Billionaire, Secret Societies & Spicy Romance with Ava Rani

Billionaire, Secret Societies & Spicy Romance with Ava Rani

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. What if your love stories came with secret societies, art forgery rings, and a twist you never saw coming? Author Ava Rani joins us to talk books, balance, and why she refuses to write a boring romance. Ava Rani is an author who does it all — indie publishing, traditional publishing, and somehow fitting it in between a medical career and motherhood. In this episode, she walks us through her Biotech Billionaires series (think Gossip Girl meets Succession, Scandal, and Crazy Rich Asians), her standalone Out of Her League (a surgeon, a soccer star, and a fake-dating trip to Paris — need we say more?), and her New Adult mystery-romance Poisoned Ivy, which she lovingly describes as Never Have I Ever meets Rory Gilmore's Yale years. If you love sharp heroines, enemies-to-lovers slow burns, and plots that actually keep you guessing, this episode is for you. 📚 BOOKS MENTIONED The Spare by Ava Rani — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4wsIlVh]| Contemporary Romance / Billionaire Romance | Biotech Billionaires #1 The Heir by Ava Rani — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4uGyU2J] | Contemporary Romance / Billionaire Romance | Biotech Billionaires #2 The Charmer by Ava Rani — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4noBGHt] | Contemporary Romance / Billionaire Romance | Biotech Billionaires #3 Out of Her League by Ava Rani — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4dgJAxV] | Contemporary Romance / Sports Romance / Fake Dating | Check KU & Audio availability Poisoned Ivy by Ava Rani — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4u4f3e3]| New Adult Romance / Mystery | The Legacy Series #1 | Audio ✅ (available on Libro.fm/library apps) Gilded Lilly by Ava Rani — Forthcoming | New Adult Romance / Bodyguard Romance | The Legacy Series #2 ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS [00:00] Welcome & introducing Ava Rani [00:01] Ava's writing life, motherhood & Nancy Meyers goals [00:02] How she balances it all: schedules, productivity & the sloth era [00:05] Social media detox & the "Brick" app hack [00:06] Intro to the Biotech Billionaires series [00:07] The Heir — Henry, Selena & the PR romance [00:09] The Spare — Marcus, Sloan & the Darcy-coded runner [00:11] The Charmer — Xander, Penelope & the rewritten love story [00:13] The Gossip Girl comparisons (Succession, Scandal, Crazy Rich Asians) [00:14] Out of Her League — Issa the surgeon meets soccer star Austin Cade [00:16] The fake-dating setup: a wedding in Paris & one bed [00:19] Issa's career journey & the child-free storyline [00:22] Why Ava wrote a heroine grappling with being child-free [00:25] How career milestones deserve the same celebration as weddings [00:26] Poisoned Ivy — secret societies, campus chaos & a twist [00:27] Meet Malena: part Rory Gilmore, part Davy Vishwakumar [00:29] The masquerade, the catacombs & Conrad Hastings (aka Fixed Logan) [00:31] The art forgery mystery unravels [00:33] Gilded Lilly — Sabrina's book, a bodyguard & a suspicious Duke [00:35] Forbidden romance, yearning & Anastasia vibes [00:36] Where to find Ava Rani 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!

