Strictly Friction

Gwynriel vs Elriel: Who Should Azriel End Up With In 'A Court of Splintered Harmony'?

It's the ACOTAR ship war that seems impossible to settle: Gwynriel or Elriel? With A Court of Splintered Harmony on the way, we're diving deep into the case for Azriel ending up with Elain vs Gwyn — from Truth-Teller and the Cauldron bond, to that bonus chapter necklace fumble, and what our favourite bat boy's shadows are really telling us. We break down the receipts for both ships including where Lucien, Vassa, and maybe even Koschei, fit into the chaos. Spoiler: we land firmly in one camp, but you'll have to listen to find out which. 😉 Tell us in the comments: are you team Gwynriel or Elriel? We need to know we're not alone here! 🎧Follow and subscribe for fortnightly episodes and keep up to date with all things Strictly Friction, including book news, pop culture updates and more on Instagram @strictlyfriction and TikTok @strictly.friction

'ACOTAR 6' Predictions: Whose POV Are We Getting in 'A Court of Splintered Harmony'?

Finally, after years of waiting, we've been gifted with news of when ACOTAR 6 is coming. And while we now have our cover, title (A Court of Splintered Harmony), and even a blurb, one thing we don't know yet is whose head we'll be in as the story unfolds. In this week's episode of Strictly Friction, we share our theories on exactly who we think will be telling the story in the next book ahead of its October 27 release. 🎧Follow and subscribe for weekly episodes and keep up to date with all things Strictly Friction, including book news, pop culture updates and more on Instagram @strictlyfriction and TikTok @strictly.friction.

Is BookTok Good (Or Bad) For The Publishing Industry?

This week on Strictly Friction, we're stepping away from our heaving TBR to unpack the beast that is BookTook. There's no doubt it can either make (or break) an author's career, but in this episode, we dive deep into the online world to dissect whether it's having a positive or negative impact on the publishing industry and ask the question, 'who gets to be an author anyway?'. 🎧Follow and subscribe for weekly episodes and keep up to date with all things Strictly Friction, including book news, pop culture updates and more on Instagram @strictlyfriction and TikTok @strictly.friction.

'Threshing Day': Theories And POV Predictions For Rebecca Yarros' New Empyrean Novella

This week on Strictly Friction, we're (finally) locking in on an Empyrean book, following the announcement by Rebecca Yarros that a new novella is coming this September. It might not be book four, but 'Threshing Day' will tell the story of 13 people on the day they bonded their dragons. Here, we speculate on whose POVs we'll be getting in the book (in addition to Xaden, who has been confirmed) and unpack a few fan theories. 🎧Follow and subscribe for weekly episodes and keep up to date with all things Strictly Friction including book news, pop culture updates and more on Instagram @strictlyfriction and TikTok @strictly.friction.

The Romance Book Tropes We Love (But Never Want To Try)

This week on Strictly Friction, we're inviting you into the depraved corners of our minds by talking all things tropes, including the🌶️ spicy scenes🌶️ we long for in romance books that don't exactly translate to real life. From Scent Marking🐺 and Forced Proximity🛏️ to Billionaire Bad Boys, Love Triangles and Why Choose, we unpack why the best romance and romantasy tropes are made for reading, not reality. 🎧Follow and subscribe for fortnightly episodes and keep up to date with all things Strictly Friction, including book news, adaptation updates and more, on Instagram @strictlyfriction and on TikTok @strictly.friction

‘Every Year After’: The 12 Biggest Changes From Book To Screen

In today’s episode, we unpack the 12 biggest differences between ‘Every Summer After’ and the brand new Prime Video adaptation, ‘Every Year After’, as the fandom asks: was it worth it? This episode includes spoilers for both the book and screen adaptation.

