We Read Smut: Bookish Conversations for Romance Readers

Епизоди

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  Samantha Saldivar on Sapphic Sports Romance, Latina Representation, and Traditional Publishing 14.08.2026 36мин

  If you've been listening to this podcast for any length of time, you know how much I love showcasing queer authors, queer stories, and sapphic romance. Today, we get a special bonus as I sit down with Sam Saldivar (Samantha Saldivar), a queer Latina author who writes high-stakes sapphic sports romance. We dive into the nitty-gritty of traditional publishing, navigating a surprise four-manuscript backlog, pitching authentic Latina representation in sports, and building long-arc, second-chance ...
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  Aya Winter on How Trend Readership Is Ruining Character Arcs and Reader Expectations 07.08.2026 41мин

  Trend readership is a fascinating topic, especially when readers enter a new genre without understanding the underlying character arcs or structural conventions. This week, I am sitting down with multi-genre indie author Aya Winter to break down what happens when hype-driven reading trends take over the fantasy and romantasy spaces. We dive into the hero’s journey, why readers confuse long-standing genre conventions with plagiarism, the creative autonomy of indie publishing, and why we need t...
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  Gabriella Gamez on Librarians in Love, Brother’s Best Friend, and Latinx Character Dynamics 31.07.2026 42мин

  Let's talk about the absolute chaos demon that these librarians' love lives are. This week, I am sitting down with Gabriella Gamez to talk all about her Librarians in Love series. We dive into her books The Next Best Fling, Kiss Me Maybe, and her brand-new release, Second First Dates. Gabby shares her journey navigating traditional publishing, the intentional choices behind writing ace, graysexual, and demisexual characters, and how romance novels allow us to unpack deeply complex family dyna...
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  Melanated Reader on Mobilizing One Million Readers for Black Literature and Fighting Post-Literacy 28.07.2026 30мин

  What started as a simple vision to mobilize the bookish community has turned into an entire movement aiming to pull one million people together to read books by Black authors. In this special bonus episode, I am sitting down with Crystal, the founder and force behind Melanated Reader Forte. We dive into her One Million Black Books initiative, what it actually means to live in a post-literate society, how fast-forwarding through content is shortening our attention spans, and practical ways we ...
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  Katie Duggan on Giving Marginalized Characters the Spicy Happily-Ever-Afters They Deserve 24.07.2026 50мин

  Who says that romance is only for able-bodied or thin characters? In this episode, Northern Virginia romance author Katie Duggan joins the microphone to look at how we can take regular contemporary romance tropes and subvert them to center fat, neurodivergent, disabled, and queer representation. We discuss her journey from high school creative writing magazine editor to falling into the romance genre during lockdown, how she uses her day job at a massive chain bookstore to advocate for divers...
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  Alyssa on Stories & Spoilers, Sapphic Romance, and Book Reviews 17.07.2026 1ч 12мин

  If you read across genres and love picking apart the deeper mechanics of a story, this conversation is for you. This week, I am sitting down with Alyssa, the brilliant host of the Stories & Spoilers podcast. As a self-proclaimed mood reader who hops from dark romance and monster smut to Indigenous horror and graphic novels, Alyssa brings a beautifully diverse perspective to the reading community. We dive into how our reading tastes evolve as we grow up, the structural importance of ...
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  Regina Black on Soap Opera Romance Tropes and Writing Authentic Character Choices 10.07.2026 48мин

  How much do your childhood experiences or the way you were raised dictate the choices you make as an adult? This week, I am sitting down with the incredible Regina Black, author of The Art of Scandal and her latest paperback release, August Lane. Regina has a masterful way of creating fully fleshed characters who make deeply human, interesting choices based entirely on their past structures. We discuss how growing up on daytime soap operas influenced her angsty voice, her winding path from wr...
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  How to Find Bookish Friends and Romance Community Outside Social Media 03.07.2026 14мин

  Making new friends as an adult is notoriously difficult, and when your primary hobby is reading high-heat romance novels, it can feel even harder to find your people. As an introvert who gets overstimulated quickly, the thought of trying to build a community through endless social media scrolling can feel exhausting. In this solo season premiere, I am breaking down easy, low-pressure ways to find bookish friends who match your energy and your favorite tropes (both virtually and in real life) ...
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  Organizing My Physical & Digital Library as a Mood Reader 29.05.2026 17мин

  Organizing your bookshelves or Kindle starting to feel chaotic? In this Season 3 finale, I’m taking you behind the scenes of how I organize my physical and digital romance library without making it a full-time job. We’re talking sapphic shelves, BIPOC-only shelves, signed books, Kindle collections, Handy Library, StoryGraph, and how it all works together so I stop double-buying books and always know what to read next. In this episode, you’ll learn: How I organize my main bookshelf on camer...
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  Adrienne Thurman on Finding Yourself at Every Phase of Life and Don’t Tell Me How It Ends 22.05.2026 33мин

  Reconnecting with your creative identity after a massive life shift is challenging, especially when that shift is motherhood. Today, I am talking with debut author Adrienne Thurman about her new contemporary rom-com, Don't Tell Me How It Ends. We have an incredibly honest conversation regarding the isolation of the first year of parenting, processing postpartum depression, and how navigating those heavy phases of life can actually spark the desire to write gloriously unlikable women who get t...
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  Swati Hegde on Love Beyond Reasonable Doubt and Second Chance Romance 15.05.2026 45мин

