Hot and Bothered

Vanessa and Julia have read chapter 6 of New Moon, and need to introduce some high-level terms to Bella like 'internalized misogyny' and 'racism.'--We encourage you to donate to one of the many organization raising money in support of Black lives and the current protests. If you donate $25 or more, send us a receipt and Julia and Vanessa will record a voicemail message just for you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vanessa and Julia have read chapter 5 of New Moon, and give Bella some much needed financial advice about saving for college.--We encourage you to donate to one of the many organization raising money in support of Black lives and the current protests. If you donate $25 or more, send us a receipt and Julia and Vanessa will record a voicemail message just for you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vanessa and Julia have read chapter 4 of New Moon, and have some thoughts on how to get Bella through this break-up.--We encourage you to donate to one of the many organization raising money in support of Black lives and the current protests. If you donate $25 or more, send us a receipt and Julia and Vanessa will record a voicemail message just for you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vanessa and Julia have read chapter 3 of New Moon, and they are THRILLED that Edward and Bella have finally broken up. We've been waiting for this moment for so long ya'll and it's finally here.--We encourage you to donate to one of the many organization raising money in support of Black lives and the current protests. If you donate $25 or more, send us a receipt and Julia and Vanessa will record a voicemail message just for you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vanessa and Julia have read chapter 2 of New Moon, and are thoroughly in the weeds with some big questions: is there a god? Is there such thing as a consensual rocking chair experience in the bedroom? How can we empower Bella's bodily autonomy? So buckle up, Twihards, it's a bumpy ride.--We encourage you to donate to one of the many organization raising money in support of Black lives and the current protests. If you donate $25 or more, send us a receipt and Julia and Vanessa will record a voicemail message just for you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vanessa and Julia have read Chapter 1 of New Moon and they have a lot of advice on proper birthday etiquette and how to best take advantage of your astrological moment. --We encourage you to donate to one of the many organization raising money in support of Black lives and the current protests. If you donate $25 or more, send us a receipt and Julia and Vanessa will record a voicemail message just for you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vanessa and Julia have watched the Twilight movie and give a thorough review of all the most important parts: the weather, the fashion, and our favorite minor characters.Please Note: We've decided to not talk about Charlie Swan in this episode. We've given Charlie a lot of love throughout this first season of Twilight in Quarantine, but in this political moment we're thinking a lot about how police narratives are centered and celebrated in popular media. We encourage you to donate to one of the many organization raising money in support of Black lives and the current protests. If you donate $25 or more, send us a receipt and Julia and Vanessa will record a voicemail message just for you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vanessa and Julia have read ALL of the first book of the Twilight series! Before they move on to New Moon, they take a look back at the whole book and give their final impressions and advice.---If $2/month doesn’t feel like a vampire sucking your blood, we’d love it if you could support us on Patreon. Your support will help us help Bella through book two! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vanessa and Julia have read the Epilogue, and they're organizing the After-Prom party for Bella and Edward.---If $2/month doesn’t feel like a vampire sucking your blood, we’d love it if you could support us on Patreon. Your support will help us help Bella through book two! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vanessa and Julia have read Chapter 24, and they finally get to meet the elusive Renée. Unfortunately, she was not worth the wait.---If $2/month doesn’t feel like a vampire sucking your blood, we’d love it if you could support us on Patreon. Your support will help us help Bella through book two! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vanessa and Julia have read Chapter 23, and are joined by Maren of the Remember Twilight podcast. Together, they discover that there's a gap in the market for Vampire Therapy and that maybe there's hope for true love after all.---If $2/month doesn’t feel like a vampire sucking your blood, we’d love it if you could support us on Patreon. Your support will help us help Bella through book two! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vanessa and Julia have read Chapter 22 and feel greatly betrayed when it turns out that Bella is not actually from Phoenix.---If $2/month doesn’t feel like a vampire sucking your blood, we’d love it if you could support us on Patreon. Your support will help us help Bella through book two! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vanessa and Julia have read Chapter 21 and are amused by the quaint technologies of the early 2000s like 'drawing' and 'writing.' Bella's gonna have her mind blown by photoshop and snapchat. ---If $2/month doesn’t feel like a vampire sucking your blood, we’d love it if you could support us on Patreon. Your support will help us help Bella through book two! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vanessa and Julia have read chapter 20 and they're feeling as trapped in Bella's hotel room as she is.---If $2/month doesn’t feel like a vampire sucking your blood, we’d love it if you could support us on Patreon. Your support will help us help Bella through book two! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vanessa and Julia have read Chapter 19 and they are starting to understand why the Cullens treat Bella like a toddler. ---If $2/month doesn’t feel like a vampire sucking your blood, we’d love it if you could support us on Patreon. Your support will help us help Bella through book two! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vanessa and Julia have read Chapter 18 and they want you to JUST SAY NO to kidnapping.---If you're enjoying Twilight in Quarantine, please consider supporting us on Patreon! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vanessa and Julia have read Chapter 17 and have an important sports update: baseball is dumb.---If you're enjoying Twilight in Quarantine, please consider supporting us on Patreon! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vanessa and Julia have read Chapter 16 and they think that you should always pack an umbrella. Or at least not laugh at those who do.---If you're enjoying Twilight in Quarantine, please consider supporting us on Patreon! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vanessa and Julia have read Chapter 15 and are blowing the whistle on creepy rocking chair dynamics. If you see something, say something.---If you're enjoying Twilight in Quarantine, please consider supporting us on Patreon! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vanessa and Julia have read chapter 14 and they applaud Bella for living her best quarantine life. ---If you're enjoying Twilight in Quarantine, please consider supporting us on Patreon! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vanessa and Julia have read chapter 13 and they're already planning their Edward/Bella Halloween costumes.---If you're enjoying Twilight in Quarantine, please consider supporting us on Patreon! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vanessa and Julia have read Chapter 12 and they continue to find Edward's outfits better than his behavior.--If you're enjoying Twilight in Quarantine, please consider supporting us on Patreon! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vanessa and Julia have read Chapter 11 and they finally find out why this book is called Twilight.--If you're enjoying Twilight in Quarantine, please consider supporting us on Patreon! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vanessa and Julia have read Chapter 10 and they realize that everyone really wants to smell like vegetables. They also both come to a very important conclusion: using your dog to get a message to your boyfriend is a fool's errand.--If you're enjoying Twilight in Quarantine, please consider supporting us on Patreon! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode, Vanessa is joined by our friend Meredith Goldstein of the Love Letters podcast. Meredith is an actual advice columnist and an actual fan of Twilight, so it's a real treat to have her on. Vanessa and Meredith discuss chapter 9 and recommend some moral philosophy to Edward. --If you're enjoying Twilight in Quarantine, please consider supporting us on Patreon! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vanessa and Julia have read Chapter 8 and they are #TeamAngela. --If you're enjoying Twilight in Quarantine, please consider supporting us on Patreon! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vanessa and Julia have read Chapter 7 and beg Bella Swan to do literally anything else but wait by the phone for a boy to call. Bella--take a nap, eat a banana, pet your goldfish and call your mom!-- If you're enjoying Twilight in Quarantine, please consider supporting us on Patreon! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vanessa and Julia have read Chapter 6 and they have different takes on the character of Lauren.--If you're enjoying Twilight in Quarantine, please consider supporting us on Patreon! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vanessa and Julia have read Chapter 5 and they'd like to teach the residents of Forks some things about consent. --Note: We've relaunched our Patreon! If you're enjoying our advice for the characters of Twilight, please consider supporting us in our work! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vanessa and Julia have read Chapter 4 and they're ready to start casting for Twilight the Musical. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vanessa and Julia have read Chapter 3 and, surprisingly, they're actually starting to like this book! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vanessa and Julia have read Chapter 2 and they have some questions about the weather patterns in Forks, Washington.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is Twilight by Stephenie Meyer the best book of all time? No it’s not. Is it the kind of cotton candy escapism joy we need during these uncertain times? Hell yes it is. You may remember BFFs Vanessa Zoltan & Julia Argy from their all-star advice giving in Season 1. In this mini-season they’re sheltering in place in different cities, but they’re getting on the phone three times a week to read and talk about Twilight. On Twilight in Quarantine, they’ll work their way through the Twilight saga one chapter at a time, giving brilliant well-informed advice to Stephenie Meyer and her characters along the way. In this episode, Vanessa and Julia read Chapter 1. They meet Bella and Edward for the first time and they are concerned about them.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Vanessa talks about how the Friends-to-Lovers trope reflects the love she has for her real life partner, and how writing her own romance novel has allowed her to discover the importance of trust in her relationships. Meanwhile, Ariana interviews Vanessa about the importance of happy endings, how romance novels have helped her through her own life, and why she and Ariana started this podcast anyway.