The Comment Section with Drew Afualo - TASTEFUL AMOUNT OF CRINGE Ft. Brooke Averick

Episode Date: May 27, 2026

It’s been a long time coming, Brooke Averick is here this week!! And romantasy book lovers… this is absolutely the episode for you. Drew and Brooke unpack their thoughts on everything from Throne of Glass, Acotar, The Summer I Tuned Pretty, and The Hunger Games. They talk about writing smut scenes, favorite romance tropes, Brooke’s dream look for a love interest character, Saturn chokers, being an original 1D stan, and so much more.Brooke’s book, Phoebe Berman’s Gonna Lose It, is out now!Brooke IG: https://www.instagram.com/brookeaverick/?hl=enBrooke Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ladyefronFollow The Comment Section on IG! https://www.instagram.com/thecommentsection/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

So much of romance can be cringe. And I found that too, like reading things out loud is really helpful. And like some of it, some cringe is okay. Yes, of course, but sometimes a tasteful amount of cringe is always okay. But when it makes you go like, ugh and takes you out, yeah, it's really hard. It's so there's such a delicate balance. Yeah, I agree. Everyone and welcome back to another episode of the comment section show starring me, your

favorite. Everybody knows me who cares about me. On to the guest today, we have the iconic, the hilarious, the published author herself, Brooke Averick. Oh my God, thank you so much for coming. I feel like it's been a long time. It has. It's been a long time coming, you and I. I really happy to be here. Yeah, and you know what?

No better time. No better time. Like the present. Phoebe Berman's going to lose it. Yay. You guys can see in the wide. I don't, when does this come out? Is she out yet?

Or she's about to be out? Oh, she popped yesterday. Okay. Yeah. So that's incredible. Yes, so yes, I'm officially a published author. Oh my gosh. How exciting.

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Al Bronzo by Barilla, the pasta that does scarpeta. Look for the red bag. Please tell me about Phoebe Berman's going to lose it. I really want to talk all things published author. Yeah, so Phoebe is a rom-com. Yes. She is, basically it's about a hopeless romantic, Phoebe. She's 29 years old.

And even though she's a hopeless romantic, she has this very crippling intimacy anxiety that she's had since she was a teenager. And so she has not lost her virginity yet. And she becomes super obsessed with losing it in the 30 days before her 30th birthday, which is when this book takes place. She makes a list. And that is her goal is to lose it. And she goes from kind of a non-existent love life to having three prospects. So it's kind of like, is she going to lose it? If she loses it, who is she going to lose it too?

So kind of like mystery thriller element there as well. Murder mystery. Murder mystery too. No, but it's just like I tried to really channel those like early 2000s rom-coms. And this one is for, like Bridget Jones. Kind of like Bridget Jones. Yeah, if she was like on a lot of anti-anxiety medication. Okay, so tell me about the process of coming to write a book.

Like I know you're a huge bookworm. Yeah. And I know you love to read, especially fiction. So I do. Like what inspired you to want to write your own? Like did it kind of come naturally? Were you kind of like, I've always wanted to do this? Now I have the opportunity.

I have always wanted to write a book. And I have always wanted to write about this like super romantically anxious person. Yeah. But I don't, I just like thought I wasn't qualified. Like I was always under the impression like, I had to go back to school and like get a master's in creative writing or like I had to take a class. Like I was always looking up like creative writing like USC and then I don't know. I was just like waiting for something to like give me the permission that I was looking for.

Totally. And then one day I kind of just realized like I think I don't need that. I think I can kind of just write a book if I want to. Right. And I think giving myself that permission kind of just like the floodgates. open. And then once I kind of wrote the first sentence, it just all like kind of spilled out. Just kind of spilled out of you at that point. Were you pulling from any inspo for, for Phoebe, the world itself? I was definitely the anxiety piece I was kind of pulling from my real life.

I am also super anxious. Yeah. When it comes to romance. And so I had kind of used like my lack of dating experience and and threw that in there. Yeah. Um, so this one's definitely, yeah, for, for the late bloomer's for sure. It's beautiful. Yeah. I think that's a wonderful thing. Thank you. Do you have any like any books that you were reading? Like, have you read adult fiction for a while, like as an adult? Because I got back into adult fiction like, I want to say like two, three years ago. Like I, for some reason thought like at past a certain age, I'm like, oh, I guess I have to read self-help books from the rest of my life. But then I realized I was like, wait, I don't have to do that. fiction still and that kind of got back into it.

Was that the same for you? I've always been a fiction reader. Love. But for whatever reason, like I wasn't reading. I was always like desperate for the romance. Right. Within like literary fiction because I kind of thought like the only thing I could be reading in my 20s was literary fiction.

I don't know. I guess you kind of like put yourself in a box once you turn a certain age. Exactly. For your reading. And then I was like, wait, I can be reading like cheesy romance like as much. as I want and then I was like that's awesome. It's actually so tea. That's so tea. It's so fun. And that's so awesome.

It's me and my Kindle against the world. It really is. And so I think for Phoebe I took from like every genre that I love. Like there's part cheesy romance. There's part like just like general women's fiction and like Weird Girl Lit Fick like yeah. So I kind of yeah I drew from a lot of those. That's amazing. Do you have any favorite books that like were kind of inspiring? to as you were writing. Did you read it all while you wrote? Like, I know sometimes people actually did. Oh, I love.

There is this author who I'm obsessed with Emily Austin. Okay. And she writes about really unique mentally ill women. Mm-hmm. And I'm obsessed with her. And I think everyone should read her books. And those definitely informed my writing about mental illness for sure. And also just like a lot of, I just like love a good rom-com.

Like Emily Henry. Yeah. Christina Lauren. Emily Henry wrote people we meet on vacation. We meet on vacation. She wrote book lovers is my favorite. I feel like she has five and everyone feels really, really strongly about like which one is the best.

That's true. Yeah. I know the book talk girls do not play around. They do not play. No, on Goodreads. That was like one of the first things I talked about with my team when I came out with my first book because I was like, Goodreads is scary.

Goodreads is scary. I take the rex very seriously, but Goodreads, man, do they write a novel in there if they don't like something? I have an addiction to Goodreads. Like it's really bad. It's my most used app, which sucks because no one else uses it. But I check Goodreads probably 50 times a day. I love Goodreads. The Rex are so real on there, but like I was so afraid of my own book being put on there because I was so afraid of what people would write.

It is terrifying. Yeah. And I'm letting myself look at Phoebe reviews. before it comes out and I'm going to really, really try not to do that after it comes out I think it's going to do really

well and I think everyone's going to love from what I've seen everybody's already really loving it so I think that's a beautiful thing Did you guys get to send out arcs and stuff? Yes. That's so great. Yeah that kind of stressed me out because I didn't know much about that whole process but arcs like there are some

things that I've changed since the arc and I have like pretty severe OCDs so like going to sleep at night knowing that like there are people reading an unfinished copy of my book that's crazy that's crazy that's crazy yeah uh definitely like not a lot like no like the plot is the same no I love that but like there are some sentences in the arc that I'm like I hate this sentence it is killing me that people have read this sentence I feel you that's how I felt when I started writing the proposal for my fiction book because it went through so many versions that, like, I changed some stuff, but just structurally, like, sentence-wise. So some of the versions they got, I was kind of like, fuck.

Did you have arcs with your book? With my first book, yes. I did, yeah. And you didn't change anything? No, because at that point, I feel like with that book was very different, though, for me. Because I feel like, because it was, like, self-help slash memoir. It was almost like I wanted to set it and forget it because it's really hard for me to be vulnerable like that to that extent. Totally.

About myself. Like I feel like I could write that way about other people or made up people, but like about myself, it was making it hard. So I almost like didn't want to look at it again because I felt like I might change too many things. But it was mostly because it was about me. That's really smart. I think I'll feel differently though about the fiction. Yeah. It feels different to me.

