Episodes

  • Coming Together Bits

    Coming Together Bits
    Mar 30 2026
    Jess and Trisha talk about what they’ve been reading and then get into Book Club with Futbolista by Jonny Garza Villa and sports romance broadly. News No news this week because it’s a Book Club week! This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Books Discussed The Starter Ex by Mia Sosa Back and Forth From New York by alphalupi Futbolista by Jonny Garza Villa Please Don’t Go by E. Salvador Out On the Ice series by Kelly Farmer His Convenient Husband by Robin Covington Summer Official by Rebekah Weatherspoon The Playbook series (starting with Intercepted) by Alexa Martin Shoot Your Shot by Lexi LaFleur Brown Flagrant by Alexandria House The Long Game by Elena Armas Rookie Mistake by Anna Zabo and LA Witt Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • The Bonkers Vibes

    The Bonkers Vibes
    Mar 16 2026
    Jess and Trisha discuss the end of Harlequin’s category romance line and offer some category romance recs (some of which are delightfully bananas). Hooray for Book Club in 2026! Read Futbolista by Jonny Garza Villa with us - send us your thoughts before we record on March 25 (episode goes live March 30)! Get a bit of category romance background from Love In Panels and author Therese Beharrie. Books Discussed: Silver & Blood by Jessie Mihalik The Brightest Blaze by Kelly Farmer Futbolista by Jonny Garza Villa The Lights on Knockbridge Lane by Roan Parrish Compromised into a Scandalous Marriage by Lydia San Andres Bane (and others!) by Brenda Jackson Daring to Fall For the Prince by Heba Helmy Backcountry Cover-Up by Denise N. Wheatley Pregnesia by Carla Cassidy Road Trip Rivalry by Mona Shroff Her Fake Wedding Date in Sicily by Jenny Lane The Duke’s Sister and I by Emma-Claire Sunday This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    57 mins
  • My Most Gandalfy Friend

    My Most Gandalfy Friend
    Mar 2 2026
    Jess and Trisha talk about a new option for indie authors and talk about some of their favorite independently-published romances. News Hooray for Book Club in 2026! Read Futbolista by Jonny Garza Villa with us - send us your thoughts before we record on March 25 (ep goes live March 30)! Learn more about the Draft2Digital and Bookshop.org partnership. This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Books Discussed 10,000 Hours with a Rich Menace by Jahquel J What If…I Love You by Yvonne Marie The Taming of Jessi Rose by Beverly Jenkins Futbolista by Jonny Garza Villa Written on Ice by Smardline S. Craving Flight by Tamsen Parker Now You See Him by Nina Saxena Meegan by Rebekah Weatherspoon Expanded Roster by Aimee Rivkin The Probability of Us by Elizabeth-Jade Taylor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    Not Yet Known
  • The Best Romance Novels of the Century So Far

    The Best Romance Novels of the Century So Far
    Feb 16 2026
    Jess and Trisha talk (very enthusiastically) about Book Riot’s list of the best romance novels of the century so far. Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. To get even more romance recs and news, sign up for our Kissing Books newsletter! News: Hooray for Book Club in 2026! Read Futbolista by Jonny Garza Villa with us - send us your thoughts before we record on March 25 (episode goes live March 30)! Find Sarah Wendell’s discussion with Julia Quinn on the SBTB podcast here. And of course, please enjoy Book Riot’s list of The Best Romance Books of the Century So Far as much as Jess and Trisha do. Books Discussed: Hearts on the Fly by Toni Shiloh Two’s Better by Viano Oniomoh The Long Game by Rachel Reid Futbolista by Jonny Garza Villa And all of the other books discussed can be found in one convenient place! This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 5 mins
  • Fake Fated Mates

    Fake Fated Mates
    Feb 2 2026
    Jess and Trisha talk a LOT about adaptations - including their dream adaptations - and a little bit about other news and updates in romanceland. Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. To get even more romance recs and news, sign up for our Kissing Books newsletter! News: Hooray for Book Club in 2026! Read Futbolista by Jonny Garza Villa with us - send us your thoughts before we record on March 25 (ep goes live March 30)! Find a loooooong sample (if you’d like) of This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews. Julia Quinn is curating a romance box - check out the Kickstarter here. Books Discussed: A Vow in Vengeance by Jaclyn Rodriguez Restore Me by J.L. Seegars Visions of Heat by Nalini Singh Game Changer by Rachel Reid Futbolista by Jonny Garza Villa The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun Dating Dr. Dil and the whole If Shakespeare Was an Auntie series by Nisha Sharma Bring on the Blessings and the whole Blessings series by Beverly Jenkins Better Than People and the Garnet Run series by Roan Parrish It Had to Be Him by Adib Khorram Sherry Thomas’s Heart of Blade duology, starting with The Hidden Blade The Christina C. Jones Cinematic Universe, starting with Getting Schooled The Unleashing and the Call of Crows series by Shelly Laurenston We Could Be So Good by Cat Sebastian Unwritten Rules - and the whole series - by K.D. Casey Kit Rocha’s Bound to Fire and Steel series, starting with Consort of Fire This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Duels That Are Also Flirting

