Y'all I made a meaningful dent in my TBR pile! It felt incredible to finally read By the Bootstraps by Alexa Martin, a fluffy fun cowboy romance published earlier this year by Berkley. I also read the newest book in the Spell Shop series by Sarah Beth Durst, Sea of Charms, in preparation for our event together at Northport Books. Next week I will share an edited transcript of our conversation about why escapism is a necessity, not a luxury.

As we hit the last two weeks of August, here are the books in my tote bag.

Til Quest Do Us Part by Ivelisse Housman — I'm almost done with this cozy romantasy publishing in December from Ace. It's like The Princess Knight by Cait Jacobs meets the Zelda franchise and I haven't been able to put it down since my arc arrived in the mail. Pre-order it for sure.

When the Duke Loved Me by Lydia Lloyd — I'm on a Lloyd kick following the release of her newest historical romance Rogue Around the Edges. Her books are wildly sexy and smart, and this one features her trademark Typically Self-Composed Man In a Horny Panic. Really good enemies to lovers, too.

Unfinished Business by Clare Osongco — I'm slowly reading this genre-bendy book about a woman whose recently deceased mother is haunting her company's Slack. The love triangle has just introduced itself (both men are alive, for the record), but what's hooked me is the commentary on workplace culture and the extractive manipulation of a business taken over by venture capital. This book feels like a cousin to my debut novel But How Are You, Really and I want the heroines to get lunch and talk about quitting their shitty jobs!!

Kiss of the Basilisk by Lindsay Straube — I'll be honest, I borrowed this best-selling TikTok smash from the library to make fun of it with my boyfriend and we both wound up engrossed. Originally self-published as Spit or Swallow, this book is about a basilisk/man training a young virgin in the sensual arts (to put it politely). It is pure erotic romance, and it delivers. It's got me thinking about how BookTok has destroyed the genre divisions between erotica, erotic romance, and romance, with all three lumped together under the label of "smut." If you pick up Kiss of the Basilisk expecting a classic romance, you will probably not enjoy it. But if you go in wanting to read erotica with training kink and hot snake men, this is the perfect book for you.

What are you reading? What should I add to my TBR?

Here's your weekly roundup of romances hitting shelves this week that have a Rebel Ever After vibe. Reminder that I haven't read any of these titles yet, so this isn't an official endorsement unless noted. If there are other books out today that you think folks will enjoy, feel free to recommend them in the comments.

[This isn't an exhaustive list of every romance novel published this week. If you are an author with a progressive romance coming out soon, please email brosandprose@gmail.com to get it on my radar!]

Devil by Sierra Simone (Bloom Books) — The fourth book in the delightfully blasphemous Priest erotic romance series! I recommend checking the content warnings on Sierra's site just in case.

See You at the Sunset by Susan Lee (MIRA) – I saw Susan speak at LoveLitCon about writing HEAs for underrepresented folks and she is so damn funny.

World's Okayest Oracle (Reluctantly) Seeks Demon by Olivia Dade (Berkley) — We always stan Olivia Dade. A new rom-com in the universe of ZOMROMCOM! Prepare yourself by listening to our episode from last summer.

Let's Kiss and Tell by Joss Richard (Viking) — A sex writer fake-dates a colleague who is reporting on a sex work scandal. You best believe they fuck. I interviewed Joss about the book (and her deranged fan-fiction origins) a few weeks ago.

Professionally Yours by Kayla Ashlyn (indie) — Small-town found-family romance about falling in love with your boss. Whom among us.

She Haunts Me Still by De Elizabeth (Dutton) — A dark academia theater new adult bisexual love triangle paranormal ROMP. I devoured this twisty turny book and haven't stopped thinking about one sex scene in particular ever since.

In What World by Bridget Morrissey (Berkley) — Sapphic enemies-to-lovers about two former high school rivals who are trying to solve a mystery and somehow alternate dimensions are involved and they meet alternate versions of themselves who are in love???

The Magic We Made by Meg Cabot (Avon) — I haven't read any of Meg Cabot's adult novels! Have folks here read them? Tell me if I should pick them up as a diehard Princess Diaries fan!

For the Love of the Quest by Alexandra Ammon Parthun (Alcove) — From the marketing copy: "The search for King Arthur’s Excalibur invites danger…and potentially love in this sapphic historical romance perfect for fans of Cat Sebastian and Freya Marske."

