Literature on the Rocks

Yours Truly Summary

Calling all soft hearts and overthinkers—this one’s for you. In this summary episode, we’re cracking open Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez, a romance that had us tearing up in the best way, appreciating our spouses just a little more, and wishing every book boyfriend came with Jacob’s emotional intelligence (and maybe his plant room).
We follow Briana, an ER doc with trust issues the size of her coffee order, and Jacob, the anxious cinnamon roll of a man who might just be the best fake boyfriend in the entire romance genre. From swapped love letters to family drama to a fake dating setup that feels a little too real, we’re breaking down all the moments that made us swoon, sob, and scream into our throw pillows.
💜 Want to sip along with the perfect pairing? Check out our custom cocktail, Lavender Love Letters—light, bubbly, and infused with a hint of calm.
📝 Got feelings? We do too. Head over to our discussion prompts and share your take—your response might just end up in our book club episode! Click here for discussion questions.

Like Mother Like Daughter Book Club

This week’s book club gets personal—like really personal. We're diving into Like Mother, Like Daughter by Kimberly McCreight and answering every last one of the book prompt questions. But the convo doesn't stop there. We also peel back the layers on how motherhood has shaped us—how it cracked us open, stitched us back together, and made us look at our own moms in a whole new light. It’s raw, it’s honest, and it’s exactly why we started this podcast in the first place. Grab your tissues (and your cocktail), because this one’s for every daughter who became a mother and every mother who was once a daughter.
🔗 Listen now and join the discussion on Instagram, Facebook, or at literatureontherocks.com.

Like Mother Like Daughter Summary

Secrets, therapy sessions, and generational trauma—oh my! In this summary episode, we’re diving headfirst into Like Mother, Like Daughter by Kimberly McCreight, a psychological thriller that peels back the layers of a mother-daughter relationship gone seriously sideways.
Think buried memories, shocking reveals, and enough emotional baggage to fill a therapist’s office. We break down every twist and turn, question everyone’s motives, and debate: was this book a slow burn or a simmering mind game?
Grab your drink—something strong—and buckle up. Because by the end, we were left wondering: is healing even possible when the truth is this twisted?
🍸 Want to pair your listen with a mood-setting cocktail? Sip on the Mother's Secret—a berry-lemon gin cocktail that’s as complex and layered as Cleo and Kat.
📝 Ready to dive into your own thoughts? Answer our book discussion prompts here: Find them here.

Assistant to the Villain Book Club

It’s time to clock back in at the Evil Empire, because we’re diving into your answers and our unfiltered opinions on Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer! In this book club episode, we unpack your first impressions, debate that cliffhanger of an ending, and try to figure out who’s stabbing who—and why everyone’s so hot while doing it.
From unresolved plot points to the romantic slow burn that had us SCREAMING, nothing is off-limits. Plus, we pitch our own alternate endings (some better than others, let’s be honest), and one of us might be falling a little too hard for the Villain. Justice for Evie’s job description, please!
🍸 Haven’t seen our dangerously delicious cocktail yet? Sip on the Mead-tini while you listen.
📝 Want in on the next discussion? Answer our book prompts here 

Assistant to the Villain Summary

This week, we’re stepping into the stabby, sassy, totally HR-violating halls of evil with Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer. Think fairy tale vibes meets workplace comedy meets… a murder-y meet-cute? Yes please.
We’re breaking down this fantasy rom-com from start to finish—complete with sword fights, sarcasm, suspicious spreadsheets, and one very morally gray boss who is way too hot to be so homicidal. Evie is just trying to hold onto her job and keep the office from imploding (literally), and we are HERE for it.
Join Sunny, Rachel, and Rox as we summarize the plot and swoon over villainous charm. And of course, we’re rating it one shot, two shots, or three—because even fantasy should come with a hangover warning.
We paired this book with a drink and deep thoughts—grab the Mead-tini cocktail recipe and answer the discussion prompts.

