Paperback Confessions

Dirty Skittles and G-Rex and Nacho
  • 5.0 (5)
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Paperback Confessions is your spicy, unfiltered escape into romance, fantasy, smut, book boyfriends, morally gray characters, chaotic theories, and the books that make us blush, spiral, swoon, and scream into the group chat. Think book club with your smartest messy friend, equal parts deep analysis, emotional damage, hot takes, and “I know he’s a red flag, but hear me out.”Each episode dives into the world, characters, themes, romance, spice, unpopular opinions, and the final verdict of the book being reviewed. In Deep Dive, we break down the world-building, magic systems, politics, character dynamics, foreshadowing, theories, and emotional wreckage. In Just the Tip, we get into the chemistry, tension, spice, slow burns, favorite scenes, and the moments that had us clutching our pearls or throwing the book across the room. In Listen Linda, we unleash the hot takes, defend villains, call out plot holes, and say the things polite book clubs only whisper. Then we wrap with the Final Verdi...

  1. 2d ago

    A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas, Feyre Wrecks the Spring Court From the Inside, Pt 1

    Spoiler Warning Heads up, confessors: this is a SPOILER-HEAVY episode. We’re starting A Court of Wings and Ruin with Feyre undercover in the Spring Court, sabotaging Tamlin, f*****g with Ianthe, escaping with Lucien, and eventually making her way back toward the Night Court. If you’re not caught up, retreat now before Feyre psychologically dismantles your entire court too.   The Book Title: A Court of Wings and Ruin Series: Book 3 of the A Court of Thorns and Roses series Author: Sarah J. Maas Spice / Heat: No major spice scene here, but we do get relationship speculation, predatory Ianthe, and one unfortunately worded “fisting in” rescue description Tropes: Undercover heroine, revenge, political sabotage, mates, morally gray manipulation, court politics, found family, betrayal, magical powers   The Confession Feyre returns to the Spring Court, playing the broken little bride Tamlin desperately wants to believe he rescued. Unfortunately for him, she came home with a plan. This episode is basically Feyre finding every crack in Tamlin’s court, sliding a chisel into it, and smiling sweetly while the whole damn thing starts breaking apart. Keywords: A Court of Wings and Ruin, ACOWAR, ACOTAR, Sarah J. Maas, Feyre Archeron, Tamlin, Lucien, Rhysand, Ianthe, Spring Court, Night Court, High Lady, Cassian, Azriel, Hybern, fantasy romance, romantasy, BookTok, Paperback Confessions   The Pour Cocktail: Spring Court Poison Apple — because apparently even the f*****g fruit can’t be trusted Alternate drink: Blackberry whiskey smash for Feyre’s smash-the-patriarchy sabotage era Non-alcoholic option: Sparkling apple lemonade with enough dramatic garnish to make Ianthe furious   Just the Tip Can someone have been a decent leader once and still become a dangerous one when fear, ego, trauma, and terrible advice take over? G-Rex is firmly in the “Tamlin is a s****y leader” camp, while Nacho questions whether he was always this bad or whether Feyre simply found the existing crack and hammered it wide open. Either way, believing Ianthe over the people who keep sacrificing themselves for you doesn't exactly inspire confidence.   What We Get Into Rhysand’s surprise battlefield POV Feyre playing the perfect grateful Spring Court bride Secret messages to Rhysand Lucien realizing Feyre is full of shit Weaponizing everyone’s expectations of women Feyre stealing Ianthe’s magical spotlight Tamlin’s jealousy and exploding temper The guards turning against their High Lord Ianthe preying on Lucien Feyre absolutely wrecking Ianthe’s hand The Hybern twins poisoning Feyre’s magic Lucien escaping the Spring Court with Feyre Feyre revealing she is High Lady Cassian and Azriel making one hell of an entrance   Favorite Chaos Moments G-Rex: “Who the f**k does that? Like a jealous m**********r, you know, jealous and controlling. Like, you’re an a*****e.” G-Rex: “This is not the guy you play follow the leader with, okay? Unless you also want to be a s****y person.” Dirty Skittles: “Basically, Feyre collected side quests like they were Pokémon.” Dirty Skittles: “She’s gonna destroy him from the inside out. And I loved that shit.” Nacho: “Don’t underestimate the uterus, man. Just don’t.” Nacho: “I’m reading this book, and that is just not the word to use right there.”   Our First Impressions G-Rex has absolutely no patience left for Tamlin’s jealous, controlling b******t and sees his treatment of Feyre, Lucien, and his own soldiers as proof that he is failing as both partner and leader. Dirty Skittles is delighted by Feyre’s psychological warfare and especially loves watching her exploit Tamlin and Ianthe’s weaknesses while gathering information for the Night Court. Nacho is fascinated by just how calculated Feyre has become, but they also push back on the idea that Tamlin was always a terrible leader and question how much fear, history, and Ianthe’s influence contributed to his collapse. They remain deeply suspicious of Lucien’s motivations too.   Subscribe, Rate & Review Subscribe so you never miss an episode of Paperback Confessions, and rate and review us wherever you listen. Every review helps more confessors discover our messy little book club. Visit www.paperbackconfessions.com for episodes, bookish chaos, questionable fictional men, spicy recommendations, and everything else we probably should not be saying into microphones.   Coming Up Next Feyre is finally back with the Night Court, and Lucien has made it there with one very specific goal: seeing Elain. Unfortunately for him, the hosts have approximately eight thousand questions about what the f**k his loyalties actually are.   #PaperbackConfessions #ACOWAR #ACOTAR #ACourtOfWingsAndRuin #SarahJMaas #FeyreArcheron #Rhysand #Tamlin #Lucien #Ianthe #Cassian #Azriel #SpringCourt #NightCourt #HighLady #FantasyRomance #Romantasy #FaeRomance #BookTok #Bookstagram #FeyreFuckAroundAndFindOut #DontUnderestimateTheUterus   Where to Find Us Website: https://www.paperbackconfessions.com Instagram: @paperback_confessions Paperback Confessions is the feral sister podcast to the award-winning Sh!t That Goes On In Our Heads, where we normalize conversations about mental health through honest stories, laughter, and real connection. Discover more at: https://goesoninourheads.net

