What to Read Next Podcast l Book Recommendation Show

A Holiday Romance for People Who Hate Christmas | Holiday Unscripted by Natasha Madison

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. A holiday romance for people who hate the holidays? Yes, please. In this episode, I’m hanging out with romance author Natasha Madison to talk messy Christmas travel, big-family chaos, and why a happily-ever-after matters—even in true crime. Natasha and I also get into how romance trends have shifted (alpha heroes, golden retrievers, dark romance, and the whole “tropes-everywhere” era), plus the comfort reads she’ll never stop recommending. If you’ve ever wanted a holiday book that doesn’t feel like a Hallmark script—or you’ve got thoughts about how romance marketing has changed—this one’s for you. 📚 BOOKS MENTIONED  Holiday Unscripted by Natasha Madison — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/3KQTNaa] | Holiday romance | KU ✅ / Audio ✅ Golden Trail by Kristen Ashley — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/44oGVie] | Contemporary romance (second chance vibes) | KU ✅ / Audio ✅  This Man by Jodi Ellen Malpas — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/3XRlmmL] | Contemporary romance (alpha hero) | KU ✅ / Audio ✅ ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS  [00:00] Welcome + “wait… people read my books?!” [00:05] Romance covers then vs. now (Fabio era!) [00:06] True crime rules: it MUST be solved [00:06] Reality TV chat: TLC, Sister Wives, Love Island [00:13] Holiday Unscripted setup: stranded heroine + forced proximity [00:16] Writing Christmas in May (and hating every second) [00:17] Holiday expectations, big family logistics, and gift burnout [00:22] Natasha’s comfort read: Golden Trail by Kristen Ashley [00:24] Alpha heroes vs. golden retrievers vs. dark romance extremes [00:29] Trope-ification + writing ahead of trends [00:34] Where to find Natasha online JOIN THE CONVERSATION Subscribe to our Substack [https://wtrnblog.substack.com/] for exclusive recommendations. (wtrnblog.substack.com [https://wtrnblog.substack.com/]) Follow & Subscribe: What to Read Next Blog [https://www.whattoreadnext.com/] | YouTube: What to Read Next [https://www.youtube.com/@WhattoReadNextBlog] Subscribe & leave a review! Mentioned in this episode: 🎧 Try Audible Today I love Audible for their original novellas, binge-worthy Plus Catalog (like Deanna Raybourn’s Veronica Speedwell series), and their amazing audiobook sales. Currently, Audible is offering a special promotion for new members and returning listeners. Audible [https://whattoreadnext.captivate.fm/audible]

Single Dads, Small Towns & Christmas Romance with Amy Knupp

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. What happens when a former Harlequin author turns indie, builds a direct sales empire, and writes an entire series about small-town single dads? In this episode, I sit down with contemporary romance author Amy Knupp to talk about the business of romance and her cozy, Christmasy small-town world. We chat about Amy’s journey from writing category romance for Harlequin to going fully indie, how she uses direct sales and Shopify to connect with readers, and why she loves writing emotional, character-driven small-town stories. Then we dive into her Single Dads of Dragonfly Lake series and her new Christmas romance Single Wish, featuring a grumpy Christmas tree farmer, a reformed mean girl, and a delicious second-chance enemies-to-lovers arc set in a Tennessee lake town. 📚 BOOKS MENTIONED Singled Out by Amy Knupp — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/3KI1D5T] | Contemporary Romance, Small-Town Romance | Audio ✅ Single All the Way by Amy Knupp — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/3KI2P9c]| Contemporary Romance, Holiday Romance, Friends-to-Lovers |  Audio ✅ Single Wish by Amy Knupp — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/48NdCY2] | Contemporary Romance, Small-Town Romance, Holiday Romance, Enemies-to-Lovers | Audio ✅ Bootleg Springs (series) by Lucy Score & Claire Kingsley — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4rHtjIH] | Small-Town Romance, Romantic Comedy, Light Mystery Threads | KU ✅ / Audio ✅ 🕒 TIMESTAMPS [00:00] – Meet Amy Knupp [02:00] – From Llamas to Harlequin [02:30] – What Category Romance Really Is [05:00] – Learning to Revise Like a Pro [07:00] – Going Indie & Finding Creative Freedom [08:30] – The Indie Boom She Missed [10:00] – Treating Publishing Like a Business [11:30] – Why Amy Publishes Wide [12:00] – Direct Sales 101 [15:00] – Audiobooks Beyond Audible [16:00] – Why Buying Direct Helps Everyone [18:30] – How to Find Authors Who Sell Direct [19:30] – Signed Books & Pretty Packaging [20:30] – Welcome to Dragonfly Lake [22:00] – Inside Single Wish [23:30] – Enemies to Lovers + Secret Pasts [24:30] – Reading Order & More Holiday Books [25:30] – Book Recs from Amy [27:00] – Where to Find Amy Online JOIN THE CONVERSATION Subscribe to our Substack [https://wtrnblog.substack.com/] for exclusive recommendations. (wtrnblog.substack.com [https://wtrnblog.substack.com/]) Follow & Subscribe: What to Read Next Blog [https://www.whattoreadnext.com/] | YouTube: What to Read Next [https://www.youtube.com/@WhattoReadNextBlog] Subscribe & leave a review! Mentioned in this episode: 🎧 Try Audible Today I love Audible for their original novellas, binge-worthy Plus Catalog (like Deanna Raybourn’s Veronica Speedwell series), and their amazing audiobook sales. Currently, Audible is offering a special promotion for new members and returning listeners. Audible [https://whattoreadnext.captivate.fm/audible]

