It’s been a month since Kris and Tara have seen each other’s faces and they have a lot to catch up on!
Kris is in hell, physically and otherwise, dreaming of her recent relaxing, internet-free trip to the lake. Tara’s kids are back in the September school rush, so everything’s a blur between that and work.
They talk Jimmy Kimmel, Jon Stewart, as well as Harlequin’s recent sapphic releases, which are a nice change from yesteryear.
Official Recommendations
From Kris: Can We Skip to the Good Part by Melissa Brayden
Kris’s official recommendation this week is Can We Skip to the Good Part by Melissa Brayden, her first independently published book. It’s a story of new beginnings, as a woman is let go from her job and starts fresh in a new town with her best friend and a new book club. This story offers love, insane chemistry, and some tricky maneuvering. If you haven’t read anything by Brayden before, Kris thinks it’s a great place to start.
From Tara: One Weekend in Tahoe by Jaime Clevenger
Tara’s official recommendation this week is the one-night-to-forever One Weekend in Tahoe by Jaime Clevenger. It’s a trope-filled erotic romance set in the worlds of philanthropy and sex parties (not at the same time) that balances enough sweetness with a little bit of the real world.
Works/People Discussed
- How to Stand Up to a Dictator: The Fight for Our Future by Maria Ressa
- Women’s Week – Provincetown
- The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)
- Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon (AMC)
- The Lazarus Project (Sky Max)
- They Came From Below by Luc Dreamer
- Wylde Flowers (Studio Drydock Pty Ltd)
- The Secret Crush Book Club by Karmen Lee
- The Fortune Hunter’s Guide to Love by Emma-Claire Sunday
- Her Fake Wedding Date in Sicily by Jenny Lane
- Sapphic World Book Club
- One Weekend in Aspen by Jaime Clevenger
- Make or Break by E. J. Noyes (recommended in QR 115)
Enjoyed this episode? You might also like episode 93, where Tara recommends Emma Claire-Sunday’s debut novel, The Duke’s Sister and I, and Kris recommends the documentary Will & Harper.
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Transcript
>> Tara Scott: Hey everyone. Welcome to Queerly Recommended, the podcast where we recommend queer books, films, TV shows and more. I’m Tara Scott and I review Sapphic fiction at the Lesbian Review in smart, trashy books. And this week I’m recommending a recent recently released Sapphic Erotic Romance.
>> Kris Bryant: And I’m Kris Bryant, a contemporary romance writer for Bold Strokes books. And this week I’m recommending a recently released Sapphic Romance.
>> Tara Scott: Kris. It’s been a month since we’ve talked. Not, since people heard our voices.
>> Kris Bryant: Right, right.
>> Tara Scott: Who haven’t listened yet. Go listen to the conversation that we had with Salem west and John Copenhager. They did something really, really awesome with the anthology they released of like queer crime fiction. And I think we had. It was a really good, interesting conversation. Just about the idea that like, we can’t have self censorship within a writing community.
>> Kris Bryant: Agreed.
>> Tara Scott: So let’s do our own thing. But I missed your face. How’s your month been?
>> Kris Bryant: You know, we’re burning in hell down here. I’m trying to stay afloat and everything is burning and my whole body hurts.
>> Tara Scott: Okay, so you’re doing great.
>> Kris Bryant: I’m doing great. Like everybody is on edge at work.
>> Kris Bryant: And it just, everybody gets so frustrated so easily and it’s just terrible. Like, it’s just, it’s just a terrible time right now. I’m hoping. Yeah, things perk up. It was funny. I was driving home and Sarah McLaughlin has a new song out called Rise. And I was like, oh, I haven’t heard this song. What is this? You know. And then I’m trying to read my screen, but I can’t because I’m. I need my readers.
>> Tara Scott: So.
>> Kris Bryant: Yeah, I’m trying to like, squint. What is. I know it’s Sarah, but what’s the song? I’ve never heard this song before. And it’s actually, it’s trying to, you know, we all need to love each other. Let’s come together and like, do good things. And like, we just need to all be on the same page. And I’m like, yeah, where were you like six months ago when we needed you? It was, it’s one of those it might be too late type thing, but.
>> Tara Scott: Well, maybe she’s singing. Isn’t. Is she still Canadian? Maybe she’s singing it for us.
>> Kris Bryant: That could be. Since you are a little bit behind, but still kind of going in the same path.
>> Tara Scott: I mean, I truly am, in Canada’s Texas.
>> Kris Bryant: Oh, that’s true. I would like to say that I know we weren’t going to do this, but I’m going to bring it up and we can delete it if we need to.
>> Tara Scott: So just for people who are listening, we’re recording this on September 23rd. And I mean, this is supposed to. This is the day that Jimmy Kimmel was supposed to be back on. I’m very curious to see how it goes.
>> Kris Bryant: It’s been.
>> Tara Scott: You’re right. Like, it’s been a wild time.
>> Kris Bryant: Right. So he got, they. They, dropped his show six days ago. Disney did. And so the funny thing about the whole Sarah MacLachlan thing is that she was supposed to do something for Disney and she backed out because she.
>> Tara Scott: Yeah. It was for a Lilith Fair documentary, wasn’t it?
>> Kris Bryant: I don’t know. I. I just heard this when I came home. I was like, what?
>> Tara Scott: I think if I’m. If I’m recalling correctly, it was, I think it’s Hulu maybe. They’re putting out a documentary about Lilith Fair. And she was obviously a huge part of that.
>> Kris Bryant: so was I.
>> Tara Scott: So she was supposed to do a large. Okay, I. I know I saw the photos of you on stage with Sarah McLaughlin, but.
>> Kris Bryant: All right, good.
>> Tara Scott: And, yeah, she’s like, nope, not doing that. I have to say. Like, I know the Kimmel thing was bad. And I had a friend reach out and he’s like, questioning, like, why do we care about this when there are worse things happening in the world? And I was like, my guy. Yeah, this is a big. This is a big deal. And it was like when he was returned, when the. When Disney put out the announcement, they would bring him back. It’s like, why. Why do we care about this and not this? And I was like, this showed that people have power. Yes. Disney reversed course because people came together for an incredible boycott that cost them billions of dollars.
>> Kris Bryant: A lot of money. Yes.
>> Tara Scott: And I think people need to see that together. They have power, that when you vote with your dollar or when you do those kinds of things. And so I’m definitely going to be checking out, like going to YouTube to see what he has to say. And I never look up stuff to do with Kimmel. I did look up. Did you see when Jon Stewart was on The Daily Show on Thursday?
>> Kris Bryant: I did not. But I love John Stewart. I have for years.
