Blush & Bindings
Blush & Bindings is a romance book podcast and community. In this podcast, we crack open the sensual, the swoon worthy, and the spicy world of romance novels. We hold nothing back, discussing everything that happens between the sheets of our favorite genre. Whether you're popping your first spicy chapter cherry, a habitual HEA seeker, or a cross-genre goddess you're in the right place. Listen along as we break down stigmas, lift up love stories, and get cozy with the pages that bind us together!
Blush & Bindings
Wicked Pleasures After Dark
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In this special After Dark episode of Blush & Bindings, hosts Lindsey, Lauren, and Kacy explore the darker side of paranormal romance, a subgenre packed with mature themes, monstrous heroes and a whole lot of spice. They dig into the creatures of the dark, and highlight the desires for the misunderstood monsters and magical practitioners.
Unique to the After Dark episodes is the ‘Kink Connoisseur’ segment where your hosts discuss a specific kink or sexual preference in the romance book world. Although this segment may be in the After Dark episodes, it is important to differentiate kink and dark romance, while dark romance may favor the kinkier side of the genre, it does not own it. Kink heavy books may span all the subgenres of romance and are not explicitly tied to spicy scenes either. In this episode, they delve into exhibitionism and voyeurism discussing the unique ways these kinks are written within this subgenre.
In the Book Club segment, they discuss the capacity to love despite physical differences, the draw of the reverse harem romance and the history of the female “condition” with the book club pick A Lady of Rooksgrave Manor by Karthyn Moon. Plus, don’t miss their top TBR recommendations for dark paranormal romance, and books featuring the kinks highlighted in the kink connoisseur segment. This is the final episode in the Wicked Pleasures Paranormal Romance Series. Up next is Affairs of Antiquity, exploring the world of Historical Romance.
This episode contains mature themes and explicit content recommended for those who are 18+. Listener discretion is advised.
About Us
We’re a couple of friends and sisters who bonded over a love of romance novels. After countless book discussions and shared book hangovers, we decided to create Blush & Bindings, a space to break down stigmas, lift up love stories and get cozy with the pages that bind us together.💕
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Legal Disclaimer: The views expressed in this episode are solely those of the hosts and not necessarily those of any affiliated authors, publishers, or platforms, and all content is for entertainment and informational purposes only—not professional or legal advice—and Blush & Bindings and its hosts are not liable for any decisions made based on this podcast’s content.
Hello, this is Lauren from Blush and Bindings and welcome to our after dark segment where we explore the darker side of the romance genre and dive hard and deep into the kinks that make us blush.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913These episodes definitely break down stigmas and embrace the forbidden. We are lifting up those morally gray love stories and discussing those bindings that sometimes tie us up, but always tie us
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912tonight, we get to talk all about those themes and tropes of dark romance and make time to get kinky between the pages with our kink connoisseur segment. That definitely earns us that explicit content label.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912These episodes are for sure NSFW, so pop on those headphones and put the kids to bed. cause this is blush 'em bindings after dark. If this is your first after dark episode with us, please listen along for a quick rundown of this special segment. In these episodes, we tend to explore the darker side of romance, subgenre packed with mature themes, morally black heroes, and a whole lot of spice. Now guys, this is our paranormal dark episode. What are some darker romance themes that you notice in paranormal specifically? Can you think of any, for me, it's very much elements, more of dark magic. maybe we have witches practicing black magic. I tend to see a lot more demons featured.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912murder,
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah. Ritualistic murder.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912but make it sexy.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Have you guys read a lot of dark paranormal romance?
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913I have read shifter romances that are darker.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Mm-hmm.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Or on the dark side. But I think in regards to paranormal romance, when I've read darker or dark paranormal romance, it's always dystopian. I don't know why. Like it's always in like some sort of future world. Maybe not really future, but something's happened to the world and like everyone is back to that barbarian, you know, there's people that are over, other people controlling everything and somehow, the
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Ah.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913has to together with like the top dude to save herself or her community
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Well,
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913like that. I don't know why, but when I think about it now, almost every single one I read is like dystopian, but like not a good type
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912yeah. I mean, it sets itself up to essentially write those darker themes, you know, the themes of like chaos, outlaw murder, you know?
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Women not having
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Exactly, yes.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Injustice, something that makes you cross the line or you have more motive to like cross that line into the darker side of
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912to right the wrongs or, relish in the darkness. And embrace either like the darker powers or those acts
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912It makes,
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912morally black.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912it makes more sense for him to go on a killing spree for her. If everyone else in the world is like not great versus it being like a happy go lucky, everything's great utopia. Like, why are you murdering people? what? Why?
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912like the bad guy also murders bad guys.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912it's like a redeeming in a way.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Like, I don't want him to murder the good guy. Like, please leave the golden retriever side character alone. Like, I don't like you anymore. Are those bad guys? yes, please Have at it and then have your way with her
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912in their blood.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912to me, but Okay. I think too though, in paranormal romance, that's where our monster romances often fall. And so you have these monsters that are dealing, I mean just to say it blankly, they're monstrous urges and they want to rip people apart. They want to maim and kill and be monsters like they're portrayed to be, but it's just a side of them. also, what I love about the paranormal romance in our monster romances is that you also see that like it's not just who they are, which I think we also get, like going back to our contemporary dark romance. you get these villains that are portrayed as monsters, but it's not the whole of their person. They're doing these bad things, but. At the root, they're not evil necessarily, and I think that is portrayed very well within monster romances. You know, that duality of their light and dark sides within our shifter romances and those primal urges. I think it is a genre that really lends itself to being open to explore some of those darker themes, if that makes sense.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah, definitely. I think you said it really well. And it doesn't necessarily have to be a dark romance to portray
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Mm-hmm.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912but I think you get maybe the more extreme versions of it in like what's classified as a dark
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912romance.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912you can have your cutesy like gargoyles and he's like a mechanic but he is also a gargoyle and he is a nice golden retriever or cinnamon roll. Or you can get your like, hmm, that's. That's a gargoyle, and this is not your house.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah. It'll rip your face off.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913your
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Get out. I don't know. You know? But you're right, there's shades and you can get darker, but you don't have to.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah. And I think within the darker romance realm, that's where some of the more taboo, tropes live more often.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913For
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912For example, you've, got some, maybe it's a spirit or something. Where they're, they're watching, you have elements of like dub con or non-con, maybe there's a vampire that's compelling, the, other character to do something or I think I find in the darker paranormal have these elements of magic or other that play into it as well. my wreck for this, episode is corrupt shadows. He's a demon in a shadow realm and he like watches her. so yeah,
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913hmm. I feel like in Paranormal Romance there's a lot of branding
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912oh yeah.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913especially if it's like mates or something along those lines. Like one of, my favorite authors, Suzanne Wright, you know, love her. she wrote a series that the first is called Burn and it's about demons who live in this underground city of Las Vegas. And I. The number one dude is basically a really powerful demon. No one knows what type of demon he is, but when he gets together with her, he brands her and they basically, the demons brand each other with something and he brands her down yonder
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Ooh,
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913and whatnot. and she, I think brands his chest or something. I can't remember quite specifically, but I feel like that's really common in Dark Romance is there's something or marking or something that is like your mind, but like in a very physical
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912yes.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913'cause like paranormal is all about that non-physical stuff, right? We're getting into like myths and like whatever, but like this is like, oh, physically you're mine. You know? Not just like through a spiritual bond,
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Or like magic.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912demon packs and
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912that sometimes come with, a brand. I think, I'm not a hundred percent sure, but I think Carrie Maniscalco, kingdom of The Wicked, I think there's a brand involved in that one as well. I don't know if that one's considered dark paranormal or not. you also have, Queen of the Damned series, she also brands her mates.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912also, within like kind of the witches sphere, you get, somewhere like human sacrifice or some of those elements of like necromancy and torture and like you mentioned earlier, Lauren, kind of that dark magic where. They're getting their magic from sources that's much more taboo than like drawing from the earth or, you know, potions or whatever. They're like, it's blood magic, it's dark magic.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912There's the lure to it
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Mm-hmm.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912and, sometimes it's the battle that maybe the character's going
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912maybe trying not to use the dark magic.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Well, I read recently, an author that I know we all really love, Harper El Woods, the coven series, which I'm not sure if it's a series or duology, I've only read the first one. but it's kind of like dark paranormal, academia there's some necromancy in there and, other elements that are, much darker. I, I think it's fun, to explore these. You can, they're just fun. I like reading them.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912You know what? It's cool to dip over to the dark side. honestly, I like dark paranormal almost more than I like dark contemporary. now, I've read less of it, but you just get these new unusual elements that continue to surprise me. And as I always love to say, check your content warnings, whenever you pick up a Dark Romance book, because these authors be getting wild with some of their stuff.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912it's so good.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912it's so good. It's so good, it is not for everybody. Everybody's got different tastes. but man, it's fun on the dark side. it's wild.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Be spicy.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912it's
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913wild and
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912I read a lot of, dark paranormal, reverse harem, um, with the monsters. Yeah.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Yeah.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912popular. Especially with like omega verse elements with the nodding and the So good. Like one of my wrecks. Yeah.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913sorry, it gets,
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912We found Face Casey's favorite.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913It literally, it's so easy to read a dark Omega
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Oh yeah.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913I literally just read one where it was like post apocalyptic, a nuclear war had happened and the omegas were treated kind of like slaves. And they went to an Omega Academy, which was really a jail for Omegas. And they were given by the council to alpha groups to control them. And of course the alpha group she gets given to has a serial killer, has like
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912I read that one. Which one is that?
