Forced Proximity: a husband, a wife, a romance novel

We got the assignment done! We did however go off the rails and had riveting discussion about our unconventional celeb crushes.Support the Show.

We are back! On this episode we tak about what we have been up to, books Megan read, shows we watched together, and all things Hank.The show will be a bit different, we do not know what the final product will end up looking like, but we hope you stick around because it will be fun.Support the Show.

We had a technical SNAFU after recording last night so this week’s episode is a throwback of sorts. It’s an episode we recorded a few months ago as a trial of formatting. And now you lucky listeners get to hear this amazing content. Support the Show.

Sometimes, a wonderful thing happens and Megan’s lack of planning works out. This is one of those times. Okay, not really that big of a deal, but I (Megan) forgot there was a bonus, 5th Monday in the month of June so you kids get extra content. Yay! This week, we’re talking about romance novellas. They’re short. They’re (hopefully) sweet. And we got to squeeze two books into one time slot! Book 1: Alyssa Cole’s Once Ghosted, Twice shyBook 2: Lucy Eden’s Blind Date with a Book Boyfriend Kids, ...

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This week we watched Ang Lee's adaptation of Sense and Sensibility. Megan was pleasantly surprised on how much Johnathon enjoyed the movie!You can find us on Instagram:@johnathon_forcedproximity @meganmontgomerywritesContact us @ forcedproximitypodcast@gmail.comSupport the Show.

This week we have an amazing conversation about one of favorite movies knocked up.You can find us on Instagram:@johnathon_forcedproximity @meganmontgomerywritesContact us @ forcedproximitypodcast@gmail.comSupport the Show.

Join us as we discuss "People we meet on vacation" by Emily Henry. You can find us on Instagram:@johnathon_forcedproximity @meganmontgomerywritesContact us @ forcedproximitypodcast@gmail.comSupport the Show.

Welcome back to us. After a few weeks of being under the weather we are on the mend and bring you our take on Marry Me staring Jenifer Lopez and Owen Wilson. You can find us on Instagram:@johnathon_forcedproximity @meganmontgomerywritesContact us @ forcedproximitypodcast@gmail.comSupport the Show.

We are thrilled to have reached our 100th episode. Of course we had to do a Bridgerton season 2 episode, and of course we had to have our favorite guest Petra Orloff on. This episode is full of hot takes from everyone. Also, we are FAMOUS! We are proud to announce that FeedSpot ranked us one of the 50 best Romance Podcasts! Check out the other amazing podcasts here.you can find Petra on Instagram @petraorloffYou can find us on Instagram:@johnathon_forcedproximity @meganmontgomerywritesCo...

The Bucharest Dossier by William MazCIA analyst Bill Hefflin is personally requested to fly to Romania by his KGB operative with the code name Boris. However, Romania is not as foreign to him as he led his colleagues to believe. When Bill returns to the place of his birth and very early childhood, he gets feelings of nostalgia and investigates his foggy past. However, he does not have much time for personal matters as he is witnessing an uprising and eventual overthrow of the brutal Ceausescu...

We finish up Moviesode March with "The Mummy". A rare episode where Megan and Johnathon do not agree!You can find us on Instagram:@johnathon_forcedproximity @meganmontgomerywritesContact us @ forcedproximitypodcast@gmail.comSupport the Show.

This week Megan and Jonathon talk about How To Marry a Millionaire, a quirky and cute movie from the 50's. It was a lot of fun discussing this one.You can find us on Instagram:@johnathon_forcedproximity @meganmontgomerywrites Support the Show.

This week we keep the moviesode march train chugging with "Leap Year", staring Amy Adams and Mathew Goode. You can find us on Instagram:@johnathon_forcedproximity @meganmontgomerywritesSupport the Show.

Next up for Movisode March is "The Quiet Man" Staring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. Johnathon may have a new movie in his top 5!You can find us on Instagram: @johnathon_forcedproximity @meganmontgomerywritesSupport the Show.

We discuss "It happened one night". Staring Claudette Colbert and Clark Gabel. Perhaps the Gold Standard of Rom-Coms!Support the Show.

Rebel by Beverly JenkinsRebel is the first novel in Beverly Jenkins' series follows a northern black woman’s(Valinda Lacey) journey to the deep south post-civil war. Valinda goes to New Orleans trying help the newly emancipated community survive, thrive, and flourish. But soon she discovers that freedom comes at a dangerous cost. Racists destroy her school she and then set their sights on her. Valinda runs for her life—and straight into the big capable arms of Captain Drake LeVeq.C...

