The Spicy Librarian Podcast

The Spicy Librarian
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Dark romance, romantasy, and spicy reads - served with chaos, warmth, and absolutely zero filter. The Spicy Librarian Podcast is the dark romance and romantasy podcast for readers who love yapping about books just as much as reading them. Every Thursday, D and Katie bring you honest, unhinged, and genuinely obsessive conversations about the romance books everyone is talking about, the indie titles you need to add to your TBR immediately, and the ones that kept them up until 3am. From morally grey love interests to enemies-to-lovers slow burns, from sapphic romance to why choose - if it's spicy, if it's dark, if it has made at least one of them feral, it's on the pod. Plus, as the team behind Europe's biggest independent romance bookshop, D and Katie bring a perspective on the romance community that goes far deeper than just the books. Expect book club deep dives, author interviews with some of the biggest and most exciting names in dark romance and romantasy, unhinged games, hot takes, and the kind of honest book chat you only get from your most chaotic, well-read book besties. New episodes every Thursday. Subscribe so you never miss a drop. Perfect for fans of: dark romance, romantasy, spicy books, BookTok, book club, enemies to lovers, why choose romance, indie romance authors, morally grey, slow burn, spicy romance podcast The Spicy Librarian Podcast - part of the Voices & Visuals network.

  1. 2d ago

    August Reading Round Up: Summer is Over, the Ber Months Have Arrived — The Spicy Librarian Podcast

    Dark romance and romantasy podcast The Spicy Librarian is back with the August reading roundup — summer is over, the ber months are here, and we read an unreasonable amount of books. We're debriefing our summer reads, defending our choices, and getting very hyped for the MaasVerse deep dive coming in September ahead of a vey exciting release… Summer is drawing to a close, holidays have been had, and we are ready to welcome the ber months with open arms and a very long reading list. This week on The Spicy Librarian Podcast we are debriefing everything we read over August, looking ahead to our MaasVerse deep dive, and already getting hyped for all things autumnal. Katie opens with a passionate defence of Nightshade & Daybreak by Autumn Woods — a dark academia slow burn that divided the room and we are still not over it. Then we get into the full August roundup covering dark romance, contemporary, thriller, romantasy and everything in between — from Grave Matter by Karina Halle and Body Count by Codie Crowley to Twisted Hate by Ana Huang, Dominion by Jean Kwok, and Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman. Then we turn our attention to September — a deep dive into the MaasVerse is coming, and we cannot wait. We're also discussing the August book club picks across dark romance, romantasy and contemporary, and dropping the September book club lineup, so stay tuned! Timestamps 06:08 — Nightshade & Daybreak: Katie's Defence 11:26 — Welcome to the Ber Months 16:29 — August Reading Roundup 35:12 — September TBR & The MaasVerse Deep Dive 47:24 — August Book Club: The Voice, Dominion & How to Kidnap a Fake Date 50:32 — September Book Club: A Bargain So Bloody, Friends with Monsters & Just Another Dead Boy   Books Discussed: Nightshade & Daybreak — Autumn Woods (dark academia, slow burn) Grave Matter — Karina Halle (dark romance, paranormal) Us Dark Few & Us Deadly Few — Alexis Patton (dark romance) Twisted Hate — Ana Huang (enemies to lovers, contemporary romance) To Cage a Wild Bird — Brooke Fast (dystopian, romantasy) Dominion — Jean Kwok (romantasy) Just Another Dead Boy — Kelly McCaughrain (contemporary) The Only One Left — Riley Sager (thriller) How to Kidnap a Fake Date — Effie Campbell (dark romance, fake dating) Broken Country — Clare Leslie Hall (literary fiction) The Ghost Writer — Julie Clark (thriller) The Chain — Adrian McKinty (thriller) Thirst Trap — Gráinne O'Hare (contemporary romance, queer) So I Met This Guy — Alexandra Potter (contemporary romance) The Lure of Wolves and Whispers — Amanda Connolly (romantasy) Slip Stream — Madge Maril (sports, contemporary) First Flight Final Fall — C.W. Farnsworth (contemporary romance, sports romance) Body Count — Codie Crowley (horror, queer) Here Lies a Vengeful Bitch — Codie Crowley (horror) Friends with Monsters — Albany Walker (dark romance) Tide — Carian Cole (dark romance) Daddy Issues — Kate Goldbeck (contemporary romance) You Girls Play Nice — K.D. Aldyn (thriller) Dungeon Crawler Carl 1, 2 & 3 — Matt Dinniman (fantasy, LitRPG) Yesteryear — Caro Claire Burke (literary fiction) Around the World in 80 Dates — Jasmine Burke (contemporary) The Voice — Maggie Ray Jones (contemporary romance) August Book Club: The Voice — Maggie Ray Jones (contemporary romance) Dominion — Jean Kwok (romantasy) How to Kidnap a Fake Date — Effie Campbell (dark romance, comedy) September Book Club: A Bargain So Bloody — Vasilisa Drake (dark romantasy) Friends with Monsters — Albany Walker (dark romance, paranormal) Just Another Dead Boy — Kelly McCaughrain (contemporary)   If you loved this episode follow the podcast so you never miss a drop, leave us a review — it genuinely means the world — and head to our website or Instagram for more details on everything we have coming up including the MaasVerse deep dive. We'll see you next Thursday. 🖤