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vanessa and Julia deal with a Reddit question from a woman whose boyfriend has recently found religion. Should his attempts to convert her end their relationship?To explore this question, Vanessa talks with journalist Lauren Sandler about her research on Christian Romance Novels and their writers. At the heart of their discussion lies the question: how religion can affect romance? They discuss how religion can bring some people closer, and can tear others apart. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Vanessa’s friend, Liz, writes on the “Widowed Virgin” trope, telling the story of a Jewish widow who finds sexual awakening after her husband’s death. Vanessa reflects on her own Jewish upbringing, and confronts the familial urge to marry within the religion. Vanessa, whose partner is non-Jewish and German, examines what it means to love someone outside of the community she was raised in. She turns to her brother, who married a wonderful Jewish woman, to discuss how important it really is to marry within your own religion. Vanessa comes to terms with her own happy ending as Liz writes an HEA for the widowed virgin of her story. We also get our next writing assignment from #1 New York Times best-selling author of the Bridgerton series, Julia Quinn. Next week: More love advice and a conversation with Lauren Sandler. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Vanessa and Julia discuss a boyfriend’s jealousy of his girlfriend’s dream man. Can someone’s fantasy life be threatening to their relationship? To get answers, Vanessa talks with popular Romance advocate and critic Jen Prokop, of @JenReadsRomance on Twitter, about romance novel covers and why they should (or shouldn’t) change. We also hear a clip from Vanessa’s interview with Nichole Perkins who talks about representation in romance covers, and how they could improve. Send us your own romance advice questions for future episodes on our website at https://www.hotandbotheredrompod.com/advice  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jen wants to write a romance with her daughter as the main character. Vanessa just doesn’t understand why it has to be so...creepy.This week on Hot & Bothered, Jen uses the trope “Fake Relationship to True Love” to explore what her daughter’s future relationship might look like as a powerful, self-actualized woman in the modern world. When it takes a creepy turn, Vanessa wonders what sort of message Jen is hoping her daughter will hear. With the help of The New York Times’ romance columnist Jamie Green, they explore the line between pretending and lying in the dating world, and how growing up under society’s gaze affects our quest for a happy ending.We also get our next writing assignment from #1 New York Times best-selling author of the Bridgerton series, Julia Quinn. Next week: More love advice and a conversation with Jen Prokop, @JenReadsRomance on Twitter and cohost of the Fated Mates podcast.This episode uses Good Bones with permission from Tupelo Press. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Vanessa and friend Julia Argy tackle one of the most intense Reddit questions yet: a girlfriend considering leaving her boyfriend -- a serial drunk driver. With the stakes high, Vanessa and Julia struggle with how to give the best advice. For advice on advice giving, Julia turns to advice columnist, podcaster, and writer, Steve Almond. Together, they discuss the patriarchal problem of male rage, and what lies between the lines of love advice questions. Send us your own romance advice questions for future episodes on our website at https://www.hotandbotheredrompod.com/advice Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Elizabeth and Vanessa’s parents both got married fast, and fell in love after. This week on Hot & Bothered, Elizabeth writes about the trope “Marriage of Convenience.” She’s taking this opportunity re-write her parents failing marriage with a happy ending. But the more Elizabeth writes, the more Vanessa wonders if Elizabeth is carrying some of the worst parts of the trope into her own life. She and Vanessa explore: how parents can inform our own idea of love, what it means to settle versus what it means to compromise, and what exactly is a happy marriage? We also get our next writing assignment from #1 New York Times best-selling author of the Bridgerton series, Julia Quinn. Next week: More love advice and a conversation with writer and columnist, Steve Almond. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Vanessa is joined by Katie Mingle from 99% Invisible. They explore this week’s Reddit question written by a woman in a 10 year relationship who’s experiencing feelings for another man. To find an answer, Vanessa and Katie call Katie’s mother, romance novelist Pam Mingle. Together, they revisit a question from earlier in this season: whether love at first sight exists. Pam, Katie and Vanessa consider the difference between romantic love and motherly love, the failures of monogamy, and whether Pam will write another romance novel.Send us your own romance advice questions for future episodes on our website at https://www.hotandbotheredrompod.com/advice  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Marissa Martinelli is writing a real sex scene. Vanessa is READY. This week on Hot & Bothered, we explore the trope “Mistaken Identity.” As Marissa tries to write a good sex scene for her mistaken characters, she and Vanessa explore the vulnerability of explicit sexuality, and wrestle with the freedom and the oppression of coded sexual language.Vanessa turns to writer, romance-novel reader, and co-host of Thirst Aid Kit Nichole Perkins to understand what we talk about when we talk about throbbing members. We also get our next (steamy!) writing assignment from #1 New York Times best-selling author of the Bridgerton series, Julia Quinn. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Vanessa and friend Julia Argy marvel over their favorite Reddit dating advice question yet: a girlfriend curious about her boyfriend’s LOCKED DRAWER containing a secret object he refuses to divulge. For insight into the most mysterious relational secrets, Vanessa turns to advice columnist, entertainment reporter, and paranormal romance novel reader Meredith Goldstein. Together, they explore the boundaries of privacy, paranormal intimacy, and what we keep in drawers. Send us your own romance advice questions for future episodes on our website at https://www.hotandbotheredrompod.com/advice Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vanessa and Brigid share everything with each other - their thoughts, their feelings, even their endometriosis diagnosis.This week on Hot & Bothered, we explore the trope “Friends to Lovers.” In her writing, Brigid reckons with the way love changes in the transition from friendship to partnership. Together, Vanessa and Brigid wrestle with what they share with friends, what they share with their partners, and the intimacy born from shared pain. Along the way, Rev. Dr. Matthew Potts returns to shed light on how we ask for care from our partners, and we get our next writing assignment from #1 New York Times best-selling author of the Bridgerton series, Julia Quinn.Next week: More love advice and a conversation with advice columnist and entertainment reporter Meredith Goldstein.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Vanessa and friend Julia Argy fight over the appropriate unsolicited advice to give a Redditor who just discovered his girlfriend lied to him about her virginity.To make sense of their conflict, Vanessa turns to feminist and religious scholar Amy Hollywood. Together, they explore the religious history and origins of virginity, and the implications of how virginity is portrayed today. Send us your own romance advice questions for future episodes on our website at https://www.hotandbotheredrompod.com/advice Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vanessa and her sister-in-law Suzanne agree: love-at-first-sight is questionable at best. Even still, Suzanne wants to explore a love-at-first-sight romance novel while anticipating the birth of her first child. This week on Hot & Bothered, we explore the trope “Love at First Sight.” Suzanne considers how a parent’s “supposed” to feel upon first sight of their newborn child, and how love grows and evolves over time. Vanessa considers the limitations of love-at-first-sight stories in a world full of bad men. Along the way, Vanessa’s friend Sasha weighs-in with her own high-risk, high-reward experience with love at first sight, and we get our next writing assignment from #1 New York Times best-selling author of the Bridgerton series, Julia Quinn.Next week: More love advice and a conversation with feminist and religious scholar Amy Hollywood.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s no secret Olivia and Molly would love to have a baby. Vanessa thinks she might want a baby, but isn’t so sure. This week on Hot & Bothered, we explore the trope of “Secret Baby.” Olivia and Molly have been patiently hoping and working to bring a baby into their life. In the meantime, they craft their own vicarious happy ending, baby and all. Vanessa considers her ambivalence about having a baby, and invites a chorus of loved ones to weigh the pros and cons of her bringing a child into the world.Additionally, we get our next writing assignment from #1 New York Times best-selling author of the Bridgerton series, Julia Quinn.Next week: More love advice and a conversation with one of Vanessa’s favorite novelists, romance superstar Beverly Jenkins. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

That’s right! You work on your writing, we’ll work on other people’s love lives! This week, Vanessa and friend Julia Argy offer their support and unsolicited advice to an especially distraught Redditor wondering what to do with a husband who claims he’s no longer sexually attracted to her because of her past trauma.In addition to the obvious answer (divorce him!), Vanessa turns to sex educator and NYT best-selling author Emily Nagoski to better understand the nuances around attraction, sexual connection, and how to live confidently and joyfully in our bodies.Don’t forget to check out Emily’s new book, Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle https://www.amazon.com/Come-You-Are-Surprising-Transform/dp/1476762090 Send us your own romance advice questions for future episodes on our website at https://www.hotandbotheredrompod.com/advice Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vanessa has been faithfully holding onto her old love letters. Her friend Sejal, however, has decided to burn her own memorabilia and never look back. Which one is right?This week on Hot & Bothered, we explore the trope “Reunited Lovers.” Sejal has made peace with her past and seeks a vicarious happy ending for two fictional former flames. Vanessa, on the other hand, is forced to confront the reality of a former toxic lover and what it means to doctor the evidence of her romantic history.Along the way, Rev. Dr. Matthew Potts weighs-in on how much of forgiveness is forgetting, and we get our next writing assignment from #1 New York Times best-selling author of the Bridgerton , Julia Quinn.Follow along on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, and send us your romance advice questions for future episodes to [email protected]. Next week: More love advice and a conversation with mind-blowing sex educator and NYT best-selling author, Emily Nagoski.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Another week to work on your next writing assignment? You’re welcome! This week, Vanessa and friend Julia Argy offer more unsolicited advice to a romance-fraught Redditor caught between the love she has in her arms and the love she’s read about in books. Torn between fantasy and reality, Vanessa turns to librarian, pop culture expert, and America's Next Top Best Friend Margaret H. Willison to discuss the power of fantasy, and how imagining the love we *could* have helps us get the love we deserve. Send us your own romance advice questions for future episodes on our website at https://www.hotandbotheredrompod.com/advice Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.