Be There in Five Kate Kennedy

This week, beloved #1 best-selling author Emily Henry (Beach Read, Book Lovers, Happy Place, etc.) is back for Millennial Ennui: the Sequel to chat about her latest romance novel, Funny Story. Kate and Em Hen (she delusionally thinks they’re BFFs/on a nickname basis) talk about a variety of topics, from gift shop enthusiasm to the characters we problematically root for in RomComs, to the prevalence of fudge in touristy areas. They also discuss female friendships, what it’s like behind-the-scenes to adapt books to the big screen, and explore the intricacies of female characters in Emily's books and the related challenges faced by women in their 30s—touching on breakups, motherhood desires, and societal expectations. The convo also dances through Taylor Swift's songwriting, the struggles of writing deadlines, and the wonders of libraries as havens for diverse stories and support. Enjoy!

This week, Kate’s chatting with co-author of the audiobook The Art of Small Talk (also actress, comedian, host of The Deep Dive podcast), Jessica St. Clair. Jessica shares her personal experience with the gift of gab and gives advice about the art of casual conversation, with topics ranging from how to be friendly with neighbors to stories about pleasant celeb run-ins. Overall, a joyful interaction that is essentially a celebration of the joys of everyday interactions. Enjoy! 

This week, Kate interviews podcast listener and NFL WAG Haley Pepper, who shares her experiences with a lot of BTI5 adjacent topics, like pageants, Bama sororities, and being in a relationship with a professional athlete. She discusses the misconceptions and realities of this lifestyle, including the lack of job security, the high expenses, and the pressure of constantly moving and adapting, along with the challenges of motherhood. Enjoy!

This week, Kate is joined by NYT bestselling romance author Carley Fortune (Meet Me at the Lake, Every Summer After) to discuss her latest book, dropping on May 7th, This Summer Will Be Different. They discuss Carley’s former "RomCom job" as an editor at Refinery29 Canada and her pivot to becoming a romance writer, the importance of strong female friendships and real experiences represented in literature, and why Prince Edward Island may be the next hot vacation spot. They also touch on literary tropes, Carley’s journey of writing through early motherhood, and how her own life has shaped her storytelling. Then, Kate can't help but fangirl that Meet Me at the Lake has been optioned by Archewell Productions, so she asks if she's met Meg, among other things. No spoilers - Enjoy!

This week, Kate crowdsources stories about attempting to, getting away with, or getting caught consuming age-inappropriate content as a kid and reads brave and inspiring stories from pop culture champions who fought for lyrics that weren’t clean and movies only suitable for ages over thirteen. From tales from the locked-and-loaded thumbs on the ‘back’ button of the remote control to the trials of the photocopiers and/or printers of the lyrics to “What’s Your Fantasy,” to the tribulations of those who fantasized about being “rubbed the right way” in their Genie in a Bottle era, this episode has something for everybody. If you have a story to share, email podcast@bethereinfive.com with the episode title in the subject line. Enjoy!

First impressions of Taylor Swift's 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department. See Kate and her sister Kelly's live reactions in 4 parts on patreon.com/bethereinfive if you're in the crowd and screaming MORE!