Boozy Bookgasms - A Boozy Backtrack: Season 3 Recap

Episode Date: August 13, 2025

Here we go again at the end of a season. The cousins recap some of their favorite books, great guests, biggest story gaps, and laugh-out-loud moments. So grab your headphones and your cocktail shaker���tonight we’re serving up The Re-Cap & Sip, a little sweet, a little sassy, and packed with as much drama as our Season 3 lineup. Whether you’re here for the slow burns, surprise spice levels, or just to hear us argue over plot twists—we’ve got you covered. Let’s close this chapter with a toast and a laugh. Signature Cocktail: The Re-Cap & Sip This is a layered drink with a little bit of everything - just like this seasons! Ingredients: 1 oz coconut rum (for our beach read) 1 oz peach schnapps (for those extra sweet moments) 1 oz cranberry juice (for the drama) 1/2 oz fresh lime juice (for all the sass we put up with this season) Splash of club soda or lemon-lime soda (for the sparkle) Ice   In a cocktail shaker, combine all ingredients except the club soda. Fill the shaker with ice and shake vigorously for about 15 seconds until cold. Strain into a fun glass filled with ice. Top with a splash of club soda. Serve with a fun straw, cute umbrella or whatever the hell you want because you are a queen baby!  

Hey, Dennis, welcome back. Hey, glad to be back. I'm always happy to be a part of this podcast. You know your episode was our highest rated episode this season. You don't say. I don't know what you did. Well, something was different about that podcast than the other one, so I don't know what it was. I wanted you to help me with this cold open because it brings me so much joy when I can give Kim and Lindsay some shit.

And as I was editing this episode, I could not stop laughing at this one thing. But before we get to that, I want to review your question. qualifications with our listeners. Do you or do you not have an advanced college degree of mastery in reading and writing? I do. So how would you pronounce the name of this book? That is obviously wretched. Thank you. Now your cousins, Kim and Lynn struggled with saying wretched, and this is a bit of a spoiler. But early in the episode, we all agree that's what the book is called and how it should be pronounced. They will proceed to call it wretched many, many times throughout the episode. Now, Do you know what the word wretched means? That means vomiting, right?

That is correct. So we're assuming that the book is not about vomiting. I didn't read it. I could pull up the inside cover online, I guess, and read. But it's not about throw up. No, I don't think anyone vomits in the book at all. So I thought it would be fun of playing drinking game for our last episode of the season. Every time we hear the word wretched, we're going to have to take a charge. drink. I'm excited to have a little fun with them on this one and hope everyone enjoys the episode. I appreciate you letting me be a part of this. Well, hey, we got to give them shit where we can. Absolutely. Buckle up literature fans. We're in for some boozy bookgasms today. Join three cousins creating a titillating headspace where steamy romance novels collide with strong cocktails. So sit back, sip slow, and enjoy the ride.

Welcome back, Clititure Fans. This is Boosy Book Gasms. I'm Lynn. I'm Kim. I'm Jen. This is our season three recap, which is absolutely insane. So many books. And what a wild ride it's been.

We have had motorcycle clubs, morally questionable zadis, forbidden flings, vengeful billionaires and piano benches that live rent-free in at least my brains. And we've been spanked by plot twists, seduced by spikes, occasionally love wondering, should I be into this? And the answer is always. Yes. But before we dive into the books, the bangs, and the booze, we are pouring a fresh round to kick things off.

Kim, what are we drinking tonight? Okay, so tonight we're going to serve up the recap and sip. It's a little sweet, it's a little sassy, and it's packed with as much drama as our season lineup was. We've got some coconut rum for all of our beach wreath. We've got some peach snobs for those extra

sweet moments, some cranberry juice for the drama we had, and some fresh lime juice for all the sass we put up with this season. And a little splash of club soda just for the sparkle. It is delicious. It is. Delicious.

And pink and like very festive. Yeah. It is very pretty. We've all prepared some questions tonight. This is our recap. We'll try to keep it short and sweep. It's always fun to look back and see what we've done this season. But before we get started on those, Jenny, give us a little bit of a recap.

