S5 : Ep 34 - Mate by Ali Hazelwood

Summary

Flights of Fantasy: S5 Ep 34 – “Mate” by Ali Hazelwood

Episode Overview

In this episode, hosts Christina, Kim, and Anna dive deep into Mate by Ali Hazelwood, the highly anticipated follow-up to Hazelwood’s foray into fantasy romance. While Mate can be read as a standalone, the hosts reference characters from Bride, Hazelwood’s previous book in the same world. The discussion is delightfully spoiler-filled, brimming with laughter, banter, and unabashed affection for Hazelwood’s writing, her approach to shifter romance tropes, and her science-y flourishes.

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1. Ali Hazelwood: Author Love and Reading Journey

[04:00–06:21]

• Kim shares her status as the group's resident Hazelwood superfan:
  • “She’s like my Taylor Swift of authors. Just something about her really works for me.” (Kim, 05:04)
  • Kim has read everything Hazelwood has written, except a few novellas and an upcoming audiobook.
• The hosts reminisce about earlier podcast episodes and how Kim’s appreciation for Hazelwood has evolved.
• Anna praises Hazelwood’s incorporation of neuroscience into her romance, especially through chapter-top glimpses into the male lead’s POV.

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2. Narrative Devices & Character Perspectives

[06:54–07:38]

• The hosts highlight the unique narrative style:
  • Hazelwood writes primarily from Serena’s POV but opens each chapter with a third-person snippet from Cohen (or, in Bride, from Lo), adding depth and emotional foreshadowing.
• Notable Quote:
  • “One of them is just: ‘No.’ Period. It’s the whole thing.” (Christina, 07:36) – referring to Cohen’s reaction when he learns Serena is dying.

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3. Shifter Romance Tropes: The Appeal

[08:07–10:28]

• Anna and Christina geek out over what makes shifter romances distinct and appealing:
  • The urban, lower-stakes setting compared to epic fantasy.
  • The focus on the “mating bond” rather than world-altering destinies.
  • The irresistible pack dynamic, hierarchy, and “sexy danger.”
• Christina raves about the audiobook's duet narration:
  • “Cohen’s voice is fantastic. Really paints a picture.” (Christina, 10:28)

---

4. Social Themes & Science Integration

[10:36–12:23]

• The hosts appreciate Hazelwood’s seamless integration of social issues—specifically, commentary on gender bias in science and medicine:
  • Anna shares how Serena is misdiagnosed by male doctors, but is finally told by a midwife, “You’re not dying. You’re going into a sexual heat.”
  • Quote: “These men… they don’t know everything that’s going on in a woman’s body. Let me tell you.” (Anna, 12:06)

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5. Character Deep Dives

Cohen: The Surly but Sweet Alpha

[12:30–19:46]

• Kim leads the breakdown:
  • “He’s very dry, very sarcastic, but… he did, in fact, very much want to be around Serena.” (Kim, 13:08)
  • Cohen is not cruel; his ‘grumpiness’ masks his care.
• Banter highlights:
  • “Maybe you had shitty roommates. I, on the other hand, am a fucking delight.” (Cohen, 19:21)
  • “If a bald eagle dove in from the sky to abduct you, my life would be so much easier.” (Cohen, 19:41)
• Discussion on Cohen’s trauma, the celibacy covenant, and his reluctant vulnerability.

Serena: A Resilient and Pragmatic Heroine

[23:47–28:02]

• Christina shares the layers of Serena’s trauma and humor:
  • “Children raised like me develop a unique brand of pragmatism born of the knowledge that nothing will stand as a shield between us and reality.” (Serena, 24:05)
  • Despite her traumatic past and orphaned status, Serena is sarcastic, fun, and deeply caring (especially for Anna, the hybrid child).
• Found family themes are strong, especially through communal cooking scenes.

Misery: The Protective Sister

[28:40–32:04]

• Anna details the comedic gold of Misery’s text messages to Cohen:
  • “If she gets so much as a skinned knee, I will fuck up your life. …I will hack your pack directory and impersonate you and send everyone emails about how much you’d love for them to come over and snuggle you.” (Misery, 29:37)
• The authentic, sometimes irreverent, but always fierce sibling bond.
• Misery’s over-the-top protectiveness mixed with humor adds balance and emotional weight.

---

6. Top Romance Moments

[32:06–41:41] – Romance Scenes with Timestamps

• Kim’s Pick:

  • [33:21] Cohen comforts a shaken Serena after a traumatic event:
    • “Before I leave, I think I need to hold you for a minute.”
    • “If I come back and something has happened to you, Serena, I’m going to be so pissed.”
    • “That sounds like a you problem. // Yeah, that it is.”

• Christina’s Pick:

  • [34:51–37:46]
    • Cohen finds Serena mid-fever, punches out a mirror so she’ll stop seeing her eyes, gets into an ice bath with her fully clothed, holds her:
      • “Is it a fever?” // “Good girl.”
    • Later:
      • “If you think I’m going to let you die, Serena, you know fuck all.” (Cohen, 37:17)
    • The “no” chapter break (37:39).

• Anna’s Pick:

  • [38:18–41:41] Heated intimacy and vulnerability after Serena goes into heat:
    • “Trust me, I don’t want you to shower. …You smell like you were made specifically for me to fuck… like you’d give me anything I asked for. …If that’s the scent you’re planning to wash off, don’t do it on my account.” (Cohen, 40:15)
    • Post-sex, Cohen’s emotional reassurance:
      • “If someone had given me a piece of paper and asked me to list everything I liked… You would have been the final product of it. There’s only you Serena.” (Cohen, 41:18)

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7. The Spice: Praise, Heat, and the Great Knot Debate

[41:41–49:13]

• Chemistry and emotional connection foreground the romance.
• Praise kink, “good girl,” and “my good girl” lines are celebrated:
  • “Wow. Didn’t think I could love good girl more. And then you’re gonna pull out a my good girl.” (Kim, 45:12)
• The hosts good-naturedly discuss and, at times, gently roast shifter book staples:
  • The less-loved terms: “glands,” “slick,” “see you next Tuesday.”
  • Lots of humor around “balloon penis/nodding.”
    • “Let’s call a spade a spade. It’s a balloon penis and it inflates.” (Christina, 47:35)
    • “Take it. Be good and take my knot.” (Cohen, 49:05)
• The “nodding” trope is acknowledged—“not our slice of pie, but thrilled for you if it’s yours.”

---

8. Cult Subplot & Family Trauma

[50:00–53:22]

• The surprise, yet very effective, cult storyline led by Constantine, Serena’s father:
  • “If you had said to me, hey, this shifter Romantasy is gonna have a cult in it—I’d be like, wow, that feels like you’re doing a lot. And Ali said, don’t worry, I’ve got it. And you know what? She did.” (Kim, 50:18)
• Dark family history: Cohen’s parents killed by the cult; Serena’s traumatic childhood.
• The hosts praise how Hazelwood balances trauma and healing with wit and found family.

---

9. Ending & Epilogue: Pack, Domesticity, and Aftermath

[54:47–59:08]

• After the final battle, the celibacy covenant is lifted, allowing Cohen and Serena to be together openly.
• Sacrifice and bravery—Serena takes a bullet for Cohen and a young girl.
• Sweet epilogue focus:
  • Daily routines, pack family, and Serena’s joy at finally having a home and people to cook for.
  • The hosts savor Cohen’s devotion:
    • “Are you gonna get tired of this boring life?” // “No, this is the boring life I want. Just you.” (Epilogue, Cohen & Serena, 57:40)
  • Adoption of a dog (“Ms. Twinkles”) hints at future joyful domestic chaos.

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10. Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• “Her laughter adjusts the spin of his atoms.” (Anna, 22:41)
• “If a bald eagle dove in from the sky to abduct you, my life would be so much easier.” (Cohen, 19:41)
• “If you think I’m going to let you die, Serena, you know fuck all.” (Cohen, 37:17)
• “You would have been the final product of [my dream list]. There’s only you, Serena.” (Cohen, 41:18)
• “You are now officially in charge of my sister…” (Misery’s text, 29:37)

---

11. Final Thoughts

• The hosts exuberantly recommend Mate, especially for fans of shifter romance with hearty banter, emotional depth, and found family vibes.
• Hazelwood’s blend of science, humor, and sexual tension shines throughout.
• Kim sums up: “After all the sexy danger, I think they deserve it, you know?”

---

Happy reading and cheers from the Flights of Fantasy book club!

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Quick Segment Timestamps

• 04:00 – Kim’s Hazelwood journey
• 06:54 – Chapter-top snippets
• 08:07 – Shifter romance discussion
• 12:30 – Cohen character deep dive
• 23:47 – Serena character analysis
• 28:40 – Misery & Serena’s bond
• 32:06 – Favorite romance moments
• 41:41 – Spice & kink chat
• 50:00 – Cult subplot
• 54:47 – Finale & epilogue

---

Transcript

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[Christina]

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Several hours later, James sniffs the irresistible.

[Christina]

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[Kim]

Ah.

[Christina]

Gain.

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Several hours later, James has even caught.