>> Tara Scott: Decades. So he usually does. He usually does Mondays. And then the announcement about Kimmel getting take off the air. Taked. Wow. That’s not a word. Taken. Taken off the air, I read about how, like, he was coming in on Thursday, and I saw that he was going to interview Maria Ressa, and I really wanted to check that out. Maria Ressa is a Nobel Prize winner. She wrote a book called How to Stand up to a Dictator. It’s an excellent book. I listened to it. I think you can listen to it on Spotify. Like, if you don’t have a library account or don’t want to pay for it. She reads it herself.
>> Kris Bryant: Nice.
>> Tara Scott: But she was one of the co founders of Rappler Media in the Philippines. She was kind of like, you know, born and raised in the Philippines. Spent some time being raised in the United States as well. Went to university in the United States and then became like a. She worked for CNN and then ended up creating her own media company. But when Duterte, when his regime was in place in Philippines, there were like 11 warrants for her arrest and she went to prison. She was imprisoned by the regime of a dictator. So Jon Stewart having her on, I’m like, oh, shit. That’s a notable moment. I want to check that out.
So the next morning I grabbed my phone and I’ve been trying really hard lately, don’t look at my phone first thing when I wake up, because I know it’s bad for your nervous system. So I’ve actually been reading books when I first wake up. But that day I was like, I’m, going to YouTube. I’m going to see him talking to Maria Ressa. And what it recommended instead was the opening segment. And I watched that and I laughed until I was weeping. It was so good. And so I think if anybody wants a laugh, I mean, who knows what’s going to happen between now and when this episode goes up in a week. But it was so good. it was so good. It was so funny. And then I. And then I checked out the interview later and it was very, very good. It was very thoughtful and I think important.
>> Kris Bryant: Good.
>> Tara Scott: So, yeah, well, you’re gonna have to watch Sarah McLachlan later.
>> Kris Bryant: I was either that or I’m gonna have to record it. It has been a long ass week.
>> Tara Scott: And it’s only Tuesday night.
>> Kris Bryant: I know. I tell you at work, you know, like I said, everybody’s on edge. And I’m like, I’m egging the mom. But at the same time, I’m like, you know, wait, let me, let me go in and mediate this for you. And. But, you know, there’s a part of me that’s like, let’s Just find peace. And then there’s a part of me that’s like, do what you want. Because you know, chaos reigns, you know, because I did that. So I can’t really tell people, oh, you shouldn’t do that. But I’m also. I want them to know that I have their backs and I support their decision, whatever they want to. But also think about it before they.
>> Tara Scott: Go in with heated feelings.
>> Kris Bryant: Right. Before they go in with heated feelings. Yes. So I try to, I try to talk them down because sometimes that’s, that’s just the best idea. People need jobs.
>> Tara Scott: Yeah. I mean, I think there’s a lot, there’s a lot of people in the world right now who are just walking around with their nervous systems fully dysregulated.
>> Kris Bryant: Yeah, it’s terrible.
>> Tara Scott: There are a lot of people who are not their best selves.
>> Kris Bryant: I know for sure I’m not. That’s why I haven’t been writing, like. Nope. Haven’t even. Can’t do it. Trying.
>> Tara Scott: Yeah.
>> Kris Bryant: Not trying too hard. But I’m also enjoying the time where like, when I come home from work, I do things that I want to do. I don’t have the news on. I don’t, I don’t have to hear it in the office, you know, I mean, when I come home, it’s just quiet. I can just snuggle with the kitties and turn on Jeopardy. And the Great British Baking show and stuff like that. So.
>> Kris Bryant: That’s where I’m at.
>> Tara Scott: I love it. I love it.
So what has. So let’s say what’s been good since we last spoke?
>> Kris Bryant: since we last spoke, I went to the lake with K.B. Draper. I had a great time. It was very nice. Because even if I wanted to plug in, they don’t have Internet.
>> Tara Scott: Nice.
>> Kris Bryant: So it’s kind of like, well, I guess I’m just gonna enjoy nature and walk the dogs and play games and like drink alcohol and just have fun. It was a great time. So we picked up some driftwood. I guess everybody’s now like into like turning wood and making pens and bowls and stuff. And so that’s not me, but I was there for the ride and picking up wood. Will this work? Will this work? Will this work? So that was me.
>> Tara Scott: Yeah. So highly supportive.
>> Kris Bryant: Exactly. And let’s see what else? my football team is sucking right now, which means that my fantasy football teams are just as bad. So I’m in three leagues and I have an 03 record in two of them, which is bad.
>> Tara Scott: I Guess it can’t be your year every year.
>> Kris Bryant: It should be my year every year.
>> Tara Scott: I know. Especially this year.
>> Kris Bryant: Come on. I know. so I win one fantasy football. Last year I made one. One league the very first time. No, it wasn’t the first time. I’m sorry. It was the second time and I won. And I think I’m the best thing ever. I know everything about football. Put me in your, your leagues. And so people are like, hey, you want to be in the league?
>> Tara Scott: Sure.
>> Kris Bryant: Because I’m great. No, I’m terrible at this. I’m terrible. Like everybody got hurt. I have people who just did terrible. I was just bad. So football is going on in my life and then. Oh, I just got the schedule for women’s week in Provincetown.
>> Tara Scott: Oh, awesome.
>> Kris Bryant: That’s exciting.
>> Tara Scott: What’s going on?
>> Kris Bryant: What’s happening? It’s a little bit different this year. There are, I’m not quite sure how many people there, how many authors are there, but we’re going to be bouncing around town, which normally we had it at one place, but you know, last year I think I told you this, we did a, we did the town hall. It was really cool because it had, the town hall was open and there were all these, tables around and then every single person could, who was selling, all the writers and different publishing houses, they all just had tables and they sold their books and so you could just walk around the whole place and buy, you know, indie authors and like Bella and Bywater and Bolster books. And it was just, it was very cool because a lot of the authors got to talk to readers and got to encourage them to buy their books and it was just a very positive experience. And they had open mic and so you can just go up to the open mic and read from your book. And people was, it’s, it’s really cool. I really liked it. So they’re doing it again this year. You know, just the regular, there’s the meet and greet at Harbor Lounge. We have reading panels, we have Q and A panels. So it’s just, it’s a more relaxed vibe. I think this year.
>> Tara Scott: Sounds fun.
>> Kris Bryant: Yeah, I’m excited. I mean, I’m always excited about P Town and we’re getting there so early, so.
>> Tara Scott: Oh, really?
>> Kris Bryant: Yeah, I’m. I’m flying to Chicago to pick up Christina Rivers and then we’re gonna go fly into, Providence, Rhode Island.
>> Kris Bryant: Then we’re gonna stay the night in Providence and then we’re gonna drive over to P Town in the morning. And we were trying to do this to save money because flights are just unbelievably expensive anymore. So we’re trying to come up with ways to save for me. To save money.
