What really makes a book “smutty”? Is it about explicitness, frequency, or something else entirely? And how does that definition shift when we talk about monster romance? In this episode, we’re tackling the age-old question: What defines smut? We’ll explore everything from spice levels to the line between romance and erotica, plus what non-explicit factors make a book sexy.
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Check out Stacy's other podcast project, TropesG.O.A.Ts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tropesg-o-a-ts/id1793022885)
Check out EJ’s monster romance blogging directly on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/monster_romance/) and Substack (https://monsterromancereviews.substack.com/).
Authors, Books, and Other Media We Mention:
- Vulture Article: https://www.vulture.com/article/rebecca-yarro-fourth-wing-empyrean-guide.html
- Rebecca Yarros
- Sarah J. Maas
- Bound to the Battle God by Ruby Dixon
- A Lady of Rooksgrave Manor by Kathryn Moon
- The Company of Fiends by Kathryn Moon
- Sanctuary with Kings by Kathryn Moon
- Honey Phillips
- Susan Trombley
- Nosferatu (2024) ****
- Doves & Demons by Clio Evans
- How to Train Your Goblin King by Erin Vere
- Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
- Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett
- Good Faeries/Bad Faeries by Brian Froud
- Grindhouse Double Feature (2018)
- Deal with the Devil by Lizzie Strong
- Doctor D'Arco, Sorcerer of London: A Victorian Gothic Romance by Kathryn Colvin
- Amelia Peabody series
- Morning Glory Milking Farm by C. M. Nascosta
- Moon Blooded Breeding Clinic by C. M. Nascosta
- Scrubs (2001-2010)
- Escaping the Friendzone by Emily Antoinette
- Mahdfel from the Warlord Brides Universe by Nancey Cummings
- Orc Sworn Series by Finley Fenn
- Berries and Greed by Lily Mayne
- Milana Jacks
- Loki Renard
- I Married a Lizardman by Regine Abel
- I Married a Naga by Regine Abel
- Mate for the Alien P*rn Star by by Alexis B. Osborne
- Romantically Inclined Reviews
- Love Hina
- Upon a Moon-Dark Moor by Rebecca Brandewyne