My guest this week is Elissa Sussman, author of Funny You Should Ask and Once More With Feeling. She walked me through writing her new book Totally and Completely Fine, about a widow and single mom still grieving her late husband when she meets a famous, younger actor. Then we talked about her new podcast But How’s the Sex about the sex lives of fictional characters, and how romance novels celebrate and respect horny women. Plus: Are small-town romances “cozy” or homogenised? And why are heroines in their 40s so rare?

Follow Elissa on Instagram as @elissa_sussman or visit elissasussman.com. Purchase Totally and Completely Fine from the Rebel Ever After affiliate bookstore here!

Subscribe on Patreon at patreon.com/brosandprose to get access to the Rebel Ever After Discord server, as well as premium episodes of the podcast. Your financial support makes this independent production possible. Please reach out at rebeleverafterpod.com/contact with advertising and sponsorship inquiries. 

Please remember to RATE AND REVIEW the podcast wherever you like to listen. Thank you for your support!

Theme music created by Dalton Deschain. This show is brought to you with the support of my patrons.

This week on Rebel Ever After, my guest is the wonderful London Sperry, author of the 2024 rom-com Passion Project. London and I talked about the range of mental health representation in romance and her quest to write a self-destructive, grieving baddie who deserves love. Content warning that this episode touches on depression, anxiety, mourning and some light references to suicidal ideation. I promise we laughed a lot about being weirdos in New York City, golden retriever love interests, and our love for Sebastian St. Vincent.

Follow London on Instagram @londonsperrywrites. Purchase PASSION PROJECT from the Rebel Ever After affiliate bookstore here!

Subscribe on Patreon at patreon.com/brosandprose to get access to the Rebel Ever After Discord server, as well as premium episodes of the podcast. Your financial support makes this independent production possible. Please reach out at rebeleverafterpod.com/contact with advertising and sponsorship inquiries. 

Please remember to RATE AND REVIEW the podcast wherever you like to listen. Thank you for your support!!

Books mentioned this episode:

• Passion Project by London Sperry
• City People by London Sperry (a work in progress!)
• But How Are You, Really by Ella Dawson
• Devil In Winter by Lisa Kleypas
• Wedding Dashers by Heather McBreen

Theme music created by Dalton Deschain. This show is brought to you with the support of my patrons.

This week my guest is Eva Leigh, the author of My Fake Rake, Scandal Takes the Stage, Forever Your Earl, and many more historical romances. Her new romantasy The Sea Witch publishes this August with Canary Street Press.

Eva writes fantastically bold heroines who find freedom and power despite the patriarchy. We talked about sustaining a career in the romance genre, why pirates should be your next obsession, and embracing female rage. Plus, Eva’s decision to write a happily-ever-after for a sex worker in Dare to Love a Duke.

Follow Eva on Instagram as @evaleighauthor and on BlueSky as @evaleigh.bsky.social‬, or visit her website, evaleighauthor.com

Learn more about the pre-order campaign for The Sea Witch on Eva's Instagram here!

Subscribe on Patreon at patreon.com/brosandprose to get access to the Rebel Ever After Discord server, as well as premium episodes of the podcast. Your financial support makes this independent production possible. Please reach out at rebeleverafterpod.com/contact with advertising and sponsorship inquiries. 

Please remember to RATE AND REVIEW the podcast wherever you like to listen.

Books and authors mentioned this episode include:

• Judith McNaught
• Jude Deveraux
• Johanna Lindsey
• Eva’s earlier work as Zoe Archer
• Lady Viper and The Bastard, Eva Leigh
• Dare to Love a Duke, Eva Leigh
• The work of Cat Sebastian
• The work of KJ Charles
• The Blades of the Rose, Zoe Archer
• To Catch a Raven, Beverly Jenkins

(Btw, Eva looked into the source of "Comparison is the thief of joy" and most folks do attribute it to Theodore Roosevelt. Still a mystery when/where he said it!)

Theme music created by Dalton Deschain. This show is brought to you with the support of my patrons.

This week my guest is Olivia Dade, the author of Spoiler Alert, All The Feels, At First Spite, 40-Love and many others. She has two books coming out this year, ZOMROMCOM in August and Second Chance Romance in November. We had a sprawling conversation about her dive into paranormal romance, writing fat heroines who are older than 27 years old, and the unique challenges of editing sex scenes. 

Follow Olivia Dade on Bluesky as @oliviawrites.bsky.social‬, and sign up for her newsletter at go.oliviadade.com/Newsletter.

Pre-order ZOMROMCOM, SECOND CHANCE ROMANCE and other romance novels featured on Rebel Ever After in my affiliate bookstore at bookshop.org/lists/rebel-ever-after

Subscribe on Patreon at patreon.com/brosandprose to get access to the brand new Rebel Ever After Discord server, as well as premium episodes of the podcast! Your financial support makes this independent production possible. 

