Reading After Bedtime: Romantasy, Fantasy, and Romance Book Reviews

About Reading After Bedtime: Romantasy, Fantasy, and Romance Book Reviews

Welcome to the Reading After Bedtime Podcast! We're two friends who met in college and now, as busy moms, we do our best to carve out time for our favorite escape—reading. This podcast is our space to dive into the books we love, the authors who inspire us, and the tropes that keep us turning pages late into the night. No plot twist is too wild and no trigger warning is off-limits. Whether we’re deep in our comfort zone or venturing far outside it, this is a judgment-free zone for every kind of reader. We hope you join us for our honest, entertaining, and thoughtful conversations.

Publisher

Allyson and Becca

Category

arts

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

6 Oct 2025

Latest episode

20 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

88 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   20 Oct 2026

   The Shepherd King Has Entered the Chat | A Spoiler One Dark Window and Two Twisted Crowns Book Chat

   🚨This episode contains FULL SPOILERS for The Shepherd King Duology including One Dark Window and Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gilig. If you don't want the ENTIRE story spoiled, please return once you've read the stories.🚨 _____________________________________________________________ Reap and Sow [Book Chat] (https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/B2VvdFQHl7b) ____________________________________________________________ On the Reading After Bedtime podcast, Allyson and Becca welcome guest Erica B. (@ThatOneBookishBrunette) to discuss Rachel Gillig’s Shepherd King duology—One Dark Window (2022) and Two Twisted Crowns (2023). They share back-of-book overviews, give ratings (including spice, romance, fantasy, and emotional damage), and argue the series is better labeled gothic fantasy rather than romantasy. After a spoiler warning, they break down major plot events, character arcs (especially the Nightmare/Taxus), themes of magic having a cost, tropes, and content warnings, plus debate which romance worked better (Elspeth/Ravyn vs. Ione/Elm). They note a lingering question about why only 12 Providence cards are needed, do a humorous “reckoning” segment about Taxus, share favorite quotes, recommend reading the books back-to-back for spooky season, and preview their next episode on Grim Tidings by B.K. Borison. ____________________________________________________________ 🎉LET'S PARTY!🎉 Let's celebrate the release of ACOTAR 6 together! Reading After Bedtime has teamed up with Bibliobar in Plano, Texas to bring you an unforgettable evening counting down to the release of ACOTAR 6! The ACOTAR 6 release party is TICKETED, so make sure to grab yours before they sell out! Your ticket includes: - 📚 Gift bag + your copy of ACOTAR 6 - 🎤 Trivia & costume contest🎙️ - 🔮 Conspiracy theories & fandom fun - 🎯 Games, archery & sword fighting - 📸 Photo ops - 🍸 Snacks & drinks (cash bar available) - ✨ Flash tattoos* - 🛍️ Shopping & more! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy your ticket here!⁠⁠ (https://bibliobartx.com/events/2026/10/26/the-cauldron-amp-the-quill-acotar-book-6-midnight-release-party) _____________________________________________________________ Let's be friends on socials! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.youtube.com/@ReadingAfterBedtimePodcast%E2%81%A0) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.instagram.com/readingafterbedtimepodcast/) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.tiktok.com/@readingafterbedtimepod?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc%E2%81%A0) Join our monthly newsletter to get a peek at our book chat schedule before anyone else 👀: https://reading-after-bedtime-podcast.kit.com/b1121f3780 _____________________________________________________________ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🛍️ Shop our Merch!🛍️⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://reading-after-bedtime-pod.printify.me/) Still looking for something? 👀 https://linktr.ee/readingafterbedtimepodcast (Find Goodreads, Book of the Month, a tip jar and so much more here!) _____________________________________________________________ 🎶 Intro music by the talented Sean Lavrisa! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠- ⁠Sean Lavrisa Spotify⁠:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://open.spotify.com/artist/7kUiSx4GkzTD4ng3IuYOKD?si=-PdNhjEwSG2LaYGtmEB_1Q) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠- ⁠Sean Lavrisa Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (http://www.instagram.com/foxcraft/) _____________________________________________________________ 00:00 Subtle Themes Tease 00:38 Podcast Welcome Intro 01:25 Meet Guest Erica 02:27 Follow Review Request 03:46 Back Cover Overview 05:18 Overall Ratings Roundup 06:52 Spice Romance Scales 12:50 Fantasy Depth Debate 17:38 Uniqueness Market Context 18:37 Emotional Damage Check 21:17 Spoiler Warning Trigger 22:14 Romantasy Label Debate 26:46 Defining Gothic Vibes 32:12 Tropes Content Warnings 34:45 Mom Brain Recap 40:14 Initial Thoughts Vibes 44:12 Character Spotlight Nightmare 48:00 Themes Cost Greed 52:25 Healthy Men In Fiction 55:43 Elm Growth Trauma 57:14 Flawed Characters Shine 59:47 Parents Power And Protection 01:02:11 Romance Pairing Debate 01:04:43 Maiden Card And POV 01:12:23 Deck Of Twelve Plot Hole 01:16:41 The Reckoning Mock Trial 01:20:46 Final Thoughts And Recs 01:25:09 Favorite Quotes Roundup 01:39:09 Wrap Up Guest Thanks 01:41:35 Next Read And Farewell #theshepherdkingduology #onedarkwindow #twotwistedcrowns #gothicfantasy #booktok #bookdiscussion #bookreview

