not do that episode. What we did instead was sit down, debrief everything we read over the summer, and spiral into a very passionate conversation about the book adaptations that need to happen immediately and the ones that are already in the works. Katie brings us dark romance, contemporary and romantasy reads including Grave Matter by Karina Halle, Nightshade & Daybreak by Autumn Woods, and Twisted Hate by Ana Huang — enemies to lovers, slow burn, and a slow creeping dread that we absolutely did not see coming. Dee went everywhere — from dark romance to fantasy to literary fiction — covering Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman, Body Count by Codie Crowley, First Flight Final Fall by C.W. Farnsworth, and Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke among many others. Then, we get into adaptations — Haunting Adeline and Hunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton, the MindFck Series* by S.T. Abby, Verity by Colleen Hoover, Boys of Tommen by Chloe Walsh and Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman. Which ones are happening, which ones need to happen, and which ones we would personally executive produce given half a chance. Timestamps: 03:12 — Katie's Post Holiday Reading Debrief 13:40 — Dee's Post Holiday Reading DeeBrief 40:30 — Book Adaptations In The Works... Books Discussed: Katie's Reads: Grave Matter — Karina Halle (dark romance, paranormal) Nightshade & Daybreak — Autumn Woods (dark academia, slow burn) RoofBoy — Jess Blatchley (contemporary) The Mad Wife — Megan Church (dark fiction) Twisted Hate — Ana Huang (enemies to lovers, contemporary romance) Dee's Reads: Dungeon Crawler Carl — Matt Dinniman (fantasy, LitRPG) You Girls Play Nice — K.D. Aldyn Tied — Carian Cole (dark romance) To Cage a Wild Bird — Brooke Fast (romantasy) First Flight Final Fall — C.W. Farnsworth (contemporary romance, sports romance) A Bargain So Bloody — Vasilisa Drake (dark romance) Slip Stream — Madge Maril (indie contemporary) Body Count — Codie Crowley (dark romance) The Lure of Wolves and Whispers — Amanda Connolly (romantasy) The Ghost Writer — Julie Clark (thriller) Us Dark Few & Us Deadly Few — Alexis Patten (dark romance) So I Met This Guy — Alexandra Potter (contemporary romance) Just Another Dead Boy — Kelly McCaughrain (contemporary) Thirst Trap — Gráinne O'Hare (contemporary romance) Yesteryear — Caro Claire Burke (literary fiction) Around the World in 80 Dates — Jasmine Burke (contemporary) Adaptations Discussed: Haunting Adeline & Hunting Adeline — H.D. Carlton (dark romance) MindF*ck Series — S.T. Abby (dark romance, psychological thriller) Yesteryear — Caro Claire Burke (literary fiction) Never Let Me Go — Kazuo Ishiguro (literary fiction) Boys of Tommen — Chloe Walsh (contemporary romance) Verity — Colleen Hoover (dark romance, thriller) Incidents Around the House — Josh Malerman (horror) If you loved this episode follow the podcast so you never miss a drop, leave us a review — it genuinely means the world — and head to our website or Instagram for more details on everything we have coming up. We'll see you next Thursday. 🖤
This week on The Spicy Librarian Podcast, Katie and Dee were forced to played bookish 20 questions. Post it notes on foreheads, sunglasses on, eyebrows firmly raised, and this is genuinely the closest we have ever come to a full falling out. You are welcome. *If you want to play along, listen on audio, or for spoilers, head to the YouTube!* We want to be clear. We are fine. We are friends. But this episode tested us in ways we did not anticipate and we are still processing. Bookish 20 questions. Where you wear the book on your head and ask yes or no questions until you figure it out, sounds innocent, sounds simple, sounds easy. It is not. Not when the books are Penpal by J.T. Geissinger, Credence by Penelope Douglas, The Wolf King by Lauren Palphreyman, Hooked by Emily McIntire, One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig, and No for an Answer by C.J. Riggs. Not with these two. Not today. Three rounds. Multiple near misses. One almost-falling-out. Post it notes, sunglasses, and more raised eyebrows than we promised. This is the most chaotic episode we have made and we stand by every second of it. Timestamps: 00:00 — Introduction & Rules 2:02 — Round One 17:50— Round Two 36:10— Round Three 43:54 — Catch Up & Debrief If you loved this episode follow the podcast so you never miss a drop, leave us a review -- it genuinely means the world -- and head to our website or Instagram for more details on everything we have coming up. We'll see you next Thursday. 🖤
