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Smart romance, elevated craft. In this episode, Laura chats with writer and Substacker Rena Rani (Smart Romance) about what “up-market romance” actually means, why Nora Roberts still slaps, and how YA voices are reshaping contemporary romance.

We dig into craft (line-level prose! structure! emotional logic!), the shift from ensemble cast storytelling to interiority-heavy rom-coms, and the market forces behind cartoon covers. Rena also shares under-the-radar recs—plus how she scouts gems using agents’ manuscript wishlists.

📚 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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