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Horror romance sounds like a contradiction until you feel it click: the comfort of a guaranteed happy ending paired with the adrenaline of real dread. We dig into the difference between horror and “spooky” vibes, from Tim Burton style weirdness and fall atmosphere to stories that hit you with full-body fear. For us, it’s less a hard line and more a spectrum, and that spectrum is where the best horror romance books, gothic romance reads, and paranormal romance favorites tend to live.

We also get practical about genre rules. Romance still needs the relationship at the center plus a HEA or HFN, and horror romance needs that extra edge of danger, uncertainty, or threat. That’s why monster romance doesn’t automatically count, and why the same setup can shift into dark romance once the characters are genuinely scared or fighting for survival. We even talk about why horror romance can be a cure for the forced third act breakup, letting the external horror carry the plot while the couple grows closer.

Then we trade recommendations across books, classics, TV, and movies: The Vampires of El Norte, Mexican Gothic, Dowry of Blood, Butcher and Blackbird, Slashed, Warm Bodies, Sloughfoot, plus classics like Dracula and Carmilla, and screen picks like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The X-Files, True Blood, and Crimson Peak. If you like your love stories with vampires, haunted houses, or “spooky cute” chaos, you’ll leave with a watchlist and a TBR. Subscribe, share with a friend who loves a good spook, and leave a review with your favorite horror romance recommendation.

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A runaway bride with influencer energy shows up at a vampire’s castle, and somehow the garlic is only the beginning. We’re leaning all the way into spooky season with a modern monster romance that’s campy, spicy, and weirdly sweet: Your Coffin Or Mine by Jacklyn Hyde, the start of the Monster Bay series. If you love grumpy sunshine, fated mates, and a paranormal romance that actually wants you to laugh, this one gives you plenty to chew on.

We also catch up on romance book news, including Kimberly Lemming’s chaotic-funny Mead Mishap series updates and Ali Hazelwood’s sequel announcement tied to The Love Hypothesis. That spins into a real talk moment about book-to-screen adaptations, what gets lost in translation, and why rereading a book right before a movie can totally change your expectations.

Then we zoom out to the romance community itself: the RARE Romance And Reader Events controversy and why threats, inclusivity, and power dynamics matter when reader events are supposed to feel welcoming. From there, it’s pure fandom survival mode, from Dragonkind “Threshing Day” game stories to the absolute hunger games of Monster Rotica ticket queues.

Come hang with us for vampire rom-com banter, pacing debates, consent concerns, audiobook camp, and our final answer to the only question that matters: is this a kissing book? If you enjoy the conversation, subscribe, share the episode with a romance-reading friend, and leave a review so more monster romance fans can find us.

Links from the News Segment and Show:

• Kimberly Lemmings announced 2 new Mead Mishap books
  • Book four in the series, summer 2027, That Time I Got Drunk and Was Bitten by a Snake Man
  • Book five coming in 2028
  • Instagram Link
• Ali Hazelwood wrote a sequel to The Love Hypothesis
  • The Two Body Problem releases February 2027
  • Already optioned for film
  • Instagram Link
• RARE London hubbub
  • Romance and reader events in turmoil
  • Instagram Link

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A sentient 12-foot Halloween skeleton falls in love while an HOA tries to ruin the fun, and we end up asking the most important question we can ask about any romantasy or romance read: is it a kissing book. We’re leaning hard into fall vibes with a “choose your own adventure” style lineup where each of us brings a different autumn pick to class and gives the honest, spoiler-light pitch.

We start with fresh book and publishing news for fantasy romance fans: T. Kingfisher’s newly announced A Spoonful of Trouble, updates on the Wicker short story release in ebook and audiobook (yes, the story behind the upcoming movie), and a handful of upcoming romantasy and romance releases that have our TBRs groaning. If you love tracking new titles, audio editions, and adaptations, you’ll get plenty to add to your list.

Then the fall reading recommendations begin. Ashley takes us to Summerween by Joss Wood, a cozy small-town romance set in a Halloween-all-year community with ghosts, believers, and nonstop themed festivities. Mari brings No Bones About It by Cassandra Elizabeth, a short spicy Halloween romance where reclaiming your joy after a bad marriage is just as satisfying as sticking it to the neighborhood busybodies. Kelly recommends Payback’s a Witch by Lana Harper, a sapphic witchy competition with familiar cozy vibes, and Jonathan wraps with This Spells Disaster by Tori Anne Martin, a fake dating sapphic romance set against a festival backdrop with a slow-burn payoff.

If you’re building a fall reading list full of cozy witch books, Halloween romance, and sapphic romantasy energy, hit play, subscribe, and leave us a review. What’s your go-to autumn comfort read this year?