The July reading roundup and book club is here! Between Dee and Katie, they've read what feels like half the internet this month. Dark romance, romantasy, contemporary, and everything in between. Buckle up, your TBR is about to suffer beautifully. July was a big reading month. Katie and Dee take you through everything they've read this month — from indie darlings to highly anticipated sequels, spicy contemporaries to romantasy worlds we do not want to leave — before we get into the book club picks that had us absolutely feral. This month's book club brought us Crown Me Dead / Crown Me Yours by Liv Zander for dark romance, Daughter of No Worlds by Carissa Broadbent for romantasy, and Archer's Voice by Mia Sheridan for contemporary — and we had a lot of big feelings about all three, a lot. We've also got news and updates dropping, so stay tuned for that, and a sneak peek at what we have coming in August including Dominion by Jean Kwok, How to Kidnap a Fake Date by Effie Campbell, and The Voice by Maggie Ray Jones. Timestamps: 00:09 — Katie's July Reading Roundup 05:46 — Dee's July Reading Roundup 27:18 — Updates & News 34:08 — Book Club: Dark Romance — Crown Me Dead / Crown Me Yours by Liv Zander 44:41 — Book Club: Romantasy — Daughter of No Worlds by Carissa Broadbent 48:06 — Book Club: Contemporary — Archer's Voice by Mia Sheridan Books Discussed in This Episode: Crown Me Dead / Crown Me Yours — Liv Zander Daughter of No Worlds — Carissa Broadbent Roanoke Girls — Amy Engel Sleuths — Samantha Mooney White Rose Painted Red — Elena Lawson Nightshade & Daybreak — Autumn Woods Direbound — Sable Sorenson Daggermouth — H.M. Wolfe Black Heart Painted Gold — Elena Lawson Salt and Sweet — Juno Rose North Spicy Honey — Juno Rose North Step Brother Bear — J.M. Fairy To the Depths — Beth Rhydo Dominion — Jean Kwok Done and Dusted & Swift and Saddled — Lyla Sage The Voice — Maggie Ray Jones Eat Your Heart Out — J.N. Bamforth The Dorians — Nick Cutter Black Sunshine & The Blood is Love — Karina Halle Tornado, Still & This is Fine — Lizzie Stanley Archer's Voice — Mia Sheridan If you loved this episode follow the podcast so you never miss a drop, leave us a 5* review — it genuinely means the world — and head to our website or Instagram for more details on everything we have coming up. We'll see you next Thursday. 🖤
This week on The Spicy Librarian Podcast we are coming straight to you -- answering your bookish questions, giving you the latest shop and event updates. Then Dee opens the clinic to personally prescribe your next five star read. Come in, sit down, she'll see you now. Consider this your official TSL check in. This week D and Katie are doing what they do best — yapping — but with purpose. We're going through your questions, the ones you've been sending in about books, the shop, upcoming events, and everything in between, and we are answering all of it. Then Dee opens the book clinic. You tell us what you loved, what you hated, what tropes make you feral and which ones send you running — and Dee will prescribe your next five star read. No appointment necessary. Results may include an immediately extended TBR and zero regrets. If you want to be featured in a future episode, send in your reading profile and let Dee do her thing. If you loved this episode follow the podcast so you never miss a drop, leave us a review — it genuinely means the world — and head to our website or Instagram to send in your questions or book clinic requests. We'll see you next Thursday. 