Plot Twist: We got a Rebrand!

I'm back book nerds! And this time, I am not alone! In this episode, I introduce you guys to your new book bestie, Mary. We talk about what you can expect with our new re-brand, what we are currently reading and watching, and alllll the unhinged chaos. 

This season will include 12 episodes of me and Mary yapping about our favorite topics: Romance books. We will have some fun guests drop by so be sure to catch our new episodes that drop every Tuesday. 

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Transcript

– Welcome Back to the Chaos

Cortney 0:01

What's up, Book Nerds? Welcome to What the Smut Are You Talking About podcast. We are a weekly romance book podcast where we talk about books and chaos. So yeah, pretty much anything goes.

Mary 0:13

Join us as we talk about the books we are reading, what crazy shenanigans are happening in our lives, and who knows, we may have some fun guests drop by.

Cortney 0:21

So grab your favorite snacky snack and your beverage of choice and come hang out and see what the smut we are talking about this week. Book nerds, it's been way too long. Sorry for being so MIA. Life has, you know, been lifeing. Some of you guys already know this, but my mental health just completely tanked last year. I was so busy, you know, with my big girl job, and

– Life Update & Why I Took a Break

Cortney 0:52

the burnout was very real. We talk about motherhood a lot on this podcast, but you never know how important your tribe truly is until you need them the most. In November, my husband, you know, he had a surgery that put him out of commission for a couple of months. And then a few weeks later, my mother ended up having a pretty serious brain surgery. So they're both fine now. Husband is fully recovered. Mom is in PT, and she's probably gonna have to have a second surgery. PT's not going like we want it to go, but we have high hopes for her. I say this because typically, other than my husband, I have my mom and my sister to help when we get a bind or just need a break sometimes, which is 100% okay for moms to say they need a break. Let me say that again. It's a hundred percent okay to need that break. But with everything, it just kept on adding up. And so something had to give. So unfortunately, I did have to take a step back from the podcast. But during this time, I knew I had to make a very big decision. Either I needed to bring someone on full time to help or just give it up altogether. And you know how much I love yapping, and you guys have been so amazing during this. Thank you, everyone who's reached out to check in on me. I really do appreciate it. But with all this being said, I'm really excited to introduce to you Mary.

Mary 2:12

Welcome to the Book Nerds Club, Mary. Thanks, Courtney. I'm thrilled to join you on this podcasting journey. And I have to give a shout out to the Smut family joining us and echo what Courtney said 100%. It is a-okay for moms to take a break and to say they need to take a break. It does not make you a bad mom at all. So I hope you all are excited for this season. We have a lot of fun things planned and chats scheduled with

– Meet the New Co-Host

Mary 2:42

amazing people. I always feel funny sharing about myself. I usually say I'm the introverted behind the scenes gal. I like Courtney, have a full-time job in addition to all things bookish. But let's rewind it a bit and give a little bit of background. I have always loved reading. I grew up dancing classical ballet, point being my favorite, and I still try to dance and do point when I have free time. I dove into the romance book world when a friend shared her stories with me back in 2015. I started proofreading for her and slowly built up connections from there. In 2021, I created my business on point digital services. It blends my love of point with my love of books. Randomly, while scrolling Instagram, I saw Courtney's post looking for a co-host. I applied, and as they say, the rest is history. I'm married and we have a teenage son. So I'm excited to bring you all of those shenanigans of teenage boys. There's never a dull moment with that. I'm a huge herbal tea drinker. You will find that in my cup 100% of the time.

Cortney 3:49

And I am so glad that you did apply. We hit it off right off the bat. And just that process alone, it took me like several months. Like I when I got out there, I was thinking, yeah, like three people are going to apply, and we'll just kind of see how it goes. I initially I had over 75 applicants.

Mary 4:14

Oh my gosh.

