Romance Against the World is a weekly book podcast where two friends, Dylan and Rachel, discuss the books they read in a theme. Dylan loves romance books, and Rachel would rather read anything else. There will also be a collection of B-sides, which can be anything from book club style chats to book vlogs!
In this week's episode, Rachel and Dylan discuss the books they read and are excited for in April.
Please Note: This episode was recorded prior to the settlement of the Blake Lively VS Wayfarer trial being publicly announced.
Books we read in April:
Rebel of the Regency by Ann Foster
Nightwatching by Tracy Sierra
Beneath A Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan (Spoilers)
Hunter’s Valentine by Lynnea Lee
Summer of Fun by Craig DiLouie
Books that came out in April:
The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke
The Girls Trip by Allie Condie
American Fantasy by Emma Straub
Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke
Cleo Dang Would Rather Be Dead by Mai Nguyen
Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker
The Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer
Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth
Molka by Monika Kim
The Radiant Dark by Alexandra Oliva
The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer
The Verdant Cage by Jess Lourey
Her First Lie by Lucinda Berry
Odessa by Gabrielle Sherr
Morsel by Carter Keane
Top of our TBR:
Odessa by Gabrielle Sherr
Dissection of a Murder by Jo Murphy
Trad Wife by Saratoga Shaeffer
Bloom by Delilah S. Dawson
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
20 May 2026
March Recap
We're back baby! In this return B-Side episode, the ladies catch up a bit on what they've been doing, then discuss the books they read, as well as the ones they're excited to read!
Movies and Shows Discussed:
Scream 7
Ready or Not 2
Project Hail Mary
Super Mario Galaxy
Best Medicine
St. Denis Medical
Abbott Elementary
Books Discussed:
Without a Clue by Melissa Ferguson
Darkrooms by RebeccaHannigan
Her Last Breath by Taylor Adams
This Story Might Save Your Life by Tiffany Crum
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Below by Laurel Hightower
The Quiet Librarian by Allen Eskens
Strange Buildings by Uketsu
Wylding Hall by Elizabeth Hall
Paint Me Like Your Dead Girls by Cynthis Murphy
Stepford Wives by Ira Levin
Books that came out in March:
The Secret Lives of Murderers’ Wives by Elizabeth Arnott
Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser
The Woman and Her Stars by Penny Haw
Strangers in the Villa by Robyn Harding
You With the Sad Eyes by Christina Applegate
It Girl by Allison Pataki
Mother is Watching by Karma Brown
A Good Person by Kirsten King
Incidentals by Shelia Yasmin Marikar
The Beheading Game by Rebecca Lehmann
Dig by J.H. Market
Game On by Navessa Allen
Across the Vanishing Sky by Catherine Cowles
What We Did to Survive by Megan Lally
Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher
Tastes As Good by Luke Dumas
Starshipped by Cat Sebastian
18 Mar 2026
An Announcement
The podcast will be on a hiatus while Dylan is recovering from a surgery! Dylan takes this chance to talk about some thicc books that she would like to fill her newfound spare time with in this solo episode!
The books talked about are:
"House of Leaves" by Mark Z Danielewski
"The Nightingale" by Kristin Hannah
"Canterbury Tales" by Chaucer
"11/22/63" by Stephen King
"The Bone Collector" by Jeffery Deaver
"The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak
"Last Days" by Adam Nevill
"Hate List" by Jennifer Brown
"The Historian" by Elizabeth Kostova
Content warning: Dylan briefly discusses topics involving:
Suicidal Ideation
Death
School shootings
11 Mar 2026
February Wrapup
In this episode, Dylan and Rachel talk about the books they have read in February, the books they are reading now, and the new releases they are looking forward to!