2. 

   14 Oct 2026

   The Maas-termind Files | Everything You Need to Know Before ACOTAR 6 | A Court of Splintered Harmony | SJM Lore, Predictions, and Conspiracy Theories

   Allyson and Becca share a spoiler-filled “everything you need to know” recap and theory roundup across the Maasverse to prep listeners for ACOTAR 6 (A Court of Splintered Harmony), including key Throne of Glass lore (Stygian spiders and silk, wyrdmarks/wyrdgates, Nothung, Vaughan’s disappearance, and the Valg as Daglan/Asteri) and major ACOTAR threads (Beron and the Eris alliance, Koschei and Vassa’s curse, Mor’s hidden story, Bryaxis still missing, Nesta reviving the Valkyries, and the Azriel bonus chapter). They also connect Crescent City elements like the Dusk Court, Gwydion/Starsword, Truth-Teller, the knife-and-sword prophecy, and shared bloodlines linking Theia, Seline, Helene, Rhys, Ruhn, and Lydia.00:00 Episode Setup01:31 Socials Reviews Party02:49 Spoiler Warning03:23 Host Catch Up07:29 Recap Format Plan09:24 Stygian Spiders11:19 Nothung Wyrdmarks13:13 Vaughan Mystery18:00 Valg Connections19:37 Valg Bloodline Debate20:55 Beron and Autumn King Links23:01 Koschei Vassa and Eris25:52 Valkyries and Azriel Drama31:14 Pegasus and Starborn Lineage33:33 Witches Swords and Dusk Court38:06 Wrap Up and Next Episodes

3. 

   13 Oct 2026

   Rebecca Yarros has us sprialing AGAIN with Threshing Day + One-Year Anniversary Special!

