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Pirates, mermaids, sea witches, and a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance — this episode has everything.

Leslie Vedder joins us to talk about The Siren's Kiss, a sapphic fantasy romance she describes as Pirates of the Caribbean meets The Little Mermaid, following a cursed pirate and a fierce mermaid who team up to take down ancient sea gods. We dig into her love of anime and manga, her upcoming graphic novel, and get five (okay, six) can't-miss pirate and fantasy-romance recommendations for your TBR.

• The Siren's Kiss by Leslie Vedder — Buy on Amazon | Search on Libby | YA Fantasy Romance / Sapphic / Pirates
• Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller — Buy on Amazon | Buy on Libro.fm | Search on Libby | YA Fantasy / Romantasy / Pirates
• The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall — Buy on Amazon | Buy on Libro.fm | Search on Libby | YA Fantasy / Sapphic / Pirates
• The Devourer by Alison Ames — Buy on Amazon | Buy on Libro.fm | Search on Libby | YA Fantasy / Sapphic / Pirates
• In Deeper Waters by F.T. Lukens — Buy on Amazon | Buy on Libro.fm | Search on Libby | YA Fantasy Romance / Mermaids
• The Wicked Bargain by Gabe Cole Novoa — Buy on Amazon | Buy on Libro.fm | Search on Libby | YA Fantasy / Historical Piracy / Trans MC
• A Harvest of Hearts by Andrea Eames (bonus) — Buy on Amazon | Buy on Libro.fm | Search on Libby | Fantasy Romance

• [00:00] Welcome back Leslie Vedder
• [00:30] What she's been up to since her debut trilogy
• [01:00] Elevator pitch for The Siren's Kiss
• [01:30] Sapphic pirates and badass female pirate captains
• [02:00] Pirate history research and the reality behind the myth
• [03:30] Anime and manga influence on her writing
• [05:00] Upcoming sapphic Robin Hood graphic novel ⚠️ genre departure
• [07:00] Book recommendations: pirates and mermaids
• [10:30] Where to find Leslie online

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Six books, one vote, and a whole community weighing in — Deedi's back to break down this year's Hugo Awards Best Novel nominees.

Our resident awards correspondent Deedi (@DeediReads) returns to walk us through the 2026 Hugo Awards — sci-fi and fantasy's biggest fan-voted prize. We cover how Hugo voting actually works, break down all six Best Novel nominees, and Deedi tells us which one she's rooting for (and which one she thinks will actually win). Perfect for anyone who loves a good genre awards deep-dive or is just looking for their next fantasy or sci-fi read.

• The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow — Buy on Amazon | Buy on Libro.fm | Fantasy
• The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson — Buy on Amazon | Buy on Libro.fm | Fantasy/Mystery
• A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett — Buy on Amazon | Buy on Libro.fm | Fantasy Mystery
• The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett — Buy on Amazon | Buy on Libro.fm | Fantasy Mystery | 2025 Hugo winner, prequel
• The Incandescent by Emily Tesh — Buy on Amazon | Buy on Libro.fm | Fantasy
• Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor — Buy on Amazon | Buy on Libro.fm | Science Fiction
• Shroud by Adrian Tchaikovsky — Buy on Amazon | Buy on Libro.fm | Science Fiction
• Cinderhouse by Freya Marske — Buy on Amazon | Buy on Libro.fm | Fantasy Novella
• The River Has Roots by Amar El-Mohtar— Buy on Amazon | Buy on Libro.fm | Fantasy Novella

• [00:00] Welcome back, Deedi — our official awards correspondent
• [00:01] Why the Hugos are different from literary prizes
• [00:02] How Hugo voting actually works (Worldcon membership, nominating)
• [00:03] All the Hugo categories beyond Best Novel
• [00:05] Popular vote pros and cons — vs. the Goodreads Choice Awards
• [00:07] This year's six Best Novel nominees, announced
• [00:08] Novella category as an easier entry point (Cinderhouse, The River Has Roots)
• [00:09] How Deedi fits 6 award books into a realistic reading pace
• [00:13] Deedi's "three words" method for choosing what to read next
• [00:17] Letting go of reading identity and genre guilt
• [00:19] Revisiting YA dystopia — Hunger Games, Divergent, and a brewing essay
• [00:22] Breaking up with Amazon and the Kindle ecosystem
• [00:26] Why indie bookstores give you more than just books
• [00:27] Supporting indie authors outside Amazon
• [00:32] Deedi's personal favorite — and her prediction for the win
• [00:35] Where to find Deedi online

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Laura's back with a solo update on slowing down, making reading friends in a new city, and two mysteries that actually caught her off guard.

