It’s awards season, romance-style. Nikki and Meg are back with the second annual Tingly Awards, where spreadsheets fear us and yearning reigns supreme.

This episode is a full retrospective of everything that gave us tingles in 2025: books, series, tropes, authors, movies, TV, rereads, rabbit holes, and the unhinged emotional damage we willingly signed up for. Once you do something twice, it’s a tradition. Science.

In This Episode:

* Rereads, first-time reads, and “how did I end up here?” rabbit holes

* Why emotional devastation is sometimes the goal

* Romance as escapism, nervous-system regulation, and personal attack

* Books we never would’ve read without this podcast (and survived anyway)

* The joy of discovering new authors through interviews and themed episodes

And Meg & Nikki’s picks for:

* The Year of the Reread

* Unexpected Plot Twists We Did Not See Coming

* Most Bingeable Authors

* Trilogies That Emotionally Wrecked Us (Affectionate)

* Top Fantasy / Paranormal / “Why Is This Actually So Good?” Reads

* Weird Stuff We Only Read Because of the Podcast

* Favorite New-to-Us Authors

* Romance TV & Movies of the Year

* Best New Series

* Book of the Year

Want to check out our award winners? Note, these are affiliate links and we may earn a small commission on any purchases at no additional cost to you:

The Fall by Tal Bauer: https://amzn.to/3ZlBg9u

A Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams: https://amzn.to/49vROSh

Pounded by Produce by GM Fairy https://amzn.to/49IR0Ix

My Date with An Ampersand by Nicole Parker https://amzn.to/4sJBeWB

Skyland by Kennedy Ryan: https://amzn.to/4qYQZXP

Friendship by Kate Canterbary https://amzn.to/3LC5Cl2

Las Leonas by Adriana Herrera https://amzn.to/49OmOf3

The Atrous series by NR Walker https://amzn.to/3NStT6T

Teachers in Love by MA Wardell https://amzn.to/45hINJX

Love & Steel by Jessica Topper https://amzn.to/3LzghwP

Matzo Ballers by Jessica Topper and Amanda Usen https://amzn.to/4jNAZ8N

The Playbook by Alexa Martin https://amzn.to/4jQiUqz

By the Bootstraps by Alexa Martin https://amzn.to/45g8hYb

Soft Launch by Olivia Carter https://amzn.to/4sVftTR

The Wages of Sin series by Neve Wilder & Onley James https://amzn.to/3LzdJyL

Secret Service by Tal Bauer: https://amzn.to/49F3fpn

The Luckless series by Cari Z: https://amzn.to/3ZltLzm

The Year of Us by EM Denning & Kate Hawthrone: https://amzn.to/4jQmz7N

The Jilted Exes’ Club series by Riley Hart https://amzn.to/3LqIjdU

Charmed Away Temp Agency series by Amy Padilla https://amzn.to/4pIPADX

Lovers of the Damned series by Colette Rivera : https://amzn.to/49uTATJ

The Brannon Boys series by Katherine McIntyre https://amzn.to/4sEPjEy

Leather & Lattes series by Katherine McIntyre https://amzn.to/4pKSxUk

Dungeons & Dating series by Katherine McIntyre https://amzn.to/49OmHA9

Raven of the Woods by Mary Calmes https://amzn.to/45F4J1Z

A Matter of Time by Mary Calmes https://amzn.to/3Nu5Gnp

Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon https://amzn.to/460xhCS

Atlantic City Most Wanted by Charity Parkerson https://amzn.to/49EsHLO

Sent to a Fantasy World and Now All the Men Want Me by Jaclyn Osborn: https://amzn.to/4qy3nhR

Adopt a Vampire by AJ Sherwood https://amzn.to/49LvDX9

Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez: https://amzn.to/49IMBoN

10 ways to accidentally fall in love by Emmy Sanders: https://amzn.to/4pIktYX

The Edge of Fate by Sheena Jolie: https://amzn.to/45jWAje

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