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Jodi McAlister @jodimca.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

October 11, PEOPLE SKILLS, Nina Kenwood (🇦🇺). Nina is an absolute icon of Australian romance writing, and this book is yet another example of why.

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Jodi McAlister @jodimca.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

October 4, SEX, LIES AND SENSIBILITY, Nikki Payne. I'm picky about Austen retellings, but this one I excavated from the depths of my Kindle might have unlocked Edward Ferrars (one of my least favourite Austen heroes) for me.

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Jodi McAlister @jodimca.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

September 27, IN YOUR COURT, Kit Haley (🇦🇺). Tennis is the one sport I actually follow, and this was a winner both for the tennis and the romance.

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Jodi McAlister @jodimca.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

September 20, BODIES OF MAGIC, Freya Marske (🇦🇺). It's a bit of a stretch describing this magical medical school murder mystery as a romance, but 1) it's got two very lovely romances in it, and 2) I loved it, so...

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Jodi McAlister @jodimca.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

So my brand new book A Study In Sparkling came out in the US this week, and... well, turns out I have to promote it? If we're marketing by tropes... 🥂older woman/younger man 🥂 friends (with benefits) to lovers 🥂 competence porn www.simonandschuster.com/books/A-Stud...

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Jodi McAlister @jodimca.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

September 13, ZOMROMCOM, Olivia Dade. I wanted a romp and I got one - my favourite kind, where the surface fun has a deep layer of real emotion bubbling underneath.

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Jodi McAlister @jodimca.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

September 6, HATE YOU TO LOVE YOU, Joshua Hortinela (🇦🇺). All the marketing for this one calls it a love letter to rom-coms, and the marketing is 95% right (it's also a love letter to Sydney).

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Jodi McAlister @jodimca.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

August 30, A PRINCESS IN THEORY, Alyssa Cole. A masterclass in contemporary romance that I re-read so regularly that I nearly fell apart in fangirlish delight when I was on a panel with Alyssa last weekend.

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Jodi McAlister @jodimca.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

August 23, A FORBIDDEN ALCHEMY, Stacey McEwan (🇦🇺). I was drawn in by the Peaky Blinders vibes of this romantasy world, but I stayed for the high stakes and the dynamic push and pull between the protagonists.

The cover of A Forbidden Alchemy by Stacey McEwan.

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Jodi McAlister @jodimca.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

August 16, ONCE UPON A BREAKFAST SHOW, Stephanie MacFie (🇦🇺). I know from personal experience how hard it is to write a dual timeline, and this one - about a radio host's whirlwind romance which left her with a daughter and her on-air search for the man she fell in love with, years later - is great.

The cover of Once Upon A Breakfast Show.

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Jodi McAlister @jodimca.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

August 9, LYING IS MY LOVE LANGUAGE, Olivia Simons (🇦🇺). I love a difficult woman as a romance heroine, so this one about a compulsive liar was a great time.

The cover of Lying Is My Love Language by Olivia Simons

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Jodi McAlister @jodimca.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Melbourne and Hobart: I've got some launch events for A Study in Sparkling coming up! Both free, but registrations preferred. Readings Hawthorn, Melbourne, August 6: www.readings.com.au/events/a-stu... Fullers Bookshop, Hobart, August 13: www.trybooking.com/au/event/161...

The bright pink cover of A Study in Sparkling, featuring cartoon images of a brunette white woman and a blonde Japanese man sipping sparkling wine.

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Jodi McAlister @jodimca.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

August 2, A STUDY IN SPARKLING, Jodi McAlister (🇦🇺). My book came out this week in Aus/NZ* so here it is in my Sunday recs. She's a single mum trying to put herself back together after a brutal divorce, he's the younger man that offers to help in an, ahem, particular way... *September elsewhere!

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Jodi McAlister @jodimca.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

July 26, THE RE-WRITE, Lizzie Damilola Blackburn. My schedule is so brutal at the moment that basically all my brain can handle is Love Island, so this rom-com between a villa villain and his memoir ghostwriter (who also happens to be his ex) totally hit the spot.