In this episode, Laura shares how she's navigating a season of burnout, the low-key monthly reading date she's started with a friend (dubbed "Silent Book Club for Two"), and gives full reviews of two standout reads — a cozy small-town mystery obsessed with designer dogs, and a millennial mystery starring a very unlucky crossing guard. If you're looking for your next cozy or millennial-mystery pick, or just want a simple way to build more reading time into your life, this one's for you.

• Murder Bites by Mimi Montgomery | Cozy Mystery | Audio ✅
• Don't Cross Mo Ellery by Birdie Horne | Mystery | Audio ✅

• [00:00] Intro + August update
• [01:00] Birthday PTO and navigating a season of burnout
• [02:00] Making local reading friends through her yoga studio
• [03:00] How the "Silent Book Club for Two" reading date started
• [04:00] Why a one-on-one reading date beats a full book club
• [05:00] Murder Bites by Mimi Montgomery — setup and premise
• [06:00] Murder Bites — the reveal that actually surprised her
• [07:00] Don't Cross Mo Ellery — setup and premise
• [09:00] Currently reading Dungeon Crawl Carl + KU cancellation + sign-off

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What if the boy secretly writing your story isn't just trying to help you grieve — he's trying to get into college with it?

Debut author Gabriela Gonzales joins the show to talk about her YA rom-com How to Love You When You're Gone, a fake-friends-to-lovers story about grief, first love, and the messy business of growing up. We dig into writing Latine representation in genre fiction beyond trauma narratives, why romance's happy ending is actually the hardest thing to earn, and Gabriela's favorite grief-and-joy reads.

How to Love You When You're Gone by Gabriela Gonzales — Buy on Amazon | YA Romance/Rom-Com | Audio ✅ (narrated by Elena Rey & Jeff Ebner)

Our Way Back to Always by Nina Moreno — Buy on Amazon | YA Rom-Com | Audio ✅

Dungeons and Drama by Kristy Boyce — Buy on Amazon | YA Rom-Com | Audio ✅

Book Lovers by Emily Henry — Buy on Amazon | Adult Romance/Rom-Com | Audio ✅

• [00:00] Welcome + Gabriela's arts school & circus class background
• [00:03] Deciding to become a writer at age five
• [00:05] Signing with her agent in 2020 on a dystopian circus novel
• [00:06] Her sister's passing and discovering rom-coms
• [00:09] Why a happy ending is the hardest thing to write
• [00:11] The many subgenres of romance — there's a book for everyone
• [00:12] Writing Latine characters beyond trauma narratives
• [00:14] Latina identity isn't monolithic
• [00:17] Elevator pitch: How to Love You When You're Gone
• [00:19] The "grief backpack" metaphor
• [00:21] DBT, glimmers of hope, and managing big emotions
• [00:25] Book recommendations begin
• [00:26] Our Way Back to Always by Nina Moreno
• [00:31] Dungeons and Drama by Kristy Boyce
• [00:35] Book Lovers by Emily Henry
• [00:39] Where to find Gabriela online

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Four best friends, one Vegas casino, and absolutely nothing left to lose — meet the septuagenarian heist crew you didn't know you needed.

Bestselling author Julia London joins the show to talk about her genre-bending new release, Rules for Aging and Larceny, a commercial fiction romp about four 70-something women reuniting to pull off one last con — this time against a crypto scammer. Julia also shares four wide-ranging reading recommendations, from a quietly devastating Norwegian translation to the LitRPG series everyone's talking about.

Rules for Aging and Larceny by Julia London — Buy on Amazon | Commercial Fiction, Heist | Audio ✅ (narrated by Christina Moore)

Mrs. Bridge by Evan S. Connell — Buy on Amazon | Literary Fiction, Classic | Audio ✅

The Ferryman and His Wife by Frode Grytten (trans. Alison McCullough) — Buy on Amazon | Literary Fiction, Translated | Audio ✅

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman — Buy on Amazon | LitRPG, Sci-Fi/Fantasy | KU ✅/ Audio ✅ (highly praised narration)

Jane and Dan at the End of the World by Colleen Oakley — Buy on Amazon | Commercial Fiction | Audio✅