[Christina]

The attention of his mother in law and she never gives him attention. Ooh, you smell amazing, James.

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[Christina]

I never said that. Add gain scent boosters to your laundry.

[Anna]

Add joy to your day.

[Christina]

Welcome to Flights of Fantasy, your Romantasy podcast book club. I'm Christina, joined by my book besties Kim and Anna. And together we're diving into the characters, theories, lore and magic behind all your favorite fantasy romance books.

[Anna]

Hello listeners, we are so excited to be here. Discussion mate by Ali Hazelwood. Before we give our official spoiler warning though, Christina has some announcements.

[Christina]

I do, I sure do. And I thank you. So we also want to say thank you to everyone who has taken the time to rate and review the show. It really does make a huge difference for us and it is such a wonderful way to support us. So thank you. Thank you and a reminder that if you want more content from us, exclusive bonus video content that is. We have got you covered over on Patreon. Guess what is back my friends?

[Kim]

What's back?

[Christina]

Chapter chats are back. They are back baby. And these if you need a reminder are our read along real time reaction videos. And the time has come. My fall girlies over here have covered the night and the Moth by Rachel Gillig. It is so so, so fun hearing how much everyone loved these chapter chats. All the feedback. Everyone loves these. Especially this one. Just such a perfect fall vibes book. Oh my goodness.

[Anna]

Absolutely.

[Christina]

This month we also have new recent reads videos. We have a new Acotar Cauldron chat. Yep, so much more coming your way in October. And do not forget that as a patron you always get our episodes a day early and ad free and even the video version of every episode if you're in tier 2. So come on over and join [e-mail] Flights of Fantasy podcast. We would love to welcome you into our Patreon family.

[Kim]

Yay. Yay, Kim.

[Christina]

Also, speaking of Patreon, we have some very important people to shout out.

[Kim]

We sure do. So another big benefit of being one of our tier two book is that you get a special shout out on one of our episodes. So this episode, we are shouting out Meredith, Christine B. And Celeste K. Thank you guys so, so much as always for all of your support. We love you so, so much.

[Anna]

Thank you, guys.

[Christina]

We really do. Thank you.

[Kim]

Okay, let's dive in. Hit us with that spoiler warning.

[Anna]

All right, listeners, consider this your official spoiler warning for Mate by Ali Hazelwood. And I also do want to note here that while this is technically a standalone, there is a book that comes before it called Bride. We will not be giving any spoilers for the plot points themselves, but we will be referencing Misery and Lo, who are the main characters from that book. If for some reason you don't want to hear about them at all, feel free to tune out. But I promise, I don't think we're going to be ruining anything from Bride in this, but I felt like I should just give you guys a warning. I think you're safe to listen if you haven't read Bride. But.

[Kim]

But you should read Bride.

[Anna]

You should read Bride.

[Christina]

You should read Bride. And anything we mention is most likely on the jacket cover, so.

[Kim]

Exactly.

[Anna]

Exactly. All. So before we dive into the plot and the characters and all that good stuff, I want to kind of let Kim take the reins for a second because she is our Ali Hazelwood. Girly.

[Kim]

I am.

[Christina]

She sure is.

[Anna]

She has read. Kim, have you read everything?

[Kim]

So, yes, I have read every single book that Ali has written except for some of her stimulus novellas. And she does have a, like, video game audiobook only that is coming out in February of 2026. It's being released in print or ebook. And so I will be reading that because I, at this point, will read anything this woman writes. But yes, I have read every single book that Ally has written and it's been a journey with Ali. So there was an episode that we did a few years ago where I read a bunch of different romance books.

[Christina]

And yes, that is still probably one.

[Kim]

Of my favorite episodes that I've done. I was on one in that episode, if you want to just hear, like, Sassy Kim at her finest.

[Anna]

Was that the rocks episode?

[Kim]

It was the rocks. Yep, it sure was.

[Anna]

Guys, that is a one of our best KU Rex episodes.

[Kim]

It's one of our best. It's so good.

[Christina]

If we do Say so ourselves. There was a shipwreck. There's a lot.

[Anna]

We'll tag it.

[Christina]

Yes, we'll tag it in the show notes.

[Kim]

I will. Yeah, I'll try to find it and put it in the show notes. I don't think it was KU because a lot of the books that I was talking about weren't ku, but it was like current romance reads or something like that. But oh, my gosh, you guys, so funny. And in it, I had read Ali's first two books, Love Hypothesis and Love on the Brain. And I was like, I mean, you guys, I liked it, but it's just like a lot of science. And if you don't know flights of fantasy lore, I, Kim, don't love science. Now, let me be clear. I'm a fan of science.

[Anna]

We support the sciences.

[Kim]

Yeah. I'm not saying, like, I'm a crunchy person who doesn't believe in science. When I say that, I just mean my brain doesn't compute science. And therefore I don't love to, like, read about it or ingest it when I'm reading a romance.

[Christina]

Okay, logical.

[Kim]

But now looking back, I want to slap myself and be like, kim, how dare you speak ill of Ali Hazelwood. Like, it is actually really funny. It is. Because now she just works for me, you guys. Guys, there's something about Ali's writing. I don't know what it is. She's like my Taylor Swift of authors. Just something about her really works for me. And I think that's what's so fun about reading is it's so subjective. And what works for some people doesn't work for other people. There's authors that a lot of people love that just don't work for me. But there is something about my girl Ally that I just, yes, love. And now I have read everything. I have read her YA chess novel. Fantastic. I have read everything she's written. And now at this point, I will just auto buy everything from her because I trust her.

[Anna]

I love this journey.

[Kim]

Yes, it has been a journey. Ali is my author, mate. That's what I've decided.

[Christina]

Oh, how cute are you?

[Anna]

That is so sweet. I absolutely love that you say that. I think my favorite thing about specifically, I have not read everything that Ali has written, but I do love Bride and Mate. And I think one of the things I love about her, aside from the fact that she has a PhD in neuroscience and incorporates that regardless if it's a stem book, yep, she incorporates it some way into her writing. But I also love specifically in mate And Bride that while it is Serena's pov, we get these little top of the chapter, main male character, third person POVs.

[Christina]

Yes.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Anna]

And I feel like they're purposely vague so that they don't give away a plot because sometimes it's referencing something that is about to happen. But we get a little insight into Cohen or in Bride, into Lo's mind. And Cohen especially we'll get to is very surly and grumpy. But I love that we get this because it gives us a little hint that, okay, he might appear this way, but he's also really into her and worried or loves her and is trying to mask it. So I love. Those were. Honestly, as I was going through the outline, I realized almost every quote that I read is from the top of a chapter.

[Kim]

Oh, I love that.

[Christina]

They're so well done. They really give an insight into Cohen's character. That's so fun. One of them is just. No, period. It's the whole thing.

[Anna]

No, I think that's when he finds out she's dying.

[Christina]

Yes, it's very romantic. Like.

[Kim]

I refuse.

[Christina]

He finds out she's dying and then it's just next chapter.

[Anna]

No, no, Shawn, this isn't happening. I refuse.

[Kim]

Absolutely. I forgot about that.

[Christina]

Christina, that's so well done.

[Anna]

That's such a good one. Okay, a couple other things that we absolutely loved about this book, Shifter romance. We've talked about this. Christina and I just covered the Wolf King and the Night Prince. And she and I are no strangers to shifter paranormal romances. We both have read them for years, on and off.

[Christina]

Yes.

[Anna]

I think one of the reasons that we both love them is they're a little bit different from our fantasy books because they are urban, modern day setting. The stakes are usually not as high. There's no big curse trying to be broken. The female main character is not some answer to a long lost prophecy. It's usually just similar to this book where it revolves around the mating bond. Maybe there is an outside pack who's trying to wreak havoc, etc. And to me it always. I realize now after I read shifter books before I read Mafia, just like I read Highlander books before I read Mafia. And I'm noticing a through line here that I absolutely love this pack dynamic. Or in the Highlander, the clan or in the Mafia. The Mafia. And I love that dynamic with the hierarchy of the alpha or the dawn, or the laird, the highlander, lord of the castle. And I love how we have that hierarchy in all of these books. And so it lends itself to things that happen and, you know, the female main character having to come in and disrupt everything. But what I absolutely love the most is that there's always a little bit of sexy danger, as we call it, which Christina loves too.

[Christina]

You know, we love a sexy danger. Something about these books, as well as Mafia, as well as the Highlander books, as well as romantic suspense, is that a lot of these books are technically standalones in that the plot, like we were saying, isn't too complex because it does need to wrap up in one book. Yes. So you are not going on books, long journeys of lore, backstories, all these things. You're wrapping it up in one book.

[Anna]

Right.

[Christina]

So therefore, you get that little perfect little treat, this delicious little book by the end.

[Anna]

So good, a little nugget.

[Christina]

And if there's sexy danger, you know, I'm in. If you are familiar with a fantasy lore, you know, I love a sexy danger. When I am not reading Romantasy, I am reading romantic suspense, which is quite literally just all sexy protagonist, sexy danger. That's it. And this book was giving that in the best way from the very start, and I just absolutely ate it up. Something else that I loved about this book was the audiobook. So I actually ended up listening to the majority of mate, and I really, really loved it. I'm really getting into audiobooks right now, and this one really hit. So if anyone is into audiobooks, I highly recommend this one. It's duet, and the narration is just absolutely Chef's kiss. Cohen's voice is fantastic.

