Enchanted and Exhausted

Kayla & Sam
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Books
  • Updated Weekly

Enchanted & Exhausted is the podcast where romantasy obsession meets real-life motherhood. Join Kayla and Sam each week as they dive into the latest BookTok favorites, fantasy worlds, unforgettable characters, and all the books keeping them up way too late. From spoiler-free recommendations and monthly book club picks to author interviews and conversations with indie bookstore owners, there's always another chapter to explore. Between the dragons, morally gray book boyfriends, and overflowing TBRs, you'll also find honest conversations about motherhood, creativity, small businesses, and navigating the beautiful chaos of everyday life. Whether you're here for the books, the laughs, or the reminder that you're not the only one reading "just one more chapter" at 2 a.m., grab your favorite drink, get cozy, and join us. New episodes every week wherever you get your podcasts, with full video episodes available on YouTube. ✨ Because life is enchanting... and exhausting.

Episodes

  1. 2d ago

    Episode 11: Mom Life, Small Business & Bookish Chaos | The Hustle Never Ends

    Episode 11: Mom Life, Small Business & Bookish Chaos | The Hustle Never Ends 📚✨ Being a mom is a full-time job. Owning a small business is a full-time job. So what happens when you're trying to do BOTH while keeping up with your never-ending TBR? Welcome to the chaos! 😂☕📚 This week on Enchanted & Exhausted, Kayla and Sam are getting REAL about what it takes to be full-time moms, small business owners, content creators, and book lovers who are just trying to survive the week! ✨ Here's what we're diving into: 📖 Crown Me Dead – We're sharing our spoiler-free thoughts on our October book club pick! Is this spooky, mysterious read worth adding to your TBR? ✍️ The Stress of Beta Reading – We signed up to help an indie author, but nobody warned us about the pressure of giving constructive feedback! We're talking about the differences between ARC and beta reading, supporting indie authors, and learning to critique without crushing someone's dreams. 🛍️ Behind the Small Business Curtain – Meet Kayla's Meldrum Makes & Reads and Sam's Threaded Chaos! From blind date with a book boxes to handmade quilts and accessories, we're sharing how our businesses started and what really goes into running them. 👩‍👧‍👦 Motherhood Meets Entrepreneurship – Working during naps, packing orders at 3 AM, juggling household responsibilities, managing vendor markets, and trying to convince our families that working from home is STILL WORKING! 💬 The Realities of Doing It All – We're talking about the exhaustion, the sacrifices, the support systems, and the passion that keeps us going even when we're running on caffeine and questionable amounts of sleep. Because behind every cute handmade product is probably an exhausted mom who made it after bedtime. 😂 Whether you're a small business owner, a book lover, a stay-at-home mom, or just someone trying to keep all the plates spinning, this episode is for YOU! 💖 We want to hear from you! Are you a mom running a small business? What's your biggest struggle when it comes to balancing family, work, and finding time for yourself? Tell us in the comments! 🎧 Listen to Enchanted & Exhausted every Tuesday on all major podcast platforms, and catch our video podcast on YouTube! 🔗 Find our podcast, socials, book club, and shops here: https://linktr.ee/enchantedandexhausted ⭐ Don't forget to follow, subscribe, leave us a rating and review, and share this episode with your favorite exhausted mom or small business bestie! #EnchantedAndExhausted #Episode11 #MomLife #SmallBusinessMoms #Mompreneurs #BookTok #BookishPodcast #SmallBusinessOwner #WorkingMoms #StayAtHomeMom #BetaReading #IndieAuthors #CrownMeDead #BookClub #BlindDateWithABook #SupportSmallBusiness #MotherhoodUnfiltered #MomPodcast #Romantasy #BookLovers

