Reading Under the Covers: A Romance Novel Podcast

For years I had historical romance filed under "mom's romance novels." Then in May 2011 I read Secrets of a Summer Night by Lisa Kleypas, and historical romance became the genre I reach for when I need comfort.
In this episode of Reading Under the Covers, a romance novel podcast, I'm telling you how one book (and my blog co-founders, who would not stop recommending Lisa Kleypas) turned me from a historical romance skeptic into a lifelong fan. We're chatting about the Wallflowers series, why historical romance is where it's at if you're craving yearning, the clinch covers I used to judge and now collect, and Lisa Kleypas's first new book in five years, The Queen of Lombard Street.
Grab a drink and come sit for a bookish brunch with me. Then tell me in the comments: what was your gateway historical romance?
📚 BOOKS MENTIONED Secrets of a Summer Night by Lisa Kleypas (Wallflowers #1)
It Happened One Autumn by Lisa Kleypas (Wallflowers #2)
Scandal in Spring by Lisa Kleypas (Wallflowers #4)
The Queen of Lombard Street by Lisa Kleypas
Love Come to Me by Lisa Kleypas
The Luna Sisters series by Liana De La Rosa
🎧 I listened to Secrets of a Summer Night on audio, narrated by Rosalyn Landor, and she did a fabulous job.
🔗 LINKS
My Queen of Lombard Street review: coming soon
Why we hid our romance covers (the cover shame video): https://youtu.be/yLhUnGTa0Fg
Ripped & Ravished book club discussion of Love Come to Me: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/bodice-ripper-book-club/
⏱️ CHAPTERS
00:00 Why I thought historical romance wasn't for me
04:38 The book that changed everything
06:25 Secrets of a Summer Night (spoiler-free)
11:01 Why historical romance became my comfort genre
14:37 From judging clinch covers to collecting them
16:30 Lisa Kleypas's new release
17:32 Where I'd tell you to start
17:54 What was your gateway historical romance?
👀 WATCH NEXT:
- What to Read After Bridgerton Season 4: https://youtu.be/os_IuXcpe0Q
- What would Jane Austen Read? Her Modern TBR: https://youtu.be/IWAhj0aLhpo
✨ Loved the episode?
Follow Reading Under the Covers wherever you listen and leave a quick review. It helps more romance readers find us (and lets me know what you’re loving). 💕
💌 Talk to Me:
Got a rec, trope request, or hot take? → Drop me a voice message.
☕ Support the Show:
Enjoyed hanging out? Leave us a tip. Even a dollar keeps the mics on and the coffee flowing.
📚 Stay Connected:
Blog: reviews, book lists, and seasonal reading inspo.
YouTube: book chats, reading lifestyle and recs.
Newsletter: join our insider for the latest updates.

💖 This episode may contain affiliate links. We earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show!