Femme Feral: When Midlife Rage Turns You Into a Werewolf with Sam Beckbessinger

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. What if your perimenopause symptoms weren't just symptoms — what if you were turning into a werewolf? Author Sam Beckbessinger joins us to talk about her debut adult novel Femme Feral, and it might be the most cathartic book you read this year. Sam and I dive deep into why the medical industry has failed women at midlife, the reality of millennial burnout, and why female rage horror is having such a deserved moment. If you're a woman in your 30s, 40s, or beyond who has ever been dismissed by a doctor, told to "just lose some weight," or felt the crushing weight of doing 200% while getting zero credit — this episode is going to feel like a long exhale. We also get into Sam's reading life: from the buzzy Dungeon Crawler Carl series to feminist short story collections you need to know about. 📚 BOOKS MENTIONED Femme Feral by Sam Beckbessinger — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4cY0Qco] | Horror / Women's Fiction | Audio ✅ Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4cZR9Ky] | Sci-Fi / LitRPG / Adventure | KU ✅ | Audio ✅ She's Always Hungry by Eliza Clark — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4nhOGym] | Dark Fiction / Short Stories / Horror Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4eEsqN1] | Literary Horror / Short Stories | KU ✅ | Audio ✅ Gods of Want by K-Ming Chang — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/42mwSsu]| Literary Fiction / Short Stories / Queer Fiction Stag Dance by Torrey Peters — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/48TH7bo]| Literary Fiction / Historical / Queer Fiction | Audio ✅ ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS [00:00] Welcome & introduction — Sam Beckbessinger joins the show [00:45] Why female rage and perimenopause inspired Femme Feral [02:00] How the medical industry gasligths women at midlife [03:00] The history of women being excluded from medical trials [04:30] The book's premise — Ellie, the werewolf, and repressed rage [06:30] What Femme Feral is (and isn't) — horror content notes [08:00] Millennial burnout, the "you can have it all" generation, and reckoning [10:00] Funny and dark: luring toxic bosses into alleyways [11:00] Generational work culture — Gen Z vs. Millennial vs. Gen X bosses [12:00] Writing Femme Feral as personal excavation and self-discovery [13:30] Healthcare, for-profit medicine, and the gynecologist problem [15:00] Laura's story: taking a demotion and finding freedom [16:00] The chapter headings — perimenopause symptoms as a buffet (and a doctor's checklist) [17:00] Sam's reading life — what genres she loves and why [18:00] Deep dive on Dungeon Crawler Carl — what it is and why you should read it [20:30] Horror short story recommendations: She's Always Hungry & Gods of Want [22:30] The indie bookshop trick: ask for the hidden gem that nobody buys [24:30] Stag Dance by Torrey Peters — a bridge book for historical fiction fans [25:30] Where to find Sam online + wrap-up 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!

Speak Now: The Queer Audio Rom-Com You Need to Hear | Author Interview with Ash Perez

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. What if a rom-com could feel like a movie in your ears? That's exactly what debut novelist and TV screenwriter Ash Perez set out to create with Speak Now, and you are going to want to listen to this one. In this episode, Laura chats with Ash Perez about Speak Now, an audio-first queer rom-com published by Simon & Schuster featuring a full cast of actors, sound effects, and production that rivals a Hollywood film. Born out of the 2023 writer's strike, Speak Now blends Ash's screenwriting background with a lifelong love of 90s/early 2000s rom-coms. Think second-chance romance, Nancy Meyers vibes, a luxury hotel kitchen, and a HEA you absolutely deserve. This episode is perfect for audiobook lovers, rom-com fans, and anyone who's been sleeping on audio-first fiction. 📚 BOOKS MENTIONED Speak Now by Ash Perez — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/3OQWdYt] | Queer Rom-Com | Audio ✅ (Audio-first/only; also available via Spotify Premium [https://open.spotify.com/show/6H1hKjKPhffTd8KbnzXh9s] and library request) Poison for Breakfast by Lemony Snicket — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/3ON4dK3] | Literary Fiction/Novella | Audio ✅ Murder Bot Diaries series by Martha Wells — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4cUQiL9] | Science Fiction | Audio ✅ Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4wmqP51] | Queer Rom-Com | Audio ✅ The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4f4p7yK] | Classic Fiction | Audio ✅ ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS * [00:00] Welcome & introduction to Ash Perez * [00:45] What is Speak Now? Audio-first rom-com explained * [01:30] How the 2023 writer's strike led to this book * [03:15] Why rom-coms & audio are a perfect pairing * [05:00] Co-directing the production & what it felt like * [05:45] The plot of Speak Now: queer second-chance romance, chef, boutique hotel * [07:00] Casting a queer audio romance — voice tonality challenges * [09:00] Why romance deserves the full audio-movie treatment * [10:00] Rom-com influences: My Best Friend's Wedding & The Wedding Planner * [12:00] Ash's reading life: from Harry Potter to self-help burnout * [13:00] Poison for Breakfast & the novella that brought Ash back to fiction * [13:45] Murder Bot series, Kevin R. Free & audiobook narrator fandom * [14:30] Red, White & Royal Blue & reading outside your genre * [15:30] Reading as a millennial: productivity guilt & reclaiming fiction as a hobby * [16:30] Library love — how to request Speak Now at your local library * [17:30] Spotify Premium audiobooks & accessibility * [18:30] Reading before bed vs. doomscrolling — why books win * [20:00] Where to find Ash Perez online & wrap-up CONNECT WITH ASH PEREZ * Instagram: @itsashlyperez [https://www.instagram.com/itsashlyperez/] * TikTok: @notashperez [https://www.tiktok.com/@notashperez] CONNECT WITH SIMON AUDIO * Instagram: @Simon.Audio [https://www.instagram.com/simon.audio] * TikTok: @Simon.Audio [https://www.tiktok.com/@Simon.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!