[Kim]

Oh, is it? Oh, I bet it is.

[Christina]

Really paints a picture.

[Anna]

The final thing we want to just touch upon really quick before we move on to the characters and the plot.

[Christina]

Yes.

[Anna]

Is that there is this. Kim and I actually talked about this in last week's episode of the Night and the Moth and how professors in colleges are using fantasy books to teach sociology classes or social science courses, specifically ones with social, economic, political constructs. And I think one of the things that Ali does really well in this book, which is she does it so well because it's just woven in so seamlessly. But we see it in Bride with the vampires and the weres having to overcome stereotypes and to work together. And I feel like she does that in this book with ostracized groups, the hybrid, and having to all of a sudden be this new person in a society where they're not used to seeing somebody who was able to procreate with, you know, between humans and weres. The biggest one that stuck out to Us. And again, it's hats off to Ali because it's done. So it's just a very small little comment, but it really stuck out to us is when Serena is receiving the news from midwife Leila that she is not, in fact, dying. She's going into heat.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Anna]

But Laila is trying to be very politically correct, and she's trying to protect all of the male doctors that Serena has seen. And Serena says, just stop trying to protect them and give it to me straight. And she's like, cool. Okay, so these doctors that you've seen were only focused on your cortisol levels, and really, they forgot this big thing that you're a woman.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Anna]

That you're female and your biology is different and you're actually not dying. You're going into a sexual heat.

[Kim]

You're just super horny.

[Anna]

Super horny all the time.

[Christina]

Just need some sex. That's it. It'll cure ya.

[Kim]

Just need lots of sex. She does.

[Anna]

So I just absolutely love that Ali kind of threw that in here. It was just like, listen, these men, they don't know everything that's going on in a woman's body. And let me tell you, nope, you're not dying. I'm so sorry that you thought so for the last three months. That must have been quite the psychological, emotional, traumatizing experience.

[Kim]

Yes, absolutely.

[Anna]

Anyways, all right, so let's dive into some of our characters in the plot. Kim, will you lead us through a discussion on Cohen?

[Kim]

I would be honored to do that ourselves. Sexy, sexy Cohen. Yes. Okay, so, yes, Cohen starts out the book as quite the grump. He's a little bit surly. But like we've said, what we love about Ali's writing is that she did such a good job of showing and not telling with Cohen's character. So, yes, he is very dry. He's very sarcastic, which we love to begin with. But then Ali will write in these little things like his lip twitched or there was, like, a crinkle in his eyes if he was holding back a smile. And it kind of allows us, the reader, to really understand that a lot of his gruff behavior was definitely more of a mask and that he did, in fact, like, very much want to be around Serena.

[Christina]

Oh, yes, yes.

[Kim]

And that he quite enjoyed her, some might say. But I just love it. I thought Ali did such a fantastic job of toeing the line between being a grump, being surly, but not being mean. You guys know that's not my favorite when main male characters are kind of cruel and outright. Mean to the main female character. It makes me be like, what are we.

[Anna]

What are we doing?

[Kim]

You're going backwards. We need to go forwards. Like, let's not be mean. Just be grump and be surly.

[Christina]

Yes.

[Kim]

But then he would do these really funny things where I'm like, oh, you like her?

[Christina]

You're a cutie. You're a cutie.

[Kim]

He is so Cohen is, of course, the Alpha of the Northwest pack. He is extremely loyal. He was thrust into this job at a very young age after his parents, who were mated and then just decided to ignore the celibacy covenant, which we will be discussing, touch upon in a later date. They were killed by Constantine, the psycho cult leader, which we will also be touching more.

[Christina]

That is Serena's dad.

[Anna]

Yeah, that is Serena's dad.

[Kim]

Exactly. Guys, I cannot wait to talk about the cult thing. Cuz it is.

[Anna]

They really kept that killing in the family, you know.

[Kim]

You know what? You know what they did? You know, they said, we're going to pass that down. And so speaking of family, a big part of Cohen's character is that he knows that his mother's love for his father was used against him, which is why he is so hellbent on upholding that celibacy covenant. He does not want to repeat past mistakes. And this is obviously incredibly important for the end of the book because our big Heavenly Fire moment is that the assembly just decides to overturn the covenant after watching how Cohen and Serena kind of interact when faced with danger.

[Anna]

You know, like Kim was saying, I feel like his character, so much of what he says is contradictory to how he actually feels. Which is, again, why I liked the top of the chapters. But I also, again, it reminds me of my mafia men. Like Kim said, he's the head of the Northwest. He's carrying the weight of being the head of the pack, just like all of my mafia men do in their books, being the head of their families. And I just. I absolutely eat up when there is a man who comes across with like all these rules that he follows. And he's very cold and decisive because of the fact that he has to be the head of the family or the head of the pack. And then in walks this fiery, fun, chaotic female main character and totally disrupts their order and they don't know how to handle it.

[Christina]

Love it.

[Anna]

And it's so. It just. I eat it up. It's like a micro trope that I absolutely love.

[Christina]

Agreed. Love it. And it was so well done here.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Anna]

And specifically, I feel like it's Done so well when it gets hidden by the banter.

[Kim]

Tonight and I needed more My kid was so bad and the smell never leaves I don't know what to do I'm always in the dark the sweat and dead shark Smells like a dark.

[Anna]

Downy rinse Fights stubborn odors.

[Kim]

In just one wash when impossible odors.

[Anna]

Get stuck in.

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[Christina]

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[Anna]

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Sounds too good to be true.

[Christina]

So true.

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[Kim]

Yes, absolutely. There's a really funny moment at the very beginning of the book after they kill the vampire. Bob.

[Anna]

Vampire Bob.

[Kim]

Vampire Bob. Bob Vampire.

[Anna]

Second. I was like, who?

[Kim]

Yeah, Bob the vampire.

[Christina]

Oh, it's so good. That's such a fun way to open the book too. Vampire Bob.

[Kim]

Why should we call him?

[Anna]

I don't know. Bob.

[Christina]

Bob. He looks like a Bob.

[Kim]

Oh, Ally, she's so funny. So Serena is crying and Cohen's driving them away from the situation. And it says. He falls silent for a moment. Then his nostrils flare and he turns to scan my face, his expression increasingly horrified. What, I ask, is a moth crawling up my nostril, or. I pat my cheek with my palm and it comes back wet. That's what's upsetting him. Oh, Cohen just killed someone without batting an eye but cannot take me shedding a single teardrop. I'm fine, I reassure him. His alarm doesn't abate. It's like I've just been shot in front of his eyes. I'm okay. I promise. I just. I love this.

[Christina]

I love it so much. It's so good. Their banter's so cute. I love how she never plugs things in and he always is like, oh, it doesn't work. Huh? Did you. Did you try to plug it in? Like the charger and the toaster and all the things? And she's like, well, fine, fine. Okay, maybe it's not plugged in. It's so good. They are so cute.

[Anna]

And especially when you realize that in the prologue he's the one that finds her as a little girl. And he's also, at that moment, upset about her crying.

[Christina]

He is?

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Anna]

And it's a Great little kind of tie back. We love a full circle moment.

[Kim]

We surely, surely do. Some might say an invisible string.

[Anna]

Oh, some might say. One might say it.

[Kim]

Our Taylor Swift girl.

[Christina]

When I first realized that invisible string between them, I was a little like, oh, what is that age gap? Because I was picturing her as a tiny child and like a grown man picking her up.

[Kim]

Is that not correct?

[Christina]

But it is like 10 years.

[Kim]

Oh.

[Christina]

So I think she was like five and he was 15 is the idea.

[Anna]

She's like, yeah, five or between five and eight.

[Christina]

And that's fine. Like really the 10 years.

[Anna]

10 years is fine.

[Christina]

Right. It just took me a second when realizing that was Cohen to then go back to prologue mental reading me and understand that was like a 15 year old picking her up. Not adult.

[Kim]

I agree, Christina. I thought he was a full grown man. Yeah, Like, I thought he was like 25 and she was 5.

[Anna]

I feel like it's written like he's a full grown.

[Kim]

Listen, he absolutely is.

[Anna]

Cohen at 15, apparently was doing all.

[Kim]

Kinds of things, so.

[Anna]

Which we'll get to. So by all intents and purposes, he had been a man in the biblical sense, I guess.

[Kim]

You know what, Anna? You're not wrong. You're not wrong. Clearly he has been, you know, living a life as an adult for far longer than we thought. But I too agree. I thought he was like 25, 30 when he rescued her. There's something about the way that Allie describes him in the prologue that's like, no, he's a grown man.

[Christina]

Yes. And maybe that was to kind of trick us a little bit, but it was effective. It was effective.

