Episode 8: Summer Crushes: The books, the foods and the shows that Hitha and Laura love!
Hosts Hitha Palepu and Laura Mayer discuss their favorite summer books, television shows, and foods, offering listeners insight into seasonal entertainment and culinary delights in this episode.
27 Jun 2025
Space, sexy dragon riders and summer beach books! Episode 7
Hosts Hitha Palepu and Laura Tremaine discuss books, shows, and summer staples that they are enjoying, offering listeners recommendations for entertainment and style.
17 May 2025
HOT & Bothered with Laura & Hitha: Chaos Queens, Galley Envy, and the Most Nihilistic Reality Show Ever
What we’re reading:
Hitha just finished The High Dive by Chelsea Fagan, a steamy, smart class-clash romance set on a luxury yacht in the Mediterranean. She’s also excited to start Fitting Indian by Jyoti Chand, a graphic novel that explores the experiences of Indian millennial girls growing up in the U.S.
And in true Chaos Queen fashion, she skipped book one and jumped straight into the Psy-Changeling Trinity series by Nalini Singh, a second-wave romantasy universe full of intricate worldbuilding and slow-burn reveals.
Laura’s got two very different picks: Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix, a rage-fueled, culturally resonant revenge fantasy about girls sent to a 1970s home for the “wayward,” and The Path of Temptation by Auryn Hadley, a steamy “why choose” romantasy where one heroine is trained in seduction—for spiritual purposes, of course.
We’re also talking about Everyone Is Lying to You by Jo Piazza—Hitha has the galley, Laura is jealous, and the tradwife thriller is already a contender for most addictive book of the summer. Also coming soon: Kyra Alessy (https://www.kyraalessy.com/) joins us on the podcast, which means more romantasy homework for Hitha.
What’s bothering us:
Laura reacts to DHS reportedly floating a “citizenship game show”—yes, a real policy concept—and Hitha explains why Senator Hawley’s prescription drug bill is political theater, not real reform. She breaks it down in more detail here (https://hitha.substack.com/p/the-future-we-deserve-and-one-fun?r=kxko&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false&triedRedirect=true), including why smart, effective legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act deserves more attention.
7 Apr 2025
Hot & Bothered with Laura and Hitha Episode 5
Welcome to Hot & Bothered, a conversation about romance novels and resistance!
Friends Laura Brounstein (https://open.substack.com/users/7183736-laura-brounstein?utm_source=mentions) & Hitha Palepu (https://open.substack.com/users/976632-hitha-palepu?utm_source=mentions) talk about the hot books they're reading, the watches that are worth it, the issues that are bothering them, and more.
Hot books we shared this week:
Laura: Degradation by Kyra Alessy (https://a.co/d/dkCLmDU) and my forever comfort books, The Twilight Saga (https://stepheniemeyer.com/the-twilight-saga/)books by the one and only Stephenie Meyer. #TeamEdward
Hitha: Ilona Andrews Innkeeper Chronicles (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TCJRD82?binding=kindle_edition&searchxofy=true&ref_=dbs_s_aps_series_rwt_tkin&qid=1744044023&sr=8-1) and Abby Jimenez (https://www.authorabbyjimenez.com/)'s new book, Say You'll Remember Me (https://www.amazon.com/Say-Youll-Remember-Abby-Jimenez-ebook/dp/B0DC66QD8K/ref=sr_1_1?crid=A3XRD88Q4S6K&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.r67-am7pXennlpdbmUvCoPnmniscC-Q92G7Xcj_zyARYssR9GjA9avgxWz1K95_SsFzGiYXuZuay-aNiSvc3FQRltD2TN9z0et_1IgpL15fj0Lo5BT9S_zNhUboaB9gB6FZRJjn2FB10JMBMLjI4AizcViNSlpFRQse6-St0Ta-Z3Td5ePEob6UhN-UFFyFMJfXmLFUbuNCkV6Q1rgSak8D0s9hYMI9LG5esxFmI3hQ.ndanC2l_jgvUdzoh_Fv-IBagyY2kcN8f5hos53v32z0&dib_tag=se&keywords=say+you%27ll+remember+me+abby+jimenez&qid=1744044887&s=digital-text&sprefix=say+you%2Cdigital-text%2C177&sr=1-1).
The issues bothering us:
A little mess called “Liberation Day.”