  Second chance romance has been testing my boundaries lately. After years of avoiding the trope, I am finally seeing the appeal of a hard-earned reunion. Today, I sit down with Swati Hegde to discuss her new book, Love Beyond Reasonable Doubt. We explore the sharp tension of the courtroom, the massive differences between the Indian and US legal systems, and the importance of writing neurodivergent leads with depth and soul. Swati Hegde is the author of Love Beyond Reasonable Doubt, Can...
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  Marina Hill on Subverting the Billionaire Trope in Romance 08.05.2026 38мин

  The billionaire trope is a staple in romance, but what happens when the hero decides he doesn't actually want the money? Today, I’m talking with Marina Hill about her journey from writing fanfiction to crafting intricate stories that challenge genre standards. We discuss the anti-billionaire lead in Royal Pain, the vital importance of representing undiagnosed chronic pain, and why the enemies-with-benefits trope remains undefeated. Marina Hill is a multifaceted author romance to histori...
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  Fat Girl Smut on Early Release (IYKYK) and Fat Positive Romance 01.05.2026 58мин

  Everyone deserves to see themselves reflected in every single trope and microtrope. Today, I am joined by Meg of Fat Girl Smut to examine the radical joy of seeing larger bodies in romance and the specific humor of the coming early microtrope. We talk about the empathy gap, why erotica is a necessary space for healing, and how to find beauty in your own body exactly as it is right now. Key Takeaways Why reading about experiences different from your own is the fastest way to increase your unde...
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  Charish Reid on The Realities of Academia & Writing Across Genres 24.04.2026 43мин

  I am always curious about how authors take their real-world expertise and use it to craft stories that make us feel seen. This week, I chat with Charish Reid, an author who navigated the world of academia as an adjunct instructor before making her mark in both contemporary and paranormal romance. We discuss her book Mickey Chambers Shakes It Up, the importance of showing rather than telling chronic illness, and why we are both strictly "no" on Ouija boards. Charish also shares how she uses he...
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  Babe in Library on Second Chance Recs You’ll Actually Love 17.04.2026 53мин

  Second Chance Romance usually gets a meh from me. I am a fool me once, shame on you type of reader, so reruns in romance rarely make my list. But today, Lisa from Babe in Library joins the podcast to flip the script on its head. She shares why this trope sits at the top of her favorites and how it offers a unique sense of safety. We also announce a big project coming this September for the We Read Smut community. Lisa, better known as Babe in Library on Instagram and YouTube, is an avid reade...
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  10+ Autistic Rep Romance Recommendations: Shifting the Narrative on Neurodivergence 10.04.2026 11мин

  In honor of Autism Acceptance Month, I am sharing a curated list of books that feature authentic autistic representation. This episode is deeply personal. I share the story of my son’s diagnosis and how that journey led to my own realization that I am likely on the spectrum as well. We talk about the power of teach me romances, why grumpy female leads are a breath of fresh air, and how these authors (many of whom are neurodivergent themselves) create spaces where we feel seen, validated, and ...
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  L.M. Bennett on Flipping the Script on Earned Happily Ever Afters 03.04.2026 29мин

  I am always curious about how my favorite authors take tropes I sometimes struggle with and make them absolutely delicious. In this episode, I chatted with L.M. Bennett, the author behind some of the most soulful and beautifully complicated Black Sapphic romances on my shelf. We dive into her journey from writing Matlock-inspired courtroom dramas as a kid to centering Black queer women who are allowed to be messy, soft, and wholly themselves. L.M. also shares why she refuses to skip the hard ...
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  Danielle Allen on The Shift From Indie to Traditional Book Deals 27.03.2026 36мин

  Does the romance industry still fear fat Black women on book covers? USA Today Bestselling author Danielle Allen joins the podcast to discuss her transition from a prolific indie career to traditional publishing with Bramble. She explains why her stories center fat Black joy rather than the struggle of a body type. We examine how her background as a life coach helps her characters move from mere existence to a life of reclamation and confidence. Danielle Allen is a USA Today bestselling autho...
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  The Curvy Literary on Curating Your Algorithm to Find Plus-Size Romance 20.03.2026 41мин

  What happens when you realize the romance novels you love don’t feature characters who look like you? Keshia, the creator behind The Curvy Literary, joins the podcast to share how she reclaimed her reading life by centering plus-size heroines. She explains how she intentionally trained social media algorithms to serve her the representation she craved and why she launched a podcast to explore the human experience through long-form conversations. Keshia is the host of The Curvy Literary podcas...
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  Diverse Rivals to Lovers: Sapphic, BIPOC, and Plus-Size Rep 13.03.2026 14мин

  There is something absolutely delicious about rivals to lovers, and I am not talking about enemies to lovers. While the two often get lumped together, a true rivalry focuses on competition and the drive for success. Whether it is a workplace promotion, a sports tournament, or a professional title, I LOVE IT! Today, I explore why this is my all-time favorite trope and share a curated list of recommendations ranging from office competitions to professional wrestling, including several titles cu...