Tea & Strumpets: A Regency Romance Review

Elise Fountain has never met a challenge she could not rise to, and that includes being the housekeeper for a grumpy, convalescing Lord Lavay. Lavay is not used to being laid low, especially when time is running out to secure an influx of funds to buy back his childhood home. Through sheer determination and cheerful optimism, Elise slowly wins over the recalcitrant staff and also wins over the hardened heart of a very deserving Lord. Join us for It Started with a Scandal - the penultimate Pennyroyal Green novel by Julie Anne Long! **We cannot discuss scandals without SPOILERS**

This week we’re talking about an absolute favorite in the genre! Evie Jenner needs to get married - and quickly. After failing to kidnap and marry one of her best friends, Evie knows that Sebastian, Lord St. Vincent, is desperate enough to marry her straightaway. Neither planned that after a whirlwind wedding they would find that they just cannot seem to do without the other. While this was a reread, Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas just gets better and better. **We’re running away to Gretna Green with the SPOILERS**

This week we were joined by fabulous author Rose Lerner to discuss the regency, revolution, and research, and most of all, her new Audible Exclusive and Gothic Regency, The Wife in the Attic!

It’s our last episode so we had to have our biggest guests ever on the pod. Best-selling author, Regency Romance royalty, and Anthony Bridgerton super fan Tessa Dare is here and she’s brought a friend, #1 best-selling author Jodi Picoult. WHAT?! Once we got over the shock we could not wait to dish all about the season as a whole, how we actually got through an epilogue in the first season, and of course, what’s going to happen with ANTHONY! We also talk about books being adapted to film and what we think this show is going to do for...

In our second to last episode on the series, we speak with friend of the podcast, bookstagramer and author Mazey Eddings. Mazey talks about her overall excitement over the show, our massive speculations on the future, and of course, how we cannot wait to see who is cast as Kate in the next season. **Note: This episode was recorded before the casting announcement for Kate was made, and if you want to know our reaction - AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! OUR KATE IS AMAZING!!!!**

**TW: Consent and Sexual Assault** It’s time to get into it and discuss Bridgerton’s most controversial episode. While we dove deep into these themes during our full book review (Episode 6 of our podcast, coincidentally), we wanted to find someone who had more authority than we did to speak on consent. We were so lucky to get to speak with former dominatrix, Wicked Wallflowers podcast co-host, and Bridgerton virgin Jenny Nordbak. We talk about her thoughts on the series as a whole, how they could have done much better addressing consent, and if she’ll be watching next season.

For Episode 5, we knew we could not exclude the thoughts of Julia Quinn’s largest fan base - Brazil! So we spoke with the founder of the hugely followed Julia Quinn Brazil social media channels, Mariana Fonseca. We discuss what made her fall in love with Julia Quinn and why Julia is treated like a Beatle whenever she’s in Brazil. We also talk about her favorite Bridgerton book, if Netflix and Shonda Rhimes did Julia justice, and just what we think might happen in a second season.

We’re halfway through the series so it was high time to bring in a regency expert - historical fiction and regency romance author Vanessa Riley! We chat all about the cast diversity, why Queen Charlotte is a BA, and also fan easter eggs throughout the series.

In this third episode we’re talking fashion with Jane Austen fan and historical costume hobbyist Bianca Hernandez-Knight. We discuss gatekeeping in the historical community, use of color stories in Bridgerton, and just how fierce Queen Charlotte’s wigs are. **Note: Stay tuned for the last 45 minutes of this episode for sample of the audiobook The Duke Heist by Erica Ridley!**

In our second installment, we’re talking music with composer Christy Carew. Everyone has been exclaiming over the brilliant use of music in the show so we wanted to talk to an expert! We dove deep into all the themes, the development of the sound, and the parts we absolutely can’t get enough of. We also have her dish over her favorite Bridgerton and what she loved most about the series.