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913fuck, what is it called? It's
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912she in a dungeon at the beginning because she was so feral. It's feral Omega.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913feral Omega.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912one was so good.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913It
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Well, now I have to add this to my list.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913But, but like, it's a serial killer. A
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913a like army dude who went
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913And like
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912they take her to, to the base.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913and they take
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913it's so
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912It's so, it's
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913to women in
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912up.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913but at the same time it's very entertaining.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912saying is we're living in a dystopian, dark,
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912maybe not romance. Yeah,
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah,
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912yeah, yeah, for sure.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912For sure.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Um, I prefer it in my books, not in real life. Thanks. Okay, bye.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912can, can somebody do something about that
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah. so I know this is our after dark episode and we've talked before, that we highlight our kink connoisseur segment in this episode. Not because it's dark romance, but because it's after dark and we over more mature themes and content in this episode. But do we wanna kick off our kink connoisseur segment?
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Yes, please.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Okay.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913I'm really excited for this
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912So
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913it's a good
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912in our kink connoisseur segment, we. Discuss a specific kink or sexual preference and how it is written in the world of romance. So in tonight's episode, we are going to delve into exhibitionism and voyeurism and its dynamic use in romance books both in and out of the spicy scenes. The trends, the locations we see most often written with these specific kinks and the compatibility it can bring to partners and different relationships. And we picked this based on our book club pick. So usually like we did with our contemporary romance one, lights out by Navea Allen, obviously there's a mask kink in that one. So we picked mask kinks and in a Lady of R Grave Manor by Catherine Moon, there is plenty of exhibitionism and voyeurism
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913So
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912so much.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912know what? it was hard to choose because there are a lot of kinks in this book.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Oh, plenty.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912there's so many. we had a discussion and I was like, I don't know. I don't know which one we choose to highlight for our kink ur segment. because there's so many to choose from
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912But I,
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912book.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912but I think, I think we landed on this one because I wanna say voyeurism and maybe even exhibitionism a little bit, is very, I think it aligns with paranormal romance very well. they're both very common themes. I mean, think about exhibitionism like your shifters and stuff, those base animal instincts, they don't care if they're having sex in the middle of a field.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913sometimes
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912They Yeah, yes. Or with voyeurism, which I know we're gonna define here in a second. 'cause I know Lauren's like, Hey, we're getting ahead of ourself here. but. You get that a lot with monsters, you know, the monsters that are lurking in the closet or watching from afar that are too afraid to reveal themselves to maybe their human counterpart. And so they, they like to watch.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912voyeurism. It's very common in reverse Harem too. But before we get too far into that, I wanna do some definitions for those who are not familiar.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912over.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912is based in someone who derives sexual gratification from the act of exposing themselves in public spaces, perhaps where anyone could see or those aroused by reactions of their observers or those who have fantasies about being observed while, conducting a sexual act or being naked or something like that. as I've seen it written in romance books, it can be as simple as enjoying sex in public places like the outdoors or sex clubs, luckily, where like the concept of somebody, especially like outdoors, somebody could stumble upon you.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913The
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912The potential of it, right? It could be a, exciting. luckily I've seen this written in a way where the parties involved have provided consent either explicitly or implicitly. Meaning you show up to a sex club and you expect to see sex.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913They don't just take you to a sex club without telling
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912or, or you're not, exposing somebody to a sexual act who doesn't wanna see it.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Mm-hmm.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Yeah.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912that can be an issue of consent,
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912if, people happening upon you are unaware parties or children or anything like that. Luckily, I've read it in romance books, there's kind of this implicit consent with the observers.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Well, and that's where you get the positive connotation of it. Like we're talking about exhibitionism in romance books
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912not somebody who's flashing everybody on the sidewalk or in the supermarket, yeah. well. We don't like that vibe.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Bad
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912vibes.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913bad
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912not and that's not what, we're talking
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912No,
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912that.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913No.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912we're talking about you get a little bit turned on when you and your partner are, doing it in a sex club or, there's this air of like, I left the door unlocked,
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah. Or
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912supposed to come over. And so anyways, it is something that we see a lot in our, paranormal romances, but it is not exclusive, obviously to this genre in the slightest. I mean, I know Lauren, one of the ones that, I read recently was Praise by Sarah Kate
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Mm-hmm.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912and, you know, salacious Players club. Like towards the end, I mean if you've read it, no spoilers, but there's exhibitionism in there and it's done very well it's part of that implied consent in showing up to the sex club.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah. Well, and we have, even in our beastly desires episode, lovely Yeah. It's
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912yeah,
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912And Rose has exhibitionist fantasies that Gideon brings to
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912it was so good.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912and that fantasy of being watched and desired by strangers during a traditionally like private sexual act feel exciting because of the. the perceived taboo nature of it or, you know, having others view you and desire, you can be really empowering. and even the desire to be claimed by your partner in front of others in that
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Mm-hmm.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912you know, intimate way. kind of all wrapped up in that.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913me enough and is comfortable enough
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Mm-hmm.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913take me in front of other people and enjoy
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912I am sure you'd get that in shifters a lot. I'm sure, and like Casey's like, I'm like, she's just waiting for Casey to bring up the shifters. Like, yes, they're doing this.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913I mean like, I try not to bring up shifters every
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912do.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913but it's my favorite sub-genre of paranormal, and it so happens that like exhibitionism and voyeurism are so common in shifter romance because they don't care. You know, they just don't care. They'll just fuck their mate or whoever in front of whoever. And they deem it as totally fine. 'cause I mean like, things in shift or romance that are just they're not taboo. Like be naked in front of your
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Right.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913not
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah,
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913because you're gonna become naked when you become a wolf anyways. they're like, great, this is fine.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912I won't rip my clothes.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913I woke my clothes, but there was a shift of romance. I read where it was where all the Lunas, I don't really like that term Luna, who, it was like a competition to become a Luna. And you had to run the farthest without being caught.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Ooh.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913To become the Luna, and you're like, ha. And they're just like running, but they're first running naked and then they shift into their wolf form, and then they're running, and then they're like, you know, eventually hunt down and fucked. But like, they like that, you know, they're unabashedly not ashamed.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913I love that.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah. it's this freedom of, completely raw and open and completely comfortable
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Well, it's powerful. Yeah. You're comfortable in your own skin.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah. You're empowered sexually in your body. and, this is one of those kings that I really like to read about. especially if the FMC is the one, you know, being the exhibitionist, it feels incredibly empowering to me to read that.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912I.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913very like, sexually empowering for
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Mm-hmm.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913especially when women are the ones taking
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Mm-hmm.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913of the situation and like being the exhibitionist in that way. Because, you know, one thing I love about the romance genre in itself is the fact that it is so sex positive, at least nowadays towards women. And, empowering women to chase after their own pleasure without thinking about anyone else. And I feel like when you get into those darker paranormal romances, it is very, very sex positive for women,
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913which is what I really
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912I
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah,
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912liberating. great
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912because I building on what you said, Casey, it takes it one step further. Like it's not just seeking her own pleasure or she gets pleasure first. It's no matter what her desires are. She can be free to explore those because exhibitionism is, considered still pretty taboo and, and these other kinks or other sexual preferences, it's saying, yes, you can have those and I'm gonna support those. and that's fine. And it creates like this beauty and this acceptance of it, beyond just, she comes first. You know, like literally comes first, but you know what I mean?
