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Where Are All the Bunnies? · Rainbow Book Rats: A Queer Romance Podcast

• 00:08 [Music fades out] 00:09 Megan: I would rather read a cowboy romance 00:11 instead of a sports romance. 00:14 Kit: [Shocked gasp] 00:16 [Caity and Megan laugh] 00:18 Caity: Betrayed! 00:20 JD: Perfect! 00:22 [Music fades back in, then out again] 00:33 J: Hello, BRats, and welcome back to another episode 00:36 of Rainbow Book Rats: A Queer Romance Podcast, where 00:40 four feral Rats nerd out about their favorite reads. 00:45 Today, we will be talking about our recent buddy read 00:50 and doing a deep dive into a bookish topic that one of us 00:54 is foaming at the mouth to talk about. 00:59 [Music fades back in, the out] 01:02 J: I'm JD, my pronouns are they/them, and I can't 01:05 accomplish any task without a little treat. 01:09 C: [Little giggle] 01:10 K: I'm Kit, they/he, and I collect jam jars. 01:14 [Megan and JD oooOooo] 01:15 M: I'm Megan, they/ them. she/her, and I would rather 01:20 read a cowboy romance instead of a sports romance. 01:24 K: [Shocked gasp] 01:26 [Caity and Megan laugh] 01:28 C: Betrayed! ...I'm Caity, she/her, and I love artichokes. 01:35 [Megan busts out laughing] 01:36 [Kit and Caity laugh] 01:38 J: Perfect! Alright, so, to start this episode off, we're going 01:44 to talk about our most recent buddy read, which was 01:47 Sugar Bunny by Colette Davison. 01:49 M: [Cheering] 01:52 J: It is the first book in the Kinky Housemates series, and yeah, 01:58 let's dive right into it. It was one that we buddy-read on 02:03 Caity's selection cycle, but I had already read it once before. 02:09M: Yeah, me too. 02:10 K: So had I. Caity was the only one who had not read it. 02:12 [BRats all laugh] 02:15 C: That was the book we voted on, too! 02:17 J: It was, yeah. 02:18 M: [Wheezing laughter] 02:19 C: Wasted! 02:19 J: We voted on it, so we all loved it enough to want 02:22 to read it again together. [Laughs] 02:24 C: That's so funny. 02:26 M: In the before-times, when we hadn't been our little group 02:28 yet, and we were all just somewhat knowing each other on 02:31 Instagram, I remember I posted about having read this, 02:34 and...I want to say it was you, JD, that reached out and you 02:37 were like, "I love that book!" 02:39 J: It probably was. 02:40 M: Okay. [Laughs] And I was like, [Gremlin voice] "Yes! 02:45 They loved it!" 02:47 [Caity and Kit chuckle quietly] 02:47 M: Whenever I think of Sugar Bunny, I always remember that. 02:51 K: And then I think I read it because of you? 02:53 M: Yeah. [Chuckles.] There was like, pet play... 02:56 C: Pet Play! 02:57 [Kit and Caity giggle] 02:58 J: Yesss! Yes. 02:59 K: Oh, no! Yes! And JD was specifically talking about 03:01 the bunny part, weren't you? 03:03 J: Yes. Yes. 03:04 M: Yes. Yeah, exactly. Cuz there's not very...there's a lot 03:06 of dogs, and a handful of cats, and... 03:09 J: Where are all the bunnies?? 03:11 K: Mhm. 03:12 J: Where are they? And...you know, I haven't found 03:16 many. [Laughing] I'm still looking, but this one is so so good. 03:22 Please, give me your bunny play recommendations. I really want 03:25 more. They're just so cute! I just love a bunny boy. 03:29 M: I know! 03:29 J: What can I say? 03:31 K: So, just to...introduce the topic, it's an 03:34 MMM romance. It's contemporary. Essentially this 03:38 young guy moves to London via an app called 03:41 My Kinky Housemate where he meets seven like-minded 03:43 guys. They're all kinky, they move in together. 03:46 He is working at a night club while he makes his dreams 03:49 come true of working in London's West End, which is 03:52 essentially like Broadway, if you don't know. He wants to be 03:56 a singer, dancer, actor. Basically, his money's 04:00 running low, work is not going well, he's working...it's a 04:04 night club, but it's a strip club, basically. And one 04:07 of the housemates suggests that he becomes 04:10 a sugar bunny. Uh, sorry, a sugar baby. But in his case, 04:13 a sugar bunny, because he's into pet play. 04:16 J: [Little tiny yayyy] 04:16 K: [Happy gremlin noise] So, he goes on the app 04:19 that his friend suggests, and finds...a sugar daddy. Only, the 04:23 sugar daddy also has a husband. 04:26 M: [Gasp] 04:27 K: [Affirmative gremlin sound] Usually the husband does 04:29 not get involved much. And definitely not 04:31 romantically...with the sugar baby. But, in this case, 04:36 they both fall for him pretty quickly. 04:39 J: Mhm. 04:39 K: And...they basically wanna spoil the hell out 04:43 of him. So, it's a pretty low-angst book. Especially 04:47 once the three of them start their relationship- their 04:50 dynamic. We get two sides to the sugar bunny. 04:54 We get umm... 04:55 J: Sexy Bunny and Playful Bunny! 04:57 K: That's it, thank you. So, as you can imagine, 04:59 Sexy Bunny has sexy times, including spanking 05:03 and play-dungeon time. 05:05 M: [Sinister whisper] Yesss. 05:05 K: Whereas Silly Bunny- no! Playful Bunny, sorry, 05:08 who is my favorite, doesn't necessarily have sex 05:11 times, but...will like, burrow in blankets and..hop 05:16 around, play with pet toys, that kind of thing. And cuddle 05:20 on the sofa. And yeah! They have a happily ever after! 05:23 Anything you guys wanna add? 05:25 J: It's just so lovely. I would like to add that the 05:28 sugar Daddy and husband, Colton- Colton is the 05:33 sugar Daddy and Ford is his husband, their dynamic 05:37 is Dom/sub, basically. But Colton is a switch, so he 05:44 is submissive, but he also wants to be a little dommy 05:48 sometimes, which is why...they kind of have 05:51 like an open marriage, and he gets sugar 05:54 babies because he wants to be in that Daddy role 05:58 sometimes, so...yeah. I just think that's 06:00 an important little note to make. 06:03 K: Yeah, definitely. 06:05 M: And the...the sharing's done well. The author 06:07 does a really good job of writing in ways that people 06:10 don't feel like the MC's are feeling left out or hurt or... 06:14 Yes. 06:16 Like, it's all consensual. And it's done respectfully. 06:18 J: Good communication. 06:21 M: Yeah, and I feel like there's a lot of people 06:20 who avoid books that have that sort of thing 06:23 because they are afraid of the other person 06:26 drama, or they're afraid of maybe... 06:28 C: Like, jealousy. 06:30 M: Yeah! Like jealousy, or afraid of like...of 06:31 like a love triangle situation. And, to be 06:35 honest, every time I've read that sort of 06:37 dynamic, the author just does a fantastic 06:40 job. So, if it's something that a person is 06:43 hesitating about reading it because of that, 06:46 I'd recommend reading it. 06:47 K: Yeah [Laughs] 06:49 M: [Laughing a little] Like, you know? as long as 06:50 it's not gonna be a trigger. 06:51 J: Don't let that stop you. 06:53 C: Yeah. 06:54 K: Especially with this book. 06:56 M: Yeah, don't let that stop you. Yes. especially with... 06:58 this is a good one 06:59  to start with. 07:00 C: It was so sweet and I feel...it's not 07:01 a love triangle, it's like a love circle. 07:03 Cuz they're always so good at communicating 07:05 between the three of them. 07:06 K: [Agreeing hum] 07:07 M: Yeah. 07:07 C: Like, so respectful and kind. And just 07:09 really adorable. I...want to hug them all. 07:12 [Caity giggles] 07:13 M: I know! 07:14 K: [Chuckles] Yes. 07:15 J: And Ford is just like...so supportive 07:17 of Colton, too. 07:19 [Caity hums in agreement] 07:20 J: Like...he...from the very beginning of their 07:22 relationship... 07:22 K: Mhm. 07:24 J: He...you know, they both are very open 07:26 about the fact that the two of them 07:28 together isn't necessarily always 07:30 going to be enough? 07:32 M:Yeah. 07:33 K: Mhm. 07:34 J: And Ford is so okay with that. He's 07:37 very supportive of Colton going out and 07:41 finding someone to be with in the 07:43 way that he can't be with Ford. 07:45 And also, they say that like, Ford tried. 