  2. Sep 3

    Bookish Confessional: Judge, Jury and Executioner — The Spicy Librarian Podcast

    Dark romance and romantasy podcast, The Spicy Librarian is back — and this week we are confessing our deepest, darkest reading secrets, exposing the community, and serving as judge, jury and executioner on your most controversial bookish takes. Court is in session. We have things to confess. You have things to confess. And somebody has to hold us all accountable — so this week on The Spicy Librarian Podcast we are doing exactly that. In the confessional, we get into our own deep dark reading secrets. The books we pretended to love, the ones we secretly hated, the ones we read in one sitting and told nobody about. The bookish habits we own, the ones we're ashamed of and the ones we just can't quit. We're covering Spark of the Everflame by Penn Cole, Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, The Never List by Jade Presley, Black Rose by Jade Presley and Elena Lawson, Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, and Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman and some of what comes out of this confessional are wild and shocking. Even to us. Then the community goes on trial and *we* go on trial. You submitted your most controversial bookish confessions and Katie and Dee are ruling as judge, jury and executioner on every single one.  No one is safe. We are not sorry.   Timestamps 1:29 - Confession Opens 26:57 - We offer you our confessions  36:52 - Questions from the community Books Mentioned Spark of the Everflame — Penn Cole (romantasy, slow burn) Fourth Wing — Rebecca Yarros (romantasy, enemies to lovers) The Never List — Jade Presley (dark romance) Black Heart Painted Gold — Elena Lawson (dark romance, indie, why chose) Song of Achilles — Madeline Miller (historical fiction, MM romance, greek retelling) Noughts and Crosses — Malorie Blackman (YA, dystopian) Daggermouth — H.D. Wolfe (dark romance) ACOTAR — Sarah J. Maas (romantasy, fae romance) If you loved this episode follow the podcast so you never miss a drop, leave us a review — it genuinely means the world — and head to our website or Instagram to submit your own confessions for a future episode. We'll see you next Thursday. 🖤

  3. Aug 27

    The Post Holiday Reading DeeBrief Nobody Asked For & the Adaptations We're All Talking About — The Spicy Librarian Podcast

