Hey HBs! We're here with LOVE FOR THE COLD-BLOODED, OR THE PART-TIME EVIL MINION'S GUIDE TO ACCIDENTALLY DATING A SUPERHERO by Alex Gabriel! Boy, oh boy, this MM superhero fantasy novel is fan-damn-tastic; the voice is SO UNIQUE, the world-building is incredible, and the romance is SMOKING HOT. There's accidental sex work, it highlights the power of perspective, and someone puts quail eggs on pizza. Plus, FORCE FIELD S*X! Bonus Content: rich boy pizzas, force field condoms, telling your...

Hey HBs! We're here to recap JUST FOR THE CAMERAS by Viano Oniomoh! It's a fluffy contemporary with delicious and supported sex work, amazing communication, a sad sad Sebastian boy, best friendship goals, and an MMF menage that made us feel all gooey and sparkly inside. And WOW the hot hot sexy times! This is definitely an erotic romance. Bonus Content: this is a giggly episode, sad boy catnip, dimple piercings, celebrations of beautiful fat bodies, Pavlovian Portraits, only one bed, two...

Hey HBs! It's Post-Apocalyptic Times!! We're recapping CLAIMED by Elle Kennedy, and wow is outlaw country sex and kink positive! We've got a heroine with a BIG secret, a hero with a vendetta, and a passel of boys we can't get enough of! Bonus Content: Michael's angry bird artistic debut, that potent post-apocalyptic pussy, sexy hit point increases, the confusing commerce of outlaw country, flower favors, outlaw jail, and so much more! Lady Loves: Sabrina: see your friends as much as...

Hey HBs! Mel and Sabrina are here to recap RAVISHED by Amanda Quick! It's a historical with a fossil-obsessed heroine, a VERY misunderstood hero, a dangerous ring of robbers, and a cavernous ruination!! Bonus Content: Mel got her 5 yards of dirt delivered, Sabrina wants to be BFFs with this heroine, the gals go on a crustacean tangent, Mel does a big word association on everyone because it's tired in here, Lady Whipplethorpe, Lord Applebottom Doorman, and so much more! Lady Loves: Joint...

Hey HBs! HAPPY ST. VINCENT WEEK! Tomorrow, April 2nd, is officially the 3rd (or maybe 4th?) annual St. Vincent Day! Where we celebrate Sebastian St. Vincent, the misunderstood bad boy who's really just broken and wants to ensconce your feet in warmth and feed you and plan funerals so you don't have to and become the sexist casino business man and take bullets for you. CASUAL STUFF. Last year, we got recommendations for books that have St. Vincent *vibes* and boy did HB Taylor deliver! She's...

Hey HBs! We haven't recapped an alien romance in a while... dare we say TOO LONG! We're here today with TAKEN TO VORAXIA by Elizabeth Stevens! As of the release of this episode, Mel has read through book 6 without any plans to stop. This series is sooo good! TW: discussions of sexual assault, slavery, and forced abortions. Bonus Content: Mel can't tear herself away from the Ruthless Bosses series by Theodora Taylor, how much we love the there-aren't-enough-babies trope, xora pockets (insert...

Hey y'all! We're here with part 2 of IN THE MIDDLE OF SOMEWHERE by Roan Parrish! We left you in the middle of their first (and only?) fight, which we acknowledge was a mean thing to do. But! There's an HEA! CW: for discussions of parental death and attempted suicide. Bonus Content: Mel did some hyperfocus "cleaning" because there was no one around to stop her, Sabrina wants Ginger's book (it exists! Huzzah!), Mel "pegged [Sabrina] so hard," and Sabrina is a sister goddess. Lady Loves:...

Hey HBs! We're here with IN THE MIDDLE OF SOMEWHERE by Roan Parrish! This is part 1 because we loved this book soooooo much. This MM romance features a tattooed professor with anxiety and a super burly, cabin-building, care-taking dreamboat. Bonus Content: Mel's bringing big grown-up-lady-sleepover energy, Sabrina is now tailoring reading lists to Mel's big mouth, both gals are horned up for love, and we meet Sabrina's anxiety gremlin! Lady Loves: Mel: The soundtrack of the musical SIX!...