When did the vampire stop being the thing that eats you and become the guy who'd die before he let anything touch you? I went looking for that answer and it happened much earlier than I expected. It was us.
My answer to a TikTok I can't stop thinking about: the monsters we love come out of whatever makes us feel safe. This is how the vampire got there.
If you want to make a whole vampire month (or season) out of this, I put together a free Vampire Personal Curriculum with required reading, a watchlist, games, free resources on vampire folklore and more:
https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/vampire-personal-curriculum/
LINKS FROM THIS VIDEO
- My friend Victoria's series on the bookish scandals of classic authors (Polidori included): https://www.youtube.com/@bibliolifestyle
- Why the paranormal alpha is making a comeback: https://youtu.be/AaTGtoc8EmU
- Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles in reading order: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/vampire-chronicles-reading-order/
- My original Vampire Academy movie review: https://archive.underthecoversbookblog.com/movie-review-vampire-academy/
- My thoughts on The Vampire Lestat season 3: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/vampire-lestat-season-3/
Timestamps
00:00 What the monster we love says about us
01:05 Stage one: Before he was hot. Folklore to Dracula
02:47 1931: Lugosi's fan mail
03:54 The four stages
04:28 Anne Rice and falling for him anyway
08:55 Stage two: restraint (Angel, Edward, Stefan)
11:03 Stage three: the partner (Anita, Sookie, Cat and Bones)
14:18 Stage four: the protector (Black Dagger Brotherhood)
16:37 Why the 2000s made the vampire so popular
18:09 The boom cools off, then BookTok brings him back
21:32 The Vampire Personal Curriculum
BOOKS AND SHOWS IN THIS VIDEO
Shop the whole reading list on LTK:
https://liketk.it/6oTfx
(This is an affiliate link, which means I receive a small commission at no cost to you.)
The Vampyre by John Polidori
Dracula by Bram Stoker (and the new audiobook narrated by Jonathan Bailey)
Dracula (1931), Bela Lugosi
Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice, the 1994 film by the same name and Queen of the Damned (2002), plus the new AMC show from 2022
John Carpenter's Vampires (1998)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer and the 2008 film
The Vampire Diaries by L.J. Smith and the TV series
Anita Blake by Laurell K. Hamilton
Vampire Huntress Legend by L.A. Banks
Underworld movie franchise
Sookie Stackhouse by Charlaine Harris and True Blood
Night Huntress by Jeaniene Frost
Jaz Parks by Jennifer Rardin
Undead and Unwed by MaryJanice Davidson
Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward
Argeneau Vampires by Lynsay Sands
Immortals After Dark by Kresley Cole
Midnight Breed by Lara Adrian
Eternal Hunger by Laura Wright
Bonded by Blood by Laurie London
Vampire Academy (2014 film) and book series
Dracula Untold (2014)
From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout
A Bargain of Blood by Vasilisa Drake
✨ Loved the episode?
Follow Reading Under the Covers wherever you listen and leave a quick review. It helps more romance readers find us (and lets me know what you’re loving). 💕
💌 Talk to Me:
Got a rec, trope request, or hot take? → Drop me a voice message.
☕ Support the Show:
Enjoyed hanging out? Leave us a tip. Even a dollar keeps the mics on and the coffee flowing.
📚 Stay Connected:
Blog: reviews, book lists, and seasonal reading inspo.
YouTube: book chats, reading lifestyle and recs.
Newsletter: join our insider for the latest updates.

💖 This episode may contain affiliate links. We earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show!