This is our first of eight episodes all about the Netflix hit series Bridgerton! In this first chat we’re joined by insta-blogger and entrepreneur Korrie Noelle. We’re going to talk all about our first thoughts on the show, Korrie’s relationship to the books, and what she cannot wait to see in the future!

Our first review of 2021 is bringing it back to where we started, Pennyroyal Green. This time we're learning more about the infamous Ian Eversea. His brother-in-law now has a ward, Miss Tansy Danforth, and everyone is telling Ian to stay away. At first he's happy to do so, as this beautiful young American really does not spark any interest. Yet when he finally gets to know her, a spark ignites and all attempts to extinguish it, only fan it into a full blown fire. Please enjoy the ninth installment of Julie Anne Long's Pennyroyal Green series, Between the Devil and...

Happy New Year! As someone recently said, "Wow. That was Crazy!" Finally that dumpster fire of a year is over and we can look forward to some great reads in the future. So while you watch the craziness abate, we hope you enjoy a little escape in all the amazing books coming out this year. Here is our list of 21 (plus a few extra) books we cannot wait to read in 2021, Part 1 (because there are just so many we could not fit them all into one episode).

The holidays are full of laughter and cheer, but for Louisa Ward this year is not the same. This will be the last Christmas in the Ward family home unless Louisa can marry before New Years'. Things take a turn for the worse when Louisa's only shot at finding a match does not go as planned, and she finds herself walking through Mayfair with the instigator of her family's demise, the Duke of Thorndale. Taking a gamble, Louisa tries to make Thorndale change his mind about his London tenants and along the way finds herself slowly falling for the man...

With different views on how to live a Jewish life in Regency London, Esther Baumann is convinced she can never marry a man like Adam Halevy. He views everyone outside his faith with distrust and he criticizes her for not understanding tenets of the faith - even while she's never been allowed to learn Hebrew. However, all of that changes when Adam must go on a mission for crown and country which challenges his preconceived notions of people and what it means to be a good partner. In honor of Hanukah we are reading "An Open Heart" by Caroline Warfield...

~ This episode originally aired December 2019 ~ Join us this week for a relisten of last year's Christmas episode, because it's that special time of year where you spend time with loved ones...or with a family you happen to come across when your carriage breaks down in a snowstorm with Grandma inside! Even if you’re like our hero Adam and not that into Christmas, it’s hard not to find joy from an almost-kiss while hunting down holly for the Christmas Ball. Or better yet - from a bit of action under the stairs while everyone else is occupied with parl...

It's our final romance chat in this series, and we saved the steamiest for last! Join Zoë and Jessica as they learn what Erotic Romance actually is from authors Rosmary Willhide and Tamsen Parker. We dive deep into this steamy subgenre for a fantastic discussion of what it is, what it isn't, and why it's so great.

We know that Benedict and Sophie are happy but what about Posy? The unsung (except we did sing!) hero of the third Bridgerton installment. Thankfully, Julia Quinn decided to ease our hearts and tells us all about what happened to our favorite adopted Bridgerton. **SPOILERS, we cannot believe you did not know**

We're back this week with our Romance Chats series in conjunction with the Escondido Public Library! And this time we're talking publishing. How *do* you get published in romance? For every person, the story is different, and today, there are lots of ways to become published. As the average romance reader is voracious, it makes sense that so many of us are inspired to try our hand at it! When you consume something that you love so so much, it’s easy to start imagining your own stories and how you’d do it. But, how do you take the firs...

Greetings ghosts and ghouls and welcome to the spookiest episode of the season! We suppose we must admit it's not *that* spooky, but we stand by it being the spookiest of our feed nonetheless. This week we're dropping in an episode of the fantastic fellow Frolic Podcast Too Stupid to Live when WE guested on it! Together, we review the fabulous MM paranormal-Regency novella by Joshua Ian. Join us for a pint-sized and kind-of-perfect tale of magic and mystery! **Spoopy Spoilers!**

In our fourth chat in this series, Zoe and Jessica are talking with our authors about things that are out of this world! Well, not exactly, but we're talking all about paranormal romance! Commonly you’ll find romantic relationships between humans and vampires, shapeshifters, ghosts, and other entities of a fantastic or otherworldly nature. And paranormal romances can also include books featuring characters with psychic abilities, like telekinesis or telepathy. While it’s roots harken back all the way to Gothic fiction, it’s most recent revival has been spurred by technology, and in fact, paranormal romances are one of the fa...

