There’s nothing quite like finding a story that sweeps you away.
Whether it’s a Regency romance filled with dukes and daring quests, a holiday romance that sparkles with Christmas lights, or a lush tropical getaway brimming with love and intrigue. This month, Hot Off the Shelf shines a spotlight on four authors whose latest books celebrate joy, representation, and the happily-ever-after’s we crave.
From Amelia Grey’s regency drama to Jayci Lee’s Austen retelling, Pyae Moe Thet War’s witty tropical romp, and Sophie Sullivan’s holiday romance, each of these writers reminds us why we “read with pride,” and that’s to see ourselves, to fall in love with love itself, and to embrace the many ways stories make us feel at home. A celebration of romance, representation, and the joy of storytelling, these four authors share their inspirations, writing journeys, and what readers can expect from their latest books.
Amelia Grey “Love, The Duke”
A Regency romance brimming with wit, passion, and a hunt for a missing chalice, Amelia Grey delivers a story that blends humor, heart, and happily-ever-afters.
Q&A with Amelia Grey
What was your inspiration behind your most recent book?
Love, the Duke is the third book of my Say I Do Series. Each book stands alone but they are connected by characters who are in all three books. My inspiration behind this series was three dukes all needing to marry for different reasons. The first chapter of the first two books end with a letter written to the heroine offering marriage. For a twist of something different in the third book, I have the brother of the heroine writing to ask the hero to marry his sister.
What does Reading Rainbow mean to you? This question is all about loving to read, being proud of your stories, being an advocate for diversity.
Whether I’m reading or writing I always do it to please myself first. If I’m not enjoying the book I’m reading, I put it aside. If I’m not happy with what I’m writing and how it’s progressing, I must put it aside. I can’t expect anyone else to take pleasure in my work if I don’t. I’m delighted when a scene or dialogue comes together naturally and projects my story forward. I write romance with a happily-ever-after ending. It is always the main focus of my books. Romance and love are expressed, accepted, and understood by all cultural and diverse backgrounds.
Why do you feel representation of a variety of people is so important when it comes to writing books?
I prefer character driven to plot driven books. Books are an adventure of characters to me, and I like for the characters to tell the stories whether they are real people as in nonfiction or made up in someone’s imagination. It’s always the people, their goals and desires that draw me into a story and they are what keeps me reading or writing a book.
Tell us a little more about the book and why you decided to write it.
Love, The Duke starts with Ophelia Stowe desperately needing to find a missing item. The trouble is that she has no idea how to go about searching for it. However, she knows the perfect man from
her past to help her recover the lost chalice, so her brother won’t be blamed for the theft. All doesn’t go as planned when Ophelia discovers the Duke of Hurstbourne is reluctant to help. So begins the cat and mouse game between Ophelia and Hurst. She pursues him to entice him to relent and join her quest to find the chalice while she continues the search on her own.
What can fans expect from your book?
I like to start my books by giving my heroine a worthy goal. I want the reader to be cheering for her right from the start. And I always give her a strong hero who is either going to help her reach that goal or have a darn good reason why he is trying to keep her from it. Love, the Duke is filled with lighthearted humor, deep emotions, unexpected twists, and of course, plenty of romance. The story follows and explores the love of longstanding friendship, brotherly love, and passionate love. Ophelia and Hurst strive to understand and accept the differences in how they grew up and what their expectations are for each other. While they work to uncover the truth about the missing chalice, they also uncover the realization that it’s true love that matters.
What's up next for you in the bookish world?
I am currently working on my next Regency Romance set in London. I enjoy writing stirring stories about fearless dukes and strong, yet compassionate heroines who are resilient against all troubles and obstacles that come their way as they find their happily-ever-after story.
Jayci Lee “Give Me A Reason”
Inspired by Austen’s timeless Persuasion, Jayci Lee reimagines a beloved tale through fresh eyes while championing representation in romance.
Q&A with Jayci Lee
What was your inspiration behind your most recent book?
