Pages and Potions Podcast

Arrrrr me mateys! Shiver me timbers!Pirate romantasy may be our new favourite genre - especially if it has a respectful and dashing MMC, and fierce FMC, and cool history and magic system.The Ever King was a super fun read - and we may have a new top contender for our book boyfriend lists.Can you guess what we drank for this episode? Something that gives us the taste of the wild seas - Pirate Punch of course! What pirate-themed episode wouldn't include rum?1oz. Dark rumDash of cinnamonSplash of Lime2 oz. cranberry juiceSmall can of Sprite or Ginger aleGarnish with a lemon or lime(Pineapple would also go well with this drink!)

Deep trauma, "touch her and die", Fated mates, and enemies-to-friends-to-lovers? Sign us up.Join us as we discuss the wild ride that is Rhapsodic by Laura Thalassa. This one kept us guessing until the very end, and while it has some tried and true tropes, it is utterly unique.Callie, our FMC, loves a good whiskey. So we created the Callie Special to pair with this fun read!½ cup cranberry juiceGood squirt of lime juiceSmall can of spicy ginger beer1 oz. of shooting whiskey. Pour the first 3 ingredients into a glass with ice. Pour your whiskey into a separate shot glass.Shoot the whiskey, chase with the drink. Enjoy!Tag us if you try it!

Find out why Devon is dickmatized in this episode of Pages and Potions Podcast! In this episode we talk about Dire Bound by Sable Sorenson, an epic tale of a kickass FMC who loves her family, a sassy dire wolf, betrayal, friendship, and trials.To pair with this amazing book we made "Dire Wine", as a nod to the emberwine we see the bonded recruits drink in the book. Ingredients:1 glass of red wine (we like a hefty pour)1 oz. Creme de Cassis1 oz. Brandy 2 oz. Cranberry JuiceSplash of Sparkling water or gingeraleSliced oranges and blackberriesTo a fresh glass with ice, add brandy, creme de cassis, Cranberry Juice, and wine and stir. Top with the soda or gingerale. Garnish with an orange wedge or blackberry and enjoy.

This one was a nice surprise! Based in a Venetian-inspired paradise, Olivia Wildenstein's House of Beating Wings is the kind of book you sink into and don't want to come back to the surface.Listen as we discuss our girl Fallon and her adventures, find out why we need to give Dante a map, and definitely try the delicious drink, the Terespagian Sunset. We think it might be the best one yet!1 oz. Aperol1 oz. Creme de Cassis1 oz. Orange JuiceSplash of Sparkling water or Prosecco if you’re feeling naughty!To a fresh glass with ice, add aperol, creme de cassis, OJ and stir. Top with the soda or prosecco. Garnish with an orange wedge or blackberry and enjoy.

We had so much fun talking through Raven Kennedy's Gild in this episode! It was like the universe was conspiring against us with technical difficulties the first THREE TIMES we tried to record this one, but we got it figured out. The beauty and magic of the Plated Prisoner series starts here, in this amazing dive into a cold and blizzardy world where kings are dipshits and subterfuge is rewarded. To help us warm up from the chill of Highbell, try out our Highbell Hot Toddy:1 cup pineapple juice½ cup orange juice1 tsp honey1 cinnamon stick1 thick ginger slice1 tbsp butterDash of clovesHeat in a sauce pan on low-medium heat (you don’t want the sugars to burn), until hot and steaming. Remove ginger slice and cinnamon stick and pour into your favourite mug. Garnish with a fresh cinnamon stick. enjoy!

Devon and Courtney get heated as they rate their top book boyfriends. Some they agree on, some they do not. As always, unhinged hilarity ensues as the conversation gets weirder. No cocktail tonight - just drinks of our own choosing. Sit back, grab your fave bevvy, and enjoy this one.

