Everyday Romance

Mae & Carrie
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Books
  • Updated Weekly

A podcast exploring the depth and breadth of the romance genre, one novel at a time. Long-time best friends Maegan and Carrie discuss the joy and escapism of reading romance across diverse subgenres, and break down the myths and taboos that dog this joyful (and growing!) industry. Because a little bit of romance makes every day better, whether life is a bundle of roses or a five-alarm dumpster fire.

  1. 07/31/2025

    Read-Along Part 3: "An Offer from a Gentleman" (Bridgerton Book 3)

    We've reached the final installment of "An Offer from a Gentleman," the third book in the Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn. Wrapping up this delightful read, we're talking about the believability of insta-love, when are two epilogues actually justified, and Carrie gives her recs for other JQ novels and tried-and-true historical romance authors. Recap & discussion cover the final 1/3 of "An Offer from a Gentleman (spoilers for chapter 17-epilogue 2). Next read-along: "Zodiac Academy: Awakening" (chapters 1-9)

  2. 07/23/2025

    Read-Along Part 2: "An Offer from a Gentleman" (Bridgerton Book 3)

    We're on to part deux of our read-along book, "An Offer from a Gentleman" by Julia Quinn. In this installment, the spice arrives and we need to repeatedly remind ourselves that we do, in fact, like Benedict Bridgerton.. but he does not make it easy! Join us in completely ignoring some dark pink flags because the MMC is tall. Recap & discussion cover the middle 1/3 of "An Offer from a Gentleman (spoilers for chapters 9-17). New read-along eps to be released weekly.

  3. 07/03/2025

    Ep. 10: Finale, Ho! Ranking Our Book Boyfriends & Reviewing Pirate Classic "The Iron Rose"

    Ahoy there! It's our finale episode and, despite being a few weeks off course, we're heading out into the great beyond (summer) with a bang. First, we're discussing the wisdom of having "book boyfriends," and naming our own favorites. Then, we recap and review Marsha Canham's fantastic pirate tale, "The Iron Rose" - part of her epic Pirate Wolf series. They're not quick reads, but they've got everything you could want in a steamy, adventure-packed yarn. Finally, we reflect on lessons learned throughout our ten-episode tour de romance, and gear up for our summer read-alongs. "The Iron Rose" review: 👍 / ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫 Up next: "An Offer from a Gentleman" read-along Part 1 (ch. 1-9) References: "The perfect man exists. He's called a 'Book Boyfriend.'" by Jennifer Singer, The Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/2025/06/21/book-boyfriend-romance-novels/

  4. 06/12/2025

    Ep. 9: Mafia Romance “The Sweetest Oblivion” is Definitely More Bitter than Sweet

    It's Mafia week here at Everyday Romance and, like most great penultimate episodes, a battle royale commences over "The Sweetest Oblivion" by Danielle Lori. As you might expect with a story about professional killers, we explore some darker themes including violence, consent, possession and the line between toxic and sexy. But like, in a fun way!? "The Sweetest Oblivion" review: 👍 / ⭐️⭐️ Next week: "The Iron Rose" by Marsha Canham (#2 in the "Pirate Wolf" series)

  5. 06/05/2025

    Ep. 8: Spicy "Pride & Prejudice" AKA the Wrong Way to Adapt Jane Austen

    This week, our intrepid duo attempts two iterations of the beloved classic "Pride & Prejudice" with, shall we say, mixed results. First, we take a look at the cyclical nature of romance reader trends and discuss why the Regency era had the industry in such a chokehold for so long - and whether it can regain popularity compared to the romantasy fever gripping us all at the moment. Then, Mae gets introduced to Jane Austen through what is, quite possibly, the worst adaptation available, before quickly pivoting to the arguably perfect 2005 film by Joe Wright. P.S. Happy 20th birthday to this dream of a film! Book review: 👍 / ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Audio review (Bloom Stories): 👎 / ⭐💫 Next week: "The Sweetest Obsession" by Danielle Lori (#1 in the "Made" series) References: "An Elegy for the Duke: Are Reports of the Demise of Historical Romance Exaggerated?" by JeriAnn Geller, BookTrib. https://booktrib.com/2025/04/14/an-elegy-for-the-duke-are-reports-of-the-demise-of-historical-romance-exaggerated/

  6. 05/28/2025

    Ep. 7: "Manacled," Motherhood, and the Wide World of Fanfic

    This week, we explore some of the many possible rabbit holes in the world of fan fiction and consider the question, how dark can we go while still staying within the bounds of romance? Most of all, we grapple with the incredibly heavy themes of "Manacled" in our review of Sen Lin Yu's Harry Potter fan fiction epic. Soon to be released by Penguin as the standalone work, "Alchemised," this dystopian mind-bender tests our limits and forces us to ask ourselves just how much we would sacrifice to save the world. Up next: The romance OG, Jane Austen's classic “Pride & Prejudice" (spice-ified by Bloom Audio) TRIGGER WARNING: Pretty much everything *Includes spoilers and explicit language*

  7. 05/21/2025

    Ep. 6: Jersey chasing "The Score," PLUS Amazon casting & the evolution of cover art

    It's Sports Romance Week, which apparently means it's Hockey Week?! In Ep. 6, we try to understand why hockey romance novels are so insanely (disproportionately?) popular and break down the evolution of romance novel cover art, both topics courtesy of the ever-esteemed and surprisingly smut-friendly Washington Post! In our weekly review, we're talking about "The Score," Book 3 in Elle Kennedy's fantastic "Off-Campus" series. And BY THE WAY, Prime Video just announced casting for its series adaptation! So once again, our fingers on the pulse of horny culture the world over. Next week's read: "Manacled," the fanfic epic by Sen Lin Yu (soon to be published as "Alchemised") References: "Why do romance covers all look like this now?" by Sophia Nguyen - https://img3.washingtonpost.com/books/2025/04/30/romance-novel-cover-art/?isMobile=1 "What is a hockey romance?" by Alex Wennberg - https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/2023/08/06/alex-wennberg-hockey-romance/

  8. 05/15/2025

    Ep. 5: The "Game of Thrones" conundrum, Witchery in media & Reviewing "The Witch Collector"

    This week Mae & Carrie essentially beg the bookish creator community to stop comparing romantasy with "Game of Thrones." We consider the legitimate critiques of George R. R. Martin's insanely successful (and still unfinished!) series, and why the comparisons just don't work. Then, we get down to business talking all things witchery - think "The Craft," Bravo's Housewives, world religions and more! - as we dive into our review of "The Witch Collector" by Charissa Weaks. Up next: Hockey week! It's "The Score" by Elle Kennedy (Book #3 in the "Off-Campus" series)

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

A podcast exploring the depth and breadth of the romance genre, one novel at a time. Long-time best friends Maegan and Carrie discuss the joy and escapism of reading romance across diverse subgenres, and break down the myths and taboos that dog this joyful (and growing!) industry. Because a little bit of romance makes every day better, whether life is a bundle of roses or a five-alarm dumpster fire.

Information

  • Creator
    Mae & Carrie
  • Years Active
    2025
  • Episodes
    13
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Show Website
    Everyday Romance