Game Set Match: The Tennis Romance You Need to Read with Jennifer Iacopelli

Victoria Lavine on Her Best Enemies-to-Lovers Yet | RomCom Recs

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. 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. 📚 BOOKS MENTIONED Any Trope But You by Victoria Lavine — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/3RqxgUX] | Romance / Rom-Com, Alaska-set, Enemies-to-Lovers Not That Kind of Proposal by Victoria Lavine — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4b0xyZl] | Romance / Rom-Com, Enemies-to-Lovers, Forced Proximity Let's Kiss and Tell by Joss Richards — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4fKsR8s] | Romance It's Different This Time by Joss Richards — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4pyuRnU] | Romance, Second Chance Pot Shot by Laura Piper Lee — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4faXX9l] | Romance, Humor Succubus: A Love Story by Kate Fox — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4pvPCjW] | Paranormal Romance, Humor ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS * [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 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!

What Elin Hilderbrand Book Should You Read Next? | Friday Night Readers Crossover

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. 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. 📚 BOOKS MENTIONED Laura's Top 5 Elin Hilderbrand's Books: The Rumor by Elin Hilderbrand — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4psa31f] | Women's Fiction/Nantucket Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4gIJId1]| Mystery/Women's Fiction The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4wN9WzC] | Mystery Silver Girl by Elin Hilderbrand — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4yt0D9O] | Women's Fiction Winter in Paradise trilogy by Elin Hilderbrand — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4aUQnx2] | Women's Fiction/St. John Julianne's Top 5 Elin Hilderbrand's Books: The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4yzpvNk] | Women's Fiction/Light Mystery — recommended starting point for new readers The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4wN9WzC] | Mystery Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4gIJId1] | Mystery/Women's Fiction Summer of '69 by Elin Hilderbrand — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4vFFB5k] | Historical Fiction 28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4puFs2X] | Contemporary Romance If You Love Elin Hilderbrand, Try These Books Next: The Wash Ashores by Hannah McKinnon — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4bt5oWY] | Women's Fiction/Nantucket Worse Than Strangers by Kyleigh Leddy — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4vA6vLG] | Women's Fiction These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4yINs4O] | Contemporary Fiction Pretty as a Peach & Good Hair Days by Grace Helena Walz — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4wOBQLC] | Southern Women's Fiction This Summer Will Be Different, Meet Me at the Lake, Every Summer After by Carley Fortune — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4wOItxs] | Contemporary Romance Also recommended: Jenny Hale [https://amzn.to/4pucrEK], Emily Giffin [https://amzn.to/4fnVyH0], Nancy Thayer [https://amzn.to/4fmh5jc], Pamela M. Kelly [https://amzn.to/44CEKal], Brooke Lea Foster [https://amzn.to/4wHjiNe], Kristy Woodson Harvey, [https://amzn.to/3TGHUYg] Dorothea Benton Frank [https://amzn.to/4wPU4wb], Victoria Benton Frank [https://amzn.to/3T7U4cx] ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS * [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 [https://fridaynightreaders.substack.com/p/best-elin-hilderbrand-books] 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!

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!