07:48 You know? At the very beginning of their 07:50 relationship, he tried to be what Colton 07:52 needed, but he just couldn't do it. 07:54 And so... 07:55 C: Yeah. 07:56 J: Ya know. He's always very very very supportive. 07:59 C: I think one of the things that worked 08:01 out for them is like, when they came 08:02 in to this looking for a sugar baby, 08:04 it wasn't like their relationship was needing 08:07 mending or fixing, or anything like that. 08:10 Like, they already had such a strong 08:12 base. Such open communication. Like, 08:14 they were both on the same page, 08:16 that it worked so well when they did add Oscar. 08:17 [Kit and JD agree] 08:20 J:They're already very happily married, so... 08:23 C:Yeah! 08:23 K: And like, they literally went through the 08:24 selection process for the sugar bunny ahh-- 08:26 sugar baby, sorry-- together. 08:29 [JD  and Megan hum in agreement] 08:30 J: Yes. 08:30 K: They chose him together. So even 08:31 though initially it was only going to 08:33 be Colton playing with Oscar, and Ford 08:35 might watch, Ford was very involved in 08:38 the decisions all the way through. 08:39 And they were very open with Oscar 08:41 as well, about the situation. 08:42 [JD and Megan agree] 08:43 K: And then when they decided they didn't 08:45 actually want that dynamic, they wanted 08:47 the three of them to play together, they 08:49 discussed that between Ford and Colton, 08:51 and between the three of them as well.  08:52 It was always very much communication.  08:52 [Other BRats all say Yes a few times] 08:53 M: Nothing makes me happier than 08:55 when I read a book and the author is 08:57 handling kink dynamics beautifully like that. 08:59 K: Yes. [Chuckles] 09:00 J: Same. This is one of my Communication Kings tags. 09:07 M: Yaassss! Yes! 09:09 C: Ooooo yes! 09:10 J: [Laughing] Because they're just...yeah. 09:13 It's just like, it's so low angst because of 09:15 the fact that they just talk to each other. 09:17 K: Yeah, exactly. Um, I think there was a 09:19 lot as well where, at first, like, Oscar 09:22 was trying to manage everything himself 09:24 in his life. And slowly, he learned to 09:27 open up about his troubles to Ford and 09:29 Colton. And in the same way, they opened 09:31 up about their life, and they opened 09:33 up emotionally as well, to Oscar. 09:36 J: Mhmm. 09:36 K: Because, initially it was not going to be 09:39 a romantic relationship. It was just going 09:40 to be...yeah, going on some dates, maybe... 09:42 you know, company. And it was going 09:43 to be play. 09:44 C: Mhm. 09:44 K: And I really like the way that that 09:46 developed between them. 09:48 J: Mhm. 09:48 K: It felt very organic. 09:50  J: Yeah, because Oscar...his like, kinda 09:52 background is that...he's coming from not 09:54 necessarily an abusive household? 09:57 K: Mhm. 09:59 J:But, his step-dad is really awful to him, and 10:03 his mom doesn't defend him. [Awkward laugh] 10:06 Basically, his step-dad is like...addicted to gambling, 10:09 doesn't have a job, and just takes all of 10:12 the money that his mom earns and gambles 10:14 it away. And so, basically, from the time 10:18 when he could earn money, Oscar was 10:20  working and basically paying the bills and the rent 10:23 and everything because his step-dad was 10:25 spending all of the mom's money. 10:27 And she just let him do it. So, he's kind of 10:31 coming from a situation where he's not 10:35 used to having anyone to rely on? And he 10:39 feels like...any kind of...emotional strife  10:44 that he's feeling would be...just a burden? 10:47 [Kit and Megan make agreeing noises] 10:49 J:...to anyone? And so, he really keeps a 10:51  lot of his hardships to himself. 10:52 K: Yeah, exactly. 10:54 J: Pretty late into the book, too. Like... 10:55 M: Yeah. 10:56 J: He's hesitant to really go to Colton and Ford 10:58  with it because he doesn't really understand 11:03 at first that their relationship is 11:06 becoming more. You know? 11:08 [Kit and Megan agree again] 11:09 J: He's still kind of under the impression 11:11 that it's only going to be a play relationship. 11:14 Like, we're not...nothing serious is going  11:16 to come out of this. And so, he's having 11:18 a hard time, and some of his roommates 11:21 notice. And...you know, try to get him 11:25 to talk to them about it, but he doesn't 11:27 want to. And they tell him, "Oh, well you 11:29  should talk to your sugar daddy." And 11:31 he just won't. And so, it's a struggle for him 11:33 to share. Which is really sad. 11:35 K: Yeah. 11:36 C: I think also, because he goes into the 11:38 whole relationship with them, like, for him, 11:41 looking for a sugar daddy is a way for 11:43 him to help keep himself afloat so he 11:45 can...he can do the Broadway-- or, the 11:48 West End. And he can audition and still 11:51 keep himself afloat. Because he moves 11:54 with the intention of just working and like, 11:56 keeping himself. But the club ends up 11:59 being super...kind of predatory and taking 12:01 all of his money and stuff? 12:02 [JD and Kit make mad agreeing sounds] 12:02 C: And they charge him everything. 12:04 J: Yeah. 12:05 C: He doesn't go into the sugar daddy 12:08 relationship necessarily looking for anything 12:10 other than money, but he also feels super 12:12 guilty about it. And...but it's kind of like 12:14 a bonus that they're into things that he's 12:17 into, and then it...I dunno, I just really liked 12:19 the way that it worked out. And he was 12:21 hesitant the whole book to put his...like, 12:24 his vulnerable side out? Put his emotions 12:26 on the line? 12:26 K: Mhm. 12:27 C: Because he started having real feelings. 12:29 But he's like, "Oh, they just want a sugar baby, 12:30  I need to keep this..." 12:31 J: Mhmmm. Yeah. 12:31 C: "...real chill!" 12:33 K: Yes, the hidden feelings? Ugh! 12:35 C: [Gremlin voice] Yessss. 12:35 K: I love hidden feelings. [Laughs] 12:37 M: Me too. 12:39 C: [Laughing] It's so hard to read, though, 12:41 because I just want to cuddle him and be 12:43  like, "No, they do care! So much!" 12:44 J: [Sad, drawn out] I knowwww. 12:44 M: [Indulgent chuckles] 12:45 J: They like, they really tried to make that 12:48 clear to him, but not well enough. 12:50 [Kit and Caity both say yeah] 12:52 J: The part where they surprised him by 12:54 offering him a collar and then he's just 12:57 like, [crying sad boy voice] "I didn't know 12:58 this was real!" 13:00 K: Yeah. 13:00 C: Awww. That...oh my gosh. 13:02 J: That...hit me right in the feels! [Sobbing voice] 13:05 C: I loved that moment. 13:07 K: [Chuckling while JD loses it in the background] 13:08 K: And of course, we have not talked about 13:09 the spice. 13:10 J: Oh my gosh, and we must. 13:11 C: Oh my gosh. Yeah. 13:13 K: Which...in my opinion, is the best bit of the book. 13:15 M: [Hyped up] Yes! 13:16 K: Putting that out there right now. 13:17 C: Oh my-- yeah. The bunny...I've never read 13:19 bunny play, and I was...I went in expecting nothing? 13:23 It was everything. It was so good. 13:25 [BRats all make agreeing noises and yesses] 13:25 C: [Delighted laugh] 13:28 J: Everything! Let's talk about um...teaching bunny tricks. 13:32 M: [Pilsbury dough boy laugh] 13:32 K: Yes! 13:34 C: Ohhh my godddd! Oh my god. The...the kissing? 13:38 The kissing. Like...it starts off so sweet and cute. 13:43 Like, "Oh, we're just teaching bunny tricks," you know? 13:45 Like, sit, and whatever. And come. And then, it's 13:49 like, "give kiss." They're teaching him to give kiss. 13:52 K: Give kiss for treat? [Delighted chuckle] 13:54  J: [Overcome with cuteness] Yes! And he's being such  13:55 a good bunny! 13:56 K: It goes from what? Hand to mouth to...other parts? 13:59 C: Oh my god. 14:00 M: [Little shit giggle] 14:01 C: [Bigger laughs] 14:03 J: Yeah. It goes from hand, I think to cheek? 14:06 To mouth? And then more and more south. 14:10 K: Yeahh! 14:11  [BRats all laugh] 14:13 J: That was...so good! I loved it. 14:17 [BRats all agree] 14:19 J: I loved it so much. Um, yeah. So, there is... 14:22 there is a little bit of bunny training. With treats. 14:26 M: [Little shit laugh] 14:27 J: There is also...a moment where...they're 14:30 giving Oscar the opportunity to be a naughty bunny. 14:34 K: [Gremlin voice] Oooo a naughty bunny! 14:36 M: [Cheering] Yeahhhhhh! 14:37 J:Kind of telling bunny to be patient. And...you know, 14:41 sit and stay. And then they, Colton and Ford, kind of 14:44 start paying attention to each other and...leaving... 14:47 they're leaving bunny out of it. 14:51 K: Mhm. They're getting each other undressed. 14:53 J: Because he needs to be patient. Yes! And Sexy Bunny 14:55 is not a patient bunny. 14:57 [Megan and Kit at the same time] He is not. 14:58 C: Oh no. [Giggles] 14:59 K: [Chuckling] 15:01 J: [Laughing] He starts...stamping his feet! 15:03 M: [Pained by the cuteness] Oh my godddd! 15:04 I love the stamping! 15:06 K: [Little shit chuckles] Yes! 15:06 J: Oh, it's so cute! 15:08 K: And then he has to go in the cage! 15:10 J: Yes. They...they bought him a cage. That's 15:12 something that he told Colton that he has 15:16 always thought about wanting. And Colton, 15:18 of course... 15:19 M: Aww! Oh my god. 15:20 J: ...being good Daddy... 15:20 K: Mhm. 15:22 J: ...went out and got him the cage. And then 15:24 set up the scene to give him the chance 15:26 to be a naughty bunny. 15:28 M: [Delighted chuckles] 15:28 J: So that he can be put in his cage. 15:30 C: They're so good to their bunny. 15:32  J: [Pained by the cuteness] Awww. 15:33 K: But like, I mean to give you an idea of the 15:36 different things spice-wise that are in this, 15:38 I'll just read some of my tags. 15:39 [Megan and JD at the same time] Yeahh! 15:40 K: We've got biting, bondage, butt-plugs, care taking. 15:45 collaring, coming untouched, cum eating, degradation, 15:50 double penetration... 15:52 M: Yes! >:] 15:53 K: ...face fucking...[chuckles] umm...what else have 15:55 we got? Hand necklaces... 15:57 J: [Dreamy voice] Spankingggg. 15:59 K: ...paddling...yep, spanking. Praise. He loves 16:01 his praise. 16:01 J: Oh yes. 16:03 K: Sensory deprivation, spit-roast. The list goes on. 16:07 C: Wait. Did you include Lucky Pierre? 16:09 K: [Laughing] 16:11 J: The Lucky Pierre! That's the spit-roast, but we 16:13 call it a Lucky Pierre in this house. 16:15  [BRats all losing it a little] 16:17 [JD near-howling with laughter in the background] 16:19  K: JD enjoys renaming lots and lots of acts. 16:22 J: That's not even mine! I didn't name that! 16:24 That existed already! [Unhinged giggle] 16:26 K: Oh, I'm sorry. 16:28 [BRats all laughing, JD laughing way too hard] 16:31 M: Is that like a...Eiffel Tower...like, spin-off? 16:33 [BRats all make considering noises] 16:35 C: I have no idea where it came from. 16:37 [Megan and Kit laugh] 16:38 J: I don't know... 16:39 C: I just know it's... 16:40 J: I don't know...oh wait! No no no wait! 16:43 We're getting confused because Eiffel Tower 16:45 and spit-roast are the same thing. But Lucky 16:47 Pierre is sex train. 16:49 M: Oohhhhh. 16:49 J: It's the person in the middle of the sex train! 16:52 He's the lucky Pierre. 16:54 K: Ohhhh. Which was also in the book. 16:56 C: Well, so technically... 16:57 [Caity and JD at the same time] Colton is the Lucky Pierre. 16:59 [JD dies laughing] [Other BRats chuckle along] 17:03 J: I just...I just love it. It's so funny. 17:06 [JD and Megan laugh more] 17:08 J: It's such a funny name! [Still laughing] Oh gosh 17:11 that really makes me laugh. [Can't stop laughing] 17:14 M: We love it. 17:15 K: Yes. 17:16 J: [Big contented sigh] I want to read some of 17:19 the highlighted quotes that we pointed out in 17:22 our...um... 17:23 C: Ooo yeah! In the buddy read? 17:25 J: In our buddy read. Cuz I've got our little 17:27 buddy read up in front of me. 17:29 K: Yeah, go for it. 17:30 J: And so this one is from Caity, at about halfway 17:33 through the book, she highlighted this quote: "I closed 17:38 my eyes, feeling totally safe with these two amazing, 17:41 sexy men. They'll take care of me. I know they will." 17:44 All: Awwwww! 17:45 J: Just so, so, so, so sweet. Like, he feels so safe with them. 17:50 And...[big sigh] I just...[loud exhale] that's like 17:53 one of the best parts of this book, I think. It that 17:55 Oscar is so... He's so...[laughing] messed up. 18:00 [Other BRats all laugh, too] 18:01 K: Yeah. 18:02 J: He's just really kinda messed up, and he feels 18:06 so safe when he's with Colton and Ford. 18:09 And it just feels so good. Another one, this is one 18:12 that I highlighted. And this is from one of their bunny 18:16 play scenes. And this is...I think this was 18:18 Playful Bunny? 18:20 C: Mhm. Yeah, it was. 18:22 J: So, and I quote: "'Aren't you beautiful,' Ford says 18:26 to Oscar as he butters his toast. 'Stunning,' I agree. 18:30 Oscar smiles, then he hops over to me and  18:33 rubs his chin over my thigh." So, he's doing like, 18:36 a little bunny scenting. 18:38 [Megan and Kit aww] 18:39 C: I loved that little... 18:40 J: Like, affectionate bunny scenting. 18:43 C: It was so cute! He kept doing that. 18:46 K: I love Playful Bunny. 18:49 J: Mhm! Yeah! That scene has a lot of scenting 18:52 in it. Which is just so, so sweet. Gosh, I just 18:55 love it. Love love love. What else do I have here? 18:59 Oooo! This was kind of a spicy quote. [Laughs] 19:02 M: [Imitating JD] Spicy quote! 19:03 J: This one...oh, and that one was from Colton's POV. 19:06 This one is from Ford's POV. And it is: "He might be 19:09 Oscar's Daddy, but I'm His Master." 19:12 M: [Evil gremlin laugh] 19:14 [BRats all evil laughing and looking for 19:18 their fainting couches] 19:19 J: I just love that quote! 19:21 C: It's not a quote, but I was...I'm reading my 19:24 quotes from Goodreads, and I just was reminded 19:27 how after almost every scene, or after every time 19:30 they have sex, or anything sexual, Oscar is 19:33 the sleepiest man! [Big laugh] 19:35 M: I Knowww-w-w-w-w!! 19:37 J: He's so sleepy! 19:39 C: He would finish and then immediately be like, 19:41  [Sweet Oscar voice] "Oh, I'm so sleepy :3" 19:42 [Kit laughs with Caity] 19:42 J: He was a sleepy little bunny! 19:44 M: [Laughing] 19:46 C: It was so adorable. I loved it. 19:47 J: And Daddy's always like, [Doting Daddy voice] "It's 19:49 okay, baby. You can go to sleep." 19:50 [BRats all laugh and chuckle in delight] 19:52 J: Oh my gosh. Okay, I know that this next quote 19:54 that I have is one that we all are obsessed with. Um... 20:00 This one...actually I think this is from Colton's POV 20:04 but I'm not 100% sure. But, it goes: "Eventually, the 20:08 blankets become still. Presumably because Oscar has 20:11 arranged them to his liking. From the shape of his 20:15 body beneath them, he's lying on his side. All we can 20:18 see of him is one eye and a bunny ear. It's so adorable." 20:21 [BRats melt into a puddle of goo] 20:23 C: It is! 20:25 J: Ahhhhhh, so that's one of the Playful Bunny 20:28 scenes where he's kind of nesting in his blankets 20:31 and Colton and Ford are sitting on the couch, and they're 20:34 just reading the paper and...doing whatever while 20:37 he plays, and it's just so sweet! 20:39 C: I loved that. 20:40 K: Oh, I loved that scene so much. 20:42 J: [Can't handle the cuteness] It was so cute. Just like... 20:44 One...one eye and a bunny ear sticking out 20:47 of the pile of blankets in front of the fireplace. 20:50 J: [Fake crying] 20:50 K: Yeah! 20:51 C: All the little burrowing in that book was just...it 20:53 was so cute! 20:53 M: Oh my god. 20:54 K: It was so cute. 20:55 M: More burrowing, please. 20:56 K: Yes! 20:56 C: Yeah! 20:58 J: So, so, so cute. Yeah, so, there's just so much 21:02 excellent spice in here, and there's just...a really 21:07 good handful of bunny play that's just written SO well. 21:12 K: Yep. Definitely. 21:13 J: And so in-depth! 21:14 K: And we need more! 21:16 J: Yes! [Breathy voice] Yes! And then...yeah there's 21:19 like, a little bit of emotional stuff towards the end 21:22 where Oscar ends up confronting his mom and step-dad 21:26 and there's like, some drama there. But it's 21:28 nothing too heavy. And, you know, of course, 21:31 everything works out well in the end. 21:33 All: Yeah! 21:33 M: Love it. 21:34 K: Yeah! And I think we all very much enjoyed the book. 21:37 M: Mhm. 21:37 C: I loved it. 21:39 M: It was so much more fun...so much fun going 21:41 back and doing a reread, too, cuz like... 21:45 J: Yesss! 21:46 K: Yeah. 21:47 J: I enjoyed it as a reread for sure. 21:49 M: Yeah! 21:50 J: And uh, yeah. You guys...go read it, BRats! Go read it! 21:54 C: [Soft laugh] 21:54 K: Yeah! 21:55 M: Yeah, highly recommend. 21:57 J: If you are looking for a good bunny play book, 21:59 just...just get in there. 22:01 K: It reminded me a lot, in tone and relationship and 22:05 all of that,  it reminded me a lot of Their Boy by 22:07 Cara Dee. 22:08 M: Yeessss! Yessss! 22:10 K: That's what it reminds me the most of. 22:11 M: Yes. I agree. [Laughs] 22:13 K: [Chuckles] 22:14 C: I have to read that series still. 22:15 J: Me too. 22:15 K: You do. [Laughs] 22:17 M: Yes, yes you guys do. [Laughs more] 22:19 C: But the whole Kinky Housemates, like, this book 22:21 is amazing, and the second book is really good. 22:23 And I'm excited for the rest of the series, but I 22:25 like how...like, the housemates are all sort of like 22:28 friends with each other. Well... 22:30 J: Yeah. 22:31 C: ...mostly friends with each other. But, the whole 22:33 series...it explores like, a variety of kinks. Not just.... 22:37 J: Yes. 22:38 C:It's not just bunny play. If you keep reading the 22:39 series... 22:40 J: Yes. 22:41 C: There's a bunch of other things. Yeah. 22:42 J: Each book has it's own different kinks. I...I love 22:44 this series. It's one of my favorites. It's one 22:46 I'll probably do a Deep Dive on...eventually. Because 22:50 there's a lot to say and it...ugh! I just, I think 22:53 about it all the time. [Laughs] I really do. 22:55 M: [Soft laugh] 22:57 J: But yeah, so go read Sugar Bunny by Colette Davison. 23:01 K:Yeah! 23:03 J: And...let's uh...let's hand it over to Caity! 23:07 C: Oh god. [Nervous laughing] 23:09 M: Hi, Caity! How's it going? 23:11 K: We're all here. It's okay. 23:13 C: Hi! I feel like you guys are talking to 23:15 like...a scared, cornered animal. [Laughing] 23:17 J: [Busts out laughing] I forgot to bring my treats! 23:19 K: Yeah. [Laughing] 23:20 C: [Imitating a calm voice] "We're here. It's 23:22 gonna be okay." [Giggles] 23:23 M: [Loud guffaw] 23:27 C: Okay, so, for my Deep Dive this week, I was 23:29 gonna do a series. A specific series, or a specific 23:32 book or something? But I could not decide for the 23:35 life of me what to do, and then I had a brilliant idea 23:39 to talk about one of my favorite tropes. And 23:41 honestly, I think it's one of all of our favorite tropes. 23:43 [Kit and JD agree] 23:45 C: Um, Found Family. 23:46 [BRats all cheer] 23:48 C: Yay! [Giggles] So! One of my favorite things in 23:51 a book is like, the characters finding their people. 23:54 Their community. Like, obviously I think we all know 23:57 what found family is, but I did look it up. Cuz I was 24:00 like, do I need to be super specific? And have a 24:03 definition? 24:05 J: Sure! 24:06 M: [Gremlin giggles] 24:07 C: I did find one. Um, what I have is: Found family 24:10 is connections between a group of characters 24:12 who form deep, lasting bonds with each other, 24:14 even though they aren't blood related. And...usually 24:18 the characters have been separated...or they're 24:21 estranged from their biological family. So like, they 24:23 find the love and support and trust from their chosen 24:26 family instead. 24:27 [BRats give a sappy aww] 24:28 C: I really connect with...yeah. 24:30 K: Yeah. 24:31 C: You guys are... 24:32 K: It's us! 24:32 C: ...are my chosen family. [Bashful laugh] My found family. 24:35 J: Awww. 24:35 K: Yeah. [Chuckling] 24:37 M: Awww! You guys are my found family, too! 24:39 C: Oh my gosh! 24:40 K: You can't see, but I'm making a heart 24:42 at the screen. 24:43 [Caity and Megan chuckling] 24:43 C: Rat nest! 24:45 [Everyone laughing] 24:46 C: But there's a lot of...so many books feature 24:49 found family, and a lot of them are my favorites. 24:51 But I wanted to talk about specific authors and their 24:53 series that have found family, too. I'll start one that we've 24:56 all..well, most of us have all read. We're in the 24:59 middle of it. But, the Lily Mayne Monstrous series is 25:02 a great example of found family. Now, JD, I know 25:04 you've only read the first one so far. 25:06 J: Yeahhhh. 25:08 C: [Laughing] And you don't really get to experience 25:09 it in book one of the Monstrous series with Soul Eater, 25:12 but once you sort of start meeting the rest of the 25:16 crew, you get to see kind of like the found family. 25:18 But it's not just the people. It's the monsters... 25:21 they're in on it, too. 25:23 K: [Agreeing hum] 25:22 C: It's really sweet. Cuz, obviously, we're in 25:25 the apocalypse, like... 25:27 M: [Chuckles] 25:28 C: You don't have just like, normal cities and 25:29 stuff now. So, you really gotta rely on the community 25:32 and like, these people have magically found 25:35 each other. In this wasteland. And then they meet 25:38 their monster...partners. And, it's not fated mates 25:40 but like, it almost is fate. Because everyone is 25:44 just so good to each other and with each other 25:46 and like, there's some growing pains. There's 25:48 a few people in that camp that are not 25:50 part of that family. But they get taken care of, 25:52 don't worry. 25:53 [Caity and Megan laugh normal, JD laughs like a smarmy pirate] 25:56 M: That doesn't really come into play until like 25:57 the third book. Because... 25:58 C: Yeah. 26:00 M: Even though you kind of have it with Charlie 26:01 and Hunter in book two, but it's not until you 26:03 meet Ghost and that whole raider camp that you're like, 26:07 "Ahhh this is so goood! Right into my veins, please!" 26:10 C: Yeah. No, really. 26:12 K: You also have it with Wyn and Edin though, as well. 26:15 [JD and Megan both say yeah] 26:16 M: Oh yes. Wyn, Edin, and then Charlie and Hunter. 26:18 K: Yeah. You get a little taste in the first two books. 26:20 C: It all starts with friendship that over time 26:22 just builds and builds and builds. By the time 26:24 we get to Lor, I mean, you don't get to see 26:27 it really throughout Lor. But the end of the series 26:29 so far, that we have, everyone has this whole 26:32 community. This whole camp. And they're... 26:34 I mean, they're pretty tight. 26:36 M: Yeah. Well, and also if you read Lily's 26:39 short stories that she puts out, she did the um... 26:42 the collection of short stories, and then she did 26:44 the Christmas collection of short stories. 26:46 C: Mhm. 26:48 M: Um, you really see the found family. Like, especially 26:49 in the Christmas one. Where like... 26:51 C: Yeah. 26:52 M: I had so much fun reading everyone opening 26:54 their gifts or...just like how each of them celebrated... 26:58 like the holiday and everything. I thought 27:00 it was just so cute. 27:01 J: I love a Christmas special. [Jolly laugh] 27:03 C: [Laughing] 27:05 M: Yess!! Maybe we'll get you to read the 27:07 Chirstmas special and then we'll be there for you. 27:11 C: I know, we're gonna read Edin. 27:13 J: [Laughing] Hey, you don't have to convince me 27:15 to read the series. I'm in. I'm in. 27:18 M: It's a...it's a daunting task. 27:20 C: It really kinda is, though, cuz  it's a  27:21 long series, and like, everyone talks about the books 27:23 so much, and so like you know...you know, 27:25 everyone says, "oh this book's gonna make 27:26 you cry," and like... 27:28 All: Agreeing murmurs 27:29 C: ...and I'm part of the problem. I talk about 27:30 how much I cried with Lor. I cried myself SICK 27:33 reading Lor. 27:34 [BRats all laugh] 27:36 J: Oh goodie! 27:37 C: Oh my...[laughs more] that book was...devastating 27:41 to me to the point where like, I read it...I'll reread highlights... 27:44 M: Oh, I can't. I can't. 27:46 C: Well, if I even think about it too long...yeah. 27:48 M: I really...[big sniffle] 27:49 C:I just...[Giggles] 27:51 M: [Actually crying in the background] 27:53 C: It's okay. 27:54 J: Megan, stay strong over there! 27:55 C: It's such a...[Giggling more] 27:57 K: Lor can't hurt you. 27:58 M: [Sniffling] okay... 28:00 J: Oh, she's crying. Oh no. 28:02 [Caity and Kit laugh at poor Megan] 28:03 C: It's such a good book, though, and I feel 28:04 like it doesn't get the love that it deserves because 28:06 it's the last book in the series and because 28:08 it's the most like...angsty? Umm...but I feel like that 28:11 one especially, you also get found family in it because 28:15 it's kinda removed from the rest of the series 28:17 in that it takes place at a different time period, sort of? 28:21 Um, but it spans a very long time period. But 28:24 you get to know Lor and his family. And his 28:27 partner Jugs, who we love. But it's just like, 28:29 it's one of the best books in the series, and 28:31 people don't talk about it enough. And people 28:33 don't share it enough, because...well, for one, 28:35 probably not as many people have read it 28:37 cuz it's the last book, but also...it is... 28:39 heartbreaking. It'll take your heart and throw 28:41 it in a blender. And then throw that blender 28:43 in a fire. And then throw that fire... 28:45 in another blender! 28:46 [Kit cracking up quietly] 28:47 C: Like...[Laughs] 28:49 M: Dude, it fucking hurts. It like... 28:50 C: It does! 28:51 J: Oh my gahhhd...so many blenders. 28:53 And so much fire. 28:54 [Other BRats crack up] 28:57 K: But you should all absolutely read it. 28:59 C: But then it's gonna sew it all back together 29:01 and cradle your heart in a little baby bjorn... 29:03 M: Like Michael. 29:04 C: ...and take care of you. Cuz it's so sweet. 29:06 J: Bundled up like a groundhog in a baby bjorn. 29:08 M: Yes! [Cracks up] 29:10 [Kit and Caity both laugh] 29:12 C: Like, it's gonna hurt, but I promise at the end 29:14 it's gonna be okay. And you're not gonna think that 29:16 it's ever gonna be okay again, but it will be. 29:19 [Caity has a giggle fit] 29:20 K: And then there'll be a cliff hanger. [Laughs] 29:22 C: Am I selling it? [Laughing harder] 29:25 J: You're really selling it! 29:27 C: Oh man! 29:28 M: [Laughing riotously] 29:29 C: Okay. [Can't stop laughing] So, obviously Lily Mayne 29:32 found family...amazing. Another one that I just reread 29:36 the first book of: The Vampire's Mate series 29:39 by Grae Bryan. 29:40 [BRats all chant yesss at the same time] 29:41 C:So so good. So, that series starts off 29:45 with a vampire...and he's kinda isolated. 29:48 So it's like, him and his friend Soren. And then 29:51 he's got like...an enemy, Lucien. And... 29:54 eventually, like, by the end of the series... 29:56 M: They're frenemies. 29:57 C: Yeah. They're frenemies and there's 29:59 like a whole little den of vampires... 30:01 M: [Crying voice] I love them all. 30:02 C: ...and their mates! But so, um Roman's 30:05 mate is Danny, and Danny's brother Gabe 30:08 also ends up finding his vampire mate. 30:10 They live in like...some small town...I don't 30:13 remember where...where it's at. 30:15 M: I think...I think it's Colorado. 30:16 J: Colorado. 30:18 C: Yeah. [Laughs] It's really like...it's so 30:20 sweet because it's kind of like small little groups 30:23 of people, but they really have each other's 30:26 backs to the point where like, people in other... 30:28 Like, there's one of the books, Lucien, that 30:31 takes place in Phoenix, Arizona. Which I 30:33 only remember that because I'm from Tuscan, Arizona. 30:35 M: [Gremlin chuckles] 30:37 C: Any Arizona mentioned, I'm there for it. 30:39 [Kit and Megan laugh] 30:41 J: Colin is also there. 30:42 C: Yeah! Oh, I loved Colin's book. 30:45 K: I love Colin so much. 30:47 J: That one's my favorite. 30:48 M: And the twins!! 30:49 C: I love that even though the books take 30:51 place, like...it's a totally different state. It's far 30:53 removed, and like, the people involved in the 30:54 book aren't necessarily close with Roman and 30:57 Soren and stuff, but everyone still ends up 30:59 showing up. 31:00 [BRats make agreeing sounds] 31:01 C: Even like...even with Wolfgang. Nobody 31:03 likes Wolfgang. 31:03 K: Hey! 31:04 M: I like him! 31:05 J: I like him now... 31:06 M: I like Wolfie! [Villainous cackle] 31:07 C: The other vampires think he's a dick! [Giggling] 31:11 J: He is! 31:12 C: But he's still like...part of the gang. And like... 31:14 I think Grae's ability to take characters that she 31:17 writes to not be loved as much...like Lucien. 31:20 You hate him in Roman. 31:22 J: I h a t e d him. 31:24 M: [Villainous laughter continues] 31:25 C: Yeah! He's literally the bad guy! He is the villain! 31:28 J: He is. 31:30 C: And in his book, you're rooting for him, and 31:31 you want him to be happy and you want him to 31:34 find love. And the same with Wolfgang. Like, 31:36 Wolfgang's book...[little shit giggles] He is literally 31:39 such a jerk! 31:40 J: Yeah. And in Johann, he's basically a side villain. 31:44 K: Yep. 31:45 C: Yeah! And Wolfgang's partner, who is 31:47 Doctor Eric Monroe... 31:49 M: Who is also...people don't like. 31:51 C: Yeah! Like, he's kind of a...lady's man asshole... 31:54 K: Sleazebag. 31:55 C: Yeah! sleazebag! And the end of the book, he's 31:58 literally baby girl. You love him. 31:59 J: He's baby! 32:00 M: [Whining baby voice] Yes! He's just a baby girl now! 32:02 C: [Giggles] Daddy Wolfgang's taking care of him. 32:03 K: Yeah! [Laughs] 32:05 J: Ughh I love that book. I really do. 32:06 M: Eric is like one of my favorite characters 32:08 to think back on now. 32:09 C: I love that Danny sort of is like...the mom over 32:12 the whole... 32:13 K: Yeahhh. 32:14 M: [Laughing] Yes! 32:15 C: ...vampire family. And like, he has the dinners 32:18 everyone comes to. They're vampires! They don't 32:19 even need to eat food but they like, come together 32:21 for like...potluck? 32:23 J: Yeah but Danny makes them! [Big laugh] Come 32:25 over for dinner! 32:26 [Kit and JD laughing] 32:27 M: [Delighted guffaw] 32:28 C: [Laughing] They're all so sweet. The Grea 32:30 Bryan series are interconnected. Um, so the 32:32 Vampire's Mate series connected to the 32:35 Demon Bound series because Johann...who 32:38 is...what is it, book four? His mate is Alexei. 32:42 And Alexei's brother is Sascha, who is the MC 32:46 from Demon Bound book one. 32:47 K: Yes. 32:48 C: Yes? 32:49 M: Yes. 32:50 C: Okay. [Laughs] 32:50 M: Yes. [Chuckles] 32:51 C: Um, so like, it's a mix of real family and 32:53 chosen family, but like, it's this huge...little web 32:57 of just...chaotic, crazy vampires and demons, and 33:01 their chaotic and crazy human partners. 33:03 K: Mhm. 33:04 M: Yes. 33:05 C: The random drop of...of Benny and his fae husband? 33:08 [Kit and Megan laugh and say yeah together] 33:11 J: I...I love them so much. 33:13 M: And I like at the beginning of Wreaking Havok, 33:17 it's still kind of connected to Vampire Mates, 33:19 but it's in a different state. It's in Maine. 33:20 C: Oh, yeah. 33:22 M: And Sascha is...even though he hasn't really 33:25 spoken to Alexei really. Um, he's spoken to him, 33:28 but he hasn't seen him in like... 33:29 since he moved. 33:30 C: Mhm. 33:32 M: And so...it's connected, but also, she kind of 33:35 takes that as a way to start building a 33:37 new... found family. So like, even though Sascha's 33:40 in Maine, and he doesn't know anyone there, 33:42 he meets Benny, and he meets Seth..at the... 33:45 at the coffee shop and the...and the... 33:47 C: Yeah! The Cafe! 33:49 K: [Exhausted dad voice] Bakery. 