Bring Your Own: A Bookish Podcast for Romance Readers
Brandi, Kendra, & Kayla
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Bring Your Own is a bookish podcast hosted by three besties who met via the internet. Each week Brandi, Kendra, and Kayla chat (and sometimes fight) about their favorite books, authors, the bookish community, and more. The podcast focuses on romance readers and covers book recommendations, discussions, and community engagement.
Epizode
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2026 Books You Need to Add to Your Summer TBR 04.06.2026 1h 24minIn this episode we’re spotlighting the most anticipated romance, literary, and fantasy releases of the summer season. From heavy-hitting, big name romance releases, to debut authors we can’t wait to read, these are the books about to take over your TBR. Whether you’re here for romance, litfic, or romantasy recommendations, this Summer Book Release Radar has you covered. Get your calendar ready for authors like Olivie Blake, Sierra Simone, Rachel Lynn Solomon, Tarah DeWitt, Tia Williams, and more! Drop the title you’re most excited about in the comments, and let us know what we should read next! Join the BYO book club on Patreon! Our June 2026 pick is Score by Kennedy Ryan! Follow us on Instagram @BringYourOwnPod Follow us on Tiktok @BringYourOwnPod_ Follow Brandi @Brandos.Books Follow Kendra @Kendra.Readz Follow Kayla @Kaylas.Bookshelf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Everyone’s Losing It and Brooke Averick Explains Why 28.05.2026 43minBrooke Averick joins Bring Your Own to discuss her debut novel Phoebe Berman’s Gonna Lose It and why modern life feels like one long emotional emergency. From existential crises to dating disasters, Brooke dives into the balance of chaos and sincerity, and why that combination makes the best stories. Known also for her hit show Brooke and Connor Make a Podcast, Brooke is no stranger to conversations about social anxiety, embarrassing moments, and being deeply online. This episode gets into all the messy, funny, painfully relatable details while unpacking Phoebe’s journey through sex, shame, adulthood, and trying not to feel “behind” while figuring life out. SPOILERS FROM 24:22 - 27:34 Join the BYO book club on Patreon! Our May 2026 pick is Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune! Follow us on Instagram @BringYourOwnPod Follow us on Tiktok @BringYourOwnPod_ Follow Brandi @Brandos.Books Follow Kendra @Kendra.Readz Follow Kayla @Kaylas.Bookshelf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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We Have A Lot to Say About Cherry Baby… 21.05.2026 1h 15minDid Rainbow Rowell deliver with Cherry Baby? This week on Bring Your Own, Kayla, Kendra, and Brandi are doing a FULL deep dive into Cherry Baby. We talk about the relationships, the writing, the scenes that stuck with us, and why Cherry Baby feels a little different from some of her other books in the best way. We also get into our overall thoughts on Rainbow Rowell as one loyal longtime reader, a newer megafan, and a more casual reader, and how her stories hit so different for each of us. If you’ve read Cherry Baby, come hang out with us and tell us your thoughts because we have SO much to discuss. In this episode:• our honest Rainbow Rowell thoughts• favorite moments from Cherry Baby• what worked really well for us• the characters we got attached to immediately• why this book stayed on our minds after finishing it Join the BYO book club on Patreon! Our May 2026 pick is Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune! Follow us on Instagram @BringYourOwnPod Follow us on TikTok @BringYourOwnPod_ Follow Brandi @Brandos.Books Follow Kendra @Kendra.Readz Follow Kayla @Kaylas.Bookshelf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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We Need to Talk About Off Campus 20.05.2026 1h 17minWe couldn’t just NOT talk about Off Campus, so two episodes this week it is! We binged all of Off Campus, the brand-new TV adaptation inspired by the hockey romance book series that took BookTok by storm. Now, we’re breaking down our first impressions, favorite moments, casting choices, what worked (and what didn’t), and whether the show lives up to the hype of the original books. From iconic scenes to character chemistry, we’re discussing all the drama, romance, and adaptation choices fans are already talking about. Did Off Campus stay true to the books? Which characters stole the show? Are we officially obsessed? Join the BYO book club on Patreon! Our May 2026 pick is Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune! Follow us on Instagram @BringYourOwnPod Follow us on Tiktok @BringYourOwnPod_ Follow Brandi @Brandos.Books Follow Kendra @Kendra.Readz Follow Kayla @Kaylas.Bookshelf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Tier Ranking Your Favorite Book Couples 14.05.2026 57min🚨 YOUR FAVORITE BOOK COUPLE IS BREAKING UP 🚨 Okay… maybe not literally… but we are tier ranking some of your favorite iconic romance book couples and making some VERY controversial decisions. From “together in every lifetime” to “not making it down the aisle,” we’re sorting your faves into tiers, defending our hot takes, and probably starting arguments along the way. Join us for chaos, romance discourse, and way too much emotional investment in fictional relationships on this week’s episode of BYO. Who’s S-tier and who’s getting dumped? Join the BYO book club on Patreon! Our May 2026 pick is Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune! Follow us on Instagram @BringYourOwnPod Follow Brandi @Brandos.Books Follow Kendra @Kendra.Readz Follow Kayla @Kaylas.Bookshelf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Books to Define a Year: Celebrating Kendra 07.05.2026 1h 1minA year of reading, evolving, and growth! We’re celebrating Kendra the only way we know how: through love and stories. In this special episode, we look back on the reads and other media that defined Kendra’s past year, with books like Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid, Correspondent by Ann Patchett, Phoebe Beman's Gonna Lose It by Brooke Averick, No Matter What by Cara Bastone, and more. We also revisit her old BookTok videos (RECEIPTS, PROOF, TIMELINES, etc., etc.), reflect on how her 27th year has shaped her, and look forward to more joy to come. Expect a mix of nostalgia, honest reactions, a little chaos, and plenty of book recommendations along the way. Come celebrate Kendra with us through the stories that shaped her year! Join the BYO book club on Patreon! Our May 2026 pick is Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune! Follow us on Instagram @BringYourOwnPod Follow Brandi @Brandos.Books Follow Kendra @Kendra.Readz Follow Kayla @Kaylas.Bookshelf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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13 Going on 30: Revisiting Books We Loved as Tweens 30.04.2026 1h 15minIn this week's episode Kayla, Kendra, and Brandi take a nostalgic dive back into the books that shaped us during our tween years, and the stories we once obsessed over. Now that we’re older (and allegedly wiser), we’re revisiting these favorites with fresh eyes. Do they still hold up? Were they as deep as we remembered, or just dramatic in that perfectly middle-school way? We found a mix of heartfelt reflection, some light roasting, and even some “wait… why did no one question this??” Let us know, what book defined your tween years, and are you brave enough to reread it now? Join the BYO book club on Patreon! Our April 2026 pick is The Name Game by Beth O'Leary! Follow us on Instagram @BringYourOwnPod Follow Brandi @Brandos.Books Follow Kendra @Kendra.Readz Follow Kayla @Kaylas.Bookshelf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Reader Rot: Breaking Down the New York Times & Kindle Best-Sellers Lists 23.04.2026 1h 6minThis week, we’re launching the first edition of Reader Rot, and things got interesting fast. We got into the weeds with the NYT and Amazon Kindle best seller's lists and dissected them down to the smallest of details like subgenre, publishing houses, and page counts. The results weren’t what we expected. Join Kendra, Kayla, and Brandi as we dig into what’s actually dominating the charts right now, where trad and indie are showing up, and what these lists might say about reading trends overall. Plus a few moments where we couldn’t help but laugh. If you’re curious about what’s really selling (and why), this one’s worth a listen. Check out Lady Jane’s (Romancing the Data) Substack HERE. Join the BYO book club on Patreon! Our April 2026 pick is The Name Game by Beth O'Leary! Follow us on Instagram @BringYourOwnPod Follow Brandi @Brandos.Books Follow Kendra @Kendra.Readz Follow Kayla @Kaylas.Bookshelf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Reading 1-Star Review of our Favorite Books 16.04.2026 51minWe decided to hurt our own feelings this week. We went straight to the Goodreads 1-star reviews on our favorite books (AKA Hell on Earth) and pulled the meanest, funniest, most ridiculous takes we could find, then tried to guess the book based only on those (very incorrect, in our humble opinion) reviews. See if you