[Kim]

You know what it was? It absolutely was. There's just so many funny moments. Their banter from the beginning just really locked me in. And I was like, I am here for it. Like, Cohen brings Serena back to his cabin in the Northwest Territory, and Serena realizes that Cohen's going to be staying there with her, which she gets really stressed about because she's having the fevers and she thinks she's dying. She's like, so this is inconvenient because I don't want you to see me dying and having fevers and throwing up. So she's like, I like living alone. And he says, maybe you had shitty roommates. I, on the other hand, am a fucking delight.

[Anna]

I am a fucking delight. That line sends me everything.

[Christina]

So good.

[Anna]

It's so good.

[Kim]

It really does. He's like, he's being so protective and she's kind of joking with him about it. She's Like, I mean, do you have anyone watching the skies? Is there anyone watching the skies? And he goes, if a bald eagle dove in from the sky to abduct you, my life would be so much easier.

[Christina]

That line is amazing. It's amazing. It's so good. Oh, God.

[Kim]

So, okay, obviously, we have the mating bar. And Allie gives us a flashback to when Cohen first tells Serena they're mates. And, y', all, he is just so clinical about it.

[Anna]

He really is.

[Kim]

He's just like, hey, so we are mates, you and I. And it's very clear that Serena does not understand how deep and meaningful a mating bond is, because she seems to think it's just purely like a carnal, sexual thing, which, yes, obviously, there is a huge component to that.

[Christina]

She's not wrong.

[Kim]

She's like, oh, so you, like, really want to do me? And he's like, I mean.

[Christina]

I mean, yes, but also.

[Kim]

But also, that's not it.

[Anna]

Sure, we can pretend that's it.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Christina]

Yes. In that moment, he does say, like, I don't want to be with you. He really reinforces that. He makes her think that emotionally he's not interested.

[Kim]

Right.

[Christina]

Because emotionally he can't be interested.

[Anna]

I wish he'd been like, listen, I signed this. I was 15. My frontal lobe wasn't fully developed.

[Christina]

Yeah, yeah.

[Kim]

Who allowed me to do that?

[Anna]

I signed my dick away.

[Kim]

So I signed my penis away.

[Christina]

My penis balloon is being held by the assembly and.

[Kim]

Penis balloon. I hate it. Stop it.

[Christina]

Oh, God.

[Anna]

Okay, we're not gonna make it through the whole nodding thing.

[Kim]

I'm just gonna have to plug my ears and go, la, la, la. But okay, so I liked the mating bond, and I'm curious how you guys felt it. I feel like sometimes authors can use a mating bond as kind of a cop out. And they don't develop the characters in their relationship because in their mind, they're like, well, they're mates, so they naturally just love everything about each other.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Kim]

And I thought Allie did a really good job of. Of still developing Cohen and Serena's relationship and making it seem like they're having moments together. They're having interactions, they're bantering. There's a connection there that, at least for Serena, was outside of the mating bond. Yeah, that's how I took it.

[Christina]

But that's such a beautiful point, Kim. So well said. You got to see them build their relationship instead of just saying, oh, we're mates instantly, we're in love.

[Anna]

Well, I think it was smart because he made it very clear. Serena asks him well, are you my mate? And he goes, you would know, because it doesn't have to be reciprocated necessarily. Which I thought was really smart on Ally's part, because I feel like. Like, to your point, Kim, it lended itself to. Then they had to build a relationship outside of the mating bond until the mating bond clicked for her later on, right? And she realized, oh, it's not just this heat I'm feeling. You are my mate. Like, I cannot live without you.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Christina]

It is funny that he said, you would know. And she's like, I didn't even know I was a werewolf until this time. Like, what do you mean I would know?

[Kim]

I think I'm dying. That's wrong.

[Christina]

In what way?

[Kim]

I just found out I was half were. I think you're wrong.

[Anna]

So, no, I'm not interested in how much you want to have sex with me. I understand. I'm beautiful. I love how she's like, listen, I know it's really hard. Like, take one look at me and I get it.

[Kim]

And he's literally just like, okay, you.

[Anna]

Can'T plug in a toaster.

[Christina]

Yeah. But her lack of knowledge then lends itself to the plot point that he was her mate all along and she didn't know because, again, how would she know?

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Anna]

I think my favorite quote before we move on to Serena, again, top of the chapter, Cohen's pov.

[Kim]

Yep.

[Anna]

But I absolutely love this quote. He overhears Serena talking with some of his seconds, and they are joking around and they're all laughing. And the quote is, her laughter adjusts the spin of his atoms.

[Kim]

Ally.

[Anna]

And I just. Not only does she take her love of science and her knowledge of science and throw it in here, and someone might correct me in the comments, but my very rudimentary understanding of the molecular structure of all living things is that atoms make us up.

[Kim]

Yeah, that's my understanding. And I'm really good at science, so I would know.

[Christina]

It's kissing.

[Anna]

You're basically a PhD. You've read the STEM books.

[Kim]

I am, basically.

[Anna]

But, like, I absolutely love that she takes something that get the basic molecular structure of all of us. And he says, rather than just being like, her laughter makes me smile, or her laughter, whatever, it adjusts the spin of his atom.

[Kim]

I just love that.

[Christina]

Such a beautiful way to put that. It's so beautiful.

[Kim]

Ally.

[Christina]

Ally.

[Anna]

It moves him at a basic molecular level. Like everything about him has been reconstructed.

[Christina]

Yes.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Christina]

So beautiful.

[Kim]

I love our little science nerd. Oh, my God.

[Anna]

Okay, let's move on to certain Serena.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Christina]

Yes, Serena. Oh, gosh. We also love Serena.

[Kim]

What?

[Anna]

Yes.

[Christina]

A leading lady. I had so much fun with her. We loved going through this journey with her. So I want to start off with this quote. Children raised like me develop a unique brand of pragmatism born of the knowledge that nothing will stand as a shield between us and reality.

[Kim]

Love. Oh, just.

[Christina]

What a way to set up her backstory and like, really what she's coming into the story with. And still, she's sarcastic and funny while also being endearing and hopeful, which is such a hard line to toe, especially when she opens up this book thinking she has months to live. Like, she is already resigned to dying.

[Anna]

Peace out.

[Christina]

When we open the book.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Christina]

And she doesn't want to burden anyone with it. And not only. Not only is she carrying that emotional weight, but then she has all the trauma from her childhood. So let's not forget she was hiding while her parents were killed. Then she was thrown into foster care. And then she was raised as the human companion to a vampire, who, of course, is Misery. Her sister. Yeah.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Christina]

So that turned out okay. But now, on top of all of that, she's in her 20s, and all of a sudden, whoopsie daisy.

[Anna]

Whoops.

[Christina]

Turns out. Here's some more life altering news. You are a rare scientific anomaly. You're a hybrid, and you're the first half human, half werewolf.

[Kim]

Yep.

[Christina]

My God, this girl, this poor girl, she just cannot catch a break.

[Kim]

Poor thing.

[Christina]

But what a writing accomplishment. What a feat by Ally, that even with all of that, she was funny and so fun read and we laughed with her and, like, just genuinely enjoyed being in her head, which could have been a dark place to be.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Anna]

Oh, absolutely.

[Christina]

Yes. And another really interesting aspect of her character is seeing her relationship with Anna and how she saw herself in that relationship. And I want to read this quote. For the past decade, I've refused to let my circumstances define me. Fuck being an orphan or poor or the collaterals lady in waiting. Fuck being a victim. Fuck navel gazing and wallowing in my wretchedness. And then I met Anna, who's an orphan and a hybrid. She's everything that I used to be. And the compassion I've never been able to extend to myself overflows whenever I think about her.

[Anna]

Oh, God, I love that quote.

[Christina]

I love that it's so beautiful. And I love that we're using Ana in that way with her, you know, like, she thinks she can't have children.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Christina]

Another thing for the male doctors. But she is also. But you know, in that she's also so protective of Ana and not just because that Anna is this hybrid, but she even, you know, says in her inner monologue that she doesn't want Anna to grow up with the same sense of fear and insecurity and abandonment that she did. And one of the reasons she goes with Cohen is she is scared that she's going to become violent and hurt Anna or hurt misery when she's in one of her fevers. And it was so interesting seeing her deal with these really intense emotions still in her pragmatic way, while still being somehow hopeful and fun and eager to find the joy in things and wish for things and see her deep love with misery and really her wanting to be part of this found family and to have that connection. And I loved getting to see her get that with the pack. There were so many fun moments and that really helped us develop those side characters. It was just so great in so many ways. The group meals were so fun and funny. I love how much they all love her cooking. And they're just like, oh, we have happened to get you the ingredients for pancakes, like, if you weren't busy and you might want to maybe make some. And she's like, okay, guys, come on in. It's so cute. I loved seeing her get to cook for everyone. It's so adorable. And at some point Cohen is like, oh, my God, all of you, get out of here. You do not have to cook for them. This is ridiculous. And then she just lights up and tells him, like, no, I love this.

[Anna]

I know.

[Christina]

I've always wanted to cook for people.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Christina]

And she loves it. It's so sweet to see.

[Kim]

It is.

[Christina]

I loved it so much.

[Anna]

I know. And pin this moment for the end of the book. I love this little aspect of it. It also, like you said, it brought in all the found family characters, which was really nice.

