Hot on the heels of Katie flying out to Massachusetts to meet Gwendolyn Harper for the first time IRL, we're wrapping up the Summer of Friendship with the third book in Gwenny's Zombie Apocalypse Romance Trilogy, Bloody Sunset! Book Description In the steamy, thrilling conclusion of the Zombie Apocalypse Romance trilogy... Caitlin Meadows has survived a plane crash, malicious government foot soldiers, and a zombie infested wasteland. Her life is nothing like it was only several months prior, but her one bright spot is her beloved Jack Booker-- the man she never would have imagined for herself and now cannot live without. With more of their friends rescued and their numbers growing, Caitlin and Booker shoulder the responsibility of building a new community out of the rubble of once was. But when tragedy strikes and grotesque clues point to there being a murderer in their midst, can Caitlin and Booker uncover the threat before it's too late? Or will they meet a bloody end? TRIGGERS: violence, gun violence, gore, life threatening situations, zombies, post apocalyptic creepy dudes, there are no unicorns in the zombie apocalypse.  TROPES: hurt/comfort, found family, this damsel carries a gun, murder mystery somehow? When did this become The Silence of the Lambs?  TITILATIONS: light fem dom and light breath play, sex after the end of the world. So...What Are You Into? Katie: In Our Ears Podcast Carl: Gundam Base Mobile Tour Bonus Video: the life-size RX-78 Gundam in action! Gwendolyn's Lnk.Bio Our Linktree Join Our Discord! Support Us on Patreon! Music: "Nostalgia" by Makaih Beats freemusicarchive.org

For the penultimate episode of the Summer of Friendship, Katie and Carl were joined by their favorite smutty polymath, Cassie, aka Unfortunate Reads! In keeping with the format of her popular TikTok channel, she ran Katie and Carl through the plots of FIVE naughty novellas before Katie jumped in with a quickie of her own! (In the interest of keeping the show notes from spiraling out of control, we are foregoing content warnings this week.) Cassie: Conquered by Clippy by Leonard Delaney Taken By a Turkey Baster by I.M. Cuumings Digging the Dirt Man by Peggy Biggs Cold Sweat by Vera Valentine SPF Me by Holly Wilde Katie: Tyrannosaurus Sext by Lola Faust So...What Are You Into? Katie: The Starfall Point Series by Molly Harper Carl: Gideon the Ninth Cassie: the ARC for the follow-up to Dragon King of New York by Thea Masen Cassie's Website Our Linktree Join Our Discord! Support Us On Patreon! Music: "Nostalgia" by Makaih Beats freemusicarchive.org

In a break from the ordinary, Katie tucked into a physical book this week and read The Spellbroken King by friend-of-the-show J.A. Keeton! This one's a dark romance, so you know that Carl will provide many deep sighs and concerned looks. Book Description: A human with hidden powers. A broody demon prince turned bounty hunter. A fated mate connection that threatens to destroy the world.What could be worse than being falsely imprisoned for a crime you didn't commit? How about being relentlessly pursued by a seven-foot-tall demonic bounty hunter determined to drag you back to jail?As a magicless human in an otherwise magical world, Celeste enjoyed her relatively ordinary life as a bartender, struggling to make ends meet and still coming up short every time. If life wasn't hard enough for a 27-year-old living alone in the big city, her creepy stalker finally crossed the line, framing her for a crime she didn't commit.Forced to escape to a secret town where magic is unusable, Celeste has a new goal to leave her old life behind and never look back. Unfortunately, fate had other ideas, coming in the form of a sexy-as-hell bounty hunter, who turns out to be not only the lost prince but her fated mate as well.With their destinies entwined, Celeste and Ominous's bond comes with unforeseen complications threatening the fate of the entire world. TRIGGERS: creepy motherfuckers named Markus, violence, gun violence, murder, massacre, blood, blood consumption, blood magic, death, stalking, kidnapping, shall I go on? This is a DARK romance. TROPES: m/f romance (demon and human), dark romance, enemies-to-lovers, fated mates, political intrigue and lost royalty. TITILATIONS: size difference/size kink, unique anatomy, light BDSM, pain and pleasure, dubious consent, THIS IS A DARK ROMANCE. So...What Are You Into? Katie: "Otaku Hot Girl" by Megan Thee Stallion Carl: "Lucy" by Dropping Daylight Author's Linktree Our Linktree Join Our Discord! Support Us on Patreon! Music: "Nostalgia" by Makaih Beats freemusicarchive.org