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Jodi McAlister @jodimca.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

July 19, THE FRIEND ZONE EXPERIMENT, Zen Cho. I unearthed this second-chance romance from the depths of my Kindle, and it turned out to be exactly what I wanted.

The cover of The Friend Zone Experiment by Zen Cho.

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Jodi McAlister @jodimca.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

July 12, THE PARIS MATCH, Kate Clayborn. I'm yet to read a Kate Clayborn that isn't a 10/10 banger, and this one is no exception.

The cover of The Paris Match by Kate Clayborn.

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Jodi McAlister @jodimca.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

July 5, REEL, Kennedy Ryan. I realised, when I sat down to read SCORE, that I hadn't read the first one in the series - and a bonus Kennedy Ryan book to read is always a wonderful surprise.

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Jodi McAlister @jodimca.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

June 29, STAR SHIPPED, Cat Sebastian. You really don't need me to tell you that any given Cat Sebastian book slaps - you know this if you read romance - but this book *slaps*.

The cover of Star Shipped by Cat Sebastian

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Jodi McAlister @jodimca.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

Also on sale in North America in e-book for the next few days: 💖 Not Here To Make Friends ($1.99): a reality TV villain and a producer with a very messy shared history wrestle for control of the narrative bookshop.org/p/books/not-...

A social media promo graphic featuring the cover of Not Here To Make Friends and the words "$1.99 in e-book (US/Canada)"

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Jodi McAlister @jodimca.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

North American pals: a couple of my books are still on sale for the next few days! 💖 An Academic Affair ($2.99): two rivals academics get married to take advantage of a partner hire clause in the broken jobs market bookshop.org/p/books/an-a...

A social media promo graphic, featuring the cover of An Academic Affair and the words "$2.99 in e-book (US/Canada)"

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Jodi McAlister @jodimca.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

June 22, NO MATTER WHAT, Cara Bastone. It's a tall order, taking a married couple on the verge of breaking up and getting them to a believable happy ending, but this book does it effortlessly.

The cover of No Matter What by Cara Bastone.

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Jodi McAlister @jodimca.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

June 14, ONE KNIGHT STAND, Amie Kaufman (🇦🇺) and Meagan Spooner. If you, like me, imprinted on the Alanna books as a kid, then this romp about a lady knight and her ladylove (the follow up to LADY'S KNIGHT) is going to absolutely delight you.

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Jodi McAlister @jodimca.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

...and you can get Not Here To Make Friends* for $1.99. *the one where she's a reality TV villain, he's her producer, and they're both Machiavellian masterminds with a complicated shared history wrestling for control bookshop.org/p/books/not-...

A purple promo graphic, featuring the cover of Not Here To Make Friends and the words "$1.99 in e-book (US/Canada)!"

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Jodi McAlister @jodimca.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

North American friends - a couple of my books are on sale in e-book right now! You can get An Academic Affair* for $2.99... *the one where they're rival academics who get married so they can take advantage of a partner hire clause in the broken jobs market bookshop.org/p/books/an-a...

A pink promo graphic, featuring the cover of An Academic Affair and the words "$2.99 in e-book (US/Canada)!"

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Jodi McAlister @jodimca.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

June 7, HOW TO END A LOVE STORY, Yulin Kuang. I'm shamefully behind the times on this one, for which the hype is well-deserved.

The cover of How To End A Love Story by Yulin Kuang.

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Jodi McAlister @jodimca.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

Happy first birthday* to my little book that could. These totally-just-married-for-work-purposes academics have travelled farther and wider than I ever could have imagined. *in Aus/NZ, anyway, this one had so many different release dates in various territories I've lost track of them

A copy of An Academic Affair against a marble backdrop, accompanied by a pink scarf.

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Jodi McAlister @jodimca.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

North American pals!! My book Not Here To Make Friends is on sale in e-book at the moment - it's only $1.99. She's a reality TV villain. He's her producer. They're Machiavellian masterminds with a complicated shared history and an insatiable desire for control. bookshop.org/p/books/not-...

