Aly and Amber are ready to help you prep your spooky season reading list with Monster Romance 101! There’s literary history, literary critique, book recs, (and probably tentacles) everyone can enjoy. Listen in for:
- Fourth Wing casting update commentary
- The literary origins of the monster romance sub genre
- What makes a monster romance
- A TBR busting monster romance syllabus
- Discussion of appendages
By the end of this episode we hope that when faced with the man or the bear, you confidently choose the bear (shifter).
00:00 — Intro
02:50 — Tea Time: Fourth Wing casting updates and thoughts
18:33 — Book Nook: One Moore Time by Mariana Zapata
21:43 — Craft Corner: Monster Romance 101 intro, origins, literary background
36:26 — Romance novel history and critique
57:11 — Gothic literature history and critique
1:19:12 — Monster Romance defined
1:32:14 — Syllabus: Cambric Creek by CM Nacosta
1:37:17 — Syllabus: Girls Trip by CM Nacosta
1:38:00 — Syllabus: Mead Mishaps by Kimberly Lemming
1:41:29 — Syllabus: Cosmic Chaos by Kimberly Lemming
1:42:49 — Syllabus: Supers in the City by Elizabeth Stephens
1:45:25 — Syllabus: Deal with a Demon by Katee Robert
1:51:30 — Syllabus: Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon
1:52:06 — Syllabus: Psy/Changeling by Nalini Singh
1:55:22 — Happy Endings
Sources:
Crawford, Joseph. The Twilight of the Gothic? : Vampire Fiction and the Rise of the Paranormal Romance. 1st ed. Cardiff, Wales: University of Wales Press, 2014.
Regis, Pamela. A Natural History of the Romance Novel. University of Pennsylvania Press, 2003.
Spooner, Catherine. Post-Millennial Gothic : Comedy, Romance and the Rise of Happy Gothic, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 2017.
https://janefriedman.com/how-to-outline-a-gothic-novel/ (https://janefriedman.com/how-to-outline-a-gothic-novel/)
Subscribe to the Smut & Sensibility newsletter for updates and future bonus content: https://tr.ee/tW4kS7LqwT (https://tr.ee/tW4kS7LqwT)
Check out our Book Nook recs and author interview featured titles on Bookshop(dot)org (affiliate): https://tr.ee/booknookrecs (https://tr.ee/booknookrecs)
OUT NOW from Smut University Press: A MINNESOTAN’S GUIDE TO BREAKING THE ICE: http://tr.ee/MNguide (http://tr.ee/MNguide) (all proceeds to http://ILCM.org)
Connect with the Squad:
Amber
IG: https://instagram.com/amberchristineauthor (https://instagram.com/amberchristineauthor)
TT: https://www.tiktok.com/Amberchristineauthor (https://www.tiktok.com/Amberchristineauthor)
Aly
Substack: https://substack.com/@alyafterall (https://substack.com/@alyafterall)
TT: https://www.tiktok.com/@alydaltonwrites (https://www.tiktok.com/@alydaltonwrites)
Connect with the Pod:
TT: https://tr.ee/uepfsftdpc (https://tr.ee/uepfsftdpc)
Instagram: https://tr.ee/MKqmAdLiLT (https://tr.ee/MKqmAdLiLT)
YT: https://tr.ee/Osti-mKDCc (https://tr.ee/Osti-mKDCc)
Website: http://smutandsensibilitypod.com (http://smutandsensibilitypod.com)
Bluesky: https://tr.ee/-pb4yhfqfV (https://tr.ee/-pb4yhfqfV)
20 Oct 2026
S2:E7 Fake Dating, Peak Fall Vibes, and THE FRIENDSGIVING PACT with author Elizabeth Davis
Amber and Aly are joined by author Elizabeth Davis to chat about her new release, THE FRIENDSGIVING PACT, available everywhere now. This book is bringing the autumnal, yearning vibes with:
- high school best friends turned collegiate fake daters
- good girl x bad boy with a hero channeling Jess Mariano from Gilmore Girls (which may or may not trigger a 'who is Rory's best boyfriend' debate on this podcast…and Aly wants to know why it’s actually Logan?????)
