Send a text

It’s tequila. It’s pergolas. It’s slow burns and snark.

On this episode of Romance on the Rocks, Nicole Danielle and Meghan Leigh dive into two contemporary romantic comedies while attempting to keep their cocktails (and themselves) upright.

Meghan read is It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey. It's a grumpy-sunshine, small-town romance where an LA party girl lands in a Washington fishing town and collides with a stoic boat captain who proves love is shown, not just said. We discuss bar makeovers, sister loyalty, the deeply relatable fear of being someone’s “pot pie,” and why every woman deserves to feel absolutely, undeniably pergola worthy.

Nicole takes us to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina with Book Lovers by Emily Henry — an enemies-to-lovers slow burn between two sharp-tongued publishing pros who may or may not both be the “villain” in someone else’s Hallmark fantasy. Expect banter, ambition, small-town tension, and a quietly intimate fragrance moment that hits harder than you’d think.

Along the way we spiral about:
• Cherry Bounce vs. Manhattans
• Coffee tequila and pickleback decisions
• Audiobooks vs. physical reads
• The art of demonstrative love
• And whether we are, in fact, finally “drunk enough” for the listeners

Oh — and the Boobie Prize? Let’s just say a new podcast record is set. You’ll have to listen to find out how early it happens.

If you love grumpy-sunshine, enemies-to-lovers, slow burns, small-town vibes, sister stories, and cocktails with your book chat, this episode is for you.

Like, subscribe, and follow. We promise chaos, banter, and at least one strong opinion per drink.

Meghan's Book & Beverage: It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey with a shot of Coffee Tequila and a Pickleback (Pickle juice chaser)

Nicole's Book & Beverage: Book Lovers by

Support the show

Our The Ripped Bodice Affiliate Link: https://www.therippedbodice.com/aff/romanceontherockspodcast_26867
(the best way to get your smut while supporting a fabulous women-owned business and our podcast!)

Follow us on our socials:
Facebook ... https://www.facebook.com/romanceontherockspodcast
Instagram ... https:/www.instagram.com/romanceontherockspodcast
Pinterest ... https:/www.pinterest.com/romanceontherockspodcast

Credits:
Theme Music Created by Adam Wroblewski
Main Art by PersonalisePortrait

Send us a text

If a book hooks the world but fumbles consent, can it still be called a great romance? We pour a drink and dive straight into the tension between cultural phenomena and reader well-being, starting with Fifty Shades of Grey and its legacy of billionaire control dressed up as care. We unpack why rules about sleep and snacks aren’t romantic, how a contract can miss the point of informed consent, and where stories conflate kink with trauma rather than negotiated desire. Expect clear lines: safe, sane, consensual kink belongs to partners who talk, listen and honor boundaries — not to characters policing daily life.

Then we turn to Ruckus by L.J. Shen, a study in contrasts: crisp prose, a genuinely surprising twist, and a central relationship burdened by possessiveness and rough scenes that test comfort instead of chemistry. Rosie’s cystic fibrosis adds real emotional stakes yet the hero’s choices sometimes jeopardize her health, raising urgent questions about care, accountability and what love owes someone living with a chronic condition. We also wrestle with the “grand gesture” gone wrong — like a tidal wave of red roses stamped mine — and why public displays can slide from romantic to suffocating when autonomy gets erased.

Throughout, we revisit our spice scale to argue that heat needs context: reciprocity, aftercare and enthusiastic ongoing consent. We celebrate strong writing while challenging harmful tropes, and we share the kind of reader-centered lens that asks for heroines with agency, heroes who grow and intimacy that feels earned rather than enforced. To cleanse the palate, we preview our next reads: Book Lovers by Emily Henry and It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey. The books promise banter-rich chemistry and character arcs that balance heart with heat.

If you care about romance that’s bold, sexy and emotionally responsible, hit play, tell us your biggest red flag in a love story, and help us spread the word. Subscribe, share with a bookish friend, and leave a review wherever you listen—it helps more thoughtful readers find the show.

Books & Beverages for

Support the show

Our The Ripped Bodice Affiliate Link: https://www.therippedbodice.com/aff/romanceontherockspodcast_26867
(the best way to get your smut while supporting a fabulous women-owned business and our podcast!)

Follow us on our socials:
Facebook ... https://www.facebook.com/romanceontherockspodcast
Instagram ... https:/www.instagram.com/romanceontherockspodcast
Pinterest ... https:/www.pinterest.com/romanceontherockspodcast

Credits:
Theme Music Created by Adam Wroblewski
Main Art by PersonalisePortrait

Send us a text

Street corn nachos, a cucumber margarita the size of a goldfish bowl, and enough romance novels to take us from cozy bookshops to briny underwater kingdoms. Season two wrapped up with everything we love: the reads that made us swoon, the ones that shocked us, and the moments that had us snort-laughing into our drinks.

We talk about the couples that stayed with us, from board-game tenderness to a demon who adored a heroine’s pocket snacks. Heat levels became a running character: one of us is a jalapeño-level, closed-door loyalist. The other keeps testing the Scoville scale. We break down the scenes that delivered heat, the ones that didn’t, and the small gestures that built real intimacy — texting side by side, building blanket forts and making romance feel cozy.

Along the way, we celebrate the settings that did heavy lifting: snowed-in luxury retreats where writers finally write, small-town series you wish you could move into, and fantastical oceanic worlds that made us believe. And because we’re us, we also crown the anatomy metaphors that will haunt us forever (hello “man root” and “snug clasp”), confess the creature-feature moments that broke plausibility in spectacular fashion, and share our favorite cocktails of 2025.

We shout out authors who owned our hearts, including Heatherly Bell, Emma Hamm, Serena Bowen, Elle Kennedy, Charlotte Stein, Kimberly Lemming, Paige Lavoie and Emily B. Rose. We admit our biases: instant heat versus slow burn, mystery-driven plots versus contemporary comfort.

Looking ahead, we’re letting fate guide our TBR with a martini-glass number draw, trimming segments that feel forced, and planning more meetups with readers, writers and fellow romance nerds.

Hit play for a warm, candid, end-of-year debrief full of spice scales, monster mayhem, nachos,and genuine affection for romance. If you laughed, discovered a new favorite author, or added a title to your list, follow, share with a friend, and leave a review. What was your most surprising romance read this year?

Support the show

Our The Ripped Bodice Affiliate Link: https://www.therippedbodice.com/aff/romanceontherockspodcast_26867
(the best way to get your smut while supporting a fabulous women-owned business and our podcast!)

Follow us on our socials:
Facebook ... https://www.facebook.com/romanceontherockspodcast
Instagram ... https:/www.instagram.com/romanceontherockspodcast
Pinterest ... https:/www.pinterest.com/romanceontherockspodcast

Credits:
Theme Music Created by Adam Wroblewski
Main Art by PersonalisePortrait