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Fastest way to fall is a duel POV romance featuring Britta Colby who works for a lifestyle website, and Wes Lawson CEO of Fitme a new fitness app that focuses on body positivity and the journey of wellness. Britta is given a chance at a major opportunity to prove she should write for the site full-time by revving the app. Did I mention the app includes personal training? The two main characters are paired up through the app and hit it off. As time goes by Britta begins to enjoy her...

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Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer at the end of her rope, she is on her way to a meeting that has life changing implications. Jeremy Crawford, husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, wants Lowen finish the series his wife is unable to finish to a catastrophic car wreck that has left Verity in a vegetative state.Jeremy insists Lowen visit the Crawford home, to sort and comb through years of Verity's notes and outlines, to find enough material to complete her task. What Lowen discove...

We deep dive this all time classic and Johnathon didn't hate it!Support the Show.

The love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood. PHD candidate Olive Smith is more into being in the lab than dating humans. Her friend Anh tries to convince her of the wonders of being in a relationship. Anh just happened to be in a relationship with the last guy Olive was in a relationship with, but never mind that. One late night in the lab to get Anh off her back she kisses the first living man in arm’s length. That man is Kylo-ren, I mean Adam Carlsen, the young tough as nails, Sith lord ...

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We diverge a bit from straight up romance to read this "should be" holiday classic, 25 days till Christmas. Of course there is a romance involved. It wouldn't be us with out it! Support the Show.

We have a lot of hot takes on this movie (mostly, we think this movie isn’t nearly as villainously problematic as some clickbaiters like to think) so listen in and see whether or not we touched on your favorite parts of this modern Christmas classic. Support the Show.

This week, we welcome back our resident historical romance expert, Petra Orloff as we unpack Scandal in Spring and the many social grievances it brings to mind. Support the Show.

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Read this bookSupport the Show.

This should be a good listen. It wasn’t a great watch. Support the Show.

This is definitely a book to read! We kept things spoiler free this time, so you have no excuse! Support the Show.

Spooky time means Puritan times for this wife. Support the Show.

It’s Erotic October so gird your loins! Support the Show.

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This week we welcome back our resident historical romance expert Petra Orloff, as we discuss the beloved Sebastian St. Vincent in Devil In Winter, the 3rd book in the Wallflowers series. Support the Show.

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Yep. Megan here and this is my book. Buy it from this link if you want to satisfy your morbid curiosity:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B096WLSF1T/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_5VB1NZ9EHZ1H8HREJ7HGSupport the Show.

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Caution: spoilers for the book Final Girls by Riley Sager.Support the Show.

A mixed-bag of opinions on this one. Except both Johnathon & Megan agree that Brendan’s dirty talk is #1 bullshit. Support the Show.

Bringing back 1993, via 1593 (ok, 1598). The greatest enemies to lovers romance. Support the Show.

Both of this mirror’s faces are Barbara Streisand-glam and Barbara Streisand-slightly-less-glam. The premise is great (what happens when you construct a marriage based on intellectual compatibility only, leaving sexual attraction completely out of the equation) but Streisand’s willingness to shine the soft-focus spotlight on herself was really off putting. Support the Show.

One of favorite historicals! We hope you’ll read this fast-paced, Regency spy romance before you listen because there are SPOILERS! Here’s a fun interview of Piers Brandon, Marquess of Granville by the author, Tessa Dare! Support the Show.

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This week, we broke with the theme slightly to discuss Hamilton, the musical. Support the Show.

In this episode, we welcome back Petra Orloff, our historical romance resident to continue the discussion of Lisa Kleypas’ Wallflowers series. Support the Show.

Sometimes you can be married for 10 years and find out something that still surprises you. Johnathon had never seen The Wedding Singer. Support the Show.

Shipped by Angie Hockman. The book you need to read this book this summer! Henley Rose Evans is a digital marketing employee for sea quest cruises. A small company that specializes in long term cruises to amazing locations. Henley is up for the newly opened position of director of digital marketing, and she is shoe in. she is a busy little worker bee, she excels at her job, and is amazing at detail. The only problem is Graeme. Who is also good at the same job, with seemingly virtuo...

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Hey humans! We’d love for you to rate us on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen. It helps bring us to the fans that need to hear this stuff. Also, our Patreon page is now live. You can join at the $4 level and help choose our content and listen to our Patreon-exclusive content (like A Discovery of Witches tv series episodes), and take us with you on your date nights. https://www.patreon.com/ForcedProximitySupport the Show.

