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

Laura R Yamin

You know you want to read. You just don't know what. What to Read Next is the podcast for readers who love romance, thrillers, and women's fiction — and spend more time staring at their TBR than actually reading it. I'm Laura, and twice a week I bring you book recommendations built around one thing: how you actually feel right now. Not what's new. Not what's trending. The right book for this exact mood, this exact moment, this exact week of your life. Some weeks that means asking an author what they read for joy — not what they wrote, but what they reach for when they need to escape. Their answer is always your next discovery. Some weeks it means me telling you exactly what I read, what stayed with me, what I DNF'd at 40% and why, and which one I'd press into your hands right now if we were having coffee. Romance across every subgenre. Psychological thrillers. Beach reads with actual substance. Women's fiction that makes you feel seen. The books that give you the escape you came for — and a few that'll quietly change how you see things too. New episodes every Monday and Wednesday. The Reading Receipt — my weekly reading log — drops every Thursday on Substack. Start anywhere. The right episode will find you.

  1. Game Set Match: The Tennis Romance You Need to Read with Jennifer Iacopelli

    4d ago

    Game Set Match: The Tennis Romance You Need to Read with Jennifer Iacopelli

    This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. If you've been sleeping on sports romance, this episode is your wake-up call. Tennis romance is officially having its moment in publishing — and the author who was writing it a decade before anyone else is finally getting her flowers. In this episode, Laura chats with Jennifer Iacopelli, author of Game Set Match and its sequel Wild Card — new adult tennis romances newly re-released through Little Brown's Requited imprint after Jennifer's YA novel Finding Her Edge was adapted into a Netflix series. They dig into Jennifer's 15-year publishing journey, the ensemble cast storytelling structure of the Game Set Match series, the road from canceled Olympics to Netflix, and why tennis provides the perfect natural force-proximity setup for romance. Plus, Jennifer shares her top sports romance recs (including a few you can grab right now) and a YA F1 romance that's coming in 2027 that you'll want to add to your TBR immediately. Perfect for fans of Challengers, sports romance, and anyone who loves a resilience arc — in fiction and in real life. 📚 Books MentionedGame Set Match by Jennifer Iacopelli — Buy on Amazon | New Adult Romance / Sports Romance / Tennis | KU ✅ (backlist) | Audio ✅ (check availability) Wild Card by Jennifer Iacopelli — Buy on Amazon | New Adult Romance / Sports Romance / Tennis | (sequel to Game Set Match; releasing June 2026) Finding Her Edge by Jennifer Iacopelli — Buy on Amazon | YA Romance / Sports Fiction / Olympic Figure Skating | Now a Netflix series ✅ Break the Fall by Jennifer Iacopelli — Buy on Amazon | YA Romance / Sports Fiction / Olympic Gymnastics | Audio ✅ (check availability) Thirty Love by Tom Vellner — Buy on Amazon | Adult Romance / Sports Romance / Tennis | MM Romance | (recently released) The Open Era by Edward Schmit — Buy on Amazon | Adult Romance / Sports Romance / Tennis | (recently released) The Fast Track by Angelica Chang — Buy on Amazon | YA Romance / Sports Fiction / F1 Racing | (releases summer 2026 — add to your TBR now!) The Someday Garden by Ashley Poston — Buy on Amazon | Adult Romance | Secret Garden vibes | (upcoming — release date June 2026) ⏱️ Timestamps[00:00] Welcome & intro — Jennifer Iacopelli joins the show [00:45] Jennifer's background: YA and new adult sports romance author [01:30] Game Set Match debut in 2013 — the pre-BookTok era of publishing [02:30] How the 2008 financial crisis led Jennifer to write her debut novel [04:30] Publishing journey: aging the book down, small digital publishers, and a closed imprint [06:00] Break the Fall — writing in response to the USA Gymnastics scandal [07:30] The COVID Olympics cancellation and its impact on her publishing career [08:30] Finding Her Edge and the road to Netflix [10:00] Little Brown's Requited imprint and bringing Game Set Match back as new adult [11:30] Tennis romance having its moment — the publishing landscape then vs. now [13:00] The ensemble, serialized storytelling structure of the Game Set Match series [14:30] The tennis calendar as a natural force-proximity story engine [15:30] What's next: could a US Open book be coming? [16:00] Jennifer's involvement in the Finding Her Edge Netflix adaptation [19:00] Writer's room, ensemble TV storytelling, and the evolution of teen drama [21:30] The non-linear reality of publishing careers [23:00] The book format conversation: mass market paperbacks, special editions & reading culture [25:00] Book Recs: Thirty Love by Vellner— tennis rivalry MM romance [26:00] Book Recs: The Open Era by Edward Schmit — tennis romance [26:30] Book Recs: The Fast Track by Angelica Chang — YA F1 romance (2027) [27:30] Book Recs: The Someday Garden by Ashley Poston — Secret Garden vibes [29:00] The rise of women's sports and niche sports fandoms [31:00] Where to find Jennifer online [31:30] Wrap-up Join the ConversationSubscribe 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!