  2. Sep 23

    A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas, Feyre Becomes High Lady and Goes Back to Destroy the Spring Court, Pt 4

    Heads up, confessors: this is a SPOILER-HEAVY episode. We are finishing A Court of Mist and Fury, which means the Summer Court, Starfall, the mating bond, Hybern, the Cauldron, Nesta and Elain, and that f*****g ending are all fair game. If you are not finished with ACOMAF, turn around now unless you want the entire last chunk of this book dumped directly into your emotional support beverage.   The Book Title: A Court of Mist and Fury Series: Book 2 of the A Court of Thorns and Roses series Author: Sarah J. Maas Spice / Heat: The literary edging finally ends. We get in foreplay, wing teasing, emotional f*****g, actual f*****g, and a paint-covered table. Tropes: Mates, enemies to lovers, found family, forced proximity, chosen family, hidden marriage, High Lady, touch-her-and-die energy, revenge, magical bargains, war   The Confession Feyre spends this episode choosing herself over and over again. She tells Lucien no. She saves Rhysand. She demands the truth about the mating bond. She fights for Velaris. And when everything goes completely to shit in Hybern, she makes the most dangerous choice of all: going back to the Spring Court on purpose. This isn't Feyre being rescued anymore. This is Feyre making the f*****g plan. Keywords: A Court of Mist and Fury, ACOMAF, ACOTAR, Sarah J. Maas, Feyre Archeron, Rhysand, Tamlin, Lucien, Nesta Archeron, Elain Archeron, Cassian, Mor, Velaris, Night Court, Spring Court, King of Hybern, mating bond, High Lady, fantasy romance, Paperback Confessions   The Pour Cocktail: Starfall Blackberry Gin Fizz — pretty, sparkly, romantic, and absolutely hiding emotional damage. Alternate drink: Paint-Splattered Espresso Martini — for surviving 55 chapters of G-Rex screaming about literary edging. Non-alcoholic option: Night Court Blackberry Lemonade — because somebody in this episode has to stay sober enough to recognize a terrible bargain.   Just the Tip What matters more: protecting someone, or trusting them to make their own choice? That difference runs through the entire episode. Rhys lets Feyre face Lucien herself, Feyre refuses to be sent home during the attack on Velaris, and by the end she makes a terrifying decision nobody can make for her. She is done being handled.   What We Get Into Feyre and Rhys getting jealous at the Summer Court Stealing the second half of the Book Under-the-Mountain roleplay and industrial-strength edging Rhys crushing Mor’s father’s hand Starfall and Feyre finally painting again Feyre telling Lucien she is never going back Inn-room wing teasing and second base Feyre going full G.I. Jane to save Rhys The Suriel dropping the mating-bond bomb Cabin confessions and paint-table sex Feyre defending Velaris from the Attor Tamlin’s deal with Hybern Elain and Nesta entering the Cauldron Lucien realizing Elain is his mate Feyre becoming High Lady and infiltrating the Spring Court   Favorite Chaos Moments G-Rex: “This was like edging at the nth f*****g level. I was so mad.” G-Rex: “I want to tickle your wings. Come here.” Dirty Skittles: “She wants that dick. She’s thinking with her dick.” Dirty Skittles: “Feyre’s way of slashing his tires. This is just beautiful artwork all over his cabin.” Nacho: “You got an infection because you got the paint somewhere.” Nacho: “Now I have gravel in my vagina.”   Our First Impressions G-Rex is fully invested in Feyre becoming a badass who refuses to be controlled, deeply satisfied that the endless edging finally pays off, and still has absolutely no patience for Tamlin’s b******t. Dirty Skittles is emotionally all-in on Rhysand and Feyre, especially Starfall, the cabin confession, and Rhys giving Feyre room to make her own choices. Rhysand remains their book husband, apparently after extensive shower-based deliberation. Nacho loves Feyre’s growing power and independence, is delighted by the mating-bond chaos, and remains extremely committed to Cassian while also providing several deeply practical reasons why fantasy sex scenarios would be f*****g terrible in real life.   Subscribe, Rate & Review Subscribe so you never miss an episode of Paperback Confessions, and rate and review us wherever you listen. Every review helps more confessors discover our messy little book club. Visit www.paperbackconfessions.com for episodes, bookish chaos, questionable fictional men, spicy recommendations, and everything else we probably should not be saying into microphones. Coming Up Next ACOMAF ends with Feyre back inside the Spring Court, surrounded by people who think they rescued her. Unfortunately for them, the High Lady of the Night Court has arrived with a f*****g mission: destroy it from the inside out.   #PaperbackConfessions #ACOMAF #ACOTAR #ACourtOfMistAndFury #SarahJMaas #FeyreArcheron #Rhysand #Tamlin #Lucien #NestaArcheron #ElainArcheron #Cassian #Morrigan #NightCourt #SpringCourt #Velaris #HighLady #KingOfHybern #MatingBond #Romantasy #FantasyRomance #FaeRomance #BookTok #Bookstagram #LiteraryEdging   Where to Find Us Website: https://www.paperbackconfessions.com Instagram: @paperback_confessions Paperback Confessions is the feral sister podcast to the award-winning Sh!t That Goes On In Our Heads, where we normalize conversations about mental health through honest stories, laughter, and real connection. Discover more at: https://goesoninourheads.net

  3. Sep 16

    A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas, Tamlin Locks Feyre Up and Mor Busts Her Out, Pt 3

