Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Dark Romances With Tara in MT
57 Plays2 months ago
Recent Reads:
- Maria - Sociopath: A Memoir by Patric Gagne
- Tara - Cash by Jessica Peterson
Recommendations:
- New - Quicksilver by Callie Hart
- Backlist - Book Lovers by Emily Henry
- Local - Wildest Dreams by Kristen Proby
- Local - Pursuit of Innocence by Bethany Rosa
Book End: Dark Romance
- Lights Out by Navessa Allen
- Phantasma by Kaylie Smith
- PenPal by JT Geissinger
FMC Books Website - https://www.fmcbooks.com/
FMC Books Insta - https://www.instagram.com/fmc.books/
How to reach Tara - tara@fmcbooks.com
How to reach Mara - thecheckoutstack@gmail.com
Recommended
Transcript
00:00:00
Speaker
Listeners, today we have a special episode for Valentine's Day and I want to say right at the start that we are going to be talking about adult content books. So if you have kids with you, you might want to skip this one.
00:00:33
Speaker
Hello, and welcome to the Checkout Stack, where normally we talk books with a new librarian every episode, but this week we're going to do something a little different. I am your host and the world's biggest library superfan, Maria Skogan, and I'm so excited to introduce our guest today, Tara Hamma from Missoula, Montana.
00:00:54
Speaker
Tara and I are friends and Tara has just recently launched her very own bookstore. So Tara, can you please introduce yourself to our listeners and tell us a little bit about your new bookstore, FMC Books. Hi, my name is Tara Hamma. I am a long time Missoula resident and About six months ago, I decided that I wanted to start a bookstore focused on romance novels. FMC stands for Female Main Character, but we are really focused on making everyone the main character in their life. I want to introduce romance novels to the widest audience that I can take them to. Awesome.
00:01:49
Speaker
I also want to do a quick shout out to Amy Devon for terror. Come on the show. Thank you, Amy, so much for supporting the show and connecting us on this topic. Tara. So your bookstore is currently online. Correct. We are currently online. www.fmcbooks.com. And, uh, we also have a pop up on the seventh of February, at the vest area, which, uh, which is a book bindery here in Missoula.
00:02:19
Speaker
ah We are seeking appropriate retail space in Missoula. A brick and mortar store is our end goal, but in the meantime, we're available online and you can always reach me directly through the website. Great. And are all the books we talk about today going to be available on the bookstore if people wanted to buy them from you?
00:02:47
Speaker
All of the books that we talk about today will be available on the bookstore, on the website, and if anybody has any additional questions or comments or has recs that they would love to see on the website that they don't see, terra at fmcbooks dot.com is the best way to get in touch with me.
00:03:10
Speaker
Great. And I will also have links for all of that in the show notes. So I was especially excited to have Tara on today because it is almost Valentine's Day. And so I thought it would be very appropriate to get some great romance picks from a romance bookstore owner. I want to pop in real quick and let everyone listening know these books are explicit books. These are X-rated I think every single book that I'm recommending today is pretty x-rated adult reading material, just to be on the up and up with all of your listeners.
00:03:52
Speaker
All right. Well, let's dive into it. Uh, I'm going to kick us off with my recent read. This is not an X-rated read and maybe the only one of the day, but I recently read sociopath, a memoir by Patrick Gagney. As the title implies, this is the memoir of a woman with the sociopathic personality disorder.
00:04:17
Speaker
The book covers her life from when she's a kid and she begins to realize that she doesn't have the same emotions as other people around her seem to experience. Up through her become or getting diagnosed with the personality disorder, her life working in the music industry, which kind of fostered some of the worst parts of the diagnosis through her getting a doctorate in clinical psychology, going to therapy and um eventually kind of getting help into living a more normal life and beginning to experience more traditional feelings.
00:04:55
Speaker
This memoir, her purpose was to try to expose and shed some light on the disorder that she has and let people know that not everyone with the sociopathic personality disorder is evil. Like a lot of people just need help and they don't know where to get it. And for a long time, there wasn't a lot of research or resources for people.
00:05:17
Speaker
And her whole life mission has been to create those resources when she couldn't find them. So in that respect, this was a vastly successful memoir. It was super interesting to just learn about her life and also the work that she has done. That was Sociopath, a Memoir by Patrick Gagney. Tara, what is your recent read?
00:05:38
Speaker
So right now I am reading through the Lucky River Ranch series. The first book was called Cash. I just completed that one. They are by Jessica Peterson. The story of Cash Rivers and Molly Luck who are a grumpy sunshine romance where Molly has just inherited her father's ranch and Cash is the cowboy in charge of that ranch. And when they meet, they don't like each other very much, but it is a romance and I like books with happily ever afters. So everybody falls in love and is happy at the end.