  2. Oct 6

    Episode 10: Threshing Day, Dragon Theories & Our Unhinged October TBR

    🐉 THRESHING DAY HAS ARRIVED—and we have THOUGHTS. Welcome back to Enchanted & Exhausted, where we run away from the real world into books! 📚✨ samantha-kayla (2) Episode 10 was recorded LIVE on TikTok, and this one is packed with everything we love: Fourth Wing theories, dragons, reading updates, mom-life chaos, and completely unrealistic TBR expectations. We dive into Threshing Day, talk about our favorite POVs, and unpack some of the theories that have us questioning EVERYTHING we thought we knew about the Empyrean series. Who has secretly had a dragon? Can we actually trust the scribes? Why do riders have to bleed during Threshing? And what exactly is Rebecca Yarros setting us up for?! 👀🐉 Then, naturally, we attempt our own Dragonkind Threshing live...and things go about as well as you'd expect. 🔥😂 We also recap our September reads and ratings, talk about what we're reading in October, share our next Enchanted & Exhausted Book Club pick, Crown Me Dead, and give each other our newest reading challenges. Kayla is challenged to read Dark Places by Gillian Flynn, while Sam gets Dark Secret by Christine Feehan. samantha-kayla (2) ⚠️ SPOILER WARNING: This episode contains spoilers and theories for Threshing Day and the Empyrean series. 🎧 Listen to Enchanted & Exhausted on all major podcast platforms, and follow us on TikTok to catch one of our future podcast recordings LIVE! Because apparently being exhausted mothers wasn't enough—we needed dragons, theories, and an impossible TBR too. 🐉📚☕️ Help with Adoption Fees: https://gofund.me/9af7216a0 Where you can find us! https://linktr.ee/enchantedandexhausted #EnchantedAndExhausted #BookPodcast #BookTok #FourthWing #ThreshingDay #EmpyreanSeries #RebeccaYarros #Romantasy #BookishPodcast #FantasyBooks #BookClub #CurrentlyReading To pick up a draggable item, press the space bar. While dragging, use the arrow keys to move the item. Press space again to drop the item in its new position, or press escape to cancel.

  3. Sep 29

    Episode 9: Kiss of the Basilisk, Feral Mom Moments & Our October Book Club Pick

    We’re back with Episode 9 of Enchanted & Exhausted, and this week we’re mixing spicy books, questionable opinions, and the beautiful chaos of motherhood. We’re recapping our September book club read, Kiss of the Basilisk, and WOW… this book gave us a LOT to talk about. We’re diving into the spice, the fantasy, the love triangle, power dynamics, questionable choices, social commentary, the ending that left us questioning EVERYTHING, and whether we’ll be picking up the next book. But before we get into the bookish chaos, it’s time for some serious mom-life stories. From flooded bathrooms and feral children to school drama, random noises, questionable parenting decisions, and the things our kids do that have us wondering how we’re still functioning… motherhood is exhausting and apparently our children are feral. We also share our October TBRs, books we’re excited about, upcoming releases, and what we’re challenging each other to read. AND finally… we announce our October Enchanted & Exhausted Book Club Pick: Crown Me Dead by Liv Xander! 🖤 If you’ve read Kiss of the Basilisk, we NEED to know your thoughts. What did you rate it? Who was your favorite character? And how many chili peppers are you giving it? Come hang out with us for books, motherhood, questionable opinions, and whatever feral childness happens between now and next week. As always… stay enchanted and maybe a little less exhausted. ✨ Check out our Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/enchantedandexhausted #EnchantedAndExhausted #BookPodcast #BookClubPodcast #KissOfTheBasilisk #Romantasy #RomantasyBooks #SpicyBooks #FantasyBooks #BookReview #BookDiscussion #BookRecommendations #BookishPodcast #ReadingCommunity #DarkRomance #RomanceBooks #BookTok #BookTube #Bookstagram #MomPodcast #MomLife #Motherhood #MomsWhoRead #FeralMoms #OctoberReads #BookOfTheMonth #MonthlyBookClub #CrownMeDead #LivXander #TBR #ReadersOfInstagram

