Whoa!mance

It’s officially spooky season y’all, and we’re jumping in with both feet. This week on Whoa!mance, Morgan and Isabeau explore the categorical and the supernatural in Angie and the Ghostbuster, by Theresa Gladden. When paranormal investigator Dr. Gabriel Richards is drawn to a mysterious home, what he finds there raises more than just his neck hair. There to greet him is the blonde and dream-eyed Angie, Gabriel’s high school crush, who has been living alongside the very same ghostly presence he’s come to eradicate. But when passion overtakes profession, the otherworldly isn’t the only thing getting a little exercise. What’s a category romance? Are ghosts just unresolved trauma? Does anyone ever get their affairs in order? We’ll be putting a little ectoplasm in your feed all this month, so stay tuned and live deliciously. Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Friends we are beyond thrilled to be kicking off this new project, a podcast-within-a-podcast Jane Eyre Read Along! Each Sunday, yr girls Morgan and Isabeau will be taking turns reading Charlotte Brontë’s novel in its totality, one chapter at a time. This week, our eponymous heroine learns a bit about water fowl, Jane's cousin John Reed establishes himself as a real prick, and something called “the Red Room” raises growing concern. Get ready to climb this tentpole y’all. Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

The dour, windswept moors. A precocious, homely child. The intellectual and implied sexual education of said child. But more importantly, a tentpole Romance of the highest order. We’re of course talking about Charlotte Brontë’s 1847 novel, Jane Eyre. And what better way to explore this mother root of the genre than by reading it cover to cover. This week, yr girls Morgan and Isabeau preview a new project, and break off a piece of chapter one with the aim of answering one of Romance’s ever-looming questions: Darcy, or Rochester? We'll be releasing chapters every Sunday beginning THIS SUNDAY (10/4) and beyond as seasonal depression and pending societal collapse allow. Tune in and get moody y'all. Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Everyone experiences the agonies and ecstasies of expanding a circle of friends, but what about the trials and tribulations of expanding a circle of lovers?. This week on Whoa!mance, Morgan and Isabeau mix with the hoipolloi of Edwardian elite in Jude Lucens’ polyamorous historical Behind These Doors, Radical Proposals Book 1. When a gossip columnist stumbles on the harmonious throuple of a Lord and Lady, and an Earl’s second son, a delicate balance of lust and heart strings is shifted. But buttoned up cultural norms be damned as passion mounts, and all involved grapple with the implications of propriety and class. Is love a scarce commodity? How do we navigate an array of uncontrollable feelings? May we share in this wash basin? Live free and love wide y’all.

When we say Jude Deveraux, you probably think: lioness in her field, titan of titillation. Both are true. But that’s only part of the story. This week on Whoa!mance, yr girl Morgan walks yr girl Isabeau through a truly bananas true crime story starring none other than Jude Deveraux. We’re talking psychics, heartbreaks, movie stars, and war criminals. Buckle up for a true crime side quest that’ll have you hooking up your fax machine. Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

It’s no secret that Whoa!mance is a product of the university - a meeting of minds that began with the pursuit of knowledge and ended in a holocaust of emotions. But we digress. This week on Whoa!mance, Morgan and Isabeau audit a few classes with Katrina Jackson’s ivory tower romp, Office Hours. High-achieving and beleaguered Assistant Professor of Sociology Dr. Deja Evans is in a rut. With her 3-year track to tenure review looming, her separation between work and life has blurred into non-existence. But her desire for the tenured history professor and dressed-to-the-nines hunk of all things past, Dr. Alejandro Mendoza, is keeping her pilot light aflame. What’s a proper work/life balance? Can a romance novel test the depth of our allyship? Why does higher education make us feel so low? This one’s for all y’all left jilted by the educational-industrial-complex. Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network. This week’s episode is brought to you by The Siren and the Deep Blue Sea by Kerrelyn Sparks, out

We don't know about y'all, but this summer had us spending way more time indoors than usual. This week on Whoa!mance, Morgan and Isabeau share some of what's been keeping them afloat and joyful in these trying times. Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Before we get started, this book is brand spankin’ new. And if you know anything about us here at Whoa!mance, y’all know we peddle in spoilers. You have been warned! This week on Whoa!mance, Morgan and Isabeau sneak on the set of a telenovela in You Had Me at Hola, the much anticipated new novel by RITA award winner Alexis Daria. Jasmine Lin Rodriguez, a budding star after a stunning rom-com debut, is back in NYC to pursue another leading role across telenovela heartthrob Ashton Suárez. But when their parts require a fiery on-screen chemistry, their pasts and insecurities collide. Do we have control over our attractions? Is representation enough? What is button work? This one’s for all the leads out there looking for their perfect roles. Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

In honor of Romance Bookstore Day this past week, we're re-releasing one of our recommendations from the new romance section at Women & Children First in Chicago. Throwing it all the way back to episode 14! Giddy up. For this episode Morgan and Isabeau tackle a western! Do you love cowboys, history, and sex positivity? Got secret hots for the country doc? This book has it all! Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

As promised, Part Two of yr girls’ conversation with the illustrious Scarlett Peckham, and a deeper dive into Judith McNaught’s canonical debut novel Whitney, My Love. Sexiest parts, weirdest parts, and all the parts in between. CW: sexual assault, intimate partner violence If you experienced sexual assault and need or would like help, visit centers.rainn.com for resources in your area, or call 800-656-HOPE (4673) for confidential support. Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