This week we get a little help from our friends thanks to Sinful Signings "Sinfluencer" Katie Hurd! She joined Katie and Carl to guide them through a tale of a demon dom daddy and his quest to capture the heart (but mostly soul) of his latest reaping target. Give us a listen as Katie covers Sinful Demands by P.S. Nail while Carl grits his teeth through a rather prickly peen description. Book Description: The smell of my success thick in the air as another human manages to break their contract. It clearly states for eternity. Considering it was his daughter’s life he waged, I guess he wasn’t overly concerned. Bound by blood, her soul is now mine. The sweet scent that’s seeping from her pores fills my lungs. It’s the fear she is pretending not to show. Usually, I’m not attracted to any human entity, but I am inexplicably drawn to her. She thinks I don’t know her soul is tainted like mine. I’m going to break it open and take a peek at the hidden evil buried deep inside, but not before she pays for her father’s debt. She’s filled with too much pride to fulfill an obligation to a demon. I’ll strip that away as well. Either she meets my sinful demands or spends eternity wishing she did. TRIGGERS: explicit language, alcohol consumption, gambling and drug addiction, murder, betrayal by a parent, coercion, persuasion, sexual assault/rape (in the past, off-page), pregnancy, adoption, explicit sexual content including: unprotected sex, edging, spanking, choking, and dubious consent. TROPES: lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers, demon dom daddy, scents and smells. TITILATIONS: wingspan reference, sex while hanging off a balcony, mind-reading during sex for the purposes of improving performance, spit for lube, and hand necklaces. So...What Are You Into? Katie: My Hero Academia Carl: The Council of Frogs Katie H.: Building a home recording studio! Author's Website Katie Hurd on TikTok Our Linktree Join Our Discord! Support Us on Patreon! Music: "Nostalgia" by Makaih Beats freemusicarchive.org

When Katie first pitched Carl the idea for Cheap Smut nearly three years ago, one of the first books she mentioned wanting to cover was Love Laugh Lich by Kate Prior. We knew we'd get around to it eventually, but since we're now friends IRL with Kate, it's a perfect fit for the Summer of Friendship! Tune in as Carl laughs through his lingering bronchitis and doesn't regret a single second of it! Book Description: Some people have monsters for a boss, but not everyone has an undead Necromancer Lord at the office.Lily has been the Lich's secretary ever since his evilness took over the company. She loves her job, but she's got some questions about her boss. Like what's under that cloak of ever-billowing.Her wondering intensifies when one day the Lich needs something from her that isn't just scheduling appointments-- but a shiver. He needs it for a spell, but it feels like it crosses a line from their usual workplace banter.After her contributions to his dark rituals become more than OSHA compliant, she starts to contemplate whether the Lich Lord returns her feelings, or still only sees her as his secretary. Lily may have given him her body, but he never asked for her heart. TRIGGERS: mentions of violent attacks and threats to personal safety, reference to virginity as value, demons, monsters, creepy coworkers named Randall, corporate drudgery. TROPES: m/f monster/human, office romance boss/employee, virgin mc, size difference. TITILATIONS: unique anatomy, anal play, double penetration. So...What Are You Into? Katie: FRIENDSHIP! Carl: Deadpool & Wolverine Author's Website Our Linktree Join Our Discord! Support Us on Patreon! Music: "Nostalgia" by Makaih Beats freemusicarchive.org