    Spoiler Warning Heads up, confessors: this is a SPOILER-HEAVY episode. We’re covering the part of A Court of Mist and Fury where Tamlin traps Feyre inside the Spring Court manor, Mor gets her the f**k out, and Feyre starts building a life at the Night Court with Rhysand, Velaris, and his Inner Circle. We also get the Bone Carver, the Weaver, Feyre’s increasingly terrifying powers, and the beginnings of some very interesting relationship dynamics—so if you are not this far yet, back away before Amren decides you smell edible.   The Book Title: A Court of Mist and Fury Series: Book 2 of the A Court of Thorns and Roses series Author: Sarah J. Maas Spice / Heat: Not much actual sex in this chunk, but between angry-sex fantasies, Amren thirst, and one very “slickery” shirtless High Lord, the hosts are doing their part. Tropes: Trauma recovery, found family, enemies to lovers, magical training, hidden city, morally gray love interest, chosen family, mating bond, magical trials, agency versus control   The Confession Tamlin thinks keeping Feyre safe means keeping her locked away. Her nervous system has other f*****g plans. When that locked door sends Feyre straight back into the terror of Under the Mountain, Mor gets her out—and suddenly the contrast between control and actual safety becomes impossible to ignore. At the Night Court, Feyre gets something she has been begging for all along: choices. Keywords: A Court of Mist and Fury, ACOMAF, ACOTAR, Sarah J. Maas, Feyre Archeron, Rhysand, Tamlin, Morrigan, Mor, Velaris, Night Court, Inner Circle, Cassian, Azriel, Amren, Bone Carver, Weaver, Feyre powers, found family, fantasy romance podcast   The Pour Cocktail: A Night Court blackberry martini—dark, dramatic, and appropriate for being dramatically rescued by beautiful fae people. Alternate drink: A cinnamon-roll espresso cocktail in honor of G-Rex nearly choking mid-discussion and the immediate derailment that followed. Non-alcoholic option: Blackberry lemonade with edible shimmer for full Velaris-at-night energy.   Just the Tip When does protection become control? Tamlin keeps insisting he is protecting Feyre while taking away her choices, while Rhys repeatedly puts the decision back in her hands—even when the choice she might make is one he hates. That does not mean Rhys is manipulation-free, and the hosts absolutely clock that too. But Feyre is finally learning what it feels like when someone says, "You decide."   What We Get Into Tamlin trapping Feyre inside the manor Feyre’s panic, trauma, and complete breaking point Mor earning MVP status with the rescue Rhys giving Feyre the choice to stay or leave Velaris and the Night Court finally feeling like home Meeting Cassian, Azriel, Amren, and the rest of the Inner Circle Found family versus blood family Rhysand’s manipulation and Feyre demanding the whole truth The deeply creepy Bone Carver The Weaver, the ring, and a cottage full of nightmare fuel Nesta and Cassian bringing immediate hostile chemistry Feyre discovering just how powerful she actually is   Favorite Chaos Moments G-Rex: “Nobody keeps baby in the house. Nobody.” G-Rex: “I've been a bad girl. Please take care of me.” Dirty Skittles: “This leads us to the MVP of the motherfucking book.” Dirty Skittles: “She don't eat food, she eats people.” Nacho: “I've been so, so disrespectful. I need to be course corrected.” Nacho: “Again, giving her a choice, giving her agency over her own body.”   Our First Impressions G-Rex is still suspicious of Rhysand’s manipulation and spends a good chunk of this section feeling like the Night Court may be using Feyre’s power for a larger endgame. At the same time, she is fully on board with Feyre getting away from Tamlin and connects hard with the importance of found family. Dirty Skittles sees this as the point where Rhysand starts becoming Feyre’s safe space—not because he makes every decision perfectly, but because he keeps giving Feyre choices and lets her decide whether she wants to stay, fight, train, and become part of his court. Nacho is deeply tuned into Feyre’s loss of control, trauma response, and the difference between being managed and being given agency. They also clock Rhysand’s manipulation, appreciate Feyre calling him on his shit, and love foreshadowing, terrifying women, and onion layers.   Subscribe, Rate & Review Subscribe so you never miss an episode of Paperback Confessions, and rate and review us wherever you listen. Every review helps more confessors discover our messy little book club. Visit www.paperbackconfessions.com for episodes, bookish chaos, questionable fictional men, spicy recommendations, and everything else we probably should not be saying into microphones.   Coming Up Next Feyre has survived the Bone Carver, escaped the Weaver, started training her powers, and made it very clear that Rhysand better stop leaving out important f*****g details. Next stop: the Summer Court, where they need to find the other half of the Book before Hybern’s plans get a whole lot harder to stop.   #PaperbackConfessions #ACOMAF #ACOTAR #ACourtOfMistAndFury #SarahJMaas #FeyreArcheron #Rhysand #Tamlin #Morrigan #Cassian #Azriel #Amren #Velaris #NightCourt #InnerCircle #BoneCarver #TheWeaver #FantasyRomance #Romantasy #FaeRomance #BookTok #Bookstagram #FoundFamily #FuckTamlin #TeamRhysand   Where to Find Us Website: https://www.paperbackconfessions.com Instagram: @paperback_confessions Paperback Confessions is the feral sister podcast to the award-winning Sh!t That Goes On In Our Heads, where we normalize conversations about mental health through honest stories, laughter, and real connection. Discover more at: https://goesoninourheads.net

  4. Sep 9

    A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas, The Trophy Bride Gets a Night Court Rescue, Pt 2

