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Holiday romance should feel like stepping into a warm kitchen: familiar, fragrant and a little bit daring. We open with two cocktails that embody that spirit — a risky Latke Sour with potato syrup and egg white, and a bright cranberry cosmo sweetened with local honey. Then we dive into two Hanukkah-centered love stories that test how much flavor, heat and heart a seasonal read can carry.

First up, Love and Latkes by Stacey Agdern. We explore a latke fry-off romance built around Jewish food traditions, a foodie blogger with big TV dreams, and a smoked-meat-loving crush who wants a deli. The sensory writing sings and the food-as-courtship thread feels true. We quote lines about allyship as action and desire that tastes like barbecue on the breath. But we also press on continuity gaps, a “next town over” exile that strains credibility, and TV production logistics that real-life timelines would never allow. When humor is announced instead of earned, the rom-com fizz goes flat—even while the menu dazzles.

Then we head to Milwaukee for a friends-to-lovers Hanukkah story that brings grief, chemistry and real spice with Find Me by Liz Lincoln. The dialogue sounds like 23, the city feels lived-in, and the steam arrives early with intention. We highlight a grounded take on loss — love doesn’t end just because someone is gone — and we talk about how frequent, well-placed intimacy can deepen character rather than distract. We also call out two bar-based encounters that set off our hygiene alarms (because even fantasy benefits from a touch of realism). Overall, this one hit the sweet spot: emotional stakes, local texture and holiday heat in balance.

Across both books we keep circling the same truth: holiday romance thrives on specifics. Food as love language. Place as memory. Ritual as structure for second chances. When timelines are tight and banter is earned, even familiar tropes sparkle. Pour a glass, add these to your TBR, and tell us: are you team cozy or team spicy this season? If you enjoyed the show, tap follow, share it with a bookish friend, and leave a quick review on your podcast app to help other romance readers find us.

Our Books & Bevies for the Episode:

Meghan --

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A hockey crush in 8th grade and a lifelong love of the game set A.C. Wonderland on an unexpected path: slow-burn romances that feel as tense and electric as a tied third period. We pull up a chair with A.C. to talk about her books One Shot and Summer Shot, why golden retriever male leads deserve their flowers, and how to write intimacy that actually moves the story forward. If your heart wants authentic hockey details with just-right spice, you’re in the right locker room.

A.C. opens up about the spark behind her characters, the personal Easter eggs she hides in names and moments, and the art of pacing tension so readers keep whispering one more page. We trade recs across romance and fantasy, dig into the joy of traveling book clubs with annotated copies, and explore how mental health themes in popular titles shaped her approach to empathy on the page. She also explains why she mostly avoids reading hockey romance while drafting — protecting voice and honoring accuracy — without losing the delight of a great love story.

The road to indie publishing gets real here. A.C. breaks down building a trusted team, working with editors and cover artists found online, navigating PR, and partnering with indie bookstores. We get practical about writing routines: outlines as guardrails, chapter-based goals over rigid word counts, non-linear drafting when a scene stalls, and the surprising effectiveness of moving tough chapters to a brewery. Through it all runs a steady message to aspiring authors: keep going, find your people and let the work change you first.

One Shot is now available on Kindle Unlimited, while paperbacks and special editions live on her site and at major retailers. If you love hockey romance with heartfelt stakes, character-driven spice and the promise of a true HEA, queue this one up. Subscribe, share with a romance-loving friend, and leave a quick review — your support helps more readers find the stories they’ll cheer for.

Featured Cocktail for the Episode: The Hat Trick

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The ice is cold but these love stories are blazin'. We’re pouring drinks, pulling on jerseys and diving into two hockey romances that deliver big feelings, bigger chemistry and the kind of character growth that lingers after the final buzzer. First up: One Shot by A.C. Wonderland. It's a slow-burn college romance where a PR hopeful and the youngest team captain in program history find more than spark — they find a way to hold space for grief, ambition and healing. We unpack how trauma is handled with care, why scent and sensory detail elevate intimacy, and what it means to love someone without asking them to shrink their dreams.

