Welcome to Feb episode of Raag on Romance where Shani and Bridget chat about all things romance and podcast each month!

This week Shani reminisced about her older sister reading to her as a kid, how Bridget's kids get a huge haul of books from the library every week, and how Bridget is raising a little reader!

Shani and Bridget talk about the feeling of reading physical books vs Kindle vs audiobooks. And how Shani wants to find the first romance novel she ever read.

Bridget shares all the books she read in January of 2025, some alternative books to Onyx Storm, as well as shares upcoming books on her TBR, and upcoming author interviews!

• It's a Love Skate Relationship by Carli J. Corson - Sapphic Enemies-to-Lovers hockey romance
• Flirting with Disaster by Naina Kumar - Second-chance romance a la Reese Witherspoon classic Sweet Home Alabama
• Out of the Woods by Hannah Bonam-Young - Rekindling love!

• Gwen and Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher - DNF - Bridget reveals her goal to actually DNF books that aren't working for her. She thinks that this book could work really for some people but the Arthur character didn't work for her.
• Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros - Book 3 of the Fourth Wing series. Bridget went into this book thinking it would be the end of a trilogy. Turns out, it is going to be 5 books! YIKES. The main character is waffling about you don't love me too much, there is way too much additional world-building and cultures added to book 3 that definitely could have been cut out, and generally, I was very disappointed.
• Iron Widow - Xiran Jay Zhao - Bridget re-read book 1, Iron Widow, and is currently reading book 2 Heavenly Tyrant!

• Amanda the founder of the Last Chapter Bookstore in Chicago is coming on to chat about starting a brick-and-mortar bookstore, her journey into romance reading, and more.
• Tre from IG is coming on to talk about Kimberly Lemming's latest book I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I'm Trapped in a Rom-Com
• Lucy Lennox is returning for an interview in March to talk about her Billionaire Brotherhood series. Be sure to listen to Lucy's first interview with May Archer from 2020.
• Julie Johnson is coming on to chat about The Wind Weaver in April!
• Bridget is super hyped for the release of Oathbound by Tracy Deonn on March 4th! If you haven't read books 1 & 2 the series is excellent YA Fantasy with

It's 2025 and we're starting the year with a Billionaire romance! Manifestation anyone?

We chose Love Redesigned by Lauren Asher. This is book 1 of the new Lakefront Billionaires series. Bridget previously read Asher's Dreamland Billionaires series and enjoyed it, so we thought we were safe choosing her new series.

HOW WRONG WE WERE!

Not only was this book marketed as a childhood enemies-to-lovers, when it is, in fact, a second-chance romance (not our cup of tea), but it was wayyyyyy too long! Like a solid 100-200 pages too long!

We get into all the details including a review of the audiobook from Shani, a plot review and deep-dive, a ranking of the main MCs, and a ranking of the sexy times!

Links to donate LA fires:

• Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation
• Los Angeles Regional Food Bank
• Project Hope
• Humane Society

Magic Mind January offer: https://www.magicmind.com/romanceJAN

Happy New Year, dear listeners and friends! We've got a sizzling podcast discussing Bridget's book obsession, Shani's K-drama addiction, and the hottest 2025 releases that have us drooling. Don't miss out on the fun! Tune in now and join the excitement.

Books Bridget binged:
Better Than Before and Betting on You by Lynn Painter
Fangirl Down and The Au Pair Affair by Tessa Bailey
The entire Cooper County series by May Archer
The entire Billionaire Brotherhood series by Lucy Lennox

📅 2025 releases we can't wait for:

❄️January
💓 Quicksilver by Callie Hart **already out in Sept '24 but reading this month!
https://amzn.to/3Pr00rW

Flirting with Disaster by Naina Kumar
https://amzn.to/3DHAvQu

💝February
Dream Girl Drama by Tessa Bailey
https://amzn.to/3PqAD9L

I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I'm Trapped in a RomCom by Kimberly Lemming
https://amzn.to/3WaWS7g

☘️March
Finding Lord Landry by Lucy Lennox
https://amzn.to/40pekHZ

☔April
The Wind Weaver by Julie Johnson

https://amzn.to/4afvJWQ

🌷May
The Misfits of Cooper County by May Archer

Flirting With Disaster: A Novel

https://amzn.to/40aeJMS

Fangirl Down and The Au Pair Affair by Tessa Bailey

https://amzn.to/4gIvUfr

Betting on You Kindle Edition

https://amzn.to/4j7GCxH

The entire Cooper County series by May Archer

https://amzn.to/425v73L

The entire Billionaire Brotherhood series by Lucy Lennox

https://amzn.to/3Po0bV7

#romancereader #upcomingreads #bookishpodcast

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Affiliates! Get a discount and we get an affiliate commission!

• That sweet sweet juice, Magic Mind, that's helping us stress less and be WAY more productive, use our code ROMANCEATAGLANCE20. For 20% off a one-time order or 48% off a subscription!
• Get 30 days free on Kindle Unlimited just for our listeners!
• Or listen on Audible like Shani and get up to two free ebooks when you try Audible Premium Plus.