I sat down to talk about a 1995 alien romance and ended up in a six and a half year lawsuit. In today's episode of Reading Under the Covers, a romance novel podcast, we are diving into Knight of a Trillion Stars by Dara Joy. Our July/August Ripped & Ravished Book Club book.
Three words: Highlanders in Space
But then I got curious about what happened to Dara Joy, a bestselling author who simply disappeared for twenty years. That turned into a whole rabbit hole including a contract lawsuit, an argument about whether a book counted as science fiction or romance, a self-publishing attempt that went wrong. And the book at the centre of that scandal sent me looking for where all the dominant women were in 2000s romance.
This episode covers an author's litigation and business history. Everything is sourced and linked below, and I've quoted both sides in their own words.
Timestamps
00:00 The Rabbit Hole
00:53 Book Club Housekeeping
01:41 Meet the Alien Knight
03:02 Sci-Fi Con Fish Out of Water
05:18 Rating and Red Flags
07:11 Writing Style Surprise
09:04 Suzanne's Review, and the Spice
11:41 Series Talk: Rejar
13:14 Where Is Dara Joy?
14:02 The Dorchester Lawsuit Timeline
19:05 The Self-Publishing PayPal Mess
21:33 The Ritual of Proof Twist
25:53 Femdom Market Deep Dive
31:52 Power Dynamics Takeaways
34:01 Wrap Up and Next Pick
Books Mentioned
Knight of a Trillion Stars by Dara Joy (1995), Matrix of Destiny #1
Rejar by Dara Joy (1997), Matrix of Destiny #2
Ritual of Proof by Dara Joy (2001)
Holding the Cards by Joey W. Hill (2002), Nature of Desire #1
Natural Law by Joey W. Hill (2004), Nature of Desire #2
The Vampire Queen's Servant by Joey W. Hill (2007), Vampire Queen #1
Truly Helpless by Joey W. Hill (2017), Nature of Desire #10
A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux (1989)
From the blog
Knight of a Trillion Stars review, including Suzanne's original 2011 review: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/knight-of-a-trillion-stars-review/
Rejar review: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/rejar-by-dara-joy-review/
Ripped & Ravished Book Club: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/bodice-ripper-book-club/
How to Read Vintage Bodice Rippers Without Gaslighting Yourself: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/read-vintage-bodice-rippers/
A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux review: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/a-knight-in-shining-armor-by-jude-deveraux/
My review of The Vampire Queen's Servant by Joey W. Hill: https://archive.underthecoversbookblog.com/the-vampire-queens-servant-by-joey-w-hill/
Jennifer's review of Truly Helpless by Joey W. Hill, quoted in this episode: https://archive.underthecoversbookblog.com/truly-helpless-by-joey-w-hill-2/
Sources
Everything in this episode is sourced. Here is where it all came from.
ON THE DORCHESTER DISPUTE
Dorchester Publishing's public statement, 10 February 2005, archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20070208005519/http://www.dorchesterpub.com/DorchSpecialFeatures.cfm
Dara Joy's own 2005 statement, quoted in Maya Reynolds, "Another Cautionary Tale," April 2007. The original page on her website has since been deleted and is not archived: https://mayareynoldswriter.blogspot.com/2007/04/another-cautionary-tale.html
Dear Author, "Authors Behaving Badly: Dara Joy," July 2006. The most detailed contemporary account of the litigation and the self-publishing complaints: https://dearauthor.wordpress.com/2006/07/03/authors-behaving-badly-episode-1-dara-joy/
Dara Joy, "Great news from Dara Joy," 1 February 2008, announcing the settlement: https://officialdarajoy.com/2008/02/01/great-news-from-dara-joy/
Dara Joy's official site and current self-published catalogue: https://officialdarajoy.com/
ON RITUAL OF PROOF
All About Romance review: https://allaboutromance.com/book-review/ritual-of-proof/
Mrs Giggles review, April 2002: https://mrsgiggles.com/ritual-of-proof-by-dara-joy/
Beauty in Ruins review, October 2024: https://sallybend.wordpress.com/2024/10/05/book-review-ritual-of-proof-by-dara-joy-sff-romance/
ON ELLORA'S CAVE AND BDSM ROMANCE
Smart Bitches Trashy Books, "Interview with the Folks from Ellora's Cave," 2006: https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/stuffwelike/interview_with_the_folks_from_elloras_cave/
Sarah S. G. Frantz, "The History of BDSM Fiction and Romance," in Fifty Writers on Fifty Shades of Grey (2012), via the Romance Scholarship Database: https://rsdb.vivanco.me.uk/bibliography/history-bdsm-fiction-and-romance
Joey W. Hill's Nature of Desire series, publication history and book descriptions: https://storywitch.com/series-nod/
Join the Book Club
Ripped & Ravished is our vintage romance readalong. One book every two months, and a podcast discussion for each one.
September and October is Love Come to Me by Lisa Kleypas. She has a new book out in October, Queen of Lombard Street, her first in five years, so it felt like the right moment to go all the way back to where she started.
Join the Ripped & Ravished email track and you'll get the pick, the discussion link, and a bit of context every two months: https://underthecovers.myflodesk.com/ripped-ravished
And reply to those emails. Genuinely. Reader replies have changed how I've read these books more than once.
✨ Loved the episode?
Follow Reading Under the Covers wherever you listen and leave a quick review. It helps more romance readers find us (and lets me know what you’re loving). 💕
💌 Talk to Me:
Got a rec, trope request, or hot take? → Drop me a voice message.
☕ Support the Show:
Enjoyed hanging out? Leave us a tip. Even a dollar keeps the mics on and the coffee flowing.
📚 Stay Connected:
Blog: reviews, book lists, and seasonal reading inspo.
YouTube: book chats, reading lifestyle and recs.
Newsletter: join our insider for the latest updates.

💖 This episode may contain affiliate links. We earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show!