00:06:25
Speaker
It's a dual point of view book, which a lot of the books that are in this genre are dual point of views, and that can be a surprising experience, a surprising and interesting experience for new romance readers. To read the story from two different perspectives simultaneously is a lot of fun.
00:06:47
Speaker
Very fun. And so that was kind of an enemies to lovers cowboy book. Very Western. Yep. Takes place in, I think Eastern Texas. That was cash. The first novel in the lucky river ranch series by Jessica Peterson. Next up, we're going to go into new releases. Tara, what is a new release you are bringing to the show today?
00:07:12
Speaker
So the new release that I'm bringing to the show today is called Quicksilver by Callie Hart. It was released in December of 2024. It is a fantasy romance novel and it is the story of Saris Fain who finds herself face to face with the Kingfisher.
00:07:45
Speaker
And it's sort of the story of how they work their way through different realms to save the universe. And what is the Kingfisher? That's the male lead in the book. His name is the Kingfisher. He has, as it turns out, three or four different names as you read the book.
00:08:07
Speaker
you you learn more and more about him as a character. Interesting. So obviously, whenever anyone hears fantasy romance these days, they think of fourth wing. So tell me, how does this book compare? Is that the same vein, or am I missing the mark?
00:08:25
Speaker
It is the same vein, absolutely. there I don't believe there are any dragons in this one, which are really important in fourth wing, but it's this it's a similar fantasy world building. It's very immersive. The way that the author takes you into a world that you've never been in before, her world building skills are really my favorite part of this. I am not necessarily a fantasy reader.
00:08:53
Speaker
I haven't read a lot of the really popular fantasy books that are on shelves in the romance section of bookstores because I struggle with, I just want the world to work. I don't want to have to learn how everything connects. I already have enough going on every day.
00:09:13
Speaker
But this one, this one really pulled me in. And Kelly Hart announced, I think earlier this week, that the sequel is set to come out in no November of this year. And I'm already stoked for the sequel to come out. So this this book really got its hooks in me, and I had a lot of fun reading it. And I think i've it's one of the most recommended books of the last several months for me.
00:09:42
Speaker
Well, that was Quicksilver by Callie Hart. Next up, we are going to go into the backlist. So this is a book that came out at least over a year ago. So for our library roots, the purpose of this book is hopefully that it will be at your library on the shelves, as opposed to having to wait on a hold list for years and years. So Tara, what is the backlist book you are bringing to the show today?
00:10:09
Speaker
The backlist book that I'm bringing is called Book Lovers by Emily Henry. It was released in May of 2022, which is not the oldest book in the world, but I noticed that Song of Achilles had already been recommended on one of your previous podcasts. That was my go-to. And then, so I had to come up with something sort of on the fly. Book Lovers is the story of Nora Stevens, who is a book publisher and her falling in love with Charlie, when she goes back to a small town to yeah for a vacation with her sister, she and Charlie know each other in New York. ah Nora goes to North Carolina with her sister for a vacation, and Charlie, her nemesis from New York, is working in that town that summer. And so it's the story of how they go from
00:11:06
Speaker
Again, Enemies to Lovers, my favorite of all of the romance tropes. um And it's a really, really heartfelt story. This one had me crying by the end. I really, really loved this book.
00:11:20
Speaker
And it sounds like a book for people who read books, right? Book lovers has got to have a theme in the story. Both of the main characters work in publishing in New York City and they start out as professional nemesis nemesis. They start out as professional nemesis. Uh, and then it's the story of them coming together over a book that they have to edit together.
00:11:47
Speaker
Oh fun. Would grammar nerds like this then? Is there lots of arguing about editing? Not as much as one might hope. Uh, there is, there is some, some peaks into the publishing world. And I really enjoyed, I just really enjoyed the banter between Nora and Charlie and just the characters are really, really fleshed out in this one.
00:12:14
Speaker
Well, that was book lovers by Emily Henry. Next up, we are going to go into some local authors. So as we've mentioned, Tara is in Missoula, Montana. So Tara, what local author are you bringing to the show? Well, I'm breaking the rules here and I admit that I'm doing it. I have two local authors because I especially love reading stories that take place.
00:12:42
Speaker
in and around, i like his ti I like to read stories that take place where I live and that I feel like I have like a secret insight into. So the first one is called Wildest Dreams. It is by Kristen Probie and it was published in July of 2024. It is the story of Polly and the one night she spent with Ryan Wilde,
00:13:10
Speaker
and how she she can't she can't shake him. So it's it's the story of of Ryan Wilde, who is a billionaire from the Bitterroot Valley on his beautiful horse ranch. And he can't get they just can't get each other out of their heads. And so it's it's the start of their relationship. It's the start of their journey.
00:13:39
Speaker
What a great romance character name, Ryan wilde ryan Wild. yeah this is this is These are the Wilds of Montana. I believe there's four or five books in this series. a So Wildest Dreams, which I believe is book one of the Wilds of Montana series by Kristen Proby. Oh, yum.