🖤 Timestamps: 02:45 — Katie's Reading Recap 07:24 — Dee's Reading Recap 17:52 — Community Questions & Recommendations 32:42 — Shop Q&A 36:28 — Book Recommendations Clinic Crown Me Dead / Crown Me Yours — Liv Zander The One — John Marrs Spicy Honey — Juno Rose North Eat Your Heart Out — J.M. Banforth Daughter of No Worlds — Carissa Broadbent Stepbrother Bear — G.M. Fairy Done & Dusted — Lyla Sage Swift & Saddled — Lyla Sage To the Depths — Beth Rhydo Dominion — Jean Kwok The Voice — Maggie Ray Jones Heated Rivalry — Rachel Reid Feathers So Vicious — Liv Zander Magnolia Parks — Jessa Hastings Credence — Penelope Douglas What We Need — Lizzie Stanley The Auction — Sadie Kincaid Confessions — Kanae Minato Under Your Scars — Ariel Anderson Shatter Me — Tahereh Mafi Angela's Ashes — Frank McCourt Blackwood Institute — J. Rose Ballad of the Fallen Dragons — Sarah A. Parker Dominion — Jean Kwok She Who Holds My Wrath — Shannon V. Velzen Crown Me Dead / Crown Me Yours — Liv Zander To the Depths — Beth Rhydo Birthday Girl — Penelope Douglas Older — Jennifer Hartmann Haunting Adeline — H.D. Carlton Blackwood Institute — J. Rose The Poison Daughter — Sheila Masterson Vanguard — Karina Halle A Forbidden Alchemy & A Forsaken Prophecy — Stacey McEwan Heavenly Bodies & Fallen Stars — Imani Erriu This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me — Ilona Andrews Don't Eat Your Human Boyfriend — Lily Mayne Eat Your Heart Out & Formaldehyde — J.M. Banforth How to Kidnap a Fake Date — Effie Campbell A Soul to Keep & A Soul to Heal — Opal Reyne
F*ck, Marry, Kill but make it bookish — this week on The Spicy Librarian Podcast we are making the hard decisions about our favourite MMCs and the series we love most. One night stand, forever, or goodbye. Nothing and no one is safe. This week we are playing the most chaotic, most emotionally devastating version of F*ck, Marry, Kill you have ever witnessed. We are talking about our favourite MMCs — seriously thinking through the actual implications of a marriage, a one night stand, and yes, murdering our beloved book boyfriends within their own universes and in ours. We took this very seriously. Possibly too seriously. Then we turn it on the series. Which one could we re-read forever and never get tired of? Which one do we have one read left in us? And which series — as much as it destroys us to say it — do we have to say goodbye to for good? The answers may surprise you. They surprised us. If you shouted at your phone, your TV, your partner, or a complete stranger on the bus — we want to know. Get in the comments and tell us where we went wrong. We can take it. If you loved this episode follow the podcast so you never miss a drop, leave us a review — it genuinely means the world — and head to our website or Instagram for more details on everything we have coming up. We'll see you next Thursday. 🖤 Timestamps: 00:34 — Updates & The Spicy Librarian Live 02:59 — Fck, Marry, Kill: MMC Edition 46:26 — Fck, Marry, Kill: Book Series Edition Books & Series Mentioned: Throne of Glass — Sarah J. Maas A Court of Thorns and Roses — Sarah J. Maas Crescent City — Sarah J. Maas Fourth Wing — Rebecca Yarros Quicksilver & Brimstone — Callie Hart Edge of Darkness — Leigh Rivers Little Stranger & Little Liar — Leigh Rivers Psychotic Obsession — Leigh Rivers Haunting Adeline, Does it Hurt? & Where's Molly — H.D. Carlton Daughter of No Worlds, Serpent & the Wings of Night & Six Scorched Roses — Carissa Broadbent Blood and Ash — Jennifer L. Armentrout Book of Azrael — Amber Nicole Smith Spark of the Everflame — Penn Cole White Rose Painted Red — Blake & Elena Lawson The Voice — Maggie Ray Jones Chestnut Springs — Elsie Silver Miles High Series — T.L. Swan Magnolia Parks Universe — Jessa Hastings Feathers So Vicious & Shadow So Cruel — Liv Zander Crown Me Dead & Crown Me Yours — Liv Zander Heated Rivalry — Rachel Reid Daggermouth — H.D. Wolfe Billionaire's Boy Club — Lauren Asher
This week on The Spicy Librarian Podcast we're sitting down with one of the UK's most exciting up and coming indie authors — Juno Rose. We're talking her debut novel Salt and Sweet, her next release Spicy Honey, an exclusive look at what's coming next, and of course things get completely unhinged along the way. Juno Rose is a London-based indie author writing high heat contemporary romance with heart, humour, and chemistry that absolutely jumps off the page. Her debut Salt and Sweet — a brother's best friend, forbidden romance following Emmy as she rebuilds her life with a secret spicy bucket list and the very last man she should want — has taken the indie romance