This week, Katie and Carl were joined by author Ivy M. Young mere days before the release of her debut novel, and she took us on a wild ride through Mustang's Torment by Misty Walker! Give the episode a listen, and then immediately go buy Ivy's book! Book Description: Mike “Mustang” Cohen has come a long way from the scrawny, emo kid who was constantly bullied at the private schools he attended on scholarship. He’s gained muscle, confidence, a job at an autobody shop, and he’s earned a role as Secretary for the Sons of Erebus MC. Now he fears no one, and all the rage festering inside him is used to deliver the club’s enemies to the Reaper himself. So when his filthy rich childhood tormentor, Jenson Poole, shows up at The Garage with car problems, Mustang is quick to make him pay. Except Jenson looks good on his knees. . . so good that Mustang begins to crave other things from him. Things he shouldn’t. But when blows are delivered that would mean both men’s lives were a lie, can Jenson become more than Mustang’s Torment? CONTENT WARNING: violence, bullying, foul language, graphic sex, mentions of incest. TROPES: M/M romance. So...What Are You Into? Katie: The Evil Within Us by RE Johnson Carl: New Orleans Playing Card Company Ivy: Feathers at Sea by Kennedy Sutton Author's Website Ivy M. Young on TikTok Our Linktree Join Our Discord! Support Us on Patreon! Music: "Nostalgia" by Makaih Beats freemusicarchive.org

The Summer of Friendship rolls on this week, as Katie and Carl get cozy with Snuggle by Sabrina Cross! Despite Carl's reservations about a sentient, 5-foot (1.5m) tall teddy bear, your favorite degenerate duo had a blast with this tale of a demon-filled teddy bear and his efforts to help a friend find love lest the devil snatch her soul! Book Description: Jasmine is too busy to go to Hell and she's definitely too busy for demon antics. But when her demon "fairy godmother" shows up, everything is on the line. Does she have what it takes to get out of the Devil's bargain or is she doomed to face the flames? TRIGGERS: Satan/Hell/demons etc., divorce and mentions of emotional abuse by an ex-spouse to both the FMC and their children, physical altercation between parents while their children are present, shitty ex-husbands named Tyler. TROPES: M/F romance between demon and human, hurt/comfort, and forced proximity. TITILATIONS: pleasure-dominant lust demon with powers, forced orgasms, and ALL THE SEX TOYS! So...What Are You Into? Katie: "Joy Ride" by Kesha Carl: Indika Author's Website Our Linktree Join the Smutco Industries Discord! Support us on Patreon! Music: "Nostalgia" by Makaih Beats freemusicarchive.org

DISCLAIMER: the audio quality of this episode is not up to our usual standards due to technical difficulties, but we had too much fun making it to not release it. We hope that the reduced audio quality does not reduce your enjoyment of the episode. The Summer of Friendship rolls merrily along as we are joined by the fabulous Gwendolyn Harper, who blew our minds with her recounting of Lyonne Riley's My Minotaur Husband! Give it a listen and enjoy the tale of a girl finding her minotaur in a world where monsters are the norm, and humans are scarce. CONTENT WARNING: graphic depictions of sex, use of sex toys, stretching and stuffing, light gore and assault, and discussions of parental death and abandonment. So...What Are You Into? Katie: Without You by Samantha Moran Carl: "Dragonball Durag" by Thundercat Gwendolyn: The Bear, Season 3 Author's Website Gwendolyn's Website In Our Ears Podcast Our Linktree Music: "Nostalgia" by Makaih Beats freemusicarchive.org

The 1st Annual Smutco Industries Summer of Friendship officially kicks off this week with April D. Berry's cozy romcom, Cut to The Heart of It. Join Katie and Carl for a "snowed in"-adjacent tale full of sexy lumberjacks, silver foxes, and steamy sex! Book Description Writers live in a fantasy world, but CJ tries to keep a good head on her shoulders: a steady job, close to her mom, and only uses her free time to work on her dream of being a full-time author. After a weekend with a love interest turns out to be a huge mistake, she decides to get some distance from the gossip mill and catch up on some writing at a cozy cabin up the mountain.Johnny is a simple man. He runs a business and rents out cabins. His main priority is his son that he raised alone for nearly eighteen years. When a bad storm hits the mountain, Johnny rushes to tell the only renter to evacuate, but he’s too late.Stranded together at the cabin where CJ was hoping to get some writing done, will they go stir crazy, or will cabin fever heat the place up? TRIGGERS: dangerous weather conditions, drinking, mention of the loss of a parent. TROPES: F/M cis/het romance, romcom, trapped together by nature, lumberjack, silver fox. TITILATIONS: standard-issue (but VERY hot) sex between two humans. So...What Are You Into? Katie: LEGO flowers Carl: PBM reform Author's Website Our Linktree Join the Smutco Industries Discord! Support us on Patreon! Music: "Nostalgia" by Makaih Beats freemusicarchive.org