    32 min
  2. A Debut Romance Set at the US Open You Need to Read | The Open Era by Edward Schmit

    6d ago

    A Debut Romance Set at the US Open You Need to Read | The Open Era by Edward Schmit

    This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. What happens when the first openly gay man competes in a Grand Slam — and falls for his opponent across the net? Debut author Eddie Schmit joins the show to talk about The Open Era, his queer tennis romance that's equal parts heart-racing competition and sweet slow-burn love story. Eddie shares how a mental health journey led him to tennis, how tennis led him to a book deal with Penguin Random House, and why the US Open — right in his Queens backyard — became the perfect backdrop for a story about identity, anxiety, and falling in love at exactly the wrong time. We also dig into his reading list: the Andre Agassi memoir that gripped him from page one, a practical mental health survival guide, a quirky queer literary novel about a mountain lion in the LA hills, and a cozy paranormal romance that reads like a warm hug. 📚 Books MentionedThe Open Era by Edward Schmit — Buy on Amazon | Queer Romance / Sports Romance | Audio ✅ Open by Andre Agassi — Buy on Amazon | Memoir / Sports Nonfiction | Audio ✅ Where to Start by Mental Health America, illus. Gemma Carrell — Buy on Amazon | Nonfiction / Mental Health | Young Adult crossover; also available in Spanish The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey — Buy on Amazon | Nonfiction / Sports Psychology | 50th Anniversary Edition | Audio ✅ Dearly Departed by Chip Pons — Buy on Amazon | Queer Paranormal Romance / Mythology Romance Open Throat by Henry Hoke — Buy on Amazon | Queer Literary Fiction | Short / great for gifting | Audio ✅ ⏱️ Timestamps[00:00] Welcome & introducing Eddie Schmit [00:30] Eddie's background: acting, PR, and New York City life [02:00] Finding tennis as a mental health tool [04:30] How tennis became a full personality — and a book [06:00] The Open Era: plot, characters & what makes it special [08:00] Anxiety, masking, and representing mental health realistically in fiction [10:00] The messy, non-linear journey of managing anxiety [12:00] How Eddie ended up writing romance [14:30] Why romance is the perfect genre for character arcs and high stakes [16:00] Nonfiction rec: Open by Andre Agassi [18:30] Nonfiction rec: Where to Start by Mental Health America [20:30] Nonfiction rec: The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey [23:30] Fiction rec: Dearly Departed by Chip Pons [24:30] Fiction rec: Open Throat by Henry Hoke [25:30] Where to find Eddie + The Open Era release date Join the ConversationSubscribe 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!