community by storm, and we are completely obsessed. This week we sit down with Juno for an exclusive chat about Salt and Sweet, her next release Spicy Honey, and a little insider look at what she has coming after that. We also do what we do best — drag her into some thoroughly unhinged bookish games — and get a real insight into what it's like building an indie romance career in the UK right now. If you haven't read Juno Rose yet, consider this your very loud sign to start immediately. Timestamps: 00:01 — Introduction 04:24 — Juno's Books: Salt and Sweet, Spicy Honey & What's Coming Next 09:20 — Juno's Story: Life as a UK Indie Romance Author 19:12 — Exclusive Tea: What Juno Has in the Pipeline 24:29 — One Star Review Defence 31:40 — Five Star Review Defence 37:06 — HSF 40:21 — Unpopular Opinion 46:12 — Roundup & Bye CTA: If you loved this episode follow the podcast so you never miss a drop, leave us a review — it genuinely means the world — and head to our website or Instagram for more details on everything we have coming up. We'll see you next Thursday. 🖤 Books Discussed in This Episode: Salt and Sweet — Juno Rose Spicy Honey — Juno Rose Dawn of the North / Road of Bones — Demi Winters Kidnapped by Krampus — Emily Shore Five Brothers — Penelope Douglas Sugar Life Series — Harley Madison
The June reading roundup is here and we went wide this month — dark romance, romantasy, contemporary, beachy reads, and everything in between. Dee and Katie are back with the book club picks, the reads that wrecked them, and the ones that surprised them most. Your TBR will not survive. Yes we know it's not June anymore. This month's book club brought us Branded by Saffron A. Kent, A Stage Set for Villains by Shannon J. Spann, and Pieces of the Night by Jennifer Hartmann— a dark western romance, a NYT bestselling romantasy that has taken over BookTok, and an angsty rockstar romance that absolutely wrecked us. Three very different books, three very big feelings. Beyond book club, June was the month we went everywhere. We're talking Emily Henry, Colleen Hoover, and Carissa Broadbent for the contemporary and fantasy fans, Karina Halle for those who like their romance with a side of chaos, and an indie pick that needs to be on your radar immediately. June gave us range and we have absolutely no regrets. Timestamps: 00:00 — Dee's June Reading Roundup 18:30 — Katie's Reading Roundup & Pod Live 26:36 — Book Club: Pieces of the Night by Jennifer Hartmann — Contemporary Romance 34:05 — Book Club: A Stage Set for Villains — Romantasy Deep Dive 36:42 — Book Club: Branded by Saffron A. Kent — Dark Romance Discussion 42:32 — HSF: Cringe Reading Moment of the Week If you loved this episode follow the podcast so you never miss a drop, leave us a review — it genuinely means the world — and head to our website or Instagram for more details on everything we have coming up. We'll see you next Thursday. 🖤 Books Discussed in This Episode: Branded — Saffron A. Kent A Stage Set for Villains — Shannon J. Spann Pieces of the Night — Jennifer Hartmann Regretting You — Colleen Hoover Harvest Season — Bryn Weaver Light Wielder: Fire & Metal Book Two — Rachel Schneider Death Valley — Karina Halle Vanguard — Karina Halle Archer's Voice — Mia Sheridan People We Meet on Vacation — Emily Henry White Rose Painted Gold — Elena Lawson Black Heart Painted Gold — Elena Lawson Direbound — Sable Sorenson Furybound — Sable Sorenson The Dorians — Nick Cutter Most of All You — Mia Sheridan A Great Big Beautiful Life — Emily Henry Crown Me Dead Crown Me Yours — Liv Zander The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo — Taylor Jenkins Reid Daughter of No Worlds — Carissa Broadbent Serpent & the Wings of Night — Carissa Broadbent Older — Jennifer Hartmann Eat Your Heart Out — G.M. Banforth
