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

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!

Mystery Rom-Coms, Jersey Shore Murder & the Millennial Mystery Trend | Liz Lawson

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. What happens when a journalist with a nose for a story, a caterer with a glow-up, and a Jersey Shore murder collide? Enemies-to-lovers chaos — and we are here for it. In this episode, I'm chatting with Liz Lawson, author of the adult debut It Happened One Murder — a mystery rom-com packed with second-chance romance, a murder that needs solving, and all the messy feelings of your mid-20s. We talk about Liz's journey from writing emotional YA to crafting this genre-mashup mystery, why the "millennial mystery" is having such a moment, and what it really feels like to move back home in your 20s when life doesn't go according to plan. Plus, Liz shares what she's been reading lately — including a buzzy weird-girl lit pick and a memoir about rich people behaving very badly. 📚 BOOKS MENTIONED It Happened One Murder by Liz Lawson — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4eMAg5s]| Mystery Rom-Com, Second-Chance Romance | Audio ✅ Famesick by Lena Dunham — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4vAE2WP] | Memoir | Audio ✅ (author-narrated) Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4eOBf5c] | Literary Fiction / Weird Girl Lit A Killer for Christmas by Kim Harrington — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/3QskswZ] | Holiday Mystery Rom-Com | (forthcoming at time of recording) The Most Wonderful Crime by Ally Carter — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4weRcZt] | Mystery Romance Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage by Belle Burden — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4wdolF5]| Memoir | Audio ✅ (author-narrated) ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS * [00:00] Welcome & introduction — Liz Lawson's adult debut It Happened One Murder * [00:01] Liz's author journey — from YA to adult fiction * [00:02] Writing The Agathas with Kathleen Glasgow & the pivot to mystery * [00:03] Why Liz decided to write for adult readers * [00:04] The YA market's identity crisis — what's changing and why * [00:05] The rise of millennial mysteries and genre-mashup cozies * [00:07] What it really feels like to be in your mid-20s — and how that shaped It Happened One Murder * [00:09] Harriet's story: journalism, moving home, and family dysfunction * [00:10] Nick's story: loyalty, culinary dreams, and the catering business * [00:11] The murder wall — and Laura's real-life career as a white-collar crime investigator * [00:13] Why white-collar crime makes for the juiciest stories * [00:15] The second-chance romance plot — ghosting, glow-ups, and unfinished business * [00:17] Liz's current reads: Famesick by Lena Dunham * [00:17] Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash & the weird-girl lit trend * [00:18] A Killer for Christmas by Kim Harrington & The Most Wonderful Crime by Ally Carter * [00:20] Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage by Belle Burden — rich people, divorce, and drama * [00:22] Where to find Liz Lawson 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!

Book Club Fiction, Cozy Mysteries & Summer Rom-Coms With Bookish AF

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. If you're the kind of reader who wants heartfelt book recs and a peek behind the curtain of building a reading life worth writing about, this one's for you. Audry Fryer of the Bookish AF Substack joins us to talk about the books she can't stop recommending — from Fredrik Backman's quietly devastating My Friends to the winter read she's still thinking about, The Frozen River. We also get into the joys of audiobooks as genuine self-care, how to ease into romantasy without the overwhelm, and why "millennial mysteries" might be exactly the cozy-but-not-too-cozy genre you've been looking for. 📚 BOOKS MENTIONED My Friends by Fredrik Backman — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4uYrMyn] | Literary Fiction / Contemporary | Audio ✅ Beartown by Fredrik Backman — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4g7HiV2]| Literary Fiction / Sports | Audio ✅ A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4xQtTHe] | Literary Fiction | Audio ✅ The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4gH5Iop] | Historical Fiction | Audio ✅ Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4xKaYh7] | Literary Fiction The God of the Woods by Liz Moore— Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4oQVzHS] | Literary Thriller / Mystery | Audio ✅ Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4uV4GZi] | Contemporary Romance / Women's Fiction | Audio ✅ Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4oWFbpq] | Women's Fiction / Romance | Audio ✅ It's a Love Story by Annabel Monaghan — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4g1caq6] | Contemporary Romance / Rom-Com | Audio ✅ Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4g1rd33] | Contemporary Romance / Women's Fiction | Audio ✅ The Guncle by Steven Rowley — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4w9NoJ2] | Commercial Fiction / LGBTQ+ | Audio ✅ (author narrates) Rachel West and the Fallen Starlet by Emma Mills — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/43Y4Dkz] | Cozy Mystery ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS [00:00:00] Welcome & introducing Audry Fryer of Bookish AF [00:01:00] Audry's background: teaching, twins, and how she started writing [00:03:00] Writing Until Next Sunday — historical fiction from real family letters [00:04:00] Substack, blogging nostalgia & bringing back the personal touch [00:08:00] Audry's reading tastes: contemporary fiction, character arcs & book club picks [00:10:00] Audiobook debate: are some books better on audio? [00:11:00] Graphic audio & how to ease into romantasy [00:13:00] Audiobooks as self-care & the "bookending" reading habit [00:15:00] Book recommendations begin! [00:16:00] My Friends by Fredrik Backman & the joy of translated fiction [00:17:00] The Frozen River — a historical fiction winter read [00:18:00] Broken Country & The God of the Woods [00:19:00] Evvie Drake Starts Over — lightening things up [00:20:00] Morally gray romance tangent & captive romance confessions [00:21:00] Great Big Beautiful Life & It's a Love Story — laughing out loud [00:22:00] Nora Goes Off Script rec from Laura [00:23:00] Library tips: Libby app & sharing a Kindle account with mom [00:24:00] Mother-daughter book club: Golden Girls Cozy Mystery & the follow-up [00:25:00] The Guncle by Steven Rowley — a Palm Springs rec [00:27:00] Millennial mysteries vs. cozy mysteries — what's the difference? [00:27:00] Rachel West and the Fallen Starlet — Hollywood murder mystery rec [00:29:00] What to expect from Bookish AF on Substack [00:31:00] Wrap-up & thank yous 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!