    Spoiler Warning Heads up, confessors: this is a SPOILER-HEAVY episode. We are continuing our deep dive into A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas, including Feyre’s almost-wedding, Rhysand’s dramatic rescue, the Night Court, Tamlin’s rage, and a whole lot of increasingly disturbing red flags. If you have not read A Court of Mist and Fury, save this one and come back when you are ready to have emotionally complicated opinions about attractive High Lords.   The Book Title: A Court of Mist and Fury Series: Book 2 of the A Court of Thorns and Roses series Author: Sarah J. Maas Spice / Heat: There is sex, but G-Rex remains deeply offended by the continued literary edging Tropes: Trauma recovery, broken engagement, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, magical bargain, found family, morally gray love interest, possessive High Lord, and mating bond   The Confession It is wedding day, and Feyre’s entire body is screaming no. Triggered by the ceremony and desperate for someone to help her, she silently begs to be saved—and Rhysand f*****g hears her. What follows is Feyre’s first real taste of the Night Court, where she is challenged, taught, listened to, and introduced to people who actually seem to give a shit about what she needs. Then she goes back to Tamlin. And the difference is impossible to ignore. Keywords: A Court of Mist and Fury, ACOMAF, ACOTAR, Sarah J. Maas, Feyre Archeron, Rhysand, Tamlin, Morrigan, Mor, Lucien, Night Court, Spring Court, Feyre wedding, Tamlin red flags, fantasy romance podcast, romantasy, BookTok, Paperback Confessions   The Pour We are going Night Court for this one. Try a blackberry vodka lemonade, an espresso martini for G-Rex’s ongoing literary-edging crisis, or a blackberry lemonade for our nonalcoholic confessors. Basically, drink something strong enough to survive a wedding with 300 Spring Court guests.   Just the Tip When does helping someone become making decisions for them? We debate whether Rhysand waiting for Feyre to ask for help gives her agency—or whether knowing how badly she was struggling and doing nothing sooner is its own kind of manipulation. The difference that keeps coming up? When Feyre finally asks for help, Rhys listens.   What We Get Into Feyre’s disastrous wedding day Rhysand answering her call for help Agency versus manipulation Feyre discovering the Night Court Flying shoes and Rhys pushing her buttons Learning to read and shield her mind Meeting Mor and finding connection Tamlin and Lucien treating Feyre like a spy Tamlin refusing to let Feyre train The tithe and “titty taxes” Feyre helping the water wraith Tamlin’s rage and exploding office Feyre realizing she is disappearing again   Favorite Chaos Moments G-Rex: “Suck a dick. Literally suck a dick.” G-Rex: “He did listen, unlike Tamlin, who didn’t listen.” Dirty Skittles: “The t*****s happen, and everybody’s got to pay titty taxes.” Nacho: “Let’s just gaslight a little bit more.” G-Rex: “F**k all the f*****g way off.”   Our First Impressions G-Rex is warming up to Rhys but still has questions about his manipulation. Dirty Skittles sees him giving Feyre the freedom and support Tamlin refuses to give her, while Nacho starts questioning whether Rhys should have stepped in sooner. One thing we agree on: Feyre is beginning to see the difference between being loved and being controlled. And Tamlin is making his case worse by the f*****g minute.     Subscribe, Rate & Review Subscribe so you never miss an episode of Paperback Confessions, and rate and review us wherever you listen. Every review helps more confessors discover our messy little book club. Visit www.paperbackconfessions.com for episodes, bookish chaos, questionable fictional men, spicy recommendations, and everything else we probably should not be saying into microphones.   Coming Up Next Feyre has now experienced what it feels like to breathe again. Unfortunately, she keeps returning to a Spring Court where Tamlin’s control is getting tighter, her powers are getting stronger, and she is disappearing a little more every day. Rhys leaves her with two words: Fight it.   #PaperbackConfessions #ACOMAF #ACOTAR #ACourtOfMistAndFury #SarahJMaas #FeyreArcheron #Rhysand #Tamlin #Morrigan #Mor #Lucien #SpringCourt #NightCourt #FaeRomance #FantasyRomance #Romantasy #SpicyBooks #BookTok #Bookstagram #FantasyBooks #BookPodcast #RomancePodcast #Feyre #FuckTamlin #TeamRhysand #LiteraryEdging #TittyTaxes   Where to Find Us Website: https://www.paperbackconfessions.com Instagram: @paperback_confessions Paperback Confessions is the feral sister podcast to the award-winning Sh!t That Goes On In Our Heads, where we normalize conversations about mental health through honest stories, laughter, and real connection. Discover more at: https://goesoninourheads.net

  5. Sep 2

    A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas, The Butch Badass Becomes a Trophy Bride, Pt 1

