What to Read Next Podcast l Book Recommendation Show

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If you’ve ever masked your anxiety while looking wildly “high-functioning,” this episode is going to hit.
Today I’m chatting with returning guest Cat Sebastian about her new contemporary romance Star Shipped — a slow-burn, forced-proximity love story between two actors on a long-running sci-fi show who “hate” each other in the most domestic way possible.
We talk about why Cat took a risk moving from historical to contemporary romance, how fandom and sci-fi shaped this book, and why she wanted to write a character with anxiety, OCD, and migraines who doesn’t magically “heal” by the final chapter. This is a conversation about radical acceptance, surviving in a noisy world, and finding love without fixing yourself first.
If you loved the emotional intensity of hockey romances but want celebrity PR chaos instead, this one’s for you.
⏱️ Timestamps
[00:00] Welcoming Cat back + what she’s been up to
[00:01] Inside Star Shipped — enemies-to-lovers on a sci-fi set
[00:02] The Gene Roddenberry letter that inspired the book
[00:04] Taking the risk from historical to contemporary
[00:06] Researching fandom vs. TV industry details
[00:08] Writing invisible disability & high-functioning anxiety
[00:12] No “pink cloud” healing — why incremental growth matters
[00:16] Radical acceptance in romance
[00:18] Romance recommendations with buttoned-up/chaos pairings
[00:23] Where to find Cat + newsletter over social media

📚 Books Mentioned
Star Shipped by Cat Sebastian — Contemporary Romance | Celebrity | Enemies-to-Lovers | Anxiety Rep | Audio ✅
Something Wild & Wonderful by Anita Kelly — LGBTQ+ Romance | Outdoors Setting | Neurodivergent Rep | Audio ✅
With Love, from Cold World by Alicia Thompson — Workplace Romance | Opposites Attract | Slow Burn | Audio ✅
Chef’s Kiss by TJ Alexander — Workplace Romance | Queer Romance | Polyamory Rep | Audio ✅
A Gentleman’s Gentleman by TJ Alexander — Historical Romance | Queer Romance | Tender Slow Burn | Audio ✅

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What happens when book bans aren’t just headlines — but federal law?
In this episode, I’m chatting with historical fiction author Shelley Noble about The Sisters of Book Row, a novel set in 1915 New York during the height of the Comstock censorship laws. We talk about rare bookstores, banned poetry, Margaret Sanger, and why 100-year-old history feels… uncomfortably familiar today. If you care about protecting books, women’s voices, and literary legacy — this one will stay with you.
We also dive into Shelley’s unexpected path to publishing (spoiler: it started with a dare), why she left mysteries for historical women’s fiction, and her favorite historical mystery comfort reads.
⏱️ Timestamps
[00:00] Shelley’s journey from dancer to published mystery author
[03:00] Writing historical mysteries vs. women’s fiction
[06:30] Discovering the Tiffany Girls & shifting genres
[07:45] The Comstock Laws explained
[09:30] Margaret Sanger and censorship in 1915
[11:00] The Sisters of Book Row premise
[14:30] Book banning today vs. 1915
[18:30] Research process & using primary sources
[22:00] Historical mystery & romantic suspense recommendations
📚 Books Mentioned
The Sisters of Book Row by Shelley Noble — Historical Women’s Fiction | Bookstore Drama | Women’s Rights
This Rough Magic by Mary Stewart — Romantic Suspense | Classic Mystery
The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley — Time Slip Romance | Historical Fiction
Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters — Historical Mystery | Victorian Egypt | Humor

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What happens when influencer culture, megachurch ambition, and algorithm-driven community collide?
This week, I’m joined by longtime friend and fellow early-podcaster Alli Hoff Kosik to talk about her debut novel, Too Blessed to Stress — a sharp, nuanced story about faith, friendship, ambition, and the very online world we’re all living in.
We talk about how her MFA journey led her here, why religion in fiction felt like a “risky” topic just a few years ago, and how influencer culture (hello Mormon wives and MomTok 👀) makes this story more relevant than ever. If you love messy friend groups, big institutions, powerful men, and complicated women trying to build something meaningful — this one is for you.
🕒 Timestamps
[00:00] Early podcast days & friendship origin story
[02:00] Alli’s MFA journey and first abandoned manuscript
[05:00] The Christian influencer rabbit hole
[07:30] Influencer monetization & megachurch power
[10:00] Religion, algorithms & modern politics
[14:00] Community after the pandemic
[21:30] Behind the Scenes podcast (BTS-TBTS)
[24:00] Book recommendations: cults, ambition & satire
[37:00] Where to find Alli & audiobook details