This one is for those of us who like the action to start immediately. Sorry, not THAT kind of action. Think Hunger Games meets House of Cards. This is one of those books that sucks you in and keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout. And the twist at the end? You’ll have to tell us if you saw it coming. We certainly didn’t.Our potion this week is one of our favourites yet! Make sure to tag us if you try it - if you like a whiskey sour, you will NOT be disappointed!The Nightborn SourIngredients:2 oz. Bourbon1 oz. Black Cherry Juice or Cherry Syrup1 oz. Lemon JuiceEgg White1 oz. Simple Syrup (if using cherry syrup, omit this step)Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake hard for 2 min (need to froth up the egg white!)Strain in a fresh glass with ice. Garnish with a cherry!

Have you ever thought, “man, I need a chaotic read with some top-tier spice and scenes that will rip my heart right out of my chest”? If you have, Brimstone by Callie Hart may just be for you!This wild ride of a novel gives us exactly what we want…furry friends, long-lost besties, and most importantly, some of the most iconic book boyfriend lines in the history of book boyfriends. In honour of our furry friend Onyx, and his journey in this book, we created a White Chocolate Raspberry Martini.Ingredients:2 oz. Raspberry Vodka 1 oz. white chocolate liquer3 muddled raspberriesSugar covered raspberry for garnishAdd the vodka, liqueur and raspberries to a shaker glass with ice. Shake hard for 2 min. Strain into a martini glass. Toss raspberry in lime juice and the coat in sugar. Garnish. Sip, and enjoy responsibly!

Stress of the season got you down? Christmas Tree Farm by Laurie Gilmore is the perfect “snuggle up on the couch with a fuzzy blanket and slippers and enjoy” kinda vibe. Truth be told, this book was the perfect remedy for stressful holidays.We paired this sweet story with a sweet drink - our best pairing yet - the Peppermint Mocha Martini.Ingredients:1 oz. Espresso Vodka1/2 oz. Peppermint schnapps1 oz. Coffee liqueurCandy cane rimDrizzle of chocolate syrupRim a martini glass with chocolate syrup and crushed candy canes. Combine the vodka schnapps and liqueur in a shaker cup with ice and add a small squeeze of chocolate syrup. Shake hard for 1 min and strain into the candy cane rimmed glass. Enjoy by a cozy fire or as an after dinner treat! 

What do you do when one half of a dynamic duo is shamelessly negligent and doesn't finish the book you were going to review? You chit chat about fave reads of 2025 and TBRs for 2026, of course!From Devon having the absolutely wrong #1 book boyfriend, to Courtney pleading with Rebecca Yarros to make book 4 boring, this episode has a little for everyone.WARNING! There are spoilers for MANY books in this podcast. If you do not want spoilers from ACOTAR, The Empyrean Series, Crescent City, Throne of Glass, and the Everflame books, maybe this isn't the episode for you.Join us in this post-9-to-5, beer drinking, story swapping episode before we're back with a fluffy Christmas episode on December 24! No cocktail today, just a couple of sour beers and good vibes.

Time to watch two grown women swoon over a big, nice-smelling fae dude. Join us for our conversation on Spark of the Everflame by Penn Cole. Both of us devoured the three books in this series that are currently out, and we are impatiently awaiting book 4. This book has everything - badass FMC, intrigue, the dipsh*t blonde non-end-game-guy, hot and broody MMC, adventure…For our cocktail we decided to put a spin on a whiskey sour - if you try our “Flameroot Sour” make sure you post and tag us!2oz bourbon1oz lemon juice1oz simple syrup1 egg whiteCranberry juice (the UTI friendly kind - because we care about your health!)Combine bourbon, lemon juice, simply syrup and egg white in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shaky shake shake. Pour into a glass over ice. Then, pour a cranberry juice float over top. And if you want to be extra like Devon use a cocktail smoker!To mocktailify this, use an iced black tea, or non-alcoholic bourbon in place of the bourbon. 