  4. Sep 22

    Episode 8: We Recorded Our Podcast LIVE?! | Book Favorites, TBRs & Book Boyfriends

    We took Enchanted & Exhausted LIVE... and invited BookTok into the chaos. 😂📚 For the first time, Sam and Kayla are recording an episode while simultaneously going LIVE on TikTok—on three accounts, because apparently one wasn't chaotic enough. 😂  This week is ALL about books. We're breaking down our favorite standalones, duologies, completed series, unfinished series, current reads, favorite tropes, and the fictional men we're absolutely not prepared to give up. From Nocticadia, The Knight and the Moth, The Knave and the Moon, Plated Prisoner, From Blood and Ash, Throne of Glass, Fourth Wing, Quicksilver, Shield of Sparrows and plenty more—we're talking about the books we can't stop thinking about and adding even MORE books to our already out-of-control TBRs. Then things get a little unhinged with Would You Rather, choosing our ultimate book boyfriend, and a round of Marry, Hook Up & Block with our favorite fictional characters. And because we're still Enchanted & Exhausted, we couldn't end without some feral mom talk. From kids saying things they definitely shouldn't, toddler tantrums and Velcro children to the never-ending question of “Why does the house still look like this?!”—motherhood makes its way into the conversation whether we plan for it or not. This episode is raw, interactive, slightly chaotic, and very us. Grab your coffee, open your TBR, and play along with us! 💬 We want YOUR answers: What's your favorite standalone, duology and series? Who is your ultimate book boyfriend? And whose book recommendation are you trusting—Sam or Kayla? 🎧 New episodes every Tuesday! 📚 Join the Enchanted & Exhausted Fable Book Club 📱 Follow us on social media for clips, book reviews, lives & more. And get ready for our next episode—our Kiss of the Basilisk book club review! Stay enchanted... and maybe a little less exhausted. ✨☕ #EnchantedAndExhausted #BookPodcast #BookTok #Romantasy #DarkRomance

  5. Sep 15

    Episode 7: Our August Reads, Feral Mom Moments & an Indie Author Tell-All with Celicia Biscamp

    The TBR is never-ending, the kids are feral, and apparently reading is our job now. 📚☕ This week on Enchanted & Exhausted, Sam and Kayla are wrapping up August with the books they loved, hated, cried over, and absolutely cannot stop talking about. We're breaking down our August reads and ratings—including The Housemaid, Ask for Andrea, Kissed by the Gods, Heir of Fire, Little Stranger, In Five Years, and more—before diving into what we're currently reading and the absolutely unreasonable number of books we've put on our September TBRs. And yes... somehow we still keep adding more. 😂  Of course, it wouldn't be Enchanted & Exhausted without a little mom-life chaos. We're talking hurricane survival mode, potty-training toddlers, toddler tantrums, rage cleaning bathrooms, feral children, ADHD tangents, and the everyday insanity that comes with trying to be moms, creators, business owners AND readers.  And then we have something extra special. 🖤 We're welcoming indie author and poet Celicia Biscamp, author of Dancing With Your Ghost! We sit down with Celicia to talk about her poetry, what inspired her book, how she decided which poems to include, and what it was really like navigating the indie publishing process on her own.  So grab your coffee, put in your headphones, ignore your TBR judging you from across the room, and settle in with us. ☕📖 In this episode: August reading wrap-up • Five-star reads • September TBRs • New book releases • Feral Mom Moments • Rage cleaning • BookTok chaos • Indie publishing • Poetry • Author interview 🎧 New episodes of Enchanted & Exhausted every Tuesday! Come hang out with us, tell us your best August read, and let us know which book we need to add to our never-ending TBR next. https://sillycia.com/ https://linktr.ee/enchantedandexhausted #EnchantedAndExhausted #BookPodcast #BookTok #IndieAuthor #MomLife

