Books are Chic

So excited to welcome Willa Gray to Books Are Chic to celebrate her debut hockey romance, Endgame! 🏒❤️

Endgame is a romance with the guts we’ve been talking about over the last few episodes - the characters, emotions, connections and all those layers that make a romance so much more than just the happily ever after.

Think Grey’s Anatomy meets the NHL meets Off-Campus  and I am HERE for it. 🏒📚

I loved chatting with Willa about her journey to publication, her love of romance, sports, the emotional side of writing a romance, and so much more. I especially loved talking with her about starting a new series and how an author knows when a story should continue through new characters and connections.

Endgame is the first book in a brand-new series, and I am already so excited to see what happens next!

Willa is an absolute delight and, honestly, she is just getting started. Her love of romance — and the fact that she was a reader first — is so evident in the pages of this book.

A perfect new addition to the hockey romance world and one I was so excited to bring to Books Are Chic! 🏒❤️📖

This chat is truly one for the books. 📚

I had the absolute honor of sitting down with debut author Carly Hillman to chat about her debut novel, The Refuge — a dramatic, suspenseful story about mothers, daughters, and the ways we rely on one another when life gets complicated. Set against an atmospheric backdrop, this is the perfect addition to your October TBR.

Carly and I chatted about everything from her time on Late Night with Stephen Colbert to pursuing fiction writing, motherhood, and one of my most passionate topics: childhood cancer.

Carly is a childhood cancer survivor and, honestly, a total badass. ❤️ She opened up about how her own cancer journey with her mom and the incredible bond they formed during that time subconsciously found its way into The Refuge.

As many of you know, my daughter is also a cancer survivor, so this conversation felt especially personal and meaningful to me. There are some conversations that go beyond the book, and this was definitely one of them.

Carly is one to watch, and I already can't wait for our next chat. ✨

Mystery maven and Massachusetts media legend… I am so excited to welcome the one and only Hank Phillippi Ryan to Books are Chic! 📚🔍

Hank and I chatted about her latest thriller, Mother Daughter Sister Stranger, and let me tell you: she’s an Agatha Award winner for a reason. This book is the PERFECT addition to your fall TBR. 🍂📖

Hank and I actually first connected during COVID, when I was Zooming with authors from my kitchen table. To now sit down with someone I grew up watching and admiring on TV who is also writing some of the best thrillers out there is pretty surreal.

And Hank is a PRO. I could honestly listen to her talk for hours. We chatted about her years at Channel 7, her love of storytelling, her passion for true crime, life as a full-time author, touring, writing thrillers and so much more.

One of my favorite things about talking with Hank is that she doesn’t just write stories… she is FILLED with stories. Her career, experiences, adventures and genuine love of what she does make every conversation with her completely fascinating.

This was such a fun one. I hope you love listening to it as much as I loved recording it! 🎙️❤️

Staying on theme with the Wild West this week, welcome Maggie Gates to Books are Chic! 🤠📚

We chatted about her latest cowboy romance, Blue Jean Summer set on a bougie estate with inheritances, unlikely allies, plenty of spice and of course one very hot cattle rancher. 🌶️🔥

Maggie and I talked about the importance of romance, what it’s like marrying into a cattle-ranch family, character development within a romance and her genuine love and admiration for her fellow romance authors.

She has such a wonderful voice and such a clear passion for romance novels and the community surrounding them. I absolutely loved getting to know her and hearing the stories behind the story and I am already excited to see what she brings us next! 🤠❤️📖

Who better to guide me into the world of cowboy romance than Jessica Peterson?! 🤠❤️ I was beyond thrilled to welcome her to Books are Chic to celebrate Colt, the first book in her brand new Double U Ranch series.

Think hot cowboy, layered story, big romance, and all the chili peppers a girl can handle. 🌶️🔥

I say this often about certain authors, but there are some who just emit joy for the craft, for the journey, and most of all, for the readers who get to come along for the ride. Jessica is absolutely one of those authors. I could have chatted with her for hours about all of it: life, books, motherhood, the joy of romance, and, of course, the eternal question… WHY are we all so drawn to a cowboy romance?!

Friends, if you have not yet ventured to that side of the reading ranch, do yourself a favor and start with Colt or dive into one of the many gems in Jessica’s backlist.

She is truly delightful, and that joy radiates right off the pages of her romances. 🤠📚❤️

So excited to welcome back Ellen O’Clover to Books are Chic! 💕 We’re celebrating her sophomore adult romance, If Not You, a September Book of the Month selection!

It’s been so fun catching up with Ellen over the past year, especially after The Heartbreak Hotel was such a huge hit! This time, we chatted about the inspiration behind If Not You (Ellen has some real-life work experience in common with her characters!), location as a character and the ever-important, continuing need for romance. 💗

There’s something extra special about welcoming back guests and watching them just absolutely crush their game. Ellen is doing exactly that, and I loved catching up with her again! ✨📚

So elated to be reunited with one of my favorite authors, energies, and fellow pop culture aficionados, Joss Richards! 💕📚

We chatted about her latest rom-com, Let’s Kiss and Tell, inspired by one of our ultimate favorites, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. Joss is such a fun human and her light shines through every page of her books.

We caught up (and it hadn’t even been a year!) about the aftermath of her debut, how surreal and well-received it was, sophomore writing and so much more. And, of course, in true Courtney and Joss fashion, we went off on a major pop culture tangent that included Tony Danza, Saved by the Bell and My Two Dads. 😂

I absolutely love chatting with Joss and will forever be excited for whatever she decides to write next. She’s the kind of author you want to hang out because she is that FUN. 💗

Loved chatting with Ally Zetterberg about her new thriller, The Dating Game! A little romance, a little murder and A LOT of games, this was such a FUN read. 🎲🔪💘

And Tilda? A main character you definitely won’t forget.

Ally and I chatted about her crossover into thrillers, the board game industry, all the lore behind the book and how it all came together- from France! 🇫🇷

If you’re looking to get into the spooky-season spirit, grab this one. It’s a game you’ll want to play! 👀

When I met Alissa Derogatis IRL at Lovestruck Books, I knew within minutes of chatting with her (and instantly after reading her latest rom-com) that young women needed more of her voice.

We had the BEST time celebrating her novel, How to Find Love in the Cereal Isle and yes, the book is every bit as fun as the title. 🥣💕

Since we had already done an event together over the summer, this felt like the best kind of catch-up post-book tour, while still giving me another excuse to shout from the rooftops about just how charming this book is.

But it’s more than a romance. At its heart, it’s also about finding yourself before you find love , something I think is important at every age.

We chatted romance, writing (she founded the writing group @hotgirlswhowrite), dating, the publishing journey and so much more. Alissa is truly a voice for young women - inspiring, honest, refreshingly real and never afraid to share her truth.

I’m so happy our paths crossed, and I can’t wait to see what she does next. 💕📚

Loved welcoming fellow New Englander Liana Cincotti to Books are Chic! 📚✨

Her latest romance, A Summer of Stars, is a fun, feel-good travel romance that takes us from red carpets to tennis courts and everywhere in between. I loved chatting about the book, but what I loved even more was hearing Liana’s journey to publication — because her story is a little twistier than most!

After self-publishing two novels, Liana took the traditional publishing route with A Summer of Stars. We chatted about the differences between the two, our shared love of romance (and romance bookstores!), pop culture, the journey to publication, and so much more.

I have a feeling Liana is just getting started. Her genuine love for sharing her stories with readers and celebrating the joy of reading shines through. ❤️📖