Well, at some point, like, because I was still editing a little bit after the arc. And my agents were like, you're making it worse and you have to stop. Like it gets to a point where it's like you, you just can't look at it anymore, which is so scary. Yeah, like it's done now. Yeah, I could have worked on that forever. Honestly, trust that you've done a wonderful job. Trust. You have to trust.

Do you see Phoebe having any future books? It's a really good question. I definitely, so I got a, it was a two book deal and I didn't know what I was going to do with the second book. But I think I've decided it's going to be like in the Phoebe universe. So like a character from Phoebe will make an appearance, but like it won't be a direct sequel. and you can totally read it as a standalone. I think that's awesome, though. But I think, like, because a lot of Phoebe is, like, about turning 30 and something that I was grappling with.

And, like, I kind of used her to, like, come to terms with something in my real life. I think if I have something like that again where I'm like, this is something that I need to come to terms with, I could bring back Phoebe. As, like, kind of, like, my therapy. She's your girl. Yeah. She was really, like, the best therapy I've ever had. Oh, that's so beautiful. So I think I can maybe bring her back in the future. but as for now her story is done.

I think that's great though. I love when we know, like you know for sure. Because like even I've read some really, really good fiction books that were just either standalones or they were duologies like no more than two. Right. I think that's great.

Right. I think that's beautiful. Yeah. How was the editing process? I like, I think I like editing more than the writing. That's too. Yeah.

I think because it's like at least everything, the story and like where I wanted to go is out. Yeah. And now it's just about like making. making everything flow. And like perfect. And perfect, which I think is a lot easier for me than just like getting the story out. Yeah.

Did you have any? Okay, so for the suitors of Phoebe. Yes. Did you have any people in mind? Yes. I always have people in mind. I, there's one. So there's three suitors.

Yeah. There's Jonathan, her roommate and best friend. Okay. Love. There's Finn, who is a new teacher at her school. Okay. And then there's Matthew, who she went to high school with and resurfaces in her life through Hinge and also words with

friends. And so Jonathan is described as like being like so hot. It's like kind of like overwhelming. And for him I have I was kind of always picturing David corn sweater Jonathan Bailey. Good choices. Yeah, because it's just like who what can you do there? They need that though. I love the book talk girls love a good description.

So that. Yeah. Yeah. So and then for Finn, I always pictured Evan Peters. Okay. And I was writing, but it changed to Hudson Williams pretty immediately upon heated rivalry. Had to swap really quick. Yeah.

And then Matthew, I've been picturing Joe Keary. So he's like a little bit alt. I love that. Yeah. Nice diversity. Nice different kinds of hotness. Yes, different kinds of hotness. And Phoebe, I can't picture.

No. Yeah. Phoebe is whoever she is. It's just kind of like a mop of curly hair to me. Yeah. I love that. I think that's wonderful because I love watching the book talk girls do like sketches, like of what they believe them.

Oh, I love that. My explore page is shocking when you see it. And it's all romanticcy stuff. Like, because I feel like especially now I've been watching a lot of different kinds of like, I would say like, yeah, like romanticity, like fantasy kind of romance stuff. but also I've been watching lots of other things to try and inspire the writing of like the fiction world. Because the world building is I would say the hardest part for me. Yeah, I can't even imagine.

I'm not smart enough to do that. Especially in the like romanticity world. That's actually why I'm co-writing because like I have someone helping me. Yeah. Because I feel really confident. I can write like characters. I can write banter. I can write romance, that kind of thing.

But like the world building I was so like nervous about because it's so expansive when it's like in a fantasy world. It really is. Like I think about how like the Game of Thrones universe was written all by one person and that like stresses me out. Yeah. Because I'm like, oh my God, how am I supposed to do that? Like I see people like, Game of Thrones historians do family trees and I'm like, he wrote

all the way back. That's crazy. How do you, I don't, how do you do that? Whenever I'm reading fantasy, it's almost like distracting like how intense and I'm just like, how did someone, how did someone do this? Yeah. How did this come from one brain? No, for real.

Yeah. I think the same thing. I think what's your favorite kinds of tropes? Like in not just like romanticcy but also just fiction in general. If you're looking at the romance fiction. I'm looking at the romance. I love enemies to lovers. Me too.

It doesn't get better than that. Which like now looking at my book, it's like I did three friends to potential lovers options and it's like, why? But it worked out, but it's like next book like maybe enemies to lover. Yeah. I love enemy still lovers. Me too.

Because I need, I can't do instillove. Like, to me, like, first kiss needs to happen. Last page of the book. Chapter 50. I need, like, the whole book to be, like, tension and buildup. To me, that's better than, like, when they actually get together. I agree. And that doesn't really happen with, like, instill lover, less so friends to lovers.

Yeah. I'm all about that. And then within enemy so lovers. Yeah. one bed at the inn Like when I get those tic-tok Only one room left Yes when there's like memes of like

I'm reading under my covers 3 a.m and there's one bed left at the end Like I am sprinting around my house Like it is truly Well now I'm going to be up for hours It is my favorite Like the second an author mentions Like we need to stop at a hotel

I'm like let's go I'm like yes yes yes I know I feel like That's why I've been averse to why a only because I don't mind why a I feel like there's ways to do Y a in a way that's like you're not edging me the whole yeah like they give give you a little something yeah obviously doesn't need to be graphic like I felt like reading that's how I felt reading thrown a glass because I know thrown a glass is really good I really want to

get into it I really loved the first one I started the second one and then they pan to the fireplace one too many times and I was like they bet you trust me Drew you will Like, it is going to take you about 900, 900 plus pages. No, 900 times like three. Right. But you will. It does, like, I think as her audience grew, she got more comfortable with, like, more, like, sexual scenes. Yeah.

And so you will get there. Yeah. It will be in, like, the seventh book. But it was, it's worth it. Man, and I bet it's worth the weight, too. I love Throne of Glass. Yeah, I know. I've heard many a good thing about that series.

Yeah. And I also read Akitar, read the whole. whole Akitar series too. I thought Akhtar was awesome. I mean, I had a fucking blast. I will say with my full chest, I am in love with Akatar. Like, I love it.

Like, to me, nothing compares to Reese. It's really just like so, honestly, too, the fifth one, the sisterhood part of it, brought me to tears. Yeah. Oh, it's crying. It's beautiful. And like there's so much, like,

especially in like the second book, like Farah coming to terms like with herself. Like there's so much more to it than just like romance. I agree. Yeah. The world building of that one is crazy. And there's like powerful females just like being badass. And I love banter.

I love banter. That is how I learned I love one bed at the end. Like I really learned talk about a slow burn. Talk about slow burn. Had to wait a while for that one. Oh yeah. I know. I was even telling my.

My friend, because I got my other friends, my girlfriends to read it. We were all kind of reading at the same time. And then one of my friends, she was like, are they going to fucking kiss or what? And I was like, go just steady the course. Because when it happens, it's going to be awesome. It's well worth the way. Chapter 55. The one, the only.

Actually, I feel like you're either a chapter 54 girl, which is like kind of the like lead up to chapter 55 or the chapter 55. Yeah, that's true. And I actually would say I'm in chapter 54. Me too. Because I, even in writing, well, like, first of all, writing smut in any regard, because I haven't even really touched it yet. I've only like, like barely scratched the surface on writing that. But I, even so, it's humiliating.

I was going to ask how you feel I avoided it completely in Phoebe because I just kept, I couldn't, I just kept thinking about my pop-up reading it. And I was like, I'm going to skip it for this book. Yeah, yeah, you know, I got, I got a baby step my way in there. I really, it freaks me out. Like, I want to do it. Yes. But I just can't.

