Deconstructing Damsels (2024)

29/08/2021

Hey y'all. October will be here soon. And you know what that means...Halloween month theme!

This is the expected list.
🐉 In Pursuit of Dragons (Anne Renwick)
🐉 How to Date Your Dragon (Molly Harper)
🐉 Must Love Dragons (Michelle Ziegler)
🐉 Firefighter Dragon's Next Door Mate (Alicia Banks)

I'm hoping to find guest co-hosts for the month. I look forward to the event every year. If you've read the stories or are willing to read one, comment below.

Right now, weekends are the best recording time since I'm in school during the week. Hence this poor quiet account lately. I'm on Central European time but super adaptable on time zones.

I had planned on fractured fairy tales, but I started to read dragon romance by accident. And well. Well. Why not?

Most are under 300 pages, some under 200. And I know Must Love and Firefighter are on Kindle Unlimited. Pursuit is currently on Chirp for 99 cents. Not a bad audiobook price. I do my best to give a variety of budget options.

Again let me know if you wanna be on the podcast. I'd like to have them all recorded before Sept 26 if possible.

🎃

03/08/2021

Hey Patrons!

You've got an early access to the latest episode. Dear Enemy is a enemies to lovers trope with all the drama.

Not a patron? Head over to Patreon and join. Early access starts at $1/month. And for $2, you get exclusive reviews and content.

Everyone else will have to wait until Friday. And do you really want to miss the first real episode all summer??

30/07/2021

Reading more romance this week. I'm trying to bring the content, y'all.

Today's selection is a 1980s nostalgia pick. Kindle offered an audiobook and ebook combo, perfect for end of the month last read.

About 75% in and I'm kind of loving it. Some tropes are meh but overall I appreciate the detail to Sixteen Candles and John Hughes. A major part of my childhood. I was too young to watch Hughes earlier runs but the late 80s and early 90s were filled with reruns.

(Plus, growing up in Atlanta meant lots of TBS nostalgia movie time. Back when the channel was fun, anyway.)

🎦 Have you read this one? Will I be utterly devastated or hate the ending? Only time will tell, but I'm hoping not after lots of DNFs earlier in the week.

28/07/2021

School's back in session for my immersive German course. And Dear Enemy is my audiobook of commute choice for the week.

What are you reading this week?

17/07/2021

Today was date day with my husband. We went to a local fairnl and then an art museun. This was my husband's first bite of churro since they're not available otherwise in our part of Germany. Had sugar and cinnamon.

I paired it with Nora since my patrons picked me to read this earlier this year for Category Corner.

I haven't yet since I was so burnt out earlier this year. But I'm attempting this week. I have plans for my .checks.out account and Nora, too.

You can read more about the adventure today over on that account. And yes, we're both vaccinated and use masked around large groups. We did things as carefully as possible.

(Also if you visit Jess Checks Out, you can see my adorable husband and I cuddling close.)

🌭 What's your favorite fair food? And has it been spectacularly featured in a romance novel?

I love churros, obviously. But I also love the chili dogs. I'm a woman who loves comfort foods. I don't know about either one being used in a mind blowing manner however.

I'm not sure I should know about the chili dog being used.

14/07/2021

I'm back!

Okay. Kind of. Listen to the latest update so you know what's happening. It's been a whole adventure. Of sorts.

Short episode at under 10 minutes. But it's a new upload! Finally.

LINK IN THE BIO.

21/05/2021

Well, this was a wild ride. And one I will be keeping forever because WTF.

Have you ever read about hammerhead that live in a marine park and smells a fated mate underwater?

I have. With a very tenuous suspense plot no less.

Worth the €1.63. Every penny. Because now gets to read it.

Maybe even a patron episode.
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04/05/2021

Surprise! A mini episode featuring Ariadne.

Topics include ancient myth relationships, the rise of centering women, and why a non romance landed on a romance podcast.

Thanks to Flatiron Books for letting me snag an ARC. One of my top books of the year.