A purple graphic featuring the yellow cover of Not Here To Make Friends and the text "$1.99 in e-book (US/Canada)".

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Jodi McAlister @jodimca.bsky.social · 31/05/2026

May 31, STRANGE FAMILIARS, Keshe Chow (🇦🇺). This book had me at "magical vet school", and kept me with its bickering rivals who can't help falling in love with each other as they vie for top spot.

The cover of Strange Familiars by Keshe Chow.

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Jodi McAlister @jodimca.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

May 24, ENEMIES TO LOVERS, Alisha Rai. This is a perfect example of romantic suspense, with neither element of the cocktail outweighing the other.

The cover of Enemies To Lovers by Alisha Rai.

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Jodi McAlister @jodimca.bsky.social · 16/05/2026

May 17, HOW TO FIND A GUY IN FIVE WEDDINGS, Cynthia Timoti (🇦🇺). This book has the feel of a classic 90s/00s rom-com, in the nicest way.

The cover of How To Find A Guy In Five Weddings by Cynthia Timoti.

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Jodi McAlister @jodimca.bsky.social · 10/05/2026

May 10, THE ANTIQUARIAN'S OBJECT OF DESIRE, India Holton (🇳🇿). This book is so much more than its premise, but the premise - fake hating - is pretty damn fun.

The cover of The Antiquarian's Object Of Desire by India Holton.

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Jodi McAlister @jodimca.bsky.social · 03/05/2026

May 3, THE DUKE, Anna Cowan (🇦🇺). Imagine a duke from a Judith Ivory-esque novel, complete with greatcoat and tall boots and passionate but forbidden attraction to the courtesan blackmailing then - but imagine the duke is a woman. I got to launch this book this week, and it's absolutely stellar.

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Jodi McAlister @jodimca.bsky.social · 25/04/2026

April 26, HOW TO KILL A GUY IN TEN DATES, Shailee Thompson (🇦🇺). It's a slasher, it's a rom-com, it's a combination slasher/rom-com. I wasn't sure how that hybridisation was going to work, but I tore through this one.

The cover of How To Kill A Guy In Ten Dates by Shailee Thompson.

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Jodi McAlister @jodimca.bsky.social · 18/04/2026

April 19, NEVER THOUGHT I'D END UP HERE, Ann Liang (🇦🇺). This feels at once like a classic YA romcom and a fresh take on it.

The cover of Never Thought I'd End Up Here by Ann Liang.

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Jodi McAlister @jodimca.bsky.social · 11/04/2026

April 12, VOW OF ETERNAL NIGHT, Lily Crozier (🇦🇺). This is a *proper* vampire romance - scary, sexy, and full of teeth - and I absolutely ate it up.

The cover of Vow of Eternal Night by Lily Crozier.

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Jodi McAlister @jodimca.bsky.social · 06/04/2026

A little nice thing: the Australian ARCs of my new book A Study in Sparkling have arrived, and they're very pretty.

The Australian ARC of A Study in Sparkling. It's bright pink, featuring cartoon images of a Japanese man with bleached hair and a white woman with brown hair drinking sparkling wine together.

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Jodi McAlister @jodimca.bsky.social · 05/04/2026

April 5, LEFT OF FOREVER, Tarah DeWitt. Second chance romance is one of the most difficult forms to make work - why would a relationship work this time if it didn't before? This one, though, I wholeheartedly believed.

The cover of Left of Forever by Tarah DeWitt.

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Jodi McAlister @jodimca.bsky.social · 28/03/2026

March 29, EMILY WILDE'S ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF FAERIES, Heather Fawcett. I finally read this series after much urging from several friends, and it is - in my estimation, anyway - worth the hype. I had a lovely time.

The cover of Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett.

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Jodi McAlister @jodimca.bsky.social · 21/03/2026

March 22, THE INCANDESCENT, Emily Tesh. Is it a stretch calling this sapphic fantasy about the head teacher at a magical boarding school a romance? Yes. Did I love it enough to put it in my romance recs anyway? Also yes.

