Exes Who Brunch: Recent Episodes
Dani McLean
Ex-husband & wife duo (slash roommates) who love all things romance, pick a movie or book to discuss each week. Hosted by romance author Dani McLean. New episodes every Sunday.
Book week! This week we read and review Finding Gene Kelly by Torie Jean and get lost in the wonderful world of Paris, nostalgia and puns. We ask the question: when is the right time for donuts? And discuss whether we would grant a second chance to a love interest who had broken our hearts.
Movie week and it's a RANT review! We revisit this 90's bomb-com featuring Matthew Perry and Neve Campbell, which angers Dani so much she's ready to disavow all knowledge of this movie (minus Oliver Platt who is a national treasure).
Book week! And we dive in to The Pool Boy by Nikki Sloane, an age gap romance where a younger woman falls in love with her best friend's son. Alex has thoughts and Dani explores her options...
We cover one of our absolute favourites this week! 10 Things was a big hit but we revisit it and see if everything is still as good as we remember..,
Love and Serial Killers, can they mix? This week we tackle a book with some dark themes and some heavy content warnings as we discuss the dark romance Black Sheep, by Brynne Weaver and Alexa Harlow.
Guess who's back! Season 3 kicks off with a rom-com from across the Tasman, the 2011 New Zealand film Love Birds.
Dani & Alex discuss exactly what kept them 'on a break', and get heated when it comes to the ending of this particular movie. Sometimes love hurts... and sometimes that's not okay.
It's book week! This week, Dani introduces Alex to the world of DNF-ing, the art of knowing when to quit a book you aren't enjoying. The challenge was to find a small town, friends to lovers romance... and let's just say, challenge was definitely the correct term for it.
It's movie week! And we are shamelessly revisiting one of our favourite movies, the 1995 rom-com, The American President. Written by Aaron Sorkin (West Wing, The Social Network) and directed by Rob Reiner (The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally), it follows President Andrew Shephard trying to find love amongst a re-election campaign.
It's book week! And we visit the ice-hot (get it?) world of Ruby Dixon's wildly popular scifi alien romance series, Ice Planet Barbarians. Alex, who has never met a scifi movie he wanted to watch, gets a crash course in all things big, blue and horned.
It's movie week! And we revisit an oldie and a .... ?? We're undecided. When this 1999 rom-com was released it was not favoured by critics or us, but you asked for us to rewatch it, so here we are! Take a listen to hear our thoughts on this Julia Roberts/Richard Gere tale.
It's book week! This week we venture into the Cosy Mystery genre with The Missing Page by Cat Sebastian. Dani is additionally set the task to update Alex's references for the genre, since his are firmly stuck sometime around Angela Landsbury's role in the 80's...
It's movie week! For our Valentine's Day episode, we return to our favourite romance channel, Hallmark, to watch Butlers In Love. We laugh, we cry, we rage.... it's a typical Hallmark experience.
It's book week, and we have a very special guest! Bestselling romance author Rachael Johns joins us to talk about her steamy 2014 novella Tease Me, Cowboy. We talk regrets, Hallmark (of course!) and discuss why she thinks cowboys are so inherently sexy.
It's movie week! This week Dani revisits the 2003 satirical rom-com, Down With Love, and reignites her love for Ewan McGregor's accent (not to mention those baby blues).
It's book week! This week we discuss Battle Royal by Lucy Parker, a wonderful contemporary romance that sets rival bakery owners in Notting Hill on a crash course with each other. There's a reality baking show and a royal wedding, and a cocktail bar that is something out of Heston Blumenthal's dreams!
It's movie week! This week we revisit a mutual favourite, The Wedding Singer. Made in the 90s but set in the 80s, this Adam Sandler/Drew Barrymore film delivers on both 'rom' and 'com', and boasts a fantastic soundtrack. We discuss what we liked, what we didn't, and whether the "Chase Down" met our expectations.
It's book week! This week Dani takes us back to the wild west with the two-book series Dig Two Graves. We talk love in a time where outlaws roam, and where you might be asked to save a friend from a venomous bite.
What are two exes to do when they love romance but their own marriage failed? Have brunch and podcast, of course! Romance novelist Dani McLean and her ex-husband (slash roommate) Alex discuss her favourite thing (books) and his favourite thing (movies) each week and dissect what works and what doesn't.
2022 is here! To ring in the new year, Dani watches (or tries to watch) two New Year's themed movies: Garry Marshall's star-studded film New Year's Eve and Hallmark's A New Year's Resolution. She only lasted five minutes for one of them. Can you guess which?
Christmas has come at last, as does Santa (repeatedly)! Our holiday episodes conclude with a full episode dedicated to the entertaining Slammed by Santa, written by Bytch Williams.
Another week closer to our Christmas episode! This week we talk about another book full of holiday cheer, written by the king of satirical erotica and two time Hugo award finalist, Chuck Tingle. Alex also learns the difference between sentient and centaurs.
Alex mixes history (his favourite subject) with romance (Dani's favourite subject) by counting down 10 facts about Dating that will surprise you! And it wouldn't be December without another excerpt from everyone's new favourite Christmas novel, Slammed by Santa.
December is here, and the festivities commence! Dani drops another quote from her new favourite Christmas story, a turkey that isn't the only thing getting stuffed this holiday season, and the joys of Hallmark holiday films.
We're back on our words box! This week Dani and Alex discuss a certain word that could mean cat (but doesn't) and whether historical accuracy is important when your characters are getting down and dirty.
Dani opens Alex's eyes to the romance subgenre of Holiday-themed erotica, and then revisit their feelings about 2005 rom-com The Wedding Date, which leaves Dani annoyed at Debra Messing's treatment of the love interest.
In which we talk about book research, the classic chase scene that is quintessential in romance stories, and the one rom-com we cannot agree on.