Can reading romance novels actually transform your love life?

This week I’m joined by Sarah Wendell, founder of Smart Bitches Trashy Books. Let's talk about why romance stories aren’t fluff ; they’re emotional aids for happiness and fulfillment. We explore how romance novels enhance trust, communication, commitment, and the kind of passion that evolves and grows with the relationship.

We talk honestly about what happens when intimacy fades in your relationships and marriage and the “dead bedroom” no one wants to admit to. How courting, real courting, keeps love alive and is necessary to do for your partner but it's not just with lovers; it's with friends and the people who matter including yourself.

Romance novels remind us that desire begins with emotional connection. That soulmates connect through trust and communication. That passion is nurtured, not assumed. And that the hearts need attention if we expect them to stay open.

If you care about love, relationships, marriage, emotions, commitment and keeping passion alive long after the honeymoon phase, this episode will change the way you think about romance, on and off the page. Listen up and read on...

Welcome to Heavens to Betsy! Please meet Betsy and find out what this ride is all about - midlife mess, single mom life as a widow, dating disasters, financial fiascos, career pivots, rescue animals, Swifty over Fifty, all the baffling, annoying things people do, you name it Betsy talks about it!

If you like raw, funny, and real you've found your new favorite podcast! This is what Betsy likes to call real advice from real people for real people.

Advice topics covered are reinvention, medical fitness, well being, love, marriage, relationships, career pivots, self awareness, self improvement, grief, empty nest, personal finance literacy, empowerment, divorce, stress management, nutrition, mental health, friendships, women over 40, women over 50, menopause, perimenopause, steps to happiness, emotional health, a holistic look at life.

We have our resident cast of characters:

⁠⁠Nicola Morgan⁠⁠, our Money Wellness Coach (money is way more than dollars and cents)

⁠⁠Dr. Ritu Saluja-Sharma⁠⁠, our Functional Medicine Physician (perimenopausal / menopausal women's health isn't defined by 10,000 steps)

⁠⁠Natalie Gaglione⁠⁠, our Dating and Relationship Expert (dating, relationships and love can be so easy if we let them)

⁠⁠Erin Bagwell⁠⁠, our Tarot card reader and Intuitive Medium (Mindfulness, Empowerment, Awareness are on tap for us as Erin lets us know what our cards reveal)

⁠⁠Amanda Towne⁠⁠, our Transformation Therapist (change your life one thought at a time to a life full of self care, self awareness, mental wellness, compassion, stress management)

Follow, stream and tune in each Tuesday to be part of the sisterhood and to learn when it's time to get over yourself!

You can find Betsy Ronel on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and on ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠.

Questions? Write Betsy confidentially with questions you'd like asked on the pod:

HeavenstoBetsyShow@gmail.com

Inquiries for Collabs? Betsy is flattered to be considered as a guest:

HeavenstoBetsyShow@gmail.com

Looking for real relationship advice and love guidance for 2026? In this episode, intuitive Tarot reader Intuitive Medium, Erin Bagwell reveals powerful insights about relationships, emotional healing, and opening our collective hearts to receive love from the cards. We break down what the tarot cards say about love patterns, soul connections, and what’s coming next for all of us — plus a fun and fascinating deep dive into the love story, marriage, and family planning energy surrounding Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce.

If you’re navigating love, healing after loss, dating again, or manifesting a healthy relationship, this episode delivers intuitive wisdom, practical relationship advice, and hopeful predictions for the future of love midlife and all ages.

Erin Bagwell can be found on Instagram, TikTok and her new podcast, The Hidden History of Magick and subscribe to her Patreon account.

Welcome to Heavens to Betsy! Please meet Betsy and find out what this ride is all about - midlife mess, single mom life as a widow, dating disasters, financial fiascos, career pivots, rescue animals, Swifty over Fifty, all the baffling, annoying things people do, you name it Betsy talks about it!

If you like raw, funny, and real you've found your new favorite podcast! This is what Betsy likes to call real advice from real people for real people.