As a reminder, I have some events coming up in the NY area!

8/12: Celebrating Sea of Charms with Sarah Beth Durst at Northport Books in Northport, Long Island. Tickets here.

8/26: Rebel Ever After Bindery virtual launch party with special guests Adib Khorram, Laura Piper Lee, and Erin Baldwin. Join for free on Bindery to attend.

9/3: Launching Love Me Like a Rock Song with Shelly Jay Shore at the Ripped Bodice BK. Tickets here.

9/30: Launching Happily Ever Afterlife with Emma R. Alban at the Ripped Bodice BK. Tickets here.

This week my guest is Alicia Thompson, the author of five adult romance novels including With Love, From Cold World and Never Been Shipped. We talked about balancing magical realism with grounded characterization in her new book In Every Possible Way. Plus: Alicia’s amazing newsletter about music, our hatred of the “reverse” trope, and how she writes men worth falling for.

Listen on:

• Apple Podcasts

• Spotify

• Castbox

• Libsyn

Follow Alicia on Instagram @aliciabooks and on Substack at aliciabooks.substack.com. Purchase Alicia's books from the Rebel Ever After affiliate bookstore at bit.ly/REAbooks

Rep the podcast with Rebel Ever After MERCH! Browse our new store here: https://rebeleverafter.creator-spring.com/

Don't forget to rate and review on your favorite podcast app, too!

Theme music created by Dalton Deschain.

Media mentioned this episode:

• Hype & Type marketing newsletter: bethearchetype.substack.com

• Ulysses by James Joyce

• Groundhog Day (1993)

• Chernobyl (2019, HBO)

• The Cranberries

• Tom Petty

• Kelly Clarkson

Ella's Upcoming events:

8/12: Celebrating Sea of Charms with Sarah Beth Durst at Northport Books in Northport, Long Island. Tickets here.

8/26: Rebel Ever After Bindery virtual launch party with special guests Adib Khorram, Laura Piper Lee, and Erin Baldwin. Join for free on Bindery to attend.

9/3: Launching Love Me Like a Rock Song with Shelly Jay Shore at the Ripped Bodice BK. Tickets here.

9/30: Launching Happily Ever Afterlife with Emma R. Alban at the Ripped Bodice BK. Tickets here.

Here's your weekly roundup of romances hitting shelves this week that have a Rebel Ever After vibe. Reminder that I haven't read any of these titles yet, so this isn't an official endorsement unless noted.

[This isn't an exhaustive list of every romance novel out today. If you are an author with a progressive romance coming out soon, please email brosandprose@gmail.com to get it on my radar!]

Be Still My Unbeating Heart by Josh Winning (G.P. Putnam's Sons) — Gay himbo vampire with a talking cat. Sold!

Sex Positive by Brooklyn Rose (indie) — I stumbled across this indie title while digging around for new releases and fell in love with the premise: a college student hates abstinence-only sex education and wants to launch a comprehensive sex ed program... but she's never had sex. Luckily, her hot nemesis is the campus playboy, and he's willing to lend a helping hand. Available on KU.

Embrace by Bal Khabra (Berkley) — I've never dipped my toe into this hockey romance series set in college, but folks love it.

Lost and Found by Tarah DeWitt (St. Martin's Griffin) — Another author I desperately need to read but haven't gotten around to yet. Lost and Found includes very thoughtful and detailed content warnings, especially about IVF, infertility, and the death of a loved one to cancer, so read with caution.

International Relations by Zac Hammett (Slowburn/Zando) — This sounds like The Proposal but gay. Fake dating turns into a real marriage because of Visa complications.

Find My Way Down to You by Julian Winters (Viking Books for Young Readers) — A Hadestown-coded YA novel by past Rebel Ever After guest.

Rogue Around the Edges by Lydia Lloyd (indie) — A new banger from one of my favorite historical romance authors. I'm about 20% in and glued to my Kindle. Lloyd is one of those indies who has more talent than most of the traditionally published authors on shelves today, sorry not sorry, I said what I said.

Ghosts That We Knew by Amity Malcom (indie) — This book cover goes so hard, y'all. A rare romance with a trans MMC. Available on KU.

This Tuesday delivers a big batch of new books. Here is a roundup of romances hitting shelves today that have a Rebel Ever After vibe. Reminder that I haven't read any of these titles yet, so this isn't an official endorsement!