    Spoiler Warning Heads up, confessors: this is a SPOILER-HEAVY episode. We are beginning our deep dive into A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas, and we are discussing everything—including Feyre’s trauma, Tamlin’s rapidly multiplying red flags, Rhysand’s questionable methods, and G-Rex officially joining Team F**k Tamlin. If you have not read A Court of Mist and Fury, save this episode and come back after you have survived Under the Mountain and developed at least one emotionally complicated opinion about an attractive High Lord.   The Book Title: A Court of Mist and Fury Series: Book 2 of the A Court of Thorns and Roses series Author: Sarah J. Maas Spice / Heat: The sex arrives early, but according to G-Rex, the good sex takes entirely too f*****g long Tropes: Trauma recovery, broken engagement, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, magical bargain, morally gray love interest, found family, possessive High Lord, and one spectacularly unhealthy relationship   The Confession Welcome back to the feral little sister of Sh!t That Goes On In Our Heads. Three months after Under the Mountain, Feyre should be living happily ever after. Instead, she is traumatized, losing weight, waking from nightmares, unable to paint, and preparing to marry a man who seems determined not to notice that she is falling apart. Tamlin calls it protection. We call b******t. In Part 1, we unpack Feyre’s PTSD, Tamlin’s increasingly controlling behavior, Lucien’s inability to stand up to him, Ianthe slithering into the Spring Court, and Dirty Skittles’ theory that Tamlin does not actually see Feyre as his equal. He sees her as his trophy. Meanwhile, G-Rex remains convinced that her butch badass bisexual Feyre is being played by two very different High Lords. Keywords: A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas, ACOMAF, ACOTAR, ACOMAF spoilers, Feyre Archeron, Tamlin, Rhysand, Lucien, Ianthe, Spring Court, Night Court, Feyre PTSD, Tamlin red flags, fantasy romance podcast, fae romance, romantasy, spicy book podcast, BookTok fantasy, Paperback Confessions   The Pour This episode requires something strong enough to survive a Spring Court engagement. Pour yourself a Night Court-inspired cocktail with blackberry, lavender, vodka, lemon, and sparkling water—or grab an espresso martini in honor of G-Rex continuing her battle against literary edging. Nonalcoholic confessors can try blackberry lemonade, lavender tea, sparkling water with berries, or coffee strong enough to survive an uncomfortable Tamlin sex scene.   Just the Tip In Just the Tip, we ask a bigger question: When does protection become control? Feyre wants to train, understand her new powers, help rebuild Prythian, and have some f*****g autonomy. Tamlin repeatedly decides what is best for her and calls it protection. Dirty Skittles believes Tamlin may be so determined not to become his cruel father that he has created a different kind of cage. Nacho sees someone who may genuinely believe he is protecting Feyre while completely ignoring what she actually needs. G-Rex sees a powerful woman being told to sit down, behave, and let the men handle everything. That shit is not going over well. On our Halos to Handcuffs scale, Tamlin is no longer drifting toward handcuffs. Sir, please place your hands where we can see them.   What We Get Into Feyre’s PTSD after Under the Mountain Losing yourself after surviving trauma Tamlin confusing protection with control Feyre discovering her new High Fae powers Why nobody seems to notice she is falling apart Lucien trying—and failing—to challenge Tamlin Dirty Skittles’ Tamlin trophy theory Ianthe and her giant pile of red flags Feyre being denied the title of High Lady Uncomfortable sex and continued literary edging G-Rex officially joining Team F**k Tamlin   Favorite Chaos Moments G-Rex: “Feyre is a butch badass bisexual woman.” G-Rex: “F**k Tamlin. Just automatically f**k Tamlin.” Dirty Skittles: “The first half of the book, in my opinion, is a narcissistic man who is basically abusive.” Dirty Skittles: “My theory is Tamlin does not see Feyre as his High Lady or his queen because he sees her as his trophy.” Nacho: “It’s like that whole thing about being lonely in a whole room full of people.” Nacho: “Orgasms are great, but it’s not even a Band-Aid.”   Our First Impressions G-Rex is officially done with Tamlin. She sees Feyre as stronger than ever, yet constantly being told to stay home and let the men handle everything. She is also keeping one suspicious eye on Rhysand because manipulation still counts, even when the guy is hot. Dirty Skittles sees Feyre trying to rebuild her identity after trauma while everyone around her ignores what she actually needs. Her theory: Tamlin does not see Feyre as an equal. He sees her as something precious to protect, possess, and display. Nacho initially wants to believe Tamlin can redeem himself, but that hope is fading fast. They are especially struck by Feyre’s loneliness and Lucien’s failure to truly stand up for her. Bottom line: Feyre survived Under the Mountain, but surviving Tamlin may require an entirely different kind of strength.   Subscribe, Rate & Review Subscribe so you never miss an episode of Paperback Confessions, and rate and review us wherever you listen. Every review helps more confessors discover our messy little book club. Visit www.paperbackconfessions.com for episodes, bookish chaos, questionable fictional men, spicy recommendations, and everything else we probably should not be saying into microphones.   Coming Up Next Feyre is losing herself. Tamlin is tightening his grip. Ianthe is whispering in all the wrong ears. And Rhysand still has a bargain to collect. In Part 2, the Spring Court fairy tale starts cracking as Feyre is forced to confront the difference between being protected and being imprisoned. The wedding is getting closer. The red flags are getting bigger. And the Night Court is waiting.   #PaperbackConfessions #ACOMAF #ACOTAR #ACourtOfMistAndFury #SarahJMaas #FeyreArcheron #Rhysand #Tamlin #Lucien #Ianthe #SpringCourt #NightCourt #FaeRomance #FantasyRomance #Romantasy #SpicyBooks #BookTok #Bookstagram #FantasyBooks #BookPodcast #RomancePodcast #TraumaRecovery #Feyre #FuckTamlin #ButchBadass #LiteraryEdging   Where to Find Us Website: https://www.paperbackconfessions.com Instagram: @paperback_confessions Paperback Confessions is the feral sister podcast to the award-winning Sh!t That Goes On In Our Heads, where we normalize conversations about mental health through honest stories, laughter, and real connection. Discover more at: https://goesoninourheads.net

  6. Aug 26

    A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, The Huntress Stabs Tamlin, Dies, and Comes Back Fae, Pt 4