What did we read? Who wrote them? So these were our season three books. We started with Forged in Blood by Sadie Kincaid. Then we read the fine print by. Lauren Asher. We read Your Dad Will Do by Katie Robert.

Rretched by Emily McIntyre. Wolf E. by Paisley Hope. Still don't know why the E is there. 5,000 Nights of Obsession by Dretti Anise. Dark Notes by Pam Goodwin. And we topped it off

with Love on Ice by J.A. Low. We read eight books and two of them we don't know how to pronounce. Right. Yeah. Bad tracks. What was the other one besides Wolfie?

Well, there was Wolfie and wretched or wretched. Okay, so I did figure this out. Did we decide? It is wretched because it dawned me the other day. It's totally wretched. This is what happens to me, right? I'm sitting there and I go, oh my God, didn't the wicked witch in the beginning of the Wizard of Oz call Dorothy the wretched little girl and her wretched little dog? That's a word.

Yes. Right, but that's why I think that's the title, pulling it back in. We did question this. I think it is, too. I don't know why we're calling it wretched at all. Because it's spelled the same. Drink more. All right.

That's the plan. I'll kick it off with my first question. Which book made you guys feel the dirtiest in the best way possible? Oh, this was easy for me. Oh. Wolf. Because he was so dirty. I loved Walt.

Like dirty as and he didn't bathe? I think he bades. He was. So not my type and I wanted all of it. Oh. It was an unexpected attraction. Which are sometimes some of the best, right? Kim.

For me, it was actually forged in blood. Because there was so much happening so often. And the whole time I'm like, oh, that doesn't seem sanitary. But I don't know. I might be into that. No. Okay. Really?

How did you get there? You know, don't judge. I didn't judge you're filthy, man. That's true. Never. So it's so fun. we all have a different answer because for me it was definitely your dad will do very taboo you think the sun's gonna walk in like super dirty but in like the best possible way i totally love that book if you could go

back and change any of the ratings you gave on any of these eight books now that you've had time to process would you change any of your rating no i'm 100% right all the time absolutely not i stick to my gun i know this about you I'm not shocked at all. Actually, the last one, Love on Ice, I gave it a 3.5. What I said to these gals is, I'm like a pretty easy grader, but I gave this one a 3.5. And I think of all of them, I probably could have given this one a 4. It was a really good book.

And I downgraded it for, I don't know, maybe silly reasons when I listened to it back. But it was so good. 3.5 to a 4. If I could go back, Forged in Blood, I wish I could have just not rated it because, like, I'm such a Sadie fan. And I think I was really hard on that book because I was. I love her so much. I've never given her less than a four. And I have a little guilt about it. But in my heart, that book was a 2.5. But I wish I didn't have to rate it because I love you, Sadie. And I just wish I like it. I'm sorry. I have guilt about it. But I don't think I'd change it. Okay. That was a non-answer answer. If I could. Right. Thank you.

So I just learned this word, but I'm going to throw it out there. What books out of everything we've read gave you the biggest, bangxiety. Biggest bangxiety. Okay, this was the first time I'd ever heard this word too. And you could take this word a number of different ways, I feel like. You want to give us a definition, Kim? The definition that I read was that when you're getting, you're almost 60% through the book and you realize, holy shit, did I do a cold romance book here without any smut? It's terrifying. Closed door. See, that's not how I defined it. So I start to have that, oh my God, there's not going to be any banging. So I get that anxiety. The only book to me was the fine print because that one, we waited the longest in that book to get to the spice. But then when we got there, hello.

Yeah. It was nice. Yeah. Okay. But it wasn't very long. It was like, boom, done. Yes, agreed. I probably should have asked for a definition before I thought about this question, but how I defined the anxiety in my world was.

Too much banging? Your dad will do. No, I was constantly worried about the sun's going to walk in. Something's going to happen. was too taboo. They were going to catch them in the in the truck, in the sex shop, parking lot. Like there was just so much banging anxiety around like the sense. I like both definitions. That's an excellent definition. And yeah, it will pass. Yes. It will pass. There was banging anxiety.