Then we skate into Stay by Elle Kennedy and Sarina Bowen, where a discreet concierge owner discovers her anonymous client might be her favorite Toronto forward. We loved the texting-on-the-couch moment that respects nerves; the opera “date” that turns confusion into chemistry; and the grounded realities of co-parenting, packed schedules and finding joy after divorce. Expect thoughtful spice talk — habanero vs jalapeño — plus playful digs at penalty boxes, Midwest winter bravado and the eternal excellence of ordering too many nachos.

Along the way, we explore why hockey romance is surging: discipline on the ice, tenderness off it and a team-first mindset that makes for memorable partnerships. You’ll hear our favorite lines, the language choices that split readers and the quiet green flags that make relationships feel safe and thrilling all at once. If you’re into sports romance, contemporary love stories, or simply crave banter with heart, this one’s for you.

If you enjoyed the show, tap follow, share it with a romance-loving friend, and drop a quick review. What romance novels should we read next? We’re building our TBR stacks and would love your picks.

*** BE SURE TO GET CHECK OUT OUR DRINKING GAME FOR THIS EPISODE*** Click here.

Meghan's Book & Beverage: Stay by Elle Kennedy and Sarina Bowen with Dailey's Frozen Cocktail Strawberry Daiquiri in her beloved Unicorn Cup (which met a tragic end in the dishwasher after we recorded this episode)

Nicole's Book & Beverage: One Shot by A.C. Wonderland with Leinenkugel's White Mocha Stout Beer

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Let’s end spooky season with a clink: a neon-blue zombie cocktail meets a cozy Oktoberfest beer as we close our creature feature month and dig into two wildly different monster romances. First up, Zombie Moon by Lori Devoti drops us into "Brain Alley", Wisconsin, where a werewolf zombie-hunter and a mystery woman collide over brain bait and secrets. We unpack the moral gray zones, the alleyway action, and the sticky question of how zombies can roam for decades without going public. The romance lands as serviceable heat but the undead conspiracy hooks us — labs, ethics and a whiff of cover-ups that beg for a sequel that never came.

Then the energy flips from grit to gleeful with That Time I Got Drunk And Saved A Demon by Kimberly Lemming. Cinnamon, a fierce spice farmer with hidden-pocket skirts and a soft spot for snacks, teams up with a cursed demon to smash chalices and break a witch’s hold. It’s fantasy romance that sparkles — cheese-queen shenanigans, mead-fueled mishaps, and a map-rich world that embraces fae, shifters and orcs. We talk spice levels (jalapeño-to-habanero thanks to language and playful kink), the “mate” trope as a love-it-or-hate-it trigger, and why humor might be the best antidote to curses and cravings alike.

Along the way we savor food as intimacy — crawfish boils, nacho buckets and experimental kitchen dates — and trade a practical relationship takeaway: play to each other’s strengths. When one partner can solve a problem faster or safer, let them. It’s not surrender, it’s strategy. We also tease what’s next: a full-on hockey romance month featuring Stay by Elle Kennedy and Sarina Bowen and One Shot by A.C. Wonderland, with anonymous texting, second chances, campus PR drama, and captain-on-a-mission stakes ready to skate onto the page.

If you’re into monster romance, laugh-out-loud banter and a little spice with your world-building, this one’s for you. Hit follow, share the show with a fellow bookish biddie, and leave a quick review to help more romance readers find us. Which creature romance should we read next?

Meghan's Book & Cocktail: Zombie Moon by Lori Devoti with Bacardi Ready-to-Serve Zombie

Nicole's Book & Cocktail: That Time I Got Drunk & Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming with Leinenkugel's Oktoberfest Beer

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What happens when a debt-crushed millennial takes a job at a "milking farm" and a runaway stumbles into the arms of a golden-sapped tree man who can sew, garden and cook? We pour a drink (okay, a few), roll up our sleeves, and unpack two monster romances that are equal parts spicy, sweet and unexpectedly practical. From fictional Cambric Creek to a swamp sanctuary outside Cypress Landing, this creature-feature doubleheader puts consent at the center and asks BIG questions ... if you know what we mean.