    Duels That Are Also Flirting
    Jan 19 2026
    Jess and Trisha finally get around to closing out some recommendations and backlist favorites from 2025 (it’s still January, so it’s fine!). Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. To get even more romance recs and news, sign up for our Kissing Books newsletter! News: Hooray for Book Club in 2026! Read Futbolista by Jonny Garza Villa with us! Books Discussed: The Wren in the Holly Library by KA Linde Tommy Cabot Was Here by Cat Sebastian Game Changer by Rachel Reid This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews Love is a War Song by Danica Nava The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang It Had to Be Him by Adib Khorram No Ordinary Love by Myah Ariel The Enchanted Hacienda by J.C. Cervantes The Romantic Agenda by Claire Kann The Bodyguard by Katherine Center Bring on the Blessings by Beverly Jenkins Role Playing by Cathy Yardley The Uptown Girls series by Joanna Shupe (start with The Rogue of Fifth Avenue) The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton After Hours at Dooryard Books by Cat Sebastian The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope The Redemption of Philip Thane By Lisa Berne Luca by Grey Huffington Just Right by Shon Hana Khan Carries On by Uzma Jalaluddin Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date by Ashley Herring Blake Janine: His True Alpha by Chencia C Higgins Jana Goes Wild by Farah Heron Cash Delgado is Living the Dream by Tehlor Kay Mejia Murder Most Actual by Alexis Hall A Fellowship of Bakers and Magic by J. Penner The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston Cross the Line by Simone Soltani Let us know what you’re reading, what you’re thinking, and what you’re thinking about what you’re reading! As always, you can find Jess and Trisha at the WIR email address (wheninromance@bookriot.com). You can also find us on Twitter (@jessisreading), or Instagram (@jess_is_reading and @trishahaleybrown), and Jess is even on TikTok (@jess_isreading). This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    57 mins
  • More Than One Kind of Heated Rivalry

    More Than One Kind of Heated Rivalry
    Jan 5 2026
    Jess and Trisha talk about why Heated Rivalry is so much more successful than other Harlequin adaptations released at the same time and then share some of their most anticipated titles of 2026. Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. To get even more romance recs and news, sign up for our Kissing Books newsletter! News: Send us your most anticipated romances of 2026, and/or your book club suggestions!! Some background on Heated Rivalry [Vanity Fair] And a reminder of those Harlequin adaptations airing on the CW [Variety] Books Discussed: Every New Year by Katrina Jackson Deception by Amanda Quick The Packing List (anthology) Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid Restore Me by JL Seegars (1/6/26) Father Material by Alexis Hall (6/2/26) By the Bootstraps by Alexa Martin (5/26/26) It’s All In Your Head by Sabina Nordqvist (2/10/26) The Night We Met by Abby Jimenez (3/31/26) Only Friends by Lydia San Andres (2/10/26) Last First Kiss by Julian Winters (1/27/26) Like In Love With You by Emma R. Alban (1/13/26) A Lady for All Seasons by TJ Alexander (3/10/26) The Baby Dragon Bookshop by A.T. Qureshi (2/12/26) This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Let us know what you’re reading, what you’re thinking, and what you’re thinking about what you’re reading! As always, you can find Jess and Trisha at the WIR email address (wheninromance@bookriot.com). You can also find us on Twitter (@jessisreading), or Instagram (@jess_is_reading and @trishahaleybrown), and Jess is even on TikTok (@jess_isreading). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    56 mins
  • A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens from Zero to Well-Read

    A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens from Zero to Well-Read
    Dec 22 2025
    When in Romance is taking a short holiday break, so we thought we'd share an episode from our newest Book Riot Podcast, Zero to Well-Read, in which Jeff and Rebecca revisit Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, a story so familiar it’s often mistaken for simple. They consider its moral stakes, its enduring influence on readers and society, and why Scrooge's redemption still resonates. Subscribe to our free newsletter, and become a member for access to early, ad-free listening and bonus content. Follow Zero to Well-Read on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Email us: zerotowellread@bookriot.com This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 15 mins