• [00:00] Welcome & intro
• [01:00] 29 years in publishing, starting in historical romance
• [02:00] The shift away from historical romance/mass market
• [03:00] Backlist entry points: dog-centric rom-coms & women's fiction
• [04:00] Elevator pitch: Rules for Aging and Larceny
• [05:00] The friend group, the original heist, and the fallout
• [06:00] The health diagnosis that brings the gang back together
• [07:00] Planning the casino heist — and why being "invisible" helps
• [08:00] Being underestimated as an older woman in public spaces
• [09:00] Julia's real-life stint as a white-collar crime investigator
• [10:00] Would you still have it? The book's central question
• [11:00] Recommendation: Mrs. Bridge by Evan S. Connell
• [12:00]–[13:00] Why Mrs. Bridge still feels relevant nearly 100 years later
• [14:00] Recommendation: The Ferryman and His Wife by Frode Grytten
• [15:00] Comparing Grytten to Fredrik Backman
• [16:00] Recommendation: Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman
• [17:00]–[18:00] Why the audiobook and LitRPG genre have taken off
• [19:00] Recommendation: Jane and Dan at the End of the World by Colleen Oakley
• [20:00] Where to find Julia online
• [21:00] Social media, content strategy, and closing thoughts

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What happens when the Grim Reaper falls for a children's librarian? Kelly Creagh's adult debut says: absolute chaos, and a whole lot of heart.

YA fan-favorite Kelly Creagh (the Nevermore trilogy) makes her adult debut with A Date with Death, a spicy, comedy-forward paranormal rom-com about a Grim Reaper and the sunshine-y librarian who steals his afterlife. In this episode, Kelly talks about jumping from YA to adult romance, writing comedy after years in paranormal horror, and her upcoming Hades and Persephone romantasy retelling — plus she shares the books currently topping her TBR. Perfect for readers who love cozy paranormal rom-coms, monster romance, and stories about finding your process as a writer.

A Date with Death by Kelly Creagh — Buy on Amazon | Paranormal Rom-Com | Audio ✅

A Promise to Hades by Kelly Creagh —YA Romantasy (upcoming)

My Roommate Is a Vampire by Jenna Levine — Buy on Amazon | Paranormal Rom-Com | Audio ✅

Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson — Buy on Amazon | Monster Romance | Audio ✅

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black — Buy on Amazon | Fantasy/Romantasy |Audio ✅

How to Write Best-Selling Fiction by James Scott Bell — Buy on Audible | Writing Craft | Audio ✅ (Audible-exclusive)

• [00:00] Welcome + intro to Kelly's adult debut, A Date with Death
• [01:00] Moving from YA to adult romance
• [02:00] Adult problems vs. YA coming-of-age stakes
• [03:00] Writing a heroine with romantic baggage
• [04:00] Where the Grim Reaper concept came from (thanks, nephew Ethan)
• [05:00] Why cozy romance is resonating right now
• [06:00] Kelly's comedy background
• [07:00] Family humor, playwriting, and theater roots
• [08:00] Working in a library — and that infamous bookmobile
• [09:00] What's next: A Promise to Hades, a Hades/Persephone romantasy
• [10:00] Researching mythology and the Vestal Virgins
• [12:00] On retellings and finding your voice as a writer
• [14:00] What Kelly reads across genres
• [15:00] Advice on finding your own writing process
• [16:00] Learning structure before you break the rules
• [19:00] The business side of being a writer
• [21:00] Craft book recommendation: James Scott Bell
• [22:00] Fiction recs: vampire rom-coms, monster romance, and The Cruel Prince
• [23:00] Where to find Kelly online

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Can you imagine erasing your worst memory — even if it meant erasing the people in it too? Debut author Evann Normandin joins us to talk about her stunning new dual-timeline novel, The Good Parts.

In this episode, Evann shares her long road to publication, the musical that inspired her book's structure, and why she believes The Good Parts was always meant to be her debut. We also dig into her book club-ready recommendations for readers who love a powerful "what if" premise, propulsive second-chance romance, and stories that leave you thinking about what a happy ending really means.