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We had to. It's Valentine's Day, the cheesiest day of the entire year. A day that coats your tongue with garbage idioms of romance like the waxy chocolate that hallmarks February 14th. So I ask you: what better time to glory in the cheesiest romance-ish film of recent history, 50 Shades of Grey? Do you love this film? Do you hate this film? Yes. Us too. Its simultaneous ridiculousness meets a strange watchability. You'll just have to listen to our whiplash attempts to unpack this cultur...

We’re your hosts Johnathon and Megan and you’re listening to . . . . . . Forced ProximityThanks for joining us today for a very special show about a very special book, The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon was such a quirky, (yeah, the word is overused but it fits here so get over it) geeky, enemies to fake exes to lovers, contemporary romance set in the world of public radio! Solomon explores so many relationships in her book and it was a delight to dig in to the many nuanced characters who liv...

The coldest time of the year and we are CELEBRATING that! In honor of love in the time of snowy days, we’re talking about what happened when the incomparable Kate Winslet and Idris Elba crash a plane on top of the Rocky Mountains and hoof it through the ice and snow to find civilization (and love, of course) in the film, The Mountain Between Us.Sound familiar? Oh yeah, it’s kind of like that book we read last week! (See: WHITEOUT by Adriana Anders) Please rate or review us if you liked what y...

A romantic suspense on our must read list! Here’s a YouTube video of a very enthusiastic dude showing you around the ice tunnels. Please do follow the rabbit trails of Antarctica. You’re going to want the extra visuals while reading this. Support the Show.

Casting greatness. Okayish script. Support the Show.

WARNING: don’t listen if you are related to Megan. This book brings up “dad” talk. It’s a touchy subject and Megan is under no delusion that she’s a nice person. 💀To everyone else, just know this gets dark. Listener discretion advised. We don’t mention that Calla and Jonah’s story continues with Wild at Heart and Forever Wild but if you want to follow this basic couple through their relationship, there you go. Support the Show.

Welcome to Season 2! This is all we’re going to say about Bridgerton, because you have to listen. https://www.themarysue.com/everything-movies-have-told-you-about-corsets-is-wrong/?fbclid=IwAR1OpZYgVfexbM2XkMHmTK3ynhg2Bc9uVxtkCw6qWcnKahBOsPu9Zni7D_USupport the Show.

It’s the last Monday of 2020 and we’re here to revisit what worked and what didn’t in our podcast. We’ll be back next week with the 1st episode of season 2. Support the Show.

A great Christmas story of relationships and family redemption. Watch it on Hulu. Support the Show.

A delightful romp through the looping world of an ultimate Christmas vacation. Support the Show.

Just watch it, okay? Support the Show.

Here is a link we’re you can buy Megan’s book. Well ... That Was Awkward https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578768275/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fabc_r.iXFbDPQ5NHRSupport the Show.

What can we say? The premise is great, the acting is phenomenal, and Vince Vaughn is hilarious. Enough said. Support the Show.

It’s a cozy time of year. Sweaters, tryptophan, the memory of 90 poisoned Wampanoags at the real 1st “Thanksgiving” feast . . . .yeah, maybe not so cozy after all. But cheer up, there’s a romance for that. STUFFED, by Jessica Gadziala is the perfect, light, quick, yet still thoughtful story to cozy up with during the cold November rains. In other news, it’s Native American heritage month. here’s a link from the National Museum of the American Indian with resources for teaching children (k-12)...

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Romance makes us better humans. It’s just the truth. Find out why in this episode as we stan (cringe at word use) Helen Hoang’s follow-up to The Kiss Quotient. Update: you can now buy Megan’s book from The Ripped Bodice Let’s be friends: MeganJohnathon Forced Proximity Support the Show.

In the spirit of Halloween, we continue our spooky love story series. This week, we watched Francis Ford Coppola’s horror romance classic, Bram Stoker’s Dracula. But for a subject this dark and brooding, we needed to outsource. When you have a friend who is THE expert on Victoriana, gothic romance, and all things Dracula, you can’t NOT bring her in. Petra Orloff was welcomed into our podcast and she entered freely, providing us with her incredible knowledge about Victorian literatu...

Book one of the All Souls Trilogy, Deb Harkness’ magical realism-paranormal-suspense-adventure-romance defies the usual genre limits, but totally fits us! Megan thinks it’s more romance than anything else. Johnathon thinks this is men’s gateway to romance. Have you read it yet? Support the Show.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! for Megan, anyway. We hope you are planning safe (maybe not too safe) and spooky Halloween festivities. We are really in the spirit this year. The house has been decorated in and out and we’re watching all our favorite Halloween movies. This week’s choice was WARM BODIES, the zombie romcom and R&J retelling. Support the Show.