Theme music created by Dalton Deschain.

Please remember to RATE AND REVIEW the podcast wherever you like to listen.

Books mentioned this episode include:

• The Flesh Series, Kylie Scott
• Reawakening, Charlotte Stein
• Last Light, Claire Kent
• Hold, Claire Kent
• The Spoiler Alert series, Olivia Dade
• Cover Me, Olivia Dade
• But How Are You, Really, Ella Dawson (that's me!)
• The Hating Game, Sally Thorne
• The work of Emma Barry

My guest for Pride month's premium episode is Nina Haines, the founder of the virtual sapphic book club Sapph-Lit and the brand new publishing imprint of the same name. Nina is an advocate for queer authors and a community builder both online and offline. I asked her about her career as a bookish content creator, her thoughts on sapphic representation, and her decision to partner with Bindery to publish sapphic romance novels. Yes, you will hear the word “sapphic” a million times in this episode! We also gossiped about brands turning their backs on the LGBTQ community, and why book reviewers are so hard on lesbian characters. 

Listen to the full episode at patreon.com/brosandprose ! 

Rebel Ever After be back on July 14th. If you miss me, get on the Rebel ever After Discord and chat with me and fellow listeners! Patreon subscribers have access.

Join the Sapph-Lit community on Bindery: https://sapphlit.binderybooks.com/

Follow Nina on Instagram as @nina.haines, and Sapph-Lit as @sapphlit.

• The Warrior Cats series by Erin Hunter

• The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

• Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

• The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

• The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

• The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

• The works of Audre Lorde, Cookie Mueller, and Eileen Myles

• Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters

• Saturn Returning by Kim Narby (coming in Spring 2026)

• Bless The Blood: A Cancer Memoir by Walela Nehanda

• All This Could Be Different by Sarah Thankam Mathews

• You Exist Too Much by Zaina Arafat

• Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner

• The Bright Falls series by Ashley Herring Blake

• Here For The Wrong Reasons by Annabel Paulson and Lydia Wang

• The work of Emily Austin

• Triple Sec by TJ Alexander

• Single Player by Tara Tai

• The Secret Summer Promise by Keah Brown

• One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

My guest this week is author, actress, and journalist Keah Brown. She has published three books, the 2019 essay collection The Pretty One: On Life, Pop Culture, Disability, and Other Reasons to Fall In Love With Me; the 2022 children’s book Sam’s Super Seats, and her YA romance debut The Secret Summer Promise in 2023. Keah, like the protagonist of The Secret Summer Promise, has cerebral palsy, and we talked about what better disability representation can look like in romance and beyond.

We also discussed about why loving yourself is a lifelong process and Keah's decision to come out as bisexual. Plus: Do teens today read Sarah Dessen? Does Hollywood still do chemistry tests? Why aren't there kisses in rom-coms anymore? And when will Drew Barrymore be our friend?

Follow Keah @keah_maria on Instagram and Threads, and @keahbrown.bsky.social‬ on BlueSky. You can also find her at keahbrown.com.

Purchase THE SECRET SUMMER PROMISE and other romance novels featured on Rebel Ever After in my affiliate Bookshop at bookshop.org/lists/rebel-ever-after

You can listen to Keah and I gab about The Pitt on Patreon at patreon.com/brosandprose — Patreon subscribers get access to premium episodes of Rebel Ever After, as well as access to our Discord server! Join starting at $3/month and have the satisfaction of supporting an indie podcast production that could really use your help. 

Please remember to RATE AND REVIEW the podcast wherever you like to listen.

FILMS AND BOOKS MENTIONED INCLUDE:

• The Parent Trap (1998)
• Gotta Kick It Up (2002)
• The Pitt (2025)
• Just Listen, Sarah Dessen
• The Truth about Forever, Sarah Dessen
• This Lullaby, Sarah Dessen
• 50 First Dates (2004)
• Ever After (1998)
• Never Been Kissed (1999)
• A Walk To Remember (2002)
• Anyone But You (2023)
• Twisters (2024)
• Back In Action (2025)
• Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)
• The Holiday (2006)
• Pride & Prejudice (2005)

My guest this week is Tara Tai, whose debut novel SINGLE PLAYER came out this January. It’s a queer rom-com about two video game developers who clash over whether or not to include romantic storylines in their blockbuster new game Compass Hollow.

Tara and I talked about what it was like for them to write a romance novel about gaming culture, and the similar social stigma of romance and gaming as adult hobbies. What are the key differences between writing a romance novel and a romantic video game storyline, and what games should romance readers play next? Plus, how the immersive experience of video games leads to incredible storytelling at its best… and dangerous fan behavior at its worst. 