And I love to read it. I love to read it. But writing it's another animal entirely. And, like, people know you. Yes. And so it's really hard, I think, when people know you and you're writing, like, really intimate sex scenes and, like, are they going to be thinking of you? Like, how does this work?

Like, what are the politics here? Right. And, like, yeah, what are the boundaries here? I agree. Because it is, even what I've written so far has not a, even crested really, it's not even actual smut. It's just like sexual tension. Yeah.

Which I enjoy writing. Like that part's easy. Yeah. But even there was like, there's like a little bit of physicality and not really anything at all. It's more so a pants of the fireplace thing. Yeah. But like I, even in baby stepping and I'm like, I'm really going to have to get in there.

Get my hands dirty. That sucks. Yeah. I'm not looking forward to that. It's, God bless you. And like, please let me know how it goes because I, I want to get there for book two. My hope, my hope is that I can offload most of it onto my co-writer. Yeah.

I'm like, you need to get in there, girl. And maybe I'll edit a little, because I'm getting, I'm getting nervous thinking about it. Yeah. Just getting anxious, just thinking about it. I think for me, it's just like, I'm thinking about, like, my family reading it. I guess I don't really care about just, like, anyone else besides my family. I don't know. It's just, like, really freaks me out.

I get that. I think I'll say I had a co-writer and just like she wrote those scenes. So from page like 300 to 300 or 200 to like I didn't write that. Yeah, don't worry about that. Like don't worry about that. Like read it if you want, skip it if you want. So I might just say like, yep, someone else wrote that. Don't you don't have to worry about it.

I don't know what sex is right. I agree. I was writing it in like I obviously want smut in mine. Even my co-writer was like, I'm so excited. I really want to write smut because in all of her books, they've all been like the ones she's written before. They've all been Y.A. So she was like, I've actually never even really gotten to go there.

So I'm excited. I'm like, and I'm excited for you. to get in there. Yeah. But I do feel like I also have OCD, so I do feel like I'm going to be so analytical that I'm going to have to get in there. But you're right. Because it is one of those things where you're like, if someone's reading this,

are they going to think that this is what I'm rocking with? Yeah. And then it feels almost too intimate in that way. Right, right. So I get it. And I have like when, in my, like my SMUT preference, I'm still learning what that is because I think it's really hard a lot of, I'm reading Crescent City right now.

Have you read Crescent City? I've only skimmed a couple of it. A little bit of it. I haven't actually read it. Definitely daunting. I have it on my Kindle. I'm in the second book. They're huge too.

They're 800 pages each and like set in modern day, which is really kind of hard to wrap your head around. That was kind of the part that was starting. When I tried, I was kind of like, I don't like that they have iPhones. Something about that. Yep. It's definitely hard. Yeah. But I just got to the book.

I mean, kind of a spoiler of when they first have sex, but they don't have sex until like, the middle of book two. Yeah. And we're talking about like 900 plus pages. Oh, yeah. And the words that she's using to describe certain body parts, I don't feel like I'm aligning with. And I feel

this a lot when I'm reading Smut. Like, what words do you use? You're right. That's T. That's hard. You're right. Because right now she's describing like the female anatomy. She's just using the word sex to describe like

oh her sex and I'm just like I don't think I I like that right now not loving that but what else do you use yeah it's nothing you're right there's nothing that you can do yeah that's true it is kind of a dealer's choice it's dealer's choice and it nothing I haven't found anything yet that I'm like yep that's it yeah that doesn't make you go that's the word yeah doesn't make you recoil just a little exactly so I think that's something that as authors like we will have to figure out it's not easy it's not No, that's true. Like I, that was something else I, because I had sent, and I'll send it to you too, actually, if you'd like my proposal with my intro stuff.

I love to, I'll text it to you after, but I sent it to my friend Taylor Tomlinson. And she was like, this is fucking awesome because she loves reading fiction. And she was like, this is so good. And she was like, I love the banter. And that's kind of how I picture writing smut because sometimes the banter, especially during smut, can be a little, it can throw me just a little, like where I'm kind of like, well why would you say that? Like I think that like in my head,

like some of the things the men say to the women is kind of like, that would take me out of it. Yeah, that would take me out of it. Yeah, it would take me out of it. Yeah, it makes you go, oh, I hate that a little bit. Yes, completely agree. That is like, I was talking about banter with her

and I was like with banter, even with flirting. I like, I say it out loud to myself. And if it makes me like, then I don't, then I change it. That's so key. Yeah, I have to hear it. And if it hits my ear wrong, I have to rewrite it. That's so smart. Yeah, because it's like if it makes me feel cringed, like, ugh, then I have to change it.

That's so smart. Yeah, so much of romance can be cringe. And I found that too, like reading things out loud is really helpful. And like some of it, some cringe is okay. Yes, of course. A tasteful amount of cringe is always okay. But when it makes you go like, and takes you out, yeah, it's really hard. It's so, they're such a delicate.

balanced yeah i agree i even um one of i think like my favorite fantasy romance books like that i've read is called um a curse carved in bone it's like a viking one yes that's the that's a sequel to yes it's like there's two of them so it's like a duology it's done after the second one which is kind of tea i actually really love that author i love her her romanticcy books i've read a couple of them um and they're also good but did you see she has a new one yeah she has a new one called well i read bridge Kingdom, which was also really good. I only read the first one, though, and I was starting to read the second one, but she

moved on to another couple, and I was like, don't care about this couple. Like, the first couple took so long to get together that I was like, all right, then we're going to go into them, and then the next one's her brother and his girl, and I was like, I don't care about them. Those are hit or miss when we switch to a different couple. Yeah, it depends.

Yeah. Like, if there's more, like, I feel like, Akatar was different because there was, like, so much building. Right. That eventually when you pivoted, you're like, okay, cool, like, what are these two up to. It was also like a very natural segue in Akitar because she gave us that little one. Yes. That kind of Christmas special.

Yeah, the Christmas special that planted the seeds and kind of transitioned us. Yes. You're right. So I hated that one, but yes. Yeah. I read it in like five hours. I felt like it was over. I know like I didn't like this one.

Couldn't put it down. Read it in a few hours. I know. I was like, oh, she's just shopping this whole goddamn book. I kind of like just like seeing like slice of light. No, you're right though. That's T because I was like I am enjoying them living life. though. So I guess that's kind of nice.

Yeah. It was kind of like I don't think we needed it, but like I would read anything that she wrote. So I guess I guess I needed it. Yeah. Exactly. It was for me specifically. But I read the Viking one and it was I thought she did such a wonderful job of like building like tension. It was like an enemies to lovers thing. It was like a betrayal thing or re-earning trust. Love that. Love that. Love it. What about tropes that make you DNF? Do you have any? I'm not. I don't really like an accidental pregnancy. I hate those ones.

There's one that does it really well called Out on a Lim. Okay. Yeah. Which I really liked, but I think that's a really, that's an exception. I think, and that's because I love the author. And I was like, I'll read this because I love her and it paid off. But I don't think I would pick up an accidental pregnancy. Yeah, same.

I read one. That's like a stress, that's stressful. Like I don't want, I don't want to be thinking about that. Yeah, I don't want to immerse myself in that. Not in this world. Yeah, not right now. Not right now. I even like for the pregnancy trope one, I also hate that.

I read one called from Blood and Ash. Yes. Have you read that one? No, but I've heard of it. Don't read it. It's pointless. Like I enjoyed myself, I guess to an extent. But I was kind of losing me because there was so many things going on that it was like,

it felt like one of the, of those where it feels like I'm being attacked on all sides. Yeah. Like I feel like I have to take notes because I can't remember any of the different magical elements. And then like there was a point where there were wolves too. And then the wolf like was talking about having like a threesome with her and her guy. Yeah. Like yeah, that sounds good.

