Trigger Warnings Book Club
Trigger Warnings Book Club is hosted by CJ and Holly, two best friends who share a love of reading. They discuss books they’ve enjoyed, books they want to read, and the best and worst tropes in romance and fantasy. The show focuses especially on dark romance, along with sports romance and fantasy books. Episodes offer casual conversations and recommendations for listeners who enjoy those genres.
Episodes
Fuss or Chew Your Food: La Toya Hankins | Author Interview
The secret to surviving a holiday dinner... you have to choose. Fuss or chew.North Carolina author La Toya Hankins joins us to talk Black love, sisterhood, and the power of good food.We get into all of it. Writing the South she actually lives in. The character who showed up uninvited and took over the book. Gas station snacks as a plotting philosophy. Liver pudding, fish roe, and one very importan
Smut, Marry, Kill: CJ & Holly are Sister Wives with Jurian's Eyeball
We had so much fun a few episodes ago when CJ asked Holly an impossible smut, marry, kill question so we decided to dedicate a full episode to the game. Each of the four rounds had a theme: contemporary, fantasy, wild card, and dark romance/villains. It wouldn't be the podcast you know and love if we didn't make a few rounds at least a little evil. Things quickly got out of hand. Trigger w
Dungeon Crawler Carl: No Pants, No Problem??? (Full Spoilers) | September 2026 Book Club
This month's book club pick is Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman. Holly read all eight....We get into all of it. The tutorial guild. The pants situation(or lack thereof). The bathroom rules. Odette's... look. The goblin nursery. The worst talk show host in the dungeon. One very important pedicure kit.A WARNING... CJ is 87% in and refuses to rate it until she's done. Listen to hear
2026 Fall TBR: Ten(ish) Books for Spooky Season
It's spooky season, so Holly and CJ are handing over their fall TBRs, plus the haul from two weeks in Ireland and Scotland.We get into all of it. Witches, werewolves, and one grim reaper. A tradwife who makes a very bad deal. A manor in Maine and the woman who may have killed her whole family. Dismemberment as a treat. The seasonal genre calendar, which is REAL and NOT NEGOTIABLE. Whether it still
Coastal Vibes and Small Town Crime | Author Interview: Courtney Giardina
Our guest quit her job in Nashville and moved to North Carolina to become an actress. Three months later the world shut down…so she started writing about the Carolina coast instead. This week we're joined by Courtney G. Foutz, who writes contemporary romance and women's fiction as Courtney Giardina. We get into all of it. The journal she kept through a divorce, and what happened when she s
A Dark Romance and a Banging Playlist | Author Interview: D.C. Powers
This week we're joined by indie author D.C. Powers to talk about The Stalker's Playlist.Cindel is deaf. She finds a single earbud left behind at the pub where she bartends, and the songs that start playing are laced with messages about her own past. Her brother is dead. Her boyfriend vanished. Somebody is following her…and he is the only one telling her the truth.We get into all of it. Why
Kiss of the Basilisk Broke Our Producer | August Book Club (Spoilers)
We've been teasing the sex snakes for weeks…the sex snakes are here.Our August book club pick is Kiss of the Basilisk by Lindsay Straube, and this is the full spoiler discussion.We get into all of it. The claw, where it goes and what it is made of. The blood that turns into gold. Whether Caspen's personality survives part two. Whether this even counts as a love triangle. And the quote we a
Monster Romance vs. Paranormal Romance — We Finally Settled It | Author Interview: B.L. Brown
The question as old as time…are vampires and werewolves monster romance, or is it straight paranormal? We bring in a subject matter expert to give the official ruling.B.L. Brown (Britta) writes across three worlds:— the sapphic monster romance of Camp Cryptid— the witchy urban fantasy of Witch of the Demesne— and Beer Hall Brides, a cozy fairy-tale romance set at a magical Oktoberfest where every
S2E13 Book Review: Morning Glory Milking Farm
Welcome back to Trigger Warnings Book Club! We are switching it up this week; Holly and Andrew scandalized Caitlyn by telling her all about Morning Glory Milking Farm. It is safe to say we have never read anything quite like it.Follow us on instagram : @trigger.warnings.bookclub Subscribe to our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TriggerWarningsBookClubWant to be a guest on the
S2E12 Author Interview: C.R. Lee
Welcome back to Trigger Warnings Book Club! This week we had the pleasure of chatting with C.R. Lee, an author of both contemporary and fantasy romance (and quite possibly our most hilarious guest yet)! We covered topics such as the differences between writing in the contemporary vs fantasy romance genres, how indie books really set trends in publishing, her experiences self publishing, and of cou
S2 E11 July Book Club: The Dark Lord's Guide to Dating (and Other War Crimes)