Jane Austen's PERSUASION. Namely, the line "I am half agony, half hope" inspired me to write a PERSUASION retelling that explored Frederick's heartache and yearning through his POV.
What does Reading Rainbow mean to you? This question is all about loving to read, being proud of your stories, being an advocate for diversity.
I think Reading Rainbow is about reading with intention. It is not easy to discover books by diverse authors about diverse characters because they don't receive the same kind of exposure. You have to make a conscious effort to support those books by posting about them (even if they don't yield as many interactions), purchasing them if you can (or requesting them from your local library), and leaving reviews. Reading Rainbow is about effort, choice, and action.
Why do you feel representation of a variety of people is so important when it comes to writing books?
My primary goal as a romance author is to write a good story that touches people's hearts and gives them joy. But I write about Korean American main characters because all people deserve to see themselves represented in books, especially in romance novels, which focus on love, joy and HEAs. And it organically corrects misconceptions and stereotypes about Asian Americans without being heavy handed or didactic. Romance novels play an important role in exposing the mainstream audience to the many different American cultures, and I hope it helps stop Asian Americans from being labeled as perpetual foreigners.
What can fans expect from your book?
First and foremost, GIVE ME A REASON is a beautiful, second chance romance with a whole host of fun secondary characters. I hope you will fall in love with Anne and Frederick and cheer them on as they find their way to their happily ever after.
What's up next for you in the bookish world?
KING FORETOLD, the second book in my romantasy series, is coming out on August 26th. And in the meantime, I will be drafting my next contemporary romance...a PRIDE AND PREJUDICE retelling!
Pyae Moe Thet War “Here For A Good Time”
Lush, tropical settings meet romance, thrills, and reflections on happiness in Pyae Moe Thet War’s vibrant second novel.
Q&A with Pyae Moe Thet War
What was your inspiration behind your most recent book?
I was suffering from “second book syndrome” while writing this book, and I wanted to channel all that anxiety into my main character Poe who is an author and is also struggling with her second book and see how that would work out — for both her and for myself. I also wanted to set the story in this lush, extravagant tropical White Lotus-Esque resort but with my own take on that (I don’t want to say more because of spoilers!). It all came together well in the end and ultimately became what is my upcoming novel Here For A Good Time.
What does Reading Rainbow mean to you? This question is all about loving to read, being proud of your stories, being an advocate for diversity.
For me, it means intentionally making sure that I don’t just read books by and about straight, white, cis individuals. Speaking
primarily within romance, which is the genre I write in, almost all the big marketing campaigns are for white authors who write heterosexual romances, and so if I let marketing sway me in terms of the books that I buy, I would very rarely diversify my bookshelves. And no one should do that! That’s boring! Whenever I get a chance to recommend a book as part of my job, I don’t recommend, say, Jane Austen or Emily Henry, not because I don’t love those authors very much, but because they don’t need that additional publicity push; I want to use my platform to yell about books and authors from marginalized communities that already have the odds stacked against them despite being so, so, so good.
Why do you feel representation of a variety of people is so important when it comes to writing books?
My first novel I Did Something Bad is set in Yangon, which is my hometown, and I was aware from the beginning that a publisher might say that American readers might not be able to “relate” to that and not buy it, but it was important to me that I write the exact book I wanted to write. Frankly, it was important to me, and so it was important, period. With Here For A Good Time, there was actually an early reader review that complained about my characters’ names (I think they said the names Poe and Zwe didn’t roll off their tongues; I didn’t read the review itself, and frankly, I’m not bothered to do so) and I thought that was a very wild public comment to make, but it also emboldened me to keep writing characters with Myanmar names, which seems like such a small thing, but at the same time, it’s a really big, conscious decision.
Tell us a little more about the book and why you decided to write it.