33:50 C: Bakery! 33:51 M: Bake- [laughs at Daddy Kit's tone] He...he 33:53 meets Seth at the bakery. And then yeah, and 33:54 then that kind of spawns from there cuz then 33:57 like, book two is Ivan, who is also Alexei's brother. 34:01 C: It's so good and comforting. And like, you 34:03 just know at the end of the day like, everyone 34:05 has each other's backs, even...if they hate 34:07 each other, kind of? 34:08 M: [Laughing yeah] 34:09 C: Ivan...[laughs] I mean, Ivan doesn't hate 34:11 anyone, but he's super grumpy and kind of 34:14 a butt-head. But we love him. 34:15 K: Yeah. 34:17 M: [Laughs] And he stays grumpy and a 34:19 butt-head, kind of. But he's like... 34:21 K: Soft only for you. One of my favorite tropes. 34:24 M: Yeah, exactly. Still an asshole to everybody, but... 34:27 C: Yeahhhh.I kind of love those characters. 34:30 M: Me too! 34:31 C: Yeah. [Giggling] So...okay. Those are all really 34:34 good examples of found family, but one of  34:36 my last favorites...I don't wanna put too many 34:38 in there, cuz I don't wanna overwhelm, but one 34:41 of my absolute favorites is the Passing Through series 34:44 by Nik Knight. 34:45 M: Yessss! 34:46 C: Yes. 34:47 K: Mhm! 34:48 C: So, Passing Through Purgatory is book one. A human 34:52 gets a job at a cafe in Purgatory as like a...what 34:57 is it called? A barista. Is that? 34:59 [Kit and Megan both say yeah] 35:00 C: Yeah, a barista. Um, and I'm just...the series is 35:03 so good. What is it, five books right now? 35:05 Four books and a... 35:07 M: Novella. 35:08 C: Like, a prequel novella. Yeah. And I like it 35:10 because um, there's no...I don't think any 35:12 of them are blood-related. Yeah, none of them 35:15 are blood-related. And it's humans and monsters... 35:17 mostly monster, technically. Or, I guess demons. 35:21 But it's not just like, found family in that they're 35:24 all mates. It's like friendships and...book two, I 35:27 think, it a really good example of the importance of 35:30 the found family. So, it's Gratification in Gluttony and 35:33 that one is Jude, who is the best friend of... 35:37 M: Oliver. 35:38 C: ...the character in book one. Oliver, yeah. So, 35:40 it's Jude and Tony. Tony is like...I can't remember 35:43 what they call it...an Elas? It's like, a shark man. 35:46 K: Mmm. Yes. 35:47 C: A very handsome shark man. 35:49 J: Shark maaaan?? 35:51 M: A shark man with two peens! 35:52 J: Oh my god?? 35:53 C: Yes! The peens! 35:55 M: Yes! [Gremlin chuckling] 35:57 C: But, Tony um...so, Tony has issues with his 35:59 family. They're not super close. They're not 36:02 always accepting of him. And Jude's family 36:06 has disowned him completely, I believe, because 36:09 Jude is Trans, and they didn't accept that. 36:11 And like, in the book, they find each other, and 36:14 they become each other's family. And...the rest 36:17 of the cafe also...Jude doesn't work in the cafe. 36:20 Like, everyone in the series is sort of family 36:22 to Jude just because they're all so close. 36:25 Like, they do everything- like karaoke nights 36:27 and they go out drinking, and they celebrate 36:29 things together. 36:30 M: The Drag club. 36:31 C: The Drag club, yeah. There's just so many 36:34 personalities. There's so much love and care 36:37 and everyone's so accepting and everyone has 36:39 each other's back. But especially the relationship 36:42 between Jude and Tony. Just...it's just, I love 36:45 that trope of like, not having people have 36:48 your back all the time. And then finding that 36:50 person, that no matter what will have your 36:52 back and is there for you and has that trust 36:54 and stuff like that. So, there's a whole scene 36:57 where Tony is kind of like, confronting their f- 37:01 well, not really confronting, but they're having 37:02 a conversation with their family. And Jude, 37:04 sweet, sweet Jude, stands up for them as like, 37:07 "What the hell? You guys are not treating 37:09 Tony right." It was really powerful, because I 37:11 think it's so scary, especially coming in as a 37:13 friend, and not being part of a group, and 37:15 standing up for somebody to that group. It 37:17 takes a lot of balls. And I was just so proud. 37:19 J: Mhmm. 37:20 C: It just...it warmed my whole heart. 37:21 My whole tiny little heart. 37:23 M: I l know. There's a scene in that book, it's 37:25 probably one of my favorite scenes in a book 37:27 ever, it's when Tony comes to Jude, and he 37:31 puts on make-up, and he puts on lingerie and stuff 37:35 like that, and he like, does his hair pretty 37:37 and he comes out, and...he was raised to 37:40 be hyper-masculine, right? And he's always 37:42 wanted to be more feminine, soft...and 37:44 um, and it's just like, one of the most like... 37:47 I was sobbing reading the scene. He comes in 37:49 and the first thing that Jude says is, "Are you 37:51 gonna be my good girl or my good boy?" And he 37:55 was like, "Well, I'm a...I'm your good boy." But like... 37:57 J: The check-in. The check-in is everything. 38:01 M: Yeah. Yes. And it was so beautiful that I 38:04 sobbed through it. And like, they get off to 38:06 a rocky start, Jude and Tony, because Jude 38:09 has insecurities, and so he wants to keep 38:11 their relationship hidden, but Tony doesn't 38:13 want to. And so, it's another avenue for him 38:16 to kind of feel ashamed. Because he doesn't 38:18 know why Jude's hiding him away. But again, 38:20 you see the found family in that, because 38:22 then Tony goes to Gem, and Gem is like, 38:25 supporting him and loving him, and yeah. 38:28 It's just...it's all beautiful. [Exhales a laugh] 38:31 C: It is. I...you talking about the scene where 38:34 um, where he gets all pretty, there's a quote, 38:37 it's like 80% in through the book. I'm not as good 38:40 at reading quotes as JD, but um... 38:41 M: [Chuckles] 38:43 [JD chuckles quietly] 38:44 C: So, it's Jude talking but, so the quote is, "'Come 38:47 here.' Jude knee-walked to the foot of the bed and 38:49 held out his hand. 'Come here, pretty boy.' And 38:52 Tony went. Because he trusted Jude with the parts 38:54 of himself he'd never given to anyone else. 38:56 Because he knew Jude would take care...take 38:58 them with care. Because he knew Jude would 39:00 protect them and keep them safe. So he went, 39:03 and when Jude kissed him, he thought, 'yes, yes, 39:05 and yes.'" And that...it's just...it like... 39:08 M: [Let's out a little sob] 39:09 J: Awww. 39:10 C: It's such a good quote. 39:11 K: Awww. 39:12 C: I'm not trying to make you cry. 39:14 [Megan is definitely crying] 39:15 C: The protecting and keeping him safe and like... 39:16 M: [Crying] Yeah. 39:16 C: That's some of my favorite parts about 39:19 their relationship in the book, is...they both have 39:22 those insecurities... 39:23 M: Yes. [Sniffling] 39:24 C: And they don't...they're not up front about 39:25 them at first, but they both have those insecurities 39:27 and those fears, and like, they both at the end, are 39:30 so safe with each other? 39:32 M: Yeah. 39:33 C: It's just...I just wanna hug 'em and kiss 'em and 39:35 tell them it's gonna be okay. [Laughs] It makes me 39:38 so happy for them. 39:40 M: Yeah, I know. And like, in the first book, too 39:43 my favorite scene in the first book is literally 39:45 Oliver bringing everybody from the cafe...[sniffles] 39:48 K: Yess! 39:49 M: ...to his family ranch...[laughing and crying again] 39:51 C: Ohhh my god. 39:53 K:: The Cowssss! 39:54 M: [Laughing] Yesss! 39:55 [Kit chuckles and Megan laughs] 39:56 C: I feel like, talking about the books, we make it 39:58 sound very sad, but these are actually some of 40:00 the funniest books I've ever read. 40:02 M: [More little laughs] 40:03 C: Like, they're hilarious. 40:04 K: Yeah. Gem the spider monster wants to fuck a cow. 40:07 [Caity and Kit laugh] 40:08 M: THE cow, though. Not A cow. THE cow. 40:11 K: Oh, yeah. Cuz he thicc. [Laughing more] 40:13 [Megan bursts out laughing] 40:14 M: But is the cow thicc? 