  6. Sep 8

    Episode 6: Unpopular Opinions: Mom Edition, BookTok Edition & Zero Filters

    🔥 Somebody might get canceled by the end of this episode… Sam and Kayla are officially done agreeing with everyone. 😂 This week on Enchanted & Exhausted, we’re diving headfirst into our UNPOPULAR OPINIONS — and absolutely nothing is safe. We’re talking mom life, parenting, screen time, bribing your kids, cereal for dinner, hiding snacks from your children, mom guilt, letting kids figure things out for themselves, and why moms are allowed to have an identity that has absolutely NOTHING to do with their kids. Then… we come for the readers. 📚👀 Do audiobooks count as reading? Is DNFing a book self-care? Can spice save a terrible plot? 🌶️ And which BookTok opinions are we willing to defend? Plus, we catch up on the chaos happening in our houses, share our current reads, talk September Hopefuls, reveal our monthly reading challenges, and somehow manage to get wildly distracted along the way. The biggest takeaway? We don't have to agree. Moms, readers, friends — we're all allowed to have different opinions without shaming each other for them. 💬 NOW WE WANT YOUR HOT TAKES! Drop your most controversial mom opinion or bookish opinion in the comments. Agree with us? Disagree with us? Think one of our “unpopular” opinions is actually popular? TELL US. We might even read yours on a future episode. 👀 📚 Join the Enchanted & Exhausted Book Club on Fable and read our September pick, Kiss of the Basilisk. 🎧 New episodes of Enchanted & Exhausted drop every Tuesday. Follow us on TikTok, Instagram & Facebook for clips, updates, book talk, mom chaos, and everything that happens between episodes. And stay tuned… because a special guest is coming next episode. 👀✨ #EnchantedAndExhausted #MomPodcast #BookPodcast #BookTok #UnpopularOpinions #MomLife #ParentingUnfiltered #BookishOpinions #RomantasyBooks #BookClub

  7. Sep 1

    Episode 5: Mom Rage, Feminine Rage & Kissed by the Gods

    Mom Rage, Feminine Rage & Kissed by the Gods This week on Enchanted & Exhausted, we're going from mom rage to feminine rage—and somehow it makes perfect sense. 😂 First, Kayla and Sam are diving into some parenting questions that might get us in a little trouble. 👀 Is it okay to correct someone else's child? Should siblings have to share? Has gentle parenting gone too far? Should you let your kid quit a sport halfway through the season? And how much privacy should teenagers actually have on their phones? We're sharing our own parenting styles, the things that work (and definitely DON'T work) with our kids, the mom guilt that comes after losing your patience, and why sometimes you have to accept that every kid needs something different. Then we're trading mom rage for feminine rage as we jump into our August Book Club pick, Kissed by the Gods by Caty Rogan! 📚🔥 ⚠️ SPOILER WARNING: Once the book discussion starts, NOTHING is safe! We're talking Lena, Riot, power vs. autonomy, THAT ending, our theories, what worked for us, what didn't, and why we're already desperate to know what happens next. And before we leave, we're announcing our next book club read: Kiss of the Basilisk by Lindsay Straube. 🐍🌶️ Let's just say… based on those content warnings, we are in for a VERY different kind of book club next month. 😂 🎧 Grab your headphones, hide from your kids for an hour—or don't, because ours clearly weren't going anywhere—and come hang out with us. 💬 We want YOUR hot takes: Which of our parenting opinions do you agree with, and which one would you fight us on? ✨ New episodes of Enchanted & Exhausted every Tuesday! https://linktr.ee/enchantedandexhausted #EnchantedAndExhausted #MomPodcast #MomLife #ParentingTalk #BookPodcast #BookTok #KissedByTheGods #Romantasy #BookClub #BookDiscussion #MotherhoodUnfiltered #ParentingHotTakes #FeminineRage #FantasyBooks #PodcastForMoms