Dylan’s Books:
I’m In Love With Mothman by Paige Lavoie
Bloom by Delilah S. Dawson
This Is How You Lose The Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone
The Power of Three by Teri Polen
Sourwood by Logan Spurgeon
Hekla’s Children by James Brogden
Rachel’s Books:
Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates
The Wedding People by Alison Espach
What We Currently Are Reading:
Below by Laurel Hightower
Every Move You Make by C.L. Taylor
Strange Buildings by Uketsu
Books That Came Out In Feb:
How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates by Shailee Thompson
Cruelty Free by Caroline Glenn
Good Intentions by Marisa Walz
Good People by Patmeena Sabit
This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page
Love and Other Brain Experiments by Hannah Brohm
Trad Wife by Saratoga Schaefer
The Better Mother by Jennifer van der Kluet
She Made Herself a Monster by Anna Kovatcheva
Rebel of the Regency by Ann Foster
The Darkness Greeted Her by Christina Ferko
The Keeper of Lost Children by Sadeqa Johnson
Without a Clue by Melissa Ferguson
Her Last Breath by Taylor Adams’
Pinky Swear by Danielle Girard
The Ghost Women by Jennifer Murphy
Dollface by Lindy Ryan
Evil Genius by Claire Oshetsky
So Old, So Young by Grant Ginder
4 Mar 2026
B-Side: Trick or Treat
In this B-Side episode, Rachel tells Dylan all about "Trick or Treat" by Richie Tankersley Cusick. This is a spooky tale about a family who move into a house, only to discover that the house has a tragic past! As the story progresses, Martha, the daughter, suspects she may be stalked by someone...or some THING!
Content warnings for this episode include discussion of:
Amenesia/memory disorder
Anxiety attacks
Hospitalization
Death
Physical injuries
Knife violence
Murder/attempted murder
Stalking
25 Feb 2026
Book Club Pick: Book Club For Troublesome Women
This week the ladies are discussing a book from their real life book club; "Book Club For Troublesome Women" by Marie Bostwick! This book explores feminism, friendship, and self empowerment.
Triggers for this episode include discussion of:
Sexism
Infidelity
Pregnancy
Suicide
Mental illness
Misogyny
Miscarriage
Sexual content
Infertility
17 Feb 2026
Dueling Books Part 2: Bride
In this episode, Dylan tells Rachel all about the book she read for the Werewolf Theme: "Bride" by Ali Hazelwood. Rachel learns all about the politics, intrigue, ad romance in the werewolf world... and she'll never be the same!
Note: Dylan was getting over pneumonia while recording this episode, so apologies, there is unavoidable coughing throughout the audio.. We did try to minimize it!
Content warnings for this episode as provided by the book author:
Death of several people within the context of a war between different species (vampires, werewolves, and humans) is mentioned
Several mentions of blood
Kidnapping
Mild violence
Poisoning and attempted murder
Attempted kidnapping/harming of a child (she is unharmed)
Death of a parent (off page in the past and off page in the present)
Explicit and graphic sexual content
Knotting (the MMC’s apparatus is not quite human?)
Cursing and vulgar language
11 Feb 2026
January Wrapup
In this episode, Dylan and Rachel discuss the books they read in January, new releases, as well as books they are looking forward to!
4 Feb 2026
Dueling Books Part 1: When the Wolf Comes Home
In this episode, Rachel tells Dylan about the book she read for their WEREWOLF theme; When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy. This is an unconventional and gory take on the classic horror monster!
The following trigger and content warnings were provided by the author in the book and will be touched upon throughout this episode!
Abuse
Alcoholism
Blood-borne diseases
Child death
Child endangerment
Child trauma
Dismemberment
Domestic violence
Gore
Grief
Insects
Murder
Needle trauma
Parent death
Spiders
Suicidal ideation
28 Jan 2026
Dylan's Book Haul
Dylan gleefully shares the new books she is excited to read...eventually.
The audio is less clear than normal due to testing a new microphone. Apologies for the inconsistent audio quality!
20 Jan 2026
2025 Wrapup
Dylan and Rachel reflect on the books they read in 2025 and discuss what they loved, and some not so much.
13 Jan 2026
Romance Against the World Teaser!
Dylan and Rachel talk about their upcoming podcast, Romance Against the World. Get a feel for their vibes and what to expect from our book explorers!
Stay tuned for the first full episode, almost an extended teaser on January 20th, where the ladies will be discussing the books they read in 2025!
Intro and outro music credit goes to Alex Karstensen and Jesse Wallace
Host of Romance Against the World?
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