Follow Tara on Instagram @tarzaparzagagapan, on Bluesky @taratai.com‬, and at their website taratai.com.

Purchase SINGLE PLAYER and other romance novels featured on Rebel Ever After in my affiliate Bookshop at bookshop.org/lists/rebel-ever-after

Subscribe on Patreon at patreon.com/brosandprose to get access to the brand new Rebel Ever After Discord server, as well as premium episodes of the podcast! Your financial support makes this independent production possible. 

My second-chance bisexual romance BUT HOW ARE YOU, REALLY with its beautiful new digital cover is available wherever books are sold and at bit.ly/buthowareyoureallynovel

Please remember to RATE AND REVIEW the podcast wherever you like to listen.

Games mentioned include: 

• Ghost of Yotei
• Date Everything
• Dragon Age: The Vielgard
• Dungeons and dragons
• Clair Obscur
• Split Fiction
• Zelda: Breath of the Wild
• Stardew Valley
• The Sims
• Rollercoaster Tycoon
• Baldur’s Gate
• Dragon Age
• Mass Effect
• Fire Emblem
• The Last of Us Part I and II

Books mentioned: 

• Love In Focus, Lyla Lee

My guest this week is Chip Pons, the author of You And I, Rewritten and the forthcoming reality TV romance Winging It With You. He walked me through his publishing journey, from querying agents to self-publishing to making his trad pub debut during Pride 2025. Then we talked about the radically beautiful cover of his rom-com. Finally, how can we bring more gay men into the romance community as readers and as authors? 

Follow Chip Pons on Instagram and learn about his book tour dates at @booksovrbros.

Purchase WINGING IT WITH YOU and other romance novels featured on Rebel Ever After in my affiliate Bookshop at bookshop.org/lists/rebel-ever-after

Subscribe on Patreon at patreon.com/brosandprose to get access to the brand new Rebel Ever After Discord server, as well as premium episodes of the podcast! Your financial support makes this independent production possible. 

My second-chance bisexual romance BUT HOW ARE YOU, REALLY with its beautiful new digital cover is available wherever books are sold and at bit.ly/buthowareyoureallynovel

Please remember to RATE AND REVIEW the podcast wherever you like to listen!

Books mentioned in this episode include: 

• Slammed by Colleen Hoover
• Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
• You And I, Rewritten and Winging It With You by Chip Pons

Welcome to PRIDE, y’all!! This week’s guest is Joanna Lowell, the author of historical romances including A Shore Thing, The Duke Undone, and A Rare Find, which comes out on June 10th. She is also a Professor in the English Department at Wake Forest University. 

We talked about her experience teaching modern romance novels alongside classics like Jane Austen in the classroom, and the threat the Trump administration poses to historical research and academia. Then she took us inside her writing process and collaborating with her partner to create trans and nonbinary characters. After all, people have lived and loved outside the gender binary throughout history.

Follow Joanna on Instagram @JoannaLowellAuthor and visit her website at joannalowell.com

You can find A Shore Thing and other romance novels featured on Rebel Ever After in my affiliate Bookshop at bookshop.org/lists/rebel-ever-after

Subscribe on Patreon at patreon.com/brosandprose to get access to the brand new Rebel Ever After Discord server, as well as premium episodes fo the podcast! Your financial support makes this independent production possible. 

My second-chance bisexual romance BUT HOW ARE YOU, REALLY with its beautiful new digital cover is available wherever books are sold and at bit.ly/buthowareyoureallynovel

Please remember to RATE AND REVIEW the podcast wherever you like to listen!

Books mentioned this episode include:

• The works of Jane Austen
• The Bromance Book Club, Lyssa Kay Adams
• The Kiss Quotient, Helen Hoang
• An Extraordinary Union, Alyssa Cole
• The Prospects, KT Hoffman
• A Gentleman’s Gentleman, TJ Alexander
• Unmasked by the Marquess, Cat Sebastian
• Las Leonas series, Adriana Herrera
• Luna Sisters series, Liana De la Rosa
• Damsels of Discovery and Secret Scientists of London series, Elizabeth Everett
• Ladies In Hating, Alexandra Vasti

Buckle up for the first ever Rebel Ever After quarterly romance discourse round-up. This month I analyzed the bad vibes of 2025: Why is the Chicago Sun Times recommending books that don't exist? Has publishing abandoned diverse voices? Why are popular books by black authors so hard to find in bookstores lately? Is Silver Elite a worthy successor to The Hunger Games? And what the hell is up with straight influencer Tinx publishing a sapphic "romance" novel? I discuss all of that and more in this premium episode.

Listen to the full episode by subscribing for $3/month at patreon.com/brosandprose