June 2026 was my best reading month in years: 22 books, nearly 8,000 pages, and a full-blown C-drama obsession that reshaped everything I picked up. This is Reading Under the Covers, a romance novel podcast, and today's my June reading wrap-up: every book and the show that started my new binge.
It began with Pursuit of Jade on Netflix. I fell hard, that man yearns like nobody's business, and once the show had me, I went looking for books that felt the same way. Pull up a chair, this is a long one.
Timestamps
00:00 Intro
00:57 StoryGraph Reading Stats
01:48 C Drama Obsession Begins
02:30 Pursuit of Jade Recap
06:07 More C Dramas to Watch
07:56 Back to the Books
08:05 Regency Pirate Rom Com
09:45 Paris Poly Romance
10:46 Immortality Lyrical Fantasy
12:21 True Crime Thriller
13:47 MM Urban Fantasy Romance
17:02 Small Town Suspense Romance
18:52 Rival Wizards Rom Com
20:26 Magical Vet Academia
22:59 Villain Love Triangle
24:47 Classic Time Travel Romance
26:58 Cozy Quest Romantasy
28:38 Wildcat Dark Stalkers
31:39 Space Mystery Romance
33:11 Grumpy Sunshine Foodie
34:49 Assassin Gothic Dark Romance
37:15 Chinese Mythology YA
38:21 Fake Dating Mooncakes
39:35 Cinderella Inspired Fantasy
41:24 Wrestling Rival Romance
43:43 Gothic Fantasy Yearning
45:47 Death God Fantasy Quest
47:36 Pride and Prejudice Korea
49:16 Wrap Up and Community
Links
Shop the books from this episode: [LTK LINK — shop the books]
Read along & catch up on the blog:
Summer 2026 Reading Challenge → https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/summer-2026-reading-challenge/
July 2026 Book Releases → https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/july-2026-book-releases/
Summer 2026 Romance Releases → https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/summer-2026-romance-releases/
Summer 2026 Mystery Releases → https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/summer-2026-mystery-releases/
Queer Summer 2026 Book Releases → https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/queer-summer-2026-book-releases/

Want the full discussion of A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux? We covered it in two Ripped & Ravished Book Club episodes with Becky from Too Stupid To Live → https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/a-knight-in-shining-armor-by-jude-deveraux/
✨ Loved the episode?
Follow Reading Under the Covers wherever you listen and leave a quick review. It helps more romance readers find us (and lets me know what you’re loving). 💕
💌 Talk to Me:
Got a rec, trope request, or hot take? → Drop me a voice message.
☕ Support the Show:
Enjoyed hanging out? Leave us a tip. Even a dollar keeps the mics on and the coffee flowing.
📚 Stay Connected:
Blog: reviews, book lists, and seasonal reading inspo.
YouTube: book chats, reading lifestyle and recs.
Newsletter: join our insider for the latest updates.

💖 This episode may contain affiliate links. We earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show!

There's a book on your nightstand right now with a bookmark stuck about forty pages in. You already know you're not going to finish it and you feel a little guilty about it. That's the summer reading slump. And the way out isn't waiting for the mood to come back. It's a challenge... the fun, low-pressure kind.
In this episode of Reading Under the Covers, a romance novel podcast, I break down the Heatwave Cup: the summer edition of Under the Covers' year-long Romanceopoly reading challenge, built for exactly the reader who's stuck. Four books, three months, no spreadsheet, no bingo board. A challenge you can technically win by reading less.
I walk through all four prompts with picks straight from the Discord community plus my own summer TBR for it. The complete rec lists for every prompt, the free printable challenge cards, and the StoryGraph tracker all live on the blog.
Whether you're playing the full Romanceopoly challenge or you just want your bookmark unstuck, this is your mid-year reading reset for your reading life. Come tell us which prompt you're starting with.
Chapters:
00:00 The Summer Reading Slump
00:55 Heatwave Cup: What It Is
01:51 Rules, Dates & Tracking
02:52 Prompt 1: Rift Run
04:19 Prompt 2: Cursebreaker Clash
05:23 Prompt 3: Double Faulted Desires
06:41 Prompt 4: Enchanted Rally
07:32 Wrap-Up & How to Join

Links:
Full challenge, all community recs, Storygraph & free printables: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/summer-2026-reading-challenge/
Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/JfHWVdYz5U
Read with us on Fable: https://utcbookblog.com/CX9IoU
Check out Romanceopoly: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/reading-challenge

✨ Loved the episode?
Follow Reading Under the Covers wherever you listen and leave a quick review. It helps more romance readers find us (and lets me know what you’re loving). 💕
💌 Talk to Me:
Got a rec, trope request, or hot take? → Drop me a voice message.
☕ Support the Show:
Enjoyed hanging out? Leave us a tip. Even a dollar keeps the mics on and the coffee flowing.
📚 Stay Connected:
Blog: reviews, book lists, and seasonal reading inspo.
YouTube: book chats, reading lifestyle and recs.
Newsletter: join our insider for the latest updates.

💖 This episode may contain affiliate links. We earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show!