Author Joss Richard wants romance to be messy and real

In literature, the romance genre has continued to soar in popularity, promising readers a happily ever after for their favorite couples. But what happens before then? Turns out a lot, and that's exactly what bestselling romance author Joss Richard explores in her latest romance novel.

While Richard’s first book, It’s Different This Time (2025), took place during fall in New York, her latest, Let’s Kiss and Tell (now out), is set in L.A., the place she now calls home. In it, sex columnist Lucy and news writer Marsh come together over a proposition: Pretend to date for five weeks and attend Marsh’s ex’s wedding, maybe get a few stories out of it, and then break up afterward. In the process of spending more time together, the lines blur, and they start to actually fall for each other.

I sat down with Richard to discuss the importance of discussing hard topics in a romance book, how L.A. informed the dynamic between Lucy and Marsh, and the process of writing characters who are whole on their own.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Aleenah Ansari: Some readers might know you from your first romance book, It’s Different This Time, which became a national bestseller. What happened after it came out?
Joss Richard: When I finished this first book, I knew that writing romance books was all I wanted to do. I’ve done a lot of different things in my career that would look good on my resume, and writing was the first time I felt completely content. I started writing a second book when advance reader copies of my first book came out. I realized it was very similar to my first book, so I pivoted and wrote Let’s Kiss and Tell, which is lighter and sexier. When I decided to come up with a new concept for my second book, I started by thinking about my favorite rom coms, like How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, and how I could embody elements of it. I thought it would be interesting to focus the story on a sex columnist and news writer, so that’s how this book came to be. They both need something from each other, but Marsh and Lucy are completely honest about it.

AA: Tell me more about the fake dating trope in this book.
JR: I love reading fake dating, but writing fake dating is so hard. Realistically, in what world are you asking someone to fake date you? As you get in the heads of the characters and understand their motivations, you have to justify why they will keep fake dating. In Lucy’s case, her stories are initially geared toward single women and not needing a man, and the audience of her column is skewing more relationship focused, and they want a column they can relate to. Out of fear of losing her job, Lucy says that she’s dating someone and that she can write about it. It’s supposed to come out as a white lie, but it becomes clear that she needs a person to date and go through the motions with. Marsh has been invited to his ex’s wedding, and he wants to show up and prove that he’s okay to his ex and mom, so they decide to fake date each other.

AA: Lucy strives to create a safe space for women through her writing and reminds them that they’re not alone. How does being a sex columnist inform her character and the story?
JR: As a romance author, I wanted to write something sex positive and take that responsibility seriously. Whatever you want to do with your body is up to you. If you want to be in a sexual relationship and aren’t in a serious relationship, that’s okay too. In Let’s Kiss and Tell, Lucy comes from a personal point of view as a sex columnist, whereas Marsh is a news writer who has to remove himself from the story. Marsh is reporting on facts, and Lucy is reporting on feelings, and they both have something to learn from each other.

Marsh and Lucy also have different perspectives on relationships and sex. There’s also a lot of conversations about sex work, and I love that characters talk about what agency looks like for them. Even though Marsh isn’t as comfortable talking about sex openly the way Lucy is, he always respects her career and expertise.

AA: Oftentimes, a relationship can add to your life without “completing” it. How do you write characters who are whole as they are, and their relationships add to their life?
JR: In romance and fairy tales, we might be told that your happy ending is (being with) another person, and when you find them, you get married and live happily ever after. One of my favorite scenes is Lucy in therapy talking about why she feels this way, which stems from her dad’s infidelity and the fact that her mom stayed. She wants to show her readers that she doesn’t need someone else to be happy. I wanted to show that finding love is very additive, and you should be okay on your own before you find someone else.

AA: Why did you want to write about a topic like infidelity in a romance book? How does that add complexity to a story that ends with a happily ever after?
JR: I love romance books because you know that they will have a happily ever after and the characters have to end up together. Otherwise, it’s fiction with a love story. What I love about this genre is that you get to play so much in between. You can touch on grief and trauma because you know the characters and readers will be okay in the end.

With this book, I want to say something about all kinds of relationships, including relationships with friends, family, a partner, and yourself, and the best way to do that is to explore complicated relationships with other people who are not just the love interest. Characters also talk about infidelity, miscarriage, and sex work, which are things you might not read in a romance book.

AA: Why is writing a book that covers these topics so important to you?
JR: Maybe people think romance books are light, fluffy stories, but there’s so much that you can get into with romance. I want people who pick up this book to feel like it touches on things you don’t often see in romance that are still just as important. The world can be a hard place, and I wanted this story to feel realistic to what’s happening today. With everything going on, focusing on yourself and falling in love may not feel like a priority. It’s okay to live in this uncertain time and fall in love, and there are many different ways to celebrate love.

AA: A lot of this book feels like a love letter to L.A., with mentions of Culver City, Highland Park, and Glendale as well as smaller pockets of community like Montrose, Eagle Rock, and Lake Balboa. How does L.A. as a setting inform Lucy and Marsh’s relationship?
JR: The setting is a character in and of itself because it plays a big role in the tone and how people feel about the story. L.A. is very messy, real, and complicated, and having a story set in L.A. lends itself to a real, messy, and complicated love story. I also can’t romanticize L.A. because I live here. It could be romantic to go to Santa Monica Pier, but you also have to find parking and deal with the crowds. Being based in L.A., I wanted to put in Easter eggs from different places they visit.

AA: Was writing this book a form of wish fulfillment, or simply a reminder that you can have it all, something that Marsh reminds Lucy?
JR: It’s such a privilege to write a second book and have a publisher trust you and readers look forward to your next book. (Being a romance author) wasn’t a dream until it was happening, and I’m so grateful for it.

Get to know Joss Richard through these rapid-fire questions

What are your favorite tropes?

Friends to lovers because it’s such a beautiful way to start a relationship

What about a trope you’d love to write?

I would like to write about marriage in crisis because it’s interesting to see people go through difficulties and have to work through them. They can’t just break up, so they are forced to figure it out.

What’s a book or piece of media that inspired Let’s Kiss and Tell?

The movies No Strings Attached and Friends with Benefits.

What’s one of your favorite local gems in L.A.?

Liu’s Cafe in Koreatown. It’s not named in the book, but it’s the Chinese diner that Marsh and Lucy visit.

What’s something that’s bringing you joy?

I recently started drinking Diet Coke, and it’s a love-hate relationship. I drink a can every day, and it’s all I look forward to at lunch.

What is one, or a few, of your favorite bookstores?

Heartbound Book Shop is a Filipina-owned bookshop in Anaheim, California, and they care so much about authors and readers. I also like Village Well Books & Coffee in Culver City, California, which is a bookstore and coffee shop.

What’s a word to describe how you want people to feel when they read your book?

Reassured.