Bookish Bingo lands on The Spicy Librarian Podcast this week — and it turns out Dee and Katie are not even a little bit competitive. From sports romance to special editions, historical romance to books that made us ugly cry, we're covering every square on the card. This week join Dee and Katie for a game of Bookish Bingo — who we found aren't at all competitive. We're working through the full card, from books read in one sitting to series we're still in the middle of, plots that floored us, characters who share our names, and the very specific joy of a book you found because you spotted a stranger reading it. Every square is a recommendation, a confession, or a chaotic tangent — sometimes all three. If your own TBR survives this episode intact we genuinely respect it. Timestamps: 00:00 — Sulking Over Bingo Dabbers 01:49 — Katie's Reading Week 02:35 — Dee's Reading Week 10:14 — Bingo Rules 11:55 — A Book Read in One Sitting 13:49 — A Book Set on an Island 15:24 — A Book That Was Borrowed 18:35 — A Special Edition 20:18 — Historical Romance Picks 21:48 — A Non Fiction Book 25:03 — A Plot Twist That Got Us 26:19 — A Book on Your TBR Right Now 32:30 — Sports Romance Recommendations 34:41 — A Book That Made Us Cry 36:52 — A Book We Reviewed 42:06 — Book to Screen Adaptations 43:10 — A Book You Read Because You Saw Someone Else Reading It 45:42 — A Character With the Same Name as Yours 47:24 — A Title With a Number in It 48:13 — A Book That's Been Annotated 49:38 — A Book You've Won 50:27 — A Series You're in the Middle Of 51:18 — A Title With a Colour in It 54:14 — Bingo Victory If you loved this episode follow the podcast so you never miss a drop, leave us a review — it genuinely means the world — and head to our website or Instagram for more details on everything we have coming up. We'll see you next Thursday. 🖤 Books Discussed in This Episode: Tourist Season — Bryn Weaver The Butcher and the Blackbird — Bryn Weaver Light Wielder — Rachel Schneider Wild Card — Karina Halle Direbound — Sable Sorenson Crown Me Dead / Crown Me Yours — Liv Zander Daughter of No Worlds — Carissa Broadbent Archer's Voice — Mia Sheridan Most of All You — Mia Sheridan Three Nights in Stockholm — Elizabeth Hardy The Dorians — Nick Cutter Grave Matter — Karina Halle Yesteryear — Caro Claire Burke Starfallen — Fern Cole Hollow — M.L. Burns Innamorata — Ava Reid The Games Gods Play — Abigail Owen The Tattooist of Auschwitz — Heather Morris The Secret — Rhonda Byrne Atomic Habits — James Clear Feathers So Vicious — Liv Zander Poison Daughter — Sheila Masterson Here One Moment — Liane Moriarty Flawless — Elsie Silver Perfect Deke — Ruth Stirling Heated Rivalry — Rachel Reid What We Need — Lizzie Stanley The Long Game — Rachel Reid Death Valley — Karina Halle The Trap — Catherine Ryan Howard Remarkably Bright Creatures — Shelby Van Pelt Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow — Gabrielle Zevin A Little Life — Hanya Yanagihara One Dark Window — Rachel Gillig Two Twisted Crowns — Rachel Gillig Of Mice and Men — John Steinbeck Sleuths — Samantha Moody Throne of Glass — Sarah J. Maas Edge of Darkness — Leigh Rivers Red Rising — Pierce Brown Red Queen — Victoria Aveyard
Your ultimate guide to romantasy and dark romance is here. The Spicy Librarian Podcast's Book Recs 101 is the episode every new and seasoned spicy reader needs. Whether you're just starting out or ready for the deep end, Dee and Katie have you completely covered. Hold on to your TBRs because this week we are sitting down for a full hour of book recommendations- and we are not sorry about what we have done to your reading list. From gentle entry points to the books that will absolutely ruin you, we're covering the full spectrum of romantasy and dark romance in one gloriously chaotic episode. We break it down into three categories- start me gently, middle of the road, and drop me in at the deep end. We cover the first romantasy and dark romance reads you should pick up, where to go next once you're hooked, and what you graduate to when you are ready to go full feral reader. Consider this your official reading roadmap. Our TBRs have extended by approximately 100 books as a result of this conversation and we regret absolutely nothing. This is part one; buckle up. 00:00 — Introduction and Etsy Witches for the Weather 01:44 — Katie's Reading Recap: What's on Her TBR This Week 04:04 — Dee's Reading Recap: What Dee Has Been Reading 13:01 — HSF: Cringe Reading Moment of the Week 16:36 — Book Recs 101: Your Listener Requests Answered 26:25 — Romantasy Recs: The Best Books to Pick Up First 30:27 — Romantasy Recs: What to Read Next 33:33 — Romantasy Recs: High Fantasy Picks for the Deep End 35:47 — Dark Romance Recs: The Best Books to Start With 40:00 — Dark Romance Recs: Where to Go Next 48:21 — Dark Romance Recs: Pitch Black — The Deep End 52:28 — Wrapping Up: Come See Us & Send in Your Recommendations If you loved this episode follow the podcast so you never miss a drop, leave us a review — it genuinely means the world — and head to our website or Instagram for more details on everything we have coming up. We'll see you next Thursday. 