I have been intending to send a newsletter for several weeks now, but here we are! I’m mostly popping in to say that there is a Goodreads Giveaway for Still Falling for You, my second chance stunt double romcom that is running for TWO MORE DAYS, through August 31! Enter for your chance to win 1 of 100 early copies. My own advanced copies are on their way and I’m itching to get my hands on them!

Enter the giveaway!

If you are a book reviewer, bookseller, or librarian, Still Falling for You is also available to request on NetGalley and Edelweiss (and you can leave a review if you liked it!)

I just got back from traveling to the West coast, and I had a blast! I visited Beguiled Books in Seattle, saw the ocean, and enjoyed weather that was much more pleasant than DC.

In other news, I saw The Odyssey a few weeks ago and LOVED it! I was skeptical going in but I was completely enthralled for the entire 3 hours (even if it was exceptionally loud). The ending battle sequence had me on the edge of my seat. In the spirit of gearing up for the world of Hollywood stunts in Still Falling for You, I wanted to share this fabulous article about Devyn Dalton, who did stunts for Matt Damon in The Odyssey. (I’m sharing a link to the article about her in The Guardian, but there are a ton of other great ones out there!)

Link to Article

I really loved the way Devyn spoke about being a stuntwoman, and in particular the quotes below. I hope reading about Devyn inspires you and makes you even more excited to meet Mavis, the stuntwoman lead of Still Falling for You!

If you’re ever curious whether an action sequence in a movie is done by the actor or their stunt double, here’s a quick tip: Can you see their face? If not, it’s likely a stunt double, especially if the action is particularly intense or if the actor has a particularly valuable face 😉. Once I started paying attention to this, I was shocked at how long I can go without seeing an actor’s face in a fight sequence and not even registering it!

Also, apparently Substack now has an AI detection tool, which has determined that this post is 100% human-written! Happy to report that this is 100% correct. I have not and will never use AI for my writing, not least because then you’d be deprived of my chaotic run-on sentences like this one, which only proves my point.

Until next time!

xo
- Isabelle

Today marks six months since Most Eligible published in January, which is a truly wild and unbelievable milestone! Thank you to all the readers who have supported Most Eligible and helped it spread its wings since publication! It is so fulfilling to see people’s love for Georgia and Rhett, as well as for the zany cast of Love Shack!

What better way to celebrate than with an epilogue that takes place at the wedding of my very favorite character?! 👀 I wrote this epilogue back in 2023/2024 along with the rest of the book, but during revisions, we ended up cutting it so that the story is bracketed by mixed media excerpts (the transcript of Georgia's audition video and her final article about Love Shack). I absolutely love the way the book ends now! I think it's such a fitting way to wrap up the story. But I also was really excited about the idea of releasing this one last piece of the story that was living only on my laptop. It’s short and sweet, swoony, and of course, a bit silly. I may have laughed out loud when re-reading it at a joke I forgot about.

Before you read on, this epilogue does contain spoilers for the book! If you haven’t read Most Eligible yet, I would suggest doing that first unless you really love spoilers for some reason! You can grab a copy at your local library or purchase one here. It’s on sale in a number of places like B&N, Bookshop.org, and Amazon.

And I am obligated to say that you should also pre-order my next book, Still Falling for You! There may be a very small cameo of one of the Most Eligible characters in it 👀

Still Falling for You!

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Without further ado…

Epilogue

One year after filming wrapped for Love Shack season 20.

Las Vegas

“It’s a miracle we survived the bachelorette party.” Philippa shades her eyes with her hand and squints over the crowd of wedding guests. “When she started stripping right up onstage beside the professionals… I thought we were goners.”

“We’re just lucky she didn’t make us get up there with her,” Nina whispers from my other side. I grin at the memory of the previous night, even though smiling at anything right now is hard with the Las Vegas sun beating down on the wedding venue like an inferno.

I scan the distant road for the umpteenth time, but no cars show any signs of turning down the venue’s long driveway. The guests and producers are getting antsy, the Elvis impersonator is on his fourth shot of Fireball, leaning heavily on the makeshift altar, and the couple is thirty minutes late to their own wedding.

Brooklyn, next to me in the bridesmaid lineup, leans over and whispers, “When you get married, I want you there on the dot.”

“Noted,” I laugh, running my finger over the engagement ring on my left hand. It’s simple, like everything else about our engagement—exactly how I wanted it. Right down to the yellow onesie I was wearing last month when he knelt on the foot of my bed—our bed—and asked me, voice cracking, to marry him. As different as possible from his and Cassidy’s ritzy, oceanside proposal, and hopefully that’s a good thing.

I find Rhett where he sits in the second row, in his shirtsleeves since he abandoned his suit jacket the second we got out of the car. He smirks at me and pats the Baby Bjorn strapped to his chest.

“He’s such a natural,” Nina whispers. “It took me months to get used to those things.”

I wink at Rhett, sure he’s heard the whole exchange. He smiles back at me and even under his dark shades, I know his green eyes are sparkling. I know he’s enjoying the attention the baby sling brings, that people aren’t just approaching him because his newest album stayed at the top of the Billboard charts for six weeks straight.

It was a little much to bring a cat disguised as a baby to a wedding, sure, but we couldn’t leave her at home. And Olie has never been a traditionalist. Case in point: having five of her fiancé’s exes as her bridesmaids. It was a mark of her true friendship that she didn’t dismiss me when I finally told her the truth about why I’d gone on Love Shack. She just pointed to the friendship tattoo on my wrist and suggested we make a blood pact.

