Shelf Love: Romance Novel Discourse

Latest Episodes:

Beyond Ballrooms: Under-Appreciated Historical Romance Books with Alice Murphy Mar 18, 2025

Show notes

Alice Murphy, a historical romance author, joins to recommend and discuss under-appreciated non-Regency historical romance. The discussion touches on Alice's upcoming book, "A Showgirl's Rules for Falling in Love," and a rich variety of historical romance novels set in diverse time periods and locations. We travel through Ancient Egypt, medieval Wales, 19th century Japan, the Gilded Age, the Civil Rights Movement in the US in the 1960s, and more. This episode is jam-packed with book recommendations!

Guest: Alice Murphy

Website | Instagram | A Showgirl’s Rules for Falling in Love

Not recommended: Redeeming Love

Recommended:

Ancient to Medieval Era

Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
Defiant Love by Maura Seger
A Husband for Esyllt by Virginie Marconato

1500s

His Bride by Gayle Callen

1700s

Fierce Eden by Jennifer Blake

1800s

Flame on the Sun by Maura Seger
A Viscount for the Egyptian Princess by Heba Helmy

The Wild West and Beyond

Hitched to the Gunslinger by Michelle McLean and Untamed by Lisa Rayne

Turn of the Century

A Striking Romance by Lindsey Brooks
As You Desire and The Other Guys’ Bride by Connie Brockway

Early to Post-War 20th Century

A Manhattan Heiress in Paris by Amanda McCabe
The Companion by E.E. Ottoman
Phoenix Pictures series by Brianne Gillen

Midcentury

Let It Shine by Alyssa Cole
A Midnight Feast by Genevieve Turner and Emma Barry
Mrs. Milner Gets a Kitchen by Jane Hadley

Shelf Love:

NEW! Substack for original writing and stuff | Website | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
Email: Andrea@shelflovepodcast.com

Jane Austen's Bookshelf with Rebecca Romney Feb 11, 2025

Show notes

Why do we read Jane Austen but not the authors Jane Austen read and loved? The answer is a BIT more complicated than just "sexism." Guest: Rebecca Romney, rare book dealer and author of the new book, Jane Austen's Bookshelf.

Guest: Rebecca Romney

Jane Austen's Bookshelf | Type Punch Matrix

Do you have a romance collection, or do you just love looking at other people's collections? Learn more about Romance Novel Collection, a new section of the Shelf Love Substack where I'll be sharing YOUR romance novel collections: https://shelflovepodcast.substack.com/p/introducing-romance-novel-collection

Shelf Love:

NEW! Substack for original writing and stuff | Website | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
Email: Andrea@shelflovepodcast.com

Horror Romance and Land of the Beautiful Dead Dec 10, 2024

Show notes

Can horror and romance coexist? Friend and author Laura J. Mayo joins me to discuss “Land of the Beautiful Dead” by R. Lee Smith. We explore the complexities of combining horror elements (zombies, staking, the apocalypse) with romantic themes, how this book makes us feel, and unlikable and defiant characters who are forged by context. Is it all a metaphor?! (Yes, of course it is!)

Discussed: Land of the Beautiful Dead by R. Lee Smith

Guest: Laura J. Mayo

Website | Bluesky | Instagram

Romancelandia Holiday Fairies is a mutual aid effort for the romance novel reader community to support anyone in the community who could use a little material help with purchasing gifts for themselves, or loved ones this holiday season. Learn more:

bit.ly/holidayfairies

shelflovepodcast.com/holiday-fairies

Shelf Love:

NEW! Substack for original writing and stuff | Website | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
Email: Andrea@shelflovepodcast.com

Sampling Secrets of a Summer Night with The Historical Romance Sampler Dec 06, 2024

Show notes

I join The Historical Romance Sampler podcast with Katherine Grant to sample a scene from Lisa Kleypas's Secrets of a Summer Night. We discuss how historical romance has changed since the 1970s and talk about bestsellers and airport books. Also, learn more about Romancelandia Holiday Fairies 2024!

bit.ly/holidayfairies

shelflovepodcast.com/holiday-fairies

Learn more about Katherine Grant and The Historical Romance Sampler podcast

https://katherinegrantromance.com/historical-romance-sampler-podcast/episode-42-andrea-martucci-reads-lisa-kleypas

Katherine Grant on Instagram

The Historical Romance Sampler on Instagram

Shelf Love:

NEW! Substack for original writing and stuff | Website | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
Email: Andrea@shelflovepodcast.com

Year of the Unicorn: Old School Romantasy Aug 27, 2024

Show notes

Year of the Unicorn by Andre Norton is a 1965 fantasy novel with subtle romantic elements. How does this vintage novel featuring outsider characters compare with today’s romantasy? Romance reader Kassi joins Shelf Love to discuss Gillan’s journey of identity, empowerment, and agency as she embarks on an adventure: arranged marriage with a were Rider. Would you give up your power for a beautiful fantasy? It’s very demure, very mindful — this oldie is a goodie, although there are no unicorns.