Welcome back to Trigger Warnings Book Club! This week we discuss our July 2026 book club pick: The Dark Lord's Guide to Dating (and Other War Crimes) by Tiffany Hunt. None of us had previously read from this author so we had a great time with this discussion! Andrew will certainly never think about shadows in quite the same way again.Follow us on instagram : @trigger.warnings.bookclub Subs
S2 E10: Summer Reading Recommendations
This week CJ and Holly share a few books they think you should add to your summer reading list! There's a little something for everyone- romance, mystery, fantasy etc. Let us know what we should read this summer.Follow us on instagram : @trigger.warnings.bookclub Subscribe to our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TriggerWarningsBookClubCheck out our website where you can listen to
S2 E9: Author Interview - Leigh Creek
Contemporary Romance author Leigh Creek joins us this week as we discuss fan-fiction, meteorological love, the tropes we stan and the ones we're over. As well as, Andrew read a book?! Also Holly had a chance to meet someone special. Follow us on instagram : @trigger.warnings.bookclub Subscribe to our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TriggerWarningsBookClubCheck out our website where y
S2E8: Mid-Year Review
This week we are doing our mid-year check-in for 2026! We discuss how many books we've read so far as well as a few standout reads. Lastly, we update you on our progress on our 26 books to read in 2026 competition (it was a real nail biter!) Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trigger.warnings.bookclub/ Andrew's Instagram if you want to contact him for all your editing o
S2 E7: Author Interview: Elle Nestico
This week we are chatting with Speculative Women' s Fiction Writer, and author of The Rest of My Lives, Elle Nestico. We talk about, Imposter Syndrome, the Metaphysical and what it means to find happiness.Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trigger.warnings.bookclub/ Elle's Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/author_elle_nesticoLink to purchase The Rest of My Lives Amazon
S2 E6 June Book Club: Love Overboard
This week we are chatting about our June Book Club pick, Love Overboard by Kandi Steiner. Spoiler alert: we have a lot of feelings about this one! This book is perfect for fans of Below Deck. As always this episode contains major book spoilers. Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trigger.warnings.bookclub/ Andrew's instagram if you want to contact him for all your editing or conte
S2 E5 Book Review: The MindFck Series
This week we are discussing the MindFck series by S.T Abby. Spoiler alert: CJ and I are huge fans although we caution interested readers to search out trigger warnings first because this series is seriously dark and not for the faint of heart. As always this episode contains major spoilers so listen with caution. Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trigger.warnings.bookclub/ Andrew&
S2 E4: He's a 10 but...
This week we are hazing Andrew by making him participate in a game of he's a 10 but... A few of the books we mention include The Pucking Wrong Number, Zodiac Academy, and Pestilence. Don't feel too bad for Andrew- he hazed CJ right back by keeping in an episode blooper at the start. Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trigger.warnings.bookclub/ Andrew's instagram if you wa
S2 E3: Interview with Silent Book Club of Monmouth County
This week we are joined by two exciting guests: Nicole and Amy, two of the co-leaders of Silent Book Club of Monmouth County. They told us all about what silent book club is, some exciting meetups they have planned for the summer, and chatted about their favorite authors and books. Silent Book Club of Monmouth County Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/silentbookclub_moco_nj/?hl=en Silent Book Cl
S2 E2 May Book Club: The Seven Year Slip
This week we are discussing our May book club pick, The Seven Year Slip, by Ashely Poston. This is a magical realism romance set in NYC dealing with some heavy topics such as grief. As always this episode contains major spoilers. Andrew also shares his thoughts on Off Campus Episode 1. Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trigger.warnings.bookclub/ Andrew's instagram if you want to conta
S2 E1 Off Campus
Welcome to Season 2 of the podcast! We are kicking things off with a deep dive on the new Off Campus show. As always this episode contains spoilers (for both the show and the entire book series)We also welcomed the newest member of our team: our new editor, head of all things technology, and non-reader, Andrew. Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trigger.warnings.bookclub/ Andrew's in
Book Review: The Pucking Wrong Number
This week we are discussing a book that made Caitlyn so angry that I knew I had to read it: The Pucking Wrong Number. It's part hockey romance, part dark romance and 100% over the top. Go in knowing you're going to have a laugh and you might enjoy it like I did. As always this episode contains major spoilers.