The Good Parts by Evann Normandin — Buy on Amazon | Speculative Romance, Book Club Fiction

In Five Years by Rebecca Serle — Buy on Amazon | Contemporary/Romance, Book Club Fiction

The Measure by Nikki Erlick — Buy on Amazon | Speculative Fiction, Book Club Fiction

Every Version of You by Natalie Messier — Buy on Amazon | Second Chance Romance

• [00:00] Welcome & intro to Evann Normandin
• [00:01] Evann's day job in educational publishing
• [00:02] The path to debut: earlier books that didn't sell
• [00:04] Signing with agent Michelle Wolfson & landing the book deal
• [00:05] Elevator pitch: the dual past/present timeline structure
• [00:06] How the musical The Last Five Years inspired the format
• [00:07] Plotting vs. pantsing — how much was mapped out in advance
• [00:09] The full elevator pitch: Rose, Landon, and the memory-erasing pill
• [00:10] The ethical questions that make it a great book club pick
• [00:12] Evann's reading life & recommendations begin
• [00:12] In Five Years by Rebecca Serle
• [00:14] The Measure by Nikki Erlick
• [00:15] Every Version of You by Natalie Messier
• [00:16] Where to find Evann online

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Rom-com author Victoria Lavine joins us to talk enemies-to-lovers banter, writing wedding chaos, and the funniest, freshest romance reads on her TBR.

Victoria Lavine, author of Any Trope But You and the upcoming Not That Kind of Proposal, sits down to talk about crafting high-stakes rom-coms, why banter is her favorite thing to write, and the books that made her cackle out loud this year. If you love enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, and grumpy-meets-sunshine energy, this episode is for you.

Any Trope But You by Victoria Lavine — Buy on Amazon | Romance / Rom-Com, Alaska-set, Enemies-to-Lovers

Not That Kind of Proposal by Victoria Lavine — Buy on Amazon | Romance / Rom-Com, Enemies-to-Lovers, Forced Proximity

Let's Kiss and Tell by Joss Richards — Buy on Amazon | Romance

It's Different This Time by Joss Richards — Buy on Amazon | Romance, Second Chance

Pot Shot by Laura Piper Lee — Buy on Amazon | Romance, Humor

Succubus: A Love Story by Kate Fox — Buy on Amazon | Paranormal Romance, Humor

• [00:00] Welcome + intro to Victoria Lavine
• [01:00] Life in Maine, escaping mud season
• [02:00] Growing up in Alaska and its influence on her debut
• [03:00] Any Trope But You — the retreat, the grumpy hero, writing it fast
• [04:00] Not That Kind of Proposal — premise: wedding planner vs. divorce lawyer
• [06:00] Researching wedding planning for the book
• [08:00] Favorite part of writing: the banter between enemies-to-lovers leads
• [10:00] Let's Kiss and Tell and It's Different This Time by Joss Richards
• [12:00] Potshot by Laura Piper Lee
• [13:00] Succubus: A Love Story by Kate Fox
• [15:00] Where to find Victoria online

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Every summer, one question comes up again and again: what Elin Hilderbrand book should I read next? This week, Laura teams up with Julianne Buonocore of Friday Night Readers to answer it once and for all.

Laura and Julianne each count down their personal Top 5 Elin Hilderbrand novels — from Nantucket scandals to a St. John getaway gone sideways — then hand over a list of read-alike authors for anyone who's already blown through the backlist. Perfect for beach bag planning, TBR building, or anyone debating where to start with the Queen of Beach Reads.

Laura's Top 5 Elin Hilderbrand's Books:

The Rumor by Elin Hilderbrand — Buy on Amazon | Women's Fiction/Nantucket

Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand — Buy on Amazon | Mystery/Women's Fiction

The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand — Buy on Amazon | Mystery

Silver Girl by Elin Hilderbrand — Buy on Amazon | Women's Fiction

Winter in Paradise trilogy by Elin Hilderbrand — Buy on Amazon | Women's Fiction/St. John

Julianne's Top 5 Elin Hilderbrand's Books:

The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand — Buy on Amazon | Women's Fiction/Light Mystery — recommended starting point for new readers

The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand — Buy on Amazon | Mystery

Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand — Buy on Amazon | Mystery/Women's Fiction

Summer of '69 by Elin Hilderbrand — Buy on Amazon | Historical Fiction

28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand — Buy on Amazon | Contemporary Romance

If You Love Elin Hilderbrand, Try These Books Next:

The Wash Ashores by Hannah McKinnon — Buy on Amazon | Women's Fiction/Nantucket

Worse Than Strangers by Kyleigh Leddy — Buy on Amazon | Women's Fiction

These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean — Buy on Amazon | Contemporary Fiction

Pretty as a Peach & Good Hair Days by Grace Helena Walz — Buy on Amazon | Southern Women's Fiction

