Whoa!mance

One could say this is a boner about blow jobs. But blow jobs are about so much more than just blow jobs. This is a boner about power. A boner about tropes. A boner dissecting the misnomer of a “right” penis. It’s a boner about what we do with boners, and why what we do with boners does and does not matter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why bears? What is it about our ursine cousins that prompts such a curious and violent fascination? This week, Morgan and Isabeau turn these questions over anew with the graphic novel My Boyfriend Is a Bear by Pamela Ribon, illustrated by Cat Farris. What does pop culture’s fetishization of bears say about our sexual proclivities? Are bears just apolitical lumberjacks? And what right do we have to anthropomorphize animals in the first place? If Bear by Marian Engel proved too on the nose for its deftness at delineating sexual/power imbalances, cuddle up with this little teddy and start working on that winter belly. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What are the rules of modern dating? For many this is an ethical or existential question, but for app developer Rhiannon Hunter, providing the correct answer could be the financial HEA of a lifetime. This week, Morgan and Isabeau tackle The Right Swipe by Alisha Rai, and put some overlooked institutional ducks in a row. Questions arise as to what a feminist dating app should look like; who, if anyone, does the NFL care about; and what your brand choice of mayonnaise says about your experience of heartbreak when used to fuck up the paint on an ex-lover’s car. Clear your schedules and lint roll a power suit for this one y’all. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There’s a lot to be excited about with this one y’all. Not only is there now a bookshop in Tinley Park, IL dedicated exclusively to the genre, but Love’s Sweet Arrow: A Romance Bookstore was kind enough to host the inaugural live recording of Whoa!mance. A special thank you to all those who came through and contributed to the conversation on Gorgeous by Motzie Dapul, a selection from Start Here: Short Stories of First Encounters edited by Ronald S. Lim and Brigitte Bautista. Yr girls Morgan and Isabeau discuss bullies to lovers, the craft of brevity, and crowdsource the parameters of a sweet romance. All live, because that’s showbiz baby. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This one's for all you toons creeping in on Fabio's turf. Morgan and Isabeau discuss trends in cover art, the ethics of disguising a novel’s heat, and the politics of reading a good ol’ fashioned clinch on the bus. So don’t bother covering up this boner, because we’re letting it all hang out. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever despised someone so much you wet your desk chair? Or been so blinded by hate that you popped a boner? Of course you have. We all have. That’s what makes the Hating Game by Sally Throne so relatable, because a good romp is always the best way to relieve some tension. This week, Morgan and Isabeau track Lucy and Joshua, rival administrative assistants for two newly merged publishing houses, as they journey from enemies to workplace competitors to full on PnV horndoggies, all set in a cramped disco ball of an office. Despite the cutesy cover, it’s an HR disaster. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shake the sand out of your corset and get ready for a cockney romp. This week, Morgan and Isabeau return to Judith Ivory to examine her 1999 novel The Proposition, where linguist and social etiquette coach Edwina is tasked to shape hunk of marble and rat catcher extraordinaire Mick into a right modern gentleman. If Beast didn’t quite tickle your ambergris, this reverse pygmalion will have you feeling it in your pants. This might be an all time favorite y’all. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you like gaming hells? Bad dudes who become good dudes and heroines who find their voices? US TOO!!! In this week's episode Morgan and Isabeau tackle a peculiar faultline in Romancelandia--is "The Devil in Winter" really worth the hype and love it receives? Really? Listen and find out where Isabeau and Morgan land on the critical question.Part of our Lisa Kleypas series.Listeners be warned there is discussion of attempted assault. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's been quite the sojourn y’all. This week marks the third and final in our triptych on sheik romance, a series that we hope has never ceased to surprise and horrify. A familiar pattern continued in Hired: The Sheikh’s Secretary Mistress by Lucy Monroe, a text in full cultural retrograde as the title is quick to suggest, where Morgan and Isabeau were once again exposed to a veritable galaxy of stereotypes and erasures; a true fireworks display of unfortunate narrative decisions fit for an ending we thought would never come. And the worst part is this one’s not even super old. Who needs a drink. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week, yr girls Morgan and Isabeau took a trip to the Big Apple to speak on a panel for the Golden Network as part of the Romance Writers of America’s annual conference. After much networking and mingling, there was so much to unpack. Is Romance inherently feminist, or should we demand more? Is pleasure, in and of itself, enough of a political statement? What is patriarchy, and how and with what do we smash it? Sometimes searching for answers y'all just leads to better questions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ok. A lot of trigger warnings y’all; we’re talking about rape, human trafficking, colonial occupation, castration, and handsy nuns. But plz know yr Whoa!mance crew would never let you go in alone. This week, Morgan and Isabeau continue to hold Sheik romance accountable with a truly breathtaking example of what-the-fuckery: Savage Sands by Christina Nicholson. It’s a rolling blackout of unchecked sexuality and degradation, a narrative so carpet-bombed by the male id it’s almost as if it were written by a man... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Back in the center ring, as promised, for the first of many sheik downs. To kick things off, Morgan and Isabeau crack the OG model for so-called “desert romance”, E. M. Hull’s 1919 novel The Sheik; and like any good origin story, it’s fraught with power and contradiction. Can a novel with such a damaging socio-political cache be redeemed by the resonant impact it has on the evolution of genre and reader interest? Or is it time we go cold turkey on this particular blend of hand-rolled erotica? We’re in this for the long haul y’all so make sure you layer up: it gets pretty cold at night. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you’ve been around this whole mess long enough you know we love kicking up some dust. So that’s why we felt it was high time one of the elephants in this here circus gets called the fuck out. Clowns and jokers can take a hike for this next couple y’all; round these parts there’s no wishing our way out. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here at Whoa!mance, we believe wet dreams are always better with a buddy. That’s why this week, Morgan and Isabeau took a trip to the 206 to hang out with bored pharmaceutical employees Vanessa and Altan, as they explored their sexual tension in a shared hallucinatory dreamspace. But what began as a flirtation spiraled into addiction for Vanessa as her drug induced sexcoma proved a too tempting balm for the anxiety caused by her husband Pete and the aftershocks of her traumatic past. It’s a true mind fucking y’all. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Much like a long day, ICEWINE could only set in the west. This week, Morgan and Isabeau put the series out to pasture with Debbie Macomber’s 1993 novel Morning Comes Softly where Travis, a rugged non-millionaire chauvinist cowboy is seeking a wife to help maintain his shack and family in Montana; lo and behold, Mary, a shy librarian in Louisiana, responds to his personal ad and travels sight unseen to go a-courtin’. It’s a love story of proximity that will make you wish your drink was closer too. Don’t forget to recycle yr boxes, bags, and bottles y’all; ICEWINE out. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

BRAINFREEZE - all this ICEWINE’s got to our heads y’all. This week, Morgan and Isabeau take a break from the box to rub shoulders with the courtesans in Jeannie Lin’s novel The Jade Temptress; and who better to show them around than Chicago’s very own scribe of passion Suleikha Snyder, who selected this title as a personal all-time-fav. It’s a triple shot of historical mystery romance sure to get your noggins humming, arm hairs perked, and erogenous zones titillated all to a satisfying denouement. But don’t forget to refill those ice trays now... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before James Cameron tackled the greatest sinkable metal of the modern era, Danielle Steel did it first and regrettably, with more chastity. This week, Morgan and Isabeau board a transatlantic voyage on the Titanic for an historically accurate, fade-to-black romp through the worlds of newspapers, publishing, old Hollywood, and the constrictive gender roles of yesteryear. Women and children first this week y’all; we see your ICEWINE and raise you an ICEBERG. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Did you know yr average box wine fits FOUR bottles of that sweet sweet Dionysian nectar? I hope you didn’t go to hard out the gate cuz we back for ICEWINE ROUND 2. This week, Morgan and Isabeau unpack Indigo by Beverly Jenkins, a novel that doesn’t shy away from posing difficult questions while managing to stand up to the harsh light of our present moment. Who says you can’t take aim at slavery, white-male-capitalist-patriarchy, and coercive sexual relationships AND get a few rocks off while you’re at it? This week’s episode is dedicated to not letting notions of propriety ruin a good time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Break out the Franzia and give that bag a big ol’ slap y’all because it’s time for some motherbitchin’ ICEWINE. And what better way to begin than by taking a cold look at the skewed historical reality of Stephanie Laurens’ inaugural installment of her Cynster series, Devil’s Bride. One of the many missives of the 90’s culture wars, Morgan and Isabeau unpack the novel’s opinions on female agency and sexuality not-so-tacitly coded into the stuffy life of dukes and the messy business of murder. Don’t forget to restock the ice tray! Remember: you kill it, you fill it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While we’re still in the midst of fool’s spring here in Chicago, Morgan and Isabeau have their sights set on summer; and what better way to will its coming than to explore what titillates yr mom. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.