Katie and Carl are in New Orleans this week, but that didn't stop them from curling up with a good book in their hotel room! This week, they read Hard Bubbles by Leah Legend, and we are proud to announce that this is the book that may have finally broken Carl. Book Description "You can't just randomly waltz into my life, stake a claim and tear down my walls all in one night.""I can, and I will."+ + + +When a sexy as hell mershifter has the audacity to tell me that I’m the one he’s been waiting to find, I put him in his deluded place. And then somehow put my lips on his. As a human moving into Shifter City, America’s unofficial shifter capital, I expected to be taking corporate names and going home alone—not rushing out of a bar when Jaxon’s back is turned. He wants to claim me. Breed me. Keep me safe. Says it’ll happen tonight.The scary part? His words thrill me.The scarier part? Something else has scented me and wants me for his. TRIGGERS: violence, abduction, attempted drowning, beheading, death. TROPES: F/M romance, paranormal romance, shifter romance, fated mates, pregnancy, and babies. TITILATIONS: breeding kink, multiple peens, double penetration, double vaginal penetration. So...What Are You Into? Katie: the city of New Orleans Carl: Final Fantasy XVI Bonus Link: Ben Starr's Instagram Author's Linktree Our Linktree Join the Smutco Industries Discord! Support Us on Patreon! Music: "Nostalgia" by Makaih Beats freemusicarchive.org

This month, we had the privilege of chatting with Evie Black and learning all about this multifaceted author. We chat about her military service, her love of DnD, and how she came to discover her love of writing. Author's Website Our Linktree

After a much-needed week off, we're back with a sweet slice of sexy sapphic fun with Heather Nix's Mixing Up Mayhem! Give us a listen as Katie geeks out over her favorite FMC of the year (so far) and Carl asks the question everyone's dying to know: who is Joanna Gaines? Book Description Things are finally looking up for thirty-five year old Jackie Miller. She’s scored her dream job as head pâtissier at the top restaurant in the country, she’s going to propose to her girlfriend, and she’s flexing her creative muscle with a showpiece dessert that will blow the socks off of the Seattle food scene. Or so she thinks. When she meets a hellish princess in an explosive mishap, her whole life gets flipped upside down, and Jackie has to figure out how to juggle an unexpected breakup, an unexpected houseguest, and some unexpected feelings which might just lead to heaven on earth. TRIGGERS: cheating (not within the main couple), misogyny in the workplace, demons and Hell, discussions of sin, and alcoholism. TROPES: sapphic (F/F) romance, rom-com, portal fantasy-adjacent, and line-cook romance. TITILATIONS: explicit lesbian sex, fisting, tail sex, anal sex, breath play, consensual erotic asphyxia, and kink. So...What Are You Into? Katie: the music of David Bowie Carl: Chappell Roan Author's Website Our Linktree Join the Smutco Industries Discord! Support Us on Patreon! Music: "Nostalgia" by Makaih Beats freemusicarchive.org

Katie called an audible this week and opted to break out a space-faring insta-love courtesy of Naomi Lucas. Join us this week for Cyborg Pool Boy and ponder the vastness of space, where no on can hear you scream. Or moan. Book Description What could a fabulously wealthy heiress possibly do when an alien monster takes up residence in her pool? Call a Cyborg Monster Hunter, obviously. OBVIOUSLY. Little did she know that she just hired a monster to take out another monster. CONTENT WARNING: sci-fi violence, excessive galactic wealth. SEX CONTENT/TROPES: F/M romance, augmented human (cyborg), sci-fi romance, shifter romance. So...What Are You Into? Katie: Dimension 20 - Fantasy High: Junior Year Carl: the music of Talking Heads Author's Website Our Linktree Join the Smutco Industries Discord! Support us on Patreon! Music: "Nostalgia" by Makaih Beats freemusicarchive.org

