If You Love Emily Henry, You’ll Love These Romances

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.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 episodeJoin the ConversationSubscribe to our Substack for exclusive recommendations. (wtrnblog.substack.com)Follow & Subscribe: What to Read Next Blog | YouTube: What to Read NextSubscribe & leave a review!