The Spicy Librarian Podcast

Your favourite chaotic besties are back, and we have a LOT to talk about.
This episode is pure unfiltered Spicy Librarian- no books to review, no guests to impress, just us sitting down for a proper catch-up with the people who make this whole thing worth doing. That's you, by the way. We see you.
We're getting into all the exciting things we have cooking behind the scenes and trust us, the pipeline is looking very spicy right now. We've also got shop and events updates, because things are moving and you are going to want to know about it.
And then there's the Maasquerade Ball. Our masquerade event for the ACOTAR 6 release in October- we are talking details, we are talking chaos, we are talking the event that SJM herself would approve of. Probably. We'd like to think so.
We've also been completely overwhelmed by the gorgeous comments and messages we've had over the past few months and we needed to take a minute to respond to them properly- because you lot are genuinely the best community on the internet and we mean that with our whole hearts.
This is the episode where we just talk. And honestly? You are welcome. 
Perfect for fans of: Spicy Librarian podcast, ACOTAR, Sarah J Maas, ACOTAR 6, BookTok, dark romance community, romantasy, book events, spicy books, book podcast
Subscribe, leave us a review and if you've sent us a lovely message recently, this one's for you.

This or that: bookish edition. We are settling scores today and we're serious about it. This is the most fun episode, and with your help, a segment we feel will be sticking around. 
This episode we are playing the ultimate bookish this or that game, and the opinions were STRONG. Standalone or 5-part series? Rather meet your favourite author or character? and a bonus f*ck, marry, kill. We went through the choices, we argued, we disagreed, and at one point things got genuinely heated, and we are not sorry.
Whether you have been in the book community for years or you just finished your first spicy read- you are going to have thoughts on these picks. Get in the comments and tell us where you stand because we want the discourse.
This is the most fun episode we have ever recorded and that is saying something.
Perfect for fans of: BookTok, book games, this or that, dark romance, romantasy, contemporary romance, spicy books, book discourse, spicy podcast
Books discussed in this episode: Poison Daughter by Sheila Masterson, Three Nights in Stockholm by Elizabeth Hardy, Collateral Damage by Shassii, Twisted Pawn by LJ Shen, Between the Pines by Amber Palmer, The Wings That Bind by Briar Boleyn, Rites of the Starling by Briar Boleyn, A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, Magnolia Parks: Into the Dark by Jess Hastings, Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty, Kiss of the Basilisk & Between Two Kings by Lindsay Straube

Summer is coming and so is our reading list- but no, they aren't all beach reads. 
Think less chilled rosé on a sun lounger, more completely feral about fictional men and refusing to put books down until 3 am. We know summer makes people think of light and breezy reads- but this is the Spicy Librarian, so this is less of a Summer TBR and more a list of books we are really freaking excited to read this summer. From dark to dystopian, from romantasy to the genuinely bizarre- this is what we'll have our heads buried in for the next few months.
Some fan favourites are back with second instalments we have been desperately waiting for, some stand alones have absolutely taken the world by storm, and somehow Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke ended up on the list and we are not explaining ourselves. We're diving into Dire Bound and Fury Bound by Sable Sorensen, losing our minds over Seek the Traitor's Son by Veronica Roth, and absolutely spiralling over Sour Fruit by Ahana Virdi- and that is just the beginning.
If your TBR is already suffering, we are so sorry. We are not sorry.
Perfect for fans of: BookTok, spicy books, book recommendations, spicy podcast
Books discussed: Magnolia Parks by Jess Hastings
Broken Bonds by J Bree
Shark Heart by Emily Habeck
Nightshade & Daybreak by Autumn Woods
Blood Orange by Harriet Tyce
Dire Bound & Fury Bound by Sable Sorensen
Honeysuckle by Bar Fridman-Tell
Half City by Kate Golden
Conform by Ariel Sullivan
Of Flames and Fallacies by Courtney Whims
When the Moon Hatched & Ballad of the Fallen Dragon by Sarah A. Parker
Ruinous Creatures by Jessi Cole Jackson
Seek the Traitor's Son by Veronica Roth
Sour Fruit by Ahana Virdi
In Her Own League by Liz Tomforde
Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