Agatha Christie's Housekeeper Solves Murders? | Colleen Cambridge/Gleason: Historical Mystery Author Interview

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. She writes historical mysteries set in post-war Paris, Civil War Washington DC, 1930s England, AND Victorian London — and somehow, Colleen Gleason/Cambridge makes every single era feel like home. In this episode, Laura sits down with bestselling author Colleen Gleason (also writing as Colleen Cambridge) to talk about her four historical mystery series, what makes amateur sleuths compelling, why post-war Paris is basically its own character, and how Agatha Christie's housekeeper ended up solving murders. If you love richly atmospheric historical mysteries with a romantic thread, strong female leads, and satisfying endings — this one is for you. 📚 BOOKS MENTIONED The Spirit of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4tJ0cW0] | Historical Mystery | An American in Paris Mysteries #4 Murder at Mallowan Hall by Colleen Cambridge — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/42gjQwy] | Historical Mystery, Agatha Christie-inspired | Phyllida Bright Mysteries #1 Lady Darling Inquires After a Killer by Colleen Gleason — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4vXwVZc] | Historical Mystery, Victorian | Lady Darling Mysteries #1 Lady Darling Vexes a Villain by Colleen Gleason — Pre-order on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4cOeE9p] | Historical Mystery, Victorian | Lady Darling Mysteries #2 Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4ejWmOm] | Historical Fiction, Time Travel, Humorous | Chronicles of St. Mary's #1 A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/3Rh9cDm] | Hope Punk, Literary Science Fiction The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4ul0tyf] | Cozy Mystery | Thursday Murder Club #1 The Last Beekeeper by Julie Carrick Dalton — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4d74YFR] | Literary Fiction, Dystopian, Nature The Resurrectionist by A. Rae Dunlap — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4tMSZ7g] | Historical Gothic Fiction, Victorian Scotland ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS [00:00] Welcome & intro — Colleen in Michigan, Laura in Tampa [00:53] Writing under two names: Colleen Gleason vs. Colleen Cambridge — and why [02:45] The pen name strategy: getting on the shelf near Agatha Christie [03:45] Marketing background and the business of writing [04:15] What drew Colleen to historical mystery — history + murder + romance = her sweet spot [05:30] The four series at a glance: 1930s England, 1950s Paris, Civil War DC, Victorian London [06:30] What makes historical crime-solving uniquely fun — no DNA, no computers [08:00] The Quinn & Gates Mystery Series: Civil War Washington DC, Lincoln's inaugural ball [10:00] An American in Paris Mysteries deep dive — Tabitha Knight, Rosie the Riveter, and Julia Child [12:00] Tabitha's backstory: French mother, Michigan roots, Willow Run Bomber Plant [13:15] The Spirit of French Murder — the fourth book, the French Resistance, and the Nine Bluets [14:30] Why post-war Paris is its own character — and why locals didn't trust the police [16:00] Lady Darling Mysteries — a Victorian Dowager Marchioness, amateur sleuth, Sherlock-era London [18:30] Lady Danbury meets murder mysteries — the pitch for the Lady Darling series [20:00] Phyllida Bright Mysteries — Agatha Christie's fictional housekeeper solves murders [22:00] The Civil War series — all three books, dark themes, and romantic arc [23:30] The romantic thread in all of Colleen's historicals — slow burn, strong women, satisfying endings [24:00] What Colleen reads — book club pick philosophy, "This Is Not Oprah's Book Club" [25:30] Comfort reads: Nora Roberts, JD Robb, Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Michaels [27:00] Listener recs: Chronicles of St. Mary's, A Psalm for the Wild-Built, The Thursday Murder Club [28:30] The Last Beekeeper and The Resurrection — book club recent reads [31:30] Signature cocktails for the Paris series + book release parties [32:00] Where to find Colleen online + wrap-up 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!