Author Interview: Cassie Swindon
This week we are joined by the fabulous Cassie Swindon, an indie author in North Carolina! Cassie writes fantasy romance and also organizes Oak and Ink, pop-up book markets in the Triangle area of NC. Cassie was kind enough to tell us a bit about herself, her process as an author, her books, and her hilarious cats! Check out one of Cassie's books and if you're local to NC we highly recomme
April Book Club: Things We Left Behind
This week we finish discussing the Knockemout series by Lucy Score. This was our favorite book of the entire series and we are so sad to see it ending. As always this episode contains major book spoilers so listen with caution.
Book Review: The Last Letter
This week we are discussing the emotionally traumatizing book, The Last Letter, by Rebecca Yarros. This book hurt our feelings over and over again and yet? We liked it. As always this episode contains major spoilers.
Book Review: In Her Own League
This week we are talking about In Her Own League by Liz Tomforde, one of our favorite authors. We thoroughly enjoyed this spicy sports romance but we are so sad to officially close the chapter on the Windy City series! As always this episode contains major spoilers.
Reading One Star Reviews (Again)
What can we say? We love hurting our own feelings. This episode contains some spoilers (although not as bad as usual!)
March Book Club: Quicksilver
This week we are discussing our March book club pick- Quicksilver! This book got both of us out of a reading slump and overall we really enjoyed it although it wasn't quite a 5 star read for either of us. As always this episode contains spoilers.
Book Review: Assassin's Blade
This week we are discussing Assassin's Blade (and a little bit of Crown of Midnight) from the Throne of Glass Series! As always this episode contains spoilers (and Holly trying really hard to not spoil any of the rest of the series for CJ) so listen at your own risk if you haven't read all of TOG
Finding your Book Community
Today we are joined by some friends and family of the Pod (including a returning guest you might remember- Adrian Andover!) We are discussing how we have found our various book communities and give some fun ideas for book club activities!
Spring TBR 2026
This week we are planning our Spring 2026 TBRs. We've included books by some of our favorite authors (looking at you Liz Tomforde) as well as some discoveries!
Book Review: Pestilence
This week we are discussing Pestilence by Laura Thalassa. We never thought we'd be swooning and laughing over a horseman of the apocalypse and yet here we are. Hold on tight this episode is a weird one (and of course contains spoilers).
February Book Club: Blood of Hercules
This week we are discussing our February book club pick- Blood of Hercules. We had mixed feelings about this one and yet immediately downloaded book 2 in the series so clearly it did something right. As always this episode contains major spoilers
Best of: Romantasy
This week we are sharing some of our top fantasy romance recommendations for all your moods! Categories include: if you're looking for something messy, enemies to lovers, and stories where romance is more of the secondary plot.
Love is in the Air
Happy Valentine's Day! Love is in the air this week as we discuss some of our top romance recommendations. Whether you're in the mood for sports, cozy fantasy, literary fiction with some romance, or more- we've got you.
Book Review: Spark of the Everflame
This week we are discussing Spark of the Everflame by Penn Cole. This is the start of an ongoing slow-burn, enemies to lovers fantasy series and our in person book club had a lot of feelings on it. As always this episode contains major spoilers.
Book Review: Caught Up
This week we are reviewing Caught Up by Navessa Allen! This is the second book following Lights Out and takes a slightly darker turn as our MMC is in the mob. While we didn't love it as much as Lights Out we'd still highly recommend! As always this epsidoe contains major spoilers.
January Book Club: Maneater
This week we are discussing our January book club pick, Maneater by Morgan Elizabeth. While this might not have been our favorite Morgan Elizabeth book yet we really enjoyed it and think it is a fun romantic suspense book! As always this episode contains major spoilers so listen with caution.
2026 Anticipated New Releases
This week we are talking about some of our most anticipated new releases for 2026 (for some reason a lot of them come out in March?). Featured authors include Navessa Allen, Morgan Elizabeth, and of course Liz Tomforde to name a few.
Book Review: Problematic Summer Romance
This week we are discussing Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood. Spoiler alert we have conflicting feelings about this one. While it is not our favorite Ali Hazelwood book (shoutout Deep End) we overall still enjoyed many parts of it. As always this episode contains spoilers.
2025 Wrap-Up
This week we are discussing how 2025 went for us reading wise. We reflect on the year and share some of our top reads. We close out by discussing our goals and predictions for 2026!
26 in 2026
This week we are discussing what is on our 26 books to read in 2026 list! We also go over the results of our 25 in 2025 lists.