  8. Aug 25

    Episode 4: Don't Wait For The Village, Become The Village

    Episode Title: Stop Waiting for Your Village—Become One 💛 Motherhood was never meant to be done alone—but what happens when the village everyone talks about just… doesn’t show up? In this episode of Enchanted & Exhausted, Kayla and Sam are getting real about what it means to become the village instead of waiting for one to find you. Being a mom is hard. It can be overwhelming, exhausting, isolating, and sometimes incredibly lonely. We all want people who check in, show up, offer help, remember the hard days, and remind us that we aren’t doing this alone. But building that kind of community starts with us, too. 💛 Send the text. 💛 Check on the mama who’s been quiet. 💛 Bring the coffee. 💛 Offer to hold the baby. 💛 Invite her even if she usually says no. 💛 Celebrate her wins. 💛 Show up when things get messy. You never know when one small act of friendship might be exactly what another mom needs. So instead of asking, “Where is my village?” maybe we start asking, “Whose village can I be today?” Grab your coffee, your headphones, and probably the laundry you’ve been avoiding, and join us for a conversation about motherhood, friendship, loneliness, and creating the community we all deserve. A note from us: This episode discusses some of the emotional challenges that can come with motherhood. If you are experiencing depression, anxiety, feelings of hopelessness, or struggling with your mental health, please reach out to your doctor or another qualified healthcare professional. If you are in suicidal crisis or emotional distress in the United States or its territories, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available by calling 988 or texting 988. ✨ Enchanted & Exhausted — where mom life meets bookish chaos. #EnchantedAndExhausted #MomLife #MomCommunity #Motherhood #MomVillage #MomsSupportingMoms #RealMotherhood #MomPodcast #MotherhoodUnfiltered #MomTalk #ItTakesAVillage #MentalHealthMatters #MomMentalHealth #MomFriends #ParentingPodcast #MomSupport #YouAreNotAlone #PodcastForMoms

  9. Aug 20

    Episode 3: Part 2 Fourth Wing Deep Dive Cont..

    🐉 Fourth Wing Deep Dive — Part Two: The Theories Get Even More Unhinged We told you we had WAY too much to say for one episode… so welcome to Part Two of our Fourth Wing / Empyrean Series deep dive! ⚔️🔥 Sam and Kayla are jumping right back into Basgiath and continuing down every rabbit hole we possibly can. 🐉 Dragons, riders & bonds 🩸 Venin theories and questions we NEED answered 👀 Characters we’re suspicious of ⚔️ Predictions for what could happen next 📚 Connections and clues we may have completely overanalyzed 🤯 And the theories that get more unhinged the longer we talk about them Are we onto something… or have we officially spent WAY too much time thinking about these books? 😂 ⚠️ MAJOR EMPYREAN SERIES SPOILERS! If you aren't caught up, save this episode and come back! 🎧 Listen to Enchanted & Exhausted on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, and wherever you get your podcasts — or watch the full video podcast on YouTube. If you haven't listened to Part One yet, start there first! Then come back and tell us: What Empyrean theory are you willing to bet EVERYTHING on? 👀🐉 #FourthWing #EmpyreanSeries #RebeccaYarros #BookTok #EnchantedAndExhausted

