GENRE'D Review

A story set in a close-knit town where familiarity breeds silence. Everyone knows everyone, history runs deep, and the most dangerous secrets aren’t hidden—they’re protected . Why We Love This Trope Small towns do something big cities can’t: they remember.They remember who you used to be, what your family did, and which truths are easier left unspoken. This trope thrives on: Community complicity Long-held grudges The tension between belonging and exposure The unsettling idea

And that’s a wrap on 2025. 🥂 This week on Genre’d , Katy and Elyse close out the year with a full “Year in Reading” debrief: the books we loved, the ones that personally attacked us, the tropes that carried, and the reading habits we’re taking into 2026. We also have things to say —namely: Goodreads is doing absolutely the least, the “reading challenge” math is suspicious, and somehow we started a podcast and lived to tell the tale. Spoiler note: This is a wrap-up episode.

A new year has a way of making us reflective. Hopeful. A little unhinged. And nothing captures that energy better than books about fresh starts—the kind where characters reinvent themselves, burn their lives down, move somewhere new, or simply try again with more emotional baggage than before. Whether it’s a literal clean slate or a quiet internal reset, these stories remind us that starting over is rarely neat—but it is powerful. ✨ Quick Definition Fresh Starts are stories

Home for the Holidays is the trope where a character returns to their hometown or family home during the holiday season and is immediately confronted with unresolved relationships, old versions of themselves, and the life they thought they left behind. It’s second chances , emotional reckoning, and the quiet (or chaotic) realization that going home changes you, whether you want it to or not. 🎁 Why We Love It Because nothing tests personal growth like sleeping in your childho

A cozy, Hallmark-adjacent holiday romance review featuring forced proximity, grumpy toy-makers, small-town charm, and festive vibes — with spoiler-free thoughts and a full breakdown.

Fake dating at the holidays is elite romance energy. From Christmas chaos to a cozy Hanukkah love story, here are 8 fake dating holiday romances we love.

This week on Genre’d: Off Book , Elyse and Katy welcome their forever friend Ankeen to talk about the genre that raised them all: romance (with a generous side of smut). From sneaking Harlequins out of the library at age ten to rereading Montana Sky every time she needs a comfort book, Ankeen walks us through how romance hooked her early, why she took a long detour into philosophy, and what brought her back to smutty romance books as an adult. We dig into the big misconcep

Some cities merely exist in the background. Others take on a pulse, a personality, a hunger. This week, we’re diving into the “City as a Character” trope—where setting becomes fate. Here are our eight favorite books that bring their worlds vividly to life.

Join Genre’d Podcast as we discuss Alchemy of Secrets by Stephanie Garber—an urban fantasy filled with magic, Hollywood myths, time loops, and a high-stakes scavenger hunt. Spoiler-free review, character analysis, themes, and full spoiler discussion.

Quick Definition: When a blizzard traps you with exactly the wrong (or right) person, and the weather isn’t the only plot point developing. The roads are closed, the power is out, and tensions—romantic, murderous, or magical—start to rise faster than the snowdrifts. Why We Love It: There is truly nothing like a forced pause in the middle of a storm. The snowed-in trope heightens every emotion: longing feels sharper, secrets get louder, and characters are suddenly stuck with t

A deep dive into dystopian fiction, celebrity memoirs, and adorable kid-book wisdom—plus a bonus interview with Melissa’s 4-year-old son about Captain Underpants.

A deep dive into one of dystopian fiction’s most iconic tropes: rebellion against corrupt systems. Explore 8 of our favorite books where heroes rise up, resist, and reshape their worlds.

In this episode of the Genre’d podcast, we review Girl Dinner by Olivie Blake — a dark, satirical campus novel about sisterhood, ambition, feminism, and the pressures of modern womanhood. Includes a spoiler-free summary, full book discussion, and our honest reactions to the twist ending.

Slow burn romances are for readers who want to feel every moment: the tension, the hesitation, the stolen glances that last a beat too long. This week’s Trope Tuesday rounds up eight books across fantasy, romance, and contemporary fiction that prove the wait is always worth it.

This week on Off Book , Katy flips the mic to co-host Elyse for a deep dive into her forever favorite: fantasy. From childhood obsessions (Tamora Pierce forever) to adult hot takes (“fantasy is politics with dragons”), Elyse walks through where to start, what to read next if you’re fully converted, and why she’ll always have room in her TBR for fake dating and marriage of convenience. We also detour into high-heat subgenres, romance as a gateway back to fantasy, and an extre

About the episode This week on Genre’d, Katy picked A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna — a cozy witchy fantasy about loss, belonging, and one very opinionated house. Come for the spoiler-free first ~17 minutes; stay for the zombie rooster discourse, “grumpy × grumpy” confusion, and an unexpectedly emotional chat about representation, power, and what it really means to find home. If you’re looking for a spoiler-free review, podcast discussion, or plot summ

Quick definition: When two people are thrown together by fate, circumstance, or one ill-timed storm—and discover that distance isn’t their problem anymore. Why we love it: Because forced proximity takes “what if” and traps it in a room. Whether it’s rivals sharing one bed, exes locked in a snowed-in cabin, or reluctant partners on a mission, this trope turns tension into truth. It’s the ultimate slow burn—equal parts chaos, vulnerability, and chemistry you can’t outrun. Our f

About the episode: This week on Off Book , we sit down with writer, dancer, and communications pro Dinah Alobeid to talk about her one true love: literary and upmarket fiction . We dig into what those distinctions actually mean, why they get such a bad rap, and how they might convert even the most die-hard romantasy readers. Along the way, Dinah shares her favorite gateway reads, the “advanced stack” for serious fans, and the books that made her cry, clutch her chest, and r

Quick definition: Two people. One bed. It’s the ultimate proximity trope — where forced closeness turns tension into tenderness (or chaos). Why we love it: Because nothing accelerates emotional intimacy quite like an inconvenient sleeping arrangement. The “Only One Bed” trope turns accidental proximity into revelation — it’s where banter dissolves into vulnerability, touch becomes confession, and we realize denial was never going to last the night. Equal parts cozy and charge

If your bookshelf looks like a chaotic shrine to romantasy , thrillers , fantasy , and everything in between, you’re one of us. You know the type—dragons flirting on one shelf, small-town secrets simmering on the next. But sometimes reading isn’t enough. You want to talk about that jaw-dropping twist, that devastating romance, or that mystery ending you did (or definitely didn’t) see coming. That’s where Genre’d comes in — a book podcast hosted by two sisters who love to rea