Anthony and Kate are living their best lives, but once a year, the gloves come off and our happy couple will do anything to outsmart and out-play the other. Julia Quinn gives us another glimpse of our favorite lawn game Pall Mall, which has become a yearly tradition at Aubrey Hall, with all the original players of that infamous day. **It's a second Epilogue, the whole thing is SPOILERS**

In our third chat in this series, Zoe and Jessica sit down with debut authors Allison Ashley and Yaffa Santos to discuss their publishing journeys, tips they have for first-time authors, and common pitfalls to avoid. Every road to published is different, but these two are sharing their success stories and answering common questions that we all have about how it works. (Spoilers - it's never the same!)

Ever wonder what happens after happily ever after? Well, Julia Quinn decided to give us a quick peek into the continuing lives of the Bridgerton Family. Today we're looking at Simon and Daphne, who are about to have a few unexpected changes in their otherwise blissful life. **It's a second epilogue, so real SPOILERS ahead!**

In our second chat in conjunction with the Escondido Library, Zoe & Jessica sit down with Historical Romance authors Eva Leigh and Erica Ridley to talk about what makes historical romance so appealing to the modern reader, and what the modern reader wants to see in their stories. How do you blend the past with the present? Listen in to find out!

We interrupt our scheduled program to bring you a fabulous interview! We sat down with co-owner of the Ripped Bodice Bea Koch to talk all about her new book Mad & Bad: Real Heroines of the Regency. Her book looks at the badass women living through the regency who have been overlooked by history in favor of their male counterparts but played an important role during the time period. Even more, a lot of these women knew each other, showing once more that when women support women, we can do some amazing things.

A prank gone horribly wrong leads to a marriage to save a reputation. Lady Jane Huxley may be a reluctant duchess but she soon finds that her new husband is hewn from more than icy marble - there’s actually a heart underneath that shell when he starts to thaw. But will this mismatched pair realize that opposites attract? Or will the Duke of Blackmore keep them from finding their happily ever after trying to fight his inevitable feelings? You'll find out as we read The Truth About Cads and Dukes by Elisa Brayden. **Don't try and bet against the SP...

Gregory Bridgerton believes in true love. How could he not after watching all his siblings, including Hyacinth, enjoying life in HEA? He finally find the girl of his dreams when he sets eyes on Hermione Watson. Hermione, while lovely, has one flaw - she is in love with another! Her best friend Lucy Abernathy, though, is happy to help Gregory win her affection but it turns out Lucy and Gregory get on better than Gregory and Hermione. Yet fate has another twist as Lucy is soon betrothed to another and cannot break the engagement. Gregory is not one to give...

Thorn Daughtry, the bastard son of a duke, is looking to get married and he has the perfect candidate. She is nothing like the woman who is helping him renovate his new estate. India for her part wants no part in a marriage to a man she cannot manage and Thorn is anything but manageable. That being said, sparks fly within their first meeting and the two cannot seem to stay away from the other. Three Weeks with Lady X is our first read by author Eloisa James and it does not disappoint! Her whit and fast-moving plot kept us...

Back in May, cohost Zoë had the fabulous opportunity to partner with her local library to moderate a series of chats with Romance Authors! In this series, you'll get to hear from a variety of authors spanning many romance subgenres and topics! Our first chat was with Contemporary romance authors Lyssa Kay Adams (The Bromance Book Club) and Kristin Rockaway (She's Faking It) where we discussed how these two weave amazing tales that today's reader can relate to.