    Dark romance, romantasy and everything in between. The Spicy Librarian Podcast is back with a post-holiday reading debrief nobody asked for and every book adaptation we are all having big feelings about. Dee and Katie read an unreasonable amount of books. We are not sorry. We planned an episode. We did not do that episode. What we did instead was sit down, debrief everything we read over the summer, and spiral into a very passionate conversation about the book adaptations that need to happen immediately and the ones that are already in the works. Katie brings us dark romance, contemporary and romantasy reads including Grave Matter by Karina Halle, Nightshade & Daybreak by Autumn Woods, and Twisted Hate by Ana Huang — enemies to lovers, slow burn, and a slow creeping dread that we absolutely did not see coming. Dee went everywhere — from dark romance to fantasy to literary fiction — covering Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman, Body Count by Codie Crowley, First Flight Final Fall by C.W. Farnsworth, and Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke among many others. Then, we get into adaptations — Haunting Adeline and Hunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton, the MindFck Series* by S.T. Abby, Verity by Colleen Hoover, Boys of Tommen by Chloe Walsh and Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman. Which ones are happening, which ones need to happen, and which ones we would personally executive produce given half a chance. Timestamps: 03:12 — Katie's Post Holiday Reading Debrief 13:40 — Dee's Post Holiday Reading DeeBrief 40:30 — Book Adaptations In The Works... Books Discussed: Katie's Reads: Grave Matter — Karina Halle (dark romance, paranormal) Nightshade & Daybreak — Autumn Woods (dark academia, slow burn) RoofBoy — Jess Blatchley (contemporary) The Mad Wife — Megan Church (dark fiction) Twisted Hate — Ana Huang (enemies to lovers, contemporary romance) Dee's Reads: Dungeon Crawler Carl — Matt Dinniman (fantasy, LitRPG) You Girls Play Nice — K.D. Aldyn Tied — Carian Cole (dark romance) To Cage a Wild Bird — Brooke Fast (romantasy) First Flight Final Fall — C.W. Farnsworth (contemporary romance, sports romance) A Bargain So Bloody — Vasilisa Drake (dark romance) Slip Stream — Madge Maril (indie contemporary) Body Count — Codie Crowley (dark romance) The Lure of Wolves and Whispers — Amanda Connolly (romantasy) The Ghost Writer — Julie Clark (thriller) Us Dark Few & Us Deadly Few — Alexis Patten (dark romance) So I Met This Guy — Alexandra Potter (contemporary romance) Just Another Dead Boy — Kelly McCaughrain (contemporary) Thirst Trap — Gráinne O'Hare (contemporary romance) Yesteryear — Caro Claire Burke (literary fiction) Around the World in 80 Dates — Jasmine Burke (contemporary) Adaptations Discussed: Haunting Adeline & Hunting Adeline — H.D. Carlton (dark romance) MindF*ck Series — S.T. Abby (dark romance, psychological thriller) Yesteryear — Caro Claire Burke (literary fiction) Never Let Me Go — Kazuo Ishiguro (literary fiction) Boys of Tommen — Chloe Walsh (contemporary romance) Verity — Colleen Hoover (dark romance, thriller) Incidents Around the House — Josh Malerman (horror) If you loved this episode follow the podcast so you never miss a drop, leave us a review — it genuinely means the world — and head to our website or Instagram for more details on everything we have coming up. We'll see you next Thursday. 🖤

  4. Aug 20

    Bookish 20 Questions: An Episode We Very Nearly Didn't Come Back From

    This week on The Spicy Librarian Podcast, Katie and Dee were forced to played bookish 20 questions. Post it notes on foreheads, sunglasses on, eyebrows firmly raised, and this is genuinely the closest we have ever come to a full falling out. You are welcome. *If you want to play along, listen on audio, or for spoilers, head to the YouTube!*  We want to be clear. We are fine. We are friends. But this episode tested us in ways we did not anticipate and we are still processing. Bookish 20 questions. Where you wear the book on your head and ask yes or no questions until you figure it out, sounds innocent, sounds simple, sounds easy. It is not. Not when the books are Penpal by J.T. Geissinger, Credence by Penelope Douglas, The Wolf King by Lauren Palphreyman, Hooked by Emily McIntire, One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig, and No for an Answer by C.J. Riggs. Not with these two. Not today. Three rounds. Multiple near misses. One almost-falling-out. Post it notes, sunglasses, and more raised eyebrows than we promised. This is the most chaotic episode we have made and we stand by every second of it.   Timestamps: 00:00 — Introduction & Rules 2:02 — Round One 17:50— Round Two 36:10— Round Three 43:54 — Catch Up & Debrief   If you loved this episode follow the podcast so you never miss a drop, leave us a review -- it genuinely means the world -- and head to our website or Instagram for more details on everything we have coming up. We'll see you next Thursday. 🖤

