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Romance on the Rocks Podcast

Sip, Read, and Get Swept Away in a World of Romance

Season 3 Episode 4: Pergola Worthy

February 17, 2026

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Episode Description:

Itโ€™s tequila. Itโ€™s pergolas. Itโ€™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 someoneโ€™s โ€œpot pie,โ€ 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 โ€” an enemies-to-lovers slow burn between two sharp-tongued publishing pros who may or may not both be the โ€œvillainโ€ in someone elseโ€™s Hallmark fantasy. Expect banter, ambition, small-town tension, and a quietly intimate fragrance moment that hits harder than youโ€™d think.

Along the way we spiral about:
โ€ข Cherry Bounce vs. Manhattans
โ€ข Coffee tequila and pickleback decisions
โ€ข Audiobooks vs. physical reads
โ€ข The art of demonstrative love
โ€ข And whether we are, in fact, finally โ€œdrunk enoughโ€ for the listeners

Oh โ€” and the Boobie Prize? Letโ€™s just say a new podcast record is set. Youโ€™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.

Recommended Beverage Pairings for Our Books:

Our Books & Beverages for this Episode:

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

Nicole’s Book & Beverage:ย ย Book Lovers by Emily Henry with a Cherry Bounce

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Podcast Credits:

Theme Music Created by Adam Wroblewski
Main Art by PersonalisePortrait

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Romance on the Rocks is a podcast featuring Meghan Leigh & Nicole Danielle โ€” bookish biddies who imbibe and share their latest romance novel reads.