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912and the fact that we've been told to cover up, don't be a distraction. Don't show those ankles. Like our skirts couldn't be a certain length because we would distract the boys in class.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913I always called them noodle straps,
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Oh,
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912straps,
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah. It's, it feels like a little bit of a fuck you, um, to that. And also, you know, the,
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913it to the man.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Taking back your sexuality.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Uh, it's shedding that layer of self-consciousness in such a raw way. and we're taught to hide so many of the functions of our body, even menstruating, right. don't talk about it. All this stuff. breastfeeding like, you know,
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912You guys have seen my boobs more often than I care to admit because I was definitely not one of those people. I'm like, well,
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913definitely
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912baby's hungry. Here's my boo.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913a lot. Yeah.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912And sex is.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913thing to be
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah,
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912such a Sorry, I'm moving on. For breastfeeding
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912that's fine.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912such a natural act too that it shouldn't be shameful, in any regard. And, I think exhibitionism just, it s away all that shame.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah, it can be written really beautifully on the page and be very empowering and very hot.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Can I have like a Lauren Hot take here really quick before we switch over to voyeurism?
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912two, and then I'm going into voyeurism.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Okay.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913I wanna go into
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Okay.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913I wanna
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912before we move on from Exhibitionism, I realized as I was writing about and preparing for this episode that. These themes crop up in plot lines involving online sex work, like a lot. and I have so many book examples that I've read, in the case of Dark Desires by Effie Campbell, you have Valentina, the, the FMC is a Cam girl. I'm not sure if that term is still used. but her and the MMC play together online. Same with The Nanny by Lana Ferguson, the FMC. Cassie actually first meets the love interest on her OnlyFans site. and I'm not saying all online sex workers are exhibitionists, but I've seen the trend of being turned on when that particular love interest watches them. I mean, there's even more I've, I've read, eyes On Me by Sarah Kate, and even Elsie Silver's a photo finish. violet initially is watched by, you know, the MMC, in this chat room.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912It's so much better on the page than in real life. Like, what was that, unfortunate, thing in college that came out and it was oh, oh, chat roulette where you were like excited to see people around the world and then unfortunately it was just a lot of dicks.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912new version of that is Omegle.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Oh
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Yeah. Oh, maybe it came out around the same time as chat
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Mm-hmm.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913that it wouldn't be like
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912yeah,
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913but then it like chat roulette and it was just so disappointing. 'cause you'd be talking to someone really cool and then you'd go to the next person
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912yeah.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Well, and that's where the consent comes
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Right.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913right.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Like with the online sex workers, those joining their site are consenting to see that.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Right,
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Right.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912person, with the site is consenting to then show whatever they deem,
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912right.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912their boundaries to show.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912I think that's where, you have exhibitionism in this consenting arena. And then you have the negative side of exhibitionism where you do not have consent from both
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912And luckily the books I have read, been a big theme,
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Again,
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912consent.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912versus real life
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912books are better.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Um, and it also plays into this, and this is my transition, sometimes the symbiotic I. relationship between kind of opposite kinks with, exhibitionism and the watcher voyeurism.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913All right, voyeurism. Now we get to finally move on to the watchers. voyeurism, is a sexual pleasure that's gained from watching others while they're naked or engaging in any sort of sexual activity. people get turned on by
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Mm-hmm.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913and I get it, it definitely happens in our
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912it does and I wanna talk about it 'cause you talk a lot about like shifters being your favorite and exhibition most really common. I love our monsters and there is a lot of voyeurism. I. Our monsters, like one that I'm gonna recommend is one of them is the monster under your bed, and the other one's the monster in your closet. And they're literally like, afraid to show their monstrous. it comes from this like air of sweetness almost. they're like, Am I gonna be accepted by this person? but then they're also like, oh, I'm watching her while she's doing this. And it's kind of it's giving me the monster tingly.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912The monster mesh
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah. you get a lot of that voyeurism with our monsters too, and probably vampires as well. they definitely give lurker vibes sometimes.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah. The lurking, you know, I see it also in a lot of reverse harems, where one of the partners likes to watch the others together.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Mm. Like in, um, there's the psycho shifters, Cobra, is it Cobra that likes to watch?
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912I think Cobra's the one that likes to watch.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912seen that theme in a lot of contemporary romance reverse harems where you have maybe the more guarded, person in the relationship that likes to both watch, but also command what the others
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Mm. Mm-hmm.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912direct. and then at the very end, they join in, As a dark romance reader, and I've seen it in like a not so consensual manner, especially if, you guessed it, stalker romance, where they're legit watching the person without their knowledge or explicit consent. and it's interesting that different ways authors write these, sometimes the stalker like, looks away during the person's like moments of vulnerability or sexual acts.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913do that in lights
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah. Uh, he's like, oh, I'm not gonna cross that line. I'm gonna look away when he is watching her on the cameras. Or I've seen authors write their characters crossing those lines entirely, where the obsession of the character knows no bounds. And these are where those trigger warnings come into play. And reader preferences are all different.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Mm-hmm.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912and I just wanna say books are safe spaces for readers and judgment free zones to explore elements of kink by reading about them. some are well written, some are not. and just tread carefully, and wisely, into the unknown. But getting back on topic, I wanna do, our king connoisseur book recommendations before we dive into book club.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Well, I'm gonna
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Okay?
