Advertise on podcast: Books are Chic

A cursed diamond? Yes, please! 💎 I was so excited to welcome Anna Rasche to Books are Chic to chat about her latest novel, The Cursed Diamond. And let me tell you, this book sent me down the most fascinating rabbit hole of diamonds, gemstones, gemology and so much more! Anna is not only a talented author but a real-life gemologist, which made this conversation that much more fascinating. We chatted about the many jewels that have crossed her desk, the legend of a cursed gem, her real-life experiences in the world of gemstones and how she brought those experiences to life on the page. I basically treated this conversation as my very own gemology masterclass! As someone who is endlessly fascinated by vintage jewelry and even more so, the stories and history behind each piece, I could have talked about this for hours. The Cursed Diamond is part historical fiction, part mystery, with plenty of intrigue and a whole lot of sparkle. Consider it the perfect addition to your fall reading stack! 💎📚

You all know I LOVE celebrating a book that feels like pure joy in literary form, and that was Back Where We Started by Becca Freeman for me. Pure bookish, romantic joy! 💕📚 I was absolutely thrilled to welcome OG book influencer, podcaster, and now USA TODAY bestselling author Becca Freeman to Books are Chic! This book has all the things: Becca’s favorite tropes, pop culture nods, and a fictional TV show that absolutely NEEDS to be made. (Someone in Hollywood, please make this happen!) She even shared the one Taylor Swift song that sparked the flame for this story, and you know I was ALL IN for that conversation. As you know, my love for books and pop culture runs deep, so chatting with Becca was such a treat. She’s also one of the OG book podcasters behind the smash hit Bad on Paper, alongside another Books are Chic fave, Olivia Muenter. Talk about bookish royalty! If you’re looking for a seasonal, cozy, sprinkle-of-holiday-magic kind of read that delivers all the romance and ALL the feels, add Back Where We Started to your TBR. Consider this your invitation to settle in, get cozy, and let the literary joy begin. ✨🥂

The perfect thriller to welcome Elle Marr back to Books Are Chic for her latest, She Dies in the End! When I tell you this book sent me down a Google rabbit hole… WHO KNEW what a body broker was?! 😳 Twisty, chilling, and packed with the kind of dark intrigue that makes for the perfect October read, this one will have you questioning EVERYTHING. Elle and I chatted about the inspiration behind the book, the research that went into bringing this story to life, our mutual love of thrillers, and so much more! If you’re looking for your next spooky-season thriller, add this one to your stack! And come for the twists, but stay for our behind-the-scenes bookish chat. 🖤📚

Thrilled to welcome Cate Holohan BACK to Books Are Chic to celebrate her latest solo thriller, Last Looks! Think Single White Female with a fashionable twist, set against the glittering backdrop of Paris. And when I tell you there are TWISTS… well, I’ll let you discover those for yourself! 😉 Cate and I chatted about the inspiration behind this book, and let me tell you, it is FUN! Let’s just say Cate has a pretty entertaining game she plays with her dinner guests. We also talked about setting as a character (Paris is absolutely a STAR in this one!), all things thrillers and writing, script-to-novel adaptations and vice versa, and SO much more. Cate is an author with many hats, and I always love catching up with her. This conversation was such a fun one, and I can’t wait for you to listen! 🎧📚

An absolute bucket-list moment and a total dream come true: Bethany Joy Lenz joined me on Books Are Chic! And honestly… I’m still pinching myself. ✨ What a dream to chat with such a smart, talented, fabulous author, mom, and woman. As many of you know, Dinner with Vampires was one of my gateway nonfiction reads and has become one of my all-time favorite books, so being able to read an advanced copy of her fiction debut, The Betrayal of Cora Wexford, and then sit down and chat with her about it was beyond an honor. Dark, romantic, historical… a little genre smoothie, if you will. 🥂📚 And it has ALL the ingredients for the perfect fall read. Bethany and I talked books, writing, women’s rights, romance, research, history, and all the things. I truly could have chatted with her for hours. And if you’ve loved Bethany for her books, music, or television career, I promise you’ll adore her even more after hearing her talk about Cora Wexford and the story behind bringing this incredible book to life. This one is very, very special to me. ❤️📖

Beyond excited to welcome Kate Hash to Books are Chic to chat about her latest novel, The Mother-In-Law Book Club! I had SO much fun listening to this book. It has everything: romance, friendship, family, and so many layers that make these characters and their relationships feel incredibly fun and relatable. Kate is just as fun as her novels, and I loved chatting with her about the inspiration behind this book (such a fun story!), relationships, the creation of a book cover, her writing process, and so much more. Kate is just getting started, and I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next! You’ll definitely want to listen because she shares some sneak peeks! 👀📚

My OG book bestie and the high priestess of ALL the book recs, Brenda Janowitz, joined me on the pod! 📚💗 We were celebrating her AH-mazing YA debut, The Introvert’s Guide to Kissing in Europe, and let me tell you… this book is SO much more than a YA romance. It’s a coming-of-age story filled with heart, big themes, self-discovery and of course, plenty of important European stops along the way. And honestly? I think this is one of those books you can pick up at any age. Brenda and I have been through it ALL, and I always love chatting with her because you just know we’re going to talk books, pop culture, celebs, TV, and all the things. We chatted about adult-to-YA crossover, our favorite YA authors, current binge-worthy series (yes, East of Eden, we’re looking at you 👀), and SO much more. If you want to feel like you’re sitting down with two book besties chatting about everything and anything, grab your beverage of choice and come hang with us! ☕️🍸📖