๐Ÿšจ NEW EPISODE ๐Ÿšจ Season 3 Episode 4: Pergola Worthy ๐Ÿšจ NEW EPISODE ๐Ÿšจ
Season 3 Episode 4: Pergola Worthy is LIVE. ๐Ÿธ๐Ÿ“š
Nicole Danielle and Meghan Leigh are diving into:
๐ŸŒŠ It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey
๐Ÿ™๏ธ Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Weโ€™re talking:
โœจ Grumpy sunshine fisherman energy
โœจ Enemies-to-lovers publishing banter
โœจ Slow burns vs. demonstrative love
โœจ Pot pie fears
โœจ Pergola-level devotion
โœจ And a brand new Boobie Prize record ๐Ÿ‘€
Plus, we paired both books with intentional cocktails (because obviously).
If you love small-town romance, sharp dialogue, sister bonds and a little chaos in your book chat โ€” this episode is for you.
๐ŸŽง Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.
Tell us:  are you more Brendan broody or Charlie snarky? ๐Ÿ‘‡
#RomanceOnTheRocks #RomanceBookPodcast #PergolaWorthy #TessaBailey #EmilyHenry #GrumpySunshine #EnemiesToLovers #RomanceReaders #BookPodcast
๐Ÿšจ NEW EPISODE DROPS TOMORROW ๐Ÿšจ Season 3 Episode 4: ๐Ÿšจ NEW EPISODE DROPS TOMORROW ๐Ÿšจ
Season 3 Episode 4: Pergola Worthy lands February 17. ๐Ÿธ๐Ÿ“š
Nicole Danielle and Meghan Leigh are diving into:
๐ŸŒŠ It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey
๐Ÿ™๏ธ Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Expect:
โœจ Grumpy sunshine fisherman energy
โœจ Enemies-to-lovers publishing banter
โœจ Slow burn tension
โœจ Jalapeรฑo-level spice ๐ŸŒถ๏ธ๐ŸŒถ๏ธ๐ŸŒถ๏ธ
โœจ Cocktail pairings that actually make sense
โœจ And a new podcast record you wonโ€™t see coming
Set your reminders. Charge your headphones.
Weโ€™ll see you tomorrow. ๐Ÿธ
#RomanceOnTheRocks #RomanceBookPodcast #PergolaWorthy #TessaBailey #EmilyHenry #RomanceReaders #BookPodcast
Romance on the Rocks Podcast Co-Host Nicole shares Romance on the Rocks Podcast Co-Host Nicole shares her book synopsis for Season 3 Episode 4. She's reading Book Lovers by Emily Henry. The episode drops Tuesday, Janary 17. Catch it wherever you get your podcasts!
Happy Valentine's Day from Romance on the Rocks! Happy Valentine's Day from Romance on the Rocks!
Romance on the Rocks Podcast Co-Host Meghan shares Romance on the Rocks Podcast Co-Host Meghan shares her book blurb for Season 3 Episode 4 which drops February 17. It's It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey. Catch the episode wherever you stream your podcasts!
February = Billionaires, Boundaries and Being Perg February = Billionaires, Boundaries and Being Pergola Worthy ๐Ÿ’…๐Ÿ“š๐Ÿธ
This month on Romance on the Rocks:
โœจ Season 3 Episode 3: Billionaires & Boundaries โ€” aired February 3
โœจ Season 3 Episode 4: Pergola Worthy โ€” drops February 17
Weโ€™re talking big money energy, messy feelings, small towns, slow burns, demonstrative love, and at least one cocktail decision that required courage.
If you love:
๐Ÿ’‹ Enemies to lovers
๐ŸŒž Grumpy sunshine
๐Ÿก Small town vibes
๐Ÿ”ฅ Moderate spice
๐Ÿธ Cocktails with your romance
February is for you.
Which episode are you most excited for (or already obsessed with)? ๐Ÿ‘€๐Ÿ‘‡
#RomanceOnTheRocks #RomanceBookPodcast #RomanceReaders #BookPodcast #SpicyBooks #BookishBiddies #TBR #RomanceTropes
Travel, family time and a romance readathon? Say l Travel, family time and a romance readathon? Say less. โœˆ๏ธ๐Ÿ“š
Romance on the Rocks Podcast Co-Host Meghan packed four romance novels for a trip to Spain and came home having finished five. From cozy holiday love stories to dark psychological thrillers, this post breaks down every book, spice level included. Plus, the book photos alone are worth the click.
Read the full travel readathon on the blog.
https://romanceontherockspodcast.com/reading-romance-on-the-road/
I finally read Fifty Shades of Grey so you donโ€™t h I finally read Fifty Shades of Grey so you donโ€™t have to. ๐Ÿธ๐Ÿ“š
Short version: this isnโ€™t kinky. Itโ€™s controlling, repetitive and deeply confused. From snack-policing contracts to a โ€œbreaking pointโ€ that makes zero narrative sense, this book mistakes trauma for desire and control for care.
๐ŸŒถ๏ธ๐ŸŒถ๏ธ๐ŸŒถ๏ธ๐ŸŒถ๏ธ Spice: Habanero (barely)
Full review on the blog. 
https://romanceontherockspodcast.com/fifty-shades-of-grey/
POV: you choose your cocktail based on โœจvibesโœจ and POV: you choose your cocktail based on โœจvibesโœจ and โœจspiteโœจ
๐Ÿธ The Douche Canoe (Red Bull + vodka but make it fancy)
๐Ÿธ Gin & Earl Grey lavender tea (Christian Grey but British and boozy)
Books were read. Drinks were poured. Opinions were LOUD.
Season 3 Episode 3 of Romance on the Rocks is here! ๐Ÿ”ฅ
https://romanceontherockspodcast.com/season3-episode3/
#RomanceOnTheRocks #Bookstagram #RomanceBooks #CocktailsAndBooks #PodcastTeaser #FiftyShades #RomanceReaders #DrinkPairing
Billionaires? Yes. Red flags? Also yes. ๐Ÿšฉ๐Ÿธ This we Billionaires? Yes.
Red flags? Also yes. ๐Ÿšฉ๐Ÿธ
This week on Romance on the Rocks, we dig into Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James and Ruckus by L.J. Shen to ask the uncomfortable questions:
โœจ When does โ€œcareโ€ become control?
โœจ Is a contract really consent?
โœจ And why do billionaire romances keep confusing kink with trauma?
Weโ€™re pro-spice, pro-consent and aggressively anti โ€œmineโ€ flower stunts.
Hit play, sip something strong and tell us your biggest romance red flag.
๐ŸŽง Listen here:
https://romanceontherockspodcast.com/season3-episode3/
#RomanceOnTheRocks #RomanceBooks #BillionaireRomance #BookPodcast #RomanceReaders #ConsentMatters #SpicyBooks
Ever cheered and cringed in the same chapter? We u Ever cheered and cringed in the same chapter? We unpack Fifty Shades of Grey and Ruckus, calling out toxic tropes and surprise twists. Grab a drink and weigh in: whatโ€™s your biggest romance red flag? Listen to Season 3 Episode : Billionaires & Boundaries tomorrow and tell us yours.
Dearest Gentle Readerโ€ฆ ๐Ÿ’ With the newest season of Dearest Gentle Readerโ€ฆ ๐Ÿ’
With the newest season of Bridgerton officially upon us, we dusted off and updated one of our favorite evergreen posts: a curated list of Bridgerton fan must-haves that will make your Regency-loving heart flutter.
From cocktail crates and picnic baskets to cookbooks, mugs and cozy Lady Whistledown-approved merch, this list is for fans who want to live their best Bridgerton fantasy year-round.
Whether youโ€™re watching, rereading or planning a themed soirรฉe, weโ€™ve got you covered.
๐Ÿ”— Read the updated post here: https://romanceontherockspodcast.com/bridgerton-fan-must-haves/
Winter may look different depending on where you l Winter may look different depending on where you live but the craving for cozy, spicy romance reads is universal. โ„๏ธ๐Ÿ”ฅ
We just updated our Wintry Romance Novel Reads post with books guaranteed to warm you up through gray days, long nights and whatever version of winter youโ€™re surviving. From historical romance to LGBTQ+ love stories to dark romantasy, this list is all about turning the heat up when the weather wonโ€™t cooperate.
Perfect reading for January, February and honestly any chilly moment.
๐Ÿ”— Read the updated post here: https://romanceontherockspodcast.com/wintry-romance-novel-reads/
๐Ÿธ๐Ÿ“š OUR 2025 BOOK SUPERLATIVES ๐Ÿ“š๐Ÿธ From absolute fav ๐Ÿธ๐Ÿ“š OUR 2025 BOOK SUPERLATIVES ๐Ÿ“š๐Ÿธ
From absolute favorites we could not stop thinking about to reads that fully missed the mark โ€” our 2025 Best & Worst Romance Books are here.
๐Ÿ’– Favorites include authors we adore
๐Ÿฅƒ Least favorites โ€ฆ well, you win some, you loathe some
Now itโ€™s your turn ๐Ÿ‘€
๐Ÿ‘‰ Favorite read of 2025?
๐Ÿ‘‰ Least favorite?
Drop them in the comments โฌ‡๏ธ
#RomanceOnTheRocks #RomanceBooks #Bookstagram #RomanceReaders #BestBooks2025 #WorstBooks2025
Season 2 was ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ and we finally rounded up EVERY b Season 2 was ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ and we finally rounded up EVERY book we read in one place. Yes, all 48 of them.
From fairy smut to monster romance, holiday chaos to small-town swoons โ€” plus our full ๐ŸŒถ๏ธ Scoville spice rankings so you know exactly what youโ€™re getting into.
๐Ÿ“š Two books per episode
๐ŸŒถ๏ธ Spice from milk to Carolina Reaper
๐Ÿธ Linked so you can read or listen too
Head to the blog to see the full Season 2 lineup!
https://romanceontherockspodcast.com/season-2-books/