>> Kris Bryant: And so that’s what we came up with. So I’m gonna be gone for like eight days. I’m gonna forget where I live.
>> Tara Scott: Uh-huh.
>> Kris Bryant: I am going to be gone. Yeah. So I’m looking forward to that. So that. That’s my news. That’s my news.
>> Tara Scott: That’s pretty good. Well, sadly, I don’t have news. I think that’s just what happens when you, Hey, I think when you have kids in school, it’s just. I don’t know. My kids have been in school and they haven’t been as sick as often as I would have expected, so.
>> Kris Bryant: That’s nice. Wow. Yeah.
>> Tara Scott: I don’t know, man. They’re doing good. School’s going well.
>> Kris Bryant: I’m glad. Yeah. Love it. Do they buy in school?
>> Tara Scott: No. Really?
>> Kris Bryant: Come on.
>> Tara Scott: No. No.
>> Kris Bryant: Why not? I.
>> Tara Scott: Honestly, I think school just seems so different now from when we grew up. I think Covid really changed a lot, especially for the kids who went through Covid at the time, which my oldest did. But also it was like seeing my kids go through it. I didn’t really question anything when I was in. In school because I was basically like, if somebody told me to do something, I would just do what I was told. which now as an adult, it’s like, aha.
>> Tara Scott: Neurodivergent. But also see my kids, who are also neurodivergent. I think school isn’t really made for kids like mine. M. Unfortunately. And so, you know, we’re finding. We’re finding our ways. Like, one of them, does school in person, one of them does school online. And like, the. The online schooling thing was a big switch, but it’s been really, really good. And the thing that’s cool about how they do it here, it’s through the school board. Like, it’s a real. It’s a real school. It just happens to be online. It’s following the same curriculum as all the other kids in that grade, but they do in person one day a week for gym and I think sometimes art and like, other stuff, whatever. And then they’ll have like one drop in, like, want to come hang out at the playground one afternoon a week or something like that. And.
>> Kris Bryant: Oh, that’s cool.
>> Tara Scott: My kids already made like, real friends in class by switching to that, so it’s pretty cool. So Yeah, I mean, it’s. I’m in that stage of life that’s like, oh, I. I do work and my kids do school and then we hang out and then we don’t. We don’t do a lot. I mean, I saw the Fantastic Four movie. Ah.
>> Kris Bryant: yeah, back. That was good.
>> Tara Scott: Because I never go to the movies. So for me, I guess it’s.
>> Kris Bryant: Oh, so it’s a treat.
>> Tara Scott: It was really good.
>> Kris Bryant: And I think crush. I’m sorry, who is your first crush? Well, it’s an actress who is in that movie. And I think I mentioned. I want to say I mentioned that last time. Remember I saw like a snippet of her and I. And I looked her up. I was like, oh my gosh, she was in this movie. Sorry, you said it. And I went backwards in time.
>> Tara Scott: I don’t. I don’t think I remember that.
>> Kris Bryant: That’s all right. We’ve slept since then, several times since our last podcast.
>> Tara Scott: That’s true. What is time? Who knows?
All right, what have you been watching or reading?
>> Kris Bryant: Okay, so Daryl Dixon. not my stray cat, but I.
>> Tara Scott: Was gonna say your cat.
>> Kris Bryant: Right. But the walking dead Daryl Dixon, he’s back. So I’m watching that story. It’s Daryl and Carol. Terrible. But anyway, no, he’s finally out of France. They are finally out of France. They get in a boat and boat crashes. Now they’re in Spain. It’s the same thing every the same. It’s a different country. Same stupid problems is what’s happening. But I’m a loyalist and I’m watching it every week. You know, I just want them to get back. They just want to get back to the United States.
>> Tara Scott: Yes.
>> Kris Bryant: Because the apocalypse is everywhere and you might as well be home with your family. So hopefully, hopefully this is the season they get to go back home and see everybody. And everybody’s older and we can move on and feel better.
And anyway, so that I also started watching and I’m in the second season of the Lazarus Project and I absolutely love it. I love it. So, it’s a series about time travel. Ish. Sort of. Sort of. Work with me.
>> Kris Bryant: It’s like a secret sort of government agency that incorporates all the countries and this project manages to keep the world and humanity from destroying itself. Okay, so work with me here. So if something catastrophic happens, they can reset it to the last checkpoint. They can reset everything.
>> Tara Scott: It’s like how I play video games.
>> Kris Bryant: Exactly, exactly. So, and this happens on July 1st every year. So basically, if there’s Like a nuclear war, nuclear attack, they just reset it back to July 1st. If there’s an attack, like on May 12th, the following year, that just goes back to July 1st.
>> Tara Scott: Okay.
>> Kris Bryant: There are people who. Most of the people are given a shot so that they can participate in this, project so that they have the ability to remember, have their memories and know what happened and try to resolve it. So they spend that year or the time up to that to change the history until the world doesn’t. You know, people don’t. Humanity doesn’t kill itself. So that’s interesting. But what’s even better is that there are two people who actually have that mutation in their own genes. Like, they have this. This ability that other people need shot. So they have. They have it naturally. And it’s. You have to actually be 100% committed to watch this and understand it. Like, you cannot look away. You cannot play games. You cannot write a book. You have to have an edible. You don’t have anything. Like, you have to be 100% sober and watch it. And it’s actually very interesting and I really enjoy it. And it’s. I’m right on the cusp of, like, if I, like, tap out now. Like, I’m just hanging on because it is so interesting and it’s fascinating and I love it. But I know that if I don’t stay with it, it’ll be. It’ll overwhelm me is what it is. I’m like, right there where I’m staying up with that. I’m staying up with it. I just. I think the concept’s amazing. Like, what a great. That’s cool. Yeah. And they have to, like, you can’t just go back in time because something happens to you or your loved one. You can’t do it just, oh, let’s reset it because, you know, my person died. You can’t do that. It has to be. There has to be an event, you know, and so if it doesn’t reset, the new checkpoint is July 1, the next year or that year.
>> Tara Scott: Okay. So it has to impact, like, a certain percentage of people.
>> Kris Bryant: Right. Like there was, ah. I think the. It started. I didn’t say. That’s not true. It didn’t start with COVID but that was one of the things. and so it’s. It’s that it could be anything. It could be a virus, it could be nuclear war. It could be like, those are the two big ones. And it like, took them like 16 years to figure out how to not get into a nuclear war. These Two countries to get into nuclear work.
>> Tara Scott: Damn.
