Episode 1: Welcome to the first episode of The Spicy Librarian podcast! Join us as we discuss our top romance books for each month of 2025 and which book was voted Book of the Year by our online community

This week, D and Katie break down all things romance, chat all things sub-genres and tropes, their favourites and what's on the TBR for '26. 

 

Join us this week for our weekly catch-up and book club review of B. A. Pepper's Indie debut novel 'Daughter of Stone'

Join D and Katie this week as they talk all things dark romance- from the rise of dark romance as it takes its place in traditional publishing to the power in reclaiming the narrative, we explore what dark romance means to us. 

This week, join D and Katie as they discuss all things BookTok and Bookstagram, the good, the bad, and the ugly; from influencer culture to demystifying indie publishing, the trends we've all seen (and loved to) and our dream fancasts. Enjoy this joyful and chaotic discussion of online communities and why we're all here. 

After the most chaotic week on record, we finally got to sit down and record in our brand new shop. The Spicy Librarian is officially open, up and running. Join D and Katie for a debrief of a chaotic, wholesome week and opening weekend! 

Are you obsessed with morally grey love interests, enemies-to-lovers slow burns, and magic systems that somehow make you feel things? You're in the right place.

In this episode of Spicy Librarian, we're diving deep into the world of romantasy, where fantasy worldbuilding meets heart-racing romance, and unpacking what these stories really say about love, desire, and feminine rage. From fae courts to dragon riders, we're talking tropes, must-read recommendations, and why romantasy has completely taken over our bookshelves (and our hearts).

Whether you're a longtime fantasy reader finally ready to embrace the romance, a die-hard romance fan stepping into magical new worlds, or you just finished Fourth Wing and don't know what to do with yourself — this episode is for you.

In this episode we cover: Trending romantasy reads and authors to know, the relationship dynamics that make us feral, fantasy romance vs. romantasy. What's the difference?, and our top picks for every kind of reader.

Perfect for fans of: Sarah J. Maas, Rebecca Yarros, booktok, bookstagram, fantasy romance, slow burn, spicy books, and enemies to lovers.

Your favourite chaotic book besties are back!

There is so so much going on we can’t tell you fast enough, from book club and releasing new events and the fact we can’t keep books on the shelf for longer than 5 hours!

Keep your eyes on our socials and stay close. Don't say we didn't warn you. 👀

We've also got exciting reads lined up for future book clubs that we can't spill on just yet — but trust us, your TBR is about to suffer beautifully.

Now. Let's talk about Melting Point by Cici Williams.

This month's book club pick had us in an absolute CHOKEHOLD. Set against the glittering chaos of the Winter Olympics in Italy, this best-friends-to-lovers, fake-dating slow burn follows snowboarder Sam Harrington and her lifelong best friend Finn — who just happens to have been secretly in love with her for years. When their team sponsorship falls through, they agree to fake a relationship to save everything. What could possibly go wrong? (Everything. Beautifully, deliciously everything.)

And because we love you, we sat down with author Cici Williams herself for an exclusive interview- we talked the Olympics setting, the slow burn, THAT tension, everything in between AND the very exciting updates on what Cici is up next and very soon! This one is genuinely unmissable.

Perfect for fans of: fake dating, best friends to lovers, slow burn romance, sports romance, contemporary romance, spicy books, BookTok, Melting Point, Cici Williams, winter romance, romantasy, spicy romance podcast

We need to talk. Because this episode went fully, completely, unapologetically off the rails — and we are not sorry.

 

The episode you have all been waiting for, we are talking about the most chaotic, feral, and genuinely WHAT DID I JUST READ books we have ever picked up. Dark romance lovers, morally grey girlies, and "I read the trigger warnings and said yes anyway" readers — this one is absolutely for you.

We're shouting out Little Stranger by Leigh Rivers, That Sik Luv by Jescie Hall, Insatiable by Leigh Rivers, Open Wide by Jessica Gross, Lobster by Guillaume Lecasble, and Unhinged by Vera Valentine — and yes, we absolutely went there with every single one.