And I was like, what the hell is going on in this book? Do you ever like when you're reading fantasy, just like read a page that you're like, if I read this out loud to someone, they would commit me. Like, what am I reading? Like, if anyone caught me reading this, they would think I'm a freak weirdo. Last night, like, and I was reading a chapter of my book

where, like, a fire sprite dragon hybrid was lounging on a wooden coffee table and it was singeing the coffee table, but her body was so curvy that, like, the guy didn't notice it as coffee table was burning because she was so hot. What the hell are you talking? Like, physically, like, her body was.

body and I was just like what what the hell where where where where how did we get how did we get here I'm glad but like how I'm not judging I'm just kind of confused I'm just like yeah I'm a little uncomfy that is how I felt reading from blood and ash like and I read the the the prequel to it because like the the the from blood and ash one I think there's like five books I read three of them because I was at first when I started reading fiction I was like I was trying to be a completionist so I was like let me at least finish yeah but then it got to a point where I was like these books are so goddamn long, I can't take it anymore. So I switched to the prequel, almost identical in every way,

except it was ancestors, like her ancestors, but it was still good. So I was, like, enjoying myself. But then it was like, that one's like four books. I think I got to book three. They're building up to this enormous war. They're like, it's this huge fucking thing. She spent so much time, like, earning respect from other gods and whatever the fuck was going on. And then literally I saw like the start of one chapter. It starts saying that

she starts feeling sick. I go, no. They're not going to do that to my fucking girl. I literally was like, they're not going to do that to my fucking girl. There's no way. I've spent six books getting here. There's no fucking way. And then it was like another one. She randomly threw up again. I said no fucking way, dude, no way, no way. Then she finds out she like goes to her friend who like is like a doula in essence in this world. And she like tests her essentially. And she's like, I'm, Oh my God, pregnant, not just pregnant, pregnant with twins. No. Pregnant with twins, in fact, so much so that they're both magical and they're siphoning all her

power. So she actually can't fight in the war. No. I said, DNF. I'm not finishing this book. I was like, I was so angry. I put it down. I was like, I'm not, you guys have wasted in my time.

And now you're going to take my girl out right before the big game. That's crazy. There's never a normal pregnancy in these books. It's either like they're siphoning their power. One has wings that won't fit through your pelvis. It's like always something like extremely traumatic and awful. And you would think in the magical world

they would have figured that out. Just figure it out. Yeah, they would have figured that out. You have all the control. That's like a crazy thing about romanticcy that like sometimes bothers me is that like as character could be in a situation where it's like you have no way out.

Like you will die. Yeah. And then it's like, wait a minute. I've had this amulet in my pocket the entire time as it turns out random. just put these pants on this morning. Amulet happens to be in it and it's going to get me out of this exact

situation that had no loophole five minutes ago. And that we have been agonizing over for the last eight chapters. And it's like I'd almost rather the person die. Exactly. It feels, I don't know, it kind of almost feels like a cop out sometimes.

I agree. When you just throw in this like magical artifact that. Well, especially because the whole time magic has not been helpful. And then all of a sudden it is. It's just helpful when. when it is. When you don't want her to die.

Exactly. And that's why when they benched her before the big fight, I was like, I'm not reading this shit. I'm not reading this shit. Not to mention those entire books, they were fucking and sucking all over those books. Why now? Why now?

Why before the war? Yeah, right before the war, huh? Decided not to pull out right before the war. All of a sudden. Do you feel like good about DNFing? Yeah, if it's justified in that way, yes. Sometimes I feel like, gosh, I should go back and finish. it because I was just getting annoyed.

And so that's why I like, I don't always DNF unless something like that happens. And I'm like, I'm never going to, I don't need to see all this ends because I'm over it. I wish I could DNF. And if I needed to, if I really needed to, I would just look up the end. I was like, I'm not wasting my time reading this. I'm just going to look it up because I'm angry now. Yeah. Which is what I did with that book.

Yeah. Because I was like, I'm not sitting through another book when you're going to bench my girl. And I was like really rooting for her at that point. I was like, yes, yes, yes. Like I'm so down. My mind like won't let me DNF a book because this isn't like if I already read 200 pages of this, it's going to count towards my goodreads goal. It's going to have to.

And if I can't mark it, I have to mark it as red on good reads for it to count. That's true. That's a good like goal marker though. And I can't mark it as red if I didn't read it to completion. My sister says on her Kindle that the little like the little percentage at the bottom, she's like racing that thing. Yeah.

She's like every time I see it, I'm like, oh my God. I'm almost done. I'm like 50% of the way through. Oh my God. Sometimes it makes me sad when I look at that thing. It is. I'm almost done. I know.

That's a bummer. I read the Throne of Glass, Kindle version that was all of the books in one PDF, I guess, or one ebook. And I was done. I would say I read like probably the first three books. So like over a thousand pages, two percent done. That was really, really hard. That's fucking insane.

What about fourth wing? You've read fourth wing? I've read fourth wing. How do you feel about it? I am much more of an Akitar. Yeah. Girl. I feel that.

I read the first one. And I think I read Fourth Wing right after I finished all of Akatar. And Akatar was my first ever romanticcy. Oh, yeah. Yeah. And so then to read Fourth Wing right after it, I was like, this just kind of feels like a fan fiction. Yeah. Of Akitar.

It was like Zaden was like doing shadows and mind reading it. It was just like all too similar. Right. And not as good to me. And so I was, I didn't mind it. Like, I was totally entertained. The world itself is cool. The world itself is cool.

I like the school. Like, it kind of gave like Hogwarts vibes, which I really liked. Yeah. And I actually like the second one better. Oh, too. Which most people like hate the second one. I like the second one better. And then the third one, I was like, I'm done.

Oh, I'm finished now. I have actually completely finished. Thank you, though. Thank you. Yeah, the Gen Z banter. Gency Bantz is hard. I can't, you know. Not my fave.

I'll be honest, not my fave. And I really struggled with Violet just because I really like what the author was trying to do with like chronic illness rep. But it was really hard to like believe like on one hand she's like this really, really fragile girl. And then on the other hand she is saving the entire kingdom like physically with her power and her body. Yeah. So that I was like trying, having a hard time wrapping my head around. But yeah, and like one second she cannot walk. Yeah.

And the other second, she has completely saved the entire world. Yeah. And then she's like, that was nothing but a scratch. Yeah, exactly. I'm good. So that was hard. This episode is brought to you by Pandora. I'm such a sentimental gift giver.

Like, I need the gift to mean something, which is why Pandora is kind of perfect. And for me personally, if I was going to get someone a gift from Pandora, I would get them earrings. My Pandora earrings are some of my faves. I'm wearing one right now. Woohoo! Beautiful. But they don't just have earrings.

They also have everything. From lab-grown diamonds to colorful enamel pieces, so it never feels generic. It's always giving thoughtful. Because Pandora is more than just jewelry, it's personal. Shop Pandora today in store or online at Pandora.net. I read Quicksilver. Did you read Quicksilver? I fucked with Quicksilver.

Me too. I fucked heavy with that one. Did you read the second one? No, did you? No, I started it. Haven't finished it yet, though. But I'm not DNFing yet. I just haven't finished.

Is it? What's it like? It's really, it's good still, but it is getting insane. There is a lot of things. Well, that's another thing, too. Once they brought in the vampires at the end, I was kind of like, like, I would say up until like 85, 90% of the book, I was like, yeah, yeah, yeah. Once they brought in the vampires, I was kind of like, all right.

All right. We're going somewhere completely different. No worries. But I just felt like there was already so much happening. I was like, okay, a third, a fourth, a fifth, a sixth magical element, okay. All right. So I liked how it ended. I loved it.

