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A holiday romance for people who hate the holidays? Yes, please. In this episode, I’m hanging out with romance author Natasha Madison to talk messy Christmas travel, big-family chaos, and why a happily-ever-after matters—even in true crime.

Natasha and I also get into how romance trends have shifted (alpha heroes, golden retrievers, dark romance, and the whole “tropes-everywhere” era), plus the comfort reads she’ll never stop recommending. If you’ve ever wanted a holiday book that doesn’t feel like a Hallmark script—or you’ve got thoughts about how romance marketing has changed—this one’s for you.

📚 Books Mentioned 

Holiday Unscripted by Natasha Madison — Buy on Amazon | Holiday romance | KU ✅ / Audio ✅

Golden Trail by Kristen Ashley — Buy on Amazon | Contemporary romance (second chance vibes) | KU ✅ / Audio ✅ 

This Man by Jodi Ellen Malpas — Buy on Amazon | Contemporary romance (alpha hero) | KU ✅ / Audio ✅

⏱️ Timestamps 

[00:00 ] Welcome + “wait… people read my books?!”

[00:05 ] Romance covers then vs. now (Fabio era!)

[00:06 ] True crime rules: it MUST be solved

[00:06 ] Reality TV chat: TLC, Sister Wives, Love Island

[00:13 ] Holiday Unscripted setup: stranded heroine + forced proximity

[00:16 ] Writing Christmas in May (and hating every second)

[00:17 ] Holiday expectations, big family logistics, and gift burnout

[00:22 ] Natasha’s comfort read: Golden Trail by Kristen Ashley

[00:24 ] Alpha heroes vs. golden retrievers vs. dark romance extremes

[00:29 ] Trope-ification + writing ahead of trends

[00:34 ] Where to find Natasha online

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