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Neon Gods by Katie. Robert,
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Yes, yes. That
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913from
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912stage playroom scene. Oh,
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913I was actually really surprised 'cause it was the first book by Katie Robert I ever read.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912mine too.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913her first books, if
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912guys.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913I don't really know. But I mean, her Neon Gods series has exploded. There are so many books in that series now and they're all great. But that first one, it was the first book I ever read by her and I was expecting a per seny and Hades retelling, right? I was not expecting Exhibitionism to be in the book. And it was very prominently. And Hades has the kink real band and he teaches per seny to have that kink too. And it's done really well. I love Katie, Robert, and. She's one of my
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Um,
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913obviously.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912I found out that she lives kind of close to us. Yeah. Yeah.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913where?
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Spokane.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Oh,
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Let's
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912I know.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912go.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912I know. yeah, no, we're not trying to st no, like, like if she has a signing, like if she has a signing up there Yeah. Like,
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913You wanna get coffee?
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912um, we love you.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913I would love to talk to you.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912but, yeah, also, psycho Beast, Jasmine Moss, we touched on that one. Um, Cobra, the Sex. Oh, that one is in Psycho. Yeah. No, that one's in Psycho Beast. but Psycho Shifters even has some of that voyeurism with Cobra.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Mm-hmm.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912mean it's kind of all throughout, but definitely in Psycho Beast in the sex club.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912about Stock by the Kraken, by Lillian Lark. one of our previous book Club Pics, I mean Sex Bathhouse a need, I say more.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah. the Never King by Nikki St. Croix. We've got, exhibitionism, a little bit of voyeurism.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Yep.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912actually just read one that's dark it is, Their Blood Queen by JR r Thorn. they're in a different realm and they watch her. It was,
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Hmm.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912was, dark, but it was very good. something to highlight, not in the paranormal, realm, but I just wanted to kind of rapid fire these, Lindsay, the second book in the Salacious Players Club, percent exhibitionist, voyeurist, eyes On Me by Sarah Kate. Loved it. Give Me More by Sarah Kate. Love this one by Awakening. one person in the throuple is a, voyeur and, likes to watch the other two, of course, lights Out by Navea Allen.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Mm-hmm.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912that Sick Love by Jesse Hall, very dark. I. Very dark, but it's so good. and then you've got, Carnage by Sarah Bailey. So there's a lot out there. We'll pop all of these on our website into the books mentioned during the episode so that you can, pick any of these up if they pique your interest. moving on to book Kissy You.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913let's get into the trigger warnings
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912stuff first, then we could get to fun.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913because there are a lot. and there specific, yeah. So our book club pick for this episode is a Lady of R Grave Manner by Catherine A. Moon. if you've read it, you know, if you haven't read it and you wanna listen to book club, here are your trigger warnings. so there are mentions of rape, human trafficking, imprisonment, murder, very much implied torture, a near drowning house, fire and stabbing. sure there's more, but those are the
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912This is the highlights.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912like food,
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Uh, since this book is especially spicy, I just wanna do a quick sexual content, warning. Well, not warning, sexual. I just wanna talk about sexual content in this book. Super quick. We've got explicit sex. Lots of it. Lots of it,
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913really.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Uh, nodding, blood play, anal edging, public sex, voyeurism, oral, non-human, human sex, electricity, sex, sex, theater, light. Consensual Non-consent with Invisible Man, I really like that one. Light Solia with Vampire. Uh, I really liked what happened after that. et cetera,
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912I'm,
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912feel like there's more.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912I feel like you're gonna need to read Our content outlines highlights
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912our little sexual
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912one of our, our menu, Yes.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Our menu.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913dark.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912I do wanna say, when I was reading this book, I highlighted the crap outta my Kindle. and there's tentacles, there's elements of there's primal play. there's just, there's so much in this book
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913you can think
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912and it's, it's fantastic.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912we give a little synopsis?
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912let's do it.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913so yeah, A Lady of Brooks Grave Manor by Catherine Moon is a very steamy. romance with the reverse harem twist. I don't really know if you'd consider it a twist, but it's definitely a reverse harem. The story follows, Esther, a pleasure seeking young woman who is invited to Brooks Grave manner, a mysterious house where women entertain supernatural suitors. she settles in, she finds herself in the arms of multiple monstrous lovers, including a vampire, a hinx, a goum and more, but danger lurks in the shadows, threatening both Esther and the safety of the manner with plenty of spice, and a touch of mystery. This book is perfect for fans of unconventional love stories with monstrous heroes.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912it.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913I wanna know some fun
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Okay.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913about Katherine
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Fun facts about romance.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912And before into, and before we get into Lauren's fun, fun, fun, fun facts, I do wanna touch on the fact that this is technically categorized as monster erotica,
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Are you surprised
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912right. So,
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913fact?
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912you know, we.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912is our first like
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913This is
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Yes.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913in my
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912book we've
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah,
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912although it still has plot, I feel like
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912that's, that's what I wanted to,
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912plot and this as plot.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912right, that's what wanted, like, I, I'm thinking back to our first episode where we talk about this like spectrum of, plot to spice ratio and how, you know, erotica tends to have obviously much heavier on the spice than the plot. But this book, with the amount of spice that was in there, it had,
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Love.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912all of the love stories. She falls in love. Her capacity for love was inspiring,
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Right. And it literally did have quite a big plot for an erotic book. Like, typically I've read a lot of erotica. It's very much
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913right? Maybe some underlying really thin veil plot. But this one actually had a
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913which was nice. it definitely took a back seat to the spice, but it
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah. But I think that how makes the,
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912building was fantastic.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913super
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912I think that really adds to our argument of like reading romance. Even erotica does not equate to porn because
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Yeah.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912you can have something that's super spicy, but our authors are still writing love stories. There is still a romantasy arc. It's not just sex for the purpose of sex.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913The, the love between her and Booker
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Oh,
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913something else, and
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912we
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah. I wanna call that out. Yes. So the fun facts, I know Lauren really wants to talk about this one. Can I talk about it? Does Lauren wanna talk about it?
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912I mean, I can add
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912So. Hmm. The very beginning of this book starts.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912It's set
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912It's historically. Yes.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912this is a
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Yes.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913I feel
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912that like we should,
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913think that it was set? I feel like it was set in the late 18
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912I was just thinking like Regency Victorian era.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Well, we
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah. Yeah.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913carriages.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912would
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912I would say like bridger tin era.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_19591218th,
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912That's like what I was thinking.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912I would say. I would say mid to late 18 hundreds. That's my, like guess. cause we have, um,
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912You've got some of that technology,
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912we have some industrialization,
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Anyways, but back to the hysteria. So at the very opening scene, she is actually being a little bit of a voyeur. right off the bat we get some of those voyeuristic tendencies. She's watching. what's his face?