Based on the first definition, I'm with Jen. I like 90% through the book. I'm like, are ever sleeping together. Like ever. Let's get to the rest up. But yeah, the fine print for me. We had some really good sexy books this season. And that was probably the least sex-filled book we had, really. Okay. So if you could rewrite the ending of any book this season, which one would you fix and how would you change it? My answer to this one was wretched. Or wretched, however, whichever way. Because I felt like a better ending than the police officer quitting his job, murdering another cop and running off with a psychopath. Maybe he lets her go to jail for her crimes.

Oh. And he goes by himself to Ireland, meets a ginger, chops the wood, does his thing. But, you know, it just feels like a safer H-E-A. Not a great ending, though. Not an ATA for sure. I didn't care for this book at all. I am so not with that. Nope. No. I'm passing on that one. Okay. So mine was 5,000 nights of obsession. First off, Axel would be in jail for stalking and craziness and getting the help that he needs mentally. Because he was a psycho. She was a murderer. They're very different. No, definitely different. And she would go into protective service.

as well as some serious therapy for all of her issues. Also, not a happily ever after, but maybe everybody got the mental help that they needed. And this is where I'm going to fit right in between you guys, pariuge, because I need an H-EA and I also thought 5,000 nights of obsession needed a different ending. Axel was the worst. Jay should not have died. He should have come in and save the day and sent that guy to jail and they should live happily ever after with their daughter, taken over the company and lived happily ever after. The problem is The problem is I don't think she was that happy. So it wouldn't have been that great of an H-EA.

I didn't care for her, so I didn't really care about her. I really didn't like that book. Yeah. She needed some help. And that's what I'm saying. Yeah, therapy and witness protection. Mental health is important. I think she was just selfish.

An advocate. So I'm going to give you a yes, no, maybe on the books we read this season that had a series attached to them. And you tell me, yes, no, or maybe, will you continue on with the series? Forged in Blood by Sadie Kincaid. Yes. I already read it. The fine print by Lauren Asher.

Yeah. No. Only because I bought him. That was a yes for me. I did read the second book in this series and it was a little bit of a slog. So I'm excited to see what you think about it, though. Shmedian. Jen, you didn't answer for Forge and Blood.

Forge and Blood's going to be a no-go for me. No, for you. Yes. Sadie, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Sadie, I love you. No, you're her biggest fan. many of her other books right now, but...

Clearly not her biggest fan. Rretched by Emily McEntay. Yes. No. I'm only going to do it because I know you guys are going to put another one of these books. Kim loves this shit. I know. I love it. Wolf by Paisley Hope.

Yes. No. Kimber. It's a no for you, Kimber? It's a no for me. I fucking love that book. She rated it really low. Yeah.

Too many weird. It might have been her... Oh, it was almost. for lowest. 5,000 nights of obsession. No. No. Nope. And love on ice. Maybe. Yeah, I'm a maybe on that one. I'm a maybe. Yeah, I'm not a no. That was my first sportsy one. And I was like, like I said, it was sport adjacent. So I was fine with it. I love a good, strong female character that makes our own money. And I love that about this book. And I love Paradise Island. I love Paradise Island. What were your top three reads this season and your top three episodes? Those don't always marry out.

So my top reads that I rated the highest were Wolf E or Wolf or Wolf.D., anyway, eventually we'll get to the bottom of this. Someone tell us, please. Your dad will do and dark notes. My favorite episodes were Wolfie and Dark Notes. But Recht was a top episode for me because we had a guest host. Marley After Dark. And she was awesome. She made the episode so fun.

And even though it was a lower rated book for most of us, it was a really fun episode to be a part of. And I think the end result was really good. Those were my three episodes. It was your dad will do dark notes and then wretched. But my top three books were Wolf, your dad will do and fine print. Interesting. Right. You really did like fine print a lot. I loved fine print. I thought it was so cute. I thought it was cute. But you said you wouldn't read, well, you read the second one. You were ify on it. I did read the second one. It was a real slug. Yeah, the main male character. I liked. I didn't like either way. First one was a slog for me. It had moments for sure. Okay, so my top three reads were forged because I love a good Sadie Kincaid. Retched because I absolutely love digging into that shit and trying to find all this stuff, almost to the point where I'm not actually reading the book. I'm just researching it. And dark notes because it's illegal. But it's illegal.

