Fangirl Jeanne, fanfic elder, is back to revisit the fan fiction formerly known as “Manacled,” now traditionally published as “Alchemised” by SenLinYu. Three years after our initial discussion about Manacled in episodes 116 and 117, we delve into the transformation of this Harry Potter/”Dramione” (aka Draco-Hermione) + Handmaid’s Tale fanfic into a commercially-published romantasy novel. What happens to subtext when you remove the context of the text? What are the ethics of profiting from fanfic? What’s the harm in supporting derivative works of a prolific anti-Trans activist?

File off those serial numbers and sit back and relax an absolute descent into madness as we try to figure out what the heck went on here.

To counteract some of the harm of discussing this book, Jeanne suggests supporting trans charities such as the Good Law Project and the Trevor Project.

Jeanne also recommends several books by trans authors or featuring trans characters:

• Reforged by Seth Haddon
• Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
• Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White
• A Lady for the Duke by Alexis Hall

Andrea recommended:

• A Gentleman’s Gentleman by TJ Alexander

Guest: Fangirl Jeanne

Website | BlueSky | Threads

Topics:

• 00:25 Revisiting Manacled: Three Years Later
• 01:33 The Rise of Fan Fiction in the TikTok Era
• 03:21 From Fan Fiction to Published Novels
• 08:11 The Ethics of Consuming Fan Fiction
• 21:48 Highlighting Trans Charities and Authors
• 26:55 The Transformation of Manacled to Alchemised
• 38:31 Alchemised: A Romantasy Review
• 51:41 The Resonance Dilemma
• 52:40 Lazy Worldbuilding
• 52:57 Info Dumps and Pacing Issues
• 54:21 Immigrant Labor and Alchemy
• 54:41 Confusing Technology and Setting
• 56:01 The Good Guy Government
• 01:00:22 Character Backstories and Relationships
• 01:10:00 Romantasy and Market Trends
• 01:11:52 Critique of Alchemised
• 01:13:55 Final Thoughts and Conclusion

Shelf Love:

• NEW! Substack for original writing and stuff | Website | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
• Email: Andrea@shelflovepodcast.com

Have you read Lisa Kleypas's neogothic duology: Devil in Winter and It Happened One Autumn? Tehyah Carver shares her provocative claims about Kleypas’s Wallflower series, including how St. Vincent is a gothic heroine. We also discuss the revisions the author made to the texts around 2021, theories on why the changes were made, and how we feel about them.

What differentiates a villain from an interesting character in romance and how have contemporary romance readers' expectations evolved and what are the broader implications of rewriting problematic elements in historical romance fiction?

• 00:00 Tehyah’s Romance Credentials
• 03:57 Lisa Kleypas's Novels
• 07:07 The Magic of Stony Cross Park
• 11:23 Romance Genre and Reader Response
• 18:26 Neogothic Romance and Social Anxieties
• 23:52 Revisions in Romance Novels
• 51:18 What kind of dog is Sebastian St. Vincent?
• 51:55 Sebastian's Villainous Nature and Reader Perspectives
• 53:47 Gothic Elements in Devil in Winter
• 55:48 Sebastian as a Gothic Heroine
• 57:44 Cam's Role and Racial Elements
• 01:06:42 Sebastian's Masculinity and Gender Roles
• 01:15:01 Revisions and Reader Perceptions
• 01:27:01 Don’t be Boring: Concluding Thoughts on Romance

Guest: Tehyah Carver

• PhD student at Teachers College Columbia University, “real” romance fan and legit scholar
  • Instagram

Discussed:

• Lisa Kleypas Wallflower series: Devil in Winter & It Happened One Autumn: Neogothic Duology, plus Secrets of a Summer Night
• Routledge Research Companion to Popular Romance Fiction (2021): Edited By Jayashree Kamblé, Eric Murphy Selinger, Hsu-Ming Teo
  • Chapter 4: Gothic Romance by Angela Toscano

Shelf Love:

• NEW! Substack for original writing and stuff | Website | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
• Email: Andrea@shelflovepodcast.com

Are readers of dark romance or bodice rippers more morbidly curious than those who read sweet romcoms? Is the allure of horror and scary romance similar. Dr. Coltan Scrivner joins Shelf Love to discuss his new book, “Morbidly Curious,” and its insights on why people are drawn to scary media. The conversation delves into how understanding morbid curiosity can provide new perspectives on romance readers, the stereotypes surrounding both horror and romance fans, and the psychological underpinnings of consuming these genres. Dr. Scrivner shares his research on formidability dynamics within horror, how horror media impacts its audience, and the surprising therapeutic benefits they may offer.