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Jonathan,
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912doc. Yeah, she's listening to Jonathan, the doctor, not the true, beast, but his, human side, treat her mistress of the house, for his hysteria with his, new device that he's designed, which is just a vibrator. and that's it. He's giving her orgasms and treating her, and I think it is fascinating, this piece of history that women were treated for their hysteria or their mental fits or whatever, by giving them orgasms. That was their treatment.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah, the treatment was called what? Hysterical, parm.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Yes.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Yeah,
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Um,
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913was prescribed today, but It's,
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912it's over the counter, Casey.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912not birth control? Can you just prescribe orgasms? Because I would very much prefer that to be prescribed for my womanly problems.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912No, it's over the counter now. You can just, pay for shipping.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Well, and this was common practice from the classical into the early
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Mm-hmm.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912and it was basically the stimulation of, female genitals, which would induce the orgasm. which then also led to the creation of the medical vibrator. which, you know, that's great you got prescribed orgasms, but you know, there's some, it blurred the lines between medical treatment and, exploitation,
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912for sure.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912I read a quote when I was doing some research about it. that says, centuries, doctors readily diagnosed women with hysteria, an alleged mental health condition that explained away any behaviors or symptoms that made men.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Sounds about right.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912that doesn't induce so much rage
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912The feminine rage.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912in
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913My feminine rage is going off right now.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912just so much rage that any just emotion that women had, you know, it was a mental condition.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913what was it? Up until the fifties, they would give women lobotomies for being too
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912have you ever Oh, yeah. a girl interrupted? Like, come on. This was by far, I would say the best thing I've read about what came out of that is that, oh, they, they gave them orgasms. Like, okay, great. Better than a lobotomy.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913I mean better than getting Corn Flakes, you
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah. Yeah.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913do you,
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912I don't know what that means. I don't know about the corn. Well, tell me about the cornflakes.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913this, myth, I don't know if it's actually true, but that Kellogg, the person who came up with Corn Flakes, He made it because he believed that if women ate Corn Flakes, it was considered under stimulating. And so it would stop them from being hysterical and stop them from having orgasms.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912I mean, if you ever ate a corn flake, it is very underwhelming.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913But apparently that's like something to do with cornflakes is like, it was supposed to
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Oh my God.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913not to be hysterical and have orgasms anymore
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Oh my gosh. Can we come up with like a movement where if you're with somebody who's underwhelming in bed, they automatically get like the Corn Flakes nickname.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Oh
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912a corn flick.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912a corn flake. Please, listeners, make that
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Oh my God.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913really, like that. Could we
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912be a corn flick. Yeah,
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913be with a corn flake?
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Life's too short.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912ditch
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Don't
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912light.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912for a cord flake.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913I mean, frosted flakes are so much
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913not go there. You know,
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Oh, Catherine Moon, let's get to Catherine Moon. We've, we've sidebar.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912You know, I, wanna worship this woman for creating this book. she's published 28 books according to her website. I couldn't find too much, about her personally, which that's totally fine. except it's one thing that I found interesting was that she started dictating stories to her mother at a very young age. And I just thought that was such kind of a cool introduction to storytelling, an author to have. Now I, I hope it wasn't the type of stuff that she's writing. Um, 'cause that would be crazy.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913That would be weird.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912let's set aside the fact that I, recommended this book to my mother-in-law. Okay.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912You forgot what it was about though.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913I love that.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912This was, this was like, like you had not read it in a really long time. You're like, I'm gonna mention this to Sue Ann. And I was like, please don't.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Oh.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912loved it, and she continued on and read the next book. I'm not proud of it, but you know what, I also, I also recommended her butcher and blackbird, and she loved that too. So I can't help it. If it's a good story, I'm gonna tell
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Right.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912it and this is why I'm on this podcast. So,
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913This is so funny.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Oh man.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912anyways, so she's written a ton of books and, uh, lady of Brooks Grave is a trilogy with an additional novella and, she dabbles in it looks like all the paranormal spheres from witches to dragon shifters to demons. And even she has an omega
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Mm.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912which I think is so cool.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913read
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912How was it? I wanna, I wanna know, was it a good one? Yeah. Okay.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913It's
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913good.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913a really good
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Mm-hmm.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913She writes very
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Like
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Funny stories too. The, the dialogue is
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Yes.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913great in her books. But I also did think, while researching about the book and Katherine Moon, I thought it was interesting 'cause I came across that this particular book was banned from Amazon for a while because of its
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912How dare
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Well, we're banning them now, so,
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913put back on, but there was a period of time it was banned on Amazon. If that tells you anything about the book, um,
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912and, and when I say we're banning them now, I say we're only banning, like excessive buying from them. We still support Kendall Limited and, and indie authors for sure.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912we do
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912still support
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah. Plot and pacing.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913let's get on a plot and pacing. What did you
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Oh my gosh. It was, it was, it was good. Aw. Wham bam. Thank you ma'am. So, holy moly.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912right out of the gate. She was so thirsty.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913thirsty.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Okay. I just wanna say, and I always go first, but I'm gonna go first with this one. it had me within the first two pages, I first read this book. When I was, doing a little solo vacay in Italy, I stayed in my Airbnb read this book in a day with like the beautiful city of Florence right outside. I was, I couldn't put it down. to, I had to manually close my mouth several times during this book. My jaw was constantly dropping, at the rate I was giggling, I could like not read this in public. Like there are certain books that I went out and I read at a cafe. I was in my bed reading this, uh,
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Casey, you wanna tell us where you read it the second time?
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912yeah, we're.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913train.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912I get a text from Casey about halfway through. She's like, I'm on this train ride and I'm rereading the book, and this was a mistake.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Thank God I had a private room.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912This is not something if you, unless you have like a, just a stone face, you might not be able to read this
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912read this one in public.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913part is is I have seen a woman reading this book in public and I was like, wow. Go you girlfriend. Because like I am not ashamed of
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912No, no, no.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913but all I fear is what someone will see on the page.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Like on a plane.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913the physical book I was in the airport, this was years ago, and she had the book out in the lobby waiting for the plane. And I was like, I had just read it. I had read this years, years ago, and I thought it was really funny because it was all my good reads that I had read it and I had liked it, and then all of a sudden I see Lindsay added it to her good reads and I was like. Oh no, Lindsay. Lindsay,
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912dunno.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912you,
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912You dunno.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912You don't know.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913at that, at that time, Lindsay did not read the type of romance I read. And she is very much did not read erotica.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912So you thought.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913like, I don't think she knows what this book is about. And I was like, Lindsay, this is really spicy, maybe too spicy for you. Like, but I mean I was so proud of that woman for reading that in public. 'cause I was just like, to be able to read that and not react is really quite
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah, I have no control over my facial expressions when I read. Um,
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Yeah.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912yeah. And people are like, oh, hey, what are you reading? And I'm like, nothing
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Nothing, not about an invisible man, fucking a woman.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Oh, good.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912so good. I love that part. Um, it was so spicy, yet, like we said before, the plot was fantastic. I love the historical setting. In the manner, I could just picture it in
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Mm-hmm.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913yeah, for
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Uh, it was Chef's Kiss. For me, I love a book that not only creates a judgment-free zone for sexual exploration, but like praises and uplifts, the thirsty,
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Mm-hmm.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912like I said before, she thirsty right out the gate. seriously, this character is probably the thirstiest woman I've literally like,
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Get her a camel back.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912about. Yeah, and she get, whoa, does she get that thirst quenched with the tall drinks of water that are her suitors? Okay. Like, god damn.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913You know what I think of when I think of Esther is that one gif of the woman adding the menthol to the Coke and then it explodes all over her and she just can't stop
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Can
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913keeps coming and I'm like.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913That's Esther That's Esther in this book,
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Um.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912she's so happy. She's got the stamina that like, I can't even, I can't even, there's a, there's a quote that says, how fast can you get hard, I guess about turning and bending my body, throbbing at the memory of the gentle doctor's lopsided smile and like, she's just like, give it to me. I'm ready. Like at all times she's just like, Dick, Dick, where's a dick? I need a dick. And I love that for her.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913yeah.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912I have to say, like I said, wham bam. Thank you, man, already. But if you are ready for just like some hot and heavy down and dirty, delicious, monstrous s mutt with a surprisingly heartfelt story, an intricate world building and plot line checks, all the boxes. I was like, yes, I love this. I came for the monster Dick and I stayed for the Romantasy character Arc because it was amazing. and she has the capacity for so much Dick, but the capacity for so much love.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913much Dick, I, thought with the plot of this book, there is a plot. It is there
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912there
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913does kick off very quickly, Esther meets Jonathan, who's Mr. Tanner? It is immediately obvious, it's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, right? And they hook up like not long after
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912It's a couple of
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912I think.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Jonathan like quickly decides Esther would be perfect for Rooks grave and some of his friends. And there really are two storylines at play in this book. There's the physical, which is incredibly spicy, and it never slows down. And there's this like looming mystery around who's trying to harm Esther and threaten the manner. but I believe that plot, the danger takes a back seat and is more of like a lingering shadow behind
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913scenes you get, right? It's constantly in the
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah,
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913like. What's happening and why does someone wanna
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912yeah,
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913that are in the manner?