I had such a blast reading it. I thought it was so tea. Second one I was reading and I was kind of like, okay, all right. Like there's just a lot going on with the vampire element of it. Which is, it's kind of throwing me a little bit, which is a bummer because I really loved the first one. You'll have to let me know because. it's really hard for me to read a sequel when I don't remember anything from the first one. Girl, let's just leave it as it was.

Yeah. What it was, it was beautiful. But some girls who recap on TikTok are doing God's work. Like if I, like, looked up, I forget what just came out. I think for fourth wing, I was like fourth wing recap before when the third one came out. And these girls are doing whiteboards, like full like notebook of notes. Low charts. And it's really, really helpful.

Yeah. It helps to brush up. Yeah, I've done that before with, like, YouTube videos. Like, sometimes people do, like, little animations of it just to kind of walk you through it again. Yeah. Which I appreciate. Yeah.

But I really do that. I really liked Quicksilver. I really liked Quicksilver. It was one of those that I closed the book and I was like, wow, five stars. And then I opened Goodreads and everyone's, like, worst thing I've ever read. And I'm like, oh, wait, shoot. It was like, oh. I had a blast.

And then do you ever, like, read their reviews and you're like, okay, yeah, that is true? Yeah. That is true. I will give you that, sure. I will give you that. That happens to me a lot when I'm like, and sometimes it would lit fic too when they're like this was really like bad, problematic, harmful. And I'm like, shit.

I completely miss that. Yeah, you're like, oh. Yeah. Yeah. I read, have you ever read Fantasma? Yes. What did you think about that one? Let me pull up my Goodreads review.

Yes. Bring up your Goodreads. I remember I had a problem with it. it. Yeah. Oh, I think it was the end. Didn't make any sense to me. Yeah, the end was really confused. Yeah, I think I just really had a, like, I didn't understand it. Inchantra. Yeah, I gave it three stars. Yeah, see, I would give it three, too. Yeah. The second one is another book that begs the age old question. Am I dumb or was that ending bad? Like, I just think I didn't nothing made. Oh yeah, because he was like a, sorry, spoiler alert for Fantasna. Yeah. He was like a

double agent, but also, yeah. He also didn't remember her at all. I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I didn't. Yeah, he was like, he was saying, like, the first time he met her as a spirit on the outside of the house. Like, he doesn't remember that because his dad wiped his memory. His dad wiped his memory. Which I was, like, so in the whole time because I was like, wow, Victorian, like, ghosts kind of, like, spiritual kind of thing. I've never read one like that. Like, wow, okay.

And it was, like, so horror. Like, there was so much horror to it. I know. It had so much potential. Yeah. Like, so I was like, all right. Like, and then at the end, I, too, was like, what? Like, I was so confused.

Like, and then the. second one was so freaked out. I was like, I can't even. D and F? No, I finished the whole thing. I just couldn't even, I was like, I feel like this was mostly for the sex, the second one. And sometimes it's like.

And that's okay too. That's okay. I just thought the first one had so much like lore too. And it took forever for them to fuck. Like it did. But also that one like the what I really liked about it. Like I was, I felt like I was there. Like the ambiance was really, really good.

Same. I agree. The world building was so, Yes, it was. But just like the plot just really fell through at the end. And the second one, I was like, okay, so it's like the movie ready or not. Like, have you ever seen that movie? I don't think so.

It's basically like she marries into a family and then they basically all try to kill her until the very next day. She has to like run from them the whole time. That's like their thing. And I've told people like that's essentially the plot of the second one. Like in Chantra, she's like, they're playing this game and like they're trying to kill each other. But they're all spirits. She's not. So if she dies, she'll die for real.

But like her guy. and like the there was so much sex in that one way more than the first one which i'm like that's cool but it kind of feels like we're moving from one room to the next just to fuck in a different way uh-huh like that's it felt like we're just this is all fluff until the next time we fuck yeah which i that's when you start losing me because i i am a huge fan of of smut in the books don't get me wrong but it has to be like enhance the plot yeah there has to be a payoff to some extent when you're just wanting to watch them fucking different areas of the house i'm kind of like and it was a spirit yeah we'll get we'll get well you'll get

he was a demon that time. Oh, I love that. I think the first one was a spirit. Yeah, he's a demon. Blackwell, I actually remember him well. I remember. I know him well. I know him well.

And the second they introduced him as having like white blonde hair, I was like, no. Why did you tell? Why did you say that? Don't tell me that. Because then it's like, okay, this is Malfoy. Yeah, that's what I was thinking too. And then I'm all, I don't want that.

I know. I don't want that. I don't want that. Malfoy. I know because the second guy had brown hair. Yeah. Okay. So maybe I'll read. Maybe I'll read. Maybe I'll read. But the second one, there's a point where they, sorry, spoiler. There's a like, I don't know the third or fourth time they fuck, but they like fuck for real, I guess. And he, when he pulls his dick out, she talks about there being a piercing. No. And I said, so now they have Prince Alberts in the spiritual realm. Like since. No. When did that demon go to get a piercing? I guess that like fits with my vision of a demon. Yeah, I guess. Who pierced the demon? Like did he go to a, like, since. I guess. Who pierced the demon? Like, did he go to a. shop like that's where I was kind of like you lost me that's when it's like I need more world building yeah that's what I was like I need more context I'm leaving with more questions than answers yeah

so that's why I was like when I read that part I went I was on a plane I remember reading it and I was doing no why would they write that part in there it's like does the person next to me know that I'm reading about a dick piercing and a demon yeah and then she's like ooh yeah like it's that that whole paragraph is just for her to be like whoa right now so it's really serves nothing. That would take me out a pretty good bit. Yeah, that's hard. I just didn't think demons were doing that shit, but you know, what do I know? What do I know? I know nothing. I will say the ending of that one, though, is really beautiful and sweet. And I think it's because there's a part at the end of that one, which, not to spoil it, but like there's a part at the end where she forgets

everything. That author loves that. Yeah. She loves to white people's memories. Yeah, complete amnesia. Yeah, so she forgets everything. And then the demon guy keeps with the dick piercing, he keeps, coming back to the same spot to like essentially wait for her memory to like kick in. Okay. Takes her maybe a couple weeks after they get out of the house. And then she's like, I remember everything. And then he's like, thank God. By the way, don't forget.

I have a dig piercing. Don't forget. One thing you can't forget. The one thing you can't forget. Okay, what are some fiction books that you like always recommend to people? Like you're like, if you're going into your foray of adult fiction, like, what are some that you're always recommending? There is this book that really has not gotten its flowers.

It's called Idol Wild. Oh, okay. I've heard of it. You have? Yeah, I've heard of it. Okay. It's by, I believe the author's name is James Frankie Thomas. And the book is about just these two, like, kind of like weird girls in high school.

And the high school is this like really like tiny like Quaker liberal arts school. It's super gay. Yeah. And it's just like about these two girls like finding themselves through like fan fiction and like sexuality and just like it really like captures the way. I just remember how I felt in high school. And it felt like everything was so intense in the end of the world. And just like if my crush doesn't like me back, like there's no reason for me to keep on living. And like I just felt like I was back there when I read this book and the characters were just so well developed.

and I thought that was brilliant and that is a book when I read it that I was like I want to write. Oh, that's so nice. Because it just really, yeah, it's one of those books that makes you think about how important writing is and like what you can do with it. How powerful it can be. Totally. So that book I really love. There's also I was telling you Emily Austin. I just love her books.

Like that's like the best weird girl lit. Like in one of her books is there's this like the main character. just like has a phobia of bald men and like the book is about her and i both navigating navigating that deep fear um and what else i mean at guitar i'm always like you guys if you need romance if you need dip the toe must get into that i also really this is not a lot of people this is i don't know how people will feel about this i love alley hazelwood okay and i think she is she writes really cheesy books in a way that I love the love hypothesis. Some people are like, this is too cheesy for me.