ARIADNE is out today!

03/05/2021

🎸 M I N I R E V I E W 🎸

Title: The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes
Author: Xio Axelrod
Stars. ⭐⭐⭐
Publish date: May 4, 2021

What happens when an act of luck brings fame when all a singer wants to do is stay behind-the-scenes?

Antonia "Toni" Bennette wants a steady gig, a chance to work with great musicians, and buy into a place that feels like home.

When an opportunity forces Toni to confront the past, she has to find ways to left go of old hurts.

Especially since the past includes Seb, a man who abandoned her on the cusp of their own adventure. Eight years is a long time to let issues fester. Can he earn forgiveness and possibly more?

Toni has a possible future with heated stage lights as the Lillys become more invested in her style and talent among band strife. Does she fit into the band? Absolutely.

Toni had real issues that needed to be addressed, ones that effected end goals. I really liked her maturity by the ed. Most of the women were just as developed. Seb was a letdown if I'm honest. He needed more backstory and growth.

Side characters like Yvette, Zeph, and Elton were really nice surprises. Side characters aren't always as dimensional. Hope to see Zeph more in future books.

Overall, I really enjoyed the parts with the band the most. Felt more organic and genuine than the romance. A better genre fit may have been women's fiction with romance elements.

Will I read more in the series? Of course! I enjoyed Axelrod's knowledge and skill. The book just needed more tweaking and some removing/reworking of plot points.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing an advanced copy for an honest review.

A full review is available at damselspodcast.com.

01/05/2021

Start May with a new podcast listen!

Abigail from and I talk about the best movie: Ever After. Power, position, and how many Royals were really in a court. Just a smidge of an idea of where our mind went.

While we forget to discuss the main love story. Oops! But we all know Danielle and Henry are OTP. Listen to find out which couple we discussed instead.

It was so much fun having Abigail on to discuss her podcast and a certain love of monster romance.

What's your favorite scene from Ever After? Did you get to see the musical version?

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26/04/2021

❤️ M i n i ❤️ R e v i e w ❤️

Alejandro is forced to return home when a medical emergency necessitates care. Anamaria isn't looking forward to seeing her ex after 12 years and a hard breakup. Anchored Hearts is about a second chance at romance as childhood sweethearts learn new versiond of themselves.

I loved the setting and atmosphere of the story. I absolutely adored the way community was framed. The Cuban diaspora really played a strong role and helped bind everyone. Plus, the Spanish incorporation felt natural, to rapidly switch mid-sentence.

Anamaria felt real. Her arc felt hopeful. And I loved how committed to family she was, not just her own. She belonged in the community. Her love of those around her, of wanting better for everyone she knows. Of wanting more while staying comfortable in an influencer realm. I wanted her to succeed.

Alejandro was a different story. He was harder to warm up to. The best times were when he described the photos, I could feel the energy there, and with his niece. I needed him to find more emotional maturity.

If you want to run away to the Keys and feel the wind, this is the book for you. Thanks to Zebra and NetGalley for an ARC on promise of an honest review.

Anchored Hearts is out everyone on April 27.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ 1/2

Check the podcast website for a full review. Link in bio.

26/04/2021

I want to say thank you to two guests who recorded with me yesterday.

First, Amy from . I had so much fun getting to know her. And how much she loved The Countess Conspiracy and why Courtney Milan's Sebastian is the one true Sebastian.

Episode hits airwaves in May. In the meantime, please visit her online UK bookshop. Who doesn't want a box full of goodies delivered to your door?

Second, I want to thank Abigail from for joining me in a discussion on Ever After. Best movie. Honestly, though.

The episode will arrive on April 30. For all your Cinderella month ending joys. While you're waiting, check out her podcast, where you can listen about the background of orc romance.

Was lovely to have both women call in and the chance to get to know them. I love when people want to talk about why they love romance. And things they enjoy.

If you'd like to guest and have a book you'd like to discuss, please comment below or hit the email button. Themes only means we can pick a book together.

