Netflix's summer blockbuster series The Hunting Wives has captivated audiences on screen but its roots are on the page.  May Cobb, bestselling author of sultry suspense novels including The Hunting Wives, A Likeable Woman and The Hollywood Assistant, joins us to talk about writing sexy, complicated, and morally questionable women - whether we like them, or not.

Description highlights:

• The Netflix adaptation of The Hunting Wives and what it’s like to see her book come to life on screen.
• Voyeurism, blurred friendships, and bicuriosity as recurring themes in Cobb’s work.
• The controversy around “unlikeable women” in fiction and why Cobb insists on writing flawed, messy heroines.
• Why infidelity remains one of romance’s biggest taboos—and how Cobb resisted editorial pressure to “justify” her characters’ choices.
• Reflections on East Texas, obsession, and the intoxicating danger of “bad for you” relationships.
• Alongside the interview, listeners hear a dramatic reading from The Hunting Wives, a playful performance experiment with narrator Gideon Frost, and a poignant Dear Allie listener letter about reckless love and lasting devotion.

Notable Quotes

• “I will die on the hill of defending my unlikeable female characters and their messy decisions—because we’re all messy.” — May Cobb
• “Sometimes the relationships that light you on fire, even if they burn, are the ones that help you know yourself better.” — Allie Martina
• “We all understand that magnetic draw—that chemistry you can’t explain.” — Allie Martina

Books & Links Mentioned

📚 By May Cobb

• The Hunting Wives
  Kindle | Audiobook | Print
• A Likeable Woman
  Kindle | Audiobook | Print
• My Summer Darlings
  Kindle | Audiobook | Print
• Big Woods
  Audiobook

🔖 Recommended by May

• Till Death Do Us Part by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn
  Kindle | Audiobook | Print

Time-Coded Themes

• 00:00 – Opening Quote: Erica Jong on feminism, desire, and “bad women.”
• 01:00 – Reading from The Hunting Wives: A charged scene of temptation, infidelity, and longing.
• 05:00 – Allie’s Reflection: Why infidelity is nearly forbidden in romance novels, yet resonates in Cobb’s fiction.
• 06:30 – Interview Begins: Allie and May reminisce about 20+ years of friendship and celebrate the Netflix adaptation.
• 09:00 – Voyeurism as Theme: From Hitchcock to East Texas backyards.
• 11:00 – Friendships, intimacy, and bicuriosity: How blurred boundaries fuel Cobb’s stories.
• 15:00 – Lust vs. Motivation: Why women characters shouldn’t need an “excuse” to desire.
• 17:00 – The “Unlikeable Woman” Debate: Cobb defends her messy female characters.
• 23:00 – Infidelity in Fiction: Publishing pushback and Cobb’s resistance to sanitizing her characters.
• 27:00 – Genre & Marketing: Why Cobb’s “sultry suspense” straddles thriller and romance categories.
• 29:00 – From Victorian literature to now: How repression, erotic tension, and female sexuality evolved on the page.
• 31:00 – Romance stigma fading: Why genre barriers are breaking down.
• 33:00 – Book Recs: Till Death Do Us Part by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn.
• 35:00 – Gideon Frost Performance: Playful riff on “irresistible but toxic” relationships.
• 38:00 – Dear Allie Letter: Reckless love that turned into 20 years of partnership.
• 40:00 – Closing & Credits.

Guest Bio: May Cobb

May Cobb is the award-winning author of sultry suspense thrillers set against the backdrop of East Texas. Her novels, including The Hunting Wives and A Likeable Woman, explore obsession, power dynamics, and the lives of unapologetically flawed women. Cobb’s work has been praised for its page-turning suspense, messy characters, and fearless explorations of female desire. She lives in Austin, Texas, with her family and is a frequent contributor to literary discussions about thrillers, women in fiction, and the blurred lines between morality and lust.

Follow May Cobb:

• Website: maycobb.com
• Instagram: @may_cobb

Production Credits

• Host & Producer: Allie Martina
• Series Producer: Jill Ruby
• Special Contributor: Gideon Frost
• Creative Design: Dana Christopherson

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Show notes created by Descript.