Discussed: Year of the Unicorn by Andre Norton (1965)

Guest: Kassi

Shelf Love:

NEW! Substack for original writing and stuff | Website | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
Email: Andrea@shelflovepodcast.com

Colonizing History: Historical Romance Jul 23, 2024

Show notes

Ever wondered why Regencies became all the rage? Or how historical romances shape and sanitize our perceptions of history? This episode delves into how Regency romances displace inconvenient historical truths. A critical look at older 'problematic' romances like Jennifer Blake's 'Fierce Eden' reveals the complexities of characters and settings, challenging the current sanitized romantic fantasies. This audio essay touches upon how modern Regency romance often overlooks deeper societal issues for the comfort of readers, questioning if this trend truly makes the genre better or just more palatable.

Read the original Substack essay here: https://shelflovepodcast.substack.com/p/colonizing-history-historical-romance

Shelf Love:

NEW! Substack for original writing and stuff | Website | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
Email: Andrea@shelflovepodcast.com

Romantasy & Fourth Wing with Sarah Skilton Jul 16, 2024

Show notes

Some call it Romantasy, some call it Dragon Corn (except replace the C with a P). Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros is hotter than dragon’s breath, and so of course we have to see if we can figure out why it’s so popular. Sarah Skilton joins me to discuss “love triangles,” indescribable pain that we would actually like described, War College, and how…hot…Xaden…is. Also, is Fourth Wing enjoyable for people with romance or fantasy genre competence? Listen…or die.

Discussed: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Guest: Sarah Skilton

Website: www.sarahskilton.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiltongram/

Hollywood Ending by Tash Skilton: https://bookshop.org/p/books/hollywood-ending-tash-skilton/15806212?ean=9781496730671

Shelf Love:

NEW! Substack for original writing and stuff | Website | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
Email: Andrea@shelflovepodcast.com

Romance Adaptations & Genre Perceptions: Teaching The Hating Game Jun 24, 2024

Show notes

Ever wondered how "The Hating Game" fares in a classroom setting? Dr. Diana Filar is back to discuss her experiences teaching The Hating Game book and film in a class about popular genre fiction. We discuss the challenges of translating romance novels into films, how stereotypes of genres are formed and challenged, and what it's like introducing non-genre readers to romance. Learn about Dr. Filar's approach to incorporating popular genre fiction like romance, horror, and suspense into her curriculum, how class conversations resembled a Battle of the Sexes as they explored texts that engaged with gender in different ways, and why it’s so hard to both adapt romance and teach romance novels as a genre in the classroom.

Class texts also included Gone Girl, Arrival, and The Exorcist.

Guest: Dr. Diana Filar

Website | Twitter

Listen to Dr. Diana Filar on the #1 most-downloaded episode of Shelf Love:

092. I've Got No Roots: White Immigrant Assimilation & (Romance) Adaptation

Shelf Love:

NEW! Substack for original writing and stuff | Website | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
Email: Andrea@shelflovepodcast.com

Cold Hearted by Heather Guerre Jun 10, 2024

Show notes

Do you love scent marking, some healthy jealousy, and a beautiful and believable mix of internal and external romance in your paranormal werewolf romance? Get your parka and bundle up for "Cold Hearted" by Heather Guerre, the first book in the Tooth and Claw series, in discussion with foremost vampire defender, Dame Jodie Slaughter. We explore werewolves, vampires, Alaska as a transporting setting, depression, Andrea’s soft vulnerable belly, and found family and community, highlighting the book’s atmospheric setting and rich character development. The conversation delves into the unique elements of limited third-person narrative, the dynamics of jealousy, and the beauty of slow-burn romance.

Guest: Dame Jodie Slaughter, Shelf Love’s Vampire Defender

Website | Twitter | Instagram

To learn more about Dame Jodie Slaughter, follow her on Instagram @jodie_slaughter and on Twitter @jodieslaughter. Check out her books, including "Play to Win" and "Bet on It," and keep an eye out for her upcoming sapphic romance, "Ready to Score."

Shelf Love:

NEW! Substack for original writing and stuff | Website | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
Email: Andrea@shelflovepodcast.com

Consuming Desires: Cannibalism and Hunger in Romance Jun 03, 2024

Show notes

“What is a greater expression of love than eating someone else or wanting to consume and have that person in a way that no one else can have?” Dr. Nicola Welsh-Burke joins to delve into the intriguing topic of cannibalism in romance novels. We explore the intersection of food, eating, and sexuality, discuss the metaphorical use of cannibalism in literature, and examine the societal taboos and fascinations with the concept. The conversation touches upon various themes such as erotic vampirism, werewolf lore, incorrect eating, and how these elements are used to explore deeper human desires and fears.

Media Mentioned/Discussed:

Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause
Tooth and Claw series by Heather Guerre
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Hannibal (TV show)
A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers
Fresh (film) Twilight (books/film)
Betwixt the Sheets Podcast
Kinky History Podcast
Sex historian Esme Louise James

Guest: Dr. Nicola Welsh-Burke

Dr. Welsh-Burke is an academic and lecturer at Western Sydney University in Sydney, Australia. She’s an early-stage researcher in folklore and fairy tales and the romance genre, and her PhD was on contemporary YA supernatural romance, retellings of little red riding hood from the 21st century.

Twitter

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