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912yeah. And it, it comes to a head in the end.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913it really does come to a head at the end.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Where it's like, oh, okay, shit hits the fan.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Mm-hmm.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912you get this big climax. But like all throughout the book, she's had all these other climaxes,
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912I was wondering when you were gonna go there.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913So many climaxes.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912I was waiting for it. I was just like waiting.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912we have an orgasm count for her?
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913was
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912think you wore out your pencil.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913should have counted while I went through the book let me see if I can find it really
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Okay.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Hold
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912do wanna say, there's this line in the book that says, I think it's toward the end and I highlighted in my Kindle, and honestly I cannot remember who she's having the conversation with, but I think it's Jonathan. And he goes, you were exactly as I expected. And Esther, says, terribly wonton. I
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912It's not wonton Lauren.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912that before. It's wonton,
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912It's wanton. Wanton is something you eat. Wanton is something you are
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912whatever. Okay. Terribly wanton. Wanton.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912still over here counting climaxes.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912I said, want on?
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913want taught
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Wanton,
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Wanton, Yeah, so it is estimated in the book that she orgasms between 30 and 40 times described, which that's a lot.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912that is what this book takes place over what? A
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912like, yeah,
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913yeah, Yeah. not a long period
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912And it's like she's not having sex the whole time.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913I mean, like I would say 80% of the
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912yeah. What do you mean over the weeks?
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912at the manor.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913She does live at the manner I
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Her job is literally to bone these guys.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912That's true.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913you know,
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Well, she's, she's,
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913the manner.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912would take the job at the manor
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912our job is to, love them. I love that she loves them.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912I
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Okay. I'm still here for the love story, despite all the, the fluids flying around.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913So in regards to
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Yes,
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913connection between the characters, what do you think about that lens?
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912I,
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913sounds like you really enjoyed
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912I, did, When Reverse hi has done well. It's done well. And for me, what makes it into that category is feeling the different emotional connections to all of the characters. Feeling that build of each of those characters love stories. Not just like, I can't remember who's who. I became so emotionally invested in each of her men's relationships and that I think something, 'cause sometimes I pick like one or two that I'm emotionally invested in and the other ones are like me. That's fine. But like, even the Marble Man Booker.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Love Booker.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913love Booker.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912like my po
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Love.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912ing, like, he gave me like a little, puss and boots vibes.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Mm-hmm.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912like in a man form. Yeah. I just, I have to say that it was so pleasantly surprised with not only the emotional connection between the characters, but like her emotional connection to herself. Like she knows what she wants and she wants to come a lot and love her men.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913I love that. love that Esther Has a unique connection with each of
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah, they're so different.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913And I just, really
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913for me, it really highlights how someone can love and lust after different people in different ways, yet just as intensely with each of them individually.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912She fights for them too.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Oh, she so fights for
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Like she fights for Ezra. She fights for Booker to be included with the, paying
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913customers, Yeah.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912you know, like she, fights for them to be part of her harem.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Right. And I'm not gonna lie, her relationship with Booker is hands down, my favorite, I will pick a favorite booker is by far my favorite. The first time I read the book, that was what stuck in my mind was the Stoneman and Booker's a Gollum. Right. He's made out of stone and magic, and I think it is so. Endearing that he learns emotions from Esther and he learns how to love from Esther and their relationship it just feels so pure. Even though he fucks her, you know, like,
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913and, and boy does he
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Why is he fucker,
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913absolutely love that dynamic of him learning emotions and like becoming a, being
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Well, and she becomes his emotional tether, like his soul tether,
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913His soul tether. Yeah.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912guy like when the bad guy, tries to take over the magic of Booker.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912And he fights it.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913he
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Yes. For her. But she also fights for her men too, like in the face of the other women. Like that one woman, who shall not be named because I forgot her name, not because I hate her so much, but, she is just using these men, they're ugh, ugh, they're just monsters you know, and she is what, like Gives that house a bad name. it's the women like her versus the women like Esther, who are like, no, these are my monsters, and this is a safe place for them to learn and be loved and be who they are
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913yeah,
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912without judgment. yeah.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913love them in return, you know?
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912she's ensuring they're
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Mm-hmm.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912and they love themselves too. Like especially with Mr. Tanner. Um,
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Tanner, when they like
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912I,
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913on this stage or she's like, I wanna
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Mm-hmm.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912yeah.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913while we
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913And
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912to be seen. He's so self-conscious. Yeah,
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913he is not conventionally
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912yeah,
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913like how could she desire him
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912yeah.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913even though she does, because she loves
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah. shows the Doctor
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913appearance.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912she shows him how to love him himself too, I think. And I just wanna say like, I love Booker as well. it feels to me like such a true love story. And I wanna share a quote, about Esther talking about essentially booker's like love for her. and it starts with. Booker had chosen me for my interest in knowing him. My curiosity in him had stirred his own in himself and then in me in exchange. He liked what he found in both of us, craved the way I spoke and listened to him the way I touched him, and wanted to be touched. In an absolutely wonderful accident I had infected the small, magical spark. Magdalena had breathed into him with my own impulsivity to live and wonder and experience until he'd grown beyond the bonds she'd created for him. I like I teared up at that like that. For me, this book is wrongly classified because that beautiful paragraph in itself it. Into a true love story, a true romance. and there's so much more content like that in the book, uh, just between each of the and like we said before, she loves them in each individual unique ways and they love her back in their own ways. I mean, a goose the vampire when he's like, I want to feed you. Like,
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Yeah. And he's a pastry chef.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912I love a man that can cook. But Like this is a QuickBook, like the, the timeline. she was able to create this emotional connection where you felt the love outpouring from all the characters, so quickly, but not in, a slaps you in the face. This isn't real way.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Right.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912just slap you in the face with some other things.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912yeah, I do, my second Lauren Hot take, Magdalena Mortimer. What a fantastic name for a madame.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Also, she is a
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912She's a Like I love that fricking character and she says something to Esther that I wanna say to like all the, young women, that I ever encounter when I'm like. Uh, older woman. you don't have to wake up and be the same person every day, my darling girl. You have curiosity, so follow it and find out where it takes you.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Yeah. Magdalena is so supportive of Esther and all the girls in the manner and all the monsters as well. Like she even ends up working it out with Ezra to like be part
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Mm-hmm.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913right. And she's just there to make sure people are taken care of and happy and safe. And I'm like, hell yeah. Magdalena, you are a girl's
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912For sure.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913I fucking love you. But as for the spice and other
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912He, he,
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913What did you guys think about the spice in this book?