The Mothers Book Club

In this week’s Book Club episode, we’re back with The Mothers by Sarah J. Naughton—and let’s just say this group of moms gives “mom drama” a whole new meaning. From neurodivergent kids to loveless marriages, verbal abuse, and the unbearable weight of child loss, each woman is hiding a truth she hopes never sees the light of day. But when tragedy strikes, secrets start slipping faster than a juice box at recess.
Join us as we unpack listener reactions, explore the messy realities of modern motherhood, and dish on which character we’d definitely side-eye at pickup. Was this sisterhood forged out of loyalty… or survival? Grab your cocktail, find a quiet corner (preferably one where no toddlers are asking for snacks), and let’s dive into the drama together.
 
Join the conversation: Download our discussion prompts to dive deeper
 

The Mothers Summary

This week, the moms are... not alright. We're diving headfirst into The Mothers by Sarah J. Naughton—a twisty psychological thriller that asks how well you really know your mom friends.
In this full summary episode, we break down every twist, turn, and teacup rattle. From neurodivergent parenting to loveless marriages, from quiet grief to toxic relationships, this story dives deep into the raw, unfiltered layers of motherhood—and the sometimes dark places women go when they feel alone, unheard, or on the edge.
Join Sunny, Rachel, and Rox as they unpack the plot, reflect on the emotional weight of these struggles, and—as always—decide if the book left us reaching for just one shot or all three. Spoiler alert: motherhood is hard, and murder might be harder.
Pour yourself something strong (you’ve earned it), and let’s get into it.
 
Join the conversation: Download our discussion prompts to dive deeper

Project Hail Mary Book Club

We’re back on board the Hail Mary—this time with listener takes, wild theories, and a whole lot of Rocky love. In this book club episode, we break down your thoughts on Andy Weir’s sci-fi hit Project Hail Mary, from the ethics of interstellar survival to whether friendship can (literally) save the galaxy.
We debate the science, swoon over alien bromance, and ask the real questions: Would we have passed the mission? Could we have made the same sacrifice? And most importantly… where do we sign up for our own Rocky?
As always, we’re sipping something strong (our space-themed cocktail has liftoff), reading your responses, and geeking out over a book that made our nerdy little hearts soar. So pour yourself a drink, put on your metaphorical space suit, and join us for a gravity-defying good time.
 
Check out the featured cocktail recipe: Try the Tao Ceti Sunrise cocktail here!
Join the conversation: Download our discussion prompts to dive deeper.

Project Hail Mary Summary

Buckle up, space nerds—this week, we’re launching into Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. It’s science, it’s survival, and it’s a lonely man in space with a memory problem and a surprising alien bromance. In true Literature on the Rocks fashion, we break down the plot (yes, even the math-y parts), highlight our favorite moments (hello, Rocky!), and toast to the kind of science fiction that makes you feel all the human things.
Whether you’re here for the existential dread, the interstellar optimism, or just to find out what the heck an Astrophage is, we’ve got you covered—with minimal physics and maximum fun. We also give it our signature rating (one, two, or three shots), and let’s just say… this one might’ve left us floating.
Ready to boldly sip where no reader has sipped before? Let’s go.
 
Check out the featured cocktail recipe: Try the Tao Ceti Sunrise cocktail here!
Join the conversation: Download our discussion prompts to dive deeper.

Great Big Beautiful Life Book Club

In this book club episode of Literature on the Rocks, we’re diving back into Emily Henry’s Great Big Beautiful Life—this time with your comments, our hot takes, and a few possibly tear-stained cocktail napkins. We’re unpacking grief, growth, and the unexpected connections that bloom when you least expect them.
Sunny, Rachel, and Rox answer this week’s prompts, revisit that unforgettable final chapter, and share listener insights that hit harder than a third shot of tequila. Spoiler alert: we’ve got thoughts about the romance, the retelling, and whether we’d personally go digging through a decades-old tragedy to find our own truth.
Grab your drink, get cozy, and come yell about books with us—because if you’re going to feel all the feels, it might as well be with your favorite trio of readers and ranters.
Sip the cocktail- Check out the Beautiful Spark recipe here! 
Spill your thoughts- Discussion prompts here!