Guest: Dr. Coltan Scrivner

Website | Substack | Book

Shelf Love:

• NEW! Substack for original writing and stuff | Website | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
• Email: Andrea@shelflovepodcast.com

Listen...or don't.

Shelf Love:

• NEW! Substack for original writing and stuff | Website | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
• Email: Andrea@shelflovepodcast.com

Impale yourself on your fate: marrying the Devil can be heaven. Semilore Sobande shares her all-time favorite romance, "Devil's Bride" by Stephanie Laurens. This book has it all: Honoria Prudence Anstruther-Weatherby, a heroine who balances strength and vulnerability, and a hero who might just be Batman in disguise and has a similarly ridiculous name. Discover how this historical romance stands out with its compelling characters, feudal fantasies, and unexpectedly humorous plot twists, all while reimagining the dynamics of power and partnership in the Cynster family saga.

Guest: Semilore Sobande

https://english.brown.edu/people/semilore-sobande

Learn more about the Ready to Score release event with Dame Jodie Slaughter and Shelf Love host Andrea Martucci on Monday June 9, 2025 at 7pm at Lovestruck Books in Cambridge, MA: https://lovestruck-Jodie-Slaughter.eventbrite.com/?aff=Andrea

Shelf Love:

• NEW! Substack for original writing and stuff | Website | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
• Email: Andrea@shelflovepodcast.com

Morgan and Isabeau from the Whoa!mance podcast join to discuss the 2024 film “Your Monster.” We discuss how the movie explores female rage and personal discovery, drawing parallels with romance novel conventions. We are divided in our opinions: did the film succeed in merging romance and horror? The conversation highlights how individual experiences and tastes shape reception of the film, making for an engaging discussion on the intersection of romance, rage, and narrative structure.

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Guests: Whoa!mance (Morgan and Isabeau)

Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Website | Listen on any podcast app!

Morgan & Isabeau joined me in episode 076 to discuss Strange Love by Ann Aguirre

and

Episode 089 to Problematize Romance

and

108 She-Devil (1989): Who's Entitled To Be Selfish in Love & Life? (Whoa!mance spectacular)

Shelf Love:

• NEW! Substack for original writing and stuff | Website | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
• Email: Andrea@shelflovepodcast.com

Alice Murphy, a historical romance author, joins to recommend and discuss under-appreciated non-Regency historical romance. The discussion touches on Alice's upcoming book, "A Showgirl's Rules for Falling in Love," and a rich variety of historical romance novels set in diverse time periods and locations. We travel through Ancient Egypt, medieval Wales, 19th century Japan, the Gilded Age, the Civil Rights Movement in the US in the 1960s, and more. This episode is jam-packed with book recommendations!

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Guest: Alice Murphy

Website | Instagram | A Showgirl’s Rules for Falling in Love

Not recommended: Redeeming Love

Recommended:

• Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
• Defiant Love by Maura Seger
• A Husband for Esyllt by Virginie Marconato

• His Bride by Gayle Callen

• Fierce Eden by Jennifer Blake

• Flame on the Sun by Maura Seger
• A Viscount for the Egyptian Princess by Heba Helmy

• Hitched to the Gunslinger by Michelle McLean and Untamed by Lisa Rayne

• A Striking Romance by Lindsey Brooks
• As You Desire and The Other Guys’ Bride by Connie Brockway

• A Manhattan Heiress in Paris by Amanda McCabe
• The Companion by E.E. Ottoman
• Phoenix Pictures series by Brianne Gillen

• Let It Shine by Alyssa Cole
• A Midnight Feast by Genevieve Turner and Emma Barry
• Mrs. Milner Gets a Kitchen by Jane Hadley

Shelf Love:

• NEW! Substack for original writing and stuff | Website | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
• Email: Andrea@shelflovepodcast.com

Why do we read Jane Austen but not the authors Jane Austen read and loved? The answer is a BIT more complicated than just "sexism." Guest: Rebecca Romney, rare book dealer and author of the new book, Jane Austen's Bookshelf.

Guest: Rebecca Romney

Jane Austen's Bookshelf | Type Punch Matrix

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Do you have a romance collection, or do you just love looking at other people's collections? Learn more about Romance Novel Collection, a new section of the Shelf Love Substack where I'll be sharing YOUR romance novel collections: https://shelflovepodcast.substack.com/p/introducing-romance-novel-collection

Shelf Love:

• NEW! Substack for original writing and stuff | Website | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
• Email: Andrea@shelflovepodcast.com