What to Read Next — Book Recommendations for Romance, Thrillers & Escape Reads

Chelsea Curto on Going From Flight Attendant to Bestselling Author

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. 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. 📚 BOOKS MENTIONED In Stormy Weather by Chelsea Curto — https://amzn.to/3TwnroWBuy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/3TwnroW] | Contemporary Romance, Hurricane/Weather Romance | Audio✅ Face Off (DC Stars #1) by Chelsea Curto — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4aSshTz] | Sports Romance (Hockey) | KU ✅| Audio ✅ Hat Trick (DC Stars #4) by Chelsea Curto — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/44sgszK] | Sports Romance (Hockey) | KU ✅| Audio ✅ An Unexpected Paradise by Chelsea Curto — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/44vsXKX] | Romance (debut) | KU ✅| Audio ✅ Caught on Camera by Chelsea Curto — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/3Two0iy]| Holiday/Seasonal Romance | KU ✅| Audio ✅ Unsteady by Peyton Corinne— Buy on Amazon | [https://amzn.to/4wFVGsz]College Sports Romance (Hockey) | Audio ✅ Long Shot by Kennedy Ryan — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4aQ3Y8M] | Sports Romance (Basketball) | KU ✅| Audio ✅ People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4hfYM1I] | Contemporary Romance | Audio ✅ ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS * [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 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!

Manga & Graphic Novels You Need to Read | Coming out Perfect by Richard Mercado

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Ever wondered what a graphic novelist reads for fun? This week we're stepping outside our usual romance and mystery lanes to talk graphic novels and manga with debut author Richard Mercado. Richard Mercado joins the podcast to talk about his debut YA graphic novel Coming Out Perfect (pitched as Heartstopper meets Mean Girls), his journey from indie zine-maker in the Philippines to Scholastic Graphix author, and his process for plotting a graphic novel from script to thumbnails to final art. Then he shares five graphic novel and manga recommendations — perfect for readers looking to branch into visual storytelling, or longtime manga fans looking for their next read. 📚 BOOKS MENTIONED Coming Out Perfect by Richard Mercado — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4wqtppC] | YA Graphic Novel / LGBTQ Contemporary Roaming by Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/44fE76t] | Graphic Novel / Contemporary Honey and Clover by Chica Umino — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/3RfX7yK] | Manga / Josei / Coming-of-Age Please Be My Star by Victoria Grace Elliot — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4wxbnCp] | YA Graphic Novel / Contemporary Romance Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4aykSbR] | Literary Fiction | Rejection by Tony Tulathimutte — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4y1Jp3b] | Literary Fiction / Short Stories ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS * [00:00] Welcome & intro to Richard Mercado * [00:00] Richard introduces himself, his debut graphic novel Coming Out Perfect * [01:00] Filipino and Puerto Rican cultural parallels; parental acceptance themes * [01:30] Elevator pitch for Coming Out Perfect * [04:00] Richard's path from indie zine cartoonist in the Philippines to Scholastic Graphix * [07:00] How Richard builds a graphic novel — outline, script, thumbnails, art * [11:00] Book recommendations begin * [11:30] Roaming by Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki * [15:00] Honey and Clover by Chica Umino * [17:00] Please Be My Star by Victoria Grace Elliot * [19:00] Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata * [21:00] Rejection by Tony Tulathimutte * [23:00] Where to find Richard online & outro 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!

Sci-Fi Romance Recs With Formula Zero's Author Meredith Lanzen

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Ever wondered what happens when Formula 1 gets launched into zero gravity — and thrown in a childhood-best-friends-to-lovers arc for good measure? Debut author Meredith Lanzen joins us to talk about her sci-fi sports romance, Formula Zero. We dig into how a Drive to Survive rabbit hole turned into a book deal, why she wanted her leads to be equals on the racetrack, and her go-to recommendations for readers who love character-driven sci-fi, banter-heavy urban fantasy, and rom-coms with real emotional depth. If you love found family, slow-burn trust, and worlds that feel just a little bit magic around the edges, this episode is for you. 📚 BOOKS MENTIONED Formula Zero by Meredith Lanzen — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/3QHcz6V] | Sci-Fi Romance / Sports Romance | Audio ✅ Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/3R18vON] | Sci-Fi Romance | Audio ✅ The Last Sun by K.D. Edwards — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4eX7lfd] | Urban Fantasy | Audio ✅ The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4wvsEvG]| Contemporary Romance / Rom-Com | Audio ✅ Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/3T46HoV] | Sci-Fi Fantasy Mystery | Audio ✅ ⏱️TIMESTAMPS * [00:00] Intro & welcome * [01:00] Meredith's side quests: jigsaw puzzling, sourdough * [02:00] The Formula 1 obsession begins * [03:00] Discovering F1 via Drive to Survive; the writing journey starts * [04:00] The idea for Formula Zero is born * [06:00] Why she wanted her racers to be true equals * [08:00] Formula Zero plot: Clark & Julian's fractured friendship * [10:00] The fake-friendship PR twist * [11:00] Favorite sci-fi elements & comfort rereads * [13:00] Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell * [14:00] The Last Sun by K.D. Edwards * [16:00] The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun * [19:00] Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir * [21:00] Where to find Meredith 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!