    Spoiler Warning Heads up, confessors: this is a SPOILER-HEAVY episode. We’re wrapping up our deep dive into A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, and Feyre’s final challenge, Under the Mountain, somehow involves murder, resurrection, seven High Fae, one very suspicious Rhysand moment, and Tamlin finally locating his balls approximately seven seconds too late. If you haven’t read A Court of Thorns and Roses, turn back now because we are absolutely not holding shit back.   The Book Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series: Book 1 of the A Court of Thorns and Roses series Author: Sarah J. Maas Spice / Heat: Mostly tension, vanilla romance, and an entire podcast panel demanding significantly more payoff Tropes: Deadly trials, sacrifice, resurrection, magical bargains, morally gray fae, mysterious bonds, trauma connections, transformation, forbidden attraction, and one human woman continuing to do everyone else’s damn job   The Confession Welcome back to the feral little sister of Sh!t That Goes On In Our Heads. We have officially reached the final chapter of our A Court of Thorns and Roses deep dive, and Feyre’s third challenge is exactly as horrifying as promised. Three hooded figures. Three lives. And underneath the final hood? Tamlin. Feyre has to decide whether she can kill the man she came Under the Mountain to save. But she remembers something important: Tamlin’s heart is made of stone. So she stabs him. And it works. Unfortunately, Amaretto has one last loophole up her evil little sleeve and decides that while Feyre technically fulfilled the bargain, she never promised when everyone would be released. Then she proceeds to absolutely destroy Feyre. And while Tamlin is apparently still tying his f*****g shoes, Rhysand is the one repeatedly throwing himself at Amaretto, trying to protect Feyre, even though he knows he cannot win. Feyre dies. Tamlin finally gets up, kills Amaretto, and the seven High Fae give Feyre pieces of themselves to bring her back. Except she doesn’t come back human. Feyre is now High Fae. And just when we think Sarah J. Maas might let everybody go home and process the approximately 47 years of therapy they now require, Feyre follows a mysterious tug to Rhysand. They say goodbye. He looks at her. Something shocks the absolute shit out of him. And then he disappears. Excuse us?   Just the Tip This week, Just the Tip has very little to do with actual spice because apparently Sarah J. Maas has decided we must earn that later. Instead, we’re talking about survival, identity, trauma, and what happens when someone goes through something so massive that they cannot possibly return to the person they were before it happened. Feyre entered the human world. She leaves the High Fae. But the physical transformation is only part of it. She survived psychological torture, made impossible choices, killed to save others, died, and came back carrying pieces of seven powerful beings inside her. The question going forward isn’t whether Feyre has changed. It’s whether the relationships and life she fought so hard to return to still fit the person she has become.   What We Get Into Feyre facing the horrifying third and final trial Tamlin being revealed underneath the final hood Feyre remembering his heart of stone Amaretto finding one final loophole in the bargain Rhysand repeatedly trying to protect Feyre Tamlin finally killing Amaretto Feyre dying and being resurrected as High Fae The seven High Fae giving Feyre pieces of their power Feyre following that mysterious tug back to Rhysand Rhysand’s massive unexplained “oh shit” moment G-Rex predicting trouble ahead for Feyre and Tamlin The official ACOTAR Red Flag Report Our final spice ratings and book reviews   Favorite Chaos Moments G-Rex: “I’m a fae, but you know, I’m not dead.” G-Rex: “Rhysand, he is 12 out of 10 flags because he’s a walking HR violation and, like, suspiciously compelling.” Dirty Skittles: “He was tying his shoes or whatever the f**k he was doing.” Dirty Skittles: “It’s just sweet vanilla lovemaking with a narcissistic liar. F**k Tamlin.” Nacho: “You are teasing, Skittles. You are teasing and you need to stop. We do not edge Gretchen.” Nacho: “I’m not even putting a rating on this one because as far as I’m concerned, there’s no rating to be put on this.”   Our First Impressions G-Rex finishes A Court of Thorns and Roses with 4 out of 5 stars. The beginning dragged for her, but once Feyre went Under the Mountain, she was locked in. Watching Feyre’s intelligence and survival instincts take over completely changed her experience of the book. She also connects deeply with Feyre’s butch-leaning provider energy while simultaneously watching the story through the eyes of an older lesbian and mental health advocate—which means she spent a significant portion of this book wondering why a traumatized 19-year-old was sacrificing herself while several extremely powerful, emotionally constipated fae men made questionable decisions around her. Dirty Skittles finishes the book deeply invested in where Feyre’s story is going, increasingly suspicious of everything happening between Feyre and Rhysand, and completely over Tamlin’s inability to communicate or act when it matters most. Nacho refuses to give the spice a respectable rating because, in their world, reciprocal payoff matters. They are, however, completely here for Feyre’s evolution and extremely entertained by watching G-Rex unknowingly make predictions about what might happen next. And then there’s the official G-Rex Red Flag Report: Tamlin: 7/10 red flags — protective, secretive, controlling, and increasingly irritating Rhysand: 12/10 red flags — walking HR violation and suspiciously compelling Lucien: 4/10 red flags — mostly sarcasm, trauma, and questionable friendship choices Feyre: 6/10 red flags — will absolutely run directly toward danger after being specifically told not to Basically, everyone needs therapy.   Subscribe, Rate & Review Subscribe so you never miss an episode of Paperback Confessions, and rate and review us wherever you listen. Every review helps more confessors find our messy little book club. Visit www.paperbackconfessions.com for episodes, bookish chaos, morally questionable fictional people, and everything else we probably should not be saying into microphones.   Coming Up Next We survived A Court of Thorns and Roses. Barely. But Feyre is no longer human, Tamlin is still sitting comfortably atop G-Rex’s red-flag leaderboard, Rhysand just had one hell of a mysterious reaction to Feyre, and there is still that tiny little matter of one week every month in the Night Court. Next up, we’re diving into A Court of Mist and Fury. G-Rex thinks Feyre and Tamlin’s relationship is about to get worse. She thinks Feyre and Rhysand have more in common than either of them realizes. And somehow, despite having no idea what is actually coming, she has already called Rhysand “suspiciously compelling.” This should go well. The huntress survived Under the Mountain. Now we get to find out who the hell she becomes afterward.   #PaperbackConfessions #ACOTAR #ACourtOfThornsAndRoses #SarahJMaas #FeyreArcheron #Tamlin #Rhysand #Lucien #Amarantha #UnderTheMountain #NightCourt #HighFae #FaeRomance #FantasyRomance #Romantasy #SpicyBooks #BookTok #Bookstagram #BookPodcast #RomancePodcast #MorallyGray   Where to Find Us Website: https://www.paperbackconfessions.com Instagram: @paperback_confessions Paperback Confessions is the feral sister podcast to the award-winning Sh!t That Goes On In Our Heads, where we normalize conversations about mental health through honest stories, laughter, and real connection. Discover more at: https://goesoninourheads.net

  7. Aug 19

    A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, The Huntress Goes Full G.I. Jane and Makes a Dangerous Bargain, Pt 3

