Everyone deserves to see themselves reflected in every single trope and microtrope. Today, I am joined by Meg of Fat Girl Smut to examine the radical joy of seeing larger bodies in romance and the specific humor of the coming early microtrope. We talk about the empathy gap, why erotica is a necessary space for healing, and how to find beauty in your own body exactly as it is right now.

Key Takeaways

• Why reading about experiences different from your own is the fastest way to increase your understanding of the world.
• How this trope brings humor, light-heartedness, and evidence of extreme desire to an intense scene.
• A candid discussion on the exhaustion of Ozempic culture and the importance of accepting your body without waiting to reach an "ideal" weight.
• Why reading about consensual, female-prioritized pleasure can be a restorative experience for survivors.

CONNECT WITH FAT GIRL SMUT:

Instagram

People Mentioned

Amie @ Curvy Girls Read (Episode)

Grand Gesture Bookstore (Instagram)

Sabina Nordqvist (Episode)

Ruby Dixon (Author)

BOOKS/AUTHORS MENTIONED:

The Wedding Date – Jasmine Guillory (Amazon)

Against a Wall – Cate C. Wells (Amazon)

The Tyrant Alpha’s Rejected Mate – Cate C. Wells (Amazon)

A Chance at Love – Beverly Jenkins (Amazon)

Every Chance You Get – Sloan Spencer (Amazon)

Choosing a Forever – Daisy Wren (Amazon)

After Hours on Milagro Street – Angelina M. Lopez (Amazon)

The Catch – Leonor Soliz (Amazon)

Yours for Now – Leonor Soliz (Amazon)

PS You’re Intolerable – Julia Wolf (Amazon)

Cocky – Taahesi B. Williams (Amazon)

Breaking Away – Sookh Kaur (Amazon)

The Princess Trap – Talia Hibbert (Amazon)

Personal – Alexandria House (Amazon)

They Wouldn't Dare – Deanna Grey (Amazon)

Full list of books mentioned (Doc)

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Join the After Dark Substack Community

Connect with Alesia:
Storygraph

Instagram

This podcast was produced by Galati Media.
Proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective.

I am always curious about how authors take their real-world expertise and use it to craft stories that make us feel seen. This week, I chat with Charish Reid, an author who navigated the world of academia as an adjunct instructor before making her mark in both contemporary and paranormal romance. We discuss her book Mickey Chambers Shakes It Up, the importance of showing rather than telling chronic illness, and why we are both strictly "no" on Ouija boards. Charish also shares how she uses her background in literature to subvert old-school tropes and center Diverse joy.

Charish Reid is a fan of sexy books and disaster films. When she’s not grading papers or prepping lessons for college freshmen, she enjoys writing romances that celebrate quirky Black women who deserve HEAs. Charish currently lives in Sweden, with her husband, working on her next book.

In this episode, we're discussing:

• The Adjunct Reality: Charish discusses how her experience in academia provided the "write what you know" foundation for Mickey Chambers Shakes It Up, highlighting the labor and struggle of non-tenure track instructors.
• Invisible Illness on the Page: A deep look at the representation of hypothyroidism. Charish explains the importance of showing the day-to-day management of chronic illness and how it impacts a character's life and relationships.
• Flipping the Script on Maturity: Why Charish prioritizes "returning students" and characters over the age of 30. We discuss how fully developed brains and life experience change the stakes in romance.
• The Thrill of the Haunting: Charish breaks down her transition into paranormal horror and why the psychology of artificial fear makes for such a visceral reading experience.
• Rhetoric in Romance: How teaching students to skewer old-school literary standards helped Charish find her own voice as a diverse creator.

If you want to see a masterful blend of workplace tension and authentic vulnerability, start with Mickey Chambers Shakes It Up.

CONNECT WITH Charish Reid:

Website

Instagram

BOOKS/AUTHORS MENTIONED:

Mickey Chambers Shakes It Up (Amazon | Bookshop)

The Beck Sister Hauntings (Amazon)

Speak of the Devil (Amazon)

Jewel Me Once (Amazon | Bookshop)

Running list of books mentioned (Doc)

Support the show

Join the After Dark Substack Community

Connect with Alesia:
Storygraph

Instagram

This podcast was produced by Galati Media.
Proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective.

Second Chance Romance usually gets a meh from me. I am a fool me once, shame on you type of reader, so reruns in romance rarely make my list. But today, Lisa from Babe in Library joins the podcast to flip the script on its head. She shares why this trope sits at the top of her favorites and how it offers a unique sense of safety. We also announce a big project coming this September for the We Read Smut community.

Lisa, better known as Babe in Library on Instagram and YouTube, is an avid reader and content creator. She builds deep, meaningful conversations around diverse romance and prioritizes intentional reading. Lisa fosters a community that celebrates authentic representation and provides nuanced reviews that help readers find their next favorite story.

Key Takeaways

• The YouTube Advantage: Why long-form video beats short-form clips for nuanced book discussions.
• The WRS Virtual Event: Details on the first We Read Smut virtual event scheduled for the weekend of September 5.
• The Frontal Lobe Theory: How maturity and growth make a second chance work when the first attempt failed.
• Safety and Comfort: Why returning to a familiar love feels like finding a safe corner in a chaotic world.
• WRS Approved Recommendations: A massive list of diverse titles ranging from hockey players to dark romance.

CONNECT WITH Lisa @ BabeInLibrary:

YouTube

Instagram

Books Mentioned

Rudy Jones’s New Year’s Novella by Aria Days (Amazon)

Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan (Amazon)

St. Louis Series by Alexandria House (Amazon)

Winter’s Eve, Then Now Always by AE Valdez (Amazon)

Reclaim Me by JL Seegers (Amazon)

Seven Days in June by Tia Williams (Amazon)

Sweet Heat by Bolu Babalola (Amazon)

August Lane by Regina Black (Amazon)

Hard Sell by Hudson Lin (Amazon)

Almost Yours by Anna P (Amazon)

Toxic by Kenya Gorey-Bell (Amazon)

Back to Me by Katie Duggan (Amazon)

Memphis by Alexandria House (Amazon)

Support the show

Join the After Dark Substack Community

Connect with Alesia:
Storygraph

Instagram

This podcast was produced by Galati Media.
Proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective.