The Tightrope: An Introduction

The Tightrope: An Introduction

Author: Katee Robert, Melody Carlisle, & Jenny Nordbak September 23, 2021 Duration: 41:25

Welcome to our introductory episode! Get to know a little bit about your hosts, Jenny Nordbak and Melody Carlisle, and learn what Bonkers Romance is all about!

We discuss what “bonkers” means to each of us since it’s something we’ve been asking guests.

  • Jenny: It’s the brave decisions authors have made when they chose not to play it safe.
  • Mel: It’s those books that make you wonder, “is this even allowed??” with absolute glee.

Why we started Bonkers Romance and what we hope to accomplish with it:

  • Celebrate those brave choices authors have made and pulled off
  • To choose joy
  • To encourage readers to come down the rabbit hole with us

The format of each episode:

  • We recap a bonkers book chosen by the guest to exemplify what they consider bonkers
  • One of the hosts in each episode hasn’t read the book to make it more accessible for readers who may not have read the book yet.
  • Along the way, we’ll have tangents, book recs, funny stories, and more!
  • The last episode of every month will only be for our Temple members, but a free preview will be available publicly!

We’re eager to build a community and are excited to hear input, suggestions, book recs, guest recs, and bonkers descriptions in books you stumble upon! You can find us on social media or use the form on our website. We’re particularly looking for bonkers book recs that are inclusive, with a focus on queer rep and books written by authors from marginalized groups.

What is The Temple of Defiant Joy?

We’ve created a members page that functions similarly to Patreon, but gives us more control and flexibility. On there, we have bonus episodes, temple-only episodes, video of our regular episodes, bonus author interviews, Bonkers Romance Book Club, and more! We want it to feel like your community, so if you have ideas, we’d love to hear them! You can check it out HERE!

What is Bonkers Romance Book Club?

All members of The Temple at the Joy Bringer tier or higher will be part of the BRBC, our monthly digital book box subscription. Each month, members will receive two ebooks we’ve handpicked for the community. They’ll usually be advanced copies before the books are even available to the public! Check it out HERE!

Our upcoming episode list is available now on our social platforms, so come follow us on Instagram or Twitter—or join our new Facebook group!

Episode 2: Spider Shibari with Sierra Simone is available now, so don’t miss it!

Support for this episode provided by:

THE TEMPLE OF DEFIANT JOY! Join us in The Temple for bonus episodes, video of our public episodes, access to the Bonkers Romance Book Club, and much more! Membership at the Joy Bringer Tier or higher includes advanced copies of our September BRBC books: Mama’s Boy by Avery Flynn and His Leading Lady by Jenny Nordbak!

Mentioned in


Every Thursday, Katee Robert, Melody Carlisle, and Jenny Nordbak gather to celebrate the wonderfully over-the-top side of the genre they love. Their Bonkers Romance podcast is a deep dive into a truly wild piece of romance media each week, from novels to films and beyond. The conversation isn't about critique, but about joyful analysis-they break down how the story’s tropes are cranked to the maximum and explore why those exaggerated elements work so effectively to deliver a satisfying, often cathartic, experience. Listening feels like pulling up a chair with insightful friends who also happen to be deeply embedded in Romancelandia. You’ll hear their unfiltered commentary, passionate hot takes, and genuinely hilarious personal stories sparked by the week’s selection. The hosts frequently welcome favorite authors and personalities, offering a unique peek into how creators think about the craft and fun of romance. Naturally, you’ll come away with a ton of book recommendations, but more than that, this podcast provides a refreshingly enthusiastic and thoughtful space that reminds you why these stories resonate so powerfully. It’s a weekly dose of analysis, laughter, and pure appreciation for the genre’s most delightfully extra offerings.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 58

Bonkers Romance
Podcast Episodes
Feed the Old Gods with Sophie Lark! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:59
Sophie Lark is here to recap The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden with Katee! We were obsessed with the fairytale vibes and Russian mythology...and Jenny might've been kind of obsessed with trying to make the…
Dragon Schnurffels with Ana Huang! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Hey Joy Lovers! Ana Huang is here to introduce Melody to Ruby Dixon's post-apocalyptic dragons (finally!) with Fire In His Blood. She's a crafty scavenger who's turned into bait, he's the dragon who will be saved by her…
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Katee recaps Fertile in My Ex Boyfriend's Dungeon, Level 1 by Amanda Clover for Mel and Jenny! This might come as a shock, but it's bonkers! Our plucky heroine encounters some goblins, an orc, and a beetlekin! We've deci…
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Hello Beautiful Joylover! This is the public preview of June's Temple-only episode! We finally get to tell you all about our secret activities! Jenny, Katee, and Melody have been working hard to bring a brand new bonkers…
A New Record with Aveda Vice [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:43:55
Melody and Katee are here with Aveda Vice to recap Desire the Star by Miranda Silver! This witchy, tarot-loving (literally), paranormal, polyknot, CLIFFHANGER was joy from start to finish. It has every trope you can thin…
Get the Poison Out with Angelina M. Lopez [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:46:18
We're back and you better get ready because we're recapping the second book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series--Rhage's book! Angelina M. Lopez is here to tell us about Lover Eternal by J.R. Ward!But we have huge new…
Robot Daddy with Kimberly Lemming! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:51
Kimberly Lemming joined us to recap Robot Daddy by Allysa Hart and Rayanna Jamison. The title says it all! Listen as Jenny tries to process the awesomeness of the premise and then grapple with the...surprise? ending. A d…
365 Days: This Day (Part 2) with Naima and Andie! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:24
We’re back with part 2 of this glorious, glorious film! Naima Simone and Andie J. Christopher are back to recap the cinematic masterpiece that is 365 Days: This Day! We have many hot takes, an absurd amount of laughter,…
Joining the Mafia with Joanna Shupe [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:26:29
We're joined byJoanna Shupe to recap Dark Mafia Prince by Annika Martin! Our first mafia romance did not let us down!Joanna has a brand new book out this month! The Bride Goes Rogue is magnificent! The third book in the…