Advice topics covered are reinvention, medical fitness, well being, love, marriage, relationships, career pivots, self awareness, self improvement, grief, empty nest, personal finance literacy, empowerment, divorce, stress management, nutrition, mental health, friendships, women over 40, women over 50, menopause, perimenopause, steps to happiness, emotional health, a holistic look at life.

We have our resident cast of characters:

⁠Nicola Morgan⁠, our Money Wellness Coach (money is way more than dollars and cents)

⁠Dr. Ritu Saluja-Sharma⁠, our Functional Medicine Physician (perimenopausal / menopausal women's health isn't defined by 10,000 steps)

⁠Natalie Gaglione⁠, our Dating and Relationship Expert (dating, relationships and love can be so easy if we let them)

⁠Erin Bagwell⁠, our Tarot card reader and Intuitive Medium (Mindfulness, Empowerment, Awareness are on tap for us as Erin lets us know what our cards reveal)

⁠Amanda Towne⁠, our Transformation Therapist (change your life one thought at a time to a life full of self care, self awareness, mental wellness, compassion, stress management)

Follow, stream and tune in each Tuesday to be part of the sisterhood and to learn when it's time to get over yourself!

You can find Betsy Ronel on ⁠Instagram⁠ and on ⁠TikTok⁠ and ⁠YouTube⁠.

Questions? Write Betsy confidentially with questions you'd like asked on the pod:

HeavenstoBetsyShow@gmail.com

Inquiries for Collabs? Betsy is flattered to be considered as a guest:

HeavenstoBetsyShow@gmail.com

Let's talk because Valentine’s Day is around the corner — but dating, relationships and love in midlife (or any age) can be tricky. Our resident Dating Coach, Nats Gaglione shares the secrets to keeping new relationships from taking over your life, preserving self care and emotional well being to decoding the 37% rule in the dating game. Plus, we break down Nats' must-do “Love Audit” — the ultimate checklist to become a better partner In love. If you want to enjoy dating while managing your stress about it this episode is your guide.

To get your Love Audit from Natalie Gaglione visit her here. You can also find her on Instagram.

Welcome to Heavens to Betsy! Please meet Betsy and find out what this ride is all about - midlife mess, single mom life as a widow, dating disasters, financial fiascos, career pivots, rescue animals, Swifty over Fifty, all the baffling, annoying things people do, you name it Betsy talks about it!

If you like raw, funny, and real you've found your new favorite podcast! This is what Betsy likes to call real advice from real people for real people.

Advice topics covered are reinvention, medical fitness, well being, love, marriage, relationships, career pivots, self awareness, self improvement, grief, empty nest, personal finance literacy, empowerment, divorce, stress management, nutrition, mental health, friendships, women over 40, women over 50, menopause, perimenopause, steps to happiness, emotional health, a holistic look at life.

We have our resident cast of characters:

⁠Nicola Morgan⁠, our Money Wellness Coach (money is way more than dollars and cents)

⁠Dr. Ritu Saluja-Sharma⁠, our Functional Medicine Physician (perimenopausal / menopausal women's health isn't defined by 10,000 steps)

⁠Natalie Gaglione⁠, our Dating and Relationship Expert (dating, relationships and love can be so easy if we let them)

⁠Erin Bagwell⁠, our Tarot card reader and Intuitive Medium (Mindfulness, Empowerment, Awareness are on tap for us as Erin lets us know what our cards reveal)

⁠Amanda Towne⁠, our Transformation Therapist (change your life one thought at a time to a life full of self care, self awareness, mental wellness, compassion, stress management)

Follow, stream and tune in each Tuesday to be part of the sisterhood and to learn when it's time to get over yourself!

You can find Betsy Ronel on ⁠Instagram⁠ and on ⁠TikTok⁠ and ⁠YouTube⁠.

Questions? Write Betsy confidentially with questions you'd like asked on the pod:

HeavenstoBetsyShow@gmail.com

Inquiries for Collabs? Betsy is flattered to be considered as a guest:

HeavenstoBetsyShow@gmail.com