>> Kris Bryant: It took them 16 years to figure it out. So it always reset, always reset. It went back, back, back until, until they finally figured out the way to make it happen. To change the events of history to where that didn’t happen. So it was, it’s, it’s really a very, very cool concept of a show. And I know that there’s a movie and it came out a while ago and I’m sure it has kind of the same concept, but I really enjoy the series a lot. I like it. I probably have maybe three or four episodes left of the second season, but since I was gone this weekend, I have forgotten everything. So I need to go back to it.
>> Tara Scott: Yeah.
>> Kris Bryant: And then the last thing is I received an early copy of the latest Luke Dreamer book. They came from below and just in time for Halloween because it’s a horror comedy.
>> Tara Scott: Very fun. Yeah.
>> Kris Bryant: And so it sounds fun. It piqued my interest. So I, I’m going to give that a shot next and I will report back.
>> Tara Scott: Nice. I like it.
>> Kris Bryant: Yeah. That is what I have been reading and watching.
What about you? What’s, what’s going on with you?
>> Tara Scott: Okay, well, I mean it has been a month, so I, I read a whole bunch of fanfic. I’m not going to bother talking too much about that. But that seems to be what happens. Like if for whatever reason we have a break in recording or like we record ahead or we like, we have an episode like the last one, it’s like, well, let’s go read a couple hundred thousand pages of fanfic. Because why not? But I started, I’ve started playing. I’m started. I’m like over 50 hours into a video game on my Nintendo. It’s called Wylde Flowers, spelled W Y, L, D E. The lead character’s name is Tara. I didn’t even choose it.
>> Kris Bryant: That’s just her name.
>> Tara Scott: Her name is Tara Wylde. And she moves to this little town where her grandmother lives and it turns out that her grandmother is in a coven of witches. Oh, and you become a part of the coven too. There’s some kind of mystery to it. It’s sort of like if you like Stardew Valley, this is a good one to pick. The art style is different. There is like more of an involved story. It’s fully voice acted and the voice acting is really good. The graphics are more sophisticated than what you see in Stardew Valley. But there is like, there’s, there’s mining and there’s crop stuff. And there’s. You go make friends with everybody. And it’s super hella gay. If you want it to be like the town hall has a little rainbow flag there. Can date. You can date men, you can date women. There’s a non binary character that you can date. One of the men you can date is a werewolf. which is a little odd. But, yeah, it’s just, it’s really cozy and it’s easy to pick up and put down. I’ve really been enjoying it. I’m gonna keep playing.
And then I read a few books. I mean, I, I read more books than this, but I’m only going to talk about these three because I realized as I was pulling together the notes and thinking about which books I wanted to talk about in this episode, I was like, hang on a minute, who is the publisher? And it turns out that all three of these books are Harlequin, if you can friggin believe it. Wow. which I think is awesome. And I want them to keep doing it. And I went to their website and I looked at their section for LGBTQ and I looked and realized, oh, there are some books in the last couple of years that I’ve been recommending that were from Harlequin. So when I talked about, you know, The Blue Stockings Guide to decadence and others that I can’t immediately remember. Shit. There was one from Chencia C. Higgins, that one with the two best friends where it was like, do you remember? The one I was talking about was these two best friends. And it’s like so messy. It was like the messiest friends to lovers. But it was like messy in the best way. That’s one of theirs as well. I wish I had a memory for titles.
>> Kris Bryant: I wish I did too.
>> Tara Scott: It’s okay, let’s not worry about it.
So I’m going to start with The Secret Crush Book Club by Karmen Lee, which I think that is such a fabulous title.
>> Kris Bryant: Crush Book Club.
>> Tara Scott: The Secret Crush Book Club. And I think the COVID is really good too. Which obviously this isn’t great for, you know, a podcast, but like check out Kris Bryant.
>> Kris Bryant: Look at this image.
>> Tara Scott: How friggin cute is this?
>> Kris Bryant: Oh, that is cute.
>> Tara Scott: Like it’s such a good cover and it actually does look like them. So I. Nice. Yeah, I, I had fun with this one. So it’s interesting is this book. So it has Dani, who is, she’s a single mom. I think her son is about 10 or 11 maybe. She lives in a multi generational house situation. Because, like, it’s her and her son, but her dad is there too. And I think one of her sister also lives there, but. And her, sister says she’s moving out of the house and she’s just like, wondering, you know, she’s divorced. Is there something, you know, kind of missing? And then Zoe is new to town, she’s working at the library, and she and Dani kind of have a crush on each other. The thing that I find interesting, that the blurb doesn’t really cover quite as much. So Zoe is an author, and so she. She has a few books out that are very popular, but, like, she wants to be. She wanted this, like, contract gig as a librarian in a small town because she wanted to learn more about small town life for a book that she’s writing. So they have this, like, crush on each other. And Dani doesn’t know that Zoe is one of her favorite authors and they end up in a book club together. And it’s absolutely right. So it’s very cute. It’s pretty. Like, it’s quite hot. And I had no idea this came out. This, was from Harlequin because it’s from Afterglow Books, which is one of their imprints.
>> Kris Bryant: It’s.
>> Tara Scott: And it’s like their Spicier imprint. Oh. So the sex scenes are more explicit than what you would expect from Harlequin.
>> Kris Bryant: Right.
>> Tara Scott: This is the third book that takes place in Peach Blossom because the other two books has Dany’s two sisters falling in love. so that’s The Relationship Mechanic in the 7/10 split. So, you know, it’s a small town romance. The family dynamic is very strong. I thought it was pretty sweet. Overall, I enjoyed this one. I had a really good time with it.
And then I read The Fortune Hunter’s Guide to Love by Emma Clare Sunday. And so she’s the one that wrote The Duke’s Sister and I, which I recommended in episode 93. And honestly, we’re getting into a weird territory where I could have really recommended any of these books as an official recommendation, but I have to pick one. It really came down to, hey, if I put them all together here I have a theme of what I’ve been reading. This book I really, really enjoyed. And so it starts with Sylvia. She. I’m trying to remember what her dad was, if he was like a duke or a lord or. I don’t know, I can’t remember that part. I can’t remember what his title was. But her dad dies and there’s nothing for, like, her mom or her or her sisters. And so they go from being a part of, you know, the big London rich people scene in the 1800s to their mom saying, well, we’re going to move back to the small town that I lived in before your dad discovered me. And we fell in love when we got married. And so these girls who were raised with extreme wealth and privilege have to get jobs and have to figure it out. They don’t have beautiful gowns anymore. They don’t have jewelry. They don’t have. They don’t have anything. And Sylvia hates it. She’s like, absolutely not. I don’t want to live in this seaside town. Fuck all of this. She ends up getting a job working for a local farming family. And this family, they do a bunch of things, but one of the things is their daughter makes cheese, and she’s really, really good at it. And so they strike up this deal, and she’s like, look, Hannah, you want to open a cheese shop? I want to marry a rich guy, and so I can get out of here, get back to my life with my friends in London. So how about you help me find a husband? I will pay for a cheese shop for you. with my husband’s money. And so it’s this, like, sort of trying to fake it till she makes it to back into wealth, but along the way, it turns out that, like, maybe hard work isn’t the worst, and maybe rich people are assholes. And, oh, yeah, Hannah’s really pretty, actually, and, oh, she’s nice to kiss. And so it’s kind of this, like, does she really go on the for. Does she. Does she keep trying to find a fortune? Or does she figure out that there’s more to life than being part of the wealthy and not awesome crowd?