[This isn't an exhaustive list of every romance novel out today. If you are an author with a progressive romance coming out soon, please email brosandprose@gmail.com to get it on my radar!]

Out today 7/28:

Fossil Feud by Maggie North (Dell) — RIVAL PALEONTOLOGISTS! I DO NOT NEED TO SAY MORE.

Pride Comes Before a Fall by Virginia Heath (St. Martin's Griffin) — This Regency heroine writes for a radical newspaper that wants to take down the aristocracy. Must be awkward when she falls in love with a duke! 

Sea of Charms by Sarah Beth Durst (Bramble) — Sarah Beth Durst’s fantasy books are so cozy and lovely. This is the third book in her Spellshop universe. I’m in conversation with her about Sea of Charms at Northport Books on August 12th. Come through! 

Second First Dates by Gabriella Gamez (Forever) — A new contemporary romance by the author of The Next Big Fling and Kiss Me, Maybe. I’ll buy it just to own that beautiful Leni Kauffman cover.

Wild Goose Chase by Sarah Adler (Berkley) — Two antique dealers have to find and dispose of an illegal taxidermied goose. This line in the marketing copy killed me: “Will the hunt for their felonious fowl lead to true love, or end in ruin?” Bonkers premise, I’m sold. 

Maggie and Arthur's Magic Moment by Leslie René (Ace) — Magical university professors have to share an office. Even in fantasy realms, those pesky budget cuts in academia, am I right? 

Breakup For Two by E.M. Wilson (Frayed Pages x Wattpad Books) — I’m curious about this imprint spearheaded by breakout Wattpad author Anna Todd. Breakup for Two is pitched for fans of Talia Hibbert, Jackie Lau, and Rachel Lynn Solomon.

New titles missed last week:

How (Not) to Renovate a Haunted House by Jenny L. Howe — I forgot to include this new spooky Summerween YA romance in my last roundup. Jenny is a previous Rebel Ever After guest who writes fantastic fat representation. She just wrote on Instagram about why fat characters are disappearing from YA titles, and her analysis applies to adult romance, too.

In her upcoming sophomore novel Let’s Kiss and Tell, Joss Richard explores sex-positive topics like sex work, vasectomies, and childfree happily-ever-afters. In this episode of Rebel Ever After, we dug into what romance genre conventions are made to be broken, and writing stories that make readers feel seen. Plus! You will not guess what fan fiction Joss wrote as a teenager. She shared how an idea for a Three’s Company fic led to her first novel, It’s Different This Time.

This episode is not appropriate for children, or people who don’t want to bonk radioactive ghouls in the post-nuclear fallout wasteland. If you know you know.

Listen on:

• Apple Podcasts

• Spotify

• Castbox

• Libsyn

You can find Joss on social media at @joss.richard or on her website jossrichard.com. Purchase Joss's books from the Rebel Ever After affiliate bookstore at bit.ly/REAbooks

Rep the podcast with Rebel Ever After MERCH! Browse our new store here: https://rebeleverafter.creator-spring.com/

Don't forget to rate and review on your favorite podcast app, too!

Theme music created by Dalton Deschain.

Authors and media mentioned this episode:

• Emily Henry

• Ali Hazelwood

• Elissa Sussman

• Kennedy Ryan

• Emily Griffin's Something Borrowed

• Sophie Kinsella's Confessions of a Shopaholic

• Fallout (video game franchise and Amazon Prime show)

• Three's Company

• Mary Poppins

• The Sound of Music

• How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

• Heroes

Hey Rebels! On Tuesday I'm interviewing one of my favorite authors, Alicia Thompson, about her magical new Ireland romance In Every Possible Way. What are you dying to know about her career and her craft?

Submit your questions in the comments by Tuesday morning and I might ask her during the next episode of Rebel Ever After.

You can find all of Alicia's books in the Rebel Ever After affiliate bookstore here. Never Been Shipped is my current favorite, but With Love, From Cold World is a bisexual classic.

Hi folks! I'm so excited to help reveal the cover for London Sperry's new rom-com CITY PEOPLE, publishing April 6, 2027 from Penguin Random House.

Rebel Ever After listeners will remember London from our episode last August about her debut romance PASSION PROJECT and her quest to write a self-destructive, grieving baddie who deserves love. We had a wonderfully silly conversation despite the heavy subject matter.