- he fell first
- small midwestern hometown
- Taylor Swift Evermore “Tis the Damn Season" vibes
00:00 — Intro
00:36 — Book Nook: The Poison Daughter by Shiela Masterson
04:50 — Book Nook: I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara
05:14 — Book Nook : In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
05:58 — Book Nook: It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder by Ally Carter
08:00 — Craft Corner: THE FRIENDSGIVING PACT by Elizabeth Davis
1:00:37 — Happy Endings
Fast Drafting Resources:
“How I plan my novel so I can draft in 30 days” by Hayley Milliman: https://hayleyiswriting.substack.com/p/how-i-plan-my-novel-so-i-can-draft (https://hayleyiswriting.substack.com/p/how-i-plan-my-novel-so-i-can-draft)
“This is how I write so fast” by Elizabeth Richardson: https://elizabethrichardsonbooks.substack.com/p/this-is-how-i-write-so-fast (https://elizabethrichardsonbooks.substack.com/p/this-is-how-i-write-so-fast)
Subscribe to the Smut & Sensibility newsletter for updates and future bonus content: https://tr.ee/tW4kS7LqwT (https://tr.ee/tW4kS7LqwT)
Check out our Book Nook recs and author interview featured titles on Bookshop(dot)org (affiliate): https://tr.ee/booknookrecs (https://tr.ee/booknookrecs)
OUT NOW from Smut University Press: A MINNESOTAN’S GUIDE TO BREAKING THE ICE: http://tr.ee/MNguide (http://tr.ee/MNguide) (all proceeds to http://ILCM.org)
Connect with the Squad:
Amber
IG: https://instagram.com/amberchristineauthor (https://instagram.com/amberchristineauthor)
TT: https://www.tiktok.com/Amberchristineauthor (https://www.tiktok.com/Amberchristineauthor)
Aly
Substack: https://substack.com/@alyafterall (https://substack.com/@alyafterall)
TT: https://www.tiktok.com/@alydaltonwrites (https://www.tiktok.com/@alydaltonwrites)
Connect with the Pod:
TT: https://tr.ee/uepfsftdpc (https://tr.ee/uepfsftdpc)
Instagram: https://tr.ee/MKqmAdLiLT (https://tr.ee/MKqmAdLiLT)
YT: https://tr.ee/Osti-mKDCc (https://tr.ee/Osti-mKDCc)
Website: http://smutandsensibilitypod.com (http://smutandsensibilitypod.com)
Bluesky: https://tr.ee/-pb4yhfqfV (https://tr.ee/-pb4yhfqfV)
13 Oct 2026
S2:E6 Does The Love Hypothesis Movie Live Up to the Book? | Private Equity in Publishing
Amber and Aly cannot wait to chat about THE LOVE HYPOTHESIS movie adaptation! They loved the book so the real question is: does the movie deliver on those Ali Hazelwood moments that started it all? In this episode we’ve got:
Publishing Tea
The highly anticipated return of audio rock, paper, scissors
Book Recommendations
THE LOVE HYPOTHESIS movie thoughts including casting, production, key moments, overall impressions
00:00 — Intro
05:02 — Tea time: Private Equity buys Podium Audio
23:59 — Book Nook: The Dark Lord’s Guide to Dating and Other War Crimes by Tiffany Hunt
28:06 — Book Nook: Once Again, Always by Amanda Gayle
31:47 — Craft Corner: The Love Hypothesis movie adaptation
1:16:16 — Happy Endings
Subscribe to the Smut & Sensibility newsletter for updates and future bonus content: https://tr.ee/tW4kS7LqwT (https://tr.ee/tW4kS7LqwT)
Check out our Book Nook recs on Bookshop(dot)org (affiliate): https://tr.ee/booknookrecs (https://tr.ee/booknookrecs)
OUT NOW from Smut University Press: A MINNESOTAN’S GUIDE TO BREAKING THE ICE: http://tr.ee/MNguide (http://tr.ee/MNguide) (all proceeds to http://ILCM.org)
Connect with the Squad:
Amber
IG: https://instagram.com/amberchristineauthor (https://instagram.com/amberchristineauthor)
TT: https://www.tiktok.com/Amberchristineauthor (https://www.tiktok.com/Amberchristineauthor)
Aly
Substack: https://substack.com/@alyafterall (https://substack.com/@alyafterall)
TT: https://www.tiktok.com/@alydaltonwrites (https://www.tiktok.com/@alydaltonwrites)
Connect with the Pod:
TT: https://tr.ee/uepfsftdpc (https://tr.ee/uepfsftdpc)
Instagram: https://tr.ee/MKqmAdLiLT (https://tr.ee/MKqmAdLiLT)
YT: https://tr.ee/Osti-mKDCc (https://tr.ee/Osti-mKDCc)
Website: http://smutandsensibilitypod.com (http://smutandsensibilitypod.com)
Bluesky: https://tr.ee/-pb4yhfqfV (https://tr.ee/-pb4yhfqfV)
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