Beyond Bridgerton: Classic Historical Romance Hidden Gems | The Duke by Anna Cowan

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. What if the Duke was a woman — and the courtesan trying to blackmail her was the love interest? If that premise just made you sit up straighter, this episode is for you. Anna Cowan joins us to talk about The Duke, her long-awaited second novel — a queer Regency romance that flips the classic historical hero archetype on its head. This one is for readers who love the lush world of Regency fiction but are hungry for something that feels fresh, politically charged, and unapologetically modern in its sensibilities. We dig into Anna's world-building process, the evolution of historical romance as a genre post-Bridgerton, and what it means to write a female Duke who's conceptually hot in exactly the way the brooding Regency hero always was. Anna also shares a stack of book recommendations spanning classic historicals, gay hockey romance, and Kindle Unlimited reads that will genuinely spark your brain. 📚 BOOKS MENTIONED The Duke by Anna Cowan — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/3OuuFIe] | Queer Historical Romance / Regency | KU ✅ Black Silk by Judith Ivory — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4mV5hrM] | Classic Historical Romance | Backlist gem Fool Me Twice by Meredith Duran — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4czSZ4G] | Historical Romance | Beauty & the Beast vibes Tempting the Bride by Sherry Thomas — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/41SpVzb] | Historical Romance | Amnesia / enemies-to-lovers Game Misconduct (Penalty Box #1) by Ari Baran — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/48RQBUs] | Gay Hockey Romance | Audio ✅ — narrated by Cooper North ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS [00:00] Welcome & Anna Cowan introduction [00:45] About The Duke — the premise: female Duke + French courtier blackmail romance [01:30] World-building a queer Regency where female nobles are the norm [03:00] Character deep-dive: the Duke of Howard vs. Céline — power dynamics & political intrigue [04:30] The romance hero archetype reimagined — what makes a character "conceptually hot" [06:00] Anna's history with romance reading — from Dolly Fiction to Julia Quinn & Lisa Kleypas [08:00] Historical romance in 2026: genre reckoning, post-Bridgerton, mass market decline [10:00] Writing modern sensibilities into historical fiction — Emma Alban, KJ Charles & beyond [12:00] The Kindle Unlimited rabbit hole — queer romance, omegaverse & niche reads [14:30] Anna's classic historical romance recommendations: Judith Ivory's Black Silk [15:30] Meredith Duran's Fool Me Twice & Sherry Thomas's Tempting the Bride [17:30] Gay hockey romance rec: Ari Barron's Game Misconduct + the audiobook [19:00] Sherry Thomas's Lady Sherlock series & the case for more historical romance [20:00] Where to find Anna Cowan 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!