Cortney 4:16

Like, what? It was so insane. But you know, I've made so many great connections just by doing that. I wish I could have everybody on here with me because I've met a lot of incredible ladies going through that process. But you know, we hit it off at uh a meet and greet cute last year.

Mary 4:37

And we did. Uh so I was like, yeah, I I I think this is and then and then our hour-long phone call that turned into like an hour and a half. I'm pretty sure we were pushing two hours. I know that's how you know it's kismet when all of a sudden you're like, hi, it's Courtney. I'm gonna do an interview. And next thing you know, two hours later, maybe we should get off the phone.

Cortney 5:07

Yeah, yeah, it was it was so great. I remember like texting my husband in that call. I'm like, I'm pretty sure I just found my co-host. Like, I think it was just fate.

Mary 5:20

Which I'm I'm thrilled. I'm excited and love all of the ideas that we are throwing around and can't wait when we finalize them and can share with our uh listeners. It will be fun times ahead.

Cortney 5:36

Yes. My main goal for this year, or should I say our main goal this year, is to focus on our community, especially with everything I went through last year. Community means the world to me. So be on the lookout. We're gonna be extra involved to grow our community and we're gonna be asking questions, doing polls, doing giveaways. So if you want to keep up and make sure you're in the know of all things, what the Smut Podcast, please join

– New Season, New Goals

Cortney 6:06

our newsletter. That's how you're gonna know everything.

Mary 6:10

And be sure to follow us along on Instagram because we will be dropping our polls in there as well and keeping you up to date on what Courtney and I are reading every week.

Cortney 6:21

Yes, yes. Lots of new new things coming, and I'm so excited about these changes.

Mary 6:26

Likewise, I am looking forward to it. Since we talked about currently reading, what are you currently reading this week?

Cortney 6:32

Oh, I am currently reading Mr. Irrelevant by C. L Rose. And of course, you know me, I'm doing the audio. So um it is narrated by Avery Karis. Chris Karis? If I'm pronouncing that right, I'm sorry if I'm not. And Tristan Josiah. Um huge fan of CL Rose,

– What We’re Currently Reading

Cortney 6:56

and I've been waiting for this audiobook to drop. It just dropped last week. Um, it's football, owner's daughter, friends with benefits, friends to lovers, and it has a great, amazing, can't talk about it enough, fuck it moment. Um I love that.

Mary 7:16

I have I have her book, Hot Routes, sitting on my shelf. So I think I'm going to dust that one off after I finish a couple of other reads and dive into that one.

Cortney 7:27

Haven't got to read that one yet, but I've done her baseball series, and I will say I think Mr. Relevant is my favorite so far. Um, I say so far because I plan on going back and devouring her backlist. I love that.

Mary 7:40

It's like this is my favorite so far until I meet, ooh, him. Well, what are you reading, Mary? So I am reading House of Ink and Oaths by Autumn Jones Lake. She is a longtime favorite author of mine. I have read everything she's written. So this one is a little bit of a spooky standalone. So you don't have to read any of our other stories. It takes place in a town that has a mystery about a weeping woman, a child has gone missing. There is the sexy hot alpha tattoo artist who the vlogger, I know. So the female character is a vlogger who goes and talks about all of these urban legends, myths, and spooky stories, ghost stories. And she does her whole vlogging around that. And so her viewers sent her to the town to discover its secrets. So I'm I'm only part way in because I have been under the weather. And as we know, when you're sick, reading cut reading kind of takes a back seat. So I'm excited to hopefully finish that midweek next week.

Cortney 8:58

I'm going to add this to my TBR because that sounds like my vibes.

Mary 9:02

Shout out to Autumn if you listen to our podcast. We'd love to have you on.

Cortney 9:07

So, Mary, what are you watching currently?

Mary 9:09

So, my husband and I decided to start this comedy on Apple TV. It's called Shrinking, and it covers the story of three therapists, psychologists in their practice and all of the unhinged, hilarious things that go on in their lives. And I don't think I've laughed

– What We're Currently Watching

Mary 9:37

so hard watching a TV show since the Big Bang Theory or How I Met Your Mother. It's it is comedy gold, and it has Harrison Ford in it, and it has other actors in it that I know, but I can't think of their names off the top of my head. He's the only one that I can remember. And my husband and I are also huge fans of the rookie, so we are watching that as the new episodes drop for the season. And then my unhinged show, and it is really unhinged, and I need to know if anybody else is watching it. It's Alice in Borderland on Netflix. It is extremely unhinged and definitely not the cutesy K drama, but definitely a Korean show. And they get transported to this other, I guess, realm, or I don't know what you would call it, but it has them going into these arenas and places and competing. And if they survive and come out, they then get a playing card, like from a deck of cards. And apparently the whole premise is you have to collect all 52 cards, and that's how you get out of the game. I'm only in season two. Season one was totally unhinged. So if you like unhinged shows with gore, Alice in Borderland is one that I would recommend. And I need to know if anybody else is watching this. It kind of sounds like I think it's Squid Games. Yes. So I think it's a little bit like that, but there's actually, there's actually a good plot in here. And I don't know that Squid Games has that because it's just the games.

Cortney 11:36

Right.

Mary 11:37

Whereas Alice and Borderland has a plot. And there was, I will admit, there was one episode in season one that I must have been hormonal or pre-period on because that episode came on and I cried. And I don't cry at all. I am not a crier. And I was like, what the hell am I watching?

Cortney 12:02

Sometimes you just need that though.

Mary 12:04

I agree. Sometimes you do. And I'm like, I'm like, I'm always happy when my period comes the next day. And I'm like, see, I wasn't weak. I was just, I was just hormonal. And I should add in, crying does not make you weak at all. I I know that. Um, I'm a huge mental health advocate, and I know crying does not make you weak, but I always have to laugh when I'm like, why am I crying? I don't cry.

Cortney 12:31

I I feel that. I'm the exact same way.

Mary 12:36

So now tell me, because I know you are my trash TV reality TV junkie. So what is on your watch list? Oh my gosh, you're gonna regret asking.

Cortney 12:49

Two days ago, I wrapped up watching the newest season of Secret Life of Mormon Wives. Um huge fan of the show. And you know, Taylor Frankie Paul, she's supposed to be the newest Bachelorette, but they announced yesterday. Did you see that? Yes, which I'm I'm not surprised because you know, the see like I tried to watch Mormon Wives several times, and see season one was so hard to get into because it like starts and then pretty much just stops and then comes back. And it it doesn't give you much context. Of course, you know, I have to go Google like what happened. So she everything that just came out yesterday happened back in, I think it was like 2023. Um she got in a huge fight with her boyfriend at the time, which is the same guy that's on the show still, and she like threw some barstools, like everything we read, or that I could at least find at the time, it didn't seem that bad. But there's just so much more to the story. Like, I I hope we find out more. I hope because they both just need to come off the show. Um, I have a feeling I have a feeling we're gonna lose the show altogether now, but um just kick them both off. He's annoying anyways. I can't stand him. So kick them both off and just please don't give us Mormon wives because I love all the other ones too. I was really excited about The Bachelorette, so I'm curious to see what they're gonna do now that they don't have I know, I I know.

Mary 14:25

I I heard that report, and it's kind of funny. We have a huge parade and festival in my town, and the host of The Bachelor and Bachelorette is going to be the Grand Marshal.