  5. Aug 13

    July Reading Round Up: Dark Romance, Romantasy & Contemporary

    The July reading roundup and book club is here! Between Dee and Katie, they've read what feels like half the internet this month. Dark romance, romantasy, contemporary, and everything in between. Buckle up, your TBR is about to suffer beautifully. July was a big reading month. Katie and Dee take you through everything they've read this month — from indie darlings to highly anticipated sequels, spicy contemporaries to romantasy worlds we do not want to leave — before we get into the book club picks that had us absolutely feral. This month's book club brought us Crown Me Dead / Crown Me Yours by Liv Zander for dark romance, Daughter of No Worlds by Carissa Broadbent for romantasy, and Archer's Voice by Mia Sheridan for contemporary — and we had a lot of big feelings about all three, a lot. We've also got news and updates dropping, so stay tuned for that, and a sneak peek at what we have coming in August including Dominion by Jean Kwok, How to Kidnap a Fake Date by Effie Campbell, and The Voice by Maggie Ray Jones. Timestamps: 00:09 — Katie's July Reading Roundup 05:46 — Dee's July Reading Roundup 27:18 — Updates & News 34:08 — Book Club: Dark Romance — Crown Me Dead / Crown Me Yours by Liv Zander 44:41 — Book Club: Romantasy — Daughter of No Worlds by Carissa Broadbent 48:06 — Book Club: Contemporary — Archer's Voice by Mia Sheridan Books Discussed in This Episode: Crown Me Dead / Crown Me Yours — Liv Zander Daughter of No Worlds — Carissa Broadbent Roanoke Girls — Amy Engel Sleuths — Samantha Mooney White Rose Painted Red — Elena Lawson Nightshade & Daybreak — Autumn Woods Direbound — Sable Sorenson Daggermouth — H.M. Wolfe Black Heart Painted Gold — Elena Lawson Salt and Sweet — Juno Rose North Spicy Honey — Juno Rose North Step Brother Bear — J.M. Fairy To the Depths — Beth Rhydo Dominion — Jean Kwok Done and Dusted & Swift and Saddled — Lyla Sage The Voice — Maggie Ray Jones Eat Your Heart Out — J.N. Bamforth The Dorians — Nick Cutter Black Sunshine & The Blood is Love — Karina Halle Tornado, Still & This is Fine — Lizzie Stanley Archer's Voice — Mia Sheridan If you loved this episode follow the podcast so you never miss a drop, leave us a 5* review — it genuinely means the world — and head to our website or Instagram for more details on everything we have coming up. We'll see you next Thursday. 🖤

