Pickle Party

Jules and Leslie
  • 5.0 (7)
  • Books

The romantasy podcast for readers who love chaos as much as happily-ever-afters. Best friends Leslie and Jules dive into the world of fantasy romance with humor, heart, and zero shame. We’re talking tropes, dissecting BookTok memes, debating characters, and celebrating the books taking over the internet. Deep dives into ACOTAR, Fourth Wing, Crescent City & more. Hot takes on mating bonds, morally grey men, and why we’re all feral for wingspan discourse. We’re not book reviewers—we’re deep in the trenches with you. Welcome to the Brine. 🥒

  1. 5d ago

    House of Sky and Breath Part 1: The Mates, The Mayhem & That Ridiculous Bargain

    We’re diving headfirst into House of Sky and Breath — and because SJM apparently believes one enormous book should contain approximately 47,000 plot twists, we’re splitting this one into two episodes. In Part 1, we cover the Prologue through Chapter 47, including Sofie Renast, the rebel network, Daybright, Ruhn’s mind-bridge romance, Ithan Holstrom being an absolute gift to this series, Danika’s suspicious research, the Asteri’s increasingly questionable history, the Bone Quarter nightmare, Aidas casually hanging out as a cat, and the lost Fendyr heir. Oh, and Bryce and Hunt finally become mates. On an underwater city-ship. While fleeing the Hind. Because apparently that was the appropriate time. We’re also asking the important questions: Why did Bryce invent a four-month sex ban?! Who the hell is Daybright? What did Danika actually discover? Is Hunt’s lightning trying to tell us something? And why is Ithan somehow both the funniest and most emotionally devastating character in this book? Full spoilers through Chapter 47. Part 2 is coming next — and trust us, you do NOT want to miss where this book goes. ---**SPONSORED BY:**☕ **Javvy Coffee** - Fuel your reading sessions with the perfect brew! Use our link to get 15% off your first order:https://javvycoffee.com/a/PicklePartyPod🤖 #PicklePartyPod #PickleParty #BrineBabes #HouseOfSkyAndBreath #CrescentCity #SarahJMaas #SJM #ACOTAR #CrescentCity2 #Romantasy #RomantasyBooks #FantasyBooks #BookPodcast #BookTok #Bookstagram #Bookish #BookLovers #FantasyRomance #BookDiscussion #BookClub #RuhnDanaan #BryceQuinlan #HuntAthalar #IthanHolstrom #Daybright #Maasverse #BookBoyfriend #SpicyBooks #FantasyReaders #ReadersOfTikTok

  2. Sep 29

    Jules and Leslie Try a New Trope: Mothman Made Her Do It (Sweet Berries)

    Brine Babes, we're back in Cambric Creek for book two of the Steamy Sweet Monster Romance series, and this one opens with a woman putting on an unsolicited solo show for a stranger she later identifies by his chirp. That's the whole vibe. This week Jules and Leslie dig into Sweet Berries by C.M. Nascosta — Grace, her three-year celibacy streak, and Merrick, the nebbishly charming doctoral-student Mothman who apologizes for window-watching by asking about blackberries. We talk red flags vs. sweethearts, whether performing for a stranger in a tree twice is a phase or a character trait, and where Merrick ranks in the monster boyfriend lineup. Hot Pickle Cold Take gets weird (as always). Stay brined. 🫙🦋 ---**SPONSORED BY:**☕ **Javvy Coffee** - Fuel your reading sessions with the perfect brew! Use our link to get 15% off your first order:https://javvycoffee.com/a/PicklePartyPod🤖 **Sometimes We Get You Media** - Your AI Guru Hub! Need help with marketing and tools to streamline your brand? Check out their website: http://www.sometimeswegetyou.com or email them at info@sometimeswegetyou.com--- #pickleparty #sweetberries #monsterromance #booktok #bookish