Cortney 14:38

Oh my gosh, I can't stand the new host. I didn't even know who he was, but I was like, okay. I I stopped watching once I gave him like one or two seasons when he started hosting. And I just I was so uninterested in it. And like that was like one of my favorites. And so I'm like, here's my petition. Please give us Wells Adams. Like, he would make a fantastic host of The Bachelor. Like I know he does his bartending gig on um paradise, but I need more. I think he would do such an amazing job with this. So um, here's my petition. But I'm also, you know, um, Summer House is on. It's season 10. I watch it on Peacock the day after it aired. Um, loving this season. And again, like we just got announced a couple weeks ago that Kyle and Amanda from from Summer House has officially like separated, they're going through a divorce. You can kind of see why on season 10, but I'm I'm still enjoying it. There's they brought in some new people, and I just typically I don't like the new people at first, but these two girls that they brought on, they are so relatable to like normal day people. And I and especially I can't think of her name, the blonde-haired one. She I can I just relate so much to her, especially back when like before I was married, when I was dating around, like I couldn't flirt, I was awful, and I can't even remember back that far. I was very intoxicated most of the time.

Mary 16:24

I've been with my husband for 20 years. So, like to ask me what it was like back when I was dating, I've got nothing.

Cortney 16:31

That is amazing. No, but she like goes up to these guys on this TV show and is like, hey, listen, I'm gonna flirt with you right now and tell me what you think. And they'll be like, You were trying to flirt just now? It is it is so great. Like, she is like I said, she's very relatable. And side note for those that don't know, my husband also likes to watch trash TV with me. Um, there's like he doesn't watch The Mormon Wives, but he will watch Summer House. But we also started watching a new show on Netflix called Age of Attraction, and it has oh, what's the guy, Nick from The Bachelor, Nick Vall, I think is how you say his last name. Him and his wife as the host because it's and romance readers will love this, especially if you're an age gap person, because it's all about the dating with an age gap. So it's kind of like age gap meets love is blind, because you go in, you get to see each other, but you don't get to tell who you're talking to, like your age, until you're ready to like take that next step and commit to them. And when I say commit, I mean the next step is commit to go like live together, introduce them to your families, that kind of thing. Some of these men has even got me fooled. I'm like, I need your skincare legumen, people. Um there's there's this one guy, like I could swear up and down, he might have been 50. The girl that chose him, she was thinking he was in his late 40s. Homeboy is 60. 60 years old.

Mary 18:06

Oh man.

Cortney 18:07

Yeah, she's 27. Spoiler alert.

Mary 18:10

Spoilers!

Cortney 18:12

Yeah. So um we're only a couple episodes in. Highly recommend it. It's it's very fun. It's a different twist on a dating show. Um, I'm here for it.

Mary 18:23

That is. That sounds like it would be it would be a fun one to watch.

Cortney 18:28

Yes. And Southern Charm is in its 11th season. Again, that's something on Peacock. I'm watching. I'm a little bit behind because this is one my husband doesn't like to watch with me. But um, so I just watch it like whenever I can, basically. But I think I'm like two or three episodes behind. I'm on the episode before the reunion. So I'm almost, I'm almost caught up on that one. Um, and other than that, I'm also tell I'm in the third and final season of Tell Me Lies on Hulu, which is a TV show based on a book. So if you haven't, if you haven't read or watched that, I definitely, definitely recommend. It's very like suspense, dark and twisted. Like, if you have Hulu, go watch it. Like I I'm watching it before I'm reading the book, and uh, it's it's so good. Um, the main guy, Steven, he is like a narcissist. Um it's just, I don't know. I don't know how to describe it. It's just really good. And um I'm sure our listeners could do a better job. So if you ever want to come on and talk about Tell Me Lies, I would love to have a TV adaptation episode. Like, I love this series. But yeah, I I'm all I'm about halfway through season three. So um I haven't I can't believe I haven't had it spoiled yet. So um, knock on wood that I don't, but um, I'm almost done. Oh but that's all that's all I'm watching.

Mary 19:58

That's all like that's it. I should, I mean, I should add in that I'm watching whatever random thing my son has on sometimes too.

Cortney 20:08

So oh my gosh, I love it. I love it.