🖤 Books mentioned; Bitter Sweet- Hattie Williams Crown me Yours- Liv Zanders Death Valley- Karina Halle Vanguard- Karina Halle Branded- Saffron A Kent White Rose painted Red- Blake Lawson and ELENA. LAWSON Blood of Hercules- Jasmine Mas The games God play- Abigail Owens Such a Dirty Girl- Effy Campbell Hot Creep series- Effy Campbell Sugar Baby, Good Girl, Brat Baby- Harley Madison Secret Club, Secret Job, Secret Proposal, Secret Stalker- Ruby Sky Starside- Alex Aster Blood and Steel Series- Helen Scheuerer Den of Vipers- KA Knight White Rose painted Red- Blake Lawson and ELENA. LAWSON Blackwood Institute- J Rose Credence- Penelope Douglas Birthday Girl- Penelope Douglas Sabre Security- J Rose When the Moon Hatched- Sarah A Parker The Knight and the Moth- Rachel Gillig Bad Bishop- LJ Shen Twister Pawn- LG Shen Made Mad Series- Danielle Lori Crescent City- S J Maas The Devil Night Series- Penelope Douglas City of Gods and Monsters- Kayla Edwards A Court of Thrones and Roses- S J Maas Servant of Earth- Sarah Hawley A Witches Guide to Fake Dating a Demon- Sarah Hawley A Ship of Bones and Teeth- Karina Hallie One dark window, Two twisted Crowns- Rachel Gillig Enchantra Phantasma- Kaylie Smith Fourth Wing- Rebecca Yarros When the Moon Hatched- Sarah A Parker From Blood and Ash- Jennifer L. Armentrout QuickSilver- Callie Hart Lights Out- Navessa Allen Butcher and Blackbird- Bryn Weaver Tourist Season- Bryn Weaver Sinners Retreat, Slay Ride, Ship Happens, Slaughter Park- Lauren Biel What We Need- Lizzie Stanley The Predator- RuNyx Lord Series, The Ritual, Chantelle Tessier Haunting Adeline- H D Carlton Hunting Adeline- H D Carlton Sanctuary of Lies- J Rose Feather so Vicious/ Shadow so Cruel- Liv Zanders
Dark romance and romantasy meets Telestrations on this week's Spicy Librarian - we're drawing tropes, guessing characters, and somehow attempting to pitch the next New York Times bestselling romance novel. We cover romantasy and dark romance rounds, weekly reading recaps, and watch the whole thing descend into glorious bookish chaos. This week on Spicy Librarian, we played Telestrations, that random game from primary school where you draw a section of a thing, fold the page and pass it on. But we made it bookish and spicy. We took the most iconic tropes, characters, and moments from dark romance and romantasy and decided to see if we could plot the next New York Times bestseller, but probably not. We do tropes, settings, plot twists and pairings, triggers and memorable quotes- and watched the whole thing descend into absolute bookish chaos. Let us know if you think our pitch has legs, better yet, write it yourself. 00:00 — Welcome to the Spicy Librarian Podcast 00:22 — Katie's Reading Recap: What's Been on Her TBR This Week 13:19 — Dee's Reading Recap: What Dee Has Been Reading 25:27 — Telestrations: The Bookish Spicy Edition Begins 26:37 — Romantasy Round: Tropes, Characters & Chaos 36:40 — Dark Romance Round: Plot Twists, Triggers & Memorable Quotes 49:50 — See You Next Week Books mentioned- YesterYear- Caro Claire Burke The Voice- Maggie Ray Jones Heavy- ML Burns The Dorians- Nick Cutter Black Phone- Joe Hill Remarkably Bright Creatures- Shelby Van Pelt Direbound/ Furybound- Sable Sorenson Regretting you- Colleen Hoover A Stage Set for Villains- Shannon J. Spann Pieces of the Night- Jennifer Hartman Branded- Saffron A Kent Ravenous- Thea Lawrence Crown Me Dead- Liv Zander Harvest Season- Brynn Weaver Butcher and Blackbird- Bryne Weaver Thursday Murder Club- Richard Osman Metal Slinger /Light Wielder- Rachel Schneider If you loved this episode follow the podcast so you never miss a drop, leave us a review, it genuinely means the world, and head to our website or Instagram for more details on everything we have coming up. We'll see you next Thursday.