Lindsay Hameroff on Writing Rom-Coms & Second Chances

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Rom-com author Lindsay Hameroff joins us to talk Wegmans obsessions, writing her first single-mom heroine, and the books that turned her into a romance reader for life. Lindsay Hameroff — author of Till There Was You and Never Planned on You — stops by to talk about her new release Rewrite the Stars, a second-chance summer romance between a semi-retired actress and the sexy contractor renovating her lake house. We dig into why she writes '90s-and-2000s-style rom-coms, what it's like writing a neurodivergent-parenting storyline drawn from her own life, and her go-to recommendations for readers who want books that make them laugh and swoon — perfect for romance and rom-com fans looking for their next beachy, feel-good read. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS * [00:00] Welcome & intro to Lindsay Hameroff * [00:30] Lindsay's background: teacher to full-time writer * [02:00] Wegmans tangent + Alisha Rai's grocery-family series rec * [04:00] From Stephen King to romance: Lindsay's reading journey * [05:00] Writing humor during the pandemic, joining Twitter * [07:00] Threads vs. Substack as writer communities * [07:30] Deep dive: Rewrite the Stars — premise & single-mom heroine * [08:30] Writing a neurodivergent-parenting storyline * [10:00] Why it's the perfect summer/beach read * [11:00] What Lindsay loves in rom-coms (needs to be funny!) * [11:30] Rec: Red, White & Royal Blue * [13:00] Rec: A Love Song for Ricki Wilde * [15:00] Rec: Practice Makes Perfect * [16:00] Rec: The Seven Year Slip * [16:30] Rec: Happy Place (the "controversial" pick) * [18:00] Rec: Married with Benefits * [19:00] Where to find Lindsay online * [19:30] Outro 📚 BOOKS MENTIONED Rewrite the Stars by Lindsay Hameroff — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4vOsy2k] | Contemporary Romance, Second Chance, Summer Read | Audio ✅ Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4vivZgC] | Romance, LGBTQ+, Political Rom-Com | Audio ✅ A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/3RjOjI8] | Romance, Magical Realism, Contemporary | Audio ✅ Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/3T2A4YF] | Contemporary Romance, Small Town, Frothy | Audio ✅ The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4aBRAck] | Romance, Magical Realism, Time Slip | Audio ✅ Happy Place by Emily Henry — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/3SYVIwX] | Contemporary Romance, Friends to Lovers | Audio ✅ Married with Benefits by Ellie Palmer — Buy on Amazon | Rom-Com, Marriage of Convenience | Audio ✅ 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!

7 Books to Read If You're Obsessed With Love Island

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Still thinking about recouplings, Casa Amor twists, and the text that ruined someone's summer? Same. So this week we're doing a full villa walkthrough — in book form. This solo episode rounds up the best Love Island–inspired reads out right now: one juicy nonfiction deep dive into the show itself, five rom-coms that borrow the format's chaos (bombshells, recouplings, and all), and one dating-show read with a body count. Perfect for anyone who wants their reality TV obsession to last past finale night. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS * [00:00] Intro: Love Island obsession + reality-TV-inspired book trend * [00:01] Enter the Villa — nonfiction deep dive * [00:03] Reality Bites — STEM scientist on a dating show * [00:04] Hot Summer — queer Love Island rom-com * [00:05] Coupling Up — twin swap chaos * [00:06] Palm Villa — classic Love Island wish-fulfillment * [00:06] Stranded in Paradise — enemies-to-lovers producers * [00:07] Reality Check — dating show + murder mystery * [00:08] Substack teaser + outro 📚 BOOKS MENTIONED Enter the Villa: The (Unauthorized) Reality Behind Love Island by Anna Peel — https://amzn.to/3QYDo6tBuy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/3QYDo6t] | Nonfiction Reality Bites by Amy Mass — https://amzn.to/3ThvBBqBuy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/3ThvBBq] | Romance / STEM Rom-Com Hot Summer by Elle Everhart — https://amzn.to/3QW01sbBuy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/3QW01sb] | Romance / Queer Coupling Up by Jo Lyons — https://amzn.to/4y4zKZqBuy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4y4zKZq] | Romance | KU ✅ Palm Villa by Ashley Hartley — https://amzn.to/3RhZcKzBuy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/3RhZcKz] | Romance | KU ✅ Stranded in Paradise by Portia Mcintosh — https://amzn.to/4eXRD3sBuy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4eXRD3s] | Romance / Enemies-to-Lovers | KU ✅ Reality Check by Kara Loo and Jennifer Young — https://amzn.to/3QBTnaJBuy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/3QBTnaJ] | Romantic Mystery 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!