Mary 20:12

Whatever teenage boys actually he just finished a he just finished watching a series, I want to say it was called Swagger. It was a basketball series for middle the kids started out in middle school and were on a basketball team and it went into high school with them. And he thought it was pretty good. Yeah, so I thought that was uh I thought that was neat that he was that he found that and was watching it and seemed to enjoy it. So we are also huge Marvel fans, so him and I will hit the movie theater when the new Spider-Man movie drops, we will be there.

Cortney 20:53

I can't wait until my son starts liking like he likes the cartoon version of Spider-Man. He and he has watched he has watched some of like the older Spider-Man movies. Um I think the new ones he just can't get into yet. But um yeah, I can't wait till till he actually like grasps onto it because I'm a huge Marvel fan. I'm a huge Star Wars girly. We just got back from Disney and Proud Mall moment. His very first big boy ride was um the Millennium Falcon ride at Disney. That's awesome. And I was afraid he was gonna hate it because like he doesn't he doesn't watch Star Wars or anything. And he gets off of it and goes, Mommy, can we ride it again? And I was like, No, because at this point the line is an hour and a half long. We just caught it at the right time. Like there was like essentially like I think we might have waited 20 minutes to get on this ride. If you ever want to go to Disney, please go last week of February, first week of March ish. It it was it still was crowded. I mean, there's never not going. To be time that it's not crowded, but it wasn't terrible. So that's my Disney recommendation for you.

Mary 22:07

We unsolicited Disney. We'd like to go. I I went three or four times as a kid, and then my son wants to go to do the Star Wars and build his own lightsaber. So we have seen all the Star Wars episodes as well. He is definitely a Marvel fan over Star Wars. I will I will say that. And it'll it'll happen. Your son's still young. I want to say it was probably maybe 9-10 when mine started really getting into not cartoon shows, but enjoying actual people shows.

Cortney 22:47

Well, I'm I'm definitely looking forward to it. Not that I want to rush this time. Like I'm enjoying it some days. I know. Some days he makes me want to pull my hair out.

Mary 22:59

And and then you remember you remember some days why mammals eat their young. That's what you guys are. Unhinged thought of the day. That's what my mom used to tell me. She's like, now you know why some mammals used to eat their young. She's like, you can't, but now you know why. Because they will they will push your buttons. And I can tell you the first time that your son gives you back the sass and attitude that you do. It when they when they execute it perfectly and you look at them and you don't know whether to like slow clap and be like, damn, kid, that was good, or correct them for what they did. It's like it's like I don't know which way I want to go in this parenting moment.

Cortney 23:48

Yeah, we are we are pretty much already there. It's wild. They're teaching them young these days. Okay, Mary, I have to know what kind of romance reader are you? Oh my gosh.

Mary 24:01

I am a chaos gremlin romance reader. I I say that, but I'm actually I'm very much a mood reader. And depending on my mood, depends on if I'm reading something new and current or if I reread some of my cozy favorites. It all it just

– What Kind of Romance Readers Are We?

Mary 24:19

it all depends on how I'm feeling for the day.

Cortney 24:22

I 100% can relate to that. And I feel like a lot of our listeners can relate to that as well. Um, because I am I am a total, total mood reader, but I'm also kind of chaotic too. Like, you know, before motherhood, I was very like type A. If I start a series, even if it was like an interconnected standalone series, like I had to read them in order, regardless of if you could drop in any any book. Like that was me. I had to read them exactly in order. I didn't want anything spoiled. I didn't, I wanted to know as you know the author intended it to, like to read it in order. Well, now that shit's just gone out the window since having kids. I'm like, I'm gonna read what I want to read. And I am DNF queen if y'all don't know this about me.

Mary 25:09

It will life is too short to read books that don't keep us entertained.

Cortney 25:16

Yes, yes. And not saying like if I DNF a book doesn't mean I won't eventually come back to it and pick it up. Um, because again, I'm a mood reader, so it could just be I'm not feeling it. I could be on my period and just be grumpy at men and don't even want to read. So let me go pick up an FF book.