We start with Morning Glory Milking Farm, where Violet’s new gig comes with protocols, tips, and one very considerate minotaur named Rourke. The cover screams medieval but the setting is contemporary: lattes, texts and a gentleman who insists on dates before heat. We rate the spice level, glean practical "romantic" advice, and run a tongue-in-cheek audit on the infamous “24 ounces.” (Nicole likes her scientific facts and figures.)

Then we wade into Mated to the Swamp Monster. We meet Rory and Marsh, a tender dryad hybrid who weaves his own fabric, tends chickens, and teaches plant lore. The world-building is light, the chemistry earnest, and the "wood" jokes just magically present themselves.

Along the way we explore why short monster romances can satisfy a mood without overstaying their welcome, animals vs. Animals, and classic romance tropes. Expect playful wordplay and candid spicyness scales. Stay to the end for booby prizes, romantic reminders, and teases for our next reads: a zombie hunter with a lunar secret and a demon who keeps losing his shirt.

If you had fun, tap follow, share this with a fellow romance goblin, and leave a quick review. It helps other curious listeners find us and keeps the creature features coming. Which monster should we date next?

Meghan's Cocktail & Book: Monster The Beast Mean Green with Mated to the Swamp Monster by Honey Phillips

Nicole's Cocktail & Book: Deep River Brewing Company Pumpkin Pie Porter with Morning Glory Milking Farm by C.M. Nascosta

Other Episodes Mentioned:

Season 1 Episode 5: A Christmas for the Dogs

Season 2 Episode 10: Love in the Deep

Season 2 Episode 11: Diving into Underwater Romance

Season 2 Episode 21: I'm Also in Love with Mothman

Season 2 Episode 22: Love Spells

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Do monsters make the perfect mate? We kick off with our signature cocktails — Buttersquatch whiskey for a Sasquatch fling and a citrus-spiked Werewolf’s Call — then dive into two paranormal romances that couldn’t be more different in pace, tone, and payoff. First up: a 97-page sprint where a half-banshee heroine bolts from an arranged marriage straight into the path of a half-Sasquatch protector. It’s fast, filthy, and full of audacious choices: scenting as safety and a world that nods a little too hard at Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. We talk about what works (bold premise, creativity) and what doesn't (repetition, icky word choices).

Then we switch gears to a witch-meets-werewolf rom-com that leans cozy without losing heat. Cassie inherits her grandmother’s cluttered house and, with it, a lineage she didn’t realize she owned. Enter Seth — former best friend turned high-school heartache — who needs the potions Cassie didn’t know she was already brewing. Cue a sentient microwave with attitude, a talking raccoon familiar, and a slow burn that tests patience before delivering open-door payoff that feels earned, tender, and scorching. We unpack why slow burn works when trust, grief, and apology are allowed to breathe; how audiobooks can rescue a bogged-down reading pace; and why small rituals — like building a “cuddle closet” or savoring a partner’s cologne — create the kind of intimacy that outlasts novelty.

If you love monster romance, paranormal romance, witchy vibes, and werewolf heat, this one’s a ride. We've got laughter, side-eye, nostalgia, and practical takeaways. Join us for flannel, crispy hash browns, and wildly different spice levels. Then tell us where you land: Team Fast and Feral or Team Slow and Satisfying? Subscribe, share with a romance-loving friend, and leave a review to help other bookish biddies find us.