    26 min
  3. The YA Authors Writing Adult Books You'll Obsess Over

    May 26 ·  Video

    The YA Authors Writing Adult Books You'll Obsess Over

    This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. If you loved YA but drifted away — or if you're a YA fan wondering where to start in adult fiction — this episode is your permission slip to do both. School librarian and book lover Kelly Mayfield joins Laura to talk about the YA authors crossing over into adult fiction, and why the YA genre has been ahead of the curve on diversity, representation, and storytelling for years. From Rainbow Rowell's slow-burn adult romances to Jesse Q. Sutanto's cozy mysteries with unforgettable ensemble casts, Kelly shares four authors you'll want on your radar — whether you're coming from YA or discovering them fresh. It's also National Library Week, so we're talking about why school libraries matter more than ever and the real-world impact they have on literacy and access. 📚 BOOKS MENTIONEDRainbow Rowell Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell — Buy on Amazon | Contemporary YA / Romance | Audio ✅Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell — Buy on Amazon | Contemporary YA | Audio ✅Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell — Buy on Amazon | Adult Contemporary Romance | Audio ✅Cherry Baby by Rainbow Rowell — Buy on Amazon | Adult Contemporary Romance | Audio ✅ (new release) Jesse Q. Sutanto The Obsession by Jesse Q. Sutanto — Buy on Amazon | YA Thriller | Audio ✅You Will Never Be Me by Jesse Q. Sutanto — Buy on Amazon | Adult Thriller | Audio ✅Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto — Buy on Amazon | Cozy Mystery | Audio ✅Mrs. Mabel Goes Back to the Chopping Block by Jesse Q. Sutanto — Buy on Amazon | Cozy Mystery | Audio ✅ (check KU availability) T. Kingfisher (also writes as Ursula Vernon) A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher — Buy on Amazon | Fantasy / Fairy Tale Retelling | Audio ✅Snake Eater by T. Kingfisher — Buy on Amazon | Fantasy / Suspense | Audio ✅Wolfworm by T. Kingfisher — Buy on Amazon | Fantasy | Audio ✅ (newest release) Melissa de la Cruz The Five Stages of Courting Dalisay Ramos by Melissa de la Cruz — Buy on Amazon | Adult Contemporary Romance | Audio ✅Blue Bloods series by Melissa de la Cruz — Buy on Amazon | YA Paranormal / Vampire | Audio ✅ Also Referenced (briefly mentioned): The Secret History by Donna TarttTomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS[00:00] Welcome & guest intro — Kelly Mayfield, school librarian and book lover[00:01] National Library Week: why school libraries matter[02:00] Book banning, funding gaps & the 40% of schools without a trained librarian[03:00] Laura's reading history: growing up in Puerto Rico without public libraries[05:00] What makes YA different — happy endings, diverse representation, and being ahead of the curve[07:00] Novels in verse and other formats YA pioneered before adult fiction[10:00] Book Rec #1: Rainbow Rowell — Eleanor & Park, Fangirl, Slow Dance, Cherry Baby[12:30] Book Rec #2: Jesse Q. Sutanto — The Obsession, You Will Never Be Me, Vera Wong series, Mrs. Mabel[16:00] Book Rec #3: T. Kingfisher — A Sorceress Comes to Call, Snake Eater, Wolfworm; horror light vs. true horror[18:30] Book Rec #4: Melissa de la Cruz — Blue Bloods, The Five Stages of Courting Dalisay Ramos[21:00] Bonus mentions: Ashley Poston, Amy Spalding, and other YA-to-adult crossover authors[23:00] Kelly's Substack + the joy of backlist reading and breakout hits 💌CONNECT WITH KELLY MAYFIELDhttps://kellymayfield.substack.com/ Join the ConversationSubscribe 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!

    27 min
  4. She Wrote Her Debut at 18 — Now It's a Viral Romantasy Series | Powerless by Lauren Roberts

    May 21 ·  Video

    She Wrote Her Debut at 18 — Now It's a Viral Romantasy Series | Powerless by Lauren Roberts

    This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. She wrote her debut novel at 18, self-published it, went viral on TikTok — and now she's a Simon & Schuster author with a dramatized audiobook. Lauren Roberts is living proof that passion plus scrappiness can take you very, very far. In this episode, Lauren breaks down the wild origin story behind Powerless — from pitching the idea live on TikTok to Googling her way through ISBN numbers and copyright filings. We talk about what makes the Powerless trilogy so addictive (enemies to lovers! forbidden romance! high-stakes trials!), the incredible new dramatized audiobook of Powerless, and the literary fiction authors who are quietly shaping Lauren's writing voice. Whether you're a romantasy superfan or just looking for your next unputdownable series, this one's for you. 📚 Books MentionedPowerless by Lauren Roberts — Buy on Amazon | Romantasy / YA Fantasy | Audio ✅(Dramatized Audiobook available!) Reckless by Lauren Roberts — Buy on Amazon | Romantasy / YA Fantasy | Audio ✅ Fearless by Lauren Roberts — Buy on Amazon | Romantasy / YA Fantasy | Audio ✅ Alone With You in the Ether by Olivie Blake — Buy on Amazon | Literary Fiction / Romance | Audio ✅ Masters of Death by Olivie Blake — Buy on Amazon | Literary Fiction / Fantasy | Audio ✅ One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig — Buy on Amazon | Gothic Fantasy | Audio ✅ Vicious by V.E. Schwab — Buy on Amazon | Dark Fantasy | Audio ✅ Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson — Buy on Amazon | Fantasy / Romantasy (Duology) | Audio ✅ ⏱️ Timestamps[00:00] Welcome & introducing Lauren Roberts [00:45] Lauren's background — writing at 18 and the TikTok origin story [02:30] Figuring out self-publishing from scratch (ISBNs, copyright, editors) [04:30] Simon & Schuster reaches out — the surreal moment it all changed [05:30] What drives Lauren: supporting other creatives and following your passion [06:30] Elevator pitch for Powerless — the plot, the world, the magic system [07:45] The romance: enemies to lovers, forbidden tropes, and sky-high stakes [08:30] The dramatized audiobook of Heartless — a movie for your ears [10:30] Behind the scenes: scripting, sound effects, music, and casting the voices [12:30] Lauren voices a character herself — and what it felt like to hear Powerless fresh [13:00] Lauren's reading life: the literary fiction curveball [14:00] Olivie Blake and V.E. Schwab — balancing lyrical prose with fantasy [15:00] Where Lauren's own writing is heading next [15:30] Book recommendations: Lauren's top picks for listeners [16:30] Where to find Lauren online (Instagram, TikTok, Substack) Join the ConversationSubscribe 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!