Mary 25:36

It's no, that is it's it's true. I I don't I don't DNF a lot of books, but most of the time, if I do, it is definitely a me thing and not an author thing. Like it's it's a me and my mood and not the author themselves or the book. Um, so I'm I'm with you there 100%. I will say I don't venture out of my bubbles too too much. Uh, and so the likelihood of me DNFing a book drops because I tend to stay in like my little bubble of authors that I know will hug me and make me feel comforted and fall in love.

Cortney 26:23

Oh, I am all over the fucking place. It really, it really just depends on what I'm feeling for. But sometimes I just want my heart ripped out and for the author to stomp on all the little tiny pieces.

Mary 26:38

Who you if you feel in that mood, call me because I will give I will give you some really good wrecks for that one.

Cortney 26:46

Love it, love it. Well, tell me, what tropes will you defend with your life? Second chance. 100%.

Mary 26:56

I am a second chance queen. I am a second chance lover. If and I have to say it's not really a trope, but if you also have a book with a ballerina in there, I am all over it like white on rice. So those are probably the two that you you will find me die hard protecting all day, every day. But definitely, definitely second chance. There's just something I think so realistic with second chances that I love it in my romance books because I love how vulnerable the characters can be, and I love how they can overcome things. And I'm not talking, don't get me wrong, there's always a time and a place for a third act breakup. But I'm talking the true second chances that aren't just a third act breakup due to miscommunication

– Tropes We’ll Defend With Our Lives

Mary 27:56

kind of thing. I I love I love second chances that are a couple that was together, got divorced, and got back together. Sign me up. I will, I will auto-buy that. That would be beautiful, perfect, and maybe it's something about being in my feral 40s, but I love second chance romance. So what about you? What about you? What's your what's your trope that you will defend against me?

Cortney 28:25

Okay, so hear me out. Fake dating. That's like that I know people give so much hate, I feel like, to fake dating and to um like surprise or accidental pregnancy. Oh, I love a good surprise pregnancy book. I do too. That's like my guilty pleasure. But fake dating, when I'm in a book slump, that's like my go-to if I'm trying to like reset my brain. Like it's been done so much. I don't care. I don't care. Give me 20 versions of the same book.

Mary 29:01

I don't care. I agree. I agree. I agree. When you when you find that like that niche, that trope that you like, it could be it could be mass published everywhere. And I'm with you. Just give it all to me. I will consume it, I will hug it, and I will treasure it.

Cortney 29:21

And also if it's hockey, if it's fake dating meets hockey, like, ooh, that's my jam. Sign me up.

Mary 29:30

So so I have to ask, you have the fake dating. Now, does does arranged marriage, fake marriage, fake engagement, do you classify those in as fake dating, or do you look at those as as a different different ball of wax?

Cortney 29:45

Arranged marriage, I I kind of loop that in as something else. But if it's like if it's a f like a marriage of convenience, then I kind of that coincides with fake dating because it's it's like a fake marriage. But I mean, and again, one can argue that an arranged marriage could also be fake too, because you know, they're they're not. So I don't know, maybe, maybe. I think I think you might have talked me out of that one.

Mary 30:15

Yeah. I just had to ask because because you do see people, and I agree with you, you see people lumping them together, but there are there are differences and nuances. And I I agree a marriage of convenience or like a fake engagement or a fake marriage, I could classify those as a fake dating trope. But an arranged marriage kind of thing, like the father set the daughter up with the enemy kind of thing, that falls in a different category for me too.

Cortney 30:48

Especially because like I've read books before where like it's yes, it's arranged, and maybe he's not happy about it, but she is. Like she's what if she's been in love with this guy for her entire life. I've read books like that before. So yeah, you talk me back, you talk me back around.

Mary 31:09

We just need to come out and say we love books. Like yes, we we just chaos any chaos, it is chaos, and we love any and all tropes. It's it's gonna be what it's gonna be for the whole year. Yes, I've never met a trope I didn't like.