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Leave us a rating and review on Itunes

A lot of additional listening on Patreon!

Welcome to Romance at a Glance, a podcast that uses romance novels to dive into candid conversations about life, relationship dynamics, and sexual desires.

As hosts Bridget and Shani review books and interview some of romance's biggest authors, they explore the breadth of the genre, openly embracing the sex, diverse couplings, and taboos to create a safe...

The Holidate by Lauren Blakely

When two charmingly single strangers agree to swap cities for the holidays, they get way more than they bargained for! Enter Candice, a savvy businesswoman, and Jackson, a down-to-earth chef, whose arrangement to avoid holiday drama leads to accidental chemistry, heartwarming antics, and some truly swoon-worthy moments. Packed with humor, charm, and holiday magic, this sensible yet slightly overlong rom-com will have you laughing, sighing, and wishing it trimmed a few pages—but hey, it’s a festive feast of feels that’s worth the read! 🎄✨

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Affiliates! Get a discount and we get an affiliate commission!

• That sweet sweet juice, Magic Mind, that's helping us stress less and be WAY more productive, use our code ROMANCEATAGLANCE20. For 20% off a one-time order or 48% off a subscription!
• Get 30 days free on Kindle Unlimited just for our listeners!
• Or listen on Audible like Shani and get up to two free ebooks when you try Audible Premium Plus.

******

Leave us a rating and review on Itunes

A lot of additional listening on Patreon!

Welcome to Romance at a Glance, a podcast that uses romance novels to dive into candid conversations about life, relationship dynamics, and sexual desires.

As hosts Bridget and Shani review books and interview some of romance's biggest authors, they explore the breadth of the genre, openly embracing the sex, diverse couplings, and taboos to create a safe space for listeners to be exposed to different lifestyles, fantasies, and to pique their naughty curiosity.

Expect 100% honest reviews, spontaneous singing, life lessons, indecent anecdotes, and bawdy humor.

Check out www.romanceataglance.com

Chat with us on Instagram at instagram.com/romanceataglance

Support us on Patreon at patreon.com/romanceataglance

Under Lock And Key: A Water Witch Cozy Mystery - Book One (Water Witch Cozy Paranormal Mystery Series 1 by Lana Ferguson

• Such a cozy paranormal about a woman who moves to Scotland to learn more about her dad and her roots, only to fall for the lochness monster... YUM!

Protecting Mr. Fine - Billionaire Brotherhood Book 4 - by Lucy Lennox

• Lucy Lennox is such a consistently amazing author for me (Bridget)! I eat up her books when they come out. MM contemporary romances, lots of heart and humor. This one is a bodyguard/rockstar romance!

Psycho Pack - Book 1 of the Unhinged Alphas series by Lenore Rosewood (book 1 - 3 are a complete trilogy of romance for the first omega and her pack, book 4 is about a different omega/pack). These are omegaverse books without shifting

Christmas Family Movie Recs

Christmas Chronicles 1 & 2 - on Netflix

Family Switch - Netflix

Noelle - Disney

Klaus - Netflix

Santa Claus movies & show - Disney

A Boy Called Christmas - Netflix

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Affiliates! Get a discount and we get an affiliate commission!

• That sweet sweet juice, Magic Mind, that's helping us stress less and be WAY more productive, use our code ROMANCEATAGLANCE20. For 20% off a one-time order or 48% off a subscription!
• Get 30 days free on Kindle Unlimited just for our listeners!
• Or listen on Audible like Shani and get up to two free ebooks when you try Audible Premium Plus.

******

Leave us a rating and review on Itunes

A lot of additional listening on Patreon!

Welcome to Romance at a Glance, a podcast that uses romance novels to dive into candid conversations about life, relationship dynamics, and sexual desires.

As hosts Bridget and Shani review books and interview some of romance's biggest authors, they explore the breadth of the genre, openly embracing the sex, diverse couplings, and taboos to create a safe space for listeners to be exposed to different lifestyles, fantasies, and to pique their naughty curiosity.

Expect 100% honest reviews, spontaneous singing, life lessons, indecent anecdotes, and bawdy humor.

Check out www.romanceataglance.com

Chat with us on Instagram at instagram.com/romanceataglance

Support us on Patreon at patreon.com/romanceataglance

We read Zoey Draven's Taken by the Horde King this week and we definitely needed a quick refresher on the world-building!

It's been a hot minute since we were on the planet with the Hordes but they have been missed. There is nothing quite like an alien romance to cleanse your reading pallet, and your smutty soul.

Come with us as we dip our toes into a mysterious red mist threatening the planet, a magical human woman who can control it because... Plot reasons, a fated mate, a dark evil, and some serious trauma. This one is full of triggers friends including domestic violence (not the main mc), torture, maiming, murder, ritual sacrifice, SA, and more. So listen and read with care.

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Affiliates! Get a discount and we get an affiliate commission!