can guess them before we do. Play along while you listen! Join the BYO book club on Patreon! Our April 2026 pick is The Name Game by Beth O'Leary! Follow us on Instagram @BringYourOwnPod Follow Brandi @Brandos.Books Follow Kendra @Kendra.Readz Follow Kayla @Kaylas.Bookshelf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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The Night We Met by Abby Jimenez Deep Dive 09.04.2026 1h 3minThree hosts, one book, and very different opinions. In this week’s episode of Bring Your Own, we break down The Night We Met by Abby Jimenez. What worked, what didn’t, and why we couldn’t agree - and don’t worry, we start spoiler free before we jump into the details! The conversation goes deeper than we expected, and the disagreements lead to great conversations. Whether you hate this book with a passion, feel meh, or liked The Night We Met, you’ll find an ally here! Join the BYO book club on Patreon! Our April 2026 pick is The Name Game by Beth O'Leary! Follow us on Instagram @BringYourOwnPod Follow Brandi @Brandos.Books Follow Kendra @Kendra.Readz Follow Kayla @Kaylas.Bookshelf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Romance Author Rose & Thorn 02.04.2026 1h 10minThis week we got REAL about our favorite romance authors. In this week’s episode, listeners called in to share their “roses and thorns,” the best and worst parts of authors they love. Some of these hot takes had us nodding our heads, others had us busting out laughing. Kendra, Kayla, and Brandi react LIVE to your submissions, share their own opinions, and dive into the highs, lows, and spicy debates happening in the romance book community right now. If you’ve ever loved an author but still had thoughts… this episode is for you. Join the BYO book club on Patreon! Our April 2026 pick is The Name Game by Beth O'Leary! Follow us on Instagram @BringYourOwnPod Follow Brandi @Brandos.Books Follow Kendra @Kendra.Readz Follow Kayla @Kaylas.Bookshelf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Mismatched Book Comps 26.03.2026 59minWe’ve all seen those “For fans of…” and “Perfect for readers who love…” blurbs on romance novels, but what happens when the comps make absolutely no sense together? This week, Brandi, Kendra, and Kayla are putting that idea to the test. In this episode the girls take two books with completely different vibes and mash them up to imagine a story that somehow works for fans of both. Will it be a chaotic mess or a surprisingly perfect match? Tune in, play along, or just sit back and enjoy the ride. Join the BYO book club on Patreon! Our March 2026 bookclub is No Matter What by Cara Bastone! Follow us on Instagram @BringYourOwnPod Follow Brandi @Brandos.Books Follow Kendra @Kendra.Readz Follow Kayla @Kaylas.Bookshelf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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One Last Trip to the Windy City: A Windy City Series + In Her Own League Deep Dive 19.03.2026 58minIn this episode of Bring Your Own, we take a look back at the Windy City Series by Liz Tomforde and the moments, characters, and stories that made the journey through Chicago so memorable. We also take a deeper dive into the Windy City spinoff In Her Own League, talking about what we loved, what stood out to us, and a few things we found ourselves being a little more critical of along the way. Be sure to share YOUR rankings of the Windy City series and your thoughts on In Her Own League with us! Join the BYO book club on Patreon! Our March 2026 bookclub is No Matter What by Cara Bastone! Follow us on Instagram @BringYourOwnPod Follow Brandi @Brandos.Books Follow Kendra @Kendra.Readz Follow Kayla @Kaylas.Bookshelf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Which Book Did It Better? 12.03.2026 1h 17minIn this episode of Bring Your Own, we put books head-to-head and ask the question every reader secretly argues about: which book actually did it better? Kayla, Kendra and Brandi compare books with similar tropes, oddly specific details, and sometimes completely ridiculous overlaps to decide which book did it better. From big plot ideas to the most niche, random things readers notice, we’re here to make the call. Some debates are serious. Some are… deeply unserious. Either way, a winner must be chosen. Join the BYO book club on Patreon! Our March 2026 bookclub is No Matter What by Cara Bastone! Follow us on Instagram @BringYourOwnPod Follow Brandi @Brandos.Books Follow Kendra @Kendra.Readz Follow Kayla @Kaylas.Bookshelf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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2026 Spring