'Fury Bound': Unpacking The Polarising Sequel To 'Dire Bound'

Welcome to Strictly Friction, a book club dedicated to all things spice, smut, romantasy and raunchy reads, or as we like to call it, our safe space to yap about our fictional boyfriends. In today’s episode, we’re recapping and unpacking Fury Bound by Sable Sorensen, the highly anticipated sequel to Dire Bound (you can listen to our episode on this book here). We're recapping and unpacking the biggest moments from the book, helping you get to know all the new characters, and sharing what we loved (the spice) and didn't love (deadbeat dad), along with our theories for book three. It goes without saying, this episode will contain spoilers for Dire Bound and Fury Bound.

The 'Off Campus' Finale & Our Theories For Season Two

A week on from Off Campus dropping on Prime Video, we sat down to discuss the finale episode and what it might mean for season two (which was also officially greenlit this week). In this week's episode, we're unpacking every moment from the finale, including that locker room scene, all the similarities (and differences) from Elle Kennedy's book, Hannah and Garrett's sweet reunion, and the drama-packed final scene. Haven't caught up yet? Listen to our Off Campus Cheat Sheet episode to catch up on the who's who in the Briar universe, and of course, get all of our thoughts on the series' first seven episodes before you dive in. Spoilers ahead for the Off Campus TV series and Elle Kennedy books. 🎧Follow and subscribe for weekly episodes and keep up to date with all things Strictly Friction, including book news, adaptation updates and more on Instagram at @strictlyfriction and on TikTok at @strictly.friction.

• Transcript

We're All Feral For The 'Off Campus' TV Series

All eight episodes of ‘Off Campus' just dropped on Prime Video and we have THOUGHTS. This week we're putting the adaptation in the penalty box and giving episodes 1-7 the debrief they deserve — including what they got right, what they got wrong, whether Belmont Cameli can carry the weight of our Garrett Graham expectations, and most importantly: does Stephen Kalyn's Dean live up to the hype? (Spoiler: it might just be better than the books.) Haven't caught up yet? Listen to our Off Campus Cheat Sheet episode before you dive in and join us next week for a dedicated deep dive into the 'Off Campus' Season 1 finale, plus everything we know about Season 2. Spoilers ahead for the Off Campus TV series and Elle Kennedy books. 🎧Follow and subscribe for weekly episodes and keep up to date with all things Strictly Friction including book news, pop culture updates and more on ⁠Instagram @strictlyfriction⁠ and ⁠TikTok @strictly.friction⁠

Your 'Off Campus' Cheat Sheet

In this episode, we’re recapping and unpacking 'The Deal' and wider 'Off Campus' series by Elle Kennedy with everything you need to know before the TV adaptation takes over your life. To give you the highlighted bits, we’ll be starting with a quick rundown of our favourite Briar U boyfriends and main characters before we dive into what we loved, loathed, and longed for - plus our hopes (and Dean-related dreams) for the Prime Video series. *Content warning* This episode will touch on instances of sexual and domestic abuse in the context of 'The Deal' and 'Off Campus'. series by Elle Kennedy. If you or someone you know is being affected by domestic violence, call 1800 737 732. 🎧Follow and subscribe for weekly episodes and keep up to date with all things Strictly Friction including book news, pop culture updates and more on Instagram @strictlyfriction and TikTok @strictly.friction

A 'Dire Bound' Bonus Chapter Chat: Praise Be To Stark's POV

A short but oh-so-sweet debrief on *that* brand-new 'Dire Bound' bonus chapter, including what we learnt, what it means for 'The Wolves of Ruin' series by Sable Sorensen, and why Stark's POV has us all hot and bothered in the lead up to 'Fury Bound'.

Dire Bound: Everything You Need to Know Before Fury Bound

Welcome to Strictly Friction, a book club dedicated to all things spice, smut, romantasy and raunchy reads, or as we like to call it, our safe space to yap about our fictional boyfriends. In today’s episode, we’re recapping and unpacking 'Dire Bound' by Sable Sorensen ahead of the sequel 'Fury Bound'. So you’re fully prepared, we’ll be running through everything you need to remember from book one, refresh your memory on who all the key players are and unpack what we loved (and didn’t) along with our theories heading into book two. It goes without saying, this episode will contain spoilers for 'Dire Bound'.