    18 min
  5. Quit Your Job & Open a Bookshop: 3 Reads You'll Love  | Reads with Alicia

    May 18

    Quit Your Job & Open a Bookshop: 3 Reads You'll Love | Reads with Alicia

    This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. What if your dream bookshop was hiding inside the pages of a book? This week's guest is making that fantasy feel very real. London-based bookworm and Substack newsletter writer Alicia joins us to share her love of a very specific and very delightful trope: woman quits job to open a bookshop. If you've ever fantasized about leaving it all behind for a life surrounded by shelves and the smell of old paper, Alicia has three gorgeous, lesser-known reads that will feed that daydream beautifully. From translated Japanese fiction to a moving Korean novel, these books explore healing, community, and the quiet courage it takes to build a life you actually want — even when you're not sure you're ready. 📚 Books MentionedThe Bookshop Woman by Nanako Hanada — Buy on Amazon | Nonfiction / Memoir | A quiet, insightful look at the world of bookselling and how small changes create big impact. Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa — Buy on Amazon | Japanese Translated Fiction / Contemporary | A healing, character-driven story about a woman who finds herself — slowly — through books. Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-reum — Buy on Amazon | Korean Translated Fiction / Contemporary | A raw, courageous story about a woman who opens a bookshop from a place of grief and finds herself living her values anyway. ⏱️ Timestamps[00:00] Welcome & introduction — meet Alicia from London [01:00] What Alicia reads: contemporary, literary, historical fiction & nonfiction [02:00] Alicia's nonfiction picks: memoirs, economics, music [03:30] What led Alicia to start Reads with Alicia on Substack [05:00] Building a bookish community online — Substack, BookTok & beyond [07:00] Alicia's Seasonal Reads with Friends collaboration series [08:30] The episode's trope: "Woman quits job to open a bookshop" [10:00] Book #1 — The Bookshop Woman by Nanako Hanada [13:00] Why book recommendations are an act of care [14:00] Book #2 — Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa [16:00] Book #3 — Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-reum [19:30] Living your values even in hard times [20:00] Where to find Alicia online & wrap-up Join the ConversationSubscribe 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!