40:16 J: I haven't read these, um...but I want to? 40:20 [BRats all laughing] 40:21 M:They're so good! 40:23 C: They are so good. 40:24 K: Especially the first. The first one is the funniest. 40:26 M: Yes, the first one's the funniest. 40:27 K: It's brilliant. 40:28 C: I don't know about that. Like, yeah...the first 40:30 one's probably the funniest honestly... 40:31 M: It's the lowest angst and it's the funniest. 40:33 C: Yeah. The latest book that just came out, it's 40:36 one I actually just finished reading, Enchanted by 40:39 Envy, and that one? I was surprised. I thought it 40:42 was gonna be just like, super cute cozy, but it 40:44 was [starts laughing] It was actually really funny. AND 40:47 Gem is the main character from book 3. 40:49 K: That's my favorite. 40:50 M: Yes. 40:50 C: They wrote a whole scene...and the cow...the 40:53 cow has a whole return. 40:55 [Megan and Kit laugh] 40:56 C: So there's like this this... 40:57 [Kit and Megan's gremlin laughter blocks out 40:58 Caity for a few seconds] 41:00 C: ...obsessed with cows to the point of like, concern. 41:01 [Kit and Megan still losing their shit] 41:03 C: It's so fun, and I love the softness in all of the 41:07 books. It's like soft and silly. And like, they are each 41:10 other's family and they are each other's friends. 41:12 M: Yes. 41:13 C: And they are each other's lovers, and like, it's perfect. 41:15 With found family, for me, I just love...especially 41:18 when reading queer books, because in the queer 41:20 community, I think it's so important to have...again, 41:22 community. Because there's so many people that don't 41:24 have family or don't have like, that closeness, or 41:28 don't have the ability to be their authentic selves with 41:31 their real family, and so having that found family, 41:33 those people that you can literally let it all out 41:35 with and be who you really are and be soft and be 41:38 vulnerable. Or be...whatever with. It's just like, 41:41 it makes me so happy reading that. And there's 41:43 so...there's so many books that have found family 41:46 that I could talk about. Like, every...not every book 41:48 I read, but [laughing] 90% of the books I read... 41:51 Kelly Fox is one of like... 41:53 M: Yeah. 41:54 C: ...my favorite found family authors. 41:55 J: I'm just gonna go ahead and do my obligatory 41:57 E.M. Lindsey shout-out. [Cackles] 41:59 K: Yeah. [Laughs] 42:00 C: [Laughing, too] 42:02 K: A.M. Rose. 42:03 M: Also, obligatory Alice Winters shout-out. 42:06 C: Oh my god, Alice Winters yes. I've only read 42:09 so many...a few books from E.M. Lindsey, and I'm 42:11 just starting to get into A.M. Rose, but like, yeah. 100% 42:15 the found family. Lance Lansdale with the 42:17 Bountiful Beaus series. 42:18 K: Yes, absolutely. 42:19 M: Yes! 42:20 K: And the Murder Daddy series, as well. 42:22 C: Yeah! Cuz, oh wait, I have...just started that 42:24 one, too. Emmy Sanders... 42:26 K: Yes. 42:27 C: ...with the Darling Bros and like... 42:28 K: And Elite 8. 42:29 C: Elite 8, yeah. Jemma Croft. 42:31 M: I wonder if part of the reason why found family 42:34 is so big in queer romance is because like, what you 42:37 said earlier, Caity, is that like, a lot of us only 42:40 have found family. A lot of us either aren't accepted 42:44 wholly by our blood family or...haven't come out to 42:50 our blood family, so therefore feel removed. And it's 42:53 just...there's just something about being in the 42:55 queer community that makes you...like, search out 42:58 other queer people. And feel like you're at home 43:01 that way. And I think a lot of the writers also put 43:05 that into their books. Because... 43:06 C: Yeah. 43:08 M: ...that's their experience, right? 43:10 C: And I think like, finding...so like, with you guys, 43:12 I call you guys...like, you're like family to me. But...having 43:16 you guys to be able to be... 43:17 M: Yeah! 43:19 C: ...like, 100%...like, I can let you guys be...or I can let 43:20 you guys see every part of me. Like [chuckles] I can 43:23 be as weird as I want with you guys, and you 43:25 guys get it! 43:26 M: [Breathy laugh] 43:27 K: Yeah. 43:28 C: You guys...[laughs] There's no judgement, there's no... 43:29 M: [Laughing] 43:30 C: Yeah! And my little freak flag, yeah. 43:31 [A chorus of yeah's and yeses from the other BRats] 43:34 J: And we love you, our little artichoke. 43:36 K: Yeah! 43:37 [Megan and Caity laugh together] 43:39 C: Yeah. You guys are warming my artichoke heart right up. 43:41 [BRats all laughing] 43:44 J: Awww! Your delicious artichoke heart! 43:49 K: Megan, you better leave this in. 43:52 M: [Talking through laughs] I willlll. 43:55 [BRats all take a deep breath] 43:57 M: Well and I also love that you- like, we all have our 43:59 different neurodiversities, right? And...um, my like... 44:02 other friends I've always had, there's always like a... 44:05 butting heads, because of like, autism or ADHD, I 44:08 will burn out, and then you guys know. If I disappear 44:11 for a weekend, you know I'm coming back. 44:12 And you don't pressure me, and you don't... 44:13 K: Yeah. 44:15 J: Mhmmm. 44:15 M: And...even though I'll come back and be like, 44:17 [peppy Megan voice] "Sorry I was gone!" 44:19 J: And we're like, [mean grumpy voice] "Stop apologizing!" 44:21 M: I know that I don't have to apologize, and like... 44:22 K: No, absolutely. 44:24 M: You know? [Goofy giggle] But with other people, 44:26 they're just like, you know, "how could you not respond to 44:28 me, Megan? I texted you," like... 44:29 J: They don't get it. 44:30 C: That, oh it only takes two seconds to text back. Like... 44:32 K: Yeah. 44:34 M: I know! That's not how my brain works! 44:36 C: Yeah! There's like no...um, energy or like, no cost... 44:41 to be a friend. Or like, to be in the relationship that we have. 44:45 Or like, it doesn't take away our energy, or... 44:48 M: Yeah. 44:49 C: ...deplete us. Like, I can come to you guys with 44:51 zero percent, and you guys are there for me to give 44:53 a hundred. You know what I mean? Does that make sense? 44:54 K: Yeah, absolutely. 44:55 J: Absolutely, yeah. 44:57 M: Yes, exactly. 44:59 J: Aww, listen to us bragging about what good friends we are. 45:02 K: Which makes sense that we all like found family. 45:04 [BRats finally process what JD said and crack up] 45:07 K: But yeah, like...most of my favorite books and series 45:10 are found family, and I think it really shows...like, it 45:13 just, it's one of my favorites as well. You chose really well. 45:15 J: Same. 45:17 M: Um, I'm looking at what my...tagged on Goodreads... 45:21 even though I haven't tagged all my books, I think 45:23 found family is like, my most used tag. 45:26 Yeah, I have 174 found family tags. 45:28 J: WOAH! 45:30 C: One of my favorite found family moments in any  45:32 book ever, is Jemma Croft's By the Pint... 45:34 M: Yes!! 45:35 C: Huge spoilers... 45:36 J: Yesss. 45:38 [Record scratch sound] [Elevator music plays quietly] 45:38 M: Hey guys, editing Megan here. Just cutting in to 45:40 let you know that the next minute has some spoilers 45:44 for By the Pint. If you don't want to be spoiled, 45:48 just go ahead and skip that little 30 second skip 45:50 button twice, and you should end up right where you 45:53 wanna be. Thank you! 45:55 [Elevator music fades out] 45:56 C: When Casey loses his memories of Dima... 45:59 um, there's a point where Dima's at the house, 46:01 and he is...he is just distraught. Like, he's so upset. 46:04 Heartbroken, cuz like, you know, his love doesn't 46:07 remember him. And his roommate Joey, oh it's 46:09 gonna make me cry. But like...[Sad chuckle] 46:11 J: I'm gonna cry, too. 46:12 M: I know. 46:13 C: He like, goes through all his memories of their 46:15 time together and like, all the parts of him that he 46:17 loves. And he like, he just talks to Joey about it. 46:21 And like, there's just something so comforting... 