[Christina]

Yeah, it really did. We saw so much fun stuff and we got the chats with Amanda about conspiracy theories and like bad music and it was just like so many fun things we would have never gotten before. Yeah. If she wasn't wanting this bond with them and trying to, like, open up in a way that she hadn't before with anyone but misery.

[Anna]

Yeah, I agree.

[Kim]

For sure.

[Anna]

I love the thought that they all go out hunting for squirrels. Is that all they eat? It's like they all seem starved for a home cooked meal. And yeah, I feel like it was alluded that that's all they were eating is in their wolf form. And I'm like, You guys, you're missing out. You're missing out.

[Kim]

Pasta.

[Christina]

Yeah, pasta.

[Anna]

Seeking butter.

[Christina]

Carbs. It's really not that hard. That store up there with the unicorn waffles has to have something else.

[Kim]

They must.

[Christina]

I think they have a whole section for you. Just go get a cookbook. I loved that, but yes. Okay, so let's move on to Misery and Serena and their relationship. This sibling dynamic between them was really beautiful.

[Anna]

I absolutely loved them. And I know we obviously get a whole book with Misery, but I just love seeing her in this. I feel like her and Serena's relationship was twofold. It provided comedic relief, but it also would give us information that we needed sometimes in a very straightforward way, which was very true to Misery's character specifically. But I love how protective they are of each other. I mean, they both are essentially trauma bonded from their years of. You know, they both grew up in the human world where Misery was being used as a collateral and Serena was her companion. And like Misery says at the end of the book, they both get each other in a way that Lo and Cohen never will. Even though Lo and Cohen are their mates, they didn't grow up with the same lived experience that Serena and Misery did. And that's why Misery is so hurt and upset when she finds out that Serena thought she was dying and didn't share it with her. She's like, I get you. You're my person.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Anna]

Like, let me be there for you.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Anna]

But also, I want to talk about a couple funny quotes. The top of again, top of the chapter.

[Kim]

Guys, it's Anna's favorite.

[Christina]

Here we go.

[Anna]

My favorite. Top of the chapter, Cohen pov. He receives a text message from an unknown number, and very quickly you realize it is from Misery. And what the quote says or the text message says is, you are now officially in charge of my sister. So be aware that if she gets so much as a skinned knee, I will fuck up your life. I will steal your identity and ruin your credit score. I will plant evidence of white collar crimes on your computer. I will take control of your webcam and film you while you're picking your nose. I will hack your pack directory and impersonate you and send everyone emails about how much you'd love for them to come over and snuggle you. I will sell your information to the Dark Web and clone your credit cards and make donations to pro cancer charities in your name. I don't even think those exist.

[Christina]

They can't. They can't. I can't.

[Anna]

And if you ever buy a Smart car. And then it gets interrupted and there's a string of gibberish text messages. And then all of a sudden it comes back and she goes, sorry, Anna stole my phone. Where was I?

[Christina]

It's so good. I also need you to know that in the audible, she's just talking. And then the same voice that goes like. Like reading the generation, and it goes back to Misery. She's like, sorry, honest on my phone. Where was I? Like, it's so funny.

[Anna]

I love her. I just love how protective she is. And another really protective moment that is both, both Serena and Misery is when they're having a film conversation and they're catching up. And Misery shares with Serena that Anna, who is basically like her adopted daughter, her and Lo's adopted daughter is being bullied at school because she's a hybrid and she can't shift. I think Serena calls all of the kids in elementary school. She calls them, see you next Tuesdays. And then Misery, she's like, those concepts. Sorry, Kim, I know you hate that word.

[Kim]

That's okay.

[Anna]

And then Misery responds with, can you. Can you believe that Juna won't let me go suck their fucking pets dry in front of their fucking useless eyes. She's so aggressive. And Serena, Serena's like, I can actually. Their pets did nothing wrong, but we could shank their classmates themselves. And then Misery interrupts her and she's like, juno forbade that too. She said like. And she quotes you cannot physically harm minors.

[Kim]

God, what a killjoy. God, let us have something.

[Anna]

I love this mama bear instinct they both have over Anna. And it's so, so sweet. It's throughout the book. Yes, it's just adorable. I absolutely loved Misery and Serena. Yeah, they were just my favorite, like, favorite side character tangents that we would go on.

[Christina]

Agreed. Yeah, agreed.

[Kim]

Absolutely. Okay, so we are going to do a little round robin of our favorite romance moments from this book. Oh, friends, there were so many good moments. This was tough. This was tough.

[Anna]

It was very hard to choose.

[Christina]

There are just.

[Kim]

Just so many sweet moments. So I'm gonna go first. Mine is after Serena visits that were doctor in the Northwest territory for the first time. But it's before Cohen knows that she's having fevers. And that young man, the creepy man from the cult comes out and he's like, oh, Eva, it's me. And she's like, I don't wonder what's happening right now. Who are you? And he begs her to come with him, and he's like prostrating himself on the ground. And Cohen Shows up and he's like, yep, Serena's not going with you. Like, this is not happening. Happening. And then the guy's like, okay. And then just jumps off the cliff.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Christina]

Wild.

[Kim]

Blessed.

[Anna]

Absolutely wild.

[Kim]

Wild.

[Anna]

That was not on my bingo card.

[Kim]

In the book, I was like, what's happening right now? What are we doing? Crazy.

[Christina]

No. Part of me thought we were doing cold. No, no, zero.

[Kim]

Do not have that on my bingo card. But I was into it.

[Christina]

Same.

[Kim]

Okay, so obviously he jumps off the cliff. This is very upsetting for Serena, and even Cohen is very shocked by it. And afterwards, Serena is sitting on the porch and she's really grappling with what happened. And she's blaming herself even though she knows there's nothing she. She could have done. But of course she's feeling bad because this young man just jumped off a cliff.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Kim]

Because she wouldn't go with him somewhere.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Christina]

Yes.

[Kim]

Oh, bless her.

[Christina]

Who wouldn't be upset?

[Kim]

Who wouldn't be? Okay, so Cohen says, killer. Yeah. There is a false start. Like the words are too foreign to flow out with ease. But then he says, before I leave, I think I need to hold you for a minute.

[Anna]

I died.

[Kim]

I'm in his arms before I know how I got there. He bends down to scoop me up and my forehead flip fits so perfectly into the valley of his already prickly throat. This cannot be anything but faded. He lifts me higher, my feet no longer touching the ground, and hides his face in my neck. A long, deep inhale. My pulse begins to dance. I know, but this is difficult for you too. And he dragged your parents into it, which I can't even imagine. I swallow. I'm sorry that you have to deal with this. His teeth clench. There's a flicker of something unreadable in his face. If I come back and something has happened to you, Serena, I'm going to be so pissed.

[Anna]

I love that.

[Kim]

And she says, I bite the inside of my lips. That sounds like a you problem. And he goes, yeah, that it is.

[Anna]

I died. I absolutely love this scene because he's like, I need to hold you.

[Kim]

Hold you.

[Anna]

But then also the joke at the end. It's so perfect for his character.

[Christina]

Yes.

[Anna]

I love it. Ali, great job. Kudos.

[Kim]

Kudos. Okay, Christina, what's yours?

[Christina]

Oh, friends. I'm so excited about this. Okay. I've been giddy all day about this scene. Okay? So I'm gonna set the scene, everybody.

[Kim]

Okay, set it.

[Christina]

Here we go. Immersive. So Cohen's out of town and Serena wakes up in the middle of the night with one of her fevers. It's. It's fever time. Fever o'. Clock. She's sweating, she's shaking, she's barely conscious. And she drags herself to Cohen's bathroom to take a cold bath.

[Anna]

Yes.

[Christina]

And then she sees her eyes in the mirror. And I love how Allie describes this. As if they're, like, fading into each other. As if someone, like, pierced an egg yolk. It's just. Oh, God, the imagery. Okay, so she starts to panic because her eyes look crazy. And from behind her, she just hears Serena. Oh, God. Oh, God, he's back. He's back. Okay, so he's back.

[Kim]

He's back.

[Christina]

Okay. So then he just says, where does it hurt? How bad? Oh, God. Okay. And she's telling him to leave, but of course, he ignores her. And she starts to panic about her eyes again. And he said, stop looking at them. Deep breaths. Don't look at them. But she can't stop looking at them. And so he just punches the mirror behind her and says, here, now they're not doing that anymore.

[Anna]

I love him. So protective.

[Christina]

It's so good. Okay. All right. So then he touches her forehead and he says, is it a fever? And she, like, won't answer him. And so he's like, I'm gonna be all alpha. He's like, answer me. And then she does. And he goes, good girl. Oh, God. It happened. It happens. It happens.

[Kim]

You know, we love it.

[Anna]

Good girl, good girl.

[Christina]

And in the moment with the protectiveness. Shut up, Al.

[Anna]

I love this. I love it. Keep going.