Is that the one that Lily Reinhard is making? Yes. Yes. And I do get that. But something about it, like, worked for me. It's hidden. Every way, there's a scene where one of my friends read it and was like, I can't read this. She said. She basically is fake dating her professor and there's a scene where there's no seats left in the lecture hall and her and her professor everyone knows they're dating quote unquote and she needs a seat

and so she has to like sit on his lap and most people are like absolutely not like can't do the scene I was literally like chewing the pages you said it was working for me I was like I loved that book there's also this scene they have to like they're still trying to prove to everyone they're dating where she has to put sunscreen on him to me this is like smart like Like I like I do I loved that book and they're like really nerdy which I really enjoy Yeah, she writes a lot of like stem romance. I think that's really cute though I think when you can Enjoy it's like like we said earlier cringy but a tasteful amount it was some people are like too Right not tasteful for me. It was too much for me. I was like this it was just the right

of awesome and her she kind of copy and pasts her books in a way that I love because I I I'm just reading the same thing over Yeah, same troves, different, different setting. And it's always just like this massive, hulking, nerdy guy that is so hot and smart and yet has never had a girlfriend. And for some reason. And it's awesome.

Because literally no one's ever taken off his glasses and seen how beautiful he is. Exactly. Yeah. So I really, I love her. I really do. That's great. That's how I felt about the summer I term pretty books.

I get that. Yeah, I read all those books in like two days because they're pretty quick reads, but I was like, I was eating it up. I will say, though, I am one of those people that if it starts going the way I do not like, sometimes I will stop reading because I have the ending. It's up here.

That's amazing that you can do that. It's up here. Yeah. I haven't read YA in a really long time and I'd like to. Yeah, I read those ones I would say like even if you watch the show, I would say that both brothers are infinitely worse in the books. Yeah, they both are even more terrible. Oh my God, I remember your team, Jeremy, like you had this whole thing.

I was Team Jeremiah. when I watched the show initially. And then obviously in the last season, they made him the op of the century. Literally episode one, I was like, they are running a smear campaign on my guy and it's working. Yeah.

Because I hate him now too. Like he fucking sucks. Like they made him unbearable in the last season. And he was like not like that, the other fucking two. So in the books, both brothers are infinitely worse. Like they're like the cheating's far worse.

Conrad's way meaner. Wow. Like they're actually, way fucking meaner to her in the books than they are in the show. Like in the show, they really soften the edges. So like I, that book series is a perfect example of like cheesy, but I was eating it up. Yeah, I get that. With that, like, I feel like I just watched the show.

I didn't read the books. But like that should have been like my bread and butter. But for whatever reason, I was like, I don't like Jermaya. I don't really like Conrad. And then everyone's like, well, you're team belly. And I'm like, I don't think I like her either. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, they made her unlikable as well.

Can't do Laurel. No, no, yeah, no. I was like, yeah. I was like, yeah, unfortunately. I kind of was just watching for like the vibes. Yeah, I agree. And I love when we're all doing a collective watch of something. Me too.

I don't appreciate getting, trying, people trying to jump me for it, but I did. I wouldn't appreciate that either. You know what's funny though is when I was going to bat for like the Jeremiah girls because I was like, I'm standing on the platform of the last two seasons. Like he was awesome in the first two. Yes. The last one, yeah, he sucked. but that made Lola Tongue follow me.

So you tell me. You tell me. That's so cool. Yeah. I wonder. I know she's always like, no, I'm team belly.

Like I would love to know her on filter thoughts. Her actual fucking team. Yeah. And this isn't also kind of random, but like Conrad, the guy who plays Conrad, his real life girlfriend also follows me. Okay.

So I'm like, you know, oh, and Minnie, too, Minnie Mills, like she played Stevens girlfriend. Yeah. She also follows me. Wow. Wow.

Wow. The girls are fucking with me over there. You got them right. after on your finger. So now I have to go ask them what team they are for real. Oh and report back. And then I violate their HIPAA rights and I'm going to tell everyone. That's fine. They won't mind. They won't mind. What about like any sort of book series when you were a kid? Like did you love any book series as a kid? Yes. When I was like little little I loved Junie B. Jones. Oh, I loved those books. Which I feel like she was like the first like weird girl lit. Totally. The precursor. And I loved Gregor, the overre. lander. Did you read those? It was Suzanne Collins's series before Hunger Games. And it was more

middle grade. And it was about this boy. I think he like fell through his laundry machine and then stumbled along like the underworld with like these massive bats. I don't really remember it was about, but it was amazing. And I would reread those in a second. Love. I loved the clickbooks. Oh, I loved the clickbooks. I want to reread those. I know. I'm curious. I'm curious if they've held up. I would say they probably haven't, but I want to see how. I read the clickbooks and Pretty Little Liars too. I read as a book.

I love. I feel like I stopped at some point with Pretty Little Liars, but I definitely was loving those. Yeah. And then did you ever read the TTIL, TTFM book? Yes. The white, they were like green pink and they all talked later gator. Like solely and I am. That was genius to me.

At the time I was like, this is brilliant. This is like my Da Vinci Code. Like, this is awesome. Right. Oh, I loved those. Were you a Twilight girl? I was such a Twilight girl. I loved Twilight, too.

Were you Team Jacob? I feel like I see that for you. Yeah, I was Team Jacob initially. I think just across the board's standard, I'll normally pick the brown one. Yeah. If it's between a brown and a white guy, I'm like, well, obviously, I'm going to pick the brown one.

I think that's just kind of my vibes. But, like, as an adult, I think Edward made more sense, but that's only because I'm thinking about the money. Like, he has endless amounts of money, and you could live forever. And you guys are in love, so I guess it kind of works out. But I think she would have been cool either way, honestly. Yeah, I think she would have been happy no matter what.

Except for when she had a kid. Yeah. Well, actually, I wonder, like, what would happen if she had a kid with Jacob? I guess that wouldn't, I guess he wouldn't imprint on his own kid. No, I doubted it, honestly. Well, that part did throw me. I remember being, like, I read those when I was in middle school. So I remember when I read that part, I was like, what?

Come on. Like, I remember being like. Yeah. And I remember I read the first. three and then my friend was telling me oh this is like the final one like breaking dawn and I was like oh and then she told me yeah like I think she has a baby in this one and like Jacob I remember her kind of telling me and I was like you're fucking lying to me and she was like no I swear to God that's what happens in this book and that made me read it and I was like damn she wasn't fucking

kidding they do do that in this book I remember like making complete sense to me at the time it's like everybody wins yeah you can that regard like him falling to his knees over the baby and was like, yeah. Well, he's imprinting. And then when he's like, well, haven't you, didn't it seem weird that we wanted to be around each other so much lately while she's like getting full term with her baby? Yeah. I'm like, yeah, it makes sense to me.

That checks out. I think that the Hunger Games, I love that book series. And I even said this like in my publisher meetings, like when I was selling my fantasy book. But I think the Hunger Games, to this day, has a lot. one of the strongest love triangles, like, ever written because it persists until the end. That's so true. And also, like, the love triangle exists as, like, it's not necessarily, like, which one's better. It's, like, who she is when she's with them?

So it's like, who does she want to be? Who does she feel more aligned with? So, like, obviously, Gail is, like, more of her fire. It's more of her resentment. It's more of her bitterness. Like, it's revenge. It's all that kind of stuff, which she's already had. And then Pete is different.

It's like an acceptance, a peace, a love, like that kind of calm. Full body chills. And I was like, I really did feel like that was one of the strongest love triangles because like obviously it's YA. So there's no like sex happening, which that book series does not need sex. They have a lot of things going on. Already a lot going on. Yeah, they have way too much going on.