We're back from our week off with Dana Sweeney's sexy sci-fi scorcher Lust For Tomorrow! If you think that there's no time to bone down in a zombie apocalypse, please let the characters in this book swiftly and frequently disabuse you of that notion. Book Description Submission is freeing… Love is a trap.Pacific Northwest Writers Association Finalist for Best Romance, 2023I’ve never seen his face. But I ache to feel his body.My fellow soldiers call him Alpha. It’s an insult, mocking his macho bravado, his aggressive arrogance. I’ve heard the snark, seen the rolled eyes. Alpha. It’s a joke. But when I hear him speak…His rich, deep voice. His lush British accent… I guess the joke’s on me.Since the zombies came, civilization fell, and new social structures arose, I’ve known that my independence relies on my disinterest in any particular man. The powers that be haven’t resorted to forced procreation… at least not yet; they still expect we’ll fall in love and walk into the trap willingly.My resistance requires that I avoid emotional connections. My existence requires that I avoid distractions, that I stand and fight. But every time this man speaks, I want to fall to my knees, offer myself to him. However he’ll have me.Lust is a distraction I can’t afford, but it’s not love. As long as I don’t fall in love, I’m safe. And who could possibly fall for Alpha? CONTENT WARNING: Lust for Tomorrow is a dystopian sci-fi romance. There is a zombie apocalypse underway, so there will be some discussion of loss and danger. Not everyone who has survived so far in this dangerous world is a very good person; there is an implied threat of sexual assault (not by the hero) and some discussion of this as a societal concern. There are themes of reproductive rights, ableism, gender equality, and LGBTQ equality. SEX CONTENT: There is a lot of sex in this book, all with explicit and enthusiastic consent. The hero is dominant, and the heroine is submissive. Activities include fellatio (with deep throating and swallowing), cunnilingus, vaginal sex, anal sex, fisting, and a threesome (MFM) with double penetration. So...What Are You Into? Katie: "Unsweetened Lemonade" by Amelie Farren Carl: The Present Age Author's Website Our Linktree Join the Smutco Industries Discord! Support us on Patreon! Music: "Nostalgia" by Makaih Beats freemusicarchive.org

Join us for this month's Author Profile and get to know the delightful Bjorn Wilde! We discuss the origins of his pen name, his unique approach to first drafts, and his long-gestating desire to drive a bus! Bjorn's Website Our Linktree Music: "Nostalgia" by Makaih Beats freemusicarchive.org

Thanks to another great recommendation (this time courtesy of friend of the show Gwendolyn Harper), this week we're mixing two of our favorite tropes: gay hockey players and monstrous main characters! Join us as we revel in the sexy fun of Puck and Plume by Rhea Fox, the first book on the show to make Carl openly declare that he would eat one of the main characters. Book Description NATE I could've done without falling asleep in the middle of a Bavarian forest and being startled awake by a massive dude with a mohawk and a beak. Seriously, why did he wait for me to wake up and free him from the stupid trap my teammates told me to set up? They said I'd catch a mythical creature that would take me to its treasure. He introduces himself as Vee and says, now that I’ve caught him, he’s my mate. What the heck? I don't want a mate with a beak, no matter how awesome his butt is or how much I want to use his cushy pecs as pillows. When he brings me into the heart of the woods, I'm afraid he'll hurt me, but thank goodness for Vee, who takes care of me. Now I just need to make it through the night without getting frisky with the chicken dude who rescued me. VITUS I can't believe I got stuck in that dumb trap, especially when it's just a flimsy net on a dying branch. The guy snoozing against the oak across the way put it up. I didn't even need to see the Greek letters on his old shirt. He was the embodiment of an American frat boy. Tourists... They always underestimate the power of Bavarian beer. I'm tempted to let him sleep. There's another part of me that's trying really hard to ignore how hot he is. I don't even like being around people and trying my best to avoid them. Taking Frat Boy home with me sucks, but I don't really have a choice. He's too drunk to get very far without freezing, and I can’t go against the oath I took as a Forest Ranger. CONTENT WARNING: description of a fatal hockey accident and ensuing trauma of a witness. TROPES: M/M romance, insta-lust, dubious consent. So...What Are You Into? Katie: "Good Luck, Babe!" by Chappell Roan Carl: "Hind's Hall" by Macklemore Author's Website Our Linktree Join the Smutco Industries Discord! Support us on Patreon! Music: "Nostalgia" by Makaih Beats freemusicarchive.org