[Christina]

It's so good. Okay, so then he goes to the bathtub and he brings her with him, and he gets in that bathtub fully clothed, and he pulls her into, like, sit between his legs. And her back is to his chest, and he's holding her and he says, better. And she nods and he kisses her temple. And it's so good. I just can't. This man, he's so scared and so protective. And then just imagery. Everyone just picture this. Him in the bathtub, fully clothed, like, holding her and kissing her temple. It's gorgeous.

[Anna]

I love it so much.

[Christina]

I need to see fan art of it. I'm obsessed. But then. But then there's more. So she wakes up to him playing piano. It's so beautiful. And the moment just feels so normal, like just the husband or boyfriend, like, playing the piano while she sleeps. And it's so beautiful. But actually turns out that Kohen is just really worked up after seeing Sarita in so much pain because he just. He's a good mate. God damn it. He loves her. He's a good mate. And so he eventually says to her, last night, I didn't know if you'd ever wake up again.

[Anna]

Oh, God.

[Christina]

Oh, God, it's so good. It's so good. Good. And so Serena realizes, like, he's so scared for her, and he's terrified. And so that leads to her opening up about what she thinks is this fatal diagnosis and about how she's dying.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Christina]

And that she's keeping it a secret from everyone. Which, of course, Cohen is like, that is absolute bullshit that you wouldn't tell your sister.

[Kim]

Right.

[Christina]

But she never actually says the words, I'm dying. Until he forces her to.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Christina]

And then he's like, say it. Say it. She does. And then quote, the second the words are out, hanging heavy in the air between us, Cohen smiles. He bends further, and there isn't a single trace of doubt on his face. He's an immovable object and an unstoppable force. And he says slowly, if you think I'm going to let you die, Serena, you know fuck all. Oh, it's good.

[Anna]

Oh, my God, I love it so much. And then this is from the next chapter. He just goes, no, exactly. No, no, no.

[Christina]

Not an option.

[Anna]

No.

[Christina]

I love this. This moment where she's like, I'm dying. And then he leans in and smiles, and he's like, no, you're not. Not happening.

[Anna]

Not on my watch.

[Kim]

That's right. Shit, that's fresh.

[Anna]

Shit, that's fresh.

[Christina]

That hit man, the moment she had.

[Anna]

Her first fever, I was like, allie, if you don't write him walking in on a fever and him, like, putting her in the shower, I will riot. And then we got it, and it didn't.

[Kim]

And she said, I got you, slap.

[Christina]

Like.

[Anna]

I was like, yes, I got you, girl.

[Christina]

And it was worth the wait. Okay, speaking of worth the wait, Hannah.

[Anna]

My favorite scene is when Serena is in heat. And, guys, I know this is gonna sound wild, but this might be the only time somebody not showering was hot to me.

[Christina]

Yes.

[Anna]

So call me crazy, Kim, avert your eyes and your nose.

[Kim]

I did. I had to. I just let it go.

[Christina]

Yep.

[Anna]

I feel like it's. For me, the reason it worked was because she's not, like, worked up a sweat from working out. It's like that sexy sweat you get.

[Kim]

From really good sex. Yeah, that's true.

[Anna]

So I was like, I can go with that. This is fine. We can vibe with that.

[Kim]

Yeah. They weren't in a Gym.

[Anna]

They weren't in a gym, which we have read before.

[Kim]

And I could not avert my eyes and my nose because the author made a note about it. I'm like, you're really making it hard here. Ally didn't do that. She made it sexy.

[Anna]

Yes, she made it sexy.

[Kim]

So we're going to shower, but it's going to be sexy. It's gonna be hot.

[Christina]

And it was hot and sexy because he wanted it so bad. And getting to hear him say the things about it really helped that.

[Anna]

Exactly. So that's what my favorite part of this scene is. Serena is so used to when she wakes up in this sexy fever that she now knows is not dying. Fever, Right. She's used to automatically drowning herself in, like, tepid water to cool down. And she forgets the whole purpose of Cohen being there and her mate in this heat is to sexually satisfy her.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Christina]

Yeah, it is, girl.

[Anna]

And she's like, you know, I think you would like me better if I washed up. Because she wake up in this, like, heat. And he says, I very much would not. And I love it. And so she gets embarrassed and she closes her eyes. And I love. Whenever we're in a spicy scene and the man is like, eyes on me.

[Kim]

Or eyes up here.

[Anna]

He's like, open your eyes so that she can see him when he says, trust me, I don't want you to shower. Fuckable. You smell ready. You smell transcendent and filthy and delicious. You smell like you are this close to losing your mind. Like, you might hurt me if I don't take care of you. And you know what that does to me, knowing that my mate needs me. You understand what this is, right? What heats are for? You smell. You always smell like you were made specifically for me to fuck, to be around, to worship. But right now, you smell like you'd give me anything I asked for. If that's the scent you're planning to wash off, don't do it on my account.

[Christina]

Oh, yeah.

[Anna]

And she is, like, breathless. She's like.

[Christina]

As were we.

[Kim]

As were we. Okay, okay.

[Anna]

Oh, God, it's so sexy. So then they have the sexy time, which we will get to. And Serena has this moment of vulnerability afterwards. And she's sharing, kind of how she's very happy that he's not disappointed in how she looks. And he's just like, oh, my God, Serena, you are my mate. I would have wanted you no matter what. I will want you no matter what, but you are also. He licks HIS lips. If someone had given me a piece of paper and asked me to list everything I liked, everything I dreamed of, everything that I was sure would make me happy. You would have been the final product of it. There could never be disappointment because there was never any comparisons or expectations or hopes or standards to meet. There's only. He casts a glance around the room, searching. Then his eyes settle on me. There's only you, Serena. I died.

[Kim]

Dead.

[Anna]

She's, like, so embarrassed. And she closes her eyes and he holds her and he's like, I've got you.

[Kim]

Oh, God.

[Christina]

Oh, God. The hits just keep on coming. Allie. It's like our favorite line.

[Kim]

I'm telling you.

[Christina]

Keep happening. Cohen. I can't.

[Anna]

Just did it for me.

[Kim]

Oh, yeah.

[Christina]

Yes.

[Anna]

Like, absolutely.

[Kim]

Agreed.

[Anna]

So speaking of the spicy scenes, we're gonna move into discussing this heat in a little bit more detail. So heat, or clinical term, I think, is like, estri or something. And essentially it's for reproduction purposes. The female wears go into a very intense heat, like a lot of species of mammals do. Except this is very, very freaking extreme.

[Christina]

Yes. Oh, yeah.

[Anna]

And I guess there's also usually the female wears shift into their wolf form. And I guess once the heat starts, you cannot shift out of your form. So that's why she's unable to shift out of her human form is because she's already stuck in the heat. Which, to be quite honest, I don't love. This idea of all these wolves just walking around and heat fucking. I know that that's part of the story, but I think the fact, like. And animals in animal kingdom do this, but for some reason, the fact that they're also human, I'm like, can we. I don't like the biology of the way things go.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Anna]

In the animal form, but, yeah, that's okay.

[Christina]

Well, it's just, you know, it feels like it'd be less fun. How are you gonna say eyes on me as a wolf? I mean, you know, you can't. You can't.

[Kim]

Well, there you go.

[Anna]

Little barking.

[Christina]

Also, do the wolves have the balloon penises, too?

[Anna]

I don't know.

[Christina]

Do the wolves not?

[Kim]

I bet they do.

[Christina]

That would be tricky because if they were wolves, how would he then explain to her the balloon penis? That would have been tricky.

[Anna]

That would have been very tricky and probably very traumatizing.

[Kim]

Agreed.

[Anna]

For her, maybe it's traumatizing. Regardless. Either way. Either way. So also, there's this element of the heat called nesting, which midwife Layla describes as. It has more to do with procuring scents, texture and objects you find soothing. The goal is for you to build a space that will offer comfort in a time of need. Which absolutely tracks with every other shifter book. Specifically, like, Alpha Omega books, the females love to nest. Christine and I have read.

[Christina]

Yeah, it's a thing.

[Anna]

They love a nest. It's a thing. The pillows, the comforters, the clothing. Which is why she always wants to wear Cohen's shirt, because she likes the smell, the texture. It feels good on her body.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Anna]

I also love that when Layla tells her that her scent is going to become so appealing to other wares, in my head immediately went, my milkshake brings. And then the neck. Next line was Serena going, as in, my smell will bring all the wares to the yard. I was like, yes, girl.

[Christina]

Oh, my God.

[Kim]

I love it. Ally is such a millennial, and I love that she throws this kind of stuff in here. There's a line earlier when she's like, he doesn't want to cha cha slide into my life.

[Christina]

That one killed me.

[Kim]

The cha cha slide, slide. It's so funny. So funny.

[Anna]

Oh, my God. Okay, but guys, the spike was working.

[Christina]

It was.

[Anna]

I absolutely loved this whole forbidden element of I can't touch you, but I'll guide you.

[Christina]

Yes. That was so hot. Oh, my God.

[Kim]

So hot.

[Anna]

So hot. I love this, like, walking that fine tightrope of. Are we breaking the rules or are we just finding a loophole? The system?

[Kim]

We love a loophole.

