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Episode Description:
In Season 3 Episode 11: Meg’s Got a Mother of a Book, the bookish biddies wrap up their “Mothers of Romance” month with two wildly different historical romances — one delightful Scottish murder mystery romance and one rage-inducing classic that sparks one of the most passionate discussions in Romance on the Rocks history.
Nicole reviews The Bride by Julie Garwood, a 1989 historical Scottish romance featuring enemies-to-lovers tension, marriage of convenience, witty banter and a murder mystery woven through the Highlands. Jamie Jamison may have a terrible sense of direction, but she quickly becomes one of Nicole’s favorite historical romance heroines thanks to her intelligence, strength and dagger-throwing abilities.
Meanwhile, Meghan tackles The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss — sometimes considered the novel that launched modern romance publishing as we know it. What follows is less a review and more a full-scale reckoning with outdated romance tropes, sexual violence in vintage romance novels, and the way generations of readers were taught to mistake manipulation and abuse for love.
Along the way, Nicole and Meghan discuss:
- The evolution of romance novels from the 1970s to today
- Why modern readers expect communication and consent
- Gorgeous historical world-building versus harmful content
- Why decolletage suddenly appears in every book
The episode also previews June’s theme, “The Great Outdoors,” featuring:
Highest Point by Kels and Denise Stone
Southern Seducer by Jessica Peterson
Grab a drink, avoid the rapey historical dukes, and join the bookish biddies for one of their most unfiltered episodes yet.
Books & Beverages for this Episode:
Meghan’s Book & Beverage: The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss with Sangria
Nicole’s Book & Beverage: The Bride by Julie Garwood with The Highland Vow (recipe below!)
Support the Podcast:
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!)
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Podcast Credits:
Theme Music Created by Adam Wroblewski
Main Art by PersonalisePortrait
Drink Along with Us:
Want to drink along with us? We’ve got our special episode drinking game posted above. But we also have our all-episode Romance on the Rocks Podcast Drinking Game. It’s yours free when you subscribe to our email list! Just fill out this form and we’ll email you the PDF!