• That sweet sweet juice, Magic Mind, that's helping us stress less and be WAY more productive, use our code ROMANCEATAGLANCE20. For 20% off a one-time order or 48% off a subscription!
• Get 30 days free on Kindle Unlimited just for our listeners!
• Or listen on Audible like Shani and get up to two free ebooks when you try Audible Premium Plus.

******

Leave us a rating and review on Itunes

A lot of additional listening on Patreon!

Welcome to Romance at a Glance, a podcast that uses romance novels to dive into candid conversations about life, relationship dynamics, and sexual desires.

As hosts Bridget and Shani review books and interview some of romance's biggest authors, they explore the breadth of the genre, openly embracing the sex, diverse couplings, and taboos to create a safe space for listeners to be exposed to different lifestyles, fantasies, and to pique their naughty curiosity.

Expect 100% honest reviews, spontaneous singing, life lessons, indecent anecdotes, and bawdy humor.

Check out www.romanceataglance.com

Chat with us on Instagram at instagram.com/romanceataglance

Support us on Patreon at patreon.com/romanceataglance

While Shani is out, Bridget will play... with guest hosts! Thank you to Zoranne for coming on the podcast to be a guest host for our review of Her Soul to Take by Harley LaRoux!

Zoranne and Bridget got along like a house on fire and had a great time talking forked tongues, "dumb-bitch-itis", and what we would have done in this scenario! Check out our ratings for the MCs, book overall, and general deep dive... at a glance of course!

You can follow Zoranne on IG and TikTok and get great reviews on fantasy, Science Fiction, and romance!

Her Soul to Take is a paranormal, dark romance with dark academia vibes. It is part of the Souls Trilogy.

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Affiliates! Get a discount and we get an affiliate commission!

• That sweet sweet juice, Magic Mind, that's helping us stress less and be WAY more productive, use our code ROMANCEATAGLANCE20. For 20% off a one-time order or 48% off a subscription!
• Get 30 days free on Kindle Unlimited just for our listeners!
• Or listen on Audible like Shani and get up to two free ebooks when you try Audible Premium Plus.

******

Leave us a rating and review on Itunes

A lot of additional listening on Patreon!

Welcome to Romance at a Glance, a podcast that uses romance novels to dive into candid conversations about life, relationship dynamics, and sexual desires.

As hosts Bridget and Shani review books and interview some of romance's biggest authors, they explore the breadth of the genre, openly embracing the sex, diverse couplings, and taboos to create a safe space for listeners to be exposed to different lifestyles, fantasies, and to pique their naughty curiosity.

Expect 100% honest reviews, spontaneous singing, life lessons, indecent anecdotes, and bawdy humor.

Check out www.romanceataglance.com

Chat with us on Instagram at instagram.com/romanceataglance

Support us on Patreon at patreon.com/romanceataglance

We Read This Terrible Book So You Don’t Have To: A Review of Pen Pal by J.T. Geissinger

Rarely do books leave you feeling this bewildered. Pen Pal by J.T. Geissinger tries to be an edgy, dark romance but ends up being a chaotic blend of clichés, forced angst, and questionable plot twists. Right from the start, it’s clear that something doesn’t quite add up — and unfortunately, that vibe never improves.

The premise is interesting enough: a grieving widow starts receiving letters from an anonymous admirer, and their correspondence quickly becomes intense. But rather than diving into a suspenseful, engaging story, the book takes wild turns that feel more like attempts to shock than to develop a coherent plot. The romance itself lacks depth, and instead of chemistry, we’re served a strange mix of over-the-top declarations and contrived drama that often leaves you rolling your eyes.

Character motivations are poorly developed, and the plot holes are glaring. The writing occasionally shows promise, but even Geissinger’s usual knack for emotional depth feels muddled here. The twist, which should have been a major reveal, feels less like a revelation and more like a desperate attempt to salvage the story’s lack of structure.

If you’re looking for a dark romance with intensity and genuine suspense, Pen Pal might just leave you disappointed. Save yourself the frustration — we read this one so you don’t have to.

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Affiliates! Get a discount and we get an affiliate commission!

• That sweet sweet juice, Magic Mind, that's helping us stress less and be WAY more productive, use our code ROMANCEATAGLANCE20. For 20% off a one-time order or 48% off a subscription!
• Get 30 days free on Kindle Unlimited just for our listeners!
• Or listen on Audible like Shani and get up to two free ebooks when you try Audible Premium Plus.

******

Leave us a rating and review on Itunes

A lot of additional listening on Patreon!

Welcome to Romance at a Glance, a podcast that uses romance novels to dive into candid conversations about life, relationship dynamics, and sexual desires.

As hosts Bridget and Shani review books and interview some of romance's biggest authors, they explore the breadth of the genre, openly embracing the sex, diverse couplings, and taboos to create a safe space for listeners to be exposed to different lifestyles, fantasies, and to pique their naughty curiosity.

Expect 100% honest reviews, spontaneous singing, life lessons, indecent anecdotes, and bawdy humor.

Check out www.romanceataglance.com

Chat with us on Instagram at instagram.com/romanceataglance

Support us on Patreon at patreon.com/romanceataglance