I love podcasts of all types! They’re a game changer for me. I listen to them while I work, while I cook, while I clean, while driving, etc. Podcasts are an amazing free resource for any topic you want to learn more about.
Bookish podcasts are especially a favorite for me. Last year after I rekindled my love of romance, I was so excited to discover a new area of bookish podcasts – ones devoted to romance novels!
Today I’m sharing 5 of my favorites that I’ve discovered in the last 5 months. From romance book club reviews to book recommendations to author interviews, these are sure to give you tons of insight into the genre and add to your TBR pile.
5 Amazing Podcasts about Romance Novels:
1. Fated Mates
Fated Mates is a podcast co-hosted by romance author Sarah MacLean and romance critic Jen Prokop. It was originally started as a read along podcast to discuss Kresley Cole’s paranormal series Immortals After Dark. From themed interstitial episodes full of book recommendations to in depth discussion of classic romance texts to author guests like Christina Lauren, Kate Clayborn, Joanna Shupe, and Alyssa Cole, this podcast has a little bit of everything.
The podcast is currently in it’s third season and releases a new episode weekly. The first season covered read along discussion of the IAD series with a themed interstitial recommendation episode every other week. Season two’s theme was “the books that blooded us” featuring an in depth look at a classic favorite from the beginning of their journey as romance readers. The third season is sprinkled with more recently published books that have shaped and changed the romance genre.
I love listening to these two discuss how the genre is constantly evolving, how romance stories are a powerful metaphor for challenging the patriarchy, and how open to any topic they are. They make a point of saying there is no kink shaming of any kind. Jen has a background as a teacher and with Sarah, a successful historical romance writer, they offer views on the genre, tropes, and stories in ways I never would have considered.
2. Smart Women Read Romance
Smart Women Read Romance is hosted by Juliette and Jessen, an aunt and niece duo. They started the podcast to share their love of romance and fight the stigma that romance novels are just “mommy porn”. Juliette Cross is also a writer. I can’t wait to check out her paranormal romance series, Stay A Spell. As of this writing it is available on Kindle Unlimited.
This podcast is mostly book club form, where they pick a book to read together each week and then review it on the podcast. I love whenever I read something that they have a review discussion of. You definitely want to have read the book first to avoid spoilers. Occasionally they share minisodes with lists for their book boyfriend rankings, girl crushes, and storyline pet peeves. These are an amazing resource for gathering tons of book recommendations! This podcast introduced me to Kennedy Ryan.
I love the energy and dynamic between these two. They’re open, candid, and very passionate about books. They talk so fast and are so funny. There’s also an additional layer of insight into the writing process and how stories come together with Juliette’s background as an author and Jessen being both an avid reader and supporter of her aunt’s craft.
Jessen also has an amazing youtube channel called Jessen Reads Romance if booktube is your thing.
3. Shelf Love
Shelf Love has a different tone than these other podcasts. It offers a critical scholarly approach to exploring romance as a polarizing genre and what it implies about broader themes like identity, culture, and love.
In each episode host Andrea Martucci invites guests – often scholars, experts, or authors – to have a conversation about a different aspect of the genre. Some of my favorites include her quarantine miniseries discussing topics like food in romance, kink, parenthood in romance, and friendship.
To be honest, some in depth conversations feel like they go over my head but I always learn something new. The discussions are thought provoking with a very open and approachable host. It’s obvious Andrea has a huge heart and really cares about the community she’s creating. I love discovering new ways to think about romance.
4. Not Your Mom’s Romance Book Club
Not Your Mom’s Romance Book Club is a romance book club podcast hosted by Ellen and her mom. They post a reading list for each quarter of the year so listeners can read along and contribute to their discussions. In each episode they review a book, rate it, share listener comments, and decide on their favorite swoony moment.
This is another one where you want to have read the book before you listen in. It’s always a treat when I’ve finished a book they’ve reviewed and can go listen to the episode.
I really enjoy the banter between mother and daughter. Ellen’s singing voice is also wonderful and I love her energy. One of the first episode I listened to was a review of The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams and featured a guest, their son/brother. You’d think reading romance novels with family members would be awkward but mostly they just make it fun!
5. What to Read Next Podcast
What to Read Next Podcast is a book recommendation show for romance readers hosted by Laura R Yamin. After taking a well deserved break at the start of 2021, it recently crossed the 300 episode milestone!
Along with offering book recommendation episodes by subgenre and trope, the podcast features tons of author, publisher, and blogger interviews. I found one of my new favorite authors last year, Helena Hunting, through this podcast when her Pucked series was discussed in a hockey romance episode. There’s also a great author interview with her.
In addition to the amazing amount of romance information offered on this podcast, I love that the episodes are usually around 20 mins. On this list of podcasts about romance novels, What to Read Next offers shorter episodes than the rest. You can learn a lot or note a bunch of book suggestions in a short amount of time.
Do you listen to podcasts about romance novels? Let me know your recommendations in the comments below.