00:14:04
Speaker
ah Books like this are really fun, especially when there's a big series and you get to like stay with the characters for longer. I really enjoy that a lot of times when you read a more traditional book, it's over and you don't get any more time with those characters. And so these kinds of series give you the opportunity to stay in the setting and build out those characters more and more and more over several books. Fun. That was Wildest Dreams by Kristen Probie. And then what was the second local author pick you brought to the show, Tara?
00:14:39
Speaker
So a couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to meet Bethany Rosa at an author signing here in town, and she wrote a book called The Pursuit of Innocence, which is one of the three books in the Pursuit series. And it is the story of Lily and her Playboy billionaire, Sebastian Dubri,
00:15:01
Speaker
These this is a book that has some dirty talk in it. If you want to listen to a dominant CEO type giving instructions and just being filthy. These are really, really fun books to read sort of like under the cover of darkness. They're super fun.
00:15:26
Speaker
under the cover of darkness or just with AirPods walking down the street, however you live, you're like, we're not here to judge. but Since I started listening to romance audio books, I have a very different take on what the women who are walking around Target with headphones in are listening. I no longer think that they're like, you know, listening to Taylor Swift or Fleetwood Mac as they do their shopping. I just assume everyone's listening to Smut all the time.
00:15:56
Speaker
Oh, fun. but So is Pursuit of Innocence also taking place in Missoula? Off the top of my head, I can't remember if it's in Missoula or Bozeman. But Bethany Rosa is a Bozeman author. ye hu That was Pursuit of Innocence by Bethany Rosa.
00:16:19
Speaker
All right, next up we are going to go into the bookend segment of the show. So as long time listeners know, this is the part of the show where our guest picks any topic and then pulls three books on it to share. Tara, what is the bookend topic you are bringing to the show today? I am bringing dark romance books to this portion of the show today. And describe for us what dark romance means to you.
00:16:49
Speaker
Dark romance can mean a lot of things. Often it means taboo topics, or it can mean paranormal. It can be kidnappings. It can be murders. It can be cannibalism. It can be ghosts. It can be, oh goodness, lots of fun. Or ideas that are maybe outside the mainstream. It might be BDSM. It might be kink. It might be lots of these kinds of topics that um or don't fall into sort of the traditional bodice rippers that we all remember from when we were kids in the back of the Kmart. Okay, fun. So what is the first dark romance that you brought to the show for us today? So the book that I first brought is called Lights Out. It's by Navessa Allen. It was published
00:17:47
Speaker
in August, 2024. And it is the story of Josh and Ally and the the romance that they find themselves in. Josh is a TikToker masked thirst trap.
00:18:05
Speaker
guy who posts shirtless TikToks of himself wearing a silly mask and has all of these followers and Allie follows him on TikTok and what Allie doesn't know is that Josh is stalking her and they have this have this sort of whirlwind romance where he's a good stalker. This is the dark romance element. He's the kind of stalker you want to fall in love with because he's stalking her to do things like buy her groceries and shovel her driveway when it snows and make sure that she doesn't drive home when she's had too much to drink. I will say that if you have the opportunity to listen to this one in audiobook, I highly recommend. The narration on this book is fantastic. This is one of the funniest books I've ever read. Laugh Out Loud. The entire second act is Laugh Out Loud, buddy. It's hysterical. It's hilarious. It's not hysterical.
00:19:05
Speaker
Is it is it just one narrator on the audio book or are there two? There are multiple voices. It's two narrators. There's the male lead and the female lead. And the gentleman that does the the vocals, the narration for Josh is perfect. He is perfect. Dark romance voice. He gets it. He he nails it. This is one that I think is going to win awards.
00:19:34
Speaker
for audiobooks for sure. Okay, good. A good one to check into. That was Lights Out by Nevessa Allen. ah What is our second dark romance novel? So the second dark romance novel is called Fantasma by Kaylee Smith. And this one actually did win some awards for best narration. It is fantastic. This is the story of Ophelia. and So the book takes place in new New Orleans and Ophelia is falling in love with a devil inside a sort of almost trash reality show game where they when you when you win the the game of Phantasma, your one wish is granted. The one thing that you wish more than any other thing is granted. The devil's name is Blackwell and he
00:20:34
Speaker
is very confident swagger. He's a charming and arrogant male main character and there are lots of twists and turns. this one is This one is definitely not for the light-hearted. This book has lots of ghosts and ghouls and goblins and devils and and there's a couple of different scenes that are very explicit and bloody not just sexually but they're just She's trying to beat this game inside this the manner and it Is this this one is a little guess one gets like it's a little gory Okay, so What is the game exactly? Like how is the game played? It's of like it's
00:21:30
Speaker
There are there are nine levels. They're the same number of levels of phantasma as there are levels of hell in Dante's poem. Nine. And you have to complete a task in each level. So there's lust where she's drugged and has to find her way out of this, you know, room filled with temptation.