Links from the News Segment and Show:

• T Kingfisher new book announced for Sept 2027: A Spoonful of Trouble
  • A middle grade fantasy with a princess with an enchanted spoon becoming an unlikely hero
  • Instagram
• Tor Books UK publishing the short story by Ursula Wills that the Wicker movie is based on
  • E-book October 2026, hard cover April 2027
  • Instagram
• BK Borison announced 3 more books in the Good Spirits series to release in 2027, 2028, 2029
  • Instagram
• Máire Roche, author of Bromantasy, announced a new book for June 2027 - Situationship
  • A sapphic “cozy, silly, romantasy”
  • Instagram

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A blacksmith builds an iron tank for a Coney Island spectacle, then realizes it’s a cage for a living merman. That’s the hook that pulls us into When The Tides Held The Moon by Vanessa Kelley, a queer historical fantasy romance set in 1910s New York City with Luna Park energy, sideshow found family, and a love story shaped by captivity, survival, and the risk of choosing freedom.

We also warm up with talk about DragonCon and the kind of bookish news romance readers actually care about: Holly Black’s return to faerie with multiple upcoming books, the surprisingly delightful pull of a themed cookbook, and what an adaptation could get right if it leans into danger, beauty, and worldbuilding. Then we talk cozy fantasy through Sarah Beth Durst’s new announcements and why her stories often work because of one odd, charming “sidekick” element that makes the whole world feel alive.

From there, we get into the messier questions behind the genre. What happens when an author rewrites previously released books to remove explicit scenes and the only versions left are “clean” edits? How does Kindle ebook ownership change the power dynamic for readers, and why does purity culture language still land like a judgment even when closed-door romance is a valid preference? After that, we dig deep into Benny and Rio’s relationship, Puerto Rican identity and belonging, the story’s poetic voice, the debate over the ending mechanics, and why representation matters when a book shows people living openly and unapologetically.

Listen now, then subscribe, share with a romantasy friend, and leave a review so more readers can find us.

Links from the News Segment and Show:

• Holly Black
  • Four new books (one YA, three adult) and a cookbook
  • Folk of the Air has been picked up by Amazon for series with Studio Scott Free Productions
  • Instagram
• Sarah Beth Durst new novel
  • The Ninth Life Of An Erstwhile Witch, A cozy fantasy about retired war sorceress and her rescued magical cats.
  • Additional books in the Spellshop series (2027 and 2028)
  • Instagram
• Alluxia has revamped their event
  • Will focus / include Merchants and Makers, Games, Giveaways, Mischief and more
  • Facebook Link
• CM Nascosta
  • Claws & Clickbait series, a high-heat workplace monster series about chaotic office dynamics
  • Instagram

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A book convention can feel like the best day of your reading life or an expensive lesson you don’t want to repeat. We’re breaking down what we’ve learned from attending multiple romance book conventions and fantasy romance events, including what we wish we’d known before we ever stepped onto a crowded con floor with empty tote bags and big dreams.

We talk through how to research a con realistically (without getting fooled by stock-photo vibes), how ticket pricing and “ticketed authors” change the whole experience, and why buying early can be smarter than waiting for a perfect lineup. We also get into the practical travel stuff that makes or breaks your weekend: picking the right hotel, checking restaurant hours, planning for weather, and deciding whether staying onsite is worth the cost.

Then we go full tactical with book convention prep. We cover Baventi preorders for special editions, packing essentials like water, snacks, chargers, and a luggage scale for flying, plus our strong feelings about book carts and why swivel wheels matter. On the floor, we share etiquette and accessibility reminders, how to protect your social battery, and simple signing tricks like using Post-it notes for names and inscriptions. If buying every book isn’t in the budget, we also shout out creative alternatives for collecting signatures that still feel meaningful.

If you’re planning your first book con (or trying to level up your next one), hit play, take notes, and share this with a con buddy. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us on Instagram or TikTok @OfSwordsandSoulmates: what’s your number one must-have for a book convention?

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You ever pick up a fantasy romance because the premise is so simple it feels dangerous? A woman draws an old sword in pure desperation and a man appears, sworn to protect her because the blade says so. That’s Sword Heart by T. Kingfisher, and we go deep on why this setup is funny, tense, surprisingly tender, and way more thoughtful than it looks at first glance.

We start with bookish news and then shift into a real talk moment about AI allegations in publishing: why “AI detector” tools are unreliable, how accusations can snowball without proof, and why these situations can disproportionately impact authors of color. From there, we jump into our full Sword Heart review, including pacing, side-quest energy, and the moment the romance tension finally snaps. Not all of us agree on how the third act lands, which makes the discussion even better if you care about structure in fantasy romance.

