Welcome to Recipe for a Bookish Life: the podcast! I’m excited to experiment with this facet of Substack this summer to share behind the scenes morsels and scrumptious pairings for my curated list of summer romance novels: Recipe for a Summer Romance.
I’ve been podcasting in the literary space for about five years now, formerly on He Read She Read (listen to our backlog before we permanently shelve our episodes) and now on Novel Pairings, a podcast dedicated to making classic literature readable, relevant, and fun. No matter what I’m creating, be it a romance list, an Instagram post, or notes on Jane Austen’s life, I am always thinking in podcasts. I love the podcasting medium as an opportunity to share stories, conversations, and detailed thoughts—especially on books and reading.
In today’s short podcast episode, I’m sharing how I created my spice scale for Recipe for a Summer Romance, what I find so tricky about rating romance novels, and where to find the nuance between a number three and four spice rating.
I would LOVE to hear your thoughts on spice ratings and summer romance reading in the comments. If you have specific, or sensitive, questions, feel free to send me a DM @chelseyreads on Instagram. This episode does include a discussion of sex and sexy books. Nothing detailed! But I don’t think I’ve ever said the word “sex” so many times within a 10 minute span, so pop your air pods in while listening to this episode, folks.
You can listen to this podcast episode in your internet browser, on the Substack app, or in your favorite podcast player (I recommend this method!). Here are some instructions to help you set it up.
Episode Outline:
Why I’ve avoided spice ratings in the past
Why I thought a scale was necessary for Recipe for a Summer Romance
Why it was tough to conceptualize an inclusive, positive, and all encompassing spice scale
Subjective
Succinct
Nuanced
How I created my scale, with examples
A few books from my summer romance list that I found extra challenging to rate
Books and Authors Mentioned:
All the Right Notes by Dominic Lim
Priest by Sierra Simone
The Nanny by Lana Ferguson
Emily Henry (try Beach Read)
Take a Hike by Mimi Grace
Business or Pleasure by Rachel Lynn Solomon
An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana Herrera
Other Links:
On Steaminess and Subjectivity from Moonstruck Reads
I’ll be back on the Substack podcasting platform with more summer romance episodes this season. Let me know if you have specific questions, requests, or curiosities about Recipe for a Summer Romance—and feel free to share this episode with a romance reading friend.
Happy Romance Reading,
Chelsey
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To find out more about my current reads, favorite recipes, and life updates follow me on Instagram. If you’re interested in reading classic literature with a cozy community and contemporary flair, check out the Novel Pairings Patreon community.
Rating Spicy Romance Novels