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912what did I not think about the spice in this book, Casey? Because I think that'd be a narrower selection.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Yeah, seriously.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Oh my gosh. The amount of new reading kinks that were unlocked for me in this book was like next level. Just,
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Prepare yourselves, readers.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912I had to look up what some of those kinks were even called. the Invisible Man was definitely a new one.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah. Is there a visible man kink? Because I have that.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Ghosts.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Oh Yeah. Is there a ghost
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912I don't know.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913okay. Well, in paranormal specifically, I've read quite a few where it's like ghosts fucking a human, and they're
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah. Fantasma, there's that like element of being able to. watch like the voyeurism being able to see more than you would normally see. I thought it was like, whoa, that's, that's fun to read about.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912and there's a sensory aspect to it where you're being touched, but you
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912It's kinda like being blind. It's like, it's almost like sensory deprivation. Yeah.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913almost.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912know what's gonna come next. You don't know where it's gonna be.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912The exhibitionism reaffirmed for sure. however, the Angry Red pulsing member may be a pass for me, but to each their own.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912wait, wait, hold on. There was a, there was a bouncing, a joyfully bouncing cock in there
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah, I know.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Oh. Cock sue excitedly
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Yes. Um. But yeah, I just can't believe how different each of the scenes felt. How somehow every one of them contributed to the emotional connection. and it did not feel like it detracted or stagnated the plot at all.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912By
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912But like the theater, Him feeding her before the edging at the breakfast table, all of these were so
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Aon be
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912know
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913into Jane. Yeah.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912He's, he's he dumb. Daddy am on.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913he, he definitely Dom Daddy Aon. yeah, for me, the spice in this book is spice. It's, so far in the spice cabinet.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Casey got lost.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913know where it is. Like, and no one in their right mind can argue
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913is not a spicy book. Because if they do, I honestly don't know what they would consider spicy,
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912afraid.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913I'm
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912I.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912I wanna meet that person. Can we talk.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913and because like this, this book for me is like my limit for spice. this is where my limit is at, which honestly is very, very high, right? Like if you actually think about it. But every one of Esther's sexual relationships brings something different to the table in regard to the spice. Whether it's Amon, Eding her, or waking up August. From his literal vampiric death sleep with Jonathan's help. when that happened, I was so happy that that happened. 'cause I could sense there was something going on between a August and Jonathan and I was like, really hoping Swords would cross. And they did. And I was very happy about that. But this book explores so many kinks and me it's like if I ever come across someone who's curious about any sort of kink, I'm gonna be like, just
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912I'm just like, check your boxes. Yes. No, yes, no.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913it's a great
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913your toes in a kink because there is no shame in the kink at all. And I love that about this
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912that reminded me of the, when you were talking about waking him up, how Booker just like insists on waking her up every morning and just like taking care of her. He's like, no,
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912love
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912here Fine. Here we go.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912how everybody wants to fucking wake up. Okay. You know what? Mondays would be so much better. Uh,
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913would be better.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912I did wanna say, going back to, you said Casey, about waking up August in his sleep. I read this a few years ago, and it was not the first time. I've read a book with crossing swords like this, but I think this was one of the first scenes that really stuck with me, I guess, and let me tell you, when I first read that, I was like, yep, okay, that's fucking hot. Let's go. Like let, uh, like okay, I want more of that.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913my boyfriends
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912I want my boyfriends to be boyfriends. It's not ultimate dream. Okay.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913It is the ultimate dream.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912And, my love of the MMF books, it's only grown from there. I will. A hundred percent look for those books. I will always wreck those books. So if I say it's an m, MF Oh girl is an MMF.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Yeah.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Um, the boyfriends. The boyfriends. The boyfriends are boyfriends. Okay. Um, I also loved the visual created by Esther and Ezra when he's
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Yes. Mm-hmm.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912encounters and her watching him enter her uh, and not seeing him. whoa.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Yeah.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912And then going back to Booker, my dear sweet Booker, I'm not gonna lie, I looked up marble sex toys to see if they were a thing, you know, for like research purposes.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913I'm sure
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Um.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913they're
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Please don't. Please don't,
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912I actually had this idea and I was like, okay,
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913I'm getting a marble
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912no, no, no. Well, addition to that idea, um, Catherine Moon could totally release like a book box for this and in it are different sex toys inspired by all of the monsters.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913oh my God. Yes, she
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Like I was like, that would be so cool. In a gift box with the book and some fan art
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Fink dick look like? It had a hook
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912and then hell yeah. I buy it. I buy it for all my friends for Christmas.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912I need a warning
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913get a
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912you get a dick.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913and you get a dick.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Everybody
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912to not put it under the tree.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912collection of Um, and then I have one quote to share. One, one more. which made me giggle, I waited just long enough for him to sag and stop twitching before sitting up abruptly. My note in the Kindle said, Hmm, must be nice to blow a vampire. You don't have to spit or swallow,
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912And that right there. That right there?
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912since he's dead, he didn't really come
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah. Do, Yeah.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913yeah.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912there's no ejaculate.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913that's
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912you don't have to put his, but I,
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912What if it's just like, what if it's just like poofs? Poof. Yeah,
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Oh, but like dust,
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912that's what I thought was gonna.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913be so bad. What if you
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912You
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913you
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912cough.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913be, if like the cinnamon challenge,
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912I don't think we could come back from this. Oh my God.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913I, I really enjoy that visual.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Don't sneeze, don't cough.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912There's no.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913would you even explain that? Like you're just spitting dust out of your
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912I have the back.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913I have a bad look. get like smoker lung from blowing a vampire.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912right. Overall, what you guys think?
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912It's just.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Well, for me, I absolutely loved this book. I mean, I give it a five stars. It might not have a super deep or complex plot, but I don't think that's the point of the book. It's all about exploring, monster relationships and I am very much here for that. honestly think it's in incredibly refreshing to read something that's sex positive, especially for women. While a lot of romances, I think, nowadays are leaning towards that, I feel like a lady of Brooks grave Manor really takes the cake for when it comes to celebrating female desire, autonomy, and acceptance in all its spicy, monstrous glory.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912for sure. for sure. like, it might've been technically my first erotica book that I've read. I'm not sure. It was the first one that I like actually looked up the classification and saw that it was like under erotica. but I would highly recommend it to anyone who likes their spice with an FMC, who has the capacity to love without limits for sure.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah, it's while still being super romantasy also really cool plot. I mean, I give it five stars too. I loved this fricking book. Checked all my boxes. you know, I still go back to why did I recommend this to my mother-in-law? but honestly 'cause it's a fucking good book. Okay.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913It is,
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912It's a good book. I maybe cooked in the head a little bit, but I love to share the stories. I love Catherine Moon's writing. She's hilarious with her dialogue and honestly, like beautiful, love story. and the emotional connection there was, incredibly believable. So if that is a requirement, you know, for somebody like, oh, I wanna have the love in there, you get it in this, you get that heart wrenching, just beautiful love, between the characters. You still
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912I, I,
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Yeah, the Omega verse Catherine Moon writes is Lola and the Millionaires. And that whole entire series is so fucking good. Like I think if honestly you look up Omega verse recommendations, it's like one of the top ones. It's always up there. And I totally understand 'cause she's a fantastic writer and this book was like, fuck yeah. She did such a good job
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Well guys, are we ready to stuff our shelves? Like Esther stuffs her holes,
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912I
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912especially
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Casey, why don't you start us off with your TBR Rex.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Yeah. So my TBR Rec for a darker paranormal romance is choosing her alpha by iso. Ellen, I wanted to recommend this during our shifter episode, but when I thought about it, I was like, Ooh, it's dark. Like it's, it's dark, so maybe I'll save it. But this book is a dystopian Omega verse. I'm given a shifter romance, but it's not really shifter. It's just alpha and omegas are there. but it's about an omega named Sasha. her mother on her deathbed and her disgusting stepfather, Merrick lurking like a vulture, eager to claim her the moment she comes of age. Sasha knows her time is running out in her world. She is promised a choice, but if Merrick has his way, she'll be, wed basically to him before anyone can stop him, determined to secure a future for herself and those who depend on her. Sasha takes a desperate risk and she seeks out Constantine. Cain the most feared and revered alpha in the 12 sectors. And she makes her choice and it's kind of trying to figure out if it saves her seals, her fate basically die.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Whoa.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913and Constantine Kain is, uh, something
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Mm-hmm.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912It's a fantastic
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913but basically the whole world is separated into these 12 sectors. They're all ruled by at single alpha. And Constantine Cain is ruler of the
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Oh, it's a little bit like, like dark Omega verse Hunger Games.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Yeah. It kind of is in a way like, but omegas are like super rare and people treat them not great and
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912You know, you think you would covet the rare
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912It's either coveting or exploiting. It goes one of two ways.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Yeah, but in a dystopian
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Yeah.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913more exploiting than coveting usually. So, but it's so good. I love this series, and I think right now there's only three out and she's gonna do one for every single sector, and every single book I've read has been great. but on my TBR is The Contortionist by Catherine Ann Kingsley. it is about a woman named Cora, whose mundane life as a bank teller is shattered with a long forgotten circus suddenly springing back to life. the price of admission to this Erie Circus is far steeper than she ever imagined. Her soul a harrow Fair, which is the name of the Circus Casts. Its Siner Spotlight on Cora. She uncovers a world of dark secrets lurking beneath the spectacle, bound to the animatic and dangerous, captivating puppeteer. She's thrust into a battle between him and the elusive Mr. Harrow. Both will go to Deadly Links to claim their prize, which is
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Okay, this is right up my alley. I am hooked.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913It sounds
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912I'm like fresh off of reading, Bryn Weaver's Sight
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Oh yeah.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912I'm like all about like circus stuff right now.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913It just sounds really
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912the contortionist.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913really good. And yeah, and then
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912What is, what do you mean the contortionist? be some, seriously.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913woman
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Whew.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913So I'm like, oh, so she's the contortionist.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912It's gonna make me wanna do yoga to get more flexible. I feel like after I read this book, good
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913about I,
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912good
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912I need to go?