[Anna]

Love it. I mean, new kink unlocked. Like, I absolutely was for him, guiding her through all of the those first initial sexual experiences as we. My favorite quote from the Office is like, lead me when I'm in the mood to be led.

[Kim]

To be led. And I was like, lead me, Cohen.

[Anna]

I want to be bossed around.

[Kim]

I would love for Cohen in the mood.

[Christina]

Cohen, please lead us. That's right. Yes. It was so good.

[Anna]

And also the praise, which Christina already touched upon was so good. I love the. You're doing so good, killer. I love that nickname.

[Christina]

Oh, God, it's so good. The praise from him was so good. At some point, it's not even girl. He says, my good girl. And I was like, oh, my changes, changes.

[Kim]

Wow. Didn't think I could love good girl more. And then you're gonna pull out a my good girl.

[Christina]

Right.

[Anna]

Tell me I'm doing a good job.

[Kim]

Tell me I'm your best student. Do I get an A? Okay.

[Anna]

Okay, so. But you know what we could have done without. There are a few words.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Anna]

Which I understand is a part of. Of these shifter books. And I have Read a lot of them. And no matter how many times I read them, I am just not a fan. Glance.

[Christina]

Yeah, that took me out.

[Anna]

Slick. Slick eyed.

[Kim]

Nope. Absolutely, absolutely hated it.

[Anna]

And I understand. I read all these books every time. It's just. Listen, I just ignore it. And for Kim, which always tickles me that you hate this word so much, is. See you next Tuesday.

[Kim]

It's like, a lot of people hate this.

[Anna]

Oh, no, no, it does. You always talk about it, which I love. So whenever I'm reading, even not a buddy reading, whenever I see it, I.

[Kim]

Go, oh, Kim, I hate it. I'm not gonna lie.

[Commercial Narrator]

I hate it.

[Kim]

And Ali used it a lot in this book.

[Christina]

A lot. I thoroughly don't enjoy any of these words. And that word. I totally agree. I always, like, autocorrect, all of these. What I can't autocorrect was glands. For some reason, the glands made me feel like I, like, took me out in a way that I was like, it's giving that one book that we didn't finish because we felt like she was an octopus because she had tentacles.

[Kim]

Yes, yes.

[Christina]

I was like, I'm okay with her being the wolf, and that's cool and great and shiftry, but, like, when we start talking about glands on her human body, it's like, I. I didn't like the word glands. I don't know what else we could call it. This is where your, like, scent comes from. I don't know, some other, like, wolf term. I don't know, like a. Something magical.

[Kim]

I don't know.

[Christina]

Make it up.

[Kim]

You know what I mean?

[Anna]

Change it up. Change it up.

[Kim]

Switch it, change it. Rearrange it. I did not enjoy it.

[Anna]

Well, we can't move on from the spice without talking about the nodding.

[Kim]

Can we, though?

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Anna]

I mean, honestly, I wish we could, but we can't because it's a huge part of the book. And, guys, if you don't know what nodding is, this is one history lesson I will not be teaching. Google it. Or don't, because avert your eyes.

[Kim]

I wouldn't Google it.

[Anna]

I would not Google it.

[Kim]

I don't love this.

[Christina]

I do think she does a good job of explaining it. She also explains it in Bride.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Christina]

You know, it's a fun element.

[Anna]

Listen, we always say there is spice for every slice of life. This wasn't our slice of the pie, and that's fine. And if it is for you, that's O. We are so thrilled for you. Have at it.

[Kim]

Yes. I'd love this for you.

[Anna]

All Right. So this one line, though, cracked me up.

[Kim]

It's before he actually knots, inflates and inflates. I was trying to avoid saying that word. I didn't ride it. I know.

[Christina]

It's just so funny. Oh, God. Let's call a spade a spade. It's a balloon penis and it flakes.

[Anna]

I'm going to gag.

[Christina]

Oh, God.

[Anna]

So it's before that.

[Christina]

And.

[Anna]

And he's trying to just fit in his normal. It's not normal. His large appendage. He can't. And she's like, oh, God. And he says, it's not you. It's never been easy. The way I highlighted this. And I was like, oh, it's just so big, guys.

[Kim]

Also, can I point out he was 15 when he took the celibacy. Yeah. What do you mean it's never been easy? I'm not slut shaming. I'm just pointing out logistics. Like. Like how, like, first of all, is it.

[Anna]

I mean, aren't. Listen, aren't they still growing at that age? Like, is it not. How big was it at 15? That is what I want to know.

[Kim]

And if it's gotten bigger. That's true.

[Christina]

And the term never is like, oh, this has regular occurrence. It's never easy, but has it?

[Anna]

Because I thought you've been celibate for many. Over a decade.

[Kim]

At least over a decade.

[Christina]

Which. And maybe, you know. Yeah, before 15. I was like, are you.

[Anna]

Do you have. Have like special order sex dolls? Is that like, what is happening?

[Kim]

I don't understand. Extra large. Oh, no, I can't.

[Anna]

The visuals. My eyes, My eyes.

[Kim]

My eyes.

[Anna]

Okay, so the final. We have to end it with this because we can't not. I'm sorry, I can't.

[Kim]

I have to do it.

[Anna]

When he finally knots her, he.

[Kim]

Says.

[Anna]

He says, says, take it. Be good and take my knot. I. I did it. I did it.

[Kim]

I hate it.

[Anna]

Be good. I was like, this is one good girl I could do without. Yeah.

[Kim]

I'm actually gagging. Like, I actually can't. I can't do that.

[Christina]

And it was like, oh, God. Okay. Praise. Oh, no, not the. Not the.

[Anna]

God, Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

[Christina]

Oh, wow.

[Anna]

Oh, God, it was so good.

[Christina]

Oh, the listeners who read like, monster. Yes. Romance books are like, guys, this is child's play.

[Kim]

This is vanilla compared to the shit I read. And to that I say, good for you.

[Anna]

I tried to do a monster book once. I couldn't make it past like, chapter five.

[Christina]

Oh, God. Oh, man.

[Anna]

I tried. Listen, I didn't want to discriminate I was like, let's see.

[Kim]

No.

[Anna]

Nope, we're good.

[Kim]

No.

[Anna]

All right, Kim.

[Kim]

Okay, let's move on to talking about one of my favorite unexpected subplots, which was the cult subplot. And what are we?

[Anna]

We are a slut for a cult.

[Christina]

We're a slut for a cult.

[Kim]

Not like that. Not like that. Not like that. In a metaph. We're metaphorical sluts for a cult. Okay.

[Anna]

Just love when an author throws it in there.

[Kim]

You know what? And if you had said to me, hey, this shifter Romantasy is gonna have a cult in it, I'd be like, wow, that feels like you're doing a lot. And Ally said, don't worry, I've got it. And you know what? She did?

[Christina]

She did.

[Kim]

I thought this was a fun again. It ups the sexy danger. We are all for that. This wasn't even, like a cute cult. This was just like a good old fashioned man on a power trip, sleeping with all the women and convincing you I'm God type of cult. He didn't try to reinvent the wheel. And for that I say, okay. You know, he just wasn't doing anything fancy. He was like, I basically just want to have a lot of sex.

[Christina]

He's like, and I promise you, you'll become a werewolf at some point. Just hang on. At some point it'll happen. Happen.

[Kim]

Oh, God bless him. Okay, so I'm gonna very quickly just kind of summarize the whole cult thing. Obviously, Constantine was the leader, which also happens to be Serena's father. But like we said, we kind of got the impression that he just sort of slept around and just hoped that one of his offspring would become a hybrid. So when Serena was finally born, she was considered a great gift because, like we just mentioned, Constantine and his predecessors promised that they could turn humans into wares, which in this world specifically is biologically impossible. And I love how they, like, make a joke about it. They're like, oh, like, what? They could just bite you and you would become aware? Like, oh, that's hysterical.

[Anna]

Yeah, I love that.

[Kim]

I was like, well, yes, that is how it happens in other books.

[Anna]

Yes.

[Kim]

Not in this one. I love that.

[Christina]

That was so funny.

[Kim]

Yeah, I thought that was Ali's little wink, wink too. Other kind of shifter.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Kim]

Yeah, but we know that Constantine and his followers were responsible for organizing and orchestrating a massacre that wiped out almost all of the adults in the Northwest territory, including Cohen's parents.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Kim]

When his mother was alpha of their own pack, they used her husband as Bait to lure her out. And as a result, Cohen then had to step up as alpha, and he had his seconds wiped out. Constantine and the wares that followed him, they tried to avoid hurting any humans, but there were some deaths that were unavoidable. Like Serena's mom, for example, as well as. Unfortunately, he did not kill Auntie Irene when he had the opportunity because this woman was cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs. Cuckoo.

[Christina]

Oh, my God.

[Kim]

She kidnaps Serena, and then she's like. Like, hey, you want to see some baby pictures? And Serena's like, yeah. I mean, yes, but like, what the, man? You kidnapped me.

[Anna]

This is not the fun house I.

[Christina]

Wanted to be invited to. No, thank you. She's like, no, you can leave whenever you want. Would you like some tea? It's very creepy. It's very creepy.