The May book club is here and besties, this month's picks were a whole lot. But first, we're pulling back the curtain on what is coming up for The Spicy Librarian. It's our birthday month in July, we have events in the pipeline, and things are getting very exciting around here. We are not ready to spill everything just yet but we wanted to bring you into it because you lot are the whole reason any of this exists. Consider this your official heads up. Stay close. 👀 But book club! We're talking The Auction by Sadie Kincaid - Beauty and the Beast meets dark mafia romance, a scarred billionaire, a secret brotherhood, and a slow burn so tense we needed a moment, and a lively debate about condiments. Then Starside by Alex Aster - the enemies-to-lovers romantasy that has absolutely taken over our bookshelves and for very good reason. And finally The Stopover by T.L. Swan - the book that has converted more people to contemporary romance than almost anything else on BookTok, and yes, we have feelings about it. If you haven't listened to our episode with TL Swan- get to know. Three completely different vibes. Three books that divided the room. Three books we could not shut up about. This is exactly what book club is for. Books mentioned- The Auction- Sade Kincaid Starside- Alex Aster The Stop Over- TL Swan Made Man Series- Danielle Lori Crescent City- S J Maas June Book Club- A Stage Set for Villains- Shannon J. Spann Pieces of the Night- Jennifer Hartman Branded- Saffron A Kent Perfect for fans of: book club, dark romance, romantasy, contemporary romance, The Auction, Sadie Kincaid, Starside, Alex Aster, The Stopover, TL Swan, Miles High Club, mafia romance, enemies to lovers, slow burn, BookTok, spicy books, spicy podcast
Slaglines: We Wrapped Books, We Gave Clues & Absolutely Nobody Was Helpful We invented a game. We wrapped books in brown paper, gave each other the most unhinged clues imaginable, and made each other guess the title. We're calling it Slaglines - a love letter to the tagline and an absolute disaster of an episode in the best possible way. This week's lineup was a lot. We had a tattooed bad boy demon with witchy enemies-to-lovers energy, little women but make it vampire, a bored gay werewolf, a shy trans banshee, a deeply unsettling crawl space, and a boyfriend who is giving very strong fish. You know the kind. If you think you could have guessed these faster than us - get in the comments and tell us. We are competitive and we will take that personally. Books mentioned- Starside- Alex Aster Here One Moment - Liane Moriarty What have you done- Shari Lapena Miles High Series- TL Swan Direbound/ Furybound- Sable Sorensen Crown me Dead/ Crown me Yours- Liv Zanders Crawl Space- Herbert Lieberman There’s Something Fishy About My Boyfriend- Gloria Duke Zodiac Academy- Twisted Sisters Fourth Wing- Rebecca Yarros Magnolia Parks- Jessa Hastings Demon with Benefits- Aurora Asher Little Vampire Women- Lynn Messina Bored Gay Werewolf- Tony Santorella Shy Trans Banshee- Tony Santorella
Look. It's the April book club roundup. We know. We're late. We're had a lot going on. This month we went three very different directions and we have absolutely no regrets. We're talking Three Nights in Stockholm by Elizabeth Hardy — the snowed-in, slow burn, enemies to lovers romance that had us feral from page one. Then The Poison Daughter by Sheila Masterson — dark, twisty, and not what we expected in the best possible way. And finally Collateral Damage by Shassii — a sapphic erotic thriller with Stockholm syndrome, enemies to lovers, extreme slow burn, and two completely broken women who will absolutely wreck you. This one is not for the faint hearted and we are obsessed with it. Three books. Three completely different vibes. One very chaotic book club. This is exactly why we do this. Perfect for fans of: book club, dark romance, sapphic romance, enemies to lovers, slow burn, contemporary romance, BookTok, spicy books, Three Nights in Stockholm, Elizabeth Hardy, Poison Daughter, Sheila Masterson, Collateral Damage, Shassii, queer romance, spicy podcast
She is one of the biggest names in contemporary romance, and this week she is sitting down with us on Spicy Librarian- and yes, we are absolutely fangirling. T.L. Swan has built an empire of swoony, steamy, emotionally devastating contemporary romance- and the world is finally catching up. We are talking about her latest releases, including The Heart You Kept, the first in her brand new Kings of the Riviera series, and the news that has the entire romance community absolutely losing their minds- the Miles High Club series is being adapted for Amazon MGM Studios, with TL Swan herself as executive producer. We get into all of it. The books, the adaptation, what contemporary romance with real edge actually looks like, and why this genre deserves so much more credit than it gets in the spicy book community. And the real question this episode -is Dee converted?! She came in a sceptic. We are not going to spoil it. You are going to have to listen. Perfect for fans of: T.L. Swan, Miles High Club, The Stopover, The Heart You Kept, Kings of the Riviera, contemporary romance, Amazon Prime, book to TV adaptation, BookTok, spicy books, romance podcast, Spicy Librarian Subscribe, leave us a review — and tell us, are YOU a TL Swan convert?