 

Oh, and because we cannot help ourselves — we also got into a full breakdown of exactly how many people were having sex on the Titanic before, during, and after impact. But was it relevant?  Yes. Did we spiral into a 20 minute tangent about it? Also yes. No regrets.

This is the episode we were always going to make. We're just glad you're here for it.

Make sure to update your TBR and tag us in what you’re reading next.

 

Perfect for fans of: dark romance, taboo romance, stalker romance, morally grey MMC, Leigh Rivers, Jescie Hall, spicy books, BookTok, unhinged reads, weird girl lit, sentient romance, spicy podcast

This week on Spicy Librarian, Dee and Katie are sitting down with the incredibly talented J Rose- UK indie author, dark romance queen, and the woman behind the internationally bestselling Blackwood Institute series. And yes, we are absolutely fangirling. J Rose writes challenging, plot-driven dark romance packed with angst, heartbreak, and broken characters fighting for their happily ever afters. As a passionate mental health advocate, she weaves realistic and powerful representation into gritty, emotional storylines; championing found family, fierce heroines, and love interests who are just as damaged as they are devoted. In this exclusive interview, we get into the Blackwood Institute universe, dark, twisty, why choose romance with morally grey antiheroes, a fierce scarred heroine, and plot twists that will absolutely ruin you, her expanding world of interconnected series, her current and upcoming projects, and what is coming next. We also dig into the world of why choose romance; what it is, why readers are completely obsessed, and why J Rose does it better than almost anyone in the game right now. If you haven't entered the Blackwood Institute yet, consider this your sign. And if you have - you already know. Perfect for fans of: J Rose, Blackwood Institute, why choose romance, dark romance, reverse harem, morally grey, found family, indie author spotlight, BookTok, dark romance podcast, UK authors, spicy books, broken characters

It's giving green flag. Actually no. RED FLAG. Actually… both??

This week on Spicy Librarian we are settling the debate once and for all — because we are taking the most iconic romance tropes and deciding, definitively, whether they are a green flag or a red flag. And yes, things got heated.

Enemies to lovers? Second chance romance? Instalove? The possessive MMC? We are going through them all, we are arguing about them, and absolutely nobody agreed on everything. This is the episode where our friendship was tested and we do not regret a single second of it.

Whether you are a ride or die for the slow burn or you will defend age gap romance to your last breath — this episode is going to have you screaming at your phone. We want to know your flags too, so get in the comments and defend your tropes, besties.

This is the most fun we have ever had and it shows.

Subscribe, leave us a review, and tell us — what trope is an automatic green flag for you? And which one sends you running?

Perfect for fans of: romance tropes, red flags green flags, enemies to lovers, second chance romance, slow burn, BookTok, dark romance, spicy books, instalove, why choose, romance podcast, book discussions, trope discourse, spicy librarian

 

BOOKS DISCUSSED- 

Play Along- Liz Tomford

Bull Rush- Maggie Rawdon

Daggermouth- H. D. Wolfe 

Zodiac Academy- Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti

Little Stranger- Leigh Rivers 

Speak- Ruby M. Darling 

Games Gods Play- Abigail Owen 

Bloody Black- Rhiannon Hargadon

Dreamland Billionaires Series- Lauren Asher 

Under Yours Scars- Ariel N. Anderson

 

Three books. Three genres. One episode that has absolutely everything.

This month's Spicy Librarian book club is serving a full course meal - we've got dark romance, romantasy, AND contemporary, and every single pick delivered.

First up, Bloody Black by Rhiannon Hargadon - a pirate dark fantasy retelling of Blackbeard that we did not see coming for us but here we are. Feminine rage, revenge, a slow burn that respects the trauma, and a found family crew we would absolutely sail with. Morally grey and magnificently unhinged in all the right ways.

Then we dive into The Games Gods Play by Abigail Owen - the Greek gods romantasy that has taken over BookTok and rightfully so. Hades. A cursed nobody chosen as his champion. A deadly competition for the throne of Olympus. Enemies to lovers with world building that genuinely slaps. We have thoughts. Many thoughts.