Hey HBs! We're back with ANY DUCHESS WILL DO by Tessa Dare! We restart our tale right after the library finger-b*ng, and these two are convinced that they only have until the end of the week. Will he gut his BFF for this woman?? Content warning: discussions of infant death and mentions of miscarriage. Bonus Content: Mel just dropped her family off at the airport, Mel and Sabrina "haven't even been railed yet" (or ever?), Sabrina found the ultimate tax-deductible ass, and we love every...

Hey HBs! We're here to recap ANY DUCHESS WILL DO by Tessa Dare! It's an Englandtimes book featuring a sad, broken Duke, his desperate mother, and the serving girl who will change them all forever. Bonus Content: Mel's got a mesakkah dick on her phone screen now, Sabrina learned about screenshots a long time ago, Sabrina has special feelings about stickers, and so much more! Lady Loves: Sabrina: Wear the silly costume! Be a shrimp! Do it!! Mel: Call an audible! The sportsball kind, that is....

Hey HBs! It's time to cross the finish line of THE GIRL WITH THE STARS IN HER EYES by Xio Axelrod. Toni is starting to mesh with and carve out her role in the band, Seb is remining himself of his no-fraternization clause constantly, and Kandy is ready to make some waves! Y'all, this childhood best-friends to lovers set in the soundscape of an all-girl rock band, frankly, rocked our world. Bonus Content: Sabrina has been ORGANIZING HER LIFE and will not be accepting questions, we're so glad...

Hey HBs! We planned this as a two-parter because we knew we would need to obsess over every detail AND WE WERE RIGHT. We're recapping THE GIRL WITH STARS IN HER EYES by Xio Axelrod! It's a second chance, childhood-best-friends-to-lovers romance set in the music industry and ehrmegerd we're hooked. Bonus Content: Mel's entire personality is gardening, this book has so much TEXTURE, you can hear the music and smell the smells and feel ALL the feels, Mel's rogue tampon, the blissful city of...

Hey HBs! It's time to get our hockey on with HARD HITTER by Sarina Bowen! It's a massage, it's a yoga, it's a crime thriller! Ari and Patrick are so swoony! CW for discussions of past domestic abuse. Bonus Content: Sabrina (on record as NOT a re-reader) has read this book 3 times, Mel has been cut off by Hoopla, the gals both need massages badly, Mel learns what "uppers" actually are (yikes), dicks in coffee makers, and so much more! Lady Loves: Sabrina - rereading! Sometimes it's so so so...

Hey HBs! Mel and Sabrina are back with HIS PRETEND BABY by Theodora Taylor! Nyla and Go are imperfectly perfect for each other and it was SO SWOONY! Self love, acceptance, and hot hot s*x are huge themes in this book and we couldn't get enough. Bonus Content: Mel has a dick on her phone and both gals only share VERY begrudgingly. Lady Loves: Sabrina: Find yourself a local community. Having someone who would come over to make sure she was ok after a concussion was an amazing experience....

Hey HBs! It's chaotic over here. Mel's drunk, Sabrina's an ADHD, and birds are locking people out of their cars. Also, Bobby De Niro is here! In this episode we recap a 5 Star Review Bribe MOVIE: the 2007 film Stardust starring Claire Danes, Daredevil, and Not-Goldie-Hawn. This road trip romance is a romp that everyone needs to see! Bonus Content: did Mel incept Sabrina to DIY renovate her house or is she just turning 30?, is this a perfect movie? Everyone is in it!, this whole movie/book...

Hey HBs! We're here recapping THE MASTER by Kresley Cole! It was formerly a Patreon-only episode, but we're doing something we basically never do and releasing it wide. We originally recapped The Professional and then finished the series on Patreon. This episode was supposed to be a recap of both The Master and The Player, but we loved the books so much we had to give them their own episodes. Bonus Content: Did Mel incept Sabrina with Lady DIY Instagram or is she just turning 30?, chastity...