46:23 when you lose a loved one, just having moments 46:25 where you remember them, and talk about all the 46:27 good times, and like... 46:29 K: Yeah. 46:30 C: Joey like, falls in love with Casey through Dima's 46:32 eyes, if that makes sense. Like, getting to have 46:34 that little moment, and that comfort of showing 46:37 somebody else that love? It was just...it's such the 46:40 best moment. I love that book. [Sad exhale giggle] 46:42 [JD making distraught crying sounds] 46:44 K: [Chuckling at their pain] 46:45 J: [Whining sad voice] Oh no. 46:46 M: [Sobbing laugh, followed by actual crying] 46:47 J: [Still distraught] I KNOW! 46:49 [Caity is laughing now] 46:50 J: Damn you, Jemma! 46:52 [Megan keeps crying, but starts laughing] 46:52 [Caity is giggling and also kinda crying] 46:53 [Sniffling sounds] 46:55 J: That book is my weakness. 46:56 C: That was one of the first...that was one of the 46:58 first books I read...that wasn't my first Jemma Croft book. 47:00 That was one of my first like, MM romance books. 47:02 JD: Me too. 47:03 C: And I remember reading it...like, not knowing 47:06 anything about it going in... 47:08 M: Oh nooo! 47:09 K: Ohhhh nooo. 47:11 C: And I cried...SO much. [Sad laughing] 47:14 J: Yeah...I didn't...I didn't know either. It was my first 47:18 Jemma Croft book, too. Not my first MM book, 47:21 but my first Jemma Croft book, and I had no idea 47:23 that was coming for me, and I...bawled. 47:26 [Caity and Megan laugh] 47:27 J:And I'm not really a crier... 47:29 M: No... [Laughing] You're not like me. 47:31 M: [Sad laughing and sniffling] 47:32 J: That book...destroyed me. 47:34 [Caity laughs] 47:35 J: And I loved it...so much. 47:38 K: [Sinister chuckles] 47:40 K: I had read Jemma's first two of the Fantasy 47:42 Flatmates books, which are MF. They did not prepare me. 47:46 J: Nothing can. 47:49 C: Well, By the Fae is actually really...well, for me 47:52 it was emotional. I cried a lot. [Laughs] 47:54 K: But it's...it's nothing compared to book three, though, is it? 47:58 C: Oh, no. Not at all. 47:59 K: I know what you mean, but yeah... 48:02 M: There's not a lot that compares to [cackles] book three. 48:05 J: There...there really isn't. That's like my top...top... 48:09 at least in my top three. It's right up there with frickin' 48:13 To Catch a Firefly. [Weepy sigh] 48:15 C: I haven't read that. 48:18 M: I haven't either. 48:20 C: Megan, we should read it together. 48:22 M: Yes! Caity, you and me? 48:23 [JD moaning pitifully in the background] 48:24 K: You'll be fiiiine. 48:26 [Caity laughs again] 48:27 J: Oh, my god! Yeah! Read it t- [Weepy voice] You guys 48:28 should totally read it! 48:30 [Caity can't handle how sad JD sounds] 48:32 M: I was lucky that I had you guys. Cuz one of 48:34 you had like, warned me. I was like, "Oh yeah, I haven't 48:36 read By the Pint," and you were like... 48:37 J: It was me. 48:38 [Caity and Megan both laugh] 48:40 M: Yeah, you were like..."Oh, Megan..." 48:41 [Kit starts laughing, too] 48:44 M: And I was so afraid of it for so long. 48:46 J: Mhmmm. 48:47 M: And then I was...yeah, I was like, last year, 48:49 at Angsty August, I had you guys with me. The whole time. 48:52 J: Yep. 48:54 [Megan laughs] 48:55 J: Yeah, I...I wanted to warn you. Because I knew...how 48:58 emotional you get. But I also wanted to encourage you. 49:02 Because I knew how much you would love it anyway. 49:05 So, it was a delicate balance! But I...I had to warn you. 49:08 [JD Cackles] 49:10 M: Well, that's usually how it goes with really sad books, right? 49:11 K: Yeh. 49:12 M It's like, they're sad for a reason. There's a reason 49:14 why you're so emotional over it. And it's like... 49:15 J: Mhmm. 49:17 M: And it's almost like...spilling your insides out 49:19 through your eyes...while reading... 49:22 [Caity giggles] 49:23 M: ...develops an emotional connection to these 49:25 letter and words on paper. 49:27 [BRats all laugh] 49:29 J: Totally. It does, though! 49:31 M: It bonds you for life! 49:33 J:You know, I'm not going to cry over something 49:35 that doesn't mean anything to me. So... 49:37 K: No. 49:38 C: Yeah! That's such a good way to put it, yeah. 49:41 It was one of my first...the first books I arc read, 49:43 and I think that book is what solidified my love 49:45 for Jemma Croft and all of her writing, like...I've since 49:49 read all of her...all of Jemma's books. 49:50 J: Mhm. 49:52 C: And cried at all of them, also. 49:53 [Everyone makes agreeing noises] 49:55 J: And also, not only was that book sad, but 49:56 it was so funny. 49:58 M: It was hilarious. 49:59 K: Yeah. 50:00 J: And just...fun. 50:01 M: And sexy! 50:02 K: Yeah. 50:03 C: Yeah. Yeah, it was pretty sexy. 50:04 M: Don't they literally meet up at like...an orgy? 50:07 K: I believe it's a blood orgy. 50:08 C: Oh yeah! 50:09 J: Well, ya know. 50:11 [Megan laughing] 50:11 K: Yeah. [Chuckles] 50:13 C: Just a small one. 50:14 J: A little one. 50:15 [BRats all laugh] 50:17 K: Jemma is great about found family. 50:20 C: She really is. Every time I think of Jemma, I 50:22 think of my favorite book, Shroom for Imporivement, 50:24 and then it makes me wanna sob... 50:25 M: Yes. 50:26 C: ...hysterically over worms. Because Sonny. 50:27 J: Yep. 50:28 [BRats all laugh, but you can hear the pain] 50:31 K: And pee bales. 50:32 C: Oh, and pee bales. Yes. 50:34 M: And dirty fingers. 50:35 C: Oh my gosh. 50:36 J: Oh my god, the dirty fingers [gonna cry again] 50:38 C: Wait. So, do you guys wanna cry? 50:39 M: Yes! 50:40 J: No! 50:41 K: Maybe! 50:41 C: [Cracking up] I just pulled up...I pulled up my 50:44 book review for By the Pint from like, a million 50:48 years ago, and my quote on the front is, "I'll be here 50:51 as long as you [Megan's voice says REDACTED]" from 50:53 Dima. 50:55 [Kit makes a tiny wail in the background] 50:56 J: Stooo-oo-ooo-ppp-ppp [Dragged out crying voice] 50:57 M: Nooooo! 50:58 [Caity laughs at their pain] 50:59 C: The quote that always...that always made me cry 51:01 whenever I would reread my quotes from that book 51:03 was from Casey, and it was when he looked at Dima and 51:07 he's like, "You like blankets." 51:08 [Megan and JD are howling sobs in the background] 51:10 C: After he loses his memory... 51:11 [Big sniffle] 51:12 J: NO! 51:14 M: [Weeping] 51:15 K: Oh my goddd. 51:15 C: [Giggling] 51:18 K: So I'm gonna bring this back with cold hard facts. 51:20 C: [Laughs harder] 51:22 K: [Laughing] 51:23 C: We don't want facts, we just wanna cry! 51:25 J: No! Please, Kit! Give me facts, please! 51:28 [Caity and Megan are laughing now] 51:30 K: I have...245 books tagged as found family. 51:34 [BRats all exclaim in shock] 51:36 K: Almost half of my favorite books are tagged found family. 51:40 M: Oh, wow. 51:41 [Caity whoops] 51:43 K: Yep. I am the Tagging Monarch, so if you enjoy...having your... 51:48 seeing books that are tagged, go check out my Goodreads. 51:50 J: Yes. 51:51 C; Yeah, I highly recommend. 51:52 K: Just a little plug. 51:54 [Kit and Caity laugh] 51:55 C: When I'm doing posts...I'll go to your...I'll go 51:58 to your Goodreads so I can remember...what's in a book. 52:02 M: [Laughing] Yeahh! 52:03 [Kit chuckling] 52:04 [Music fades in] 52:06 [BRats laughing fades out] 52:12 J: So, that's all for this week, BRats. We are gonna be 52:15 scurrying back to our book nests now, you know. Until 52:19 next time, you can find us on Instagram @rainbowbookrats 52:24 or join our Patreon, where you can get access to exclusive 52:28 content, including uncut episodes, for all of our extra rat nonsense. 52:34 As always, email us any questions or comments 52:38 that you have at rainbow.book.rats@gmail.com. Yeah, that's 52:44 it for us! Have a greats day, and stay feral! 52:48 [Music fades back in] 52:50 M: I love you! 52:50 Kit and Caity: Byeee! 52:52 J: Byeee! 52:53 [Music fades in]