Presented by Avon Books, with hosts, Rain and Michelle.
Sharing our most unhinged thoughts and feelings about romance books. If you don’t have a book bestie to yap about books with, we’re yours. Our goal with this series is to be a safe space for all readers to talk about the books that we love.
Alexandra Bracken sits down with us to chat about her new romantasy with perfume magic, Immortal Rose, alongside her history as a writer—we cover everything from her roots as a Star Wars fangirl to how her time working at Ulta influenced Immortal Rose, and even her early days writing The Darkest Minds while fueled by Mountain Dew and Chipotle.
Hosts: Rain and Michelle
Producers: Carlos Rosario and Lucas Porter
30 Aug 2026
VICTORIA AVEYARD: Tempest, Hot Pirates, Writing Process, & Fandom Lore
Grab your fridge cigarettes and drink up me hearties, yo ho! On this episode of The Book Was Hotter, Victoria Aveyard joins us to chat about her romantic pirate fantasy, Tempest. We discuss her roots with fandom and fanfiction, her writing and research process, the inspiration behind Tempest, and what we can expect from the upcoming sequel, Tyrant.
Hosts: Rain and Michelle
Producers: Carlos Rosario & Lucas Porter
9 Jul 2026
SHANNON CHAKRABORTY: Fanfiction Roots, Hot Mummies, & The Tapestry of Fate
Hot mummies, anybody? In this episode we're joined by author Shannon Chakraborty to talk all things The Tapestry of Fate—the second adventure of pirate Amina al-Sirafi! Plus a whole lot more...
Hosts: Rain and Michelle
Producers: Carlos Rosario and Lucas Porter
25 Jun 2026
TESSA BAILEY & BOOK BESTIES: Beach Reads in The Bahamas (Grand Hyatt Baha Mar)
Is this real life!? We flew down to The Bahamas with Tessa Bailey and some of our favorite book besties to talk all things My Killer Vacation, favorite beach reads, and Tessa's upcoming time-travel novel Broken Rival!
Hosts: Rain and Michelle
Guests: @AymansBooks, @EdensArchivess, @newlynovabooks, @its.amandas.bookshelf, @thebohobookblogger
Producer: Carlos Rosario
Recorded at The Studio at Baha Mar in Nassau, The Bahamas
4 Jun 2026
SARAH A. PARKER: Live from Barnes & Noble Union Square
Bestselling author Sarah A. Parker joined us for a live taping of The Book Was Hotter at Barnes & Noble in Union Square, to talk all things The Ballad of Falling Dragons!
Hosts: Rain and Michelle
Producers: Blake Buesnel, Carlos Rosario
8 May 2026
AMINASNOTOKAY: Tessa Dare, Bring Back Yearning Men, & Book Boyfriends
We are actually so okay... because @aminasnotokay (https://www.instagram.com/aminasnotokay/) joined us on this episode of The Book Was Hotter to chat about fictional boyfriends! Which fictional boyfriends, you may ask? All of them—anime boyfriends, mafia boyfriends, and the occasional 6'4" duke from a historical romance who yearns for your hand in marriage.
Hosts: Rain and Michelle
Producers: Carlos Rosario, Lucas Porter
25 Feb 2026
JULIA QUINN: Bridgerton, Benedict Yearning, and Seeing Her Books Come to Life
Julia Quinn joined us on The Book Was Hotter to chat through all things Benedict and Sophie with season 4’s release of Netfix's Bridgerton, how historical romance has changed through the years, and some of her “I made it” moments in her career.
Hosts: Rain and Michelle
Producers: Carlos Rosario and Lucas Porter
7 Jan 2026
STACIA STARK, We Who Will Die & bringing vampires BACK ?
Stacia Stark joins The Book Was Hotter to chat all about We Who Will Die. We fangirl about vampires, Tiernon AND Rorik. Plus she has an exciting reveal about what's coming next after that cliffhanger!
Hosts: Rain and Michelle
Producers: Carlos Rosario and Lucas Porter
17 Dec 2025
BK BORISON: The Hot Ghost of Christmas Past and Yearning Love Interests
This holiday season, BK Borison joined The Book Was Hotter to chat through Good Spirits—her new paranormal holiday romance featuring a people pleaser main character who owns an antique shop and the hot Irish ghost assigned to haunt her. We chat through BK’s reading and writing lore, the whimsy and spice of Good Spirits, and what BK has planned next.
Hosts: Rain and Michelle
Producers: Carlos Rosario and Lucas Porter
18 Nov 2025
AKWAEKE EMEZI, Son of the Morning, & Bible Fanfiction
In this episode, Michelle is joined by New York Times bestselling author Akwaeke Emezi for a deep dive into Son of the Morning. Their newest steamy paranormal romance unfolds across a world of magic and myth—from the whispering creeks beyond the city of Salvation to the very depths of Hell.
Host: Michelle
Producers: Carlos Rosario, Lucas Porter
4 Nov 2025
In My Fantasy Era: Dragons, Unhinged Characters, and Our Fall Fantasy Reads
In this episode, we fangirl with Lara from the Avon/Voyager team about all things fantasy. From epic magic systems to cozy, whimsical settings, we yap about iconic fantasy tropes, our favorite unhinged characters in fantasy books, and what love interests can say in books but would be red flags in real life. Hosts: Rain and MichelleSpecial Guest: LaraProducers: Carlos Rosario and Lucas Porter
1 Oct 2025
TESSA BAILEY, Pitcher Perfect, & Spicy Secrets...
In this episode, we chat with Tessa about Pitcher Perfect—from creating Skylar and Robbie to the book’s family competition and memorable spicy schedule. She shares her first romance read, weirdest Google search, and the songs tied to the story. We also talk about her first pitch for the Miami Marlins, safe space authors, and what’s next in the Tessa Bailey world, plus a fun secret about an upcoming project you won’t want to miss.
Hosts: Rain and Michelle
Producers: Carlos Rosario and Lucas Porter
30 Jul 2025
BROOKE FAST & The Dystopian Book Renaissance: We Are Sooo Back
Welcome to The Book Was Hotter, brought to you by Avon Books! This episode, we’re all about dystopian romance... the chaos, the love, the drama. We talk about the books that totally stuck with us and why we’re so obsessed with love stories set in messy, end-of-the-world vibes. Plus, we’ve got Brooke Fast joining us to dish on her faves and her own amazing book, To Cage A Wild Bird. It’s gonna be a super chill chat with plenty of feels, so grab a sweet treat a la Rain and hang with us!
Hosts: Rain and Michelle
Producers: Carlos Rosario, Lucas Porter
24 Jun 2025
ALEX ASTER: Beach Reads, Summer in the City, + What's on Your Summer TBR?
Author Alex Aster discusses beach reads and New York City romances with hosts Rain and Michelle in an interview, exploring casting choices for a Hollywood rom-com.
6 May 2025
Episode 1: Emily Henry, Tessa Bailey and Romance Talk: “If You Give a Girl a Sweet Treat”
Hey friends, welcome to The Book Was Hotter, presented by Avon Books. We’re here to share our most unhinged thoughts and feelings about romance books. If you don’t have a book bestie to yap about books with, we’re yours. Our goal with this series is to be a safe space for all readers to talk about the books that we love. We are getting ready for summer, so, on this episode we are discussing Emily Henry, Tessa Bailey and what romance means to us.
Hosts: Rain McNeil & Michelle Lecumberry
Producers: Carlos Rosario, Lucas Porter
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
12 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 11 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
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