Not Another Heroine

As promised Readers, we present some of our older rant sessions on random book-adjacent topics. This episode was originally recorded in February 2025 and focused on Kindle Unlimited.
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Is Kindle Unlimited unduly influencing the writing/editing game? Romantasy books keep getting longer, plot predictability is at an eye-rolling level, and if we meet one more shadow daddy on page 2 we're both going to convert to full-time hockey smut.

Readers,
We never want books to feel like a chore or for our episodes to be an endless nitpicking critique, but we've found ourselves drifting closer to that reality. We want to return to why we started Not Another Heroine in the first place: love of reading and the desire to share that excitement with another reader. Our first episodes on Sherwood Smith's "Crown Duel," while entirely too long, were exactly that.
On that note, we're taking a hiatus. All of our episodes will still be available on all platforms (except Patreon), and we'll start posting some of our back catalog that wasn't originally available on all the sites. We'll still be reading in the meantime, and when the book feels rights, we'll turn the mics back on for a new Monday episode.
Thank you for sticking with us through four seasons of readings. The book recs, the encouragement, and every like, subscribe, or follow gave us so much joy. To know that we're not alone in the library, that our shelf may look like your shelf, and that our silly episode titles made you giggle too, well, that's why we're still going.
Goodbye for now Readers, but we'll see you on the next page.
Katie & Jordan.
Books Mentioned In This Episode
Wicked, Ugly, Bad by Cassandra Gannon
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/201821045-wicked-ugly-bad?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_15
Divergent by Veronica Rothe
goodreads.com/search?q=divergent&ref=nav_sb_noss_l_9
The Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61431922-fourth-wing?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=8xcgHt8JZT&rank=1
Weavingshaw by Heba al-Wasity
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/234943536-weavingshaw?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=6bShtRni2g&rank=1

While it looks fluffy and silly, Boyfriend on Demand offers a surprisingly dark commentary on modern dating. Jisoo from Blackpink and Seo In-guk (Doom At Your Service) star as almost enemy coworkers who each harbor secret feelings for the other. And if you like an extra helping of eye candy, there are many other recognizable actors who make appearances as Jisoo's virtual boyfriends.
https://www.netflix.com/title/82007623?source=35&fromWatch=true
Similar Shows
Business Proposal
https://www.netflix.com/title/81509440
Doom At Your Service
https://www.netflix.com/title/81488912
Her Private Life
https://www.netflix.com/title/81205812
Marry My Husband
https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CPYQKXW5/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

This book is over 40 years old and a product of its time, but we enjoyed the accurate (but digestible) historic setting, character development, and well-paced romantic tension. Warning for romance readers who like their side of spice...there is none in this book.
Similar Books and Shows
The Illusionist
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443543/?ref_=fn_i_1
The Sound of Music
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059742/?ref_=fn_t_1
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17899948-rebecca?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=IjmyceMHkz&rank=2
Under the Stars of Paris by Mary Burchell
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3343881-under-the-stars-of-paris?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=hOEz8dLmNT&rank=1
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5711852-the-reluctant-heiress?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=2SZizHV5TF&rank=1

If you liked The Reluctant Heiress, just make this one your next read. Same tropes, same characters, just new names and a South America setting.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/963274.A_Company_of_Swans?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=2ulW7hj6nx&rank=1
Similar Books
Edenbrooke Julianne Donaldson
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12820360-edenbrooke?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=NaZfzrZPRr&rank=1
Blackmoore by Julianne Donaldson
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15795628-blackmoore?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=9pmrBB61fe&rank=1
The Reluctant Heiress by Eva Ibbotson
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5711852-the-reluctant-heiress?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_22