And finally, something a little softer for our hearts - The Dating Pact by Lulu Morris. A nurse. A very drunk, very famous actor. A fake dating arrangement that was never going to stay fake. Warm, funny, swoony, and exactly the palate cleanser we needed after the pirates and gods.

This episode has range and we are not sorry about it.

Perfect for fans of: dark romance, romantasy, contemporary romance, fake dating, enemies to lovers, Greek mythology, Hades romance, pirate romance, Rhiannon Hargadon, Abigail Owen, Lulu Morris, BookTok, spicy books, book club, slow burn, found family, spicy podcast

Subscribe, leave us a review, and tell us - which of this month's picks are you adding to your TBR first?

BOOKS DISCUSSED- 

A Touch of Darkness- Scarlett St. Clair

Crescent City- S.J. Maas

God of Malice- Rina Kent

Speak- Ruby M. Darling

Stammer- Ruby M. Darling

Black Throne J.T. Geisinger

We said what we said. And we are not taking it back.

This week on Spicy Librarian Podcast, Katie, Dee and backup, are doing something dangerous: sharing our most unpopular book opinions. The ones you whisper. The ones that get you cancelled in the group chat. We are saying them out loud, and we are standing by every single one.

We're getting into to whether or not we want Xaden to die? Is Throne of Glass overhyped? Why are fated mates always resurrected? Do we want male models on our book covers, especially if we're going outside to read... ?

Not everyone is getting a glowing review. Some of these are beloved. Some of these are untouchable. We touched them anyway.

Do we feel bad? Absolutely not. Is this the most chaotic, most honest episode we've ever recorded? Genuinely yes.

If your favourite book is on this list, we still love you. We just have thoughts.

Perfect for fans of: book discourse, unpopular opinions, Fourth Wing, ACOTAR, Throne of Glass, Sarah J Maas, Rebecca Yarros, Callie Hart, Brimstone, Heated Rivalry, Rachel Reid, Under Your Scars, One Day, BookTok, dark romance, romantasy, spicy books, book podcast

Books Mentioned

Fourth Wing- Rebecca Yarros

Throne of Glass- S.J. Maas

ACOTAR- S. J. Maas

One Day- David Nicholls

Brimstone- Callie Hart

Heated Rivalry- Rachel Reid

Ben Alderson (Author Shout out)

Under Your Scars- Ariel N Anderson

*Content Warning*

We discuss themes of suicide, sexual violence and sexual assault within literary fiction.

This week on Spicy Librarian, Dee and Katie are joined by the wildly unapologetic CJ Riggs for an episode that is chaotic, hilarious, and just a little bit feral—in the best possible way.

CJ Riggs is redefining erotic horror, serving up stories that are equal parts spicy, disturbing, and completely unhinged. In this no-filter conversation, we dive headfirst into the deliciously dark world of erotic horror—what it is, why readers can’t get enough, and how CJ is gleefully pushing every boundary she can find (and then some).

Expect unfiltered opinions, questionable tangents, lots of laughs, and behind-the-scenes insights into the life of an indie author doing things her own way. We also get the inside scoop on her current projects, what’s coming next, and how she plans to keep shocking—and hooking—readers.

If you like your books dark, your conversations chaotic, and your authors completely unhinged… this one’s for you.

Perfect for fans of: CJ Riggs, erotic horror, dark romance, indie authors, spicy horror, horror romance, book marketing, indie publishing, BookTok, author interviews, and beautifully chaotic energy.

BOOKS MENTIONED RIP, Skeleton King - Charity B Harleigh Beck- Collected Works CJ Riggs- Collected Works Ignite- Melaine Harlow Heartless- Elsie Silver Flawless - Elsie Silver Wait With Me- Amy Daws Joe Hill Collected Works The Final Girls Support Group, How to Sell a Haunted House- Grady Hendrix  Intensity- Dean Koontz The Surgeon, The Apprentice- Tess Gerritsen

You know that pain you feel when someone trashes your God Tier reads?

Yeah. That's this episode.

This week on Spicy Librarian we are facing it head-on- reading out the one-star reviews of our absolute five-star books and defending them to the community. Some of these reviewers had valid points. Some clearly had no idea what they were picking up. And some have a LOT of big feelings about books we would die for.