Book Releases To Have On Your TBR 05.03.2026 1h 19minIn this episode we’re spotlighting the most anticipated romance and fantasy releases of the spring season. From heavy-hitting, big name romance releases, to debut authors we can’t wait to read, these are the books about to take over your TBR. Whether you’re here for romance, fantasy, or romantasy recommendations, this Spring Book Release Radar has you covered. Drop the romance or fantasy title you’re most excited about in the comments, and let us know what we should read next! Join the BYO book club on Patreon! Our March 2026 bookclub is No Matter What by Cara Bastone! Follow us on Instagram @BringYourOwnPod Follow Brandi @Brandos.Books Follow Kendra @Kendra.Readz Follow Kayla @Kaylas.Bookshelf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Bookish Game Night: AU Meet Cutes, Bookish Matchmaker, and Name That Book 26.02.2026 1h 15minBookish Game Night is BACK! In this week’s episode, Kayla, Kendra & Brandi put their reader brains to the test with: AU Meet-Cutes; the cutest alternate universe scenarios you never knew you needed Bookish Matchmaker; who ends up with which fictional characters? Name That Book; trying to name the book from just the first line. Can you guess before we do?! Grab your favorite drink, play along, and comment your results! Be sure to tell us which game was your favorite. Join the BYO book club on Patreon! Our February 2026 pick is This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page! Follow us on Instagram @BringYourOwnPod Follow Brandi @Brandos.Books Follow Kendra @Kendra.Readz Follow Kayla @Kaylas.Bookshelf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Stephanie Archer Talks Vancouver Storm Series, Hockey Romance, and What Comes Next 19.02.2026 1h 1minBestselling author Stephanie Archer joins us to talk hockey romance and the conclusion of the Vancouver Storm series. We dive into how The Wild Card, Coach Ward, and Jordan came to life, behind-the-scenes series secrets, fan reactions, and the emotional journey of wrapping up a beloved series. Stick around and see Stephanie teases what’s coming next. Check out Stephanie's website here! Join the BYO book club on Patreon! Our February 2026 pick is This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page! Follow us on Instagram @BringYourOwnPod Follow Brandi @Brandos.Books Follow Kendra @Kendra.Readz Follow Kayla @Kaylas.Bookshelf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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The Greatest Love Stories of All Time 12.02.2026 1h 3minIn honor of Valentine’s Day, we break down the greatest fictional romances of all time across books, television, and film. From timeless classics to modern favorites that still have a grip on us, we’re covering it all! We share our personal picks and react live to voicemails from our listeners who called in with their own passionate takes. Which is YOUR favorite fictional love story? Join the BYO book club on Patreon! Our February 2026 pick is This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page! Follow us on Instagram @BringYourOwnPod Follow Brandi @Brandos.Books Follow Kendra @Kendra.Readz Follow Kayla @Kaylas.Bookshelf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Tier Ranking: Judging Books by Their Cover 05.02.2026 1h 29minWe’re judging books by their covers with no shame. From covers we think belong in the Louvre to ones that made us say “burn it.” No plots, no spoilers, just vibes. Which covers made you buy instantly? Which ones lied? Drop YOUR hot takes. Join the BYO book club on Patreon! Our February 2026 pick is This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page! Follow us on Instagram @BringYourOwnPod Follow Brandi @Brandos.Books Follow Kendra @Kendra.Readz Follow Kayla @Kaylas.Bookshelf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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The Future of the Romance Genre with Iman Hariri-Kia 29.01.2026 1h 22minIn this week’s episode, author Iman Hariri-Kia joins us to discuss the future of the romance genre and how contemporary romance is evolving. We talk about romance novels we love (including her own!), the wins and woes of modern romance publishing, and what today’s readers are looking for in romantic fiction. Follow Iman on Tiktok and Instagram Subscribe to Iman’s Newsletter! Join the BYO book club on Patreon! Our January 2026 pick is Son of the Morning by Akwaeke Emezi! Follow us on Instagram @BringYourOwnPod Follow Brandi @Brandos.Books Follow Kendra @Kendra.Readz Follow Kayla @Kaylas.Bookshelf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