And actually my favorite episodes were wretched because we had Marley on there and it was so fun. And it was fun to like go through all the different things that we found. And everybody was like, oh, no. Munchkin lands. Dark notes, because I loved having done on and just hearing from a Louisiana teacher perspective what that was like. He was hilarious. He was great. Your dad will do because I think we all had very similar opinions.

and we learned the word zaddy all in the same night. So was that when we learned Zaddy? No, I think we learned that last season. Chasing the Wild. No, uh, praise. Praise, yes. Oh, that was so good. Oh, it was praise.

But I loved your dabble do because it was hilarious. It was funny. I just felt like the lot. Yeah. And like right out of the gate. I mean, right out of the gate. There's so good. So many problems.

It's the only one. And we all gave that a five chili pepper. All three of us gave that five chili peppers. How do you give it less? We've never done that before. Speaking of crazy, chili peppers, et cetera, which book would you most like to see turned into a passion flick? Obviously, I have a theme here, but I feel like your dad will do.

It's basically like a porno. But dark notes would be like an amazing, moody, slow burn, like an indie film. I'm uncomfortable. Very 50 Shades. I love it. I feel like that's a lifetime movie waiting to happen. I'm going to go with love on ice because I want to see Paradise Island. I want to see how they make it work with all the wristbands and all the themes, the private jet.

Yeah, it's pretty good. I'm going to go with Wolf because I want to see who they would cast as Wolf. Yummy. God, that was so good. I'm like, you know what, like I'm scared for any of these to be movies because much like I hate hearing y'all hate them because of the voice, like the audio when you do the audio read, I don't want to see it. it and be mad about it. I didn't do a lot of audio this season because of that, because I've been burned so many times. Unless I hear in advance that it's going to be a good audio actor, then I've been reading it. I did more reading this season too. Yeah, you did too. I will say that there's one time

I feel like not listening screwed me with Lights Out because you guys both love Lights Out so much and I read it and I just did not like it as much. But I think more often than not I win with just reading it, putting my own inflection on. I would like to hear your opinion if you go back and listen to it. Oh, I think you will laugh out loud on numerous parts. I am hearing so many bad reviews on Cod Up, which is the next one. Yes. Oh, it's just getting burned in the reviews. That's not true. I know. It's such a bummer. That is a bummer. It just keeps slinking its way down below on my TBR. I feel like we've probably already answered this question for which book boyfriend would you let wreck your weekend and which one are you ghosting before the epilogue? This is so easy. Easy. Easy. I ghosted Axel from 5,000 nights.

Same thing. Everybody. Gross. Yes. Coming into your house, ripping pictures in half and reframing them, psychos. And unconcensual mating. That was the one rape we all agreed on. That's very true. And I'd say for the wrecking my weekend and I'm totally fine with it. I was between Shane from your dad will do and one of the guys from Forged in Blood. I don't know which one because I was torn on all of them at some point during the book. But one of them. Or all of them. Or all of them. Shane was so creepy sometimes. He couldn't be my guy. But Wolf was my first. Rowan from Fine Print was on the list. And then I liked our guy from Love on Ice. Felix, he can wreck my weekend. That sounds like a good time.

My wrecked me was definitely wolf. He hands down best boyfriend of the season. Wasn't that his real name was Gabriel? It was like, am I crazy? Did I just make me? It's just weird how you said it, Gaveu! I'm like, didn't sound as cool as wolf. There's a reason we're calling a wolf. What was your favorite trope that we read this season? I was looking at all the books we read and which ones that I, rated highest. So I rated highest dark notes. I rated fine print pretty high, like in the fours. Your dad

will do. And Wolf in my fours to four and a half to hire. And I realized that most of them are forbidden romance or taboo. You've got a teacher student, you've got a boss employee. You've got an ex-boyfriend's dad. Okay. Forbend that. A motorcycle gang president. Apparently I have. I have a gink. And it is forbidden romance. So that those are mine. though there. You did. You did. I was thinking the same thing. I was like, how are you bringing this together? They all have that thing in the middle. That forbidden taboo. You shouldn't do it, but you still do. And it's good. I was between the insta love and the fake relationship. I am always down for a fake relationship. I love fake dating. I think it's every movie, every book, I'm in. Because it always

works out. I went MC romance because that was such a surprise to me, because I had never read it before. And I was So into it. Got some good ones for you. Yeah. Oh, check out our TBR. I've put like five or six on there. Before we know it, Lynn, she'll be into BDSM. It's coming.