Meghan's Cocktail & Book: Revel Stoke Buttersquatch Butterscotch Whisky with Sasquatch Love Spell by AC Ruttan

Nicole's Cocktail & Book: Werewolf's Call with How to Help a Hungry Werewolf by Charlotte Stein

Other Episodes Mentioned:

Season 2 Episode 15: Christmas "Comes" Early

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A forgotten summer, a hungry garden, and a winged legend with a soft spot for small kindnesses. Our creature-feature month kicks off with two romances that trade jump scares for emotional stakes.

We start in Yarrow, Kentucky, where three generations of Haywood witches tend a shadow garden that grows on sorrow and fuels a rival distillery’s enchanted bourbon. When the town collectively erases the summer of 1997 from their minds; old feuds flare, magic falters, and a tangle of mysteries — Addison’s messy gifts, Kaden’s fractured past, a garden on the brink — pushes everyone toward truth. Think Practical Magic energy with tea leaf readings, bourbon and love that builds slowly behind closed doors.

Then we head to Point Pleasant, West Virginia for a Beauty-and-the-Beast twist with real heart. A burned-out influencer seeks offline quiet in a remote cabin and collides (literally) with Mothman. He's grumpy, misunderstood and unexpectedly tender. Their forced proximity becomes a lesson in alternative intimacy: gluten-free menus shared on purpose, a hand remembering the morning pill case, a bath and a braid that say “I see you” louder than any grand gesture. It’s cozy monster romance with jalapeño spice, crisp humor, and a surprisingly grounded look at how public narratives can dehumanize both people and myths.

Along the way, we swap drink pairings (bourbon cocktail meets adult Shirley Temple), laugh at craft quirks (big schlongs, smirk overload, the eternal bridge-of-the-nose pinch), and parse what makes memory-erasure plots so propulsive. If you’re into witch romance, small-town secrets, Mothman lore, and love languages that look like care, this one’s for you. Hit play and share with a fellow bookish biddie. And, if our "creature feature" picks made your TBR grow wings, leave us a quick review and tell us: team witch or team mothman?

Meghan's Cocktail & Book: Dirty Shirley + I'm in Love with Mothman by Paige Lavoie

Nicole's Cocktail & Book: I Put a Spell on You (Hocus Pocus Inspired Cocktail) with Bardstown Bourbon + In the Shadow Garden by Liz Parker

Other Episodes Mentioned: Season 2 Episode 18: Hot Swap

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Something remarkable is happening in Milwaukee — a renaissance of dedicated romance bookstores creating vital community spaces where readers connect over shared literary passions. As we celebrate our one-year podcast anniversary, we're thrilled to spotlight two visionary women transforming the local literary landscape.

Meet Natasha Meyer from The Well Red Damsel, who transitioned from pop-up to permanent space after seeing hundreds line up at her very first event. "I look around at our events and see people talking like they've been friends for years when they actually met at one of our events a few months ago," she shares. Her bookstore has become more than a retail space—it's a community hub where readers find belonging, connection, and validation for their romance reading habits.

Then there's Kerrie Berg from Thirst, who left a corporate interior design career to create what she lovingly calls her "pink palace" — a space celebrating both femininity and inclusivity. "Romance is for everyone," she emphasizes, delighting in how couples shop together and strangers become friends among her carefully curated shelves. Located in what she's dubbed "Milwaukee's Romance District," Thirst exemplifies how specialized bookstores contribute to neighborhood revitalization alongside other passionate small businesses.

Both stores offer imaginative programming beyond merely selling books — from hockey game partnerships and overnight adventures to after-hours release parties and waitlisted book clubs. They represent a powerful antidote to post-pandemic isolation, filling the gap of diminished "third spaces" where people once gathered.

We're witnessing the beautiful collision of entrepreneurship and community-building through these romance-focused havens. As Nicole and Meghan prepare to visit both stores (by the time you're hearing this, they'll have already been!), join us in celebrating -- not just our podcast milestone -- but the flourishing of spaces where romance readers can proudly discuss, discover and delight in the genre they love.

Meghan's Cocktail: Dirty Shirley

Nicole's Cocktail: Vodka Iced Tea with lemon slices

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