Helloooooo HBs! I hope you've been exercising your huggin' arms because it's time for the 2023 annual Heaving Bosoms Reading Embrace!!!!!!!! We gave you 20 categories and you did whatever you wanted with them. And if you notified us that you even thought about doing the Embrace, YOU GET SNUGGLED INTO OUR BOSOMS! More than anything, we need to say the biggest, most heart-felt thank you to YOU, Listener. You continue to melt our hearts and blow us away with your support, generosity of spirit,...

Happy New Year HBs!!!!!!!!!! Mel and Sabrina are ushering in 2024 by recapping Grand Theft NYE by Katrina Jackson! It's horny in here! AND THERE'S A HEIST! Y'all know how much Mel loves a caper. Cleo is here to make an entrance and then a hasty exit... with Mr. Shimizu's heart. Bonus Content: 2nd grade humor, Jessica Hare, getting jokes live on the podcast, Ana Huang's Twisted series, a high speed finger bang, honey badgers, the brand new taste sensation "Squelchers," and so much more! BIG...

Hey HBs! Your fave Nic is here with Mel and Sabrina for our annual Christmas movie episode! We signed up for a lighthearted romance and instead we got a lighthearted THRILLER! In this airport Marriott, Christmas Magic has turned malignant. Wishes will be distorted, bodies will be snatched, and cookies will be decorated to be PURPOSEFULLY UGLY gah! No, but seriously, WTF is this movie. Currently, you can stream it on Hulu. Bonus Content: a Christmas song that will steal your whole brain,...

Hey HBs! This week we're here to recap the YA darling, THE CHRISTMAS CLASH by Suzanne Park! This book is so swoony, funny, moving, adorable, and a big inspire! Chloe and Peter are mired in a years-long family rivalry, but might need to work together to save their family's restaurants from being demolished, along with the mall they call home. Along the way we get romantic, illicit alley dinners, grassroots organization, speaking truth through art, basketball court justice, collaboration as a...

Hey HBs! Happy Hanukkah to every who celebrates! On this 5th day of Hannukah 2023 we're recapping one of the most adorable (and hot!) books ever, Mistletoe and Mishigas by M.A. Wardell. It's an MM contemporary about a sunshine, pocket-sized 1st grade teacher and the Queen-loving, grumpy bear custodian who wants to resist his charm and just can't. Fake dating, size difference, grumpy/sunshine, protagonists in their 30s, This Duke Is A Virgin, communicating only in grunts, PTSD from military...

HBs! We're kicking off our special Patreon series the 12 Weeks of Maas-mas! That's right, for the next 3 (or probably more) months, Sabrina and Mel will be recapping Crescent City books 1 and 2 on Patreon, in preparation for book 3's release in January!! In this episode, we cover chapters 1-12 of HOUSE OF EARTH AND BLOOD and we don't hold back! What is haaaaappening?! How did she wreck Mel in the first 5 chapters? Whyyyyyy??? So, you don't need to do a big reread to get prepped for HOUSE OF...

Hey HBs! We're here with our first historical in a while and Sabrina has decided she lives there now. That's right, When Beauty Tamed the Beast by Eloisa James has stolen our plucky co-host and may never return her! We've got an erroneously-ruined heroine, a supposedly-impotent and very grumpy doctor hero, and an arranged marriage that "doesn't suit." But swimming lessons might just be the key to flooding everyone's basements. Bonus Content: Sabrina quits the podcast so she can devote all...

Hey HBs! Happy Thanksgiving to all our American Listener! This week we're recapping Before Thanksgiving Comes by Marisa Carroll. It was a little heavier than our former Inspirational romance books, but we manage to find the funny! TW: substance use disorder (character currently in recovery), death of a spouse and grandmother (historical), mention of suicide (historical), parentification of a child, teenage drinking, and drunk driving. Bonus Content: cleavage tonguing in the wild, more...