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913it and I was like, oh, that
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Do I need to go next, Lauren,
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Uh, for me. Lauren,
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Yeah.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912the dark, the dark queen of chaos. I'm gonna recommend corrupt shadows. I mentioned it earlier. It's by Rebecca L. Garcia and CM Hutton. It's a dark gothic romance following a witch haunted by her past in trying to outrun her dark magic and a demon trapped in a shadow realm watching, obsessing over the one person who can free him. hot, it's spicy, it's dark, it's stalkery. Check your triggers and fucking enjoy it. Okay? Like
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913sounds
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912it's, it's dark as hell, but it's really good. It's, got plot. And then on my TBR is blood on my name by K. L Morrison, actually from our neck of the woods. so if you're listening, let's grab a coffee. this book rides the line of paranormal and fantasy. but it's a dark reverse harem romance, following Mara, who makes a deal with a demon that doesn't quite go as she planned. does it ever, you know, the ancient demon, va par helps Mara escape her abusive ex, by performing some memory, wiping. But he returns for his payment with his twin brethren toe. And what does he want? You guessed it. He wants her, lusty shenanigans ensue. That's all I'm gonna tell you.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Brothers.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912twin brother. I'm not gonna tell you any more than that. If that doesn't hook you, then I don't know what will
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913and I will be
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912gimme TBR Lindsay
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Oh man. So I'm gonna bring you home with a quote for, one of the books that I'm picking. It says, my God, coffee had never tasted so good. Maybe it just took getting dicked down by monsters to make the whole world seem like a beautiful place. It really was. The small things
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912do you think that's what we need in this current state of the world, we just need to get, dig down by some
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912in my books,
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912the coffee
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912in the books.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Ah.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913I run off of caffeine in bad
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912There's also another quote from this book that says, that would've been a hell of a way to go drowning in semen. so yes. Um, so based on those quotes, Um, this is an inheritance of Monsters by Kate Corvin. So basically, uh, RFMC is part of this paranormal investigator, squad, and they get an elite invitation to one of the most haunted manners and islands in like, the entire world that no one's ever like allowed access to. 'cause it's on this remote island. and
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Getting
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912yeah. Very, very Scooby vibes. But it, I mean, Yeah. they're, trying to like battle all of her nemesis are like invited to this island as well, like in this. very sci-fi network paranormal show that they have, that they're filming. the irony is, is she can actually see ghosts even though she doesn't tell anyone because people think she's crazy, even though she's on a ghost hunter show, I thought that was really interesting. but plot twist, instead of ghost haunting the island, it's monsters and these monsters from this like alternate dimension called the void. and they are haunting her for entirely different reasons, but there is the monster under your bed. There's the monster in the closet and there's the sea monster in your bathtubs, but
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Please tell me it has
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912oh yes, there are tentacles. yeah, it's really good because all three monsters are like very different and it is very steamy, very fast-paced. it's a reverse hair, monster romance, lots of tentacles, knots. some, the rounding and semen. a little bit of world ending peril and spooky undertones. so there is definitely like murder mayhem. good. Yeah, I mean it's more spice to plot ratio. It's on it's got some darker elements to it. I kind of chose it 'cause it was like, it's spookier. We're dealing with void monsters and, and some darker elements. There are, bits of trauma, there's suicide and mention of suicide and some of that. So there are some content warnings and trigger warnings that you wanna be aware of, which is why I picked it for this versus our, beastly desires episode. it's a good book. I think I like devoured this book. it's a good kind. I'll put this down.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913It sounds
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Um, and then on my TDR is their Lethal Pet by Lexi CFOs. so one night a year, the world is flooded with monsters from other realms who are looking for their mates. but Alina, who's put up as an offering because of her like rebellion against the oppressive system in her world, she is not looking for a mate, but ends up finding three. They find her it's dark paranormal romance with all the omega verse fixings. Casey,
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913I literally was thinking as you were talking about it, that
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912uh,
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913right up my alley and I was just like, you had me at world
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Yes. They like enter.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912That kind of sounds,
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913mates.
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912It's definitely categories as dark paranormal romance because like she does not want these mates and they're like, she's their omega.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Oh my God. I just looked at the cover of their lethal pet. Woo.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Hold on,
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Casey's gonna read it tonight, like she's gonna stay up till like 3:00 AM and text me.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Oh my God. It starts with run, hide, fight. It's monster
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Oh
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913I am not gonna lie.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912okay.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913might be reading this today.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Okay. Well
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912well, that's it for tonight's after Dark episode, as Casey adds this book to her Good reads. We hope you enjoyed getting kinky with us and walking on the dark side of the romance genre.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913marks the conclusion to our Wicked Pleasures series. Tune in next time as we kick off our Affairs of Antiquity series, where we travel back in time discussing historical love stories that stand the test of time. We span centuries and geographies from dirty talking Scots to sexy scag pirates to buttoned up aristocrats. There will surely be a story that entices you to lower your inhibitions and raise your skirts and show your
lindsey_1_04-03-2025_195912Scandalous.
kacy_1_04-03-2025_195913Check out our website for the full lineup dropping soon, and be sure to add each episode's book club picked to your TBR so you can listen along.
lauren_1_04-03-2025_195912Thanks for tuning in. And remember here at Blush and bindings, we're breaking down stigmas, lifting up love stories, and getting cozy with the pages that bind us together.
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