But like I think that it's beautiful the way that at the end, first of all, it ends the right way. I was always a team pita girl. But also I felt like she chose. on her own and she chose because it's not necessarily what happened with Gail it's more so that like she doesn't want to be angry anymore and she doesn't want to feel bitterness anymore and she's like he makes me feel

like I could be more than that which I was like T. like I think that's one of the strongest love triangles. So well said and so true. That's where I thought it fell a little short for me with Twilight because I loved that love triangle too but it was it wasn't really her choice in the end

like it kind of was like she did choose Edward yeah but then she still held on to Jacob until the very last second. And then he imprinted and then she's like, okay, well, he's good now. So now I can be happy. Which I didn't really love. I was like, you didn't close that one the right way. Yeah.

Like, it felt very like, I want her to be with Edward. So he's going to be with the Edward. I wonder how you'll feel about Phoebe's Love Square. I know I'm so excited to read it because I love a love triangle. Yeah. I think love triangles are fun. I think it's fun when the women's autonomous and that. I also want to say I do love that Phoebe is 29.

Yeah. My girl's also 29. I love that. Look at us. Really, really key age. Yeah, I was going to say. Yeah, a lot happens that. Yeah. And even in one of the publisher meetings I had, one question the woman asked me was, would you be interested in making her 23? And I was like, no. Like, and also she's a fairy. So, like, technically speaking, she's 700. I think she's fine. Everybody's in their hundreds. So I think it's, I think she's good. I kind of hate reading books now when people are younger than me. Yeah. And they're like, happening a lot as I age. Yeah. Well, they're also like,

18, 19. And that's so young. Yeah. That's why they're like, now I'm ready to have a baby. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, save the world first. Now I'm ready to have a baby and I'm 21.

Works out perfectly. Like, I feel like it, I don't know when Farah's age was mentioned for the first time in Akitaar, but like when they dropped that like 23 bomb, I was like, ah. Oh, man. And she's the youngest, too. Yeah. Or the middle. I forget.

no, youngest or middle. Yeah, but she's not the oldest, which was another thing I didn't like either. That's, they made, I felt like Nesta was so hard to love for so long, which I was like, I get it. But I was like, wrap this up a little bit sooner. It's making it hard for me to root for her. I know. I truthfully, I haven't given in to Nesta yet.

She was too awful. Like, I'm all for like an unlikable female character who has her demons. That has like an arc. She went a few steps too far always. Like she, she was bad to the. bone. And like so many people are like, I'm so Nesta and I'm like,

to an extent, but like she was so cruel. She was so bad. Like especially in the fifth book, even like my friend Carrie read it like after me like as I was finishing it and she was like, I might quit. I really can't stand her. Yeah. And I was like, I promise it gets better. Like

it's not to the last fucking two chapters but I promise it gets better. Like she gets less awful. And it went on for so long. she waited for that character redemption arc until the last page the last second right when you're like okay so i'm just gonna hate her forever i guess i guess that's kind of my thing with her yeah but i'm with you on the age i love that i think that we need more adult fiction with older women completely because you don't turn into dust when you turn 30 you don't turn into dust yeah it's a beautiful thing you can still look yeah exactly thank you for saying that okay i'm going to transition now into some fun facts

about you, Ms. Author. Yeah, we're going to read some fun facts about you, and you can tell Amanda if they're incorrect. Interesting. Okay. Okay. This one says, there has been a New York Post article written about you with the headline, quote, woman mortified to match with brother on dating app.

I would assume that's true. I do remember that story. I did match with my brother on a dating app. Or no, we didn't match. You just saw you. He was my suggested most compatible. I did not match with my brother. I just wanted to clear that up really quick, but we did not match.

We did not mutually swipe right. He was a suggested most compatible, which I, and I left swiped him. What'd your brother say? He was kind of like, well, that sucks. I hope he left swiped me. We were both home for Thanksgiving, which is why we got each other, because we were in the same house. They're like, they're geolocating the two of you. I just opened it and saw him, and I was like, this is horrible.

That being the first one you see. too. It's painful. Especially you dating out. Yeah, they're a prison. Prison. Okay. This is what says your very first post on Instagram is from 2012.

It's a picture of Harry Stiles with the caption, quote, Harry eating a pie. That's, yeah, that sounds true. That sounds true as well. Just like an update on him? Yeah, I was a picture from eating a pie with a heavily filtered. Heavily filtered. Heavily filtered. Any particular reason or just letting everybody know?

I think, yeah, I was just letting everyone know. I just posted, like, pictures of, like, Harry and Nile for, for quite some time. Those were the, the, your faves. Yeah, and it was like that humor, I thought, like, being funny was, there was this really weird era in, like, 2013 where, like, humor was just, like, observations. Right. It was just, like, that's so random. Like, yeah, exactly. Mm-hmm.

So, I feel that. I'm sure I was trying to be funny. Some of my old, like, my oldest tweets, like my Twitter's been gone for years now, but, like, I would say Twitter was probably the first, like, social media presence I had outside of, like, Facebook. But the thoughts I had and shared, like, nobody needs to know this. They weren't even bad. They're just, like, pointless. Like, they really served no purpose at all. Yeah.

The way I spoke back then was so specific and weird. And, like, not, like, it's like a different language of its time. Yeah. I.E. hair eating a pie. Like, okay. Okay, perfect. Did you read any fanfic about like Harry and all them? I did more imagines and one shots.

Oh yeah, one shots were my deal too. Yeah, I live for those. Yeah, my sister and I would send them to each other. My sister being a lesbian, by the way. So that's extra funny that we would like send them to each other in college before she knew she was like a lesbian. Because I'm like, now that I look back, I'm like, what were you getting out of that? Right.

Hey, everyone could get something from a one shot. It's really just, it's perspective. They were that good. Yeah, they were just that good. I recently read, I am a big Avatar The Last Airbender fan. So I love that show. They're coming up with a movie. The movie got leaked and there's like a ton of like edits being made of the movie.

Like, and all of the characters are now like 250 pounds of pure muscle and everybody's in their 30s. Oh, wow. So all the girls are like, no, what is this? And I, I've seen so. many edits that I got one of random TikTok that was like, oh, the, the girls who love shipping certain characters together of this animated series, they're going crazy with the fan fiction right now. You know what that made me do?

Open up A-O-3. Yep. I had to open it up again and I went and looked and now I'm reading one. I'll keep you guys updated on if I like it. Please do. I love fan fiction. I love fan fiction, honestly. I think it really, it's one of the ancient texts in my opinion, especially for like a fiction

that we love reading. Yeah. And smut. Are you kidding me? Yeah. I was really into the glee fanfiction space. Oh yeah, you're a big glee. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

I was a huge gleeck too. I did a lot of claim fanfic. Yeah. Big claim. Big clean girl over here. I was on the podcast with Jenna Ashgowitz. Yes. And I forget Artie's real name.

Kevin McHale. Yeah, yeah. I was on their podcast. It was really fun. And there was a part where they were like, we were talking about covers. And I was like, I listen to Glee covers. this day because they're so good. Some of them, dare I say, better than the originals.

Most. Most if not all. And one of them I really love is, I'm not going to teach your boyfriend how to dance with you. By Blaine, of course. The Blaine, like, no one stood a chance when Blaine was covering. I'm telling you. And that one especially I loved. And they were both like, that's so funny you say that.

Like, if people bring up Blaine covers, that's like always one of them that they bring up is, I'm not going to teach your boyfriend at a dance with you. And I said, I think that's because, like, obviously you know Blaine is a gay man in the show and you know he's with Kurt and you're like okay yeah I know that yeah but then when you watched him sing that song that was like one of the first times I watched him and I was kind of like why he kind of he's kind of sexy what is that well that's kind of strange oh blaine Anderson is the hottest man not alive truly in that one song I felt moved I felt moved I'm I have been moved by him since I was a very young girl I know you're a huge Jonathan

Graff thing too so him being on that show All your favorite things. I will never be as alive as I was on Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. In 2010. I rewatched Glee a few years ago, too, like front to back. And it's still great. It's still incredible. Those first three seasons.