>> Kris Bryant: It’s a love fortune.
>> Tara Scott: Mm. It is.
Honestly, I loved this book. It was so great. It’s a Harlequin historical. It’s very cute. It’s very, very gentle book. So gentle. And again, I love. I love these historicals where it’s authors fiercely choosing to show very happy happily ever afters for queer people, which I think we need right now. Especially right now, where we need to see queer people. Have done it before, and we’ll do it again, and it’s fine. And also this. Come on, a cheese shop.
>> Kris Bryant: Come on.
>> Tara Scott: cheese shop aspirations. How fucking cute is that, right?
>> Kris Bryant: Very, very Love cheese.
>> Tara Scott: The Fortune Hunter’s Guide to Love. So good. No cheese on the cover but it’s a beautiful book.
And then the last one also, I gotta say, this is the one, this book really surprised me. I knew it was a Harlequin going into it. It’s called Her Fake Wedding Date in Sicily by Jenny Lane. So like very Harlequin title, right?
>> Kris Bryant: Yes.
>> Tara Scott: And I grabbed this one because I used to read Harlequin contemporaries all the time back when I was in high school. And so when I saw it on NetGalley, I was like, hell yeah, I want to check out this book. And so, the two leads are Eliza and Mia. So Mia is a hotel heiress. So think, you know, like Paris Hilton. Ish. a long time ago. Mia’s parents own the resort in Sicily where this wedding is going to take place. Her ex girlfriend is her best friend’s sister. So the best friend whose wedding she’s standing in, of course her ex is going to be there at the wedding and she didn’t want to be embarrassed, so she said, well, I, I have a plus one for this wedding. And she shows up with no plus one going, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. What am I going to do?
>> Kris Bryant: Fuck, fuck, what am I going to do? Oh no.
>> Tara Scott: And so the groom’s sister is also there. She is a CEO of this like mega media company, Eliza. She’s very serious, she’s very focused. Her dad is on her all the time because she took over. It was a family built company and they somehow end up like through a misunderstanding, they fall into a fake dating situation because the bride is like, oh my God, it’s Eliza. Eliza’s your girlfriend. This is amazing. This is amazing.
>> Kris Bryant: okay, why don’t you.
>> Tara Scott: So it sort of turns into this like, okay, we can pretend for a week, right? This solves a lot of problems for both of us. Right? Right. And so, you know, it’s a week of like mega rich people activities. And they, you know, at first Eliza thinks that Mia is just this party girl because that’s the role that Mia’s parents want her to play. It’s helpful to have her in the media, be the glamorous one, don’t be the serious one. But Mia has aspirations to do more and be more. She wants to run the Phil. Like she wants her family to create a foundation and then she wants to run their philanthropic efforts through a family foundation. And so what’s what I really appreciated about this one was seeing like there was some big character stuff that happened in it. Like for Eliza to see that Mia, there’s so much more to her than just like what was showing up in the tabloids before. And Eliza is a Workaholic. But could there be more to life than 18 hour work days? And so, yeah, I grabbed it because I used to be into those. I enjoyed it so, so much. In a lot of ways, it reminded me of, like, it’s. It’s not unlike a lot of the other Sapphic romances that we have out there. It just happens to come out from Harlequin. But it does have some of that Harlequin vibe because, like, the sex scenes are not descriptive, just like I remembered, so it was interesting to see. Oh, that’s still a thing. Okay. We’re. We know sex is happening right now, and we don’t know how or what’s touching, what. But that’s okay. and also, like, billionaires have always been, like, a big part of Harlequin stories. And, like, generally speaking, I don’t like billionaires. I thought I couldn’t read billionaire romances. But between this book and between and all the other Anna Stone books that I’ve been talking about reading recently.
>> Kris Bryant: Oh, right. Yeah.
>> Tara Scott: Turns out I don’t actually care as long as it’s written in a way that’s compelling and the characters are women. So. Yeah. So those are the three. And honestly, I really thought this one was going to be my official recommendation. And then I read the book that I’m going to recommend today.
All right. Speaking of recommendations.
>> Kris Bryant: Yes.
>> Tara Scott: What’s yours?
>> Kris Bryant: I’m ready. I’m ready. Okay. So my official recommendation is the latest book by Melissa Brayden. Can We Skip to the Good Part?
>> Tara Scott: I would like to skip to the good part.
>> Kris Bryant: No, I’m kidding. So I’m going to read the blurb. It’s actually a really long blurb, so it was like half a page. So I’ll just kind of go over it. Let’s see how far we get. Book clubs have never been so sexy.
Ella Baker is tired of being an afterthought in her own life. First, her fiance dumps her six days before the wedding. Then her family jets off on a world tour without her. And just when she thinks it can’t get worse, her longtime employer forgets to lay her off. That is, until now. It’s time for a reinvention. Starting with something totally out of character. Joining a book club. Thank God for her best friend, Rachel, who’s always there with popcorn and wine. But when a kiss from a smart, gorgeous, and maddeningly. Maddenly. Wow. I can’t say that word.
>> Tara Scott: Maddeningly. I did it right.
>> Kris Bryant: Thank you, thank you, thank you. Irresistible book club member leaves Ella breathless. She’s Stunned to learn the woman who just turned her world upside down is the very ex who broke Rachel’s heart. That horrible friend. I know. So Max Wyler doesn’t believe in forever. As a divorce mediator, she’s built a career on helping people walk away. The book club is just an escape until new member Ella arrives. Blah, blah, blah. blah, blah, blah, blah. There’s just one problem. Ella’s best friend as Max’s worst mistake. Which means those pretty blue eyes. Completely off limits. Or at least they should be.
>> Tara Scott: M.
>> Kris Bryant: Exactly. So this is Melissa’s first book as an indie writer.
>> Tara Scott: It’s pretty cool because she had, what, like, almost 30 books? With bold strokes.
>> Kris Bryant: With bold strokes, Right, Exactly. And so this is her first release as an indie author, and I feel like she amped up the sexy times in this book.
