Books are Chic with Willa Gray

Longtime listeners know that one of my absolute favorite topics to dive into is cults. So when Mari Howes’ The Tribes landed in my inbox, it was an automatic YES!I said it once, and I’ll say it again: The Tribes is one of the most gripping and, dare I say, realistic portrayals of cult life I’ve read. And trust me, I’ve listened to, watched, and read A LOT on this topic. Even though entirely fictional, Mari absolutely nails the narrative and pulls you into a world that feels almost frighteningly believable.Mari and I had the BEST conversation about her yearlong research process, the journey of The Tribes to publication (which is definitely not your traditional publishing story!), and her own writing journey. I always love hearing about the behind-the-scenes of how a book comes to life, and this conversation did not disappoint.Trust me, if you're as fascinated by cult stories as I am, The Tribes needs to be on your TBR.

Loved welcoming Stephanie Wrobel BACK to Books are Chic! We reunited to chat about her latest, and IMO, perfect fall thriller, Revenge Plot. And when I say this is the perfect fall-to-holiday-season thriller, I mean it. Add it to your TBR ASAP!Stephanie and I caught up on all that’s happened over the last two years, diving into the inspiration behind the book, her writing process, and the fascinating world she created. I'm always intrigued when authors pull back the curtain on the publishing industry, but when you take the author-agent relationship, add a little revenge, and turn up the tension and stakes? SIGN ME UP.Wrobel delivers a deliciously twisty, page-turning thriller that gives readers a peek behind the publishing curtain while keeping us guessing along the way.Revenge Plot is for the book lover, the thriller lover, and perhaps even the author in the making. Trust me, you'll want this one on your fall reading list!

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! 🏒❤️📖