Then we get into the stuff Kingfisher fans love: the Temple of the White Rat and its practical, justice-forward vibe, the deadpan side characters, gnolls with perfect comedic timing, and the way one cursed detail can sit in the corner like a tiny horror story. We also answer the questions you’re already asking: is it a kissing book, and does Sword Heart count as sentient object romance? We pull out definitions, argue the gray areas, and absolutely do not stay on the rails.

If you like fantasy romance podcasts, T. Kingfisher worldbuilding, and the kind of reader debate that ends with more questions than answers, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a friend who loves weird romance discourse, and leave us a review so more readers can find us.

Links from the News Segment and Show:

• New JR Ward book coming out April 2027
  • Throne of Frost and Flame, book 2 of the Kingdoms of the Compass series
  • See Episode 56 about the first book
  • Instagram Link
• Opal Reyne announced a new series January 2027
  • “In this new spicy series human women find themselves falling for dangerously tempting masked monsters in a city where humans and monsters are never supposed to mix…"
  • Instagram Link
• Cover reveal for Emily Wilde’s History of Dark Faerie
  • First one releases 01/19/27
  • Instagram Link
• AI allegations disproportionately affecting POC authors
  • Recently - H.M Wolfe (Daggermouth), Mia Ballard (Shy Girl), and Jerry Falade
  • Instagram Link

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A book convention can look like simple shopping from the outside, but once you’re on the floor it’s really a live map of what readers want right now. We’re back from Villains and Vixens 2026 in Orlando, Florida, and we’re breaking down what surprised us most: the heavy lean toward dark romance across categories, the pockets of monster romance and sentient object romance we practically stumbled into, and the way the event’s layout made discovery feel effortless instead of chaotic.

We talk logistics that matter if you’re planning your own trip to a romance book convention, especially an 18+ event. Think wide aisles that can handle book carts, fast registration, volunteers who ask about ADA accommodations without you prompting, and the confusing side of communication when updates live across Facebook, apps, and last-minute posts. We also unpack the schedule, the long lunch break, and why a two-day badge can save you from FOMO when some authors aren’t there both days.

You’ll also hear quick chats and spotlights from the con floor with creators like DJ Russo, B. Northwick, JD Netto, Kara Reynolds, KR Fryett, Lauren Sinatra, Jessica Lee, Jenny Hickman, and Kelsey Lee, plus our real-world buying lessons: limited stock goes fast, and the last stretch of the day can turn into surprise markdowns. If you like dark romance, fantasy romance, gothic horror, folklore horror, or monster romance, this recap is packed with leads for your TBR.

Subscribe for more fantasy and sci-fi with romance, share this with your favorite con buddy, and leave a review so more readers can find us. What’s the one genre alley you’d beeline for first?

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If you’ve ever finished a romantasy and realized you remember the sex scenes way more clearly than the plot, we’re right there with you. We’re Mari, Kelly, Ashley, and JP, and we’re back with a high-heat, high-chaos conversation about Architecti by Ruby Roe, a spicy sapphic fantasy romance set against contracts, demon favor, secret cults, and the threat of celestial war.

Before we dive into the book review, we hit the fantasy and sci-fi romance news that’s on our radar: John Wiswell’s The Dragon Has Some Complaints (a dragon rider story from the dragon’s POV), The Seven and the Swift cover reveal that closes out Daphne Perry’s Shield of Sparrows trilogy, and Sarah Beth Durst’s next book, Magical Cheese Emporium release. We also talk adaptations and hype, from the upcoming Hunger Games film centered on Haymitch to why prequels are tough to pull off when you already know who survives and how you still create real stakes. And yes, we unpack the murky Children of Blood and Bone movie situation and the questions it raises for readers.

Then it’s time for Architecti. The premise is delicious: Mercedes “Midnight” is a reaper in debt with one year left before hell collects, Lucy Corvine is the devil’s daughter locked into a contract she never agreed to, and their bargain could either free them or damn them. We talk about what we loved (more sapphic romantasy that isn’t just cozy, a surprisingly perfect ghost cat side character) and what didn’t work for us (plot gaps, confusing worldbuilding, time jumps that skip major scenes, and a romance arc that struggles to keep up with the spice). We close with our signature question: is this a kissing book?

Subscribe for more fantasy romance reviews, share this with your favorite romantasy reader, and if you enjoyed the conversation, please leave a rating and review so more listeners can find us.

Links from the News Segment and Show:

• New John Wiswell book out - The Dragon Has Some Complaints
  • A dragon rider book from the viewpoint of the dragon
  • Instagram Link
• Cover reveal for Seven and the Swift
  • Final book in the Shield of Sparrows trilogy by Devney Perry
  • Releasing March 09, 2027
  • Instagram Link

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