Now I want to see your friend's Goodreads, lol. She could be missing Abby Jimenez! Amy Lea! Chloe Liese! The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, which I suggest to everyone even though I don't even really like fantasy! (please don't make me learn new animals is generally my motto)
haha I recognize that my list is a little lopsided because I'm privy to information that you're not (like which authors she's already read and loved, and which she read and didn't love, which I didn't really want to put in the newsletter because I was keeping it all positive). But I was literally kept awake last night by the fact that I didn't include Chloe Liese's Bergman series which I knew she would love (she loves Ted Lasso, she loves a series, she loves cozy and emotional) or Amy Lea's books (Exes & O's in particular is SO fun). I was literally looking at my shelves while I made the list, so if the books were loaned out or living on my Kindle I may have missed them. And I haven't read The Undertaking yet but it is HIGH on my TBR list because I've heard so many good things.
Love this list, and am also fascinated by all the talk of worldbuilding in contemporary romance (I work for a worldbuilding software IRL), because there's this pervasive idea that it's exclusively associated with spec fic. Of course, contemporary romance is arguably a form of low-key spec fic, but that's another discussion for another day...
That's cool that your job is in that software! Worldbuilding is so interesting to me, because if asked I would say that it's not that important to me, that I'm not that good at it, whatever. It def comes from that mentality that it's more a thing in spec fic, which is not my wheelhouse. AND YET. I do care very much about the setting of a book and how "real" or immersive it feels to me while I read it. I DO try to include those details in my own books. So obviously worldbuilding is important even when the world you're building is just a fictional version of the real one.
You can’t go further than a Mhairi McFarlane. You’ll hoot with laughter while dealing with some serious topics. I love them all, so suggest read the synopsis and take your pick.
Other books I could re-read
Lizzie Dent - The Setup
Stephanie Archer - The Heartbreak Rule (comedian and theatre owner..it’s so so good)
Sarah Skye (two authors - Skye McDonald and Sarah Smith, their individual books are fab) - Vibes and Feels (he goes to therapy!)
Lauren Forsyth - The Fixer Upper (fixing men for their women)
Curtis Sittenfield - Romantic Comedy (a comedy writer with a rock star)
Lindsey Kelk - one in a million
Kristen Callinan - exposed (part of a series about a rock band but this one is my favorite. Oh the longing. kC is an amazing writer, she did a series on uni football players and the first The Hook Up is so good)
Of some of the authors you’ve listed also adored Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn, Sarah Hoagle’s Twice Shy and Lia Louis ‘pieces of my heart and eight perfect hours were great too.
wow I could build a castle with all the books you threw at me because I cannot BELIEVE I didn't include a Mhairi McFarlane book on here. You're right that she blends real/serious stuff with hilarity so well. Every single one of her books takes me in a direction I didn't wholly expect and I love them so much. And thank you for all the other recommendations!!! I similarly love Kate Clayborn and Sarah Hogle's other books (it was hard picking just one for my friend to start with), and I have a lot of the other books you listed in my TBR.
Now I want to see your friend's Goodreads, lol. She could be missing Abby Jimenez! Amy Lea! Chloe Liese! The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, which I suggest to everyone even though I don't even really like fantasy! (please don't make me learn new animals is generally my motto)
haha I recognize that my list is a little lopsided because I'm privy to information that you're not (like which authors she's already read and loved, and which she read and didn't love, which I didn't really want to put in the newsletter because I was keeping it all positive). But I was literally kept awake last night by the fact that I didn't include Chloe Liese's Bergman series which I knew she would love (she loves Ted Lasso, she loves a series, she loves cozy and emotional) or Amy Lea's books (Exes & O's in particular is SO fun). I was literally looking at my shelves while I made the list, so if the books were loaned out or living on my Kindle I may have missed them. And I haven't read The Undertaking yet but it is HIGH on my TBR list because I've heard so many good things.
She's lucky you're friends and you can continue to lovingly inundate her with recommendations as you think of them!
Amazing list! Will be referring back to it often.
Thank you! A compliment on a book list coming from you in particular means a lot!
Love this list, and am also fascinated by all the talk of worldbuilding in contemporary romance (I work for a worldbuilding software IRL), because there's this pervasive idea that it's exclusively associated with spec fic. Of course, contemporary romance is arguably a form of low-key spec fic, but that's another discussion for another day...
That's cool that your job is in that software! Worldbuilding is so interesting to me, because if asked I would say that it's not that important to me, that I'm not that good at it, whatever. It def comes from that mentality that it's more a thing in spec fic, which is not my wheelhouse. AND YET. I do care very much about the setting of a book and how "real" or immersive it feels to me while I read it. I DO try to include those details in my own books. So obviously worldbuilding is important even when the world you're building is just a fictional version of the real one.
wow, an honor to be on this list 🥲🥲🥲
you know how I feel about your books!!!
it's mutual!!!!!!
You can’t go further than a Mhairi McFarlane. You’ll hoot with laughter while dealing with some serious topics. I love them all, so suggest read the synopsis and take your pick.
Other books I could re-read
Lizzie Dent - The Setup
Stephanie Archer - The Heartbreak Rule (comedian and theatre owner..it’s so so good)
Sarah Skye (two authors - Skye McDonald and Sarah Smith, their individual books are fab) - Vibes and Feels (he goes to therapy!)
Lauren Forsyth - The Fixer Upper (fixing men for their women)
Curtis Sittenfield - Romantic Comedy (a comedy writer with a rock star)
Lindsey Kelk - one in a million
Kristen Callinan - exposed (part of a series about a rock band but this one is my favorite. Oh the longing. kC is an amazing writer, she did a series on uni football players and the first The Hook Up is so good)
Of some of the authors you’ve listed also adored Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn, Sarah Hoagle’s Twice Shy and Lia Louis ‘pieces of my heart and eight perfect hours were great too.
wow I could build a castle with all the books you threw at me because I cannot BELIEVE I didn't include a Mhairi McFarlane book on here. You're right that she blends real/serious stuff with hilarity so well. Every single one of her books takes me in a direction I didn't wholly expect and I love them so much. And thank you for all the other recommendations!!! I similarly love Kate Clayborn and Sarah Hogle's other books (it was hard picking just one for my friend to start with), and I have a lot of the other books you listed in my TBR.
LiteraryStuff™️
(loved this newsletter!)
haha thanks for adding the trademark! and thanks for writing such beautiful books <3