>> Tara Scott: Oh, one. Yes, 100%. I finished reading it today. What’s funny? Listening. You read the blurb. I realized I either didn’t read it at all or I skimmed and, like, skipped the entire beginning because I didn’t know about her parents taking off. I didn’t know about.
>> Kris Bryant: Oh, really?
>> Tara Scott: After that. So I was, So I read. I went into the book, like, pretty clean. I just knew that there was a situation around falling for her best friend’s ex.
>> Kris Bryant: Right.
>> Tara Scott: That was the only thing good.
>> Kris Bryant: So I like going into something like that. It’s like a movie. I don’t know what it’s about. And I’ll just, like, sit down and just like, oh, this is actually really cool.
>> Tara Scott: Yes.
>> Kris Bryant: So you know how I’m all about relationships. Like, that is my thing. I am a strong person on relationships. You know, what happens is her best friend says, you know, look, your life is shit right now. Why don’t you leave Oklahoma? I think it’s Tulsa, Oklahoma. She lives in Tulsa and come move in with me in Everly Springs, Virginia, which is a pretty far way to go. so she’s like, okay, because she doesn’t have a job. Her parents are off over in Europe, and they’re there for as long as they want. And so she really doesn’t have anything holding her back. So she’s like, okay, sure. So she goes to Virginia and she goes into a bookstore and finds out that there is a book club. And, there’s a book club. I’m stalling because I have to look at, this thing. Read it and weep is what the book club is called.
>> Tara Scott: Yeah.
>> Kris Bryant: So she signs up and she goes, because she needs friends. And she’s like, let’s let’s do this. And it happens to be a Sapphic book club, so yay. So she’s like, hey, I fit right in. I just got dumped. And everybody’s like, oh, good, she’s one of us. Blah, blah, blah. So it’s really cute.
>> Tara Scott: Yeah.
>> Kris Bryant: The bad news is, is that, you know, she. Is it bad news? Is it good news? One of the members of the book club, she can’t keep her eyes off of her. Like, they are just, like, heating it up from across the room. And she’s nervous, but she can’t stop looking at her. And the chemist, everybody’s noticing their chemistry. And this person goes by M. M Like, em. Like, yay. Hey, this is M. M. And so she’s super excited, and she races off and she tells Rachel, oh, my gosh, I met this most amazing woman. Her name is M. Blah, blah, blah.
>> Tara Scott: Best kiss of my life. Everything.
>> Kris Bryant: best kiss.
>> Tara Scott: I’m a different person.
>> Kris Bryant: Everything is perfect. Yes. It’s changed me completely. And then it turns out that M is really short for Max. They just call her M. So, yeah. So that happens. I think a lot of the readers will see themselves in Ella. I think so. Okay. Because she kind of is a people pleaser in a way. I think a lot of people are people pleasers. I think more so than, the other way. Leaders. Yeah, there’s always more. More followers than leaders, but not in a bad. She’s just. She just wants to make everybody happy, and she wants to be happy. So that’s her goal in life. And she has a really great heart, a really big heart, and I really appreciate that about her. And she just wants to be loved and to feel needed, and she’s just not getting that, you know, her family can’t seem to find the time for her. And you and I talked about this before we started recording about at the very beginning. Like, the very first scene in the book is hilarious.
>> Tara Scott: Oh, my God, I cracked up. the very first scene is so cracked.
>> Kris Bryant: Good.
>> Tara Scott: And I feel like it’s a. I feel like it’s actually fair enough to talk about because the blurb directly references it.
>> Kris Bryant: That’s true.
>> Tara Scott: The book opens with, she’s working from home that day, and she’s pulled into a call with her boss and HR and they’re laying her off. And she said, but I thought layoffs were last week. And it turned out that they forgot. And the way she reacts to some of that. And there’s this one particular. I’m not going to describe the part that actually Cracked me up. But like, it just was so unexpected. And I think what I appreciated was, as much as I agree with you, I do think that she’s. She’s. She is kind of a people pleaser. She does stand up for herself sometimes though. She does. She does it in that scene. I really loved how she stood up for herself in that scene. She does it with Max sometimes. But there is kind of that. I think it is harder sometimes when it’s your family. I think that, I think that can make it more difficult when you’re with. With people that you feel like you shouldn’t have to do that with. And it was really interesting to see, maybe more than people pleasing, I. I would say almost more like, she really deals with some doubt around her self worth. Ah.
>> Kris Bryant: that’s what I had. Self worth.
>> Tara Scott: Yeah.
>> Kris Bryant: Her self worth has sank. Like it really has, you know, because everyone seems to forget about her. And the important people in her life do too. And that’s. And the only person who doesn’t is Rachel. Yeah, Rachel’s the only one that likes her ride or die. Picks her up by the bootstraps and says, come out here. We’re going to do this. You know, we’ve done this before. This is what we do. We help each other out. Like she helped her out. Ella helped Rachel out when she had her breakup with Max. Didn’t realize that Max and M are the same person. So M, you know, see, Max is the kind of person. Max is the beacon of light like a lot of us gravitate toward.
>> Tara Scott: Kind of like, well, she, she exudes confidence.
>> Kris Bryant: Oh, for sure. Like Melissa Brayden compared her to Bette from L Word. Like, we were all in on with bet.
>> Tara Scott: Well, yeah, that was the. That’s a, that’s a cute part in the book is there’s a. There is a character who compares her directly to Bette. And I don’t want to say who it is because when you get to that moment, that’s a real. That’s a pretty great moment. Yeah, specifically.
>> Kris Bryant: I can see that. 100%. Yes, I can see that. Yes.
So, you know, they decide like, once they find out pretty early on that this is the person who hurt Rachel. And so Ella’s like, nope, can’t do this. Sorry, can’t do this. But we can be friends. We can try to be friends. I love this book club. I still want to be a part of it. But like, they just can’t stop this relationship from happening. I mean, it is intense.
>> Tara Scott: Their chemistry is too Good for that. It’s really good chemistry.
>> Kris Bryant: They really do.
>> Kris Bryant: And you know, and it’s all about communication and, and so many people fail at it. You know, if not, we would all be in the very first relationship we ever had. Like communication. We suck at communication as a whole. So I get it. Like, I understand like how Max is like, very direct and to the point.
>> Kris Bryant: And that’s part of her job. It’s also part of how she was raised.
>> Tara Scott: Yes.
>> Kris Bryant: Because Max also has, you know, her family. She has to deal with a lot from her family too. So there’s a lot going on, outside that have really developed these two characters.
>> Kris Bryant: And so them trying to get together. That’s what this is all about. Like most romances.
>> Tara Scott: Yeah.