  3. Sep 22

    East of the Sun, West of the Moon: The Fairy Tale That IS ACOTAR

    Brine Babes, we need to talk about a Norwegian fairy tale from the 1840s that Sarah J. Maas basically used as a blueprint. This week we're breaking down "East of the Sun and West of the Moon" beat by beat and holding it up next to A Court of Thorns and Roses — the bargain, the cursed beast, the prohibition, the impossible journey, all of it. We map who's who (Feyre, Tamlin, Amarantha, and yes, we figure out where Rhysand fits into a story that technically has no room for him), dig into what SJM kept almost exactly and what she changed, and argue about whether the 200-year-old version might actually be the tighter story. Hot Pickle Cold Take is fully unhinged this week. Full ACOTAR spoilers throughout — stay brined. 🫙 ---**SPONSORED BY:**☕ **Javvy Coffee** - Fuel your reading sessions with the perfect brew! Use our link to get 15% off your first order:https://javvycoffee.com/a/PicklePartyPod🤖 **Sometimes We Get You Media** - Your AI Guru Hub! Need help with marketing and tools to streamline your brand? Check out their website: http://www.sometimeswegetyou.com or email them at info@sometimeswegetyou.com--- #pickleparty #acotar #fairytale #booktok #bookish

  4. Sep 15

    Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood — The Canyon, The Ravine & ALL the Chaos

    The first book in the Crescent City series is going OUT WITH A BANG. 💥 In this episode of Pickle Party, we’re diving into Parts 3 & 4 of House of Earth and Blood — The Canyon and The Ravine — and things get WILD. The mystery surrounding Danika, the Horn, and the Synth finally starts unraveling… but somehow every answer leads to another conspiracy. Bryce and Hunt grow closer, secrets come crashing down, and Bryce discovers that trusting people might be her greatest weakness. Then everything explodes. Hunt pays the ultimate price, Bryce refuses to give up on him, Micah’s connection to Danika’s murder is revealed, and we finally learn the truth about where the Horn has been hiding all along. And just when you think you've emotionally recovered… Lehabah. 😭🔥 We’re talking:🥒 Danika’s endless secrets🥒 Hunt’s rebellion & the ultimate betrayal🥒 Bryce and Hunt’s relationship🥒 Micah being the absolute WORST🥒 Lehabah’s heartbreaking sacrifice🥒 Bryce making the Drop🥒 “Light it up, Danika!” ✨🥒 Bryce going full badass🥒 Hunt finally becoming FREE🥒 And, of course, our HOT PICKLE/COLD TAKE debates Plus, we’re asking the BIG questions: Did Danika actually protect Bryce, or did all those secrets make her a terrible friend? Is Bryce stronger because of her grief—or in spite of it? And most importantly… are Bryce and Hunt actually a great match, or are they bonded through shared trauma? 👀 🚨 MAJOR SPOILERS for House of Earth and Blood ahead! Brine Babes, we want your hot takes! Come argue with us. 🥒🔥 Until next time, stay brined! 💚 ---**SPONSORED BY:**☕ **Javvy Coffee** - Fuel your reading sessions with the perfect brew! Use our link to get 15% off your first order:https://javvycoffee.com/a/PicklePartyPod🤖 **Sometimes We Get You Media** - Your AI Guru Hub! Need help with marketing and tools to streamline your brand? Check out their website: http://www.sometimeswegetyou.com or email them at info@sometimeswegetyou.com--- #picklepartypod #crescentcity #houseofearthandblood #sarahjmaas #brinebabes

  5. Sep 8

    Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood, Part I — Bryce, Danika & the Murder That Changed Everything

    We are FINALLY covering Crescent City, and Jules and Leslie are not okay. This week we dive into Parts 1 & 2 of House of Earth and Blood — The Hollow and The Trench — covering Bryce and Danika's friendship, the brutal murder of the Pack of Devils, and Bryce's uneasy new alliance with fallen angel Hunt Athalar as the investigation kicks off. We're breaking down the world of Midgard and its Four Houses, debating whether Danika was right to keep secrets from her best friend, and arguing over whether Hunt is a hero or just a guy with really good aim following really bad orders. Heads up Brine Babes: full spoilers ahead for HOEAB Parts 1 & 2. Come cry with us. Tell us: which Crescent City House would you want to be part of? DM us your hot takes @picklepartypod 🥒 ---**SPONSORED BY:**☕ **Javvy Coffee** - Fuel your reading sessions with the perfect brew! Use our link to get 15% off your first order:https://javvycoffee.com/a/PicklePartyPod🤖 **Sometimes We Get You Media** - Your AI Guru Hub! Need help with marketing and tools to streamline your brand? Check out their website: http://www.sometimeswegetyou.com or email them at info@sometimeswegetyou.com--- #picklepartypod #crescentcity #houseofearthandblood #sarahjmaas #brinebabes

  6. Sep 1

    Is Fairy Smut Dumbing Down Literature? (Genre Court is in Session)