   One-Year Anniversary Special: Top Reads, Community Highlights, and a Spoiler-Filled Threshing Day Chat🚨This episode contains FULL SPOILERS for Threshing Day AND the full Empyrean Series (Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, and Onyx Storm) by Rebecca Yarros. If you don't want the ENTIRE series spoiled, please return once you've read the books.🚨_____________________________________________________________Allyson and Becca celebrate the Reading After Bedtime Podcast’s one-year anniversary with a topic-and-book-chat episode, sharing where to follow them, requesting reviews, and promoting a ticketed ACOTAR 6 release party with Bibliobar Books and Gifts in Plano, Texas. They rank their top reads covered on the show, highlight favorite moments from the year (including multiple author interviews, receiving physical ARCs like The Lion and the Deathless Dark and Reap and Sow, growing their social community, husbands joining the Dungeon Crawler Carl episode, and Maasverse conspiracy theories), and preview upcoming events and anticipated releases. In the spoiler section, they review Rebecca Yarros’s novella Threshing Day as a five-star collection of 13 character POVs, discuss key revelations and theories about dragon loyalties, lineages, and character mysteries, and end with favorite quotes, moments, and a teaser for a Shepherd King Duet episode._____________________________________________________________ 🎉LET'S PARTY!🎉 Let's celebrate the release of ACOTAR 6 together! Reading After Bedtime has teamed up with Bibliobar in Plano, Texas to bring you an unforgettable evening counting down to the release of ACOTAR 6! The ACOTAR 6 release party is TICKETED, so make sure to grab yours before they sell out! Your ticket includes: - 📚 Gift bag + your copy of ACOTAR 6 - 🎤 Trivia & costume contest🎙️ - 🔮 Conspiracy theories & fandom fun - 🎯 Games, archery & sword fighting - 📸 Photo ops - 🍸 Snacks & drinks (cash bar available) - ✨ Flash tattoos* - 🛍️ Shopping & more! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy your ticket here!⁠⁠⁠ (https://bibliobartx.com/events/2026/10/26/the-cauldron-amp-the-quill-acotar-book-6-midnight-release-party) _____________________________________________________________ Let's be friends on socials! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.youtube.com/@ReadingAfterBedtimePodcast%E2%81%A0) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.instagram.com/readingafterbedtimepodcast/) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.tiktok.com/@readingafterbedtimepod?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc%E2%81%A0) ⁠Join our monthly newsletter to get a peek at our book chat schedule before anyone else 👀⁠ (https://reading-after-bedtime-podcast.kit.com/b1121f3780) _____________________________________________________________ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🛍️ Shop our Merch!🛍️⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://reading-after-bedtime-pod.printify.me/) ⁠Still looking for something? 👀⁠ (https://linktr.ee/readingafterbedtimepodcast) (Find Goodreads, Book of the Month, a tip jar and so much more here!) _____________________________________________________________ 🎶 Intro music by the talented Sean Lavrisa! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠- ⁠Sean Lavrisa Spotify⁠:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://open.spotify.com/artist/7kUiSx4GkzTD4ng3IuYOKD?si=-PdNhjEwSG2LaYGtmEB_1Q) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠- ⁠Sean Lavrisa Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (http://www.instagram.com/foxcraft/) _____________________________________________________________00:00 Cold Open Fandom Swoon00:58 Podcast Intro Anniversary02:11 Socials Reviews Events03:30 Top Reads Countdown09:48 Top Moments Highlights21:21 Next Year Plans27:53 Threshing Day Setup28:11 Overview Ratings Spoilers35:04 Liam Heartbreak Talk36:37 Genre Tropes Debate41:26 Content Warnings and Read Order42:13 Tandem Read Spoiler Stops44:40 Mom Brain Recap Setup45:02 Who Can Be Trusted46:16 Character Rundown Highlights48:49 Liam and Glane Theories50:36 Dragon Bonding Clues54:05 Aaric and Empyrean Divide54:26 Ranking the POV Chapters55:45 Spiraling New Lore58:23 Xaden Family Tree Twist01:04:54 Sloane Gift and Runes01:07:47 Dragon Records and Names01:14:30 Dain Alliance and Aetos01:17:07 Predictions for Book Four01:22:35 Final Thoughts and Favorites01:23:55 Quotes Moments and Signets01:30:49 Wrap Up and Next Episode #threshingday #empyreanseries #fourthwing #ironflame #onyxstorm #xaden #booktok #bookdiscussion #bookreview #romantasybook #romantasy

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Contact Reading After Bedtime: Romantasy, Fantasy, and Romance Book Reviews

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.