Your Mom's Romance Shelf

Alli Mowrey
  • 5.0 (9)
  • Drama

What happened to the romance books your mom read before BookTok existed? Welcome to Your Mom’s Romance Shelf, where we revisit the romance novels that shaped the genre from the 1970s through the early 2000s—and ask the question: do they still hold up today? Hosted by romance creator Alli Mowrey (@allireadstoomuch), each episode digs into the books, authors, tropes, and cultural moments that helped build modern romance. From Judith McNaught and Johanna Lindsey to Linda Howard and Susan Elizabeth Phillips, we’re revisiting the classics, talking about what made them so influential, and taking a very honest look at what has (and hasn’t) aged well. Along the way, Alli talks with authors, booksellers, editors, publishers, academics, and lifelong romance readers about the books that shaped the genre we love today. Nostalgia, romance history, questionable heroes, iconic heroines, and plenty of “did we really think this was romantic?” moments included.

Episodes

  1. 5h ago

    Before BookTok, There Were Book Bloggers: Shauna Casey on Indie Romance, AI & Human Connection

    DescriptionBefore BookTok, romance readers found each other on blogs and in Facebook groups, and Shauna Casey was right in the middle of it. A Navy veteran and breast cancer survivor, Shauna started blogging about books in 2014. Today she co-owns The Author Agency, which helps authors launch their books with cover reveals, Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs) and release promotion. We talk about the romances that made us readers, why older romance like Judith McNaught's Paradise feels so different from today's books, the great cover debate, AI in the book world, the 2010s authors who deserve more love, and Shauna's best advice for authors and creators. Chapters00:00 Intro01:48 Our first romances: Carolina Moon, Danielle Steel and Lurlene McDaniel04:55 How Shauna started book blogging in 201406:43 Why older romance feels different: depth, world-building and Judith McNaught11:27 Public Secrets, Paradise and the books we reread every year13:13 The great romance cover debate14:54 AI in the book world and the "witch hunt"18:17 The 2010s authors who deserve more love22:42 Tropes, sameness and the books that stand out27:01 Quality over quantity30:26 Shauna's favorite books from The Author Agency35:14 Breast cancer, perspective and "find what you love"36:13 How Shauna built The Author Agency39:30 Human connection, and why "shock reviewers" don't last43:37 Work-life balance and the right business partner46:29 Why older romance deserves respect50:49 What The Author Agency doesConnect with ShaunaInstagram: @shauna_taaThe Author AgencyWebsite: theauthor.agencyInstagram: @theauthor.agencyTikTok: @theauthor.agencyFacebook: The Author AgencyBooks mentionedEvery book we talked about, including the nostalgic picks, is listed at allireadstoomuch.com/podcast. A few highlights: The 2010s and indie romanceLady Luck and Fast Lane by Kristen AshleyThe Until series and King of Nothing by Aurora Rose ReynoldsThe Blacktop Cowboys series by Lorelei JamesBroken Knight, Vicious and Beautiful Graves by L.J. ShenCurrent picksLet's Be Real by Julia WolfYou, with a View and The Ex Vows by Jessica JoyceShattered Dreams, Buried Dreams and Made for You by Natasha MadisonSoul by Eva SimmonsSmoke Ring and What Saves Us by Maggie GatesMaggie Moves On by Lucy ScoreConnect with AlliInstagram: @allireadstoomuchTikTok: @allireadstoomuchYouTube: @allireadstoomuchFacebook: allireadstoomuchSubstack: @allireadstoomuchallireadstoomuch.com/podcast

  2. Oct 21

    Susan Elizabeth Phillips on Sports Romance, Alpha Heroes, Epic Grovels & the Evolution of Romance

