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

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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 | Sci-Fi Romance / Sports Romance | Audio ✅
Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell — Buy on Amazon | Sci-Fi Romance | Audio ✅
The Last Sun by K.D. Edwards — Buy on Amazon | Urban Fantasy | Audio ✅
The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun — Buy on Amazon | Contemporary Romance / Rom-Com | Audio ✅
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir — Buy on Amazon | 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

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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 | Contemporary Romance, Second Chance, Summer Read | Audio ✅
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston — Buy on Amazon | Romance, LGBTQ+, Political Rom-Com | Audio ✅
A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams — Buy on Amazon | Romance, Magical Realism, Contemporary | Audio ✅
Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams — Buy on Amazon | Contemporary Romance, Small Town, Frothy | Audio ✅
The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston — Buy on Amazon | Romance, Magical Realism, Time Slip | Audio ✅
Happy Place by Emily Henry — Buy on Amazon | Contemporary Romance, Friends to Lovers | Audio ✅
Married with Benefits by Ellie Palmer — Buy on Amazon | Rom-Com, Marriage of Convenience | Audio ✅
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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 — Buy on Amazon | Nonfiction
Reality Bites by Amy Mass — Buy on Amazon | Romance / STEM Rom-Com
Hot Summer by Elle Everhart — Buy on Amazon | Romance / Queer
Coupling Up by Jo Lyons — Buy on Amazon | Romance | KU ✅
Palm Villa by Ashley Hartley — Buy on Amazon | Romance | KU ✅
Stranded in Paradise by Portia Mcintosh — Buy on Amazon | Romance / Enemies-to-Lovers | KU ✅
Reality Check by Kara Loo and Jennifer Young — Buy on Amazon | Romantic Mystery
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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 | Mystery Rom-Com, Second-Chance Romance | Audio ✅
Famesick by Lena Dunham — Buy on Amazon | Memoir | Audio ✅ (author-narrated)
Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash — Buy on Amazon | Literary Fiction / Weird Girl Lit
A Killer for Christmas by Kim Harrington — Buy on Amazon | Holiday Mystery Rom-Com | (forthcoming at time of recording)
The Most Wonderful Crime by Ally Carter — Buy on Amazon | Mystery Romance
Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage by Belle Burden — Buy on Amazon | 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

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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 | Literary Fiction / Contemporary | Audio ✅
Beartown by Fredrik Backman — Buy on Amazon | Literary Fiction / Sports | Audio ✅
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman — Buy on Amazon | Literary Fiction | Audio ✅
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon — Buy on Amazon | Historical Fiction | Audio ✅
Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall — Buy on Amazon | Literary Fiction
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore— Buy on Amazon | Literary Thriller / Mystery | Audio ✅
Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes — Buy on Amazon | Contemporary Romance / Women's Fiction | Audio ✅
Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry — Buy on Amazon | Women's Fiction / Romance | Audio ✅
It's a Love Story by Annabel Monaghan — Buy on Amazon | Contemporary Romance / Rom-Com | Audio ✅
Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan — Buy on Amazon | Contemporary Romance / Women's Fiction | Audio ✅
The Guncle by Steven Rowley — Buy on Amazon | Commercial Fiction / LGBTQ+ | Audio ✅ (author narrates)
Rachel West and the Fallen Starlet by Emma Mills — Buy on Amazon | 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
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