Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody
Yes—a craft book. Because everyone keeps talking about it.
I’m a pantser when I write and a plotter when I edit, so I was curious why this one comes up so often. I didn’t go into it looking to force my writing into a prescribed formula, but rather to understand how to better identify—and fix—issues in my own work. (April 2026)
I knew exactly what I was doing with this one. Romance isn’t usually my default genre, but when you’re writing a novel, you find yourself drawn to books you wouldn’t normally pick up.
There was something refreshing here, though—our MMC is insecure, flawed, and maybe leaning a little too hard into golden retriever energy. But the tension in this book? It burns through the page.
I won’t spoil it for you—but the way that tension is built is masterful. (April 2026)
What have I done?
I never read a book without research—usually an unreasonable amount of it. But Audible autoplayed the preview for this one after I finished another book, and the hook was excellent. So naturally, I made a completely rational decision and bought it immediately… without reading the description, reviews, or having any idea what it was about.
So the shock value? Entirely my fault.
But let me just say—the setup did not prepare me for surprise vampires… sorry… revenants.
And yet, despite my initial resistance—and a fair amount of begrudging enjoyment—I have a feeling I’ll be reading more of Hazelwood in the future. (April 2026)
This series came recommended by my developmental editor-to-be, and since I’m still deeply entrenched in my spicy research (a true labor of love), I was especially interested in seeing examples of less traditional—more neurodivergent—romantic dynamics.
This series definitely delivered on that front, though not all three books landed the same way for me. Two of them I genuinely loved. The third… sent me into a full analytical spiral.
I’ll let you read them and decide for yourself which two I adored—and which one I mentally deconstructed like it was a case study.
As I’ve been writing spicier scenes in my own work, it has become absolutely imperative that I read… more spicy fiction. Truly devastating for me, I know.
This was my first book by Sloane St. James, and honestly, this is a genre I’ve only recently dipped a toe into as part of my own writing journey. Along the way, I’ve discovered some… interesting patterns in what sells when it comes to spice.
And can I just say—on behalf of all of us—I’m very relieved we seem to be moving away from the overuse of the word “member.” (March 2026)
I grabbed this book at the recommendation of a fire investigator and it's sat on my shelf for a year (almost exactly). It's the true story of a serial arsonist in Virginia and as you may have guessed, I'm reading it as research for my podcast but wow is it... wow. Monica's writing is amazing. I'm fully invested in this story. (March 23, 2026)
I read this book when it first came out because I'm a huge fan of Andy Weir (look, he's peak fiction-writing perfection when you're an engineer... and I am). With the movie coming out, I wanted to re-read it. The Martian is still my favorite, but this is a very strong book and I'm loving it as much on the second read-through (March 20, 2026)