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If you love Emily Henry, Annabel Monaghan, and Carley Fortune’s brand of emotional, character-driven romance, this episode is for you.

This week, I sat down with Rena Rani, the brilliant writer behind the Substack Smart Romance, to talk about what makes a romance “smart” — from up-market rom-coms to Nora Roberts’ lasting influence. We went deep into the craft side of the genre: how authors balance humor with heartbreak, why line-level prose matters, and what defines the new wave of “elevated” romance that still gives you all the feels.

Rena also shared her favorite under-the-radar reads and walked me through how she scouts new talent (hint: she loves digging through agent wishlists). If you’re craving thoughtful conversations about love stories that respect both the heart and the art, you’ll love this one.

📚 Books Mentioned 

The Best Worst Thing by Lauren Okie — Buy on Amazon | Contemporary; infertility journey; emotionally realistic

You Between the Lines by Katie Naymon— Buy on Amazon | Academia rivals-to-lovers; poetry as structure

August Lane by Regina Black — Buy on Amazon | Music industry; mixed-media storytelling

The Art of the Scandal by Regina Black — Buy on Amazon | Contemporary; scandal fallout, reinvention

Heavy Hitter by Katie Cotugno — Buy on Amazon | Celebrity + athlete; ambition; messy, unflinching

32 Days in May by Betty Corrello — Buy on Amazon | Up-market contemporary; Smart Romance book club pick

Backlist to Explore: Nora Roberts (romantic suspense & contemporary), Susan Elizabeth Phillips (sports romance), Julie James (career/office romance)

⏱️ Time Stamps 

[00:00 ] Intro & Rena’s Substack origin

[01:00 ] Nora Roberts: why the backlist matters

[06:00 ] Craft chat: plots, subplots, interiority

[09:00 ] Defining “up-market romance”

[11:00 ] YA authors crossing into adult romance

[13:30 ] Covers & market shifts since 2018

[15:30 ] Genre history shoutouts (SEP, Julie James, McNaught)

[16:45 ] Rena’s underrated romance picks

[22:00 ] Finding gems via agent wishlists

[24:00 ] Book club pick: 32 Days in May

[25:00 ] What to expect at Smart Romance

[26:30 ] Outro & future Nora Roberts episode

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