We did it. Our very first Spicy Librarian subscription book box is here - and in this episode, we’re talking about ALL of it. We’re taking you behind the scenes of what went into creating this box, what we wanted it to represent, what’s inside, and why we chose _*What We Need *_ by Lizzie Stanley as our very first pick. This project means so much to us, and we wanted to properly share the thought, care and intention behind it. We also know there has been conversation around the box not being what some people expected. We’re addressing that openly, honestly and directly - because transparency matters to us, and so does our community. From the beginning, this box was designed to be a curated reading experience centred around exclusive content, community and discovering incredible romance stories, and we stand proudly by that vision. This episode is for everyone who received a box, everyone considering joining us in future, and everyone who wants to understand more about what we’re building with The Spicy Librarian. We see you, we appreciate you, and we’re so excited for what comes next. Books mentioned- The Stopover- TL Swan Nocticadia by Keri Lake The Long Game- Rachel Reid The Auction - Sadie Kincaid Starside- Alex Aster What We Need- Lizzie Stanley Perfect for fans of: Spicy Librarian podcast, book boxes, subscription boxes, Lizzie Stanley, What We Need, Wishbone Tattoos series, dark romance, BookTok, spicy books, book community, book unboxing, indie romance Subscribe, leave us a review — and if you got a box, we want to hear from you.
Your favourite chaotic besties are back, and we have a LOT to talk about. This episode is pure unfiltered Spicy Librarian- no books to review, no guests to impress, just us sitting down for a proper catch-up with the people who make this whole thing worth doing. That's you, by the way. We see you. We're getting into all the exciting things we have cooking behind the scenes and trust us, the pipeline is looking very spicy right now. We've also got shop and events updates, because things are moving and you are going to want to know about it. And then there's the Maasquerade Ball. Our masquerade event for the ACOTAR 6 release in October- we are talking details, we are talking chaos, we are talking the event that SJM herself would approve of. Probably. We'd like to think so. We've also been completely overwhelmed by the gorgeous comments and messages we've had over the past few months and we needed to take a minute to respond to them properly- because you lot are genuinely the best community on the internet and we mean that with our whole hearts. This is the episode where we just talk. And honestly? You are welcome. Perfect for fans of: Spicy Librarian podcast, ACOTAR, Sarah J Maas, ACOTAR 6, BookTok, dark romance community, romantasy, book events, spicy books, book podcast Subscribe, leave us a review and if you've sent us a lovely message recently, this one's for you.
This or that: bookish edition. We are settling scores today and we're serious about it. This is the most fun episode, and with your help, a segment we feel will be sticking around. This episode we are playing the ultimate bookish this or that game, and the opinions were STRONG. Standalone or 5-part series? Rather meet your favourite author or character? and a bonus f*ck, marry, kill. We went through the choices, we argued, we disagreed, and at one point things got genuinely heated, and we are not sorry. Whether you have been in the book community for years or you just finished your first spicy read- you are going to have thoughts on these picks. Get in the comments and tell us where you stand because we want the discourse. This is the most fun episode we have ever recorded and that is saying something. Perfect for fans of: BookTok, book games, this or that, dark romance, romantasy, contemporary romance, spicy books, book discourse, spicy podcast Books discussed in this episode: Poison Daughter by Sheila Masterson, Three Nights in Stockholm by Elizabeth Hardy, Collateral Damage by Shassii, Twisted Pawn by LJ Shen, Between the Pines by Amber Palmer, The Wings That Bind by Briar Boleyn, Rites of the Starling by Briar Boleyn, A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, Magnolia Parks: Into the Dark by Jess Hastings, Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty, Kiss of the Basilisk & Between Two Kings by Lindsay Straube
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