Our listeners make the best recommendations! Listener Tia E. recommended Leigh Miller's Nora's Kraken to Katie, and it immediately checked all of her favorite boxes: monster smut, cozy vibes, and a sweet cinnamon roll of an MMC. Oh, and the opportunity to make Carl squirm with tentacle talk! Book Description: I didn’t flee one monster just to be claimed by another.When the Monster Relations Bureau tells me I've been identified as a kraken shifter's mate, my first instinct is to run. I learned the hard way what it means to be treated like someone’s possession, and I’m not about to make the same mistake twice.Only, Elias is… different. Patient and careful with me, willing to wait as long as it takes for me to let him in. The more I learn to trust him, and the more he draws me under with the dark temptation of his touch, the more the defenses I’ve held onto so long start to crumble.Still, he’s not the only monster I’ve dealt with. And when the human monster from my past finally catches up with me, I’ll have to decide if I trust Elias enough to let him help me, protect me, claim me as his, even though being possessed has only ever left me broken and afraid. CONTENT WARNINGS: Explicit sexual content, Tentacles used for sex, Strained parent/child relationship (historical) (Following triggers take place outside the relationship between MCs) Domestic abuse (historical), Emotional abuse (historical) , Stalking, Kidnapping, Threat made with a firearm. TROPES: M/F Romance, Fated Mates, Monster Romance, Shifter Romance TAGS: Found family; forced proximity; you’re a monster, but you're my monster; heroine with a shadowed past and a hero determined to protect her; reluctant mate; I called, you came; a kraken but also a wife guy; he looks like a pirate because he was a pirate; enthusiastic consent is the sexiest consent; soft monsters; hero falls first So...What Are You Into? Katie: Solo Leveling Carl: Stevie Wilson Author's Website Our Linktree Join the Smutco Industries Discord! Support us on Patreon! Music: "Nostalgia" by Makaih Beats freemusicarchive.org

At the end of last week's episode, Katie refrained from giving us the name of this week's book, lest she spoil anything. In retrospect, she made the right call, because going blind into Holly Wilde's Earthed really is the best way to experience this absolutely bananas book! Hell, I'd even recommend blowing right past the book description below! Book Description Meet Celeste, the brilliant anthropologist who discovers that our planet is in trouble. The world isn't what it seems, in fact, it's bigger and thicker than we could have ever imagined. Not to mention, it's about to explode. The only way to save our world is for Celeste to journey beyond the stars and transform into a giant woman. As she explores the vastness of space, she discovers a love as immense as the universe itself: a passionate bond with none other than the Earth. Prepare for an out of this world experience when you read "Earthed". CONTENT WARNING: ongoing discussion of the slowly dying planet, incredible liberties being taken with basically all scientific and physical truths of the universe and the planet itself. TROPES: sci-fi romance, sentient object (??) So...What Are You Into? Katie: Travelers Carl: "It Feels Good to Write a Song" by Vulfmon Author's Links on Beacon Our Linktree Join the Smutco Industries Discord! Support Us on Patreon! Music: "Nostalgia" by Makaih Beats freemusicarchive.org

Katie thought she'd just be able to dip her toe into Bjorn Wilde's Scared Stiff series, but she ended up getting hooked and reading all four books! We originally set out to just cover the first two books (which make up the bulk of the episode), but since the books were so breezy and fun, we opted to cover almost the entire series! (Can't spoil the ending!) Book Description For a gay trio camping in the woods, an escaped ax murderer really kills the mood.It’s been years since best friends Nick, Levi, and Jamal have been camping at Devil’s Ridge, but a return to their old stomping grounds sounds like just the retreat they need.Burnt out by the rat race of the city, the three bros reunite for a weekend of getting back to nature. Just three dudes, the woods, and quality male bonding…what could go wrong?More than they expected, thanks to an escaped homicidal maniac straight out of an ’80s horror flick. Things are about to get campy in more ways than one. So...What Are You Into? Katie: Wicked Little Rabbit by Samantha Moran Carl: Balatro Author's Website Our Linktree Join the Smutco Industries Discord! Support Us on Patreon! Music: "Nostalgia" by Makaih Beats freemusicarchive.org

Last October, we had the pleasure to discuss Till Death Do Us Part by RE Johnson before it was released; this month we had the pleasure of talking to them IRL! Join us as we discuss RE's peen design process, where they pull inspiration from, and what life is like when you're secretly three kobolds in a trench coat. Author's Website Our Linktree