Why Marriage, Not First Love, Is the Real Romance Story

No Matter What with Cara BastoneCara Bastone returns to talk about her new novel, No Matter What, and why she wanted to write a romance about what happens after the big milestone moment. In this conversation, Laura Max Rose and Cara explore marriage, long-term love, trauma, happiness versus euphoria, and how AI is changing the way we think about human creativity.Guest: Cara Bastone, best-selling author of Ready or Not and Promise Me SunshineLindsay Nussbaum Tutoring — Our Title SponsorEvery child deserves someone in their corner. Lindsay Nussbaum Tutoring offers personalized academic tutoring, test preparation, and adolescent life coaching, supporting the whole child as they build confidence and navigate challenges in school and beyond. Learn more at LindsayNussbaumTutoring.com.Styled by ALVMake your next celebration feel beautifully personal with Styled by ALV. Based in Aspen, Styled by ALV creates thoughtful tablescapes, custom merchandise, and styled events—from baby showers and milestone celebrations to holiday gatherings and corporate occasions. Explore the possibilities at StyledbyALV.com.Key topicsCara explains why she was drawn to writing about married love rather than first love, and why romance can be just as compelling after the couple has already chosen each other.Laura and Cara discuss how readers often crave the beginning of relationships, even though real life is usually built in the quieter, less cinematic middle.Cara shares that one of her goals in No Matter What was to find the “sexiness” in marriage—not just physical attraction, but the emotional charge of sharing a life.They talk about how ordinary domestic moments like planning, packing, laundry, and parenting can be the foundation for the most meaningful parts of a relationship.Laura and Cara discuss why it can be easier to talk about the frustrations of parenting and marriage than to put their beauty into words.Cara reflects on reader responses to a romance centered on long-term partnership and the realities of trauma.They discuss how trauma can reveal or reshape a relationship, including how the book’s accident and PTSD storyline resonated with readers.Laura and Cara compare euphoria and happiness, considering how modern culture often chases the thrill of euphoria when people may be looking for deeper, steadier joy.The conversation turns to dopamine, smartphones, and how tech and dating culture can encourage constant novelty rather than commitment.Cara shares why she is more concerned about AI replacing everyday writing and affecting young people’s writing skills than about AI replacing novels. She also reflects on what makes human writing feel personal.Timestamps00:00 - Cara Bastone returns with a novel about choosing each other again00:55 - Why romance after marriage can be a richer story than first love02:32 - The tension between romantic longing and long-term partnership04:22 - Why writers often avoid the “what happens next” stage05:18 - Finding the sexiness in everyday married life07:16 - Why the beauty of parenting and marriage can be hard to describe08:11 - The early relationship high and why stability matters09:29 - Reader response to a romance about long-term love11:02 - How trauma and PTSD can change a relationship12:39 - Culture’s addiction to chaos and disposable relationships14:44 - Dopamine, happiness, and the difference between euphoria and joy16:45 - Why epilogues of obsessive love can feel exhausting17:43 - Family, motherhood, and the lack of romanticized domesticity20:04 - How AI is changing writing, reading, and creative work21:07 - Why Cara worries more about AI in everyday writing than in novels22:37 - The human touch in writing and why it still matters24:28 - AI-generated books and why some stories need soul25:50 - The risks of AI beyond the obvious ones27:15 - Gratitude, AI, and modern discomfort28:18 - How AI may be pushing people back toward analog life

In this special High Holidays episode of Look Ma No Hands, Laura Max sits down with internationally recognized rabbi, author and Jewish thought leader Rabbi Shais Taub for an honest and deeply reassuring conversation about Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, judgment, forgiveness and what it truly means to begin again.For many Jews, the High Holidays carry enormous emotional and spiritual weight. We are entering a new year, reflecting on where we fell short and asking God to inscribe us and our loved ones in the Book of Life. But does this sacred season have to feel intimidating? Rabbi Shais Taub offers a more compassionate way to understand repentance, atonement and our relationship with God. He reminds us that the High Holidays are not about achieving perfection. They are an invitation to return to who we truly are.Whether you are deeply observant, newly exploring Judaism or simply searching for hope and spiritual clarity, this conversation offers meaningful guidance for approaching Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur with greater peace, purpose and connection.Learn more from Rabbi Shais Taub through SoulWords, his extensive collection of accessible Torah classes, lectures and spiritual teachings. You can also explore his teachings specifically about Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, or follow Rabbi Shais Taub on Instagram and SoulWords on YouTube.This episode is sponsored by Lindsay Nussbaum Tutoring, a full-service educational coaching organization serving students throughout the Greater Houston area and virtually. Lindsay and her team offer personalized private tutoring and academic coaching in math, science, foreign language, English, writing, AP courses and AP World History, as well as SAT and ACT preparation.Their support extends far beyond individual subjects. Students can receive help with executive functioning, organization, study skills, time management and self-advocacy, along with extensive study materials, notes and audio recordings. Lindsay also provides college application and essay guidance and life coaching for adolescents and young adults.Because academics are rarely just about academics. Lindsay Nussbaum Tutoring offers more than tutoring. It gives students someone in their corner.Visit LindsayNussbaumTutoring.com or call or text Lindsay at 713-443-5733 to learn more about in-person tutoring in Houston or virtual support.