    Spoiler Warning Heads up, confessors: this is a SPOILER-HEAVY episode. We’re going Under the Mountain for Part 3 of our deep dive into A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, and the slow burn has officially been replaced by deadly trials, psychological torture, fairy wine, dangerous bargains, and Feyre going full G.I. Jane. If you haven’t read A Court of Thorns and Roses, turn back now because we are absolutely not holding shit back.   The Book Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series: Book 1 of the A Court of Thorns and Roses series Author: Sarah J. Maas Spice / Heat: More tension than payoff, with fairy wine, body paint, questionable touching, and one very charged Tamlin encounter Tropes: Deadly trials, morally gray fae, forced bargains, forbidden attraction, survival games, secret assistance, psychological torture, and one human woman doing everyone else’s damn job   The Confession Welcome back to the feral little sister of Sh!t That Goes On In Our Heads. Feyre heads Under the Mountain after Alis gives her some very simple advice: don’t drink the fairy wine, don’t make deals unless your life depends on it, and don’t trust anyone. Naturally, Feyre eventually breaks most of those rules. She finally meets Amarantha, forever known here as Amaretto, learns just how bad things really are, and discovers that saving Tamlin means surviving three deadly trials or solving a riddle she absolutely cannot figure out. The first trial finally gives us the Feyre we’ve been waiting for. She stops trying to overpower the threat, starts thinking like the huntress she is, and uses her environment to survive a giant murderous worm. Then Rhysand enters the equation in a much bigger way. When Feyre is badly injured and facing death, he offers to heal her in exchange for one week every month in the Night Court. She makes the bargain. And suddenly this whole story starts feeling very different.   Just the Tip This week, Just the Tip is less about spice and more about survival. Feyre’s trials show how resilience can look messy, uncomfortable, and deeply personal. The first forces her to adapt physically, while the second targets the thing she is most ashamed of: her inability to read. That second trial hits hard because Amarantha isn’t attacking Feyre’s body, she is attacking her sense of worth. And Feyre keeps going anyway.   What We Get Into Alis finally revealing the truth about the curse Feyre going Under the Mountain Meeting Amaretto and learning Clare Beddor’s fate The first trial and Feyre going full huntress mode Lucien risking himself to help her Rhysand’s bargain and the Night Court tattoo The second trial weaponizing Feyre’s inability to read Tamlin continuing to do almost nothing Fairy wine, body paint, and Rhysand’s questionable motives The psychological setup for the final challenge   Favorite Chaos Moments G-Rex: “It was a f****d-up, R-rated Disney movie.” G-Rex: “She was a tiny gnome butch. Kind of like me. I’m more of a flutch though.” Dirty Skittles: “Beauty and the Beast if the Beast, Tamlin, was Gaston.” Dirty Skittles: “As it turns out, she rubs shit all over herself.” Nacho: “So what, Lucien’s Lumière?” Nacho: “Where the f**k were you, beefcake? Get the f**k outta my face. I was dying.”   Our First Impressions G-Rex is fully Team Feyre at this point. This is the version of her she has been waiting for, strategic, stubborn, resourceful, and willing to adapt when brute strength is not enough. Dirty Skittles loves seeing Feyre reclaim the huntress she was at the beginning of the book, but her opinion of Tamlin keeps getting worse. Nacho is finally getting the payoff they wanted after a very long setup and is paying close attention to every bit of Rhysand foreshadowing. We all agree on one thing: Feyre may have gone Under the Mountain to save Tamlin, but the woman surviving these trials is becoming someone very different.   Subscribe, Rate & Review Subscribe so you never miss an episode of Paperback Confessions, and rate and review us wherever you listen. Every review helps more confessors find our messy little book club. Visit www.paperbackconfessions.com for episodes, bookish chaos, morally questionable fictional people, and everything else we probably should not be saying into microphones.   Coming Up Next The final challenge is here, and Amaretto is done testing Feyre’s strength. Now she’s testing her humanity. Three hooded figures. Three lives. And when the final hood comes off, Feyre has to decide what she is truly willing to sacrifice. This episode proves one thing: the huntress is officially back.   #PaperbackConfessions #ACOTAR #ACourtOfThornsAndRoses #SarahJMaas #FeyreArcheron #Tamlin #Rhysand #Lucien #Amarantha #UnderTheMountain #NightCourt #FaeRomance #FantasyRomance #Romantasy #SpicyBooks #BookTok #Bookstagram #BookPodcast #RomancePodcast #MorallyGray Where to Find Us Website: https://www.paperbackconfessions.com Instagram: @paperback_confessions Paperback Confessions is the feral sister podcast to the award-winning Sh!t That Goes On In Our Heads, where we normalize conversations about mental health through honest stories, laughter, and real connection. Discover more at: https://goesoninourheads.net

  8. Aug 12

    A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, The Butch Huntress Gets Bit, Bewitched, and Betrayed, Pt 2