  6. Aug 6

    Community Outreach & Yap: Your Questions, Our Answers & Five Star Book Clinic

    This week on The Spicy Librarian Podcast we are coming straight to you -- answering your bookish questions, giving you the latest shop and event updates. Then Dee opens the clinic to personally prescribe your next five star read. Come in, sit down, she'll see you now.   Consider this your official TSL check in. This week D and Katie are doing what they do best — yapping — but with purpose. We're going through your questions, the ones you've been sending in about books, the shop, upcoming events, and everything in between, and we are answering all of it. Then Dee opens the book clinic. You tell us what you loved, what you hated, what tropes make you feral and which ones send you running — and Dee will prescribe your next five star read. No appointment necessary. Results may include an immediately extended TBR and zero regrets. If you want to be featured in a future episode, send in your reading profile and let Dee do her thing. If you loved this episode follow the podcast so you never miss a drop, leave us a review — it genuinely means the world — and head to our website or Instagram to send in your questions or book clinic requests. We'll see you next Thursday. 🖤   Timestamps: 02:45 — Katie's Reading Recap 07:24 — Dee's Reading Recap 17:52 — Community Questions & Recommendations 32:42 — Shop Q&A 36:28 — Book Recommendations Clinic   Crown Me Dead / Crown Me Yours — Liv Zander The One — John Marrs Spicy Honey — Juno Rose North Eat Your Heart Out — J.M. Banforth Daughter of No Worlds — Carissa Broadbent Stepbrother Bear — G.M. Fairy Done & Dusted — Lyla Sage Swift & Saddled — Lyla Sage To the Depths — Beth Rhydo Dominion — Jean Kwok The Voice — Maggie Ray Jones Heated Rivalry — Rachel Reid Feathers So Vicious — Liv Zander Magnolia Parks — Jessa Hastings Credence — Penelope Douglas What We Need — Lizzie Stanley The Auction — Sadie Kincaid Confessions — Kanae Minato Under Your Scars — Ariel Anderson Shatter Me — Tahereh Mafi Angela's Ashes — Frank McCourt Blackwood Institute — J. Rose Ballad of the Fallen Dragons — Sarah A. Parker Dominion — Jean Kwok She Who Holds My Wrath — Shannon V. Velzen Crown Me Dead / Crown Me Yours — Liv Zander To the Depths — Beth Rhydo Birthday Girl — Penelope Douglas Older — Jennifer Hartmann Haunting Adeline — H.D. Carlton Blackwood Institute — J. Rose The Poison Daughter — Sheila Masterson Vanguard — Karina Halle A Forbidden Alchemy & A Forsaken Prophecy — Stacey McEwan Heavenly Bodies & Fallen Stars — Imani Erriu This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me — Ilona Andrews Don't Eat Your Human Boyfriend — Lily Mayne Eat Your Heart Out & Formaldehyde — J.M. Banforth How to Kidnap a Fake Date — Effie Campbell A Soul to Keep & A Soul to Heal — Opal Reyne

  7. Jul 30

    F*ck, Marry, Kill: Book Boyfriends & Series We'd Die (or Kill) For

    F*ck, Marry, Kill but make it bookish — this week on The Spicy Librarian Podcast we are making the hard decisions about our favourite MMCs and the series we love most. One night stand, forever, or goodbye. Nothing and no one is safe.  This week we are playing the most chaotic, most emotionally devastating version of F*ck, Marry, Kill you have ever witnessed. We are talking about our favourite MMCs — seriously thinking through the actual implications of a marriage, a one night stand, and yes, murdering our beloved book boyfriends within their own universes and in ours. We took this very seriously. Possibly too seriously.  Then we turn it on the series. Which one could we re-read forever and never get tired of? Which one do we have one read left in us? And which series — as much as it destroys us to say it — do we have to say goodbye to for good? The answers may surprise you. They surprised us. If you shouted at your phone, your TV, your partner, or a complete stranger on the bus — we want to know. Get in the comments and tell us where we went wrong. We can take it.   If you loved this episode follow the podcast so you never miss a drop, leave us a review — it genuinely means the world — and head to our website or Instagram for more details on everything we have coming up. We'll see you next Thursday. 🖤   Timestamps: 00:34 — Updates & The Spicy Librarian Live 02:59 — Fck, Marry, Kill: MMC Edition 46:26 — Fck, Marry, Kill: Book Series Edition   Books & Series Mentioned: Throne of Glass — Sarah J. Maas A Court of Thorns and Roses — Sarah J. Maas Crescent City — Sarah J. Maas Fourth Wing — Rebecca Yarros Quicksilver & Brimstone — Callie Hart Edge of Darkness — Leigh Rivers Little Stranger & Little Liar — Leigh Rivers Psychotic Obsession — Leigh Rivers Haunting Adeline, Does it Hurt? & Where's Molly — H.D. Carlton Daughter of No Worlds, Serpent & the Wings of Night & Six Scorched Roses — Carissa Broadbent Blood and Ash — Jennifer L. Armentrout Book of Azrael — Amber Nicole Smith Spark of the Everflame — Penn Cole White Rose Painted Red — Blake & Elena Lawson The Voice — Maggie Ray Jones Chestnut Springs — Elsie Silver Miles High Series — T.L. Swan Magnolia Parks Universe — Jessa Hastings Feathers So Vicious & Shadow So Cruel — Liv Zander Crown Me Dead & Crown Me Yours — Liv Zander Heated Rivalry — Rachel Reid Daggermouth — H.D. Wolfe Billionaire's Boy Club — Lauren Asher

