Maggie Gates returns to talk all things Fire Line, the finale in her bestselling Griffith Brothers Ranch series, now being re-released in North American bookstores on March 3 with a brand-new cover and two paperback-exclusive bonus chapters. If you love cowboy romance with real emotional stakes, complicated heroines, and heroes who have to grow up fast or lose the one person who finally sees them, this episode is for you! Maggie and I talk about writing women who’ve survived despite being under-resourced, and why readers who’ve lived in survival mode see themselves in the FMC’s struggle to trust good things when they finally show up. Maggie calls Fire Line “a love letter to anyone who has struggled to feel happy after they’ve been through something really traumatic.” If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re “too much,” “too broken,” or simply too late for a happy ending, take a seat and join the conversation. Pick up the re-release of Fire Line wherever you buy your books!

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I spoke with author CJ North. We discuss her Louisiana swamp-set romance, Beast of the Bayou, and her dystopian love story, Jump or Fall, exploring devotion through acts of service, power, and agency in high-stakes worlds, and what it really means to love someone who is still healing. We talk about acute versus complex trauma, embodied responses to intimacy, revenge transformed by connection, and the radical idea that you don’t have to be “fixed” to be worthy of love. It’s a vulnerable, nuanced conversation about survival and finding hope even inside oppressive systems. Today’s discussion is about trauma, resilience, and choosing love even when the world feels broken.

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I am joined by author Ali Roberts (The Unseen and After Hours) for an in-depth chat about our all-time favorite cowboy and cowboy-adjacent romance books. We’re talking small towns, ranch life, country living, and Yellowstone-dark antiheroes, all anchored in themes of found family, devotion, and happily ever afters. Not to mention the rustic settings, dream ranches, and wild rodeos. We didn’t have time to mention every single book or author we love in this genre, so make sure to email us with your favorite cowboy or cowboy-adjacent romance book recommendations for Part 2!

Cowboy Romance Authors mentioned in this episode:

Louis L'Amour

Maggie Gates

Raya Morris Edwards

Lila Dawes

The Moth: Hector Black on Forgiveness

Bailey Hannah

Jessica Peterson

Elsie Silver

Lyla Sage

Ava Hunter

Brooke Montgomery

Victoria Wilder

Albany Archer

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I spoke with Ceilidh of @yourhopefulromantic on IG/TikTok, PA to romance author Bailey Hannah, and the hype-engine behind content teams and reader communities that actually feel good. We talk about everything in this episode, from eldest-daughter energy and imposter syndrome to grief, boundaries, and going after what we want, even if we have to do it scared. We discuss soft hearts, strong boundaries, people-pleasing recovery, and empathy burnout. Ceilidh gets real about showing up online and in real life without losing yourself, and how romance novels like Change of Heart can model healthier love, mutual care, and asking for help. Ceilidh also talks about authors Julia Jarrett and Tarah DeWitt. Stick around for Ceilidh’s love letter to her future self, which is part manifesto, part pep talk, and it just might become yours.

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I spoke with Ambar Cordova, author of the Baker Oaks series, a series of interconnected stand-alone stories about interracial and multicultural small-town romances. In this episode, we talk about our love for very human, flawed characters, tender partnerships, the many variations of intimacy and vulnerability in our lives, and why representation of body diversity, chronic illness, and neurodivergent/mental health experiences in romance can be both healing and wildly swoony. Ambar also opens up about boundaries, content notes, and how fiction can nudge us toward self-acceptance without shame. Ambar also discusses her next book, The Hope Once Lost ( available Feb 25, 2026), about a single-mom, grief-to-joy romance that closes the Baker Oaks series, as well as her Patreon-only serialized rom-com on the way.

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I spoke with Ellie Mack, author of Kiss Me Thrice, a New York City ballet romance that takes us on a journey of ambition, artistry, and first love. This book offers a compassionate exploration of OCD, self-sabotage, and the power of letting the present rewrite the stories we tell about our past. Ellie will be your new favorite author if you crave immersive writing, passionate, emotionally intelligent characters, and intimacy grounded in care, communication, and growth. Ellie and I also share our experiences in the world of New York City ballet, including its discipline, creativity, stress, and beauty. Ballet girlies and book lovers, this episode is for you!

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I spoke with Lauren Biel, author of dark romance, horror romance, and Dark romantic comedies. Lauren first captivated me with her Ride or Die series, especially her book Across State Lines. Lauren is the Queen of writing “Traumances” (think trauma and romance), finding love when you least expect it, and relatable characters whose love languages are often a bit surprising. Lauren shares so much with us in this episode, from discussions about mental health to grounding yourself in authenticity to the sometimes necessary and always transformative experience of failure and seeing where it leads you.

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I spoke with Allie Lasky, a neurodivergent author of sports romance, for a powerful conversation about writing romance with mental-health and disability representation. We drop into Allie’s Boston Grizzlies Hockey universe with a spotlight on Defenseless (where demisexual hockey player MMC Ryan falls hard for and FMC navigating life with a chronic illness) and reader favorite Puck Me Twice (an autistic hockey hero, fake-dating romance). Allie explores how therapy, strengths-based routines, and “working with your brain” can have an impact on life and creativity, why slow-burn yearning hits harder when characters are fully seen, and how romance can model healthier love than many of us have witnessed in real life. She also gifts listeners a free eBook of Defenseless. Check out the link below to grab your copy!

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I spoke with Lauren Summers, poet and host of the It's Only Up From Here podcast. We trace Lauren’s path from “fake poems” in childhood journals to open-mic stages in NYC. Lauren and I explore poetry, creativity, and yearning in a world that demands our time, attention, and hobbies automatically turn into a hustle. Lauren spotlights the books that shaped her (Anne Frank, Toni Morrison, bell hooks, Kate Chopin), teases a memoir-in-progress, and closes with an original poem—a love letter to hope.

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Author Ali Roberts returns to talk about her new book, After Hours, a romcom workplace romance kicking off the Dinner Club series. We discuss her main characters: the rigid, obsessive, and completely loveable Dr. Alfie and his sunny, wickedly smart office manager, Mia. Ali and I share our favorite books and tropes of 2025 and how tropes like enemies-to-lovers, found family, terrible parents, and dark revenge helped us process big feelings. Also, Ali surprised me with an incredible love letter that had me laughing and sobbing off camera.

Here is a list of all the authors mentioned in this episode:

AJ Merlin

Ali Hazelwood

Brynne Weaver

Chelsea Curto

C.R. Jane

Eva Simmons

Holly June Smith

K.M. Moronova

Meghan Quinn

Lilith Vincent

Monty Jay

Navessa Allen

Shantel Tessier

Sloane St. James

Stephanie Archer

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