Welcome to Make Romance Great — a podcast where we take romance novels *seriously* (but not too seriously)! Join Paulina & Monika — two friends, millennial women, multilingual Poles, avid readers, and unapologetic romance enthusiasts — as we dive into the bigger themes of the genre, from love and power to gender and society. Born from both passion and frustration, this podcast is our way of reclaiming romance from the critics who dismiss it and (finally) make romance great — on our own terms!
On Wingspan and How It's Not the Reason for Women's Expectations of Men
The hosts of Make Romance Great discuss the concept of wingspan and its influence on women's expectations of men, referencing romance novels and exploring related themes.
20 Jun 2025
THE Romantasy Author: All about Sarah J Maas
Podcast hosts discuss Sarah J. Maas's romantasy novels and her impact on the genre, offering insights into her storytelling and world-building in this interview episode.
6 Jun 2025
Is it ALL about sex?
The hosts of Make Romance Great discuss the relationship between romance and sex, questioning if one can exist without the other and exploring potential misogynistic roots.
23 May 2025
The Realism of Romance
The hosts of "Make Romance Great" explore the role of realism in romance, questioning if it's a necessary element and examining the limits of believability within the genre, including dark romance themes.
9 May 2025
The Significance of the Significant Other
As they say, it takes two to tango. And in straight romance, one of them is a man, the hero, the significant other. He's what at least half of the book revolves around. Has he always been like this? Will he ever change? The subject is bottomless well and we have only scratched the surface of the hero of a romance novel, but in the process we have uncovered a lot about where did he come from and where did he go. TRIGGER WARNINGS: Mentions of rape and mental health hospitalisation in the conte...
25 Apr 2025
What are our kryptonites in romance novels?
Time for a positivity break (although stick with us, we couldn't help going on a little rant). This one is all about the things that get us straight in the heart and make our knees weak: our romance kryptonites. There are spoilers within the episode, don't say that we haven't warned you. Books mentioned in this episode (in alphabetical order by author): Brooklyn Ann, "With Vengeance" Jane Austen, "Persuasion" Kristy Boyce, "Dating and Dragons" Cassandra Clare, "Infernal Devices" Laurie Gilmo...
11 Apr 2025
So What is Our Beef with Tropes?
You've heard us moan about tropes time and again, you've heard us repeat ourselves that 'it's fine if it's written well', you've heard us rant and rant on the subject, so let's address the issue once and for all. We're diving deep into tropes and emerge victorious on the other side. Researchers and books mentioned in this episode: Antti Aarne, Finnish folklorist Vladimir Propp, Russian folklorist Tania Modleski, "Loving with a Vengeance: Mass-produced fantasies for women," 1988 (originally ...
28 Mar 2025
The Fallacy of the 'Dangerous' Romance Novel
You've heard it all a million times - and probably will hear a million times more. "Don't read that, it's not good for you," in a flavour of your choice. So whilst we're probably preaching to the choir here, let's bury this myth that romance novels are any worse for you than any other fiction. Because we can't make romance great until we bury that BS deep under ground! Articles and books referenced in this episode: * Maya Rodale, "Dangerous Books for Girls: the Bad Reputation of...
14 Mar 2025
Why not Make Romance Great AGAIN?
Welcome to Make Romance Great. Not again, we're not there yet. And that's why this podcast is here! In the first episode you'll get to know your hosts: Monika and Paulina, and hear why they embarked on the podcasting journey. Listen on for raunchy laughs, scaldingly hot takes (and so early on - scandalous!), and glimpses into what you can expect from the pod going forward. Maybe, just maybe, at the end of all this, we will get to the point where the romance novel is great instead of "just" a ...
14 Mar 2025
What We Love in the Genre of Love
Listen, it's romance - it's not that deep. Sometimes it's about sharing the love and the appreciation rather than tearing down academics with their knickers in a twist. So we're taking a breather break to talk about some of our favourites: books, authors, tropes, and even couples. Let us know if we share any favourites - or if we've convinced you to try something new. Like what you heard? Why not support us with more than just your time? We promise not to spend it on books! Patreon for blo...
14 Mar 2025
How We Speak and Used to Speak About Romance?
Tale as old as time... quite literally. Were people always talking down on romance novels? Has anything changed between the publication of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice in 1813, the establishment of Harlequin Enterprises ULC in 1949, and now? There's a lot to unpack here and we're giving it an honest go. Articles and books referenced in this episode: * Pamela Regis, "A Natural History of the Romance Novel", University of Pennsylvania Press, 2003. * Maya Rodale, "Dangerous Books for Girl...
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
173
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Spotify
5.0 / 5
6 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 55 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
53
Social presence
94
YouTube
66
Engagement
32
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