Yeah. And then I can't speak for the rest. Yeah, yeah. They were really phoning it in at the end. But like at the very end, but right in the middle, like three. I would say like two and three, I was like incredible. Like best show at it's ever been made. Yeah.

And honestly, really progressive for the time. Completely. When I look back now, I'm like, that show was honestly way ahead of its time. It really was. Like, way before any other shows were like daring to foray into shit like that. No, I remember, like, when Kurt and Blaine had sex for the first time, it was like a crazy thing that they aired that episode.

Yeah, like, no one could believe. Like, no one could believe it. And, like, now it's like he did rivalry. Like, but they, Kurt and Blaine walked so Ilya and Shane could run. That's true. Yeah. We must pay respect. We must.

To the ancient text. Okay. This next fun fact says you used to have a choker with the planet Saturn on it. Probably. Every fact you're like, I think so. I'm sure. Did I Instagram just a picture of the choker? Yeah.

Like lower lip choker shot. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You big fan of Saturn? Postage it on Tumblr. I fucking love Saturn. You love Saturn? Is that your favorite planet? Sure.

I mean, yeah, sure. I mean, yeah, if I had to pick one. I guess. Okay. Like that says, before you got big on TikTok, you worked as a preschool teacher. That's true. And how were you with the kids? I feel like kids would love you.

I think good. Like, yeah, I loved the kids so much. But that really was the only part of the job I liked. Like, I couldn't do the lifestyle. I, yeah, it was really hard. A big preschool teacher? I was like so drained. Oh, my God.

I can only imagine. Yeah, I really, I didn't really have a lot. molding minds. Yes. That's what you were doing. Yeah. Oh, completely. Okay, last one it says in a quote from your high school newspaper.

You really dug deep. Yeah, you said your brother Noah would quote, eat all the applesauce packets and leave none for you. That's a quote in my high school's newspaper. You and your brother, man. Damn. I mean, if I said it, I feel like I wouldn't lie about that. You know the context of it? There was no context of that?

It was just a picture of you too. It was just a picture of us. Damn. Can I get a quote about your brother? And you're saying, yeah, he fucking eats all the applesau. So there you go. Write that down.

Oh, you know what this was? No. It was in the era of go-go squeeze. Oh, okay. And I was obsessed with those. Yeah. And I guess he ate them all. Yeah.

That rings true. And you had to hold him accountable. That rings true. Yeah. He completely blasted him in school paper. Put out a hit piece on your brother in the school newspaper. When I was in high school, I got voted. most likely to want to be stranded on an island with,

which felt racially charged. Really? For me. Well, I just thought I was like, you guys think I'm going to turn into fucking Tom Hanks when I go there. I get that. I'm just going to automatically assimilate like that wrong. But I felt like I should have gotten something else,

like funniest. Yeah. I don't know. I felt short change. We had to write our own, which is. Like for yourselves? Our own most likely tos, which is so dumb. What did you?

But I saw mine circulating on TikTok the other day. day because some girl I guess from my high school found an old yearbook there so like I'm like mortified it was like most likely to be betrothed to all of the members of one direction at the same time like don't let 18 year olds write their most likely to don't do that why would you do that to me don't do that to me and if you see it don't post it again do not post that I did I got into one direction I felt like a a tiny bit late, but when I was in there, I was in there. I was a big Jonas Brother girl, though. So that's, yeah.

I think that's why. I was, like, so balls deep in Jonas Brothers shit that, like, when one direction came around, I remember, like, actively thinking to myself, I can't get into that. I don't have the bandwidth. I can't even open the door because if I do, that's all that's going to be up here. And I need to focus. Oh, I was so sick. But then eventually I had to give in.

Eventually, they got me. They got my fucking ass. I was so sick. I watched that acoustic. cover they did on YouTube of one thing. You guys can look it up still. It has like 50 million fucking views, but that was the first video I watched them and I said, well now

I got to get into this. I'd like to get involved with that. Do you remember the acoustic cover of them doing more than this in the baseball jersey? Yes, of course I do. That I think that was my most, that is my most watched YouTube video of all time. Yeah. That is burned into my... When Harry got long hair, I said,

now you're going to have to stop or I'm going to be I'm going to do something crazy. He... He that nothing has existed like that or will exist again. I'm telling you. Yeah. Like the way that he made me feel. Yeah.

The feeling I got inside my body. I almost felt sick all the time. Yeah. Yeah. Just thinking about it. Yeah. Okay. Those are all your fun facts.

Awesome. But to circle back here, you're so fun. You have so many fun facts. Thank you. I sure do. I want to circle back to Phoebe. What do you hope everybody takes away from your, from your very, first book how exciting but also uh just your first fiction book your first world building kind of book

i hope that everyone takes away that everyone has their own metaphorical virginity something that they're really focused on a milestone that they feel like they should have hit and they haven't so you're not alone in that and you're gonna you're not a freak yeah everyone has their thing everyone has their shit. Yeah. And yeah. I think that's beautiful. And would you want to see Phoebe you get made into a movie or a TV show? I would. Yeah. That would be. I think that would be. I think she'd make a good movie. Do you think you would be in it? I would like to be there's like a very, just like a side character at one point who has like five lines who I could see myself. Oh nice. Making one of those author cameos. If you were going to cast it, who would you cast in your main, in your principal cast? Well, I would, I think Joe Keery.

Yeah. David Cornswet. David Cornswet. Evan Peters. Evan Peters. Right. For the men. Actually, I'm switching him out.

Oh, to Hudson. That's right. And I would want Phoebe to be an unknown actress. Oh, that's such a great idea. That's beautiful. Yeah. I love that. Yeah.

Look at you. You have all the plans. Thank you. I'm so excited. Do you have anything you want to tease about your next book or just to expect it other book? I hope you can expect it. It's definitely like a psychological process that I've got through to write. write a second book after this one.

But hopefully you can expect it. Yes, I think you can. And I want to say, too, I'm so excited for you. I'm so proud of you. Thank you, Drew. I cannot wait to read your romantic. Oh my gosh, I can't wait to read, Phoebe.

Oh my God, I can't wait. It's going to be amazing and beautiful. I'm so happy for you. Thank you so much. And I really do think this is like, this makes the most sense for you. Like to write a fiction, to write a rom-com, like anything like that.

I think you're like such a genius for doing it. But I also think you have the brain for it. And I'm so excited to see what else you wrote. That means the world. Thank you so much. It's going to be amazing and beautiful. Thank you all so much to you for tuning into this episode of the comments section. Thank you so much. My amazing guest, Brooke Averick, for maybe the one or two people that don't know you.

Oh, please. Where can everybody find you? I also have a podcast called Brooke and Connor make a podcast. You can find that anywhere. And, yeah, on Goodreads, Brooke Averick. And then I think that on Instagram as well. Yes. And make sure you all go get your copy of a few.

Berman's going to lose it. Out yesterday. Yes, out yesterday. Make sure, I'm sure all of you bitches already have it. But if you don't, make sure you go get it, I actually also bought a copy. Drew, that's so sweet. You didn't have to do that. I know I didn't.

That's very sweet. I know that. I'm very, and trust me, I do not buy every book I see. Thank you. So I'm very excited for you all to read it. I think it's going to be amazing. Thank you so much to the amazing Brooke for coming on the show. Don't forget new episodes of the comment section drop every Wednesday.

You can stream the audio and all streaming platforms. The video right now is on Spot. but it will soon be on YouTube. Thank you so much to my amazing guest. Thank you so much to all of you, and I'll see you next time. Bye.