As do we.

We're going to bat for Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid, A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas, Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton, Feathers So Vicious by Liv Zander, A Ship of Bones and Teeth by Karina Halle, The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig, and Kiss of the Basilisk by Lindsay Straube — and we are not backing down without a fight.

Is the criticism fair? Sometimes.

Is it going to change how we feel about these books? Absolutely not.

Come argue with us.

Perfect for fans of: book discourse, one star reviews, Haunting Adeline, H.D. Carlton, A Court of Silver Flames, ACOTAR, Sarah J. Maas, Heated Rivalry, Rachel Reid, Feathers So Vicious, Liv Zander, A Ship of Bones and Teeth, Karina Halle, Kiss of the Basilisk, Lindsay Straube, Rachel Gillig, dark romance, romantasy, MM romance, spicy books, BookTok, book podcast

Heated Rivalry- Rachel Reid

A Court of Silver Flames- S.J. Mass

Haunting Adeline- H. D Carlton

Feather so Vicious- Liv Zander

A Ship of Bones and Teeth- Karina Halle

Night and the Moth- Rachel Gilling

Kiss of the Basilisk- Lindsay Straube

Blood Wing Academy- Briar Boleyn

Poison Daughter- Shelia Masterson

Collateral Damage- Stassi

Shield of Sparrows / Rights of the Starling- Devney Perry

I Got Abducted By Aliens, And Now I’m In A Rom-Com- Kimberly Lemming

Wrath of an Exile- Monty Jay

The Hollow Boys- Monty Jay

The Wytchling Chronicles

Basted- Abby Hunter

Summer is coming and so is our reading list- but no, they aren't all beach reads. 

Think less chilled rosé on a sun lounger, more completely feral about fictional men and refusing to put books down until 3 am. We know summer makes people think of light and breezy reads- but this is the Spicy Librarian, so this is less of a Summer TBR and more a list of books we are really freaking excited to read this summer. From dark to dystopian, from romantasy to the genuinely bizarre- this is what we'll have our heads buried in for the next few months.

Some fan favourites are back with second instalments we have been desperately waiting for, some stand alones have absolutely taken the world by storm, and somehow Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke ended up on the list and we are not explaining ourselves. We're diving into Dire Bound and Fury Bound by Sable Sorensen, losing our minds over Seek the Traitor's Son by Veronica Roth, and absolutely spiralling over Sour Fruit by Ahana Virdi- and that is just the beginning.

If your TBR is already suffering, we are so sorry. We are not sorry.

Perfect for fans of: BookTok, spicy books, book recommendations, spicy podcast

Books discussed: Magnolia Parks by Jess Hastings

Broken Bonds by J Bree

Shark Heart by Emily Habeck

Nightshade & Daybreak by Autumn Woods

Blood Orange by Harriet Tyce

Dire Bound & Fury Bound by Sable Sorensen

Honeysuckle by Bar Fridman-Tell

Half City by Kate Golden

Conform by Ariel Sullivan

Of Flames and Fallacies by Courtney Whims

When the Moon Hatched & Ballad of the Fallen Dragon by Sarah A. Parker

Ruinous Creatures by Jessi Cole Jackson

Seek the Traitor's Son by Veronica Roth

Sour Fruit by Ahana Virdi

In Her Own League by Liz Tomforde

Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

This or that: bookish edition. We are settling scores today and we're serious about it. This is the most fun episode, and with your help, a segment we feel will be sticking around. 

This episode we are playing the ultimate bookish this or that game, and the opinions were STRONG. Standalone or 5-part series? Rather meet your favourite author or character? and a bonus f*ck, marry, kill. We went through the choices, we argued, we disagreed, and at one point things got genuinely heated, and we are not sorry.

Whether you have been in the book community for years or you just finished your first spicy read- you are going to have thoughts on these picks. Get in the comments and tell us where you stand because we want the discourse.

This is the most fun episode we have ever recorded and that is saying something.