    Spoiler Warning Heads up, confessors: this is a SPOILER-HEAVY episode. We're back in Prythian for Part 2 of our deep dive into A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, and we're getting into the Spring Court, Calanmai, a very memorable neck bite, and the moment G-Rex officially declared "f**k Tamlin" too. If you haven't read A Court of Thorns and Roses, go finish crossing that wall before you press play, because we are not holding back.   The Book Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series: Book 1 of the A Court of Thorns and Roses series Author: Sarah J. Maas Spice / Heat: Slow burn that finally catches fire — Calanmai, a possessive neck bite, and one very vanilla "I love you" that goes unanswered Tropes: Beauty and the Beast retelling, captor turned "protector," morally gray high lord, forbidden fire festival, the other man appears, glamoured secrets, love confessions nobody's ready for, and a heart of stone trying (and failing) to love somebody   The Confession Welcome back to the feral little sister of Sh!t That Goes On In Our Heads. In Part 2, Feyre starts settling into Tamlin's estate — if you can call being glamoured, kept behind gates, and lied to about who else lives there "settling in." We meet Lucien (RIP to a real one; he catches every stray in this book), fall down the Tamlin-and-Lucien-are-definitely-a-couple rabbit hole, and unpack the fire festival Calanmai, where Feyre disobeys a very clear warning, meets a devastatingly hot stranger named Rhysand, and ends the night with Tamlin's teeth in her neck. We also dig into Tamlin's tragic backstory, Lucien's tragic backstory, Feyre's suriel-delivered prophecy to "stay with the High Lord," and the introduction of Amarantha — sorry, Amaretto — the reason this whole curse exists in the first place. By the end, Tamlin sends Feyre home for her own "safety," she finds out her family's been living off his money the whole time, and Nesta — never glamoured, never fooled — cracks something open in Feyre that sends her right back across the wall. Tamlin is officially past probation. He is in handcuffs. Keywords: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, ACOTAR, ACOTAR spoilers, Feyre Archeron, Tamlin, Rhysand, Lucien, Nesta Archeron, Prythian, Spring Court, Calanmai, fantasy romance podcast, fae romance, romantasy, Beauty and the Beast retelling, spicy book podcast, BookTok fantasy, Paperback Confessions   The Pour This one basically pairs itself: an amaretto sour, because we cannot say Amarantha's name correctly and we're not going to start now. G-Rex is bringing the amaretto, Nacho's supplying the felt for the Amaretto doll craft project we did not plan to start mid-episode. For a Calanmai-coded cocktail, go with something fire-toned — a spiced rum and blood orange situation with a cinnamon-stick garnish. Nonalcoholic confessors can stick with a spiced cider or a virgin amaretto sour (yes, that's a thing, look it up).   Just the Tip In Just the Tip, we get into whether Tamlin ever actually loved Feyre, or just loved what she could do for him. Dirty Skittles' theory: he has a heart of stone and was never capable of loving her — just the idea of her, and the curse she could break. Nacho pushes back a little, arguing Tamlin isn't intentionally controlling at first — he's doing what he thinks protection looks like, and it curdles the more Feyre pushes back. G-Rex lands somewhere in the middle: fighter, not a lover, kind of a narcissist, but she gets why some readers — depending on how they were raised — might actually vibe with the "provider" thing he's selling. On our Halos to Handcuffs scale, Tamlin is fully in handcuffs now. He glamours her, hides an entire population of people from her, locks her in during Calanmai "for her safety," and then sends her away the second she becomes inconvenient. He also tells her he loves her while actively trying to get rid of her. Sir. Ma'am. Whoever you are. This is not it.   What We Get Into Lucien, the mask, and the curse Tamlin can't explain The great "are Tamlin and Lucien secretly together" theory Alis, the actual MVP of the Spring Court Fairies "can't lie" — a claim we do not trust The generational debate on whether Tamlin's whole vibe is romantic or a red flag Calanmai, the fire festival nobody explained properly Meeting Rhysand: "There you are. I've been looking for you." The neck bite heard 'round Prythian Lucien's Autumn Court backstory and his tragic scar Tamlin's brutal family and his "trying not to be like them" arc The suriel prophecy: stay with the High Lord The first (very vanilla) sex scene and the audiobook narrator's "Sarah, Sarah" problem The heads on spikes and the reveal that Rhysand put them there Rhysand crashing dinner, glamour or no glamour Introducing Amarantha, forever known as Amaretto Tamlin sending Feyre home "for her safety" (sure, Jan) Feyre coming home to a family living off Tamlin's money Nesta was never glamoured — and she went looking for Feyre The conversation with Nesta that finally cracks Feyre open   Favorite Chaos Moments Nacho: "I have enough felt to get this done." Dirty Skittles: "That is my favorite line I've ever heard you say." G-Rex: "Can we give him a bottle of amaretto dressed up like Emma— Amarantha?" Nacho: "May she be ever known, forever known as Amaretto." Dirty Skittles: "F**k this guy anyways." (on Tamlin, repeatedly, and we mean it every time) Dirty Skittles: "He's like, f**k that guy, I got money now." G-Rex: "I got money around. I'm gonna go f*****g spend it like it's the last thing on earth. I don't f*****g care." Nacho: "We're so rich, we know we have three times what we had before." Nacho: "That would've sucked. Thank you, Sarah J. Maas." Dirty Skittles: "This is the part where I got hooked into the book — when I realized she's going back. That's when it got good."   Our First Impressions G-Rex sees Tamlin exactly for what he is — a fighter, not a lover, and more than a little narcissistic — while admitting that if she'd been raised differently, the "let me provide for you and lock the gate behind you" energy might have landed differently. It doesn't for her. Dirty Skittles came in hating Tamlin and leaves hating him more, convinced he's never once thought about what Feyre needs, only what he needs from her. Lucien, on the other hand, gets nothing but love — loyal to a fault, catching strays for a friend who doesn't deserve him. Nacho holds a little more grace for early-Tamlin, arguing he's not trying to be controlling on purpose — he just doesn't know how to stop once Feyre stops fitting the shape he needs her to be. That grace runs out fast once Calanmai happens. We agree on this much: Tamlin sent her away not to protect her, but to protect himself and the fantasy he built her into. And Nesta — messy, guarded, never glamoured Nesta — might be the one who actually gets through to Feyre.   Subscribe, Rate & Review Subscribe so you never miss an episode of Paperback Confessions, and rate and review us wherever you listen. Every review helps more confessors discover our messy little book club. Visit www.paperbackconfessions.com for episodes, bookish chaos, questionable fictional men, and everything else we probably should not be saying into microphones.   Coming Up Next In Part 3, Feyre goes back across the wall — and straight Under the Mountain. We're getting into Amarantha's trials, Rhysand's real game, the true cost of loving someone with a heart of stone, and whether Feyre saves Tamlin or finally starts saving herself. The masks are coming off. The curse is running out of time. And we are just getting started. Yes, bitch. #PaperbackConfessions #ACOTAR #ACourtOfThornsAndRoses #SarahJMaas #FeyreArcheron #Tamlin #Rhysand #Lucien #NestaArcheron #ElainArcheron #Prythian #SpringCourt #Calanmai #FaeRomance #FantasyRomance #Romantasy #BeautyAndTheBeast #SpicyBooks #BookTok #Bookstagram #FantasyBooks #BookPodcast #RomancePodcast #FuckTamlin #HeartOfStone #Amaretto   Where to Find Us Website: https://www.paperbackconfessions.com Instagram: @paperback_confessions Paperback Confessions is the feral sister podcast to the award-winning Sh!t That Goes On In Our Heads, where we normalize conversations about mental health through honest stories, laughter, and real connection. Discover more at: https://goesoninourheads.net

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5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Paperback Confessions is your spicy, unfiltered escape into romance, fantasy, smut, book boyfriends, morally gray characters, chaotic theories, and the books that make us blush, spiral, swoon, and scream into the group chat. Think book club with your smartest messy friend, equal parts deep analysis, emotional damage, hot takes, and “I know he’s a red flag, but hear me out.”Each episode dives into the world, characters, themes, romance, spice, unpopular opinions, and the final verdict of the book being reviewed. In Deep Dive, we break down the world-building, magic systems, politics, character dynamics, foreshadowing, theories, and emotional wreckage. In Just the Tip, we get into the chemistry, tension, spice, slow burns, favorite scenes, and the moments that had us clutching our pearls or throwing the book across the room. In Listen Linda, we unleash the hot takes, defend villains, call out plot holes, and say the things polite book clubs only whisper. Then we wrap with the Final Verdi...

Information

  • Creator
    Dirty Skittles and G-Rex and Nacho
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    15
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Dirty Skittles and G-Rex and Nacho
  • Show Website
    Paperback Confessions