Cortney 31:27

There, I said it.

Mary 31:28

Truth, truth, I I don't think I have either. I can't say I have a trope that I am completely turned off against.

Cortney 31:38

Yeah, I'm with you. I haven't found one yet, but we'll see.

Mary 31:41

No, I know, I know. We're still young. So, so if you want to challenge us, drop a comment and and challenge us with a trope that you think is unhinged that we need to read.

Cortney 31:55

Or one that you don't like. Maybe we don't like it either, and we just don't know we don't like it. True, true. But you know, this season we're we're rebranded, guys. All all different things. You know, we got a different brand on social media. We have a new layout for our podcast. Like, as you can tell, this isn't what you've seen in the past. So the vibe for this season is chaos and unhinged. So I hope you join us because it's gonna be a fun time. And speaking of unhinged, it's time for unhinged thoughts of the week, where we take our thoughts with no context, no logic, but just the vibes, and unpack it like it's completely normal. So, Mary, give me your unhinged thought of the week.

Mary 32:48

Uh, teenage boys are feral for food and home baked goods.

Cortney 32:53

I you know, I I can see it just being boys in general because you know, my son, he's five, and literally he's eating me out of house at home. Like I just like mom, I want this. And I'm like, you've already ate it all. Like, I need to go to the store again.

Mary 33:14

I will say at five though, and our viewers can chime in or laugh or gasp at five. So my son drank a lot of milk at that age. He was very much a milk kid until probably I'd say nine or ten. And now he only drinks it when he has cereal. But back then, we literally were going through four gallons of milk in a week with just my son because I can't drink milk. I'm lactose intolerant, so I can't have dairy at all. And I could not afford that was back when milk was high for a gallon of milk. So I'm buying powdered milk and whole

– Unhinged Thoughts of the Week

Mary 33:57

milk, and I'm like mixing and splitting it because the kid was drinking me out of house and home.

Cortney 34:04

Look, there we go again, Mary, because I'm also a lactose intolerant queen. And so we, it was meant to be. Yes, we we buy lactose-free milk. Um, I that's a staple in our house. I because like I'm a huge milk drinker, like, and I will eat dairy. I shouldn't, but I do. Um, I'm my own worst enemy. But he's not that big into milk anymore. He was from like two to three. But since then he's kind of come off of it. But yeah, I would literally buy gallons of milk, like two or three gallons a week we would go through between me and my son. So it's crazy. It's lactose-free milk is so expensive.

Mary 34:52

It is, it is. We I keep lactose-free milk because if I do cook with a little bit of it, I can at least do it. But I'll be honest, we I don't really if I make them something with dairy in it, I will pull out part of it for me to not have the dairy. So I am I'm so sorry. I know, I know. It I can do so, I can have parmesan cheese that's been aged properly. Like I'm talking the cheese wedge, and then you grade it, not the kind in the green, yeah, not the kind in the green tub. Um, but I I found out in high school, I became lactose intolerant. It went away when I was pregnant, and then it came back, probably around the time my son was five, it came back in full force. And I tried for a while, like you, I would be like, oh, I want the ice cream, or oh, I want this. And at the end of the day, it was killing me. And so I just cut it all out. And I don't, I don't, I miss some things, but I will say that we have come a long way in what was available when I was 18, 17, 18, and couldn't have dairy to what we have now because I can use like plant-based heavy cream, I can use plant-based shredded cheese, uh plant-based creamer. And it's really made a huge difference in what I'm able to eat and do.

Cortney 36:30

Hey, I get more power to you because you are better than me. I have no willpower. Actually, it was it was probably about a month ago now. I was literally sitting here at work complaining pretty much all morning about a stomach ache. Uh, like my stomach just hurt me all morning long. And then it comes, lunchtime rolls around, and I look at my boss, who is also my best friend, and I was like, hey, yeah, um, I'm going to Amigo's real quick. I'm gonna go get me some queso. And she's like, Courtney, you've literally been complaining about your stomach hurting all day. Why are you doing this to yourself? And I'm like, you know, you I was like, I won't complain anymore. And like, sure enough, I was complaining, but I do it to myself.