In this very special episode with a very special Rabbi that I've come to call a friend, Rabbi Shais Taub tells us about God's forgiveness as we head into the holiest day of the Jewish year, Yom Kippur. Whether you're Jewish or not, I encourage you to listen to this episode in which Rabbi Shais Taub answers questions like:Does God get angry?Will God forgive me for my mistakes?How do I really make amends on Yom Kippur?How do we know who we need to apologize to?What is the spiritual meaning behind this holiest time of year? What is our obligation to others vs. our obligation to God?If you listened and liked what you heard and are interested in taking Rabbi Shais Taub's parenting class (I took it and highly recommend it), click here to learn more and sign up.

In the past year, I’ve fallen head over heels into the world of romance novels—and in doing so, I stumbled into an equally addictive universe called Bookstagram. That’s where I discovered Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone, a book that’s landed on countless “must-read” and “best of 2025” lists—and rightfully so. It also just became a USA Today bestseller!I had never read one of Cara’s books before, but after waking up at 4 AM two mornings in a row just to keep reading Promise Me Sunshine, I knew I had to talk to the woman behind the magic. Getting to interview her felt like sitting down with the author of one of your favorite books and asking all the burning questions.In this episode, Cara and I dive into:Her writing process and how she stays focusedHow she writes spice (I had to ask… what about your mom reading it?!)What makes a great romance novelWhy romance can be deeply healingThe impact of Bookstagram on modern authorsAnd so much more!Whether you’re a romance reader or just love a behind-the-scenes peek into the life of a bestselling author, this episode is such a treat.

Join me for my second interview with author Matt Brand as we dig into the life-altering moment he experienced that prompted him to transform his health, which he once thought of as "fine."If you're wanting to transform or improve your own health and are unsure of where to start, this episode is a great place to begin your journey as Matt shares exceedingly practical tips for increasing vitality and making the most of this life we've been given.

Can you really talk to God? Does he really answer you? According to Neale Donald Walsch, it's an abounding "yes. " Join me and bestselling author of "Conversations with God", Neale Donald Walsch, as we delve into his most recent book, "GODTALK", and what it really means to have a real dialogue with the divine in modern times. To learn more about Neale and his 40 published books, click here.

You might be used to coming to this podcast for spiritual wisdom and parenting advice (and the occasional book review), but please stop everything because we have to discuss Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively. On this episode on IJHTS with Laura Max, Attorney Taly Thiessen from Thiessen Law Firm weighs in on the legal drama none of us can stop reading about: what's happening now, and what we can anticipate happening next. Plus, her opinion (and mine) on what really happened behind the scenes.

75% of Americans are overweight or obese. The problem according to Justin Nault? We aren’t eating enough. With nearly half a million followers on TikTok, nutritional therapist Justin Nault has acquired a massive following by relaying simple, mind-blowing truths about what we’re really putting in our bodies, why we really can’t lose weight and why our collective health is in crisis. If you think you’ve heard it all when it comes to obesity and our health as Americans, listen to this episode. We also discuss: 1. Why Americans eating more than 4000 calories/day in the 1930s weren’t overweight. 2. Why many Americans sticking to 2000 calorie/day diets and overworking themselves at the gym are. 3. How alcohol actually affects your metabolism 4. What Americans don’t know about seed oils 5. How to make meaningful health changes even if your routine doesn’t change 6. The real reason why 75% of Americans are overweight or obese To learn more about Justin Nault, follow him on instagram @justinnaultofficial.

Why is it so important to have a present father? What makes a good, present father in the first place? What is the biggest reason we get into toxic relationships as an adult? What do we lose control over when it comes to our own children if we don't do this one thing? How do we learn to embrace our own worth and value if we had broken relationships with one or more parents? In this conversation with Rabbi Shais Taub, we discuss the connection and difference between spirituality and religion, the reason and destructive nature of addiction, and power and importance of family and the resilience of the human spirit.

I might have reached out to Marianne only a few days ago to ask her to be a guest on this show, but anyone who’s known me for a long time knows that I’ve been prepping for this interview at least a decade and a half - in 2012, my byline for an online magazine I was writing for read “Laura Max is a lover of big shoes, dark chocolate, and Marianne Williamson.” Beginning her career known as the spiritual advisor to Oprah Winfrey, Marianne is the author of 16 books, four of which became #1 New York Times bestsellers. Her iconic quote from mega-bestseller A Return to Love, which starts “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure…” has become an anthem for a new generation of spiritual seekers. Count me as one of them because that quote also saved me from my very own nervous breakdown at age 20 when I read it and understood for the first time that it was my light, not my darkness, that frightened me most. Most recently, Marianne has brought her visionary ideals to the political stage, running not one, but two presidential campaigns in the past four years. On this episode of I Just Have to Say with Laura Max, Marianne provides her analysis of America's current political and spiritual landscape and discusses her most recent book, “The Mystic Jesus: The Mind of Love.” If you are local here in Aspen or plan to visit in December, you can see Marianne Williamson live at The Aspen Chapel on December 5th from 6-7:30 PM. Coming off the heels of the recent election, Marianne will be speaking on the subject of ‘Navigating our way to the Future.” She will also be signing copies of her new book “The Mystic Jesus: The Mind of Love.” Entry is $85, with live stream at $65. There is also a ‘Meet and Greet’ ticket, with preferred seating for $200 which includes a signed copy of her recent book. TO PURCHASE TICKETS, go to Aspenchapel.org