Hallmark Vibes: Christmas Camp & Royal Romance with Karen Schaler

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. A royal Christmas ball, a mischievous rescue dog, and a dog trainer who drives the princess up the palace walls—what could possibly go wrong? In this feel-good holiday episode, I’m chatting with Christmas romcom queen Karen Schaler, writer of A Christmas Prince, Christmas Camp, and her new royal romance A Ruff Royal Christmas. Karen shares how she went from war correspondent and hard-hitting journalist to writing the cozy, comforting Christmas stories so many of us binge every December. We talk about the inspiration behind A Ruff Royal Christmas (including the real-life “devil dog” who inspired Stormy), how she stays in a Christmas mood all year even while living in the desert, and why she’s built a portfolio career across movies, books, audio, travel shows, and even real-life Christmas Camp retreats. We also go behind the scenes of filming Christmas Camp for Hallmark, talk about the power of comfort watches/reads, and get a sneak peek at what she’s working on next. 📚 BOOKS MENTIONED A Ruff Royal Christmas by Karen Schaler — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4rPZLZF]| Royal RomCom, Christmas Romance | KU ✅ / Audio ✅ Christmas Camp by Karen Schaler — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4iIsY4x] | Contemporary Christmas Romance, Hallmark Movie Tie-In | KU ✅ / Audio ✅ Every Day Is Christmas by Karen Schaler — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4rJff1e] | Christmas Romance, A Christmas Carol–inspired | KU ✅ / Audio ✅ Once Upon a Christmas Carol by Karen Schaler — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/3YeyNgu] | Christmas Romance, Full-Cast Audio Original | Audible Exclusive ✅ ⏰TIMESTAMPS [00:00] Meet Karen Schaler & why she literally breathes Christmas [02:00] From war zones to Christmas romcoms: Karen’s journalism background [06:00] Inside A Ruff Royal Christmas: royal hijinks, rescue dogs & a big twist [11:00] Writing Christmas all year long (from the Arizona desert!) [16:00] Portfolio creative life: movies, books, audio & Christmas Camp IRL [21:00] Behind the scenes of the Christmas Camp Hallmark movie [27:00] New non-Christmas series, TV ideas & future Christmas specials [33:00] Where to find Karen online & holiday well-wishes JOIN THE CONVERSATION Subscribe to our Substack [https://wtrnblog.substack.com/] for exclusive recommendations. (wtrnblog.substack.com [https://wtrnblog.substack.com/]) Follow & Subscribe: What to Read Next Blog [https://www.whattoreadnext.com/] | YouTube: What to Read Next [https://www.youtube.com/@WhattoReadNextBlog] Subscribe & leave a review! Mentioned in this episode: 🎧 Try Audible Today I love Audible for their original novellas, binge-worthy Plus Catalog (like Deanna Raybourn’s Veronica Speedwell series), and their amazing audiobook sales. Currently, Audible is offering a special promotion for new members and returning listeners. Audible [https://whattoreadnext.captivate.fm/audible]