  8. Jul 23

    Salt, Sweet & Spicy Honey: An Exclusive Interview with UK Indie Author Juno Rose

    This week on The Spicy Librarian Podcast we're sitting down with one of the UK's most exciting up and coming indie authors — Juno Rose. We're talking her debut novel Salt and Sweet, her next release Spicy Honey, an exclusive look at what's coming next, and of course things get completely unhinged along the way.   Juno Rose is a London-based indie author writing high heat contemporary romance with heart, humour, and chemistry that absolutely jumps off the page. Her debut Salt and Sweet — a brother's best friend, forbidden romance following Emmy as she rebuilds her life with a secret spicy bucket list and the very last man she should want — has taken the indie romance community by storm, and we are completely obsessed. This week we sit down with Juno for an exclusive chat about Salt and Sweet, her next release Spicy Honey, and a little insider look at what she has coming after that. We also do what we do best — drag her into some thoroughly unhinged bookish games — and get a real insight into what it's like building an indie romance career in the UK right now. If you haven't read Juno Rose yet, consider this your very loud sign to start immediately.   Timestamps: 00:01 — Introduction 04:24 — Juno's Books: Salt and Sweet, Spicy Honey & What's Coming Next 09:20 — Juno's Story: Life as a UK Indie Romance Author 19:12 — Exclusive Tea: What Juno Has in the Pipeline 24:29 — One Star Review Defence 31:40 — Five Star Review Defence 37:06 — HSF 40:21 — Unpopular Opinion 46:12 —  Roundup & Bye   CTA: If you loved this episode follow the podcast so you never miss a drop, leave us a review — it genuinely means the world — and head to our website or Instagram for more details on everything we have coming up. We'll see you next Thursday. 🖤   Books Discussed in This Episode: Salt and Sweet — Juno Rose Spicy Honey — Juno Rose Dawn of the North / Road of Bones — Demi Winters Kidnapped by Krampus — Emily Shore Five Brothers — Penelope Douglas Sugar Life Series — Harley Madison

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About

Dark romance, romantasy, and spicy reads - served with chaos, warmth, and absolutely zero filter. The Spicy Librarian Podcast is the dark romance and romantasy podcast for readers who love yapping about books just as much as reading them. Every Thursday, D and Katie bring you honest, unhinged, and genuinely obsessive conversations about the romance books everyone is talking about, the indie titles you need to add to your TBR immediately, and the ones that kept them up until 3am. From morally grey love interests to enemies-to-lovers slow burns, from sapphic romance to why choose - if it's spicy, if it's dark, if it has made at least one of them feral, it's on the pod. Plus, as the team behind Europe's biggest independent romance bookshop, D and Katie bring a perspective on the romance community that goes far deeper than just the books. Expect book club deep dives, author interviews with some of the biggest and most exciting names in dark romance and romantasy, unhinged games, hot takes, and the kind of honest book chat you only get from your most chaotic, well-read book besties. New episodes every Thursday. Subscribe so you never miss a drop. Perfect for fans of: dark romance, romantasy, spicy books, BookTok, book club, enemies to lovers, why choose romance, indie romance authors, morally grey, slow burn, spicy romance podcast The Spicy Librarian Podcast - part of the Voices & Visuals network.

Information

  • Creator
    The Spicy Librarian
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    35
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Spicy Librarian Podcast

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