    21 min
  6. Billionaire, Secret Societies & Spicy Romance with Ava Rani

    May 13

    Billionaire, Secret Societies & Spicy Romance with Ava Rani

    This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. What if your love stories came with secret societies, art forgery rings, and a twist you never saw coming? Author Ava Rani joins us to talk books, balance, and why she refuses to write a boring romance. Ava Rani is an author who does it all — indie publishing, traditional publishing, and somehow fitting it in between a medical career and motherhood. In this episode, she walks us through her Biotech Billionaires series (think Gossip Girl meets Succession, Scandal, and Crazy Rich Asians), her standalone Out of Her League (a surgeon, a soccer star, and a fake-dating trip to Paris — need we say more?), and her New Adult mystery-romance Poisoned Ivy, which she lovingly describes as Never Have I Ever meets Rory Gilmore's Yale years. If you love sharp heroines, enemies-to-lovers slow burns, and plots that actually keep you guessing, this episode is for you. 📚 Books MentionedThe Spare by Ava Rani — Buy on Amazon| Contemporary Romance / Billionaire Romance | Biotech Billionaires #1 The Heir by Ava Rani — Buy on Amazon | Contemporary Romance / Billionaire Romance | Biotech Billionaires #2 The Charmer by Ava Rani — Buy on Amazon | Contemporary Romance / Billionaire Romance | Biotech Billionaires #3 Out of Her League by Ava Rani — Buy on Amazon | Contemporary Romance / Sports Romance / Fake Dating | Check KU & Audio availability Poisoned Ivy by Ava Rani — Buy on Amazon | New Adult Romance / Mystery | The Legacy Series #1 | Audio ✅ (available on Libro.fm/library apps) Gilded Lilly by Ava Rani — Forthcoming | New Adult Romance / Bodyguard Romance | The Legacy Series #2 ⏱️ Timestamps[00:00] Welcome & introducing Ava Rani [00:01] Ava's writing life, motherhood & Nancy Meyers goals [00:02] How she balances it all: schedules, productivity & the sloth era [00:05] Social media detox & the "Brick" app hack [00:06] Intro to the Biotech Billionaires series [00:07] The Heir — Henry, Selena & the PR romance [00:09] The Spare — Marcus, Sloan & the Darcy-coded runner [00:11] The Charmer — Xander, Penelope & the rewritten love story [00:13] The Gossip Girl comparisons (Succession, Scandal, Crazy Rich Asians) [00:14] Out of Her League — Issa the surgeon meets soccer star Austin Cade [00:16] The fake-dating setup: a wedding in Paris & one bed [00:19] Issa's career journey & the child-free storyline [00:22] Why Ava wrote a heroine grappling with being child-free [00:25] How career milestones deserve the same celebration as weddings [00:26] Poisoned Ivy — secret societies, campus chaos & a twist [00:27] Meet Malena: part Rory Gilmore, part Davy Vishwakumar [00:29] The masquerade, the catacombs & Conrad Hastings (aka Fixed Logan) [00:31] The art forgery mystery unravels [00:33] Gilded Lilly — Sabrina's book, a bodyguard & a suspicious Duke [00:35] Forbidden romance, yearning & Anastasia vibes [00:36] Where to find Ava Rani online Join the ConversationSubscribe 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!

    37 min
  7. Femme Feral: When Midlife Rage Turns You Into a Werewolf with Sam Beckbessinger

    May 11 ·  Video

    Femme Feral: When Midlife Rage Turns You Into a Werewolf with Sam Beckbessinger

    This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. What if your perimenopause symptoms weren't just symptoms — what if you were turning into a werewolf? Author Sam Beckbessinger joins us to talk about her debut adult novel Femme Feral, and it might be the most cathartic book you read this year. Sam and I dive deep into why the medical industry has failed women at midlife, the reality of millennial burnout, and why female rage horror is having such a deserved moment. If you're a woman in your 30s, 40s, or beyond who has ever been dismissed by a doctor, told to "just lose some weight," or felt the crushing weight of doing 200% while getting zero credit — this episode is going to feel like a long exhale. We also get into Sam's reading life: from the buzzy Dungeon Crawler Carl series to feminist short story collections you need to know about. 📚 BOOKS MENTIONEDFemme Feral by Sam Beckbessinger — Buy on Amazon | Horror / Women's Fiction | Audio ✅ Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman — Buy on Amazon | Sci-Fi / LitRPG / Adventure | KU ✅ | Audio ✅ She's Always Hungry by Eliza Clark — Buy on Amazon | Dark Fiction / Short Stories / Horror Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado — Buy on Amazon | Literary Horror / Short Stories | KU ✅ | Audio ✅ Gods of Want by K-Ming Chang — Buy on Amazon | Literary Fiction / Short Stories / Queer Fiction Stag Dance by Torrey Peters — Buy on Amazon | Literary Fiction / Historical / Queer Fiction | Audio ✅ ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS[00:00] Welcome & introduction — Sam Beckbessinger joins the show [00:45] Why female rage and perimenopause inspired Femme Feral [02:00] How the medical industry gasligths women at midlife [03:00] The history of women being excluded from medical trials [04:30] The book's premise — Ellie, the werewolf, and repressed rage [06:30] What Femme Feral is (and isn't) — horror content notes [08:00] Millennial burnout, the "you can have it all" generation, and reckoning [10:00] Funny and dark: luring toxic bosses into alleyways [11:00] Generational work culture — Gen Z vs. Millennial vs. Gen X bosses [12:00] Writing Femme Feral as personal excavation and self-discovery [13:30] Healthcare, for-profit medicine, and the gynecologist problem [15:00] Laura's story: taking a demotion and finding freedom [16:00] The chapter headings — perimenopause symptoms as a buffet (and a doctor's checklist) [17:00] Sam's reading life — what genres she loves and why [18:00] Deep dive on Dungeon Crawler Carl — what it is and why you should read it [20:30] Horror short story recommendations: She's Always Hungry & Gods of Want [22:30] The indie bookshop trick: ask for the hidden gem that nobody buys [24:30] Stag Dance by Torrey Peters — a bridge book for historical fiction fans [25:30] Where to find Sam online + wrap-up Join the ConversationSubscribe 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!