IN A WORLD . . .. . . where a Duke plays land steward. . . where a bodyguard wears a three piece suit. . . where a movie star just wants to be normal . . . where an American wants the Welsh bar & girl. . . & where an archeologist wrecks his lover, only to wreck her again four years later Simone. MacLean. Together in contemporary London as they battle it out in the back rooms of the British Museum. NAUGHTY BRITS An anthology for the ages featuring no...

This week we watched The Proposal, The greatest, glossiest romcom since Nora Ephron. The movie’s so solid, we realized it didn’t give us that much to discuss. Weird. I guess we’ll be sticking to the bad movies from here on out. nah. Just kidding. Here’s an article a friend sent us that has nothing to do with the show, but you need to read anyway:https://www.shondaland.com/inspire/books/a34047527/indie-romance-is-big-business-why-arent-we-hearing-about-it/As always, we appreciate your Instagra...

Oh, how us romance junkies love a punny title. Except maybe this one. It’s just a little too odd. And why is the cover so . . . generic? Why, oh why, didn’t the illustrator go with a stylized home DIY theme? Ugh! Megan would have loved to be in charge of this publication. Megan will read almost any CLo book, especially one that’s . . . forced proximity! This was the 1st time Johnathon liked it better. Let us know what you think! https://instagram.com/forcedproximitypodcast?r=nametagAND (ta da...

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Discussing Sally Thorne’s stunning work of modern contemporary romance canon is a rite of passage for romance book podcasts. We’ve waited long enough and IT’S HERE! Here’s a link to Fated Mates’ 50 Shades of Grey episode. Here’s an article Megan didn’t mention in the show, but shares relevancy with romance novels. Support the Show.

It’s been a busy week. Nay, a busy two weeks since school started. But Bridget was a much-needed, comedic respite from the non-stop activities. If you have questions, comments, etc. please ask us on our Instagram! https://instagram.com/forcedproximitypodcast?r=nametagSupport the Show.

You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Dariahttps://humanparts.medium.com/can-we-please-stop-using-latinx-thanx-423ac92a87dcSupport the Show.

WARNING: DON’T LISTEN IF YOU ARE RELATED TO US. Everyone else: listen at your own discretion. We talk about our own marriage quite a lot and with brutal honesty.You’ve been warned. Support the Show.

We read a book and we didn’t love it.Okay, maybe we hated it so much, we couldn’t even finish it. Listen with caution. Support the Show.

Okay, okay. I know what you’re thinking. What Business does this Will Ferrell movie have bring on a romance podcast? Well, I’ll tell you. If you think of Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga as a mere comedy, it falls flat. Funny parts, but not enough of them to override the campy silliness of the movie spectacle. But if you look at it under the gel of a ROMANTIC comedy, then we love it, ja? Besides that, all of Iceland is on board for it. Enough said. Support t...

Many thanks to Skye McDonald for writing an intricate novel that gave us lots to think about. For more information about Megan’s debut release coming this October, sign up for her newsletter at www.meganmontgomerywrites.com Support the Show.

We’re back in South Carolina this week as we continue Amanda Stevens’ The Graveyard Queen book series. Support the Show.

Hey Kids, Thanks for listening. Thanks for the downloads. We appreciate your support and hope we make your commutes a wee bit happier. Or maybe you hate-listen to us. That's fine too. Just keep the downloads coming. This episode is our Ode to Bill Hader. Amy Shumer, you're cool too though, especially since you wrote our favorite Bill Hader movie. Watch the movie. Our hot take is that it gender swaps most romcoms, with an alpha female and cinnamon roll hero, but while other gender swapped movi...

This week, we watched Nora Ephron’s beloved romcom classic, You’ve Got Mail as well as the lesser known (by modern generations) 1940 Ernst Lubitch film, The Shop Around the Corner. Did you recognize that name? Yep! The Shop Around the Corner is the name of Kathleen Kelly’s magical children’s bookstore in You’ve Got Mail. (Nice nod, Nora.) Johnathon was pleasantly surprised by the old movie and if you get the chance to watch it, you’ll find it Cracker Jack full of witty ban...

Fasten your seatbealts. It's going to be a bumpy podcast. Not really, but we have reached a major turning point. Johnathon loved a book! (What's that chord the angels sing? Is it G Major? I feel like its G Major. Regardless, the angels are singing it right now.) Kids, we have entered the RLU (that's Reid Literary Universe). Let's just stop right there and think about this. Penny. Reid's. UNIVERSE. (If you're a big fan of cursing, you can just go ahead and put the MF-ing word right there...