00:21:56
Speaker
there And and so she just has to she has to solve sort of solve puzzles. It's, it's like an elaborate breakout room, sort of. And she's a she's a necromancer. So she can like bring people back from the dead. It's It's it's one of those books that's that really grabs you and gets its hooks in you. But it's so hard to talk about after the fact, because especially to people who have no idea what you're going on about. So I sound like a crazy person right now, but these this book is is fantastic. It was a really great read. And you said it's it's like a reality show that she's participating in. So are you getting it from like the perspective of a viewer watching the show? You get the whole book from Ophelia's perspective.
00:22:44
Speaker
And it's not a show like there are cameras and things like that running around, but it's it's got that very reality TV feel the they eject the but contestants that don't complete the tasks and that kind of a feeling. Interesting. For like a live audience or just for fun? No, just, well, it certainly isn't for fun. a lot of the contested One of the contestants, is say when he gets to the end, he's decided his one true wish is to save the family you know legacy. And Ophelia is trying to
00:23:23
Speaker
Find out what has happened to her family and why, and she's chasing, she's chasing her sister through these tasks in an effort to try to stop her from making bad decisions down the road. I see. So it's like you're in hell and there is this, if you want to get one wish, then you go through this like weird series of tasks to hopefully get to the end where you get your one wish.
00:23:52
Speaker
The only way to save her sister is to compete in phantasma, but phantasma is a cursed manner with twisted corridors and lavish ballrooms and filled with enticing demons and fatal temptations. There are nine challenges to win as long as she doesn't give up or let her fears get the best of her. OK, I think I've got a picture of it now. That was a phantasma by Kaylee Smith.
00:24:21
Speaker
Tara, what is the third dark romance that you're bringing to the show today? The third book that I'm bringing is called Pen Pal by JT Geisinger. Pen Pal is the story of Kayla and the journey that she goes on following her husband's death. ah She receives a letter from the state penitentiary that says I'll wait forever if I have to. That's the only thing that the letter says. It's signed by Dante, who is someone she doesn't know. And so the this it's the story of Kayla learning the truth about her husband's death and the people that were involved in it.
00:25:14
Speaker
Okay, so I should be really careful because this one is very twisty and turny and I don't want to give too much away. If you like a mystery and if you like paranor paranormal romance and you are comfortable with suspenseful books where at any moment with two or three sentences, the entire trajectory of the story can change, this is a really fun one.
00:25:40
Speaker
So I guess maybe the way to frame a question without spoiling anything then is at the beginning of the book, how does she think her husband has died? In a boating accident. Okay. And then more is potentially revealed. Oh, much, much more is revealed. And it is, it is a fantastic story of finding your person in a place you least expect when you think you've just lost your person and finding out that everything that you thought was maybe not what you thought it was all along. Fun. That was Pen Pal by JT Geisinger.
00:26:29
Speaker
Okay, those were all of our books. So Tara, I want to turn it back over to you just to plug one more time, anything you want to for the bookstore.
00:26:42
Speaker
Well, there are two things that I don't want to let pass with it being February. It is Black History Month. And so I want to challenge all of your listeners to find a Black author. And if they need a suggestion, I would suggest A Love Song for Ricky Wilde by Tia Williams. This book has won some awards and is a really fast read. The other thing is that with Valentine's coming up, not all love stories look like white folk white straight cisgender folks falling in love and so I would like to recommend One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston. Casey is an amazing and prolific writer who writes stories that tell that but tug at your heartstrings in really surprising ways and those are both really great books. FMC
00:27:36
Speaker
dot books is my Instagram handle. I try to stay really active on there and make sure that I'm updating all the time, events and book racks and opportunities to read more romance. www.fmcbooks.com is the website. And I just like, I like to fall in love. I like to fall in love as often as possible. And I believe that it's really important, especially in the climate that we have right now. I think it's really important that we all find opportunities to feel really good every chance we get. and Sometimes things are really scary and this is a really, this is a, for me at least this was, romance novels are a better way than, you know, doom scrolling Facebook to yeah sort of
00:28:29
Speaker
to to give myself some rest. And I think rest is really important. So if anybody wants to talk romance novels, they can reach out to me via the website. And I would love to hear from your listeners what kind of books they'd like to see at FMC Books.
00:28:48
Speaker
Yes, I 100% agree to everything you just said. And thank you for those extra plugs. This has been a really great episode. So listeners, if you enjoyed, please give us a five-star review to help us grow our numbers or share this episode with someone else you think might enjoy it. ah If you are interested in being on the show, please reach out to me at the checkout stack at gmail dot.com. All right, everyone. Thank you for joining us today. Now go forth and read a romance novel.