    25 min
  8. Speak Now: The Queer Audio Rom-Com You Need to Hear | Author Interview with Ash Perez

    May 7

    Speak Now: The Queer Audio Rom-Com You Need to Hear | Author Interview with Ash Perez

    This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. What if a rom-com could feel like a movie in your ears? That's exactly what debut novelist and TV screenwriter Ash Perez set out to create with Speak Now, and you are going to want to listen to this one. In this episode, Laura chats with Ash Perez about Speak Now, an audio-first queer rom-com published by Simon & Schuster featuring a full cast of actors, sound effects, and production that rivals a Hollywood film. Born out of the 2023 writer's strike, Speak Now blends Ash's screenwriting background with a lifelong love of 90s/early 2000s rom-coms. Think second-chance romance, Nancy Meyers vibes, a luxury hotel kitchen, and a HEA you absolutely deserve. This episode is perfect for audiobook lovers, rom-com fans, and anyone who's been sleeping on audio-first fiction. 📚 Books MentionedSpeak Now by Ash Perez — Buy on Amazon | Queer Rom-Com | Audio ✅ (Audio-first/only; also available via Spotify Premium and library request) Poison for Breakfast by Lemony Snicket — Buy on Amazon | Literary Fiction/Novella | Audio ✅ Murder Bot Diaries series by Martha Wells — Buy on Amazon | Science Fiction | Audio ✅ Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston — Buy on Amazon | Queer Rom-Com | Audio ✅ The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster — Buy on Amazon | Classic Fiction | Audio ✅ ⏱️ Timestamps[00:00] Welcome & introduction to Ash Perez[00:45] What is Speak Now? Audio-first rom-com explained[01:30] How the 2023 writer's strike led to this book[03:15] Why rom-coms & audio are a perfect pairing[05:00] Co-directing the production & what it felt like[05:45] The plot of Speak Now: queer second-chance romance, chef, boutique hotel[07:00] Casting a queer audio romance — voice tonality challenges[09:00] Why romance deserves the full audio-movie treatment[10:00] Rom-com influences: My Best Friend's Wedding & The Wedding Planner[12:00] Ash's reading life: from Harry Potter to self-help burnout[13:00] Poison for Breakfast & the novella that brought Ash back to fiction[13:45] Murder Bot series, Kevin R. Free & audiobook narrator fandom[14:30] Red, White & Royal Blue & reading outside your genre[15:30] Reading as a millennial: productivity guilt & reclaiming fiction as a hobby[16:30] Library love — how to request Speak Now at your local library[17:30] Spotify Premium audiobooks & accessibility[18:30] Reading before bed vs. doomscrolling — why books win[20:00] Where to find Ash Perez online & wrap-up Connect with Ash Perez Instagram: @itsashlyperezTikTok: @notashperez Connect with Simon AudioInstagram: @Simon.AudioTikTok: @Simon.Audio Join the ConversationSubscribe 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!

    21 min
4
out of 5
63 Ratings

About

You know you want to read. You just don't know what. What to Read Next is the podcast for readers who love romance, thrillers, and women's fiction — and spend more time staring at their TBR than actually reading it. I'm Laura, and twice a week I bring you book recommendations built around one thing: how you actually feel right now. Not what's new. Not what's trending. The right book for this exact mood, this exact moment, this exact week of your life. Some weeks that means asking an author what they read for joy — not what they wrote, but what they reach for when they need to escape. Their answer is always your next discovery. Some weeks it means me telling you exactly what I read, what stayed with me, what I DNF'd at 40% and why, and which one I'd press into your hands right now if we were having coffee. Romance across every subgenre. Psychological thrillers. Beach reads with actual substance. Women's fiction that makes you feel seen. The books that give you the escape you came for — and a few that'll quietly change how you see things too. New episodes every Monday and Wednesday. The Reading Receipt — my weekly reading log — drops every Thursday on Substack. Start anywhere. The right episode will find you.

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