Five Star Reads & Episode Sponsors, Ep 37+

Episode 37

Why is there spice in YA books? Has young adult fiction changed over the years, and… who is the YA category really for anyway?

In this episode, we’re discussing the rise of explicit content in young adult books, how BookTok and publishing trends have influenced the genre, and the debate surrounding books for teens. We also explore why some books are removed from school libraries and how parents can help protect their kids from explicit content.

Whether you’re a reader, parent, teacher, librarian, or author, this conversation dives into one of the biggest debates in publishing today.

Many thanks to our clean young adult book sponsor this week: Love, Sax and All That Jazz by Amy C. Shaw! Check out this rivalry to love story between two high school saxophone players here: https://amzn.to/4fBWJmu

Don’t forget to follow Rosie on Instagram, where she features closed door/no-spice and clean books here: https://www.instagram.com/reading.rosy/

And while you’re there, follow The Clean Romance Podcast on IG too: https://www.instagram.com/thecleanromancepodcast/

Links & info from this week’s episode:

Guess the tropes game, books featured:

The Enemies’ Island by Jessica King: https://amzn.to/4vVQccu
Pack of Dawn and Destiny by KM Shea: https://amzn.to/4xbwVop
First Love, Second Draft by Becca Kinzer: https://amzn.to/4fBXITI
No Match Found by Martha Keyes: https://amzn.to/4fEHF7q
Bookmarked for Love by Sarah Monzon: https://amzn.to/3TnH0jn

How Smut Affects Your Brain: https://youtu.be/_xOBxUV7ZXg?si=NiLwo7Je79r_inJE

“Falling for You” by Becky Wade: https://amzn.to/4yGra3o

Resources for finding Young Adult books with NO explicit content:

Closed Door Romance database (with detailed content guides): https://closeddoorromance.com/database-preview/
https://www.romance.io/
No Spice YA Fantasty Database with detailed spice rating system: https://authorbrittanywang.wixsite.com/nospiceyafantasy
Common Sense Media: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/
Good Pictures Bad Pictures, Jr (ages 3-6): https://amzn.to/4fBWuI6
Good Pictures Bad Pictures (ages 6+): https://amzn.to/4fGQFZW

This week’s clean YA book recommendations:

Brittany Wang, On the Wings of Dust and Ash (fantasy): https://amzn.to/4vQ1xKU
Flameheart by Dalton and Emily Bequette (fantasy): https://amzn.to/4vQ1xKU
Olivia McCarthy, Reach (sci-fi/dystopian): https://amzn.to/3RZ1DlB
My Refuge and My Way by Ashley Al Saliby (contemporary Christian, international setting): https://amzn.to/4yJrb6I
Kasie West, By Your Side (contemporary romance): https://amzn.to/4hAi564
Sarah Sutton (contemporary romance): https://amzn.to/4bAi12L

Episode 38

Skip the BookTok FOMO: Clean Romance Dupes You’ll Love

Love seeing everyone’s BookTok recommendations but wish there were more clean romance options? The Clean Romance Podcast has you covered! In this episode, Sarah Ruth Hickner and Tiffany Noelle Chacon are sharing some of their favorite clean (and mostly clean) alternatives to BookTok’s biggest hits.

But first, thank you to this episode’s book sponsor, Yours Blindly: An Enemies to lovers office romance

by Rose Fresquez. It’s available on Kindle Unlimited and in paperback. https://link.amazon/B0bqy5qFF

Here are some of our favorite clean romance replacements for popular booktok books:

Instead of Bridgerton…

Read (and watch!) Sarah M. Eden’s The Lancaster Family series: https://link.amazon/B03GlRvy2

and The Jonquil Family series: https://link.amazon/B07JDp24P

for witty Regency romance with all the swoon and none of the spice. To watch the Seeking Persephone mini series (based on book 1 in The Lancaster Family series by Sarah M Eden), head here: https://amzn.to/4q052gI

Instead of Fourth Wing…

Try:

The Aurelian Cycle by Rosaria Munda (closed-door, but not fully clean) https://link.amazon/B08ZCP2im
K.M. Shea’s fairy tale retellings https://link.amazon/B0eUKGI1M
Brigid Kemmerer’s Cursebreaker series https://link.amazon/B0aQoQR5Z

Instead of Ali Hazelwood’s STEM romances…

Read The Friendship Variable by Marie Soleil for a sweet STEM romance: https://link.amazon/B0aoBv4Mx

Instead of A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR)…

Pick up Court of Midnight and Deception by K.M. Shea for fantasy romance with clean chemistry. https://link.amazon/B050bDijZ

Instead of the Off Campus series or other steamy hockey romances…

Try:

The Appies series by Emma St. Clair and Jenny Proctor https://link.amazon/B09WqVTc6
The Dating a Denver Dragon multi-author series: https://link.amazon/B0gh5H5dZ
Hockey romances by Ann J. David https://www.closeddoorromancebooks.com/products/from-ice-to-home-paperback-edition

Instead of trending cowboy romances…

Read:

Birch Creek Ranch by B.E. Baker https://link.amazon/B0f72xdMy
Matchmaking the Cowboy by Emily Conrad: https://link.amazon/B0ghGt4DV

Which BookTok books would you like us to find clean dupes for next? Let us know—we’re always looking for more great recommendations!

Episode 39

In this episode of The Clean Romance Podcast, Sarah Ruth Hickner and Tiffany Noelle Chacon talk about clean romance, social media boundaries, cancel culture, and the challenges of navigating the publishing world today. They discuss the difference between setting personal boundaries and “canceling” someone, the role of AI in publishing, and why book covers don’t always tell the whole story. Plus, they share clean romance book recommendations and talk about the importance of community and finding books that fit your personal content preferences.

Thanks to our book sponsor this week: Francesca Spencer’s Fake Dating for Summer! Go download this clean beach read with a retired pro football player and a sassy veterinarian here: https://amzn.to/4z8zFEK

5 Star Reads for the week:

Sarah’s Rec: the words we lost by Nicole Deese: https://amzn.to/45hQZJK

Tiffany’s rec: A Court of Midnight and Deception by KM Shea: https://amzn.to/4z8MlLS

And don’t forget to check out these episodes we mentioned:

FOMO episode (“Read This Not That, AKA: No More BookTok FOMO”): https://youtu.be/646v1hShd0E?is=noyKoJr_AgydIW3v

Age Episode (“Age is Just a Number…Or Is It?”): https://youtu.be/7JxaiqqMQMU?is=KwtYByUDqTvJYSmL