[Kim]

No, no, no, no. But, yeah. So Irene kidnaps Serena. She shows her photos from when she was a baby, and also gives her the last letter that. That her biological mom ever wrote.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Kim]

And the letter was like, mostly just Serena's mom kind of like questioning her life. Decisions that have led her to this point. Following a cult leader around, which. Yes.

[Anna]

Wow.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Anna]

Enlightening.

[Kim]

Wow. She's like, I don't know that this was the best choice for a child.

[Anna]

And it's like, oh, my God.

[Christina]

You think, well, that would have been smart to think about ahead of time, you smart little cookie.

[Anna]

I mean, but we didn't. Yeah. Like, she experiences a shootout, and she's like, oh, yeah, you know? So Serena's just, like, not talking. Or they call her Eva. Eva's just, like, not talking anymore after she saw that bloodshed. It's so weird.

[Kim]

I'm like, what?

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Anna]

You think that's weird?

[Kim]

Yeah. It's called trauma.

[Christina]

It's called trauma.

[Kim]

It's called trauma.

[Anna]

Guess what? She's going to blank out all these years of her life, so.

[Kim]

Yeah, exactly. Exactly. So, yeah. I enjoyed this cult subplot. I thought it was fun. The sexy danger was nice.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Kim]

I thought Ali handled it well for it all needing to be condensed into one book. I thought she did a pretty good job.

[Anna]

100%.

[Christina]

Yes.

[Anna]

I was worried we were gonna spend a little too much time on the. You killed my parents. Your father's responsible.

[Christina]

Same.

[Anna]

And we just. She basically was like, no, we're just gonna trust that they understand that their parents were assholes or not Cohen's parents, but Constantine and everybody else was an asshole, and we love each other, and that's all that matters.

[Kim]

Agreed.

[Anna]

I was like, okay, I can Deal with that. It's one book.

[Kim]

Love it.

[Christina]

I loved it. I really didn't want to spend too much time on that. And I really was worried. There was a moment there where he's tied up and he's like, yep, I killed your mom with his stoic face. And then she gets the knife and everything's like. Like, kill him.

[Kim]

Kill him.

[Christina]

In her creepy voice. Don't you want to stab him? And she takes the knife and then she just cuts the rope that's binding him. It's so good.

[Anna]

I love it so much.

[Kim]

I love that moment.

[Christina]

Yes.

[Anna]

All right, Cristina.

[Christina]

All right, so, guys, let's move on to this ending. So, pretty much we're going to recap some things. So after Serena finds out that she's the long lost princess of said cult, she does finally go into heat, which we've discussed. Sexy times. And we do find out that Cohen seconds kind of covered for him and kept the secret that he did break that covenant to service Serena during her heat. Like, make sure she wasn't in pain. You know, what's a good mate to do? But sweet Serena then, you know, acknowledges her feelings, but also knows that she has to let Cohen go because there's no one else who could lead the Northwest. Which is a real logical problem. Yeah, I really enjoyed that Ally put this in here. The obstacles felt realistic.

[Kim]

Yep.

[Christina]

Because without him, the territory will fragment. Someone crazy like Constantine come take power. It's just. It's messy.

[Anna]

Yeah.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Christina]

So, all right, we gotta finish wiping out the cult first. Pretty much. Much to Cohen's dismay, Serena agrees to be bait. And of course, our sexy Alpha. Cohen does not like this, but he ultimately trusts her and also trusts his seconds that they'll be able to rescue Serena. But before she leaves, he does walk away and then stops and turns around and gives her a big kiss in front of everyone. It's so fucking sexy. It's so good. It's so good. Okay, so everything happens really quickly here. Essentially, everything kind of goes to plan. Some things go awry, but ultimately it's fine.

[Anna]

Sure.

[Christina]

Except that when Serena does shift into her wolf and join the fight, she sees Cohen in his human form trying to save that sweet human girl that befriended Serena and helped them. And fucking anti Irene.

[Kim]

Fucking anti Irene.

[Christina]

She's there and she's about to shoot Cohen. So Serena jumps in front of the gun and saves Cohen and the human girl and she takes the bullet in her arm. And it's so good. She's so brave. Our sweet Serena. She's so Brave.

[Anna]

And then she wakes up in the hospital room, and it's been a few days. I love that Misery is sitting there just, like, flipping through a magazine, and she's like, oh, you're awake now. Cohen's gonna be so disappointed that he wasn't here. He hasn't left her bedside in days.

[Kim]

Yeah, she's so good. Yeah.

[Anna]

And Serena's like, what happened? And Misery's response is, you have been deaunted, I fear.

[Christina]

Love her.

[Anna]

Your only family is dead. Yeah, I'm the only one left. I hope you're okay with that. Yes, I absolutely love them. But the biggest takeaway from this kind of at the end here is, as we say on the podcast, a Little Heavenly Fire. The assembly does away with the celibacy covenant because they're just so impressed with how Cohen and Serena handled the whole cult thing. And basically they were like, oh, we trust that your emotions won't get in the way because you let your mate go off and sacrifice herself. And she then sacrificed herself to save you again. She did a lot of sacrificing, Cohen, so we don't think she'll hold you back. Yeah, yeah, it was a little Heavenly Fire. Very quick. But again, standalone. Yeah, we'll allow it. We don't have many books to wrap this up, so.

[Christina]

I liked it.

[Kim]

It's fine.

[Christina]

I was here for it. It was great. I love the reveal. She's like, oh, no. Were they fuck waffles? And then he's like, well, kind of. Yeah. And she's like, oh, okay. Well, that's sucks. Guess I gotta go. This sucks. I have to leave. And he's like, yeah, yeah, no, the covenant's gone. And she's like, what the fuck? What are you talking about?

[Anna]

He's like, yeah, you're not leaving me.

[Christina]

I loved it. It's so cute.

[Kim]

And I love it.

[Anna]

And I love that, like, the epilogue is so sweet. And they're doing all these mundane things, like, they go to work every day, and then they come back and she does the cooking. Just like Christina talked about earlier, how that was such a sweet, mundane thing that Serena always wanted to do, and now she gets to do it when Cohen gets home from work and she cooks for them. And, yeah, I love that she, like, looks at him and she's like, are you gonna get tired of this boring life? And he's like, no, this is the boring life. I want just you.

[Kim]

Oh.

[Anna]

And it's so.

[Christina]

It's beautiful. And I love that we got that from his POV specifically because we Got him thinking, how could she ever think this was boring? I'm so in love with her.

[Anna]

I'm so in love.

[Christina]

So beautiful. And then we get the biting thing where she accidentally bites him. And she's like, oh, I'm sorry. And then she's like, do you maybe want to bite me? Like, if you want to. You haven't mentioned it in a while, but, like, if you kind of want to.

[Kim]

And he's like, oh, my God.

[Christina]

I have been losing my mind to try to give you space. It's so good. I loved it.

[Anna]

It's so good. He's like, I was trying not to be a territorial asshole.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Anna]

And she's like, oh, that didn't track. Like, you literally check on me all the time.

[Christina]

She's like, you're always staring at me.

[Kim]

You're, like, obsessed with me.

[Anna]

Why are you so obsessed with me, Colin?

[Kim]

Oh, God.

[Christina]

Oh, I love them so much.

[Kim]

They have the wolf puppy.

[Christina]

Yes, Twinkles.

[Kim]

Not a wolf, but, like, the dog that Cohen's like. I don't know.

[Anna]

The domesticated dog. That was so funny.

[Kim]

I feed it sometimes. She's like, okay, Well, I see Ms. Twinkles, and we're gonna get him a collar, and we're gonna get him food and water bowls, and he's gonna sit on the porch with us. And Cohen's like, okay, okay. Guess we've adopted a dog. Great.

[Christina]

And I love. There's a moment where Cohen thinks that he's one day gonna look at the wolf, and the wolf's gonna be annoyed that he's tamed. And. And he's like, but he loves this. And then he realizes, like, as do I. Like, I also love it.

[Anna]

I love all of this. I thought it was a really nice full circle for all of them and just kind of agreed. They get to have this normal life together. And it's great normalcy, just simple, boring.

[Kim]

Life after all the sexy danger. I think they deserve it, you know?

[Anna]

I think they deserve it, you know, that's okay. Most of us live that boring life, and that's fine.

[Christina]

We get by.

[Anna]

We get by.

[Kim]

We do. Okay.

[Christina]

I'm sure there'll be more sexy danger, you know, in the future.

[Kim]

Yeah, absolutely. We loved it.

[Christina]

You guys loved it.

[Anna]

All right, that is our episode on Made by Ali Hazelwood. It was so much fun to talk about. We'll see you next time. Cheers and Happy reading.

[Kim]

Bye. Well, friends, that wraps up another episode of Flights of Fantasy podcast. Don't forget to join our book club community on Instagram and TikTok. At flights of Fantasy Podcast where you can share your thoughts, theories and favorite moments with us and fellow listeners. We'd love to hear from you. If you enjoy enjoyed today's episode, please rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform. Your support helps us spread the magic of Romantasy to even more book lovers. Until next time, keep dreaming, keep reading, and remember, every good story deserves to take flight.