An Obsessive re-reader starts a book club. Come and join the fun! Guests recruited constantly, all are welcome!
Special thanks to Jacob the Horse for letting us use their amazing song Sunshine for our theme music.
Summary
Lacunae describes *Pantheon* as a romantic conspiracy thriller: former operative Cersei hides as Vivian Ho until businessman Damien Tang’s investigation draws attention to her.The novel uses close third person in the past tense, with each chapter following one character; Cersei’s guarded feelings emerge through actions, while Damien is more emotionally explicit.Pantheon is a criminal organization, or “house,” inspired in part by the worldbuilding of *John Wick*, with operatives specializing in disguise, information, surveillance, and combat.Lacunae wanted Cersei to make her own choices rather than be rescued; the identity of Vivian and Cersei’s past losses shape her gradual search for who she wants to become.The author explains the conspiracy behind Cersei and Hermes: client Reinhardt used Pantheon to target a whistleblower and then framed the operatives after they uncovered his hidden weapons cache.Damien’s family wants influence over his separate company and sees Vivian’s logistics assets as a route to the port terminals they have sought to control.Toni and Lacunae discuss how the novel’s metaphorical prose, dense procedural details, and withheld explanations invite readers to assemble the story themselves.Lacunae draws on 11 years in video game design, including level design and worldbuilding, to create grounded settings and detailed systems for fiction.Lacunae says *Pantheon* book two is being edited and may release the following year; it is planned to be darker and reveal more of the organization’s operatives.Lacunae also discusses the *Perpetura* series, adapted from interactive fiction with five stories and branching romance routes.
Lacunae
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lacunaedesigns/
Studio site: https://lacunaedesigns.com
Pantheon
Website (with the free opening chapters): https://pantheon.lacunaedesigns.com
Buy on Amazon (pre-order, out 1 November): https://pantheon.lacunaedesigns.com/buy
This is the Pantheon playlist on Spotify, enjoy!
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7lA6QnCTGqQ1RfNxdRQ3uA?si=a2b8a4a0316b4deb
Perpetūra
Website (Interactive Fiction): https://perpetura.lacunaedesigns.com
Book One on Amazon: https://perpetura.lacunaedesigns.com/buy-one
Book Two on Amazon: https://perpetura.lacunaedesigns.com/buy-two
romancereadalong@gmail.com
@chemangel.bsky.social
Or Join the discords we are always looking to talk books, whether it's writing, editing or just swapping recommendations we are always looking to meet new people.
https://discord.gg/DRZe3kqNKT
Many thanks to Jacob the horse for allowing us to sample their amazing song Sunshine for our theme music. You can get Jacob the Horse's music at BandCamp.com
19 Oct 2026
Blood and Books - Samantha Andersen
Stay with us till the end when we talk about indie publishing and small author supports.
In this episode, author Samantha Anderson shares insights into her writing process, world-building, and the romance genre, including her favorite authors and series. Toni and Samantha discuss the importance of representation, genre conventions, and the challenges of writing and reading in the romance community. In this episode, Samantha Andersen shares her insights on writing, series development, and navigating the challenges of authoring in a small community. She discusses her series' structure, character development, and the importance of authenticity in storytelling. In this episode, Samantha Andersen shares her journey from aspiring writer to published author, discusses her writing process, and offers insights into the world of romance and fantasy genres. Toni and Samantha explore storytelling techniques, genre blending, and the importance of editing and beta readers.
Sutra House
sutrahouse.com
Samantha Andersen
Substack
https://substack.com/@samanthaandersenwrites
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/samanthaandersenwrites?dlrf=MWxjZWxlZzAwNHgycg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
romancereadalong@gmail.com
@chemangel.bsky.social
Or Join the discords we are always looking to talk books, whether it's writing, editing or just swapping recommendations we are always looking to meet new people.
https://discord.gg/DRZe3kqNKT
Many thanks to Jacob the horse for allowing us to sample their amazing song Sunshine for our theme music. You can get Jacob the Horse's music at BandCamp.com
6 Oct 2026
A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall
Summary
In this episode, Toni discusses two books: 'Bound by the Alien Buckaroo' by Ursa Dax and 'A Lady for a Duke' by Alexis Hall. They explore themes of gender identity, historical context, and character development, offering insights into contemporary and historical romance genres.
keywords
romance, LGBTQ+, historical fiction, gender identity, book review, Alexis Hall, Ursa Dax, character analysis, historical romance, transgender characters
key topics
Themes of gender identity in romanceCharacter development in historical and sci-fi romanceRepresentation of LGBTQ+ characters in literatureImpact of historical context on character conflictsAnalysis of specific character relationships and dynamics
romancereadalong@gmail.com
@chemangel.bsky.social
Or Join the discords we are always looking to talk books, whether it's writing, editing or just swapping recommendations we are always looking to meet new people.
https://discord.gg/DRZe3kqNKT
Many thanks to Jacob the horse for allowing us to sample their amazing song Sunshine for our theme music. You can get Jacob the Horse's music at BandCamp.com
Who has been a guest on Romance Read Along
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Demri Hess
Ronny Pascale
Seelie
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Spotify
4.0 / 5
3 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 20 / 100
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Quality
28
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
32
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Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
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Toni host the show. Published by romancereadalong.
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