The cover of The Incandescent by Emily Tesh.

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Jodi McAlister @jodimca.bsky.social · 14/03/2026

March 15, AND NOW, BACK TO YOU, BK Borison. I'm hardly the first person to recommend BK Borison's books, but they're consistently wonderful, and this latest one about two meteorologists forced into close proximity by a snowstorm is no exception.

The cover of And Now, Back To You by BK Borison.

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Jodi McAlister @jodimca.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

Cover reveal! A Study in Sparkling is coming out on 28 July in Australia/NZ and 15 September in the US. Aus/NZ preorder: www.simonandschuster.com.au/books/A-Stud... US preorder: www.simonandschuster.com/books/A-Stud...

The Australian cover of A Study in Sparkling. It's bright pink, with the title in teal lettering, and features cartoon images of a white woman with brown hair and a Japanese man with bleached hair drinking sparkling wine together. The release date is 28 July 2026.

The US cover of A Study in Sparkling. It's bright pink, with the title in teal lettering, and features cartoon images of a white woman with brown hair and a Japanese man with bleached hair drinking sparkling wine together. The release date is 15 September 2026.

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Jodi McAlister @jodimca.bsky.social · 07/03/2026

March 8, THE BOYFRIEND CLAUSE, Bridie Blake (🇦🇺). This is a lovely local debut: a big-hearted romantic romp, warm and funny, with the chemistry between the leads developing into real intimacy even with the high-concept premise.

The cover of The Boyfriend Clause by Bridie Blake.

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Jodi McAlister @jodimca.bsky.social · 01/03/2026

March 1, ONLY FRIENDS, Lydia San Andres. A contemporary rom-com written for the Regency lover, and an unadulterated delight.

The cover of Only Friends by Lydia San Andres.

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Jodi McAlister @jodimca.bsky.social · 21/02/2026

February 22, COMEBACK TO ME, Carla de Guzman. RomanceClass are masters of the short-form romance, and this one - a romance between a K-pop idol and his ex-fan - is a sterling example.

The cover of Comeback To Me by Carla de Guzman.

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Jodi McAlister @jodimca.bsky.social · 14/02/2026

February 15, SIDE CHARACTER ENERGY, Olivia Tolich (🇦🇺). An absolutely wonderful debut about being overshadowed in your own life - and finding someone who sees you anyway.

The cover of Side Character Energy by Olivia Tolich.

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Jodi McAlister @jodimca.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

I don't have much to add to what has already been said about this piece (AI grifts are bad!! romance is about the human!! I hate this!!), but there's one detail I got stuck on - ironically, not an AI one. Sex in a wine fermentation tank??? What are we doing??? www.nytimes.com/2026/02/08/b...

She also advised the class to propose creative locations for romantic trysts — otherwise, the chatbot would resort to vanilla sex in the bedroom or shower. She shared a suggested list of settings for sex scenes, including a winery fermentation tank, stalled ski lift, rooftop greenhouse, horse stable and back row of a classic car show

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Jodi McAlister @jodimca.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

February 8, OUR SONG, Anna Carey. Rock star romance is not usually one of my preferred sub-genres, but I absolutely ate up this Irish one, which follows the protagonists both as college bandmates and also twenty years later, when he's a huge star and she's... not.

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Jodi McAlister @jodimca.bsky.social · 31/01/2026

February 1, ENGAGED, APPARENTLY, Amy Andrews (🇦🇺). Amy Andrews is a stalwart of Australian romance, and this small town romp about two childhood friends conned into pretending they're engaged by their meddling mothers is her in full flight.

The cover of Engaged, Apparently by Amy Andrews.

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Jodi McAlister @jodimca.bsky.social · 29/01/2026

I've had approximately infinity AI slop author scam emails all desperate to tell me how witty and emotional and moving my books are and how their 1000/3000/9000 dedicated readers will love it (for a small fee), so this latest one feels pretty uniquely lazy

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