Upcoming themes and books:
- May (science/nature theme)
- A Lowcountry Bride (June)
- Summer (July theme)
- SyFy Alice (July)
- August (School)

21/04/2021

Sometimes, your dog just knows the perfect place to sleep.

Have you read MaryJanicr Davidson's earlier books, like Derik's Band? Or are you a newbie like Penny?

I love early MJD. Fred, Betsy, Antonia. All very different women.

Who doesn't love a bargaining Devil with a love shoes?

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19/04/2021

Welcome to Cinderella month. On Saturday, I posted a new episode where I dive into Dance with Me at Midnight by Samantha Holt.

Find out if I loved or loathed it. Stick around for upcoming news and plans. DM if you wanna join in on one of the news bits!

And listen to promo.

What's your favorite Cinderella romance adaption?

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16/04/2021

It's a pretty light weekend.

So I'm diving into my ARC list. Hoping to finish Anchored Hearts, The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes, and Catch a Falling Duke by Sunday night.

What are you reading this weekend?

Next weekend, I'll tackle another set. It's been fun trimming the ARC list down alongside fellow readers. Thanks to .me for this month's readathon.

Then on Monday, I can write up reviews to release closer to pub date. I even put all the info in my calendar as reminders.

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02/04/2021

I'll have a review up soon for this book but holy...

I was not expecting a 5 star rating on April 2, y'all.

Last 20% floored me. Blown away. There's a lot of content warnings because Greek mythology is horrible to women, but the craft of this book!

High rec if you can handle the warnings.

It's not a romance but the blurb captivated enough for me to make an exception. There's a lot of great myth retellings in Romancelandia, but this isn't an HEA.

02/04/2021

Last weekend, had several giveaway on 's page. I ended up winnjng Three Weeks to Wed.

And for once, I coukd get a paperback! Yay! Living in Germany, I don't often qualify to physical books options.

So this is so cool for me! It feels nice to be included. And it's for a favorite part of romance

I smiled so hard with book mail when it arrived on Tuesday.

Thank you so much, Ella! I can't wait to dive in.

(Also, those are strawberry plants. Because it's gonna be summer soon.)

01/04/2021

March was a slow read month. In part because so many books were DNFs. I'm not used to slumps. And I did start like 4 books, but mood reading shelfed for now.

Overall breakdown, according to CAWPILE scores. Some have half stars but I'm too lazy to make all the categories, so.

DNFs
🏵️ The Wedding Game
🏵️ Digging the Wolf
🏵️ The Billionaire Duke
🏵️ Shutout

Below 3 Stars
🌸 Hunted

3 Stars
🌼 Mad About Ewe
🌼 Gettin' Lucky
🌼 The Nurse's Billionaire Date

4 Stars
🌺 Don't Go Home with John
🌺 Fury Rising

5 Stars
💮Make It Sweet

Romance categories:
4 contemporary
4 paranormal/magic
3 sports

Book Format:
9 ebook
0 audiobook
2 both

Access:
7 owned
1 ARC
3 KU

April has a ton of ARCs already so it'll be a much longer list already. Some aren't due yet. Just trying to make sure I'm caught up. You can follow that progress on my stories. I'll be marking those down as I go.

31/03/2021

New episode is up. All about The Princess Bride. Listen to guest Kerry and I discuss if it could be recasted. And how.

QotD:
Have you watched The Princess Bride?

Links in bio.

29/03/2021

It's almost Cinderella month! Time to read all the romance adaptions and end with an Ever After discussion.

What's your favorite Cinderella adaption or retelling?

A sinus headache is currently limiting screen time, it's time to break out the paperbacks.

Bought Princess Charming off ebay since I knew theme month would be here soon. Really liking Nicole Jordan's writing style.

This particular set of Wildes creates quite a bit of scandal. Loving the heroine, Maura. She's fantastic. I'm only 40 or so pages in. Ready to dive back in.

April's gonna be fun!