December Book Club: The Gargoyle Grinch
Happy Holidays! This week we are discussing our December book club pick- The Gargoyle Grinch by Lilith Stone. This is pure holiday monster romance and we enjoyed it (although it left us with some questions about gargoyles). As always this episode contains spoilers.
Book Review: Big Nick Energy
This week we are celebrating the holidays with a Morgan Elizabeth Christmas special! We discuss one of our favorite holiday romances- Big Nick Energy. It's got some of our favorite tropes- single parents, he's immediately down bad, and ex's dad (kind of). As always this episode contains spoilers.
Just Smut No Plot
This week we are giving some recommendations for books that are heavy on the smut and light on the plot for when you're looking for some easy reading. They're perfect for anyone trying to reach their reading goal last minute.
November Book Club: Wilder
This week we are discussing our November book club pick, Wilder by Rebecca Yarros. This emotional romance really left a mark on us! As always this episode contains major spoilers.
Holiday TBR
This week we are sharing what books are on our TBR for the 2025 holiday season! We also provide a few recommendations from holidays past and a few anti-recommendations.
Book Review: Saving 6 & Redeeming 6
This week we are talking about Joey and Aoife's love story in the Boys of Tommen series. While we love Johnny and Shannon these two characters (especially Joey) have a special place in our hearts. As always this episode contains major spoilers.
The Life of a Showgirl as Books
This week we are pairing each song off Taylor Swift's The Life of a Showgirl with books we think match the vibe. A few books discussed include the Boys of Tommen Series and Hexed.
If Books Had Honest Titles
This week we came up with honest titles to describe some of our most memorable reads. Books include Morning Glory Milking Farm, A Court of Mist and Fury, and The Wedding People. This episode contains major spoilers for several popular books.
October Book Club: Fall I Want
This week we are discussing our October book club pick, Fall I Want by Lyra Parish. This wasn't our favorite book club pick (for reasons we get into) but we did find it entertaining and if you are a fan of: fall, billionaire romance, or insta-love this might be for you! As always this episode contains major spoilers.
Book Review: The Love Hypothesis
This week we are talking about The Love Hypothesis- shocking I know since one of the lovely hosts has always said she wouldn't read it! Well she did and spoiler alert she loved it! As always this episode contains spoilers for the book so listen with caution.
Book Review: Gild, Glint and Gleam
This week we are discussing Gild, Glint and Gleam by Raven Kennedy. We are really enjoying this fantasy/romantasy series inspired by the King Midas myth and can't wait to see how it ends. Also we discuss the ribbons- I mean we have to. As always this episode contains major spoilers.
Spooky Season TBR & Recs
In this week's episode we discuss what is on our Halloween TBRs as well as discuss books we've enjoyed in Spooky Seasons' past. Books mentioned include Cackle, Witches Get Stitches, and Not the Witch You Wed.
September Book Club: Wrangled Love
In this week's episode we are discussing our September book club book, Wrangled Love by Ann Einerson! Overall we enjoyed this sweet billionaire/cowboy/single dad-nanny romance although we had a bone to pick with one of the plot points.
Author Interview: Adrian Andover
We have an exciting episode this week- our very first author interview! Adrian Andover just released his debut novel, Whiskey Business. Whiskey Business is a delightful cozy mystery and we had the pleasure of talking to Adrian about how this book came to be, his writing process, and his general love of books. You can pick up a copy from a variety of places but Adrian suggests getting it from your
Bookish Fun
In this week's episode we decided to just have a bit of fun! We go through a few this or that questions about books and our reading habits and then we bring back a popular segment- blind ranking. Spoiler alert CJ was super mean to me again.
Fall TBR
Get comfy with a pumpkin spice latte and a cozy blanket- we're talking about our Fall TBRs this week! First we cover what (if anything) we actually read off our Summer TBR lists and then we get into the paranormal romance, thrillers, and exciting books we're hoping to read in the next few months.
Book Review: Tourist Trap
In today's episode we are discussing Tourist Trap by Morgan Elizabeth. We loved this spicy beach read and think you will too! As always this episode contains spoilers.
August Book Club: Things We Hide from the Light
This week we are talking about our August book club book, Things We Hide from the Light by Lucy Score. We have previously reviewed the first book in this series so check out that episode first! Overall we have continued to enjoy this series and find it a funny romantic suspense. As usual this episode contains major spoilers.
