July 29, 2021
Bodyguard Romance: The Bodyguard/Girl Gone Viral/Dangerous Beauty
Sometimes all I want in this world is strong arms around me, someone who has my back, and a soft place to fall. That's when I pull out a good bodyguard romance. Nothing in the world makes me feel safer than these stories. They've got me dreaming of an avenger, a 24/7 personal protection officer of my very own.
July 15, 2021
Romantic Capers: Murder Mystery/The Lovebirds/Date Night
There's nothing like the bubbly fun, clever banter and twisty plots of a romantic caper movie*. It's just the thing when you crave romance and sexy flirting in beautiful settings, plus a dash of gentle mystery and mild suspense. *Episode contains spoilers. Lots.
July 1, 2021
Romantic Recycling: When Harry Met Sally/Groundhog Day
Many contemporary romances are based on, or inspired by, rom-com movies. Turns out recycling romance is good for the narrative arc--and heart as well.
June 17, 2021
The Romance of Rock
Music romances and seduces listeners, sometimes gently and sometimes with a rough, dirty, driving, relentless hot beat. That kind of romance rocks, and its rockstars are sex on legs.
June 3, 2021
Sex Positivity: Easy/The Overnight/The Intimacy Experiment
I crave more sex- and age-positivity, a wider range of human sexuality and relationship, in the romantic TV shows and movies that I watch now. Romance novels have always done a great job at representing shame-free sexuality, desire, and fantasy. But the Netflix series Easy and the movie The Overnight also get it right.
May 20, 2021
Sporty Romance
Romances about people at the height of their physical prowess in pro sports finding love with a partner who matches their wit and talents is a bit unfair to us mere mortals. But I'll live vicariously through these stories all day long.
May 6, 2021
Romantic Belonging
Found family, partners, true-blue friends: it's all about the groups of people who claim us, warm our hearts, and have our backs no matter what, who help us feel that we belong.
April 22, 2021
Romantic Banter
Banter is the best kind of romantic conversation, full of wit and emotional tension, leaving clues for us about how the couple really feels about each other. The best banter strip teases for our brain. It's verbal foreplay for the hot action to come. It's all about the juicy, sexy romantic banter in this episode.
April 8, 2021
The Romance Spectrum: The Kiss Quotient/The Bride Test/Doc Martin
Human beings exist on a spectrum of diversity and differences, and romances that reflect that are touching my heart lately. The widest range of life experiences represented in stories can only be a good thing. Being seen and accepted, not treated as an exception, is inspiring. It's all part of the flow of life.
March 25, 2021
Intimate Worlds: You've Got Mail/Love Lettering
Some of my favorite romantic stories create intimate worlds where true, vulnerable, heartfelt things can be said--and done. Sometimes it takes half the story to get there, sometimes it takes most of the story, but it's always worth the wait for that magic moment when characters finally bare their hearts.