This Summer Will Be Different, Meet Me at the Lake, Every Summer After by Carley Fortune — Buy on Amazon | Contemporary Romance

Also recommended: Jenny Hale, Emily Giffin, Nancy Thayer, Pamela M. Kelly, Brooke Lea Foster, Kristy Woodson Harvey, Dorothea Benton Frank, Victoria Benton Frank

• [00:00] Intro & summer catch-up
• [00:02] The eternal question: what Hilderbrand book should I read next?
• [00:07] How many Hilderbrand books have each of us actually read?
• [00:08] Laura's #5: A Rumor
• [00:10] Julianne's #5: The Hotel Nantucket (great starting point!)
• [00:13] Laura's #4: Swan Song
• [00:16] Julianne's #4: The Perfect Couple
• [00:18] Laura's #3: The Perfect Couple / Julianne's #3: Swan Song
• [00:18] Laura's #2: Silver Girl
• [00:19] Julianne's #2: Summer of '69
• [00:20] Laura's #1: Winter in Paradise trilogy
• [00:22] Julianne's #1: 28 Summers
• [00:24] If you love Elin Hilderbrand, read these authors next
• [00:29] Five Star Weekend Peacock adaptation + wrap-up
• [00:29] What's behind our Substack paywalls this week

Connect with Julianne from Friday Night Readers: https://fridaynightreaders.substack.com/p/best-elin-hilderbrand-books

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From flight attendant to hybrid author with a bookstore-ready hockey series — Chelsea Curto is proof that a wild pivot can turn into a career you never saw coming.

Romance author Chelsea Curto (the DC Stars hockey series, In Stormy Weather) joins the show to talk about her journey from flight attendant to indie-author-turned-hybrid-with-Atria, plus the wild "it might be the line of believability" story behind putting a woman in the NHL for her breakout hit Face Off. She also shares the hurricane-chasing inspiration behind her new meteorologist romance In Stormy Weather, and gives us her go-to book recommendations for readers who love emotionally deep sports romance. Perfect for readers who love sports romance, indie-to-trad publishing journeys, and hurricane season reads with heart.

In Stormy Weather by Chelsea Curto — Buy on Amazon | Contemporary Romance, Hurricane/Weather Romance | Audio✅

Face Off (DC Stars #1) by Chelsea Curto — Buy on Amazon | Sports Romance (Hockey) | KU ✅| Audio ✅

Hat Trick (DC Stars #4) by Chelsea Curto — Buy on Amazon | Sports Romance (Hockey) | KU ✅| Audio ✅

An Unexpected Paradise by Chelsea Curto — Buy on Amazon | Romance (debut) | KU ✅| Audio ✅

Caught on Camera by Chelsea Curto — Buy on Amazon | Holiday/Seasonal Romance | KU ✅| Audio ✅

Unsteady by Peyton Corinne— Buy on Amazon | College Sports Romance (Hockey) | Audio ✅

Long Shot by Kennedy Ryan — Buy on Amazon | Sports Romance (Basketball) | KU ✅| Audio ✅

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry — Buy on Amazon | Contemporary Romance | Audio ✅

• [00:00] Welcome & intro to Chelsea
• [00:01] Flight attendant career & current leave
• [00:02] Life as a flight attendant, myths vs. reality
• [00:03] How Chelsea started writing during COVID
• [00:04] Growth as an author since 2022
• [00:05] Indie publishing & connecting with agent Caitlin
• [00:06] Indie vs. traditional publishing pros/cons
• [00:09] The DC Stars hockey series origin
• [00:10] Writing Face Off & putting a woman in the NHL
• [00:12] Atria picks up DC Stars books 1–5
• [00:13] Face Off's breakout success story
• [00:15] Women's sports (PWHL/WNBA) & future series ideas
• [00:16] Introducing In Stormy Weather
• [00:17] Hurricane Charlie 2004 & growing up in Florida
• [00:18] Hurricane Ian 2022 sparks the book idea
• [00:20] Hat Trick & feeling "this one is special"
• [00:21] Release details & themes of In Stormy Weather
• [00:22] Laura's own hurricane history
• [00:25] Hurricane Maria & community resilience
• [00:27] The "Waffle House/Disney World" hurricane barometer
• [00:29] Clarifying the "elements" series concept (not meteorology)
• [00:30] Book recommendations: Peyton Corinne & Kennedy Ryan
• [00:31] Where to find Chelsea online

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