>> Kris Bryant: You know, just the relationship and how you treat people and what you’re supposed to say and what you’re not supposed to say and regrets and how to, how to make it right is very, very difficult to do in relationships. But communication, perfect. I mean, Melissa Brayden does great at dialogue and communication and it was just a really enjoyable book, you know, and, and I think if you haven’t read her, this is a good book to start with. I think it’s a good introduction. It’s, it’s very, it’s a very smooth book. You know, there’s the angst. The angst level. Yes, there is angst, obviously. But I mean, it’s a book club. It’s kind of like a small town starting over. It’s very. Yeah, it’s not an overwhelming book. And it’s just you finished it and you’re just kind of smiling like, oh, that was really sweet. I really liked that. So that’s what I think.
So here’s something I want to talk about. Like, first of all, sign me up for that book club because we have those book clubs in Kansas City. But like they read mainstream books, which is great because we do too. But also it’d be nice to give a little shout out to the indies and, and the small press. That would be nice. So. But I haven’t joined a book club here, but I wish I, you know, we have the online ones, but I, I think it would be so cool to have it in person, which I’d.
>> Tara Scott: Like to do that people are looking for an online one. Don’t forget Sapphic World Book Club. They’re doing good stuff.
>> Kris Bryant: They really are. So fun fact, this is something I found out. Melissa Brayden has a Patreon. And one of the things she Posted there was. She wanted help on the title. She had this one picked up, picked out. I’m sorry, and let me go back to it before I say it wrong because I always want to say the first, the first word wrong. Can. Can We Skip to the Good Part?
>> Kris Bryant: She had that as one option and the other option was Paging Max Wyler.
>> Tara Scott: We ended up with the right one. Thank you.
>> Kris Bryant: Right. Thank you 100%. Yes. Thank you patrons. And thank, you Melissa for that one because I think it’s an adorable name.
>> Tara Scott: Oh yeah.
>> Kris Bryant: I absolutely love the book. Well, I love it and I think.
>> Tara Scott: Too like it fits so well because with it being set in a book club, there’s a lot of like we actually see. There’s one scene in particular where we actually see the book club conversation about the book. And then the whole idea of books and stories and narratives and happy endings and all of that is a major element of this. So it’s almost like it’s kind of meta in a way because it is a romance, but it’s also talks about the construction of romance novels. And what was fun was in that first conversation they were talking about a book by Parker Bristow, who is one of the leads in another book of hers, I think from back to September. I highlighted at one point more as a reminder to myself. Oh, wait, hang on. They’re talking about how books are constructed. And it’s like, is this what’s happening with this book? And so one of the people in the book club Olive talked about, she says, you know what I found fascinating? The secondary characters, we never really went home with any of them or heard their internal thoughts. But the author offered us glimpses of their own parallel stories running behind the scenes. They just had real lives, I could tell. And it’s like that is exactly what happens in this book. And so I thought there was some really fun. The way they interrogate that book gives you a sense of some of what you’re going to get from this book. And I thought that was a really cool and clever way to. I don’t think I’ve quite. I don’t see that. I don’t think I’ve seen that kind of thing very often. And I liked it.
>> Kris Bryant: Yeah, it worked. I really enjoyed this book and I feel like our, readers, our listeners will as well.
>> Tara Scott: Okay. I also highlighted one other line because it made me like burst out laughing. So Ella insists on driving Max home, I think from book club because Max had had a couple of drinks.
>> Kris Bryant: Okay.
>> Tara Scott: And she’s like, well, no, I’ll take an Uber. And Ella’s like, really insisting and she says, “I’m about to save you 20 bucks in small talk with a stranger who may or may not smell like peppermint Fritos. And it was just the idea of peppermint Fritos.”
>> Kris Bryant: I was like.
>> Tara Scott: Right, so evocative, so accurate.
>> Kris Bryant: Yes, it is very good. Very clever lines.
>> Tara Scott: Yes.
>> Kris Bryant: In this book.
>> Tara Scott: Yeah, for sure.
>> Kris Bryant: So I recommend that. So what about you? What is your official recommendation?
>> Tara Scott: All right, my official recommendation is One Weekend in Tahoe by Jaime Clevenger. It’s their latest book out from Bella Books. It’s an erotic romance and it shows one of the side characters from One Weekend in Aspen as she falls in love. And honestly, you don’t have to have read that because I didn’t and I didn’t really know. I read the blurb. This was one of those times where I read the blurb and I was like, I’m so intrigued about how this goes. Also, I m feel like the blurb left out some things that are important and interesting and tropey and that people would want to know.
So I’m doing my own. Okay, so Parker Reinhart is one of the leads. her best friend talks her like, come on, come out to the club. You never go out. Let’s go do this. And so she shows up, but she doesn’t expect anything to come of it. She had a breakup nine months prior. She’s still kind of like, ew, gross. No relationships, don’t want him. But she really hits it off with this woman who just like, looks really cool and is in like a Nirvana T shirt. And this woman is like, look, you, Parker, you don’t look like somebody who fucks on the first date. And Parker’s like, but what if I was? And so they have a one night stand. So it’s a one night to forever. Which is the part that’s not in the blurb. But I think it’s important because some people really like One Night to Forever stories. And Madison says, like, look, I don’t live here because Parker lives. I forget where. But in Arizona. I forget which city or town in Arizona. And so Madison’s like, I don’t live here. My flight leaves very early tomorrow morning and I will not give you my phone number. These are my conditions. Take it or leave it. And Parker takes it. They have great night. But Parker also, in addition to, you know, having a, is an accountant, I believe, has like, her own business. as an accountant, she Also, that friend who invited her out has a queer youth center in this, like, town in Arizona. And it’s really. So her friend is a trans woman and is very like, we need to give the. The young queer people a place to have community. We need a place for them to be. But they’re financially not okay because their CFO before was a moron. And so Parker is really trying to help. And so there’s a fundraiser in town for the Demont Family Foundation. Parker’s friend can’t go and says, that’s fine, I’ll go on my own. Do you know how to fundraise and do networking? Not really, but I’m willing to try because I don’t want my friend’s nonprofit to fold. And, like, Parker is the fucking sweetest. Is so, the most adorable, lovely mask character I’ve read in a long time. I just want to hug her. She’s so lovely. You know, it does the uncomfortable thing. Shows up at the fundraiser and is like, oh, Madison, you’re here. This is amazing. They run into each other like, oh, my God, how can this be? And then Parker is shocked all over again when Madison takes the microphone at the event because she’s Madison Dumont of the Dumont family. He runs their charitable initiatives. Madison, meanwhile, her mom is not awesome and is there at the event, and her mom’s like, oh, I, So Catherine’s, coming here, and she’s like, I’m sorry, she’s what? Because Catherine is Madison’s ex girlfriend. she wants nothing to do with. It’s been a couple of years, but it ended badly. And for people who read that other book that I mentioned a little while ago, they’ll know why this is a big deal for Madison. I didn’t. Doesn’t matter. Again, you don’t have to have. Have read.