I know. Give me a minute. I know. You're two down the road. She says no, but she means yes. She means yes. What's your safe word? Pine up.

Which book had you the most unhinged from the get-go? Unhinged. Like you're still thinking about it going. It had to be five. thousand minutes. I mean, there were just so many scenes that made me uncomfortable. And I didn't enjoy it. I would just, no. Yeah. And I can see that if that's the definition, it wasn't bansiety. It was just anxiety. It was just I had so much anxiety for this woman and what he was putting her through. I struggled with that one. I guess to wretched, the who done it, is he going to catch her? Is he ever going to figure it out because he's so bad at his job? He was so bad at his job. Yeah, and then her being, we talked about this in the episode, her being the alpha female who was doing all these horrible things, she was pretty unhinged. Yeah, for sure.

I mean, melting to begin with. Your sister in a pot of acid does seem a little off kilter to me, but I'm not trying to be judging. Unhinged is such a vast thing, right? It could mean anything. Dark notes unhinged me, but not for the reason you think because, you know, they were soulmates, didn't bother me. Oh, boy. What unhinged me was all of the rape and the sad storyline and just and the processing of it. The darkness of it.

Her tragedy and the darkness of it. I think that one really struck me the most. The feedback I hear, even when they like the episode, the dark books are hard to hear about sometimes. And some of that subject matter. A little too real. It's rough. Yeah, it's really hard to listen to. Because you want to escape reality.

You want to escape. And you want to enjoy the escape. There usually is darkness in every one of these books that we read. It doesn't matter how it's portrayed. There's some kind of dark side to it. And that one just kind of left me with the icks. And I was just so mad. I wanted everybody in her life dead except Emmerich.

Yeah. Kill them off. Stogie. Well, Stogy, too. Yeah. I agree. I think that that one was really hard because, and we said it in the episode, the story, if you like it or didn't like it or like the relationship or felt like it was illegal.

It still felt real, and that's what the tragedy like sticks with you. The writing was so well done. I mean, this writer is amazing. And in fact, she's got other books out that I'm going to check out, even though I didn't think this was illegal. And it really has you. You get so hung up on the law, Jen. You just need me and my brother. You could tell we were the brother's sister in the room because we were like, hey, wait a minute.

But okay, so if any of the books that we read this season showed up in your recommendations again, which would you reread? I'm a big rereader. Would you reread any of these? I would reread in a minute your dad will do because that was a quick, fun read and just easy. And I would reread Wolf because I just loved it. And I'm like, maybe I miss something. I got to go back. relive the fantasy. I'm not a re-reader, but if I were, your dad will do would be one that I would go back. Because I do feel like we missed some of it here and there. Any that you wish could pretend would have never happened? Five thousand nights of obsession. For sure. Same. Yeah. I didn't need that. I think we all agree on this together. We're all equally. That was universally low-rated. I know. And we love the great Gatsby. That's what's so weird about it was that we just disappointed in that one. There's a few retellings. I'd like to try another great Gatsby retelling and see if we could have a do-over. That's better. She does more retellings and I have no desire to read them. I don't know. I don't mind dark romance, but this was a whole new level. She is a whole obsession series that is several different types of retellings. But again, like this one was just so not my brand of vodka. I'm going to move on. I can't remember which episode it was where you were like, oh, it was a little watered down. I like my vodka. stronger. That's one of my favorite lines of the whole season. I just want my vodka stronger. I don't know