At the heart of it, this is a story about what happens when you hit a point in your life where you accomplish all the things that you used to tell yourself “Once I have this, I’ll be happy,” but then you do have all of those things and while you’re not unhappy, you’re not fully happy the way you thought you’d be. For me, my big “Once I have this, I’ll be happy” dream was to become a published author. My first book came out a few years ago, and while it changed my life in a lot of ways and I was very proud of myself for accomplishing that dream, it didn’t magically make everything perfect overnight — and that’s where we meet Poe at the start of Here For A Good Time. And like Poe, I had to work hard on myself to figure out why I feel this way, and what would make me bone deep happy.
What can fans expect from your book?
It’s a romance/thriller/action mash-up, so if you loved the Sandra Bullock movie The Lost City (which I drew inspiration from), then you’ll enjoy this book. It’s also a friend to lovers story, which is one of my favorite tropes of all time, so if you’re into two best friends not-so-secretly pining for each other, I think you’ll love Poe and Zwe’s story.
What's up next for you in the bookish world?
I’m writing a Formula One romance next, and I keep telling people that if I pull it off the way I’m envisioning it, then you’ll enjoy it regardless of if you watch F1 or are a big romance reader. At some point, I’d also love to write a book featuring ghosts in some aspect.
Sophie Sullivan “You Make it Feel Like Christmas”
Set against the cozy backdrop of a Christmas tree farm, Sophie Sullivan crafts a festive romance about second chances, family, and love that heals.
Q&A with Sophie Sullivan
What was your inspiration behind your most recent book?
You Make it Feel Like Christmas is the second book in a series and because of that, I already had a few parameters to work with. I knew it would feature Maisie from book one and that it would be Christmassy. From there, I thought about all of the things I want in a holiday book and played with the ideas of what it was about Nick and Maisie that made them so perfect for each other. Rather than a 'burst of inspiration' for this one, it slowly unfolded in my mind.
What does Reading Rainbow mean to you? This question is all about loving to read, being proud of your stories, being an advocate for diversity.
As a teacher, a mom, and a human, I think it's important to feel seen in the world around us, whether that's in real life, on the screen or stage, and in books. Books are one of the greatest ways to not only represent diversity but to see it as a reader. We fall inside of these stories and feel like we're a part of them so reading with pride, to me, is about each person being able to tumble into a story that isn't necessarily about them but makes them feel like they're part of it. Romance readers sometimes feel like they have to justify their choices and that baffles me because in a romance story, you have hope and love and acceptance and those are the things we all crave in this life. Reading with pride, to me, simply means falling in love with the stories I read and having them fill me with the kind of hope we all need.
Why do you feel representation of a variety of people is so important when it comes to writing books?
If, in any genre, we're creating a world where people rely on or interact with one another, in any capacity, I think it's extremely important to depict some level of truth and regardless of what makes a person unique, we all have the same basic needs--compassion, kindness, love, acceptance. Writing stories with an accurate reflection of our diverse world connects the reader to the story in a deeper and more meaningful way.
Tell us a little more about the book and why you decided to write it.
Maisie and Nick have actually met before. They had a one night stand at a mutual friend's wedding and fell hard and fast. But circumstances pulled them apart and now, they're both staying at a Christmas tree farm for the holidays and there's no escaping the feelings that still exist between them. I was thrilled to write this story. A sweet and sexy hockey romance set at a tree farm with holiday fun? Yes please. It was a dream to write this book.
What can fans expect from your book?
My go-to themes of found family and accepting yourself are present in this book. It's also fun and flirty with some silly moments. It's also heartfelt and serious, dealing with how we see ourselves based on our family's perceptions. There's anxiety and mental health representation and that really mattered to me. I hope people fall in love with the different layers of this story and close the book with a smile on their faces.
What's up next for you in the bookish world?
In February, the third book in my Rock Bottom Love series will release. I'm very excited for this story as it's Grayson Keller's. I'll also be working on the third in this series which will feature Will's friend, Ethan.
· Love, The Duke by Amelia Grey – Released April 1, 2025
· Give Me A Reason by Jayci Lee – Releases July 29, 2025
· Here For A Good Time by Pyae Moe Thet War Releases August 26, 2025
· You Make It Feel Like Christmas by Sophie Sullivan Releases September 23, 2025
