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'...
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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✨ Affiliate Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases of books mentioned in this episode (at no additional cost to you).
Show notes created by Descript.
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