690. Disability in Romance with Lux Raven

690. Disability in Romance with Lux Raven

Author: Sarah Wendell October 31, 2025 Duration: 1:04:30

My guest today is Lux Raven, author of the Siren’s duology that starts with Siren’s Mark, which came out – together – in early October. Lux wanted to join me on the podcast to talk about disability portrayals in romance, and about her own journey to diagnosis and how it influenced her writing – and vice versa.


We talk a lot about the pernicious ableism in the writing of disabled characters, and about writing your catnip when you desperately want to see your experience in a romance.


Last week was Invisible Disabilities Week, and we timed this episode on purpose. So if you’re dealing with an invisible disability, we see you. You are loved and if no one has told you today, you’re fabulous.


TW/CW: at 16:50, we discuss antifat bias and misogyny in medical care, and if you’d like to skip over that, it’s about 1 minute total.


Music:purple-planet.com






Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


If you’ve ever felt a little defensive about loving romance novels, or just want to dive deeper into the books you can’t put down, Smart Podcast, Trashy Books: A Romance Novel Podcast is your perfect companion. Host Sarah Wendell approaches the genre with a critic’s sharp mind and a fan’s enthusiastic heart, creating conversations that are as thoughtful as they are joyful. This isn’t just author interviews, though you’ll hear brilliant voices like Ilona Andrews, Sarah J. Maas, and the wonderfully unique Chuck Tingle. The scope of the podcast is deliberately wide, bringing in reviewers, librarians, editors, and publishing professionals to examine every facet of the romance world. You’ll get honest talk about tropes and trends, the business behind the books, and why these stories resonate so powerfully with millions of readers. Regular appearances from Amanda Diehl add another layer of camaraderie and insight. Listening feels like being part of a smart, welcoming book club where no opinion is dismissed and passion is a given. It’s a celebration of a genre that dominates fiction, explored with humor, intelligence, and genuine curiosity. Whether you’re a longtime devotee or a curious newcomer, this podcast offers a rich, engaging, and deeply human look at the stories we love.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Smart Podcast, Trashy Books: A Romance Novel Podcast
Podcast Episodes
654. Dialogue and Shenanigans with Kimberly Lemming [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:12
Kimberly Lemming’s new book, I Got Abducted By Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in A Rom-Com is out this week.What’s inside? A fantasy world with underfunded researchers and mishandled animal restoration caused by fiscal irres…
653. RT Rewind: February 2000 Reviews! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:14
RT is celebrating their 200th issue, and we’re celebrating, too!We’ve got the OG Monster Schtupping book, a guy whose arm appears to end in a ham, and some incredible covers. You know I’m going to tell you not to miss th…
652. Smart Bitches Turns 20 with Candy Tan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:36
My guest today is Candy Tan, who 20 years ago co-founded Smart Bitches Trashy Books with me. Yay!!We’re looking back at the founding of SBTB, about her reactions to Bridgerton, and her perennial favorite romances. We tal…
647. Finding Home: Recs and Wishes from Megan, Alanna, Sue and Rhonda [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:20
We’re traveling all over the world again, from the west coast of the US to Germany to discuss the price of PopTarts, book recommendations, and wishes for 2025 with Megan, Alanna, Sue, and Rhonda.Thank you for being part…
646. Swashbuckling and Historical Romance Classics with Elizabeth Hoyt [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:49
My guest this week is Elizabeth Hoyt!! This episode was SO MUCH FUN to record and produce and I am so excited to share it with you.We talk about her latest book, No Ordinary Duchess, writer’s block, emotionally constipat…