You know that pain you feel when someone trashes your God Tier reads?
Yeah. That's this episode.
This week on Spicy Librarian we are facing it head-on- reading out the one-star reviews of our absolute five-star books and defending them to the community. Some of these reviewers had valid points. Some clearly had no idea what they were picking up. And some have a LOT of big feelings about books we would die for.
As do we.
We're going to bat for Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid, A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas, Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton, Feathers So Vicious by Liv Zander, A Ship of Bones and Teeth by Karina Halle, The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig, and Kiss of the Basilisk by Lindsay Straube — and we are not backing down without a fight.
Is the criticism fair? Sometimes.
Is it going to change how we feel about these books? Absolutely not.
Come argue with us.
Perfect for fans of: book discourse, one star reviews, Haunting Adeline, H.D. Carlton, A Court of Silver Flames, ACOTAR, Sarah J. Maas, Heated Rivalry, Rachel Reid, Feathers So Vicious, Liv Zander, A Ship of Bones and Teeth, Karina Halle, Kiss of the Basilisk, Lindsay Straube, Rachel Gillig, dark romance, romantasy, MM romance, spicy books, BookTok, book podcast
Heated Rivalry- Rachel Reid
A Court of Silver Flames- S.J. Mass
Haunting Adeline- H. D Carlton
Feather so Vicious- Liv Zander
A Ship of Bones and Teeth- Karina Halle
Night and the Moth- Rachel Gilling
Kiss of the Basilisk- Lindsay Straube
Blood Wing Academy- Briar Boleyn
Poison Daughter- Shelia Masterson
Collateral Damage- Stassi
Shield of Sparrows / Rights of the Starling- Devney Perry
I Got Abducted By Aliens, And Now I’m In A Rom-Com- Kimberly Lemming
Wrath of an Exile- Monty Jay
The Hollow Boys- Monty Jay
The Wytchling Chronicles
Basted- Abby Hunter

*Content Warning*
We discuss themes of suicide, sexual violence and sexual assault within literary fiction.
This week on Spicy Librarian, Dee and Katie are joined by the wildly unapologetic CJ Riggs for an episode that is chaotic, hilarious, and just a little bit feral—in the best possible way.
CJ Riggs is redefining erotic horror, serving up stories that are equal parts spicy, disturbing, and completely unhinged. In this no-filter conversation, we dive headfirst into the deliciously dark world of erotic horror—what it is, why readers can’t get enough, and how CJ is gleefully pushing every boundary she can find (and then some).
Expect unfiltered opinions, questionable tangents, lots of laughs, and behind-the-scenes insights into the life of an indie author doing things her own way. We also get the inside scoop on her current projects, what’s coming next, and how she plans to keep shocking—and hooking—readers.
If you like your books dark, your conversations chaotic, and your authors completely unhinged… this one’s for you.
Perfect for fans of: CJ Riggs, erotic horror, dark romance, indie authors, spicy horror, horror romance, book marketing, indie publishing, BookTok, author interviews, and beautifully chaotic energy.
BOOKS MENTIONED
RIP, Skeleton King - Charity B
Harleigh Beck- Collected Works
CJ Riggs- Collected Works
Ignite- Melaine Harlow
Heartless- Elsie Silver
Flawless - Elsie Silver
Wait With Me- Amy Daws
Joe Hill Collected Works
The Final Girls Support Group, How to Sell a Haunted House- Grady Hendrix 
Intensity- Dean Koontz
The Surgeon, The Apprentice- Tess Gerritsen

We said what we said. And we are not taking it back.
This week on Spicy Librarian Podcast, Katie, Dee and backup, are doing something dangerous: sharing our most unpopular book opinions. The ones you whisper. The ones that get you cancelled in the group chat. We are saying them out loud, and we are standing by every single one.
We're getting into to whether or not we want Xaden to die? Is Throne of Glass overhyped? Why are fated mates always resurrected? Do we want male models on our book covers, especially if we're going outside to read... ?
Not everyone is getting a glowing review. Some of these are beloved. Some of these are untouchable. We touched them anyway.
Do we feel bad? Absolutely not. Is this the most chaotic, most honest episode we've ever recorded? Genuinely yes.
If your favourite book is on this list, we still love you. We just have thoughts.
Perfect for fans of: book discourse, unpopular opinions, Fourth Wing, ACOTAR, Throne of Glass, Sarah J Maas, Rebecca Yarros, Callie Hart, Brimstone, Heated Rivalry, Rachel Reid, Under Your Scars, One Day, BookTok, dark romance, romantasy, spicy books, book podcast
Books Mentioned
Fourth Wing- Rebecca Yarros
Throne of Glass- S.J. Maas
ACOTAR- S. J. Maas
One Day- David Nicholls
Brimstone- Callie Hart
Heated Rivalry- Rachel Reid
Ben Alderson (Author Shout out)
Under Your Scars- Ariel N Anderson