#RomanceOnTheRocksPodcast #RomanceBooks #RomanceReaders #BookPodcast #SpicyRomance #Bookstagram #RomanceCommunity
Well, we've drawn our numbers to discover our firs Well, we've drawn our numbers to discover our first books for the new year and here they are! Meghan is reading "Ruckus" by LJ Shen and Nicole is reading "Fifty Shades of Grey" by E.L. James. The episode drops February 3rd!
For our first books of the year, we're randomly dr For our first books of the year, we're randomly drawing numbers to our books. Here's Nicole picking her number and sharing her book for Season 3 Episode 3 The episode drops February 3rd!
#pickanumber #romancepodcast
For our first books of the year, we're randomly dr For our first books of the year, we're randomly drawing numbers to our books. Here's Meghan picking her number and sharing her book for Season 3 Episode 3 The episode drops February 3rd!
#pickanumber #romancepodcast
There is such a thing as too much. And we found it There is such a thing as too much. And we found it. ๐Ÿ˜ฌ๐Ÿ“š
When we asked ourselves โ€œmost disturbing anatomy reference of the year,โ€ the answers included underwater creatures, a Minotaur, and a whole lot of nope.
This clip comes from Season 3 Episode 2: Nacho Average Season Finale of Romance on the Rocks, recorded at La Taqueria in Wausau, Wisconsin.
๐ŸŽ™๏ธ Listen to the full episode:
https://romanceontherockspodcast.com/season3-episode2/
๐Ÿ“บ Watch the full episode on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/1Yp9BaPlalE
Romance readers, tell us โ€” where do you draw the line?
Nacho average season finale energy ๐ŸŒฎ๐Ÿน Season 3 Epi Nacho average season finale energy ๐ŸŒฎ๐Ÿน
Season 3 Episode 2 of Romance on the Rocks is live and weโ€™re celebrating the end of the podcast season the only way we know how:  nachos, margaritas, palomas and a full year of romance book chaos.
We recorded this episode on location at La Taqueria in Wausau, Wisconsin, where we unpacked our favorite couples, spiciest reads, creature features, questionable anatomy metaphors, and the cocktails that carried us through it all.
๐ŸŽ™๏ธ Season 3 Episode 2: Nacho Average Season Finale
๐Ÿ“ Recorded at La Taqueria, Wausau, WI
๐Ÿน Books, booze, nachos and end-of-year romance reflections
Listen now:
https://romanceontherockspodcast.com/season3-episode2/
Available on all streaming platforms.
Got a romance read that surprised you this year? Tell us ๐Ÿ‘€๐Ÿ“š
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