I asked London what the REA community will enjoy about her sophomore novel. She texted me,

"City People deals with the stories that we tell ourselves about who we are, and what it means when you start to question those stories. It’s about change and growth, but mostly, it’s about letting go. It’s also about loving your gramma.

I hope REA listeners enjoy a man who thinks consent, pet names, and being berated by unlikeable female leads are sexy; an intergenerational female-only family; and a woman who wouldn’t know what she’s avoiding if you drew a map for her."

City People is available for pre-order wherever books are sold. You can pick it up from the Rebel Ever After affiliate store here.

About the book

A woman desperate to hold onto her Brooklyn brownstone can’t ignore her chemistry with the one man standing in her way, in this poignant enemies-to-lovers rom-com by the author of Passion Project.

Teddi Cooper, third-generation New Yorker, has breathed city air since the day she was born. Her life is perfectly syncopated with the beautiful, chaotic tempo of Brooklyn, from the moment she steps out the door of the brownstone she shares with her grandmother, to the moment she falls asleep with taxi horns blaring into the frenetic night.

So when Gram announces that she’s selling the brownstone and moving to Florida, the rhythm of Teddi’s life descends into cacophony. How could Gram not see that leaving NYC would be a betrayal of their very identities? If Gram needs a reminder of who she is, Teddi will do anything to show her—including coordinating a reunion show of the Broadway musical that made Gram famous before she gave up life in the spotlight. And to lay the pressure on thick, Teddi even gets Gram’s former co-star Hal Harrison on board.

The show is barely off the ground before Teddi comes head-to-head with Hal’s talent agent Reid Fletcher, who refuses to let Hal partake. Reid is charming, smart-mouthed, and absolutely infuriating, but Teddi knows a thing or two about digging her heels in.  As Teddi squares off against Reid over email, in the theater, and even through a heated game of tennis, she’s prompted to wonder if her dogged stubbornness is holding her back. Who would she be if she wasn’t determined to control Gram’s next move, to be a New Yorker at any cost? Is it possible that her identity is larger than the city she’s built her life around? And, most frightening of all, could her new life have room in it for someone else?

Tuesday is the best day of the week for readers — new release day! Book discovery is hella broken, so it can be easy to miss publishing announcements of fresh titles. Here is a roundup of romances hitting shelves today that have a Rebel Ever After vibe. I haven't read any of these titles yet, so this isn't an official endorsement, but they are authors I respect and want to see succeed.

[This isn't an exhaustive list of every romance novel published today. If you are an author with a progressive romance coming out soon, please email brosandprose@gmail.com to get it on my radar!]

Thighs Wide Shut by Hayley Fleming (Dial Press) — Hayley wrote a great essay for People Magazine about what inspired her to write a romance about a heroine with vaginismus.

Unfinished Business by Clare Osongco (Dell) — this GoodReads review really sold me: "You may think this is a book about a ghost haunting Slack. You may think it's a romance featuring a High Value Man™. It's actually about the horrors of capitalism."

Just a Highland Fling By Naina Kumar (Dell) — You probably know Naina as the author of Say You’ll Be Mine and Flirting with Disaster. I did not know she was also a civil rights lawyer?? Anyway, the love interest is described in the marketing copy as "a hot desi bagpiper from the wedding who just happens to be Neelu’s recent one-night stand." Yes please.

Married with Benefits by Ellie Palmer (G.P. Putnam’s Sons) — A NEW MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE FOR HEALTH INSURANCE CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE!!!! LET'S F*CKING GO!!!!

The Princess Trap (Deluxe Edition) by Talia Hibbert (Sourcebooks Casablanca) — Love to see a beautiful reissue of a brilliant author's backlist. I hear it has the touchstones of a Talia Hibbert classic: casually bi characters, the celebration of fat bodies, a good mix of angst and steam. Plus a royal fake engagement! Hibbert included the following content warning on her website: "Please be aware: This story contains scenes of abuse that could potentially trigger certain audiences."

Vera Stein Is Fine by Julie Murphy (Avon) — Heroine in her 40s!!! Murphy has written a bunch of books, including If The Shoe Fits and the YA hit Dumplin'. She also writes romances with Sierra Simone, like A Merry Little Meet Cute and Fundamentals of Being a Good Girl, which is burning a hole in my TBR.