I spoke with Katie King, author of Rules for Starting Over and Rules for Faking a Marriage. Today, we're talking about slow burns, big feels, and swoony chaos. Katie's books are contemporary romances with heart, depth, and emotional safety. We explore why we love imperfect characters who make cringeworthy mistakes and awkward apologies, yet still work hard to build strong foundations in their relationships.  If you love stories about healing and second chances and character-driven romance full of growth, tenderness, and joy, this episode is for you!

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In this episode, I’m joined by Ceilidh @YourHopefulRomantic for a conversation about what it really means to let hope guide us in life and love, and how the books we read can offer us an entirely new perspective on what it means to cultivate hope in our lives. We’re also going to explore why cynicism is so tempting, how negativity bias keeps us small, and why hoping out loud can feel like a radical, vulnerable act. We’ll share the impact that She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb and Savor It by Tarah Dewitt have had on each of us. And you, the listeners, are invited to submit your love letters on any topic to be shared on air in future episodes: [email protected]

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In this episode, my guest host, author Ali Roberts, and I drop into dark, deliciously over-the-top Mafia and Bratva romance books to explore why morally gray (and morally black), rule-breaking heroes and high-stakes love stories are so irresistible to romance readers. We’re talking about enemies-to-lovers tension and obsessive devotion, slow-burn angst, mental health themes, and totally unhinged, spicy scenes. This conversation is perfect for listeners searching for their next dark Mafia or Bratva romance series!

Authors mentioned in this episode:

RIna Kent

Shantel Tessier

Michelle Heard

Lilith Vincent

S.J. Tilly

Montana Fyre

Rebekah Sinclair

Somme Sketcher

Danielle Lori

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I spoke with UK-based romance author Lila Dawes about Redemption, book one in her Cowgirls Do It Better series: a slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers cowboy romance set against the Grand Tetons, where the women run the ranch, the emotional stakes are sky-high, and forgiveness is the hardest thing anyone is asked to do. We definitely talk romance, but it's also a discussion about grief, guilt, accountability, and what it looks like when someone genuinely tries to earn their way back into the world after causing irreparable harm. We also talk about what's coming next for the Cartwright sisters in Revelry, Resonance, and beyond. Lila closes the episode with a love letter written to her younger self. It's written for her, but it lands for everyone who has ever made something quietly and hoped it was enough.

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I spoke with author Elaine Evans about her beautiful debut novel, Becoming Mallory, a sweet coming-of-age romance that follows Mallory, a young woman with autism, anxiety, and depression, as she navigates her way through growing up and finding her place in the world. The story focuses on themes of self-discovery, love, and acceptance. But we're also dropping quite a bit deeper in this episode as Elaine explores what it's like to write raw, tender, vulnerable, real-life experiences that take readers on a journey of growth, healing, maturation, and exploration, all leading to a wonderful, happily-ever-after. Make sure to stay until the end of the episode to hear Elaine's love letter to her younger self. Because, as always happens on this podcast, it's probably the love letter that you need to hear as well.

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I spoke with Ariel Anderson, the author behind the viral romantic tragedy Under Your Scars. Today, we're talking about her latest book, the mythic romantic tragedy, Entombed, which, for me, was a five-star read. We are exploring so many themes in Ariel's writing today, including being the outsider, tenderness, loneliness, relationships that nurture us, connection, and communication, as well as what helps us navigate some of the hardest moments of our lives. We'll also explore what the genre of romantic tragedies can teach us. Ariel also talks about her upcoming releases, including The End Unseen, and shares a spontaneous love letter for the listeners who need a little help saying yes to themselves.

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American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: https://afsp.org/

I spoke with author Erinn Maxwell about her powerful debut novel, Of Heather and Thistle. This is a slow-burn, small-town romance where healing matters just as much as the happily ever after. It's a story about second chances, self-discovery, a hot Scotsman, and the unexpected places we find home. Make sure to stay until the end to listen to Erinn’s love letter, a heartfelt message to the woman holding this story, who may not realize she’s been grieving long before the loss had a name.

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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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