Make Romance Great

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Make Romance Great

11 episodes

1 month ago

BOOM! No, we're not back yet - but we simply HAD TO drop a bonus episode to really wrap up season 1. And what better bonus than to talk about the infamous wingspan? Word of warning: we will use nearly every word for male genitalia that we could think of. So if that's not your cup of tea - consider yourself warned ;) Books explicitly mentioned in this episode (alphabetically by author): Ruby Dixon, "Ice Planet Barbarians" (2015) Finley Fenn, "The orc Sworn Series" (2019) C. M. Nascosta, "Morn...

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Episodes (11/11)

Make Romance Great

On Wingspan and How It's Not the Reason for Women's Expectations of Men

4 months ago

54 minutes

Make Romance Great

THE Romantasy Author: All about Sarah J Maas

The one. The only. Arguably the one who started it all (and not just for us). We are wrapping up season 1 by spending this episode talking about Sarah J. Maas and her works. Of course, spoiler alert is on and dear SJM fans - please, be nice, we like her too! Like what you heard? Why not support us with more than just your time? We promise not to spend it on books! Patreon for bloopers and behind the scenes Ko-Fi for one-off tips to brighten our days For more Make Romance Great content...

4 months ago

1 hour 17 minutes

Make Romance Great

Is it ALL about sex?

This is the question of everyone's lips, isn't it? IS romance ALL about sex? Can the two exist without one another? Is this the end of the world as we know it or is it just another moral panic rooted in misogyny? Well, not to spoil anything, join us and let's talk about sex (baby). TW: mentions of rape and discussions of rape fantasies Books mentioned in this episode (alphabetical by author): John Cleeland, "Fanny Hill, Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure", 1748. Jayne Ann Krentz (ed.), "Dangero...

5 months ago

45 minutes

Make Romance Great

The Realism of Romance

The Realism of Romance Isn't it an odd criterion to judge an inherently escapist genre on? Whilst romance can be realistic, this isn't the real thing that its readers look for nor what its writers strive for. We are sitting down to discuss whether romance needs to be realistic, but also, when is the suspension of disbelief going too far (yes, we've strayed into dark romance territory). TRIGGER WARNING: Discussions of rape, including some graphic one in the context of recalling what was writ...

5 months ago

49 minutes

Make Romance Great

The Significance of the Significant Other

As they say, it takes two to tango. And in straight romance, one of them is a man, the hero, the significant other. He's what at least half of the book revolves around. Has he always been like this? Will he ever change? The subject is bottomless well and we have only scratched the surface of the hero of a romance novel, but in the process we have uncovered a lot about where did he come from and where did he go. TRIGGER WARNINGS: Mentions of rape and mental health hospitalisation in the conte...

6 months ago

1 hour 3 minutes

Make Romance Great

What are Our Kryptonites in Romance Novels?

Time for a positivity break (although stick with us, we couldn't help going on a little rant). This one is all about the things that get us straight in the heart and make our knees weak: our romance kryptonites. There are spoilers within the episode, don't say that we haven't warned you. Books mentioned in this episode (in alphabetical order by author): Brooklyn Ann, "With Vengeance" Jane Austen, "Persuasion" Kristy Boyce, "Dating and Dragons" Cassandra Clare, "Infernal Devices" Laurie Gilmo...

6 months ago

1 hour 5 minutes

Make Romance Great

So What is Our Beef with Tropes?

You've heard us moan about tropes time and again, you've heard us repeat ourselves that 'it's fine if it's written well', you've heard us rant and rant on the subject, so let's address the issue once and for all. We're diving deep into tropes and emerge victorious on the other side. Researchers and books mentioned in this episode: Antti Aarne, Finnish folklorist Vladimir Propp, Russian folklorist Tania Modleski, "Loving with a Vengeance: Mass-produced fantasies for women," 1988 (originally ...

7 months ago

47 minutes

Make Romance Great

The Fallacy of the 'Dangerous' Romance Novel

You've heard it all a million times - and probably will hear a million times more. "Don't read that, it's not good for you," in a flavour of your choice. So whilst we're probably preaching to the choir here, let's bury this myth that romance novels are any worse for you than any other fiction. Because we can't make romance great until we bury that BS deep under ground! Articles and books referenced in this episode: * Maya Rodale, "Dangerous Books for Girls: the Bad Reputation of...

7 months ago

39 minutes

Make Romance Great

How We Speak and Used to Speak About Romance?

Tale as old as time... quite literally. Were people always talking down on romance novels? Has anything changed between the publication of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice in 1813, the establishment of Harlequin Enterprises ULC in 1949, and now? There's a lot to unpack here and we're giving it an honest go. Articles and books referenced in this episode: * Pamela Regis, "A Natural History of the Romance Novel", University of Pennsylvania Press, 2003. * Maya Rodale, "Dangerous Books for Girl...

8 months ago

53 minutes

Make Romance Great

What We Love in the Genre of Love

Listen, it's romance - it's not that deep. Sometimes it's about sharing the love and the appreciation rather than tearing down academics with their knickers in a twist. So we're taking a breather break to talk about some of our favourites: books, authors, tropes, and even couples. Let us know if we share any favourites - or if we've convinced you to try something new. Like what you heard? Why not support us with more than just your time? We promise not to spend it on books! Patreon for blo...

8 months ago

1 hour 2 minutes

Make Romance Great

Why not Make Romance Great AGAIN?

Welcome to Make Romance Great. Not again, we're not there yet. And that's why this podcast is here! In the first episode you'll get to know your hosts: Monika and Paulina, and hear why they embarked on the podcasting journey. Listen on for raunchy laughs, scaldingly hot takes (and so early on - scandalous!), and glimpses into what you can expect from the pod going forward. Maybe, just maybe, at the end of all this, we will get to the point where the romance novel is great instead of "just" a ...

8 months ago

38 minutes