Is Kingfisher THE new book boyfriend? And, what exactly are the right words to describe lady bits? These are just a few of the topics covered in this episode of Pages and Potions!Devon and Courtney dive into the Fae and Alchemy series with a look at Quicksilver by Callie Hart. This beautiful story follows Saeris Fane as she finds herself thrust into a world she never even knew existed. Our cocktail this week we call "The Alchemist". This surprising and delicious libation is a little sweet (like Onyx), and little dark (like Kingfisher), and a little fresh (like Carrion).Ingredients:2 oz gin1 oz lemon juice1 oz simple syrupBlackberries muddled with fresh basilBlackberry bubbly or other blackberry soda waterMuddle the blackberries and basil together in a shaker glass, fill with ice. Add gin, lemon juice and simple syrup. Shake shake shake! Strain into a fresh glass with ice and top with blackberry bubbly or soda water, Garnish with a fresh basil leaf and enjoy!To Mocktailify this, skip the gin and add more soda water, like a blackberry basil spritz!

ACOTAR...the gateway drug.If you're anything like us, someone recommended this book to you and you ended up spiraling into romantasy obsession and too many book boyfriends to count. It's got everything - a badass FMC, incredible world-building, hot fae men...wyrms.This episode isn't a deep dive but rather a love letter. An ode to a book that re-ignited a childhood love of reading for both of us, and ended up fostering a deep love of all things fictional - especially those of the tall, dark, and handsome variety (sorry, Tamlin). We've paired today's episode with the "Feyre 75", our take on the French 75 with a fruity twist. Tag us if you try it!1 oz gin1 oz grapefruit juice0.5 oz simple syrupShake it up with ice and pour into a glassTop with sparkling rosePlease note that there are a few technical glitches with this episode! We know they're there and while we're not sure exactly what happened; go easy on us as we're still learning how to edit.

Dark comedy, morally grey characters, and an unhinged love story? Count us in, Brynne Weaver!Join us as we discuss the dark romantic comedy, Butcher and Blackbird. Warning; this podcast is not safe for work due to explicit language and content, and as always, read the trigger warnings, babes. Devon and Courtney also introduce the drink of the week, an Oreo White Russian, and provide a detailed review of the book's plot, characters, and spicy scenes, while offering their personal ratings and reflections on the book's unique blend of romance and violence. They conclude with recommendations for listeners interested in exploring dark romance further.Today’s Drink Recipe - Oreo White Russian courtesy of The Food in my Beard https://www.thefoodinmybeard.com/oreo-white-russian/HoneyCrushed oreos1.5 oz vodka1.5 oz coffee liquor3 oz milkUse the honey and a small amount of crushed oreos to rim a glassAdd 1 tbsp crushed oreos and remaining ingredients into a shaker over iceShake vigorously and pour over ice into rimmed glassSip and enjoy!00:00 Introduction and Podcast Overview00:27 NSFW and Spoiler Alert01:51 This Week's Book and Drink04:21 Book Review: Butcher and Blackbird07:32 Dark Romance and Unhinged Love13:34 Spicy Scenes and Piercings17:59 Exploring the Romance and Spice18:36 Trigger Warnings and Content Sensitivity20:00 Rating the Book's Spiciness22:09 Overall Book Rating and Recommendations24:24 Drink Pairing Discussion30:22 Final Thoughts and Wrap-Up

Betrayal. Desire. A kingdom built on lies. In our first episode of Pages and Potions, we dive headfirst into The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen — where love is as dangerous as war. 💋⚔ Grab our custom cocktail or your fave drink, sip along, and let’s unravel every twist, betrayal, and stolen kiss. 🍸✨00:00 Welcome to Pages and Potions00:29 Meet Your Hosts: Devon and Courtney01:47 Cocktail of the Episode: Storms and Seduction05:05 Book Review: The Bridge Kingdom06:35 Plot Overview and Analysis13:20 Character Dynamics and Themes18:27 The Intricacies of Ithicana27:45 Betrayal and Emotional Impact28:32 Comparing Series and Authors29:08 World Building and Character Development29:45 Theories and Speculations35:40 Spicy Scenes and Romance37:40 Final Thoughts and Ratings#pagesandpotionspodcast #TheBridgeKingdom #FantasyRomance