28/03/2021

When you're making dinner...for the dog. Penny is so spoiled. She eats this well every time.

While making dinner for Sven and I, I listened to discuss her weekly wrap up.

I had to capture her joy explaining her new bookshelf. Something I experienced the other day. There's something fun and exciting getting to set up a way to display what makes you happy.

Also, our dinner wasn't nearly as elaborate. Forgot to take a pic. But Penny is well fed, that's all that matters. 🐶

🍴

27/03/2021

About to record a new episode about The Princess Bride to end magic month. It'll feature . Up on the 31st.

In the meantime, don't forgot to listen to latest ep featuring a murderous fury with a feather to pick.

Link in bio.

26/03/2021

It's hard to find affordable series I love on Germany. But I found found a few Stephanie Laurens I haven't read!

The Reckless Bride was a steal on Amazon at only €3.50...new! Even the used ones are usually around €4. It's not a Cynster, but it'll work when I feel home sick. And I got the last one in stock.

And Then She Fell is a Cynster one I haven't read. I love the Cynsters. Laurens is my Kleypas. I will read anything she writes, but especially a Cynster. I don't know why. The world just clicks.

And I'm excited that is reading the series now. I feel like the Cynsters sometimes get left out of the historical romance recs. Or discussions.

Devil's Bride came out in 1998. Around the same time as the Bridgertons. So roughly Sametime. However, I didn't start reading them unti later, around 2010 or so.

Found Laurens when I was discovering Jo Beverley and modern takes on the genre. Needed to read more about women who defied expectations on what being a woman was...versus what is mandated.

And now I can read a Cynster sister. I have a third book to share, but I'm saving it for a later reveal.

And yes! I finally got a book shelf. Like big enough for my books. Yay! Bless those eBay ads. €20 for an Ikea shelf already put together. I shop deals well.

QotD:
Do you have a favorite series that's not talked about often? One that deserves a shout out?

25/03/2021

I'm covering Courtney Milan's The Countess Conspiracy with for May.

I'll have to use an e-copy since I can't find a paper version not over €9.50. And only Amazon at that. Not even the used places have options in English. EBay, Thalia, and Medimops.

I'm excited to cover the author for on the main podcast. It's gonna be fun since the theme order will be:

- March: magic
- April: Cinderella
- May: science

I like how those group together. Without even trying.

25/03/2021

I loved Make It Sweet by Kristen Callihan. Next week I'll post a review.

This is probably one of my favorite moments in the book. I loved the romance and playfulness. The sensuality as the scene continues. Something real.

So question of the day:
Do you have any names for your partner?

Sven and I have a few but one of my faves is when he calls me Kitten. The only person allowed. It feels right with his little growl at the end.

And I call him Liebchen. He's the sweetest part of my heart. Even when we argue or have disagreements. His sweetness always tempers the heat.

❤️

24/03/2021

This week is a chance to . Not the only week however. Bare minimum, really.

I don't have a lot of links for justice and restoration. I'm not as connected as I should be in that regard.

But I do have book recs and anticipated buys/reads. All are these are purchases or advanced reader copies.

❤️ Capturing the Silken Thief by Jeannie Lin.

I read this novella at least once a year. And I rarely reread books. I keep coming back because of the heroine. Her ingenuity and self-confidence are goals.

❤️ Big Bad Wolf by Suleikha Synder.

I gave the book 3 stars but the writing talent is there. It's highly regarded in the romance community for good reason. If you want some grit and bratva dark romance with supernatural, buy and read.

❤️ This Time Will Be Different by Misa Sugiura.

I usually don't read YA but I've been following recs for the book recently. Generational stories always get me. Growing up in the south, you see how generational pain matters. Waiting for it to be shipped.

❤️ A Pho Love Story by Loan Le.

I bought this and eventually it will arrive. Again with no reading a lot of YA but I've seen so many recs. And...food. I'm a very simple reader. Also waiting for it to ship.

❤️ A Lowcountry Bride by Preslaysa Williams.