Perfect for fans of: BookTok, book games, this or that, dark romance, romantasy, contemporary romance, spicy books, book discourse, spicy podcast

Books discussed in this episode: Poison Daughter by Sheila Masterson, Three Nights in Stockholm by Elizabeth Hardy, Collateral Damage by Shassii, Twisted Pawn by LJ Shen, Between the Pines by Amber Palmer, The Wings That Bind by Briar Boleyn, Rites of the Starling by Briar Boleyn, A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, Magnolia Parks: Into the Dark by Jess Hastings, Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty, Kiss of the Basilisk & Between Two Kings by Lindsay Straube

We did it. Our very first Spicy Librarian subscription book box is here - and in this episode, we’re talking about ALL of it.

We’re taking you behind the scenes of what went into creating this box, what we wanted it to represent, what’s inside, and why we chose _*What We Need *_ by Lizzie Stanley as our very first pick. This project means so much to us, and we wanted to properly share the thought, care and intention behind it.

We also know there has been conversation around the box not being what some people expected. We’re addressing that openly, honestly and directly - because transparency matters to us, and so does our community. From the beginning, this box was designed to be a curated reading experience centred around exclusive content, community and discovering incredible romance stories, and we stand proudly by that vision.

This episode is for everyone who received a box, everyone considering joining us in future, and everyone who wants to understand more about what we’re building with The Spicy Librarian. We see you, we appreciate you, and we’re so excited for what comes next.

 

Books mentioned- 

The Stopover- TL Swan

Nocticadia by Keri Lake

The Long Game- Rachel Reid

The Auction - Sadie Kincaid

Starside- Alex Aster

What We Need- Lizzie Stanley

Perfect for fans of: Spicy Librarian podcast, book boxes, subscription boxes, Lizzie Stanley, What We Need, Wishbone Tattoos series, dark romance, BookTok, spicy books, book community, book unboxing, indie romance

Subscribe, leave us a review — and if you got a box, we want to hear from you.

Your favourite chaotic besties are back, and we have a LOT to talk about.

This episode is pure unfiltered Spicy Librarian- no books to review, no guests to impress, just us sitting down for a proper catch-up with the people who make this whole thing worth doing. That's you, by the way. We see you.

We're getting into all the exciting things we have cooking behind the scenes and trust us, the pipeline is looking very spicy right now. We've also got shop and events updates, because things are moving and you are going to want to know about it.

And then there's the Maasquerade Ball. Our masquerade event for the ACOTAR 6 release in October- we are talking details, we are talking chaos, we are talking the event that SJM herself would approve of. Probably. We'd like to think so.

We've also been completely overwhelmed by the gorgeous comments and messages we've had over the past few months and we needed to take a minute to respond to them properly- because you lot are genuinely the best community on the internet and we mean that with our whole hearts.

This is the episode where we just talk. And honestly? You are welcome. 

Perfect for fans of: Spicy Librarian podcast, ACOTAR, Sarah J Maas, ACOTAR 6, BookTok, dark romance community, romantasy, book events, spicy books, book podcast

Subscribe, leave us a review and if you've sent us a lovely message recently, this one's for you.

She is one of the biggest names in contemporary romance, and this week she is sitting down with us on Spicy Librarian- and yes, we are absolutely fangirling.

T.L. Swan has built an empire of swoony, steamy, emotionally devastating contemporary romance- and the world is finally catching up. We are talking about her latest releases, including The Heart You Kept, the first in her brand new Kings of the Riviera series, and the news that has the entire romance community absolutely losing their minds- the Miles High Club series is being adapted for Amazon MGM Studios, with TL Swan herself as executive producer.

We get into all of it. The books, the adaptation, what contemporary romance with real edge actually looks like, and why this genre deserves so much more credit than it gets in the spicy book community.

And the real question this episode -is Dee converted?! She came in a sceptic. We are not going to spoil it. You are going to have to listen.

Perfect for fans of: T.L. Swan, Miles High Club, The Stopover, The Heart You Kept, Kings of the Riviera, contemporary romance, Amazon Prime, book to TV adaptation, BookTok, spicy books, romance podcast, Spicy Librarian

Subscribe, leave us a review — and tell us, are YOU a TL Swan convert?