Book Review: Wild Love
This week we are discussing Wild Love by one of our favorite authors, Elsie Silver! We enjoyed this book as much as the other books we've read and loved by Elsie and are obsessing over how this series is totally focused on single dads. As always this episode contains major spoilers.
Book to Screen: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
This week we are discussing a book to screen adaptation- The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. We are both huge Hunger Games fans and have read all the books/watched all the movies. In this case we both agree- the book is better than the movie. As usual this episode contains major spoilers (for both the book and the movie).
July Book Club: The Wingman
This week we are discussing our July book club pick, The Wingman by Stephanie Archer! It is no secret we are huge fans of this series and hockey romance in general. As usual this episode contains spoilers.
Pairing Drinks with Books
This week we are pairing alcoholic drinks with different book tropes and giving examples of books that fit the vibe. Drinks include Long Island Iced Teas, Whiskey Sour, and Dirty Martinis. Enjoy this silly episode!
Book Review: Till Summer Do Us Part
In this week's episode we discuss Till Summer Do Us Part by Megan Quinn. This is a hilarious, spicy romcom about a fake marriage in trouble taking place at a marriage boot camp. It was ridiculous but also sweet. As always this episode contains spoilers.
Mid Year Check-in
In this week's episode we are doing a mid-year reading check-in. How many books have we read so far? What are our top genres? and most importantly- how close are we to completing our 25 books to read in 2025 lists?
June Book Club: Throne of Glass
This week we are discussing our June book club book- Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas. This is CJ's first time reading the series and Holly's second so that makes for some interesting discussions as Holly tries not to spoil anything accidentally. However this discussion contains spoilers for Book 1 of the series and CJ shares some predictions for the rest of the series.
Summer Recommendations
We are following up our Summer 2025 TBR episode by sharing books we think should be on your summer TBR! We have a little of everything- romance, thrillers, fiction etc. A few books include Tourist Trap, Till Summer Do Us Part, and The Family Experiment
Bookish Propaganda We Aren't Falling For
We've been loving the propaganda we aren't falling for trend and had to make a bookish episode! Topics covered include AI, book buying bans, and of course third act breakups.
Book Review: Camera Shy
In this week's episode we discuss Camera Shy by Kay Cove. Buckle up for a bumpy ride because we have quite a few thoughts about this one (and the toxic side characters)
Summer TBR
This week we are reviewing what books are on our summer 2025 TBRs. Our lists include romance, mysteries, nonfiction, and women's fiction by favorite authors and new to us authors!
Book Review: Fight
This week we are reviewing Fight by Sloane St. James. We had such a fun time with this book about an EMT and a wild fire firefighter and will definitely be continuing the series. As always this episode contains spoilers.
Book Review: Just for the Summer
This week we are discussing Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez! This is the perfect read to kick off your summer reading- it has humor, a sweet love story, and also a serious plot to go along with it! Both CJ and I really loved this one and instantly fell in love with the characters, the setting, and of course the author. As always this episode contains spoilers.
How Many Drinks...
In this week's episode we are discussing how many drinks it would take for us to hook up with book characters. We included some of our favorite book boyfriends (cough Christian Harper cough) as well as some diabolical options (the Bone Carver)
Part 2 Over and Under Hyped Books
We are back from our accidental time off with a part 2 of our Over vs. underhyped books (along with the bonus category of appropriately hyped books). We cover a wide range of genres- monster romance, cowboy romance, thrillers, fantasy, and historical fiction!
April Book Club: Deep End
This week we discuss our April book club pick- Deep End by Ali Hazelwood. It seems like everyone who reads this college sports romance either loves it or hates it- spoiler alert we love it! As always this episode contains major spoilers for the book so listen with caution.
Book Review: Bourbon & Lies
In this week's episode we review a small town, romantic suspense novel, Bourbon & Lies by Victoria Wilder. This was a quick, exciting and spicy read that we'd highly recommend. As always this episode contains spoilers.
New Favorite Authors
This week we are discussing some authors we have been loving lately, what we've read by them and what is on our TBR!
Book Review: Never Been Worse
This week we discuss "Never Been Worse", the latest release by one of our auto buy authors- Morgan Elizabeth. Spoiler alert: we loved every page of this book! As always this episode contains spoilers so listen with caution. And Morgan if you're listening we'd love to have you on the pod
March Book Club: Boarded Hearts
This week we discuss our March book club pick, Boarded Hearts by Ruth Stilling. While we gave the book similar ratings we actually had quite conflicting opinions! As always this episode contains major spoilers.
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