What's making us happy:
New Jersey Senator Cory Booker and his historic 25+ hour (https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/31/politics/booker-senate-floor-speech-trump-protest/index.html)filibuster
White Lotus (https://play.max.com/show/14f9834d-bc23-41a8-ab61-5c8abdbea505?utm_source=universal_search), specifically Leslie Bibb’s “C**ty Bob! (https://www.instagram.com/p/DIHsKrFTjj6/?hl=en&img_index=1))
Mission Impossible & Tom Cruise?
Follow us:
Hot & Bothered (https://www.instagram.com/wearehotandbothered/) on Instagram
Hot & Bothered (https://www.youtube.com/@wearehotandbothered) on YouTube
Hitha Palepu (https://www.instagram.com/hithapalepu/) on Instagram
Laura Brounstein (https://www.instagram.com/laurabrounstein/) on Instagram
2 Apr 2025
Episode 2: Time Travel and History Repeating
Welcome to Hot & Bothered, a conversation between two friends,
Laura Brounstein (https://open.substack.com/users/7183736-laura-brounstein?utm_source=mentions)
&
Hitha Palepu (https://open.substack.com/users/976632-hitha-palepu?utm_source=mentions)
talking about the hot books they're reading, the issues that are bothering them, and more.
Books we talk about this week:
Laura: OG fave Knight in Shining Armor (https://urlgeni.us/amzn/hbknightinshiningarmor) by Jude Devereaux (https://judedeveraux.com/)
Hitha: Not Safe for Work (https://urlgeni.us/amzn/hpnsfw) by Nisha J. Tuli (https://nishajtuli.com/)
The issues bothering us:
The fall of the American empire?
Is Trump a William McKinley (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_McKinley) 2.0, or if Lindbergh (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Lindbergh) had won the presidency alternate reality? (Ie. Like in The Plot Against America (https://www.amazon.com/Plot-Against-America-Novel/dp/0618509283).)
What's making us hot:
The emerging respect for the romance genre (https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/books/romance-books.html)
‘Vacation reading’
Hitha’s recommendation: Empress of Rome (https://urlgeni.us/amzn/hpempress) series by Kate Quinn
Bridget Jones: All About The Boy (https://www.instagram.com/bridgetjones/?hl=en)
Infrared saunas
Follow us:
Hot & Bothered (https://www.instagram.com/wearehotandbothered/) on Instagram
Hot & Bothered (https://www.youtube.com/@wearehotandbothered) on YouTube
Hitha Palepu (https://www.instagram.com/hithapalepu/) on Instagram
Laura Brounstein (https://www.instagram.com/laurabrounstein/) on Instagram
2 Apr 2025
Episode 3: Bullies, Toronto and James Marsden
Welcome to Hot & Bothered, a conversation between two friends,
Laura Brounstein (https://open.substack.com/users/7183736-laura-brounstein?utm_source=mentions)
&
Hitha Palepu (https://open.substack.com/users/976632-hitha-palepu?utm_source=mentions)
talking about the hot books they're reading, the issues that are bothering them, and more.
Hot books we shared this week:
Laura: Demons & Debts (https://urlgeni.us/amzn/hbdemonsdebts) by Kyra Alessy
Hitha: Time Loops & Meet Cutes (https://urlgeni.us/amzn/hbtimeloopsmeetcutes) by Jackie Lau
The issues bothering us:
The cancellation of the FDA advisory meeting for the flu vaccine
Teresa Borrenpohl’s attack in Idaho
What's making us happy:
Disney movies - especially Hercules and Zootopia
Paradise on Hulu
Related: James Mardsen
Follow us:
Hot & Bothered (https://www.instagram.com/wearehotandbothered/) on Instagram
Hot & Bothered (https://www.youtube.com/@wearehotandbothered) on YouTube
Hitha Palepu (https://www.instagram.com/hithapalepu/) on Instagram
Laura Brounstein (https://www.instagram.com/laurabrounstein/) on Instagram
20 Mar 2025
HOT & Bothered with Hitha and Laura Episode 4
It's our big Onyx Storm deep dive episode! We get into our romantasy Xaden casting, the book's final scene with Imogen and Violet and our personal theories for what's next. Hitha does a valiant job trying to get us all excited about F1 and romances that take place in that world and Laura talks romance novel boyfriends. We also talk about the NOT hot men making a mess of the country/world right now.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
9 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 12 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
11
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
32
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