Thanks to a listener recommendation we have one of our steamiest reviews to date. Oliver is a Marquess looking for the perfect wife; a friend who can not only entertain him during the day, but also an adventuress wanton who will allow him to explore all his sexual fantasies at night. He believes he's found his perfect match in the mysterious diary he found on his property. Lily, the authoress of this diary, did not hold back in any of her entries. That being said, she's not looking for a husband, no matter how attracted she is to Oliver. Can...

Hattie Sedley is taking life by the horns. It is the Year of Hattie and she is going to finish the year as a woman in charge. However, her plans are briefly derailed when she meets Beast, one of the three Bareknuckle Bastards that run Covent Garden. As their lives and limbs intertwine, Beast does his best to keep his distance to protect his lady love. Hattie calls bull on his antics and tells him that while no man has ever been able to stand their ground against him, this woman fights to win. **We'll only accept all the SPOILERS**

In the penultimate Bridgerton book, we return to the clan to watch our youngest Bridgerton find her HEA! Will Hyacinth allow herself to be a bit uncomfortable so that she can actually find love? Will Gareth allow his family secrets to derail their budding romance? Listen in as a fascinating family diary reveals its' secrets and sends our lovebirds on the trail of some hidden jewels in Julia Quinn's It's In His Kiss! **To the victor go the Spoiler Alerts!**

In our eighth installment of Julie Anne Long’s Pennyroyal Green series, we finally get to dig a little deeper into the life of the youngest Redmond sibling. Jonathan may act like the devil-may-care younger son, but this dude has plans. Tommy also has plans and while they did not initially include a Redmond, she’ll take him anyway. She’s spent her life doing things out of necessity, so she’s not about to stare a gift horse in the mouth. Together these two just ooze chemistry and as their goals align, these two may just be unstoppable. It Happened...

A Duke: Has been named the guardian of his cousin’s son. To get to him he needs to chase down his cousin’s uncle and figure out what happened to the boy’s mother. The Lady: Was locked in Bedlam by her husband’s uncle to keep her from her child. Now she’s a desperate mother with trust issues trying to find a way to leave England behind. A Baby: Lionel Jordan is the catalyst that brings together his mother Patience Jordan and Busick Strathmore, Duke of Reppington. In sharing their love of Lionel these two must learn to trust i...

In this book our hero meets our heroine, fights a duel, has a stroke, loses his speech, re-meets our heroine, and escapes from a Sanitarium. AND WE’RE NOT EVEN HALFWAY THROUGH!! Laura Kinsale with her fantastic command of the English language really shows us a different side of love. Christian Langland, Duke of Jervaulx, has to deal with relearning his words and Archimedea Timms, has to figure out how to love someone outside Quaker Society. Flowers from the Storm took us on a wild adventure and we cannot wait to tell you all about it. **Thou shalt find SPOILERS**

Olivia Waite is a delight! She is funny, outgoing, and man does she like romance! She tells us about her journey to discovering her own sexuality and how she's used that discovery to fuel her own books. She is the author of Avon's first F/F historical romance and honestly we had so much fun we lost track of time. We laughed, we got serious, and we are so excited for you to listen to our interview with Olivia Waite!

Violetta Beauchamps may enter Bertrice Martin's life under false pretenses but quickly something more develops. Nothing brings people closer than a common goal. That goal being to oust Mrs. Martin's terrible nephew from his lodgings. And man, is this dude terrible! Just when you think he cannot get worse, he does. However his existence helps these ladies get to know each other. In today's read we're finding love in their twilight years in Mrs. Martin's Incomparable Adventure by Courtney Milan! **a hallelujah chorus of Spoilers**

To continue our Pride month episodes, we were lucky enough to get to sit down with Cat Sebastian, author of many LQBTQ novels, including Avon's first published MM historical romance. We spoke about her journey to being an author, what drew her to the genre and time period, and how she discovered queer romance as a reader and as an author. We also talked about how she gives voice to her very diverse cast of characters who challenge the status quo. We hope you enjoy this fabulous conversation with Cat Sebastian....because we most certainly did!