    Somebody on the internet asked the dumbest question of the year — "is fairy smut dumbing down literature?" — and Brine Babes, we are NOT letting that one slide. This week Leslie and Jules crack open the whole pickle barrel: real sales stats (romantasy pulled in $610M in 2024 alone), the BookTok-brought-me-back-to-reading pipeline, the "why does romantasy get roasted when thrillers don't" double standard, and yes — the actually-legitimate critiques too. This isn't a men-hate-fun episode — some of the sharpest critics of the genre are women, and we're sitting with all of it. Genre Court is officially in session. ---**SPONSORED BY:**☕ **Javvy Coffee** - Fuel your reading sessions with the perfect brew! Use our link to get 15% off your first order:https://javvycoffee.com/a/PicklePartyPod🤖 **Sometimes We Get You Media** - Your AI Guru Hub! Need help with marketing and tools to streamline your brand? Check out their website: http://www.sometimeswegetyou.com or email them at info@sometimeswegetyou.com--- #romantasy #booktok #fairysmut #romancereaders #bookishcontent

  7. Aug 25

    I've Got All My Sisters With Me - Season 2 Premiere

    We're back, Brine Babes! Season 2 kicks off with the relationship that quietly makes every romantasy heroine so damn unshakeable: her sisters. We're breaking down the Hathaways, the Ravenels, and Mira & Violet from Fourth Wing to talk about why women who were loved first — no audition required — never settle for less. Featuring a Hot Pickle Cold Take on the most protective big sister in the game and a listener challenge you won't want to miss. Stay brined. 🥒 ---**SPONSORED BY:**☕ **Javvy Coffee** - Fuel your reading sessions with the perfect brew! Use our link to get 15% off your first order: https://javvycoffee.com/a/PicklePartyPod**Sometimes We Get You Media** - Your AI Guru Hub! Need help with marketing and tools to streamline your brand? Check out their website: http://www.sometimeswegetyou.com or email them at info@sometimeswegetyou.com--- #romantasy #bookishsisters #fourthwing #picklepartypod #brinebabes

  8. Jul 7

    🌹 ACOSF FINALE: "I Give It All Back" — The Blood Rite, The Crown & Nesta's Ending (Ch. 56-80) 🥒

    The finale episode of A Court of Silver Flames is here and we are NOT okay. 😭 Nesta wields all three Trove items and stops TIME. Cassian turns the dagger on himself rather than hurt her. The mate bond gets said out loud. And then — three words that ended us all: "I give it all back." We're covering the Symphonia, the ribbon getting cut, Gwyn's story (bring tissues), the Pass of Enalius, Briallyn's downfall, and that ending at the father's grave. Full spoilers ahead, Brine Babes — if you're not caught up, this is your warning. This is the episode that closes out Season 1 and honestly? We will recover and can't wait to get back with you in the Brine in Season 2 this FALL! 🥒 Stay Brined. ---**SPONSORED BY: **☕ **Javvy Coffee** - Fuel your reading sessions with the perfect brew! Use our link to get 15% off your first order: https://javvycoffee.com/a/PicklePartyPod **Sometimes We Get You Media** - Your AI Guru Hub! Need help with marketing and tools to streamline your brand? Check out their website: http://www.sometimeswegetyou.com or email them at info@sometimeswegetyou.com--- #ACOSF #ACourtOfSilverFlames #SJM #SarahJMaas #ACOTAR #NestaArcheron #Cassian #BookTok #Bookstagram #RomantasyBooks #BookPodcast #PicklePartyPod #BrineBabes #IGiveItAllBack #BloodRite #FantasyRomance #BookRecs #ReadersOfInstagram #BookCommunity #FinaleEpisode

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

The romantasy podcast for readers who love chaos as much as happily-ever-afters. Best friends Leslie and Jules dive into the world of fantasy romance with humor, heart, and zero shame. We’re talking tropes, dissecting BookTok memes, debating characters, and celebrating the books taking over the internet. Deep dives into ACOTAR, Fourth Wing, Crescent City & more. Hot takes on mating bonds, morally grey men, and why we’re all feral for wingspan discourse. We’re not book reviewers—we’re deep in the trenches with you. Welcome to the Brine. 🥒

Information

  • Creator
    Jules and Leslie
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    29
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Jules and Leslie
  • Show Website
    Pickle Party

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