Three books. Three genres. One episode that has absolutely everything.
This month's Spicy Librarian book club is serving a full course meal - we've got dark romance, romantasy, AND contemporary, and every single pick delivered.
First up, Bloody Black by Rhiannon Hargadon - a pirate dark fantasy retelling of Blackbeard that we did not see coming for us but here we are. Feminine rage, revenge, a slow burn that respects the trauma, and a found family crew we would absolutely sail with. Morally grey and magnificently unhinged in all the right ways.
Then we dive into The Games Gods Play by Abigail Owen - the Greek gods romantasy that has taken over BookTok and rightfully so. Hades. A cursed nobody chosen as his champion. A deadly competition for the throne of Olympus. Enemies to lovers with world building that genuinely slaps. We have thoughts. Many thoughts.
And finally, something a little softer for our hearts - The Dating Pact by Lulu Morris. A nurse. A very drunk, very famous actor. A fake dating arrangement that was never going to stay fake. Warm, funny, swoony, and exactly the palate cleanser we needed after the pirates and gods.
This episode has range and we are not sorry about it.
Perfect for fans of: dark romance, romantasy, contemporary romance, fake dating, enemies to lovers, Greek mythology, Hades romance, pirate romance, Rhiannon Hargadon, Abigail Owen, Lulu Morris, BookTok, spicy books, book club, slow burn, found family, spicy podcast
Subscribe, leave us a review, and tell us - which of this month's picks are you adding to your TBR first?
BOOKS DISCUSSED- 
A Touch of Darkness- Scarlett St. Clair
Crescent City- S.J. Maas
God of Malice- Rina Kent
Speak- Ruby M. Darling
Stammer- Ruby M. Darling
Black Throne J.T. Geisinger

It's giving green flag. Actually no. RED FLAG. Actually… both??
This week on Spicy Librarian we are settling the debate once and for all — because we are taking the most iconic romance tropes and deciding, definitively, whether they are a green flag or a red flag. And yes, things got heated.
Enemies to lovers? Second chance romance? Instalove? The possessive MMC? We are going through them all, we are arguing about them, and absolutely nobody agreed on everything. This is the episode where our friendship was tested and we do not regret a single second of it.
Whether you are a ride or die for the slow burn or you will defend age gap romance to your last breath — this episode is going to have you screaming at your phone. We want to know your flags too, so get in the comments and defend your tropes, besties.
This is the most fun we have ever had and it shows.
Subscribe, leave us a review, and tell us — what trope is an automatic green flag for you? And which one sends you running?
Perfect for fans of: romance tropes, red flags green flags, enemies to lovers, second chance romance, slow burn, BookTok, dark romance, spicy books, instalove, why choose, romance podcast, book discussions, trope discourse, spicy librarian
 
BOOKS DISCUSSED- 
Play Along- Liz Tomford
Bull Rush- Maggie Rawdon
Daggermouth- H. D. Wolfe 
Zodiac Academy- Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti
Little Stranger- Leigh Rivers 
Speak- Ruby M. Darling 
Games Gods Play- Abigail Owen 
Bloody Black- Rhiannon Hargadon
Dreamland Billionaires Series- Lauren Asher 
Under Yours Scars- Ariel N. Anderson
 

This week on Spicy Librarian, Dee and Katie are sitting down with the incredibly talented J Rose- UK indie author, dark romance queen, and the woman behind the internationally bestselling Blackwood Institute series. And yes, we are absolutely fangirling. J Rose writes challenging, plot-driven dark romance packed with angst, heartbreak, and broken characters fighting for their happily ever afters. As a passionate mental health advocate, she weaves realistic and powerful representation into gritty, emotional storylines; championing found family, fierce heroines, and love interests who are just as damaged as they are devoted. In this exclusive interview, we get into the Blackwood Institute universe, dark, twisty, why choose romance with morally grey antiheroes, a fierce scarred heroine, and plot twists that will absolutely ruin you, her expanding world of interconnected series, her current and upcoming projects, and what is coming next. We also dig into the world of why choose romance; what it is, why readers are completely obsessed, and why J Rose does it better than almost anyone in the game right now. If you haven't entered the Blackwood Institute yet, consider this your sign. And if you have - you already know. Perfect for fans of: J Rose, Blackwood Institute, why choose romance, dark romance, reverse harem, morally grey, found family, indie author spotlight, BookTok, dark romance podcast, UK authors, spicy books, broken characters

We need to talk. Because this episode went fully, completely, unapologetically off the rails — and we are not sorry.
 
The episode you have all been waiting for, we are talking about the most chaotic, feral, and genuinely WHAT DID I JUST READ books we have ever picked up. Dark romance lovers, morally grey girlies, and "I read the trigger warnings and said yes anyway" readers — this one is absolutely for you.
We're shouting out Little Stranger by Leigh Rivers, That Sik Luv by Jescie Hall, Insatiable by Leigh Rivers, Open Wide by Jessica Gross, Lobster by Guillaume Lecasble, and Unhinged by Vera Valentine — and yes, we absolutely went there with every single one.
 
Oh, and because we cannot help ourselves — we also got into a full breakdown of exactly how many people were having sex on the Titanic before, during, and after impact. But was it relevant?  Yes. Did we spiral into a 20 minute tangent about it? Also yes. No regrets.
This is the episode we were always going to make. We're just glad you're here for it.
Make sure to update your TBR and tag us in what you’re reading next.
 
Perfect for fans of: dark romance, taboo romance, stalker romance, morally grey MMC, Leigh Rivers, Jescie Hall, spicy books, BookTok, unhinged reads, weird girl lit, sentient romance, spicy podcast