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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Get your free copy of Defenseless by Allie Lasky: https://BookHip.com/BNJBKSA

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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I spoke with author KD Cureton about her viral debut, Cracked Ice, a spicy, dark hockey romance and prequel in the F*cked Up Player series. We discuss her FMC, Sydney Sinclair, who just might be my MVP FMC of 2025 due to her unhinged stalker behavior and her secretly romantic MMC, Lucian “Morningstar” Morrow, as they embark on a wildly chaotic all-nighter that sparks obsession while detonating secrets and trust. KD teases her next book in the series, Black Ice, a why-choose tension-filled, enemies-to-lovers dark hockey romance. KD also wrote a beautiful love letter to her readers that you won’t want to miss.

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I spoke with Lydia, a content creator I crossed paths with on TikTok and Instagram, who shares some of my favorite LORDs series theories and always shares the best book recommendations. In fact, Lydia has introduced me to some of my favorite authors of 2025. Drop into our virtual living room as we chat all things Rina Kent and Shantel Tessier, including some of our favorite books (God of War) and favorite FMCs (Blakely from The Ritual and Laikyn from The Sacrifice).

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I spoke with author Bailey Hannah to discuss her latest book, At Whit’s End, book 4 in the Wells Ranch series. We’ve met our main characters in the previous books, but we’re about to fall deeply in love with Colt, a loveable, golden retriever ranch hand, and Whit, a single mom who feels that she’s both too much and yet not enough (relatable, btw). We explore the many layers of their love story and the transformative effect of trust, gentleness, and simply showing up. Set against a background of small-town gossip and the ache of old family wounds, Colt steps into Whit and her son Jonas’ life with steady hands, a strong heart, star-gazing metaphors, and the kind of everyday devotion that heals wounds he didn’t cause. Expect found family warmth, a light fem-dom dynamic that centers Whit’s power, and proof that real love keeps its promises—especially to a child. If you crave single-mom romance, ranch romance, small-town coziness, witty banter, and HEAs with emotional depth, this book will be your comfort read. At Whits End releases December 2, 2025, in print, ebook, and audio (narrated by Stella Hunter and Teddy Hamilton). If you love learning more about Bailey Hannah, make sure to listen to episode 8 of the Love Letters and Books podcast.

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I spoke with Katana Collins, a USA Today bestselling author known for her grumpy-sunshine RomComs and Romances. We talk about her recent book Meet Cute or Your Money Back (ex-Navy SEALs turned matchmakers find love), why she writes HEAs, and how joy (not algorithms) guides her creative life. Katana shares about her Maple Grove small-town romance series, her holiday romcom Rebel Without a Clause, and what’s next in her meet-cute universe. If you crave slow-burn tension, witty banter, small-town charm, found family, and romances that make your toes curl and your heart swoon, this episode is your perfect comfort listen. Katana also shares a tender love letter that will remind you why we read romantic comedies in the first place.

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