>> Kris Bryant: You don’t have to enjoy it.
>> Tara Scott: Right? But Madison just really wants to get her mom off her back. And so she’s like, oh, sorry, I have, I have a girlfriend. She’s over there. Her name is Parker. Isn’t she lovely? You know, they have chemistry. She’ll beg for forgiveness later. And so, yeah, they’re kind of fake dating. And to thank her, because Parker grew up in Tahoe, she’s like, come hang out with me at my place in Tahoe. Like, we can just be friends and that’ll be cool. Let’s be friends in Tahoe.
>> Kris Bryant: That works, right?
>> Tara Scott: That always works. We’re not, we’re not going to bang. Yeah, they are. And Madison’s Friends are there and they’re going to have a sex party. And they’re like, come to the sex party. She’s like, I’m done with sex parties. And they’re like, we’ll come for dinner prior to sex party. And so the fake dating basically continues all the way in Tahoe. One weekend in Tahoe. M skiing in a sex party.
>> Kris Bryant: Hm.
>> Tara Scott: I picked up this book because I read the blurb and I was like, how? What? An erotic romance in the world of philanthropy. Sure. How does that work? What does that mean? And somehow I totally missed when One Week in Aspen came out. And I wonder if it’s just if that was when, you know, like that year that I read almost nothing. I’m wondering that year. So, like, I wasn’t even aware that this book existed. So all I knew going into it was, okay. Madison’s family is rich, and from their first encounter, I was really intrigued. Their chemistry is so good.
>> Kris Bryant: I love that. I love good chemistry.
>> Tara Scott: The chemistry is fabulous. But also. So it’s written in the third person, but it shifts between Parker and Madison’s perspectives. And so all Parker knows is that their chemistry is fabulous. And then when we shift to Madison, we see she is baffled by how good their chemistry is because her walls are up so high. And she has been through something, and it takes a while for us to find out what it is, but she’s been through something quite traumatic that meant that she went from having, like, a very healthy sexual appetite and, like, a lot of partners and all that to she hasn’t slept with anybody in a while. And so the fact that she’s able to sleep with Parker on that first time, it was this, like, very big deal. But it was like, okay, maybe. Maybe I’m okay. And then they run into each other again, and then they’re fake dating. So Parker doesn’t know anything except, like, she is so hot. And that’s the best sex I’ve ever had. Wow. What a gift to me in my life that this is something that even happened. Honestly, like, once I picked this book up, it was really hard to put down. You know, it did a good job of bringing enough tension. Madison has a long way to go. She has a big journey. Parker doesn’t really have as much of a journey, and I don’t mind that. I would prefer one really excellent character arc to two just okay character arcs. In this case, I just think it was so well done, and it doesn’t have the third act breakup.
>> Kris Bryant: Yay.
>> Tara Scott: Yeah. Like, I liked it. It really Worked. It made sense that it didn’t, because instead, it’s more of a question of, can she even commit to a relationship at all? That question is so big and treated with so much respect that I don’t think it needs. It didn’t need a third act, breakup, you know, to bring in extra tension. So I think that worked really well.
The other thing that I really appreciated about this book and I think was something that we need right now. Like, I go back to that SAS panel, that first SaaS panel that Lynn Ames moderated, and she asked a question. So for people that aren’t sure, if you haven’t been checking out recent episodes, sas, what does that stand for? Again, I’m so sorry. Sas.
>> Kris Bryant: Sapphic Action Support Squad.
>> Tara Scott: That’s right. And in the inaugural edition of the. Like, in the first edition of the newsletter, Lynn Ames led a panel. I was on it, and some authors were on it. And she asked a question around, like, the world is bleak. How much of the world are you bringing into your books at this point? And I don’t know that anybody had a lot of, like, clear answers, but that’s been in the back of my mind since that conversation happened. And I’m starting to see it show up in certain books. And I think this book did a really good job of it. Like, it brings in a little bit of, but not too much kind of similar to the E.J. noyes book that I recommended a couple of episodes ago, where, you know, I had a character with a family that was homophobic, and it was very realistic, but also handled very well. So in this case, what we see is, you know, like, especially around the fundraising for the, like, this queer youth organization and the fact that it exists in Arizona, and Arizona is a tricky state. It is a battleground state in the US Especially for people who are not American that are listening and aren’t familiar. It can be quite conservative. Parker is trying to do fundraising and accounting work for her friend’s nonprofit. And, like, going to the Dumont Foundation’s event, being told, like, you know, it’s a lot of conservative people here, right? And there was a question later on, like, when they’re in Tahoe, one of Madison’s friends is, like, quite prickly and is kind of a bit of a jerk, saying, like, why would anybody who’s queer stay in a red state anyway? And so Parker starts talking about her friend being a trans woman, and she’s running this queer youth center. And she said, I’ve been helping out. And it made me realize queer Community is needed everywhere. And she said a thing where she’s like, and also, conservative people have queer kids too.
>> Kris Bryant: Right.
>> Tara Scott: I thought that was handled really well. Like, it brought in a, dose of reality around some of, like, how, for example, how much harder it can be to do fundraising for queer nonprofits right now. Because that is a thing. That’s true. But I also appreciated that it wasn’t a direct threat on the main relationship. So it still got to be very satisfying as a romance, but still also grounded in the world that we’re in right now. so, yeah, I really enjoyed it. It’s called One Weekend in Tahoe. So many tropes. It has the fake relationship. It has a wealth gap. It has the one night to forever. Also, it’s an erotic romance. That’s really sweet. So I think, you know, if any of that sounds appealing, I totally enjoyed it. And I would happily read more books set in this world. I need to go back and read the other one. But, like, there are other characters. I would happily read more about these people. So, yeah, that’s it. That’s my recommendation.
>> Kris Bryant: Yay.
>> Tara Scott: That is all for this episode. Thank you so much for listening. If you’ve enjoyed the show and you haven’t subscribed yet on your podcast, appreciate it. Please do. Or if you have a friend that you think would want to hear about any of the things we’ve talked about, share the episode with them. If you want to support us, we have links in our show notes for our coffee.
>> Kris Bryant: Or if you want to connect with us on your favorite social media sites, we have links in the show notes for that as well. Or you can just email us@podcasterlyrecommended.com or just search for clearly recommended on all the social media sites. Because we’re there. We’re everywhere.
>> Tara Scott: The only site we’re not doing anything on anymore is Twitter, because that.
>> Kris Bryant: That side. And on that note, goodbye. Goodbye, everyone.