    On this episode of Your Mom’s Romance Shelf, I’m joined by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, New York Times bestseller, RWA Hall of Fame member, and the Queen of Romantic Comedy. Susan has been writing romance for more than 40 years, and her Chicago Stars series is widely credited with launching sports romance. We talk about why Kiss an Angel has one of the best grovels of all time, what it was like to read bodice rippers in the ’70s as someone raised in the ’50s, and how The Flame and the Flower was pulled off a slush pile and changed the genre forever. Susan also shares how the Chicago Stars series happened completely by accident, the unwritten “rule” that once kept athletes out of romance, and why she thinks the NFL owes her an award. Chapters 00:00 Cold open 00:27 Welcome and introducing Susan Elizabeth Phillips 01:59 A Cincinnati connection and sports romance fandom 04:09 How Susan started writing romance 05:35 Kiss an Angel and the art of the grovel 08:38 Why alpha heroes are harder to write today 10:35 “A book about your marriage would be kinda boring” 11:50 Nuance and flawed heroes in older romance 12:56 Bodice rippers, the 1950s, and “good girls didn’t” 14:16 Bodice rippers and the rise of the feminist movement 17:20 How The Flame and the Flower was pulled off the slush pile 18:34 Sweet Savage Love and the missing grovel 20:22 Before bodice rippers: Victoria Holt, Phyllis Whitney, and more 21:12 Alli’s nostalgia reading list and Susan’s recommendations 23:25 Rewriting Risen Glory as Just Imagine 24:11 Reading older romances in historical context 25:42 Sandra Brown’s “way of getting even” 27:09 LaVyrle Spencer and Laura Kinsale 29:18 Pacing and point of view, then and now 30:06 Why romance history matters 31:31 Why we reach for romance in hard times 32:21 How the Chicago Stars series happened by accident 36:17 Strong heroines ahead of their time 38:14 Writing secondary love stories 40:47 Will the Chicago Stars kids get their own books? 41:55 Sports romance today and Susan as its pioneer 43:35 The “rule” against sports romance and why the NFL owes Susan an award 44:47 Golf romance: Fancy Pants and Lady Be Good 46:38 What Susan is reading now 48:06 What Alli is reading now 50:47 The one older romance everyone should read Learn more about the podcast: https://www.allireadstoomuch.com/podcast Follow Alli: Instagram: @allireadstoomuch · TikTok: @allireadstoomuch · YouTube: @allireadstoomuch Website: https://allireadstoomuch.com/ Follow Susan Elizabeth Phillips: Website: susanelizabethphillips.com Instagram: @sepauthor Facebook: Susan Elizabeth Phillips Join the Your Mom’s Romance Shelf book club on Fable: https://fable.co/club/you-moms-romance-shelf-with-allison-mowrey-402199741406?club_type=free

  3. Oct 7

    Romance, Sexism & the Books That Shaped the Genre with Jodi McAlister

    Why has romance been dismissed for so long—and what can the books of the past tell us about the genre today? In the first episode of Your Mom’s Romance Shelf, I’m joined by romance author and scholar Jodi McAlister to talk about the history and evolution of romance, from bodice rippers and bonkbusters to dark romance and the books that shaped the genre. We talk about sexism and the stigma around romance, why older romances were so wildly popular, how the genre has changed, and what we can learn from the books readers loved decades ago. Learn more about the podcast: allireadstoomuch.com/podcast Follow Alli: Instagram · TikTok · YouTube · Facebook Follow Jodi McAllister: Instagram · TikTok Join theYour Mom’s Romance Shelf book club: Fable Book Club Books Mentioned in the Podcast: Jodi McAllister An Academic Affair — Jodi McAlister — AmazonA Study in Sparkling — Jodi McAlister — AmazonBooks Discussed & Recommended Welcome to Temptation — Jennifer Crusie — AmazonThe Flame and the Flower — Kathleen Woodiwiss — AmazonScruples — Judith Krantz — AmazonHollywood Wives — Jackie Collins — AmazonLady Boss — Jackie Collins — AmazonParadise — Judith McNaught — AmazonBet Me — Jennifer Crusie — AmazonLovelight Farms — B.K. Borison — AmazonDevil in Winter — Lisa Kleypas

  4. Season 1 Trailer

    Introducing Your Mom’s Romance Shelf: A Nostalgic Romance Book Podcast

    What can the romance novels women have loved for generations tell us about us? Welcome to Your Mom’s Romance Shelf, a new podcast exploring the books, authors, fantasies, and cultural conversations behind the romance genre. New episodes coming soon

  • 1 Trailer
    3 Episodes

Trailer

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out of 5
9 Ratings

About

What happened to the romance books your mom read before BookTok existed? Welcome to Your Mom’s Romance Shelf, where we revisit the romance novels that shaped the genre from the 1970s through the early 2000s—and ask the question: do they still hold up today? Hosted by romance creator Alli Mowrey (@allireadstoomuch), each episode digs into the books, authors, tropes, and cultural moments that helped build modern romance. From Judith McNaught and Johanna Lindsey to Linda Howard and Susan Elizabeth Phillips, we’re revisiting the classics, talking about what made them so influential, and taking a very honest look at what has (and hasn’t) aged well. Along the way, Alli talks with authors, booksellers, editors, publishers, academics, and lifelong romance readers about the books that shaped the genre we love today. Nostalgia, romance history, questionable heroes, iconic heroines, and plenty of “did we really think this was romantic?” moments included.

Information

  • Creator
    Alli Mowrey
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    4
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Alli Mowrey
  • Show Website
    Your Mom's Romance Shelf

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