63: Ronnie Mathews on Melody Whispers: PTSD, Vulnerability, and Cozy Small-Town Romance

63: Ronnie Mathews on Melody Whispers: PTSD, Vulnerability, and Cozy Small-Town Romance

Author Ronnie Matthews joins the Love Letters and Books podcast to discuss Melody Whispers and her approach to cozy, nostalgic small-town romance that balances witty banter with emotionally raw, character-driven healing arcs. Ronnie explains her “emotional damage” philosophy—taking readers from point A to point B by feeling every emotion with flawed characters—and pushes back on misconceptions that romance is poorly written or defined only by sex, emphasizing how the genre teaches empathy and connection. She unpacks Melody Whispers as a story of PTSD and accountability through Warren’s ongoing self-work and Harriet’s parallel journey through accidental pregnancy and holding onto her identity as a songwriter. Ronnie shares how her own mental health experiences and belief in vulnerability as bravery shape her books, reflects on debuting Those Two Words, previews a grittier secret project and her next book, Country Vows, and reads an emotional love letter to her younger self about surviving darkness, asking for help, and trusting your journey. Connect with Love Letters and Books TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lovelettersandbooks Threads: https://www.threads.com/@lovelettersandbooks Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lovelettersandbooks/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lovelettersandbookspodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LoveLettersandBooksPodcast Write me a love letter: lovelettersandbookspodcast@gmail.com Connect with Ronnie Mathews TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@author.ronniemathews Threads: https://www.threads.com/@author.ronniemathews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/author.ronniemathews Website: https://www.ronniemathews.com/

62: Auto-Buy Authors: From Dark Romance Obsessions to Rom-Com Comfort Reads with Author Ali Roberts

We're talking about our favorite auto-buy authors—those authors whose books we pre-order even though there’s no title, no blurb, and we have no idea who the characters are (We’re looking at you, Shantel Tessier!) Whether we love their writing style, the characters they create, or the wild universe they drop us into, these authors are always at the top of our list. We also have a love letter from my number one, auto-buy author of all time, Jennifer Ivy! My co-host Ali Roberts also gives an update on her recent book, After a Killer, a dark-ish romcom you won’t want to miss. Connect with Love Letters and Books TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lovelettersandbooks Threads: https://www.threads.com/@lovelettersandbooks Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lovelettersandbooks/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lovelettersandbookspodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LoveLettersandBooksPodcast Write me a love letter: lovelettersandbookspodcast@gmail.com Connect with Ali Roberts TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@authoraliroberts Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authoraliroberts/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/authoraliroberts/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AuthorAliRoberts Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Ali-Roberts/author/B0F8WVQN4M?ccs_id=6835f2d1-e411-4f9c-97c4-3cf9181e5d0d Authors included in this episode: * Ali Hazelwood * Jennifer Ivy * Tessa Bailey * Meghan Quinn * Penelope Douglas * Stephanie Archer * Shantel Tessier

61: Author J.M. Zamudio on Promises Between Us, Second Chances, and Regency Romance Yearning

Regency romance author J.M. Zamudio returns to the Love Letters and Books podcast to discuss Promises Between Us, book two in the Cooper Sibling Scandals trilogy, available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited. Picking up directly after Memories of You, the story shifts to Matthew Cooper and Lady Jasmine, whose explosive second-chance romance explores shared power, trust, and agency amid restrictive societal expectations. We talk tropes, pacing, spice as “action scenes with poetry,” and why Regency settings heighten yearning and stakes, plus Zamudio’s reflections on fear, imposter syndrome, and the importance of community. Connect with Love Letters and Books TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lovelettersandbooks Threads: https://www.threads.com/@lovelettersandbooks Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lovelettersandbooks/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lovelettersandbookspodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LoveLettersandBooksPodcast Write me a love letter: lovelettersandbookspodcast@gmail.com Connect with J.M. Zamudio Website: https://jmzamudio.my.canva.site/ Goodreads: goodreads.com/jmzamudioauthor Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/j.m.zamudio.author/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jmzamudioauthor/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jmzamudioauthor

60: Bailey Hannah on Love Wells Kept: Trust, Resilience, and Cowboy Romance

Author Bailey Hannah returns to the Love Letters and Books podcast to discuss Love Wells Kept, the fifth and final book in her Wells Ranch series, an interconnected set of cowboy romance standalones about three brothers and ranch hands finding love. The new book follows Jackson, the middle brother, and his wife Kate—an established couple seen throughout the first four books—after Jackson suffers a horse accident, traumatic brain injury, and memory loss, forcing them to rebuild their marriage as he falls in love with his wife and kids again. We talk about choosing a marriage-in-crisis story, themes of trust, resilience, caretaking, and invisible grief, plus balancing heavy topics with humor, spice, and small romantic moments. Bailey also previews a surprise later this year, the October re-release of Christmas at Fox Ridge, and the Echo Lake series next spring. Love Wells Kept releases July 7 (US) and July 9 (UK). Connect with Love Letters and Books TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lovelettersandbooks Threads: https://www.threads.com/@lovelettersandbooks Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lovelettersandbooks/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lovelettersandbookspodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LoveLettersandBooksPodcast Write me a love letter: lovelettersandbookspodcast@gmail.com Connect with Bailey Hannah TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@baileyhannahwrites Threads: https://www.threads.com/@baileyhannahwrites Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baileyhannahwrites Website: https://www.baileyhannahwrites.com/

59: Small-Town Romance Author Katherine Bitner on Between the Lines, Summer Nostalgia, and Navigating Pride in Relationships

Small-town romance author Katherine Bitner returns to the Love Letters and Books podcast to discuss Between the Lines, the third and final standalone contemporary romance in her Hometown series, releasing June 24, 2026. Set by the beach in Wilmington, North Carolina, the book delivers immersive East Coast summer nostalgia while following Fia, a 22-year-old single mom, and Caden Brooks, her wealthy boss, whose “grumpy” exterior shields a quiet, introverted, and misunderstood inner sadness. We discuss opposites attract, healing romance, and a grumpy/sunshine twist—alongside deeper themes of being seen, accepting help, and the vulnerability of receiving care. Katherine reflects on endings, growth as a self-published author, the value of developmental edits (in real life and in books), and creating for personal joy. Connect with Love Letters and Books TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lovelettersandbooks Threads: https://www.threads.com/@lovelettersandbooks Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lovelettersandbooks/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lovelettersandbookspodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LoveLettersandBooksPodcast Write me a love letter: lovelettersandbookspodcast@gmail.com Connect with Katherine Bitner TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@katherine.bitner.writes Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thekatherinebitner/ Threads: https://www.threads.com/@thekatherinebitner Website: https://katherinebitner.com/