Pumpkin Spice, Mint to Be, and YA Comfort Reads with Katie Cicatelli-Kuc

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. When life feels heavy, sometimes you just need a cozy small town, a perfect pumpkin spice latte, and a YA romance that feels like a warm sweater. In this episode, I’m chatting with author Katie Cicatelli-Kuc about the comfort reads that got her through some of the hardest seasons of her life—and how they might help you, too. Katie and I talk about her YA novels Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice and Mint to Be, how Pumpkin Spice unexpectedly went viral on TikTok, and what it was like to write through chemo and recovery. We also get into cozy, low-gore spooky reads (perfect if you’re squeamish or easily triggered), plus YA and middle grade recommendations that balance heart, hope, and just the right amount of chills. If you’re craving comfort, holiday vibes, and gentle escape, this is the episode for you. 📚 BOOKS MENTIONED Quarantine by Katie Cicatelli-Kuc — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4rJkQ7T] | Young Adult Contemporary  It’s Going Viral by Katie Cicatelli-Kuc — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4pSdptf] | Young Adult Contemporary  Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice by Katie Cicatelli-Kuc — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4a31Z1d] | Young Adult Romance, Cozy Fall | Audio ✅ Mint to Be by Katie Cicatelli-Kuc — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/44alVvw]| Young Adult Holiday Romance, Small Town | Audio ✅ Murder Road by Simone St. James — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/44OHXUz] | Mystery, Supernatural Thriller | Audio ✅ Zyla & Kai by Kristina Forest — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4pmLvFQ] | Young Adult Romance | Audio ✅ Short Story Collection by Leonora Carrington — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4iFhQVW] | Surrealism, Magical Realism | Audio ✅ Tales to Keep You Up at Night by Dan Poblocki — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4pl8mSf] | Middle Grade Horror, Spooky Stories | Audio ✅ More Tales to Keep You Up at Night by Dan Poblocki — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/48T0YaZ] | Middle Grade Horror, Spooky Stories | Audio ✅ ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS [00:00] Meet YA author Katie Cicatelli-Kuc & her book lineup [00:01] The wild story of Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice going viral [00:02] Writing through chemo and finding escape in cozy YA worlds [00:04] Inside Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice and the town of Briar Glen [00:05] Holiday vibes, boarding school, and first love in Mint to Be [00:07] Why we need comfort reads in weird, heavy times [00:08] Spooky-but-not-gory recs: Simone St. James, Agatha Christie audios [00:09] YA romance, therapy-positive characters, and Zyla & Kai [00:10] Leonora Carrington’s surreal short stories & middle grade spooky picks [00:11] More Dan Poblocki recs and where to find Katie online JOIN THE CONVERSATION Subscribe to our Substack [https://wtrnblog.substack.com/] for exclusive recommendations. (wtrnblog.substack.com [https://wtrnblog.substack.com/]) Follow & Subscribe: What to Read Next Blog [https://www.whattoreadnext.com/] | YouTube: What to Read Next [https://www.youtube.com/@WhattoReadNextBlog] Subscribe & leave a review! Mentioned in this episode: 🎧 Try Audible Today I love Audible for their original novellas, binge-worthy Plus Catalog (like Deanna Raybourn’s Veronica Speedwell series), and their amazing audiobook sales. Currently, Audible is offering a special promotion for new members and returning listeners. Audible [https://whattoreadnext.captivate.fm/audible]

Love Over 40: Holiday Romances with L.B. Dunbar

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Forty is not the end of your love story—it might be the beginning of your best one yet. In this episode, I’m chatting with romance author L.B. Dunbar all about love over 40, menopause, midlife reinvention, and why Christmas romances are the perfect escape when life feels like… a lot. We dig into how L.B. pivoted her career to write romance with characters in their 40s and 50s, what makes second-chance love hit different in midlife, and why today’s Gen X and Millennial readers are craving stories that reflect their real lives—kids, divorce, therapy, hormones and all. Then we switch into full holiday mode to talk about her grumpy/sunshine Christmas romances (including a sexy maybe-Santa), plus a few cozy cowboy recs if you love a small-town escape. 📚 BOOKS MENTIONED  Scroogish by L.B. Dunbar — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4pVlBJs]| Contemporary Romance, Holiday Romance, Second Chance | KU ✅ / Audio ✅ Naughty-ish by L.B. Dunbar — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/448VZjS] | Contemporary Romance, Holiday Romance | KU ✅ / Audio ✅ Grouch-ish by L.B. Dunbar — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/3XGjqgD] | Contemporary Romance, Holiday Romance |  KU ✅ / Audio ✅ Elf-ish by L.B. Dunbar — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/48VN8Vc] | Contemporary Romance, Holiday Romance, Grumpy/Sunshine |  KU ✅ / Audio ✅ The Holiday Post by L.B. Dunbar — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4pigW4c] | Contemporary Romance, Holiday Romance, Forced Proximity | KU ✅ / Audio ✅ The Holiday Whoopi by Sarah L. Hudson — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/3MmeiMi] | Contemporary Romance, Holiday Romance, Steamy |KU ✅ / Audio ✅ Between the Pines by Amber Palmer — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4iLLRDC] | Cowboy Romance, Small-Town Romance | KU ✅ / Audio ✅ Dust Storm by Maggie Gates — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4pyC0nd] | Cowboy Romance, Grumpy/Sunshine |KU ✅ / Audio ✅ ⏱️ TIME STAMPS [00:00] Meet L.B. Dunbar & why she writes romance over 40 [03:00] Millennials, Gen X, and outgrowing 20-something romances [06:00] Menopause, hormones & not giving a f*ck in midlife [10:00] How L.B. started writing Christmas romances [13:00] Scroogish, Naughty-ish, Grouch-ish & Elf-ish: her holiday series [16:00] Sexy Santa energy & The Holiday Post [18:00] Current reads, Hideaway Harbor & The Holiday Whoopi [19:30] Cowboy romance recs: Between the Pines & Dust Storm [21:00] Where to find L.B. Dunbar online and final thoughts JOIN THE CONVERSATION Subscribe to our Substack [https://wtrnblog.substack.com/] for exclusive recommendations. (wtrnblog.substack.com [https://wtrnblog.substack.com/]) Follow & Subscribe: What to Read Next Blog [https://www.whattoreadnext.com/] | YouTube: What to Read Next [https://www.youtube.com/@WhattoReadNextBlog] Subscribe & leave a review! Mentioned in this episode: 🎧 Try Audible Today I love Audible for their original novellas, binge-worthy Plus Catalog (like Deanna Raybourn’s Veronica Speedwell series), and their amazing audiobook sales. Currently, Audible is offering a special promotion for new members and returning listeners. Audible [https://whattoreadnext.captivate.fm/audible]