about you. So speaking of vodka, we go into the cocktails. We've had a lot of cocktails this season. We've had one, two, three, four. Eight. Well, it's a lot. So we had the hat trick. We had Crimson Bow, dirty cherry martini. We had the flying monkey. We had the butterscotch shots, which was the most complicated. The reckoning, caged heart, and then this one tonight, the recap and Siv. Out of all of these, which was your favorite? This is hard. For me, it's easy. The Dreamland Sparkle, because I loved the edible glitter. And I actually made this drink. I had several women over at my house to get bikini waxed. You got to get a little sauced up before you go in for that, you know? And I made everybody Dreamland Sparkle. They loved it. It was just a super fun party drink. And it's really good. It's a little sweet, but I had two or three and I was fine. I liked the dirty cherry martin. teeny from your dad will do. Bold and spicy. It was really tasty. But the name of the drink that I like the best is the flying monkey from Ritchin. Or monkeys. I liked that it was green. Or monkeys. If you're having several. I hated the book, but the drink was really fun. I kind of liked this one tonight. But I also, the reckoning was really good. And it was really pretty. So I like a good pretty drink that you can kind of sip and feel very sophisticated while you're reading your smud. The vodka and the mescal. You're not reading sophistication.

So you might as well make it up for it in the cocktails. Before we wrap up, what will everyone be reading in the off season? Okay. So for me, we did Chasing the Wild and I finally got the book in from Amazon. Thank you for the Prime, Prime four months later. Crime New Prime. So I'm going to read Braving the Storm by Elliot Roads. I love it.

I am also, though I have difficulty pronouncing it, I'm going to read Kiss of the Basilis. Oh. I already read it. Enjoy. It's a mind fuck. Good luck. Lindsay and I have read this one.

Mind fuck. I can't ever pronounce it. I also, when we were all together, I picked up beautiful carnage. So I think I'm going to tackle that one. And I am sadly going to finish the Forged in Blood series. That's not sadly. Lindsay liked it. Don't be sad.

Yeah. I'm not. sad. I like to. Jenny that she's going to miss it. That's what I'm sad about. Or maybe she won't. Maybe it ends up on the TBR. We don't know. We don't know. We got to vote on these things. I like the later books more than the first week. All of those sound great. You'll love them, I think. So we read Shades of Red in a prior season, which was a pretty difficult book for most of us, I think. But there is a second. And more than the sex in it, I really kind of want to know the story. So he in the shades of red, the The woman that he's with took someone else's spot from her spot in the lineup of the chefs that were competing. So the next book, I'm pretty sure the main character and the girl who should have been in that spot are connecting. And I kind of want to figure out like how that all ends up. So that's shades of ruin. I think I might reread that one. Oh, good. You've got to read the other one after Sugar Baby too.

You were going to be our sequel girl. Yes, yes. That's when I'm a TPR. Yeah. I haven't read that one. You know, I'm actually a big sequel person. Like, I want to finish the story. Even if they're interconnected standalones, I did not have any desire to read that next one. Oh, oh, you didn't. I think I did at the time and I have not come back to it one time. And it's been months.

I've seen the reviews. There's a third book that's not out yet. And people are very pissed off about the cliffhanger on that second book. Oh, wait. I don't like cliffhangers. You do not. You get very upset of those. Me either.

I do not. So I am right now reading a Sadie book, Heart of. a devil that I am loving. It might end up on our TV art. So good. So good. Bull rush I want to read, which is a dark Western romance chaplain is a novella about an MC novella. So I've got a few like really fun ones. And then I really love Megan Quinn. She's got a book out. It's like a summer book out that I really want to read. So yeah, I'm loaded up. I think I'm loaded up. I think I've got enough to do for the next couple of months. It'll be fun. I think there's plenty to do. And whenever I hit a rut, I just go to our TBR and start just like cherry picking off of it.

So we put a nice TBR list going. We should publish that one day. Well, thank you everyone for joining us for this boozy rewind. We are going to take a break before season four. This is a little emotional for me, but we have been doing this just at one year now. August last year was when we started. We have 38. episodes. So if you have not heard all 38, please go back and listen. We will be back very soon. We'll update our socials with air dates and reading lists. You can find us on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Check out Boosy Bookazons for reading lists, cocktail recipes, and episodes of the show. And until we meet again, happy reading. Happy reading. Cheers. Thanks for tuning in. We hope today's episode was the climax

your day, leaving you breathless and wanting more. Until next time, remember to indulge in the pleasures of life and to keep the passion alive. You can find more tantalizing episodes at boosybookgasms.com. Enjoy the ride, and we'll see you soon.