Look. It's the April book club roundup. We know. We're late. We're had a lot going on. 

This month we went three very different directions and we have absolutely no regrets. We're talking Three Nights in Stockholm by Elizabeth Hardy — the snowed-in, slow burn, enemies to lovers romance that had us feral from page one. Then The Poison Daughter by Sheila Masterson — dark, twisty, and not what we expected in the best possible way. And finally Collateral Damage by Shassii — a sapphic erotic thriller with Stockholm syndrome, enemies to lovers, extreme slow burn, and two completely broken women who will absolutely wreck you. This one is not for the faint hearted and we are obsessed with it.

Three books. Three completely different vibes. One very chaotic book club. This is exactly why we do this.

Perfect for fans of: book club, dark romance, sapphic romance, enemies to lovers, slow burn, contemporary romance, BookTok, spicy books, Three Nights in Stockholm, Elizabeth Hardy, Poison Daughter, Sheila Masterson, Collateral Damage, Shassii, queer romance, spicy podcast

Slaglines: We Wrapped Books, We Gave Clues & Absolutely Nobody Was Helpful

We invented a game. We wrapped books in brown paper, gave each other the most unhinged clues imaginable, and made each other guess the title. We're calling it Slaglines - a love letter to the tagline and an absolute disaster of an episode in the best possible way.

This week's lineup was a lot. We had a tattooed bad boy demon with witchy enemies-to-lovers energy, little women but make it vampire, a bored gay werewolf, a shy trans banshee, a deeply unsettling crawl space, and a boyfriend who is giving very strong fish. You know the kind.

If you think you could have guessed these faster than us - get in the comments and tell us. We are competitive and we will take that personally.

 

Books mentioned- 

Starside- Alex Aster

Here One Moment - Liane Moriarty

What have you done- Shari Lapena

Miles High Series- TL Swan

Direbound/ Furybound- Sable Sorensen

Crown me Dead/ Crown me Yours- Liv Zanders

Crawl Space- Herbert Lieberman

There’s Something Fishy About My Boyfriend- Gloria Duke

Zodiac Academy- Twisted Sisters

Fourth Wing- Rebecca Yarros

Magnolia Parks- Jessa Hastings 

Demon with Benefits- Aurora Asher

Little Vampire Women- Lynn Messina

Bored Gay Werewolf- Tony Santorella

Shy Trans Banshee- Tony Santorella

The May book club is here and besties, this month's picks were a whole lot.

But first, we're pulling back the curtain on what is coming up for The Spicy Librarian. It's our birthday month in July, we have events in the pipeline, and things are getting very exciting around here. We are not ready to spill everything just yet but we wanted to bring you into it because you lot are the whole reason any of this exists.

Consider this your official heads up. Stay close. 👀

But book club! We're talking The Auction by Sadie Kincaid - Beauty and the Beast meets dark mafia romance, a scarred billionaire, a secret brotherhood, and a slow burn so tense we needed a moment, and a lively debate about condiments. Then Starside by Alex Aster - the enemies-to-lovers romantasy that has absolutely taken over our bookshelves and for very good reason. And finally The Stopover by T.L. Swan - the book that has converted more people to contemporary romance than almost anything else on BookTok, and yes, we have feelings about it. If you haven't listened to our episode with TL Swan- get to know.

Three completely different vibes. Three books that divided the room. Three books we could not shut up about. This is exactly what book club is for.

Books mentioned- 

The Auction- Sade Kincaid

Starside- Alex Aster

The Stop Over- TL Swan

Made Man Series- Danielle Lori

Crescent City- S J Maas

June Book Club-

A Stage Set for Villains- Shannon J. Spann

Pieces of the Night- Jennifer Hartman

Branded- Saffron A Kent

Perfect for fans of: book club, dark romance, romantasy, contemporary romance, The Auction, Sadie Kincaid, Starside, Alex Aster, The Stopover, TL Swan, Miles High Club, mafia romance, enemies to lovers, slow burn, BookTok, spicy books, spicy podcast