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Plotting & Panting Podcast
Welcome to Plotting and Panting, the cozy corner of your week where three book-loving besties dive into stories that bring the heat—no matter the genre. From romance to fantasy, thrillers to contemporary fiction, every book we discuss has one thing in common: it’s got spice. Join us for light-hearted laughs, honest chats, and a safe, judgment-free space to gush over plot twists, steamy scenes, and everything in between. Grab your favorite drink, get comfy, and let’s turn the page together.
Plotting & Panting Podcast
Ep 15 Book Review: Soul Searching
Welcome to Plotting and Panting!! We’re excited to be here; grab your favorite drink, get comfy and let’s turn the page together! Today we are talking about Soul Searching by Lyla Sage.
Paraphrased from Lyla Sage's Website:
"Collins Cartwright does not want to go home. Sweetwater Peak, Wyoming, was supposed to be in her rearview mirror, but when she finds out a developer is trying to buy her parents’ antiques shop out from under them, she doesn’t have a choice—at least, that’s what she tells her family. They don’t need to know she’s lost her job and is out of money. Or that the ghosts who have always been her companions have recently gone silent.
Lucky for her, the new-to-town upholsterer, Brady Cooper, has a room for rent above his store. As they begin to get closer, the lines between them start to blur, leaving both of them—and the ghosts who have been pushing them together—wondering whether their temporary arrangement could be something more permanent."
Soul Searching by Lyla Sage - Lyla Sage | Books
Panting Scale
- Barely Warm – You could read this to your grandma and not blush
- A Little Breathless – Some flirty banter and a chaste kiss… maybe two if we’re feeling wild
- Need a Sip of Water – The shirt’s off, the lights are dim, and your cheeks are warm
- Heart Racing, Fan Required – Pages are sizzling and you’re reading with one eyebrow permanently raised
- Full-On Gasping for Air – The book is basically illegal in at least three countries
Plotting Scale
- The Chaos Gremlin - No outline in sight. The book feels like the author just shook a bag of tropes and dumped them onto the page. Fun? Absolutely! Structured? Not even a little bit
- The Wandering Map - There is a plan… somewhere. The story takes detours, loses the GPS signal, and you might be asking, “Wait, where are we going again?”
- The Color-Coded Calendar - Some structure, some vibes. You can tell the author had a plan but also went off-script when the characters demanded a spontaneous road trip.
- The Spreadsheet of Destiny - Everything is neat, organized and right on cue. You can practically see the beat sheet taped above the author’s desk.
- The Puppet Master - Immaculate plotting. Every detail snaps into place, every breadcrumb leads somewhere and by the end you’re applauding the master plan.