So excited to welcome Willa Gray to Books Are Chic to celebrate her debut hockey romance, Endgame! 🏒❤️ Endgame is a romance with the guts we’ve been talking about over the last few episodes - the characters, emotions, connections and all those layers that make a romance so much more than just the happily ever after. Think Grey’s Anatomy meets the NHL meets Off-Campus  and I am HERE for it. 🏒📚 I loved chatting with Willa about her journey to publication, her love of romance, sports, the emotional side of writing a romance, and so much more. I especially loved talking with her about starting a new series and how an author knows when a story should continue through new characters and connections. Endgame is the first book in a brand-new series, and I am already so excited to see what happens next! Willa is an absolute delight and, honestly, she is just getting started. Her love of romance — and the fact that she was a reader first — is so evident in the pages of this book. A perfect new addition to the hockey romance world and one I was so excited to bring to Books Are Chic! 🏒❤️📖

This chat is truly one for the books. 📚 I had the absolute honor of sitting down with debut author Carly Hillman to chat about her debut novel, The Refuge — a dramatic, suspenseful story about mothers, daughters, and the ways we rely on one another when life gets complicated. Set against an atmospheric backdrop, this is the perfect addition to your October TBR. Carly and I chatted about everything from her time on Late Night with Stephen Colbert to pursuing fiction writing, motherhood, and one of my most passionate topics: childhood cancer. Carly is a childhood cancer survivor and, honestly, a total badass. ❤️ She opened up about how her own cancer journey with her mom and the incredible bond they formed during that time subconsciously found its way into The Refuge. As many of you know, my daughter is also a cancer survivor, so this conversation felt especially personal and meaningful to me. There are some conversations that go beyond the book, and this was definitely one of them. Carly is one to watch, and I already can't wait for our next chat. ✨

Mystery maven and Massachusetts media legend… I am so excited to welcome the one and only Hank Phillippi Ryan to Books are Chic! 📚🔍 Hank and I chatted about her latest thriller, Mother Daughter Sister Stranger, and let me tell you: she’s an Agatha Award winner for a reason. This book is the PERFECT addition to your fall TBR. 🍂📖 Hank and I actually first connected during COVID, when I was Zooming with authors from my kitchen table. To now sit down with someone I grew up watching and admiring on TV who is also writing some of the best thrillers out there is pretty surreal. And Hank is a PRO. I could honestly listen to her talk for hours. We chatted about her years at Channel 7, her love of storytelling, her passion for true crime, life as a full-time author, touring, writing thrillers and so much more. One of my favorite things about talking with Hank is that she doesn’t just write stories… she is FILLED with stories. Her career, experiences, adventures and genuine love of what she does make every conversation with her completely fascinating. This was such a fun one. I hope you love listening to it as much as I loved recording it! 🎙️❤️

Staying on theme with the Wild West this week, welcome Maggie Gates to Books are Chic! 🤠📚 We chatted about her latest cowboy romance, Blue Jean Summer set on a bougie estate with inheritances, unlikely allies, plenty of spice and of course one very hot cattle rancher. 🌶️🔥 Maggie and I talked about the importance of romance, what it’s like marrying into a cattle-ranch family, character development within a romance and her genuine love and admiration for her fellow romance authors. She has such a wonderful voice and such a clear passion for romance novels and the community surrounding them. I absolutely loved getting to know her and hearing the stories behind the story and I am already excited to see what she brings us next! 🤠❤️📖

Who better to guide me into the world of cowboy romance than Jessica Peterson?! 🤠❤️ I was beyond thrilled to welcome her to Books are Chic to celebrate Colt, the first book in her brand new Double U Ranch series. Think hot cowboy, layered story, big romance, and all the chili peppers a girl can handle. 🌶️🔥 I say this often about certain authors, but there are some who just emit joy for the craft, for the journey, and most of all, for the readers who get to come along for the ride. Jessica is absolutely one of those authors. I could have chatted with her for hours about all of it: life, books, motherhood, the joy of romance, and, of course, the eternal question… WHY are we all so drawn to a cowboy romance?! Friends, if you have not yet ventured to that side of the reading ranch, do yourself a favor and start with Colt or dive into one of the many gems in Jessica’s backlist. She is truly delightful, and that joy radiates right off the pages of her romances. 🤠📚❤️

So excited to welcome back Ellen O’Clover to Books are Chic! 💕 We’re celebrating her sophomore adult romance, If Not You, a September Book of the Month selection! It’s been so fun catching up with Ellen over the past year, especially after The Heartbreak Hotel was such a huge hit! This time, we chatted about the inspiration behind If Not You (Ellen has some real-life work experience in common with her characters!), location as a character and the ever-important, continuing need for romance. 💗 There’s something extra special about welcoming back guests and watching them just absolutely crush their game. Ellen is doing exactly that, and I loved catching up with her again! ✨📚

So elated to be reunited with one of my favorite authors, energies, and fellow pop culture aficionados, Joss Richards! 💕📚 We chatted about her latest rom-com, Let’s Kiss and Tell, inspired by one of our ultimate favorites, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. Joss is such a fun human and her light shines through every page of her books. We caught up (and it hadn’t even been a year!) about the aftermath of her debut, how surreal and well-received it was, sophomore writing and so much more. And, of course, in true Courtney and Joss fashion, we went off on a major pop culture tangent that included Tony Danza, Saved by the Bell and My Two Dads. 😂 I absolutely love chatting with Joss and will forever be excited for whatever she decides to write next. She’s the kind of author you want to hang out because she is that FUN. 💗

Loved chatting with Ally Zetterberg about her new thriller, The Dating Game! A little romance, a little murder and A LOT of games, this was such a FUN read. 🎲🔪💘 And Tilda? A main character you definitely won’t forget. Ally and I chatted about her crossover into thrillers, the board game industry, all the lore behind the book and how it all came together- from France! 🇫🇷 If you’re looking to get into the spooky-season spirit, grab this one. It’s a game you’ll want to play! 👀