Mary 37:19

I know, I know. And as we as we dove way down the deep end of unhinged off-topic thoughts on that one, you have to drop your most unhinged uh thought for the week.

Cortney 37:33

Mine is kind of a double dipper. Um, because one, insurance is a fucking scam. Let's just say it. Facts, facts. Um, I'm sitting at probably about almost two grand already in insurance bills. And it's not even the end of March yet. Like, what the fuck? Why am I paying for it? Um, so yeah, I could have probably paid these doctors, and it was doctor office visits. If it was a hospital visit, I I could completely understand. But my doctor's office, like, I could have self-paid and paid a lot less than what I have. So insurance is a scam. I know we need it, but it's a fucking scam. And um and also uh meta ads has got me in a book slump. Julie Ann, I love you. I love you, and I love your writing, but you got me, you got me hooked on a meta ad. And I can't even think now if it was Instagram or Facebook, but it was like this cute like little scene where she accidentally texted her boss that she like nannies for. Um what she was supposed to send her boyfriend, she sent the boss, and I was like, Oh, this is gonna be good because you know I love a good nanny boss, or nanny. Um was it what I thought it was? Yes, but also was it something I didn't ask for? Also, yes, but in the best way possible. It was a great book. It left me on a little bit of a cliffy, not too terrible that I like have to go read it right now, um, which thank God because I found it on Hoopla and I'm out of my borrows, my borrows for the month, so I have to wait until April 1st. So I'm I'm so ready for April to get here. So I can finally find out what happens. But um, yeah, the book is called Transcend. Definitely not this like witty like comedy that I thought I was getting, but it turned out to be something so much better. Who's definitely so who's the author? Jewel E. Ann. Um I've met her before. Actually, she was at a meet and greet queue last year. I got to meet her in person, she's super nice, yeah. Just not not what I was expecting. And like now, no book can like hold a candle. Like, because my my mind is just so sucked into her world. And so I've started and stopped so many books, so I'll eventually make my way back to home. But I'm just like, I can't. My mind just needs this other story right now.

Mary 40:07

I love when authors make us feel that way, where we're feral for the next one that's coming out, or the next one if it's available even more. Like, I will automatically give five stars if I I feel feral and I'm not even done the first book, and I'm like, where's the next one? Where's where's the rest? I need more.

Cortney 40:32

Yeah. I I can't wait to see how this story is gonna turn out because so far everything like because I I love like a good like suspense and I like trying to like figure out like, oh, who's the murder? Who's this, who's that? And like I I could not figure this one out, and I'm just I'm still stomped, but I can't wait to get into book two. Well, I just want to say thank you everyone for sticking with me through this break. And if you are new here, hi and welcome to the chaos.

Mary 41:03

This week you get a double dipper. Be sure to check out the next episode and see what we are yapping about.

Cortney 41:09

For sure, you're gonna want to bring your TBR and your bad decisions.

Mary 41:13

In the meantime, you can catch us causing chaos over on Instagram at WhatTheSmut Podcast, and me personally at On Point Digital Services.

Cortney 41:23

And I'm over on Instagram at Courtney Leanne. If you want to join us for a chat, there's a form linked in our notes. So be sure to fill that out because we would love to hear from you.

Mary 41:32

If you enjoyed today's episode, please consider leaving us a review. Reviews help other smut readers find us, and honestly, they make our chaotic hearts very happy.

Cortney 41:42

And if you really love this podcast and want to show support, we've got a listener support link in our show notes. Supporters get shout outs, special giveaways, and maybe even some exclusive chaos you can't find anywhere else. We also have sponsorship opportunities as well. Thanks for tuning in, and we'll catch you guys next time.