This post may contain affiliate links — meaning we get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through our links, at no cost to you. We carefully curate our affiliate partnerships and only work with companies we like and believe in. Earning commissions like this helps us sustain our blog but the opinions we share are always our own.
By Nicole Danielle
Playing House is the theme for our books this week and our podcast Episode 2 of Season 1. Meghan and I dive deep into the whimsical and unexpected twists in two classic romance novels. Mine centers around a European princess who has to pretend to be an American housewife in the 1940s and Meghan’s read is the story of a young newlywed trying to make a home with her much older husband. You can only imagine how either one of these stories plays out.
My Book: The Princess by Jude Deveraux
This wasn’t my first time reading Jude Deveraux‘s “The Princess,” a romance novel set in the 1940s. I read many of Deveraux’s books in middle school and high school so this one was familiar territory for me. The novel explores the dynamic between an arrogant princess, Aria, and a dashing U.S. Navy officer, JT Montgomery, who find themselves stranded near the Florida Keys before being forced into marriage and eventually heading to her fictional kingdom of Lanconia. Which, by the way, has a valuable resource, vanadium. (It’s real, I checked.) Oh, and some other valuable resources as well that may improve the country’s economy — but you’ll have to listen to our podcast to find out what else Lanconia has to offer.
Despite their rocky start, romance begins to bloom between JT and Aria as they navigate their roles as a military couple in Key West. The plot thickens when they go to Lanconia, where planned public spats and real arguments blur the lines between duty and desire. I really enjoyed reading the novel again and revisiting some of the great characters like Aria’s grandfather, the king, and giggling over some of the scandalous — and sometimes ridiculous — quotes from the book which I also share in the podcast.
Meghan’s Book: Younger Sister by Kathleen Norris
Meghan also has some great quotes form her book to share. Kathleen Norris’s 1968 novel “Younger Sister,” explores the tangled web of family dynamics, age-gap romance and complex emotions. The story follows 20-year-old Bee, who marries a significantly older man, Hugh, only to find herself grappling with feelings for his son. Yeah, you read that right. She’s crushing on her stepson.
We’ve got lots of opinions about this love triangle and much more in the episode — including the ongoing depiction of Bee as a child and girl. But Bee’s character also resonates with Meghan in unexpected ways and we also discuss her reasons for marrying Hugh and why they’re entirely practical. We just really struggle with the awkward and inappropriate situations that seem to constantly arise between Bee and her stepson, Bert, and (honestly) the whole family. And the appearance of an additional character, Aileen, definitely does not help. But it certainly does add more drama to the story!
Meghan will absolutely give you all the details of how this spectacle unfolds as she has no qualms about spoilers. The ending has got to be heard to be believed — trust us. When you listen to our podcast, you’ll also find out which of these two gems gets the “Boobie Award” (that’s our award for the book that has the first mention of breasts) and give our Spicy Scoville Scale Rankings and finish with our Romantic Reminders based off our takes of our stories.
In summary, this episode of “Romance on the Rocks” offers a delightful exploration of classic romance novels, filled with humor, nostalgia and insightful critiques. Whether you’re a fan of classic romance novels or just love a good story, this episode promises to entertain and enlighten. Listen to it now on your favorite streaming service or head right on over to the Podcast Episodes section of our website or click here.