  10. Aug 18

    Episode 3: Dragons, Signets & Secrets: Diving Into Fourth Wing

    🐉 Mom Life, Unhinged Chaos & a Fourth Wing Deep Dive — Part One This week on Enchanted & Exhausted, Sam and Kayla start with the absolute CHAOS that is mom life and all the unhinged moments from our week… and then we head straight to Basgiath. ⚔️🐉 We’re diving DEEP into Fourth Wing and the Empyrean Series and putting our theories on the record. ✨ Who we think will appear in the new Threshing Day book ✨ Our theories about “the other brother” 👀 ✨ Venin, venin, and MORE venin ✨ Dragons, riders, bonds & signets ✨ The theories we’re convinced Rebecca Yarros has been leaving clues for ✨ And plenty of completely unhinged predictions that could either age beautifully… or terribly. 😂 ⚠️ SPOILER WARNING: This episode discusses the Empyrean Series, so proceed accordingly! And apparently we had WAY too much to say, because this episode had to be split into TWO PARTS. 🎧 Listen to Enchanted & Exhausted on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, and wherever you get your podcasts, or watch the video podcast on YouTube. 🔥 Part Two drops August 20! If you’re listening after August 20, don’t stop now—jump straight into Part Two and keep the deep dive going. Now tell us: What is your most unhinged Fourth Wing theory?! 🐉⚔️ #FourthWing #EmpyreanSeries #BookTok #Romantasy #EnchantedAndExhausted

  11. Aug 11

    Episode 2: Reads, Reds, and Communication

    📚✨ Episode 2: Reads, Reds, and Communication We’re back for Episode 2 of Enchanted & Exhausted—and this week, we’re talking books, reading stats, and the realities of navigating your village as a mom. 🐉☕️ Sam & Kayla are breaking down our 2026 reading stats so far: 📖 Our favorite reads ⭐️ The books that earned top ratings 😬 The ones that disappointed us 🚫 And, of course… the DNFs. Because life is too short to force yourself through a book you’re not enjoying. Then we get into some real mom talk. Motherhood takes a village—but being part of a village also means communicating. What happens when someone simply doesn’t show up? When plans change but no one says anything? We’re talking about how a lack of communication can leave the people in your village feeling hurt, frustrated, or like their time doesn’t matter—and why moms need to give each other a little grace and communicate. It’s books, motherhood, friendship, a little chaos, and probably a few opinions we feel very strongly about. 😂 🎙️ Enchanted & Exhausted ✨ New episodes every Tuesday 📚 Books. Motherhood. Beautiful chaos. Tell us: What’s your favorite read of 2026 so far—and what book did you DNF? 👀 Check out our Link Tree to Stay up to date!

  12. Aug 4

    Episode 1: Welcome to the Chaos

    Enchanted & Exhausted is the podcast where romantasy obsession meets real-life motherhood. Join Kayla and Sam each week as they dive into the latest BookTok favorites, fantasy worlds, unforgettable characters, and all the books keeping them up way too late. From spoiler-free recommendations and monthly book club picks to author interviews and conversations with indie bookstore owners, there's always another chapter to explore. Between the dragons, morally gray book boyfriends, and overflowing TBRs, you'll also find honest conversations about motherhood, creativity, small businesses, and navigating the beautiful chaos of everyday life. Whether you're here for the books, the laughs, or the reminder that you're not the only one reading "just one more chapter" at 2 a.m., grab your favorite drink, get cozy, and join us. New episodes every week wherever you get your podcasts, with full video episodes available on YouTube. ✨ Because life is enchanting... and exhausting. Follow us and Fable: https://linktr.ee/enchantedandexhausted

  • 12 Episodes

About

Enchanted & Exhausted is the podcast where romantasy obsession meets real-life motherhood. Join Kayla and Sam each week as they dive into the latest BookTok favorites, fantasy worlds, unforgettable characters, and all the books keeping them up way too late. From spoiler-free recommendations and monthly book club picks to author interviews and conversations with indie bookstore owners, there's always another chapter to explore. Between the dragons, morally gray book boyfriends, and overflowing TBRs, you'll also find honest conversations about motherhood, creativity, small businesses, and navigating the beautiful chaos of everyday life. Whether you're here for the books, the laughs, or the reminder that you're not the only one reading "just one more chapter" at 2 a.m., grab your favorite drink, get cozy, and join us. New episodes every week wherever you get your podcasts, with full video episodes available on YouTube. ✨ Because life is enchanting... and exhausting.

Information

  • Creator
    Kayla & Sam
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    12
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Enchanted and Exhausted
  • Show Website
    Enchanted and Exhausted