Make Out Already

The Head and the Heart: Mental Health in Romance

Make Out Already

Show Notes

Hi Smooches! On this episode, we’re recommending romances with mental health themes, whether the characters are explicitly diagnosed with a mental illness or living with a neurodivergence, or are coded as such. If you have mental health recs you’d like to share, we’d love to add them to our list! Let’s get into it.

Where to find us

Website: www.makeoutalreadypod.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makeoutalreadypod/?hl=en

Twitter: https://twitter.com/makeout_already

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@makeoutalreadypod

Merch: https://make-out-already.creator-spring.com

Liz’s book: “How That Makes You Feel” by Elle Diaz https://amzn.to/3PVc5UQ

Stuff we mentioned

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

A Duke By Default by Alyssa Cole

The Theory of Attraction by Delphine Dryden

The Bride Test and The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang

Barbarian’s Beloved by Ruby Dixon

How That Makes You Feel by Elle Diaz

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, which you can watch on Netflix

Heroine Complex series by Sarah Kuhn

Chick Magnet by Emma Barry

Brown Sisters series by Talia Hibbert

Off the Clock by Roni Loren

The One You Fight For by Roni Loren

More from Make Out Already

Aug 9, 2025

Hi friends! We’re stopping by to drop off a little treat — some books that feel like summer to us. Whether they’re literal beach reads, scandalous soap opera style dramas, or sci fi horror romance with that claustrophobic, sweaty feeling, we’ve got some of everything.

Feb 27, 2025

Hi Smooches! Join us in a Hot Tub Time Machine, but where there's no time machine, it's just a hot tub full of bubbling b*tches and smut. It's truly chaotic, but we talk about what we've been reading lately. WHERE TO FIND US Find us on Instagram at:⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/makeoutalreadypod⁠⁠ Find us on Threads at:⁠⁠https://www.threads.net/@makeoutalreadypod⁠⁠ Liz’s author links:⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/ellediazromance⁠⁠ Subscribe to Liz’s YouTube channel:⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@ellediazromance?si=dl14EFyyCtYoolui&sub_confirmation=1⁠⁠ Books/authors we mentioned: Quit Like a Woman, by Holly Whitaker Bride, by Ali Hazelwood Chronicles of the One series, by Nora Roberts Parable of the Sower, by Octavia Butler Station Eleven, by Emily St. John Mandel The Hunger Games series, by Suzanne Collins Olive J. Kelley The Celestial Kingdom series, by Sue Lynn Tan Twilight (unfortunately), by Stephenie Meyer The Iron Widow series, by Xiran Jay Zhao Fate and Flame duology, K.A. Tucker Ice Planet Barbarian series, by Ruby Dixon Karina Halle Mexican Gothic, by Sylvia Moreno-Garcia #NSFW (Not Safe For Work), by Tosca Fasso Capitalist Realism, by Mark Fisher

Feb 9, 2025

Hi Smooches! We haven't died, just fallen off the face of the earth for a bit. On this episode, which we recorded way back in October 2024, we talk with Emma Barry about her latest release, Bad Reputation. Because it took us so damn long to put out this episode, Emma Barry's next book, Bold Moves, will be releasing very soon! So, you're welcome for the shorter wait. Spoilers ahead! WHERE TO FIND US Find us on Instagram at:⁠https://www.instagram.com/makeoutalreadypod⁠ Find us on Threads at:⁠https://www.threads.net/@makeoutalreadypod⁠ Liz’s author links:⁠https://linktr.ee/ellediazromance⁠ Subscribe to Liz’s YouTube channel:⁠https://youtube.com/@ellediazromance?si=dl14EFyyCtYoolui&sub_confirmation=1⁠ Books/authors we mentioned: Emma Barry's incredible books: https://authoremmabarry.com/books-2/ Mick Herron's Slow Horses thriller series Gail Carriger's steampunk fiction Lisa Kleypas' Devil in Spring Kathy Yardley's urban fantasy

Dec 31, 2024

Hi Smooches! Happy New Year. Thanks for riding out a weird and wobbly 2024 with us. Whether you’ve been here since the beginning or are just tuning in, Meg and I are grateful for you. Now, we don’t know about you, but we have a pretty good feeling that you’ve been feeling some rage lately. So let’s process that together. We’re recapping the horror rom-com Your Monster, with special guest Deanna. Spoilers ahead!

Oct 31, 2024

Hi Smooches! Liz here. On today’s episode, I’m telling Meg about one of my favorite books of the year, definitely in the top 3 and possibly my book of the year. It’s a dark rom-com between a black cat trauma nurse, and a golden retriever thirst trap creator who is more than a little obsessed with her. It’s a book that asks, what if the obsessed stalker hero is actually so babygirl? We’re talking about Lights Out by Navessa Allen. Spoilers ahead. And if you’d like a mood playlist for this book, we made you one!: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7DnobOug3shqCHuPUGDO3x?si=keegKl2CTiaPh-TdgWRS7w

See all episodes →