On July 25th, as part of the 2020 Chicago-North RWA Spring Fling Writers Conference, yr girls Morgan and Isabeau were joined by the brilliant and talented Scarlett Peckham for a very special live-via-zoom-taping of Whoa!mance, to discuss Judith McNaught’s authorial debut, Whitney, My Love. This week, part one of yr girls’ conversation with Scarlett on how this novel sparked a burgeoning love of Romance, the polarizing politics of pleasure, and how to judge a text that doesn’t age as well as its cover. Warning: this novel depicts scenes of rape and sexual violence, and the conversation reflects these difficult topics, listener discretion is advised. Stay tuned for Part Two, coming to podcatcher near you. CW: sexual assault, intimate partner violence Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

We don’t know about y’all, but after all that Entrop[e]y, yr girls needed a little faith restored. This week on Whoa!mance, Morgan and Isabeau dive into the new multimedia romance audio series Ten Week Turnabout, by Amelia Rose, produced by ConSensual. Told through a variety of means, the story follows the reunion of Ingrid and Noah, former high school crushes from a small town in Indiana, who are meeting again in the sweltering heat of a New York City summer. Whoa!mance got a sneak peak of this new immersive experience and it’s a real scorcher y'all so dress to sweat. Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

We did it y'all. Yr girls have arrived at the final stop on this Entrop[e]y tour with one last trope: the secret baby. This week on Whoa!mance, Morgan and Isabeau tackle the culture wars relic, Nobody’s Baby But Mine, Book 3 in the Chicago Stars series by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Jane Darlington, a 34 year old physics professor, wants a baby. But she doesn’t want that baby to be a smarty pants weirdo like their mom. The solution: fuck a dumb guy. Who better than star quarterback and potential neanderthal Cal Bonner? But when Cal proves to have brains to match his brawn, Jane learns how poor calculations can still yield positive if strange results. What are the hallmarks of a good girl? Who should get a second chance? What even is a clip on headband? We’re closing this thing out with a bang y’all so call a sitter. Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Back in December, the Romance Writers of America (RWA) tried to pull a yuletide fast one hoping twitter’s watchful eye was fixed on other cravings. This week on Whoa!mance, Morgan and Isabeau reflect on that fateful reckoning, the Ritas becoming the Vivians, and other reasons to be cautiously hopeful about the future of Romance. Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

With SPORTS shut down due to Entrop[e]y, yr girls are graduating to a more sinister set of games. This week on Whoa!mance, Morgan and Isabeau explore love in the military-industrial complex with Book Three in Rebecca Yarros’ Flight and Glory series, Beyond What Is Given. Lt. Grayson Masters is on track to become an Apache helicopter pilot when he gets a blip on his radar. Sam Fitzgerald, a civilian and as it turns out, also a girl, is suddenly his new roommate. Upon further reconnaissance, affections are confirmed. But when efforts to camouflage his feelings are compromised, Lt. Greyson knows it’s only a matter of time before Sam overruns his defenses, and learns his deepest secret. Can love exist as a hierarchical power structure? Who wins when you’re the only game in town? What does it mean to rock one’s curves, and who are one’s curves rocked for? We’re going behind enemy lines for this one y’all, get ready for dust off.

After exploring romance through the lenses of hockey and American football, yr girls are calling a timeout to process all this masculine energy. This week on Whoa!mance, a few final thoughts on SPORTS romance, the normalization of male violence, and the toxicity of body image standards. Tune in since you can’t watch real SPORTS anyway. Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

We raised a barn. We perfected our slapshots. This week, Morgan and Isabeau are back on the O-line discussing one of their favorite sources of bad feeling, the NFL, with Fumbled by Alexa Martin. Poppy Patterson has built a life for herself independent of her high school sweetheart TK Moore, and she couldn’t be happier. But when TK, now a starting wide receiver for the Denver Mustangs, re-enters her life, Poppy calls an audible. Can Poppy reconcile a life of independence with the added aggression of TK’s burgeoning head trauma? Do high ratings and sponsorships justify pervasive personal and familial harm? Does the NFL give a fuck about women? It’s another week of SPORTS y’all so huddle up. Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

Last time, yr girls explored the subversive quaintness of Amish romance in our inaugural Entrop[e]y episode. This week, Morgan and Isabeau are back in the game for our first installment on SPORTS romance with Pucked, by Helena Hunting. Here we find Violet, the step-sister of a successful hockey player, linking up with the impossibly hung team captain, Alex, for a night of passionate goal making. But when Alex starts to pursue Violet, her status among the other players, including her sexually possessive step-brother, takes a bender. What kind of relationship, if any, do yr girls have with hockey? When does a gesture become too grand? And did we mention how buck-fucking-wild this book is? We’re running this zamboni straight through yr five hole for this one y’all, so lace up. Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

If it isn’t readily apparent (full disclosure, it is) Whoa!mance is made by white people. This week, in lieu of an episode and in solidarity with Black Lives Matter, Morgan and Isabeau share some of their favorite black authors, critics, and thinkers in the romance community and beyond. Black Chick Lit - https://blackchicklit.com My Imaginary Friends with L. Penelope - https://lpenelope.com/podcast Diverse Romance - http://diverseromance.com Deadline City - https://deadlinecity.com/episodes Rebekah Weatherspoon - @wocinromance The Turn On - https://www.theturnonpodcast.com Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.

We’ve all been talked about. And we’ve sure as shit all talked about. Then why, despite its ubiquity, does gossip still feel like a dirty word? This week, Morgan and Isabeau take a closer look at how gossip functions as a literary device, and how we benefit from its use as a complex social and pedagogical tool. Whoa!mance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network.