Follow @johnathon_forcedproximity for his cinnamon roll training regimen. (And a glimpse at our home gym.) If you want more information about Megan's books, join the email list! Sign up at https://www.meganmontgomerywrites.com/ You'll get a first look at cover reveals, release dates, author events, and giveaways! We've been really into re-watching classic romantic comedies lately. I (Megan) have been particularly thrilled because until recently, Johnathon hasn't been a big fan of "my" mo...

Let me explain. No, there is no time. Let me sum up. If you’re like us (meaning you grew up in the 80s/90s) the odds are good you’ve seen—and loved—the Rob Reiner classic, The Princess Bride. We had a lot of fun re-watching this AND recording this episode. If you haven’t seen the movie, pause this podcast and watch it first (bonus points for watching with closed captioning on—you get to read all the witty bits of dialogue you might have missed when you were a kid). Support...

Megan loved it. Johnathon disliked it. More importantly, what do you think? Hey look. Not every book is for everybody. We discuss that here. As well as why it is definitely OKAY not to like something, even when it's as well written and humorous as Love Lettering. This episode is a little long. Megan can't shut up about the cozy-blanket-and-cup-of-tea-on-a-crisp-autumn-day-ness of this book. It channels Nora Ephron's wit, shows New York at its best, and the love between Meg and Reid is lovely ...

Romance comes in movie form, too. And we’re experimenting with our film format a little. This week we watched The Aftermath (2019), directed by James Kent and starting Keira Knightley, Jason Clarke, and Alexander Skarsgard. It’s a beautiful movie that depicts the likely realities of a marriage after suffering through WWII and the death of their son in the Blitzkrieg bombings. Then, a love triangle forms and complicated things further. Megan & Johnathon both recommend this film f...

Watch Out! You might get what you’re after. . . So, Johnathon has been singing the title of Evie Dunsmore’s book, Bringing Down the Duke in the style of Talking Heads’ song “Burning Down the House” and now it’s stuck in Megan’s head like that too. Thanks for that, J. Well, our saga of Covid19 exile continues in the state of Illinois but Johnathon has officially finished his last grad school class. What that means for you is, more free time for you dear, dear listeners. This week we’re bringin...

SPOILER WARNING: THE RISE OF SKYWALKERDid you hear it?! That's our new theme song, written by the multi-talented Mike Wozniak. We love it and think it totally suits us! Thanks again, Dr. Woz!Kids! In this episode we break from novel form and bring you a movie that Megan finally got Johnathon to watch, Joe Wright's Pride and Prejudice (2005). Watch the movie for the hand flex alone if you haven't seen it. I know, I know. It's not the BBC miniseries staring Colin Firth. Megan's here for that ve...

That Autistic BookWhat is there to say about Helen Hoang’s masterful debut novel featuring the memorable and delightful Stella and Michael that every book podcast hasn’t already said? I mean, have you ever heard an autistic woman talk about it? No? Well, now you have. our takeaways:1. Autism really isn’t that weird. 2. Many women are undiagnosed and masters at masking symptoms in order to fit in. 3. You probably (definitely) know and love an undiagnosed grown-up with ASD. Here’s a great inter...

Kids, First of all, we'd like to thank Rebekah Weatherspoon, the author of Rafe: A Buff Male Nanny for writing characters that feel real and for handing us the definition of the cinnamon roll romance hero. We've had a rough month of February what with cholera (not really cholera, but something equally Victorian-feeling) overtaking the household after a trip to Legoland for Hank's birthday, then recovering only for the flu to sweep through in its wake. This episode (recorded in January) is LON...

What happens when a romance writer wife convinces her sports-loving husband to read her favorite romance novels? For one thing, the dinner table conversations become a lot . . . hotter.Welcome to the premiere episode of Forced Proximity. We're glad you joined us. Today, we're reviewing The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams. This book has received a ton of buzz since before it was released in November, 2019, and when it finally got into Megan's grubby hands, the angels sang. But what would...

This is a long episode and that’s okay, because it has double the content. In honor of our new Patreon account, where we’ll be streaming lots of All Souls content, we’re re-releasing a fan favorite episode and talking about the first episode of the first season of the tv show. Support the Show.

This week we welcome our resident historical romance expert and podcast BFF, Petra Orloff to discuss Autumn de Wilde’s Emma. and Amy Heckerling’s Clueless. Support the Show.

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