Lowcountry region is my jam. A single father and heroine forced to redraft a future. Signs of a good book for me. June 1st will arrive eventually.

❤️ Accidentally Engaged by Farah Heron.

I love a good fake romance and add food. I'm so there. In my to buy pile when I get money again. I'm sure would be interested in a heroine who makes sourdough.

All these books are ones I've noticed and held my attention. What books do you recommend?

24/03/2021

What happens when an alternate event changes the fabric of a world?

A world where women are the political might as the men take up the domestic and softer elements.

How limiting can a world be?

I love Stephanie Burgis's Spellswept. I could make quote pics all the time. There's so much backstory and set up.

Amy has ambitions, plans to move beyond her station to effect more change. An attraction to Jonathon, a man who eschews society's mandates for a very good reason, shouldn't factor in.

This isn't a mini review. So I'm not going to break down the romance...yet. But I will say that many women look to gain power, to move for a more level field, in our world.

Unfortunately, there's always other women left behind.

I think Burgis does a fantastic job of creating a gender-reversal world. Magic is emotional, a necessity, and that a woman must choose a spouse carefully to succeed. Very familiar.

And I can see the magic floating inside the sunken ballroom. The way men can work together or peacock. Looking to advance their own stations.

How power and might aren't always the equalizers we want.

Highly rec this one.

📚

23/03/2021

This is very simple.

The murder spree in Atlanta last week wasn't an anomaly. It was a consequence of inflammatory rhetoric going back centuries across colonialism.

I'm not Asian. I'm Casper white. I can't understand the pain Asian communities across the world are going through. Not on a deeper level. But I can do something to support.

I can listen. I can learn. I can educate myself by paying attention. That's what I've been doing.

And not just for the past week. I've noticed my Asian friends worried. Not just last week. Not just last month. Not even just the past year. Covid-19 simply showed what many people face. The othering, using Asian immigrants as weapons against other minorities for white supremacy goals.

How many times on the news have we seen incidents where elderly Asian people, often East Asian, are beaten and bloodied? And how many times have white people turned an eye?

I'm certainly not perfect. I know I haven't always understood. But I'm listening now. posted a video on East Asian authors to support.

I did. I looked at my request for illustrated covers and bought both This Time Will Be Different and A Pho Love Story. Both on wishlist. Why wait?

It's not about spending money this week. It's opening my mind every time I see a book spine and remembering to be more inclusive in my reading habits. Books are expensive but hold so much power in recognizing the spectrum of the human experience.

Because that's the truth of it: white people hold the power and we mustn't forget to leverage to make a more equitable future.

It's not hard to listen. Just sit and watch those around you be afraid and decide how you can make them feel seen and secure.

Then do it. Even if you lose friends or walk away from important acquaintance ships. Believe what people are showing about their character. And decide what is more important.

I know what I choose. How about you?

23/03/2021

What are the best contemporary romance books with the -best- illustrated trade paperback covers?

Ones that make you go "ooh?" when you see them on your shelf?

Note. I already have Spoiler Alert. The lovely UK edition (so pretty). I want some pops of color on my shelves and I need to increase my contemporary selection.

I have How to Fail at Flirting in my Kindle already. Bless those sales. Mentioned because I Iove that artwork.

I'm trying to get new books based on recs.

YA/NA is fine, too. I'm learning to embrace the genres. I'm pretty middle of the road about most steamy scenes. I love women with inner power and fortitude to survive, but a willingness to be vulnerable.

Alphaholes need not apply. Seriously. No.

I'm all about inclusive writing. Not just diverse, but inclusive. Where characters love each other and accept each other. Without any messiness. A good story has a foundation of support.

One real caveat. I'm in Germany, so it needs to be under €10 ($12 USD, £9). Books are expensive.

So list your recs!

Deconstructing Damsels

29/08/2021

03/08/2021

30/07/2021

28/07/2021

17/07/2021

14/07/2021

21/05/2021

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26/04/2021

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