📚 Books Mentioned
Too Blessed to Stress by Alli Hoff Kosik — Book Club Fiction | Influencer Culture | Literary Fiction
Little One by Olivia Muenter — Cult Fiction | Dual Timeline | Psychological Drama
Paper Cut by Rachel Taff — Literary Fiction | Power & Family Dynamics
Tehrangeles by Porochista Khakpour — Satire | Reality TV Culture | Pandemic Fiction
Glossy by Marisa Meltzer — Nonfiction | Business Biography | Millennial CEO
Workhorse by Caroline Palmer — Literary Fiction | Publishing Industry | Ambitious Female Lead

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Queer joy, Hollywood theater, and why romance doesn’t have to earn its happy ending.
In this episode, I’m joined by returning guest Amy Spalding to talk about In Her Spotlight, her latest sapphic romance set at the intersection of celebrity culture, live theater, and second-chance love. We dig into why queer joy matters, how power dynamics shift when fame enters the room, and why it finally feels possible to tell coming-out stories without centering tragedy.
We also chat about reading across genres, unexpected nonfiction rabbit holes, and Amy’s favorite sapphic and bisexual romances to add to your TBR—especially if you love stories about ambition, community, and women figuring it out together.

📚 Books Mentioned
In Her Spotlight by Amy Spalding — Sapphic Romance | Celebrity Romance | Second Chance | Theater Setting
Rooting Interest by Cat Dibasato — Sapphic Romance | Sports Romance | Career-Driven Characters
Flirting Lessons by Jasmine Guillory — Sapphic Romance | Contemporary Romance | Wine Country Setting
Writers & Lovers by Lily King— Literary Fiction | Women’s Fiction | Writing & Ambition
Alice Rue Evades the Truth by Emily Zips — Bisexual Romance | Contemporary Romance | While You Were Sleeping Retelling

⏱️ Episode Timestamps

[00:00] Welcome back + first impressions of In Her Spotlight
[01:00] Writing queer joy during bleak times
[02:00] Why sapphic romance has changed so much
[04:00] Coming-out stories with nuance and community
[05:00] In Her Spotlight elevator pitch
[06:00] Power, consent, and the #MeToo context
[08:00] Celebrity culture vs. theater life
[11:00] Companion standalones & the Out in Hollywood series
[12:00] Reading across genres as a writer
[13:00] Nonfiction deep dives & pop culture obsessions
[15:00] Sapphic and bisexual romance recommendations
[19:00] Where to find Amy online

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Mentioned in this episode:
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Quick Note Before You Press Play:
The audio quality on this episode isn’t my usual standard (thank you for your grace 😅). If you want the best experience, I highly recommend watching the video version — it includes captions and the sound is much clearer. You can find it on Spotify and YouTube.
Thank you for being here and for always supporting the show. 💛
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What happens when a virgin sex toy engineer asks her coworker for sex lessons… and ends up getting way more than she bargained for?
This week, I’m chatting with author Alys Murray about her steamy new romance A Little Buzzed, why sex scenes need emotional arcs, and how the sex toy industry has completely transformed over the last decade. We talk mutual pleasure, power dynamics, writing for Hallmark vs. high-heat romance, and why “horny jail” only lasts so long.
If you love workplace romance, sex-positive stories, mafia rom-coms, and books that balance spice with heart — this episode is for you.
📚 Books Mentioned
A Little Buzzed by Alys Murray — Contemporary Romance | Workplace | Sex Lessons Trope | High Heat
The Seduction of Mr. Alfred Saintsbury by Lydia Lloyd — Regency Historical Romance | Power Dynamics | High Spice
Dom Com by Adriana Anders — Workplace Romance | High Heat | Sex-Positive Romance
The ReDo List by Denise Williams — Contemporary Romance | Second Chance at Life | Emotional Growth
Love Most Fatal by Kath Richards — Mafia Rom-Com | Female Mob Boss | Cinnamon Roll Hero

⏱️ Timestamps
[00:00] Welcome + why Alys and I have similar book taste
[02:00] The premise of A Little Buzzed
[03:30] Mutual “sex lessons” + flipping the virgin trope
[04:30] How the sex toy industry has evolved
[07:00] Virginity, pleasure, and agency in 2026
[08:00] Why sex scenes need emotional arcs (Heated Rivalry reference 👀)
[10:00] Screenwriting for Hallmark vs. writing spicy romance
[14:00] Lydia Lloyd’s filthy Regency recommendation
[16:00] Workplace spice: Dom Com
[17:00] The Redo List by Denise Williams
[17:30] Mafia rom-com obsession: Love Most Fatal

Join the Conversation
Subscribe to our Substack for exclusive recommendations. (wtrnblog.substack.com)
Follow & Subscribe: What to Read Next Blog | YouTube: What to Read Next
Subscribe & leave a review!