“Look!” Chloe calls out. She points over the heads of the guests toward the road that winds down from the Vegas strip, where a black stretch limo is slowly approaching. Cameras swarm around the car as the back door opens and Olie and Roland tumble out, Olie pulling down her dress and Roland re-buttoning his tuxedo jacket.

“Were they…” Nina begins.

“Definitely,” I answer.

If anyone had doubts about Roland and Olie, they were put to rest as soon as their relationship went public at the season finale party. Headlines the next day included “R-Olie get handsy at the after party” and “Love Shack’s X-rated finale.”

Roland and Olie stumble up the aisle and take their places in front of Elvis, who adjusts his shades and slurs into the microphone, “Rolie and Oland, everybody.”

“Ay, Dios,” Nina mutters, shaking her head. “And this is on live TV.”

When the ceremony is over, the cameras cut and only a few producers with handhelds remain for the afterparty.

Rhett’s arm winds around my waist and kisses my forehead, whispering against my skin, “I love you.”

I smile into his shoulder. “I love you too.” I’ll never get tired of hearing it. Just like when he says my name, it’s new each time.

The baby sling bumps between us and I peek down, smiling at the ball of fur cuddled into Rhett’s chest. She blinks up at me, yellow eyes wide, and meows.

I grab a flute of prosecco from a passing waiter and take a sip as Roland and Olie approach. “Get ready,” I mutter.

“Georgia, my love,” Olie says, wrapping me in a heavily-perfumed hug. She goes for Rhett next, enveloping him in a tight, armpit-forward hug. “It’s been a while, man.” She socks him on the arm and he winces, placing a hand protectively over the sling.

Roland is close behind her and his eyes bulge at the sight of the Baby Bjorn. “Holy shit. Is that—did you guys—”

“It’s a cat,” Rhett says.

“Right.” Roland nods slowly. But he peeks into the sling just to be sure.

“What’s her name again?” Olie asks, grabbing a passing charcuterie plate and popping a cheese cube into her mouth.

“Cowgirl.” I smile.

Olie pauses, mid-chew. “Won’t that give her, like, some sort of identity complex?”

Rhett laughs, but Olie is already onto the next topic of conversation. “How’s the tour been?” Olie asks. “Good? What is this, the eighteenth week?”

Rhett goes pink in the face. “Are you keeping tabs on me?”

“Just looking out for my girl here.” She goes to sock me in the arm, but I’m too quick for her and her fist whizzes past me without making contact.

“We’re heading to Seattle next week,” I say. I’ve been traveling with him for the entire tour—me and the cat—working on a series of articles for The Record, a popular music blog started a few years ago by a female country artist to promote diversity in country music. In each location Rhett has performed in, I’ve written about the music scene, detailing the culture of the city, the venues, and which artists owe their success to the local crowds.

It helped once Serena went public with my name as Rhett’s mystery woman; people came for the scandal, but stayed for the music.

Roland draws Olie in for such a long kiss that I’m blushing by the time they finish.

“Bet he never kissed you like that,” Rhett murmurs into my hair.

I elbow him in the stomach. The jokes about Roland haven’t gone away, no matter how much I whine.

“You ready to get this party started, man?” Roland asks, patting Rhett on the shoulder, his lips smeared with Olie’s ruby-red lipstick.

Rhett disengages from Cowgirl’s carrier and helps me put it on over my dress. “You know, when we got a kitten, I was hoping she’d require less care than your previous… patients. But you had to pick the one with separation anxiety.”

“And you love her.”

“I do,” he says. “And I love you.”

He leans in and kisses me, running his tongue over my bottom lip before he pulls back and smiles. “When we get married, we’re doing the bachelor parties in advance. Not the night before.” His eyes are as ringed with exhaustion from Roland’s blowout as I’m sure mine are from Olie’s.

He pecks me on the lips again and makes his way to the stage on the dance floor, picking up his guitar and playing a few chords to tune it.

Cowgirl and I wander over to Nina and the other bridesmaids. “Too bad Rhett doesn’t want to host again,” Nina says, eyeing him across the crowd. “I wonder who they’ll get for Brooklyn’s season.”

“Oprah?” I suggest and she laughs, head thrown back, her curly hair cascading like a waterfall.

Brooklyn is currently tearing up the dance floor to Taylor Swift with Chloe riding on her lap. Her season of Love Shack will start filming in a few months, and I’ve already promised to visit the mansion during one of her group dates. She’s the only person I’d agree to go back for, though the prospect is less scary now that Lainey has departed the franchise, and apparently, the country.

The string lights in the tent dim. Rhett steps up to the mic and runs a hand through his hair as he steadies the guitar on the strap around his shoulders. A spark runs through me and I wrap my arms around Cowgirl, who’s fallen back asleep.

“Hi y’all, I’m Rhett Auburn,” he says, lips so close to the mic it muffles his voice a bit. The crowd hushes and he smiles. “Don’t worry, I’m just the opening act.” Laughter trickles around the room and Rhett points over at a DJ booth to the side of the dance floor where a familiar red bearded man is standing. Rhett takes a breath, and I know what comes next. “We’ve got DJ Defib ready to drop some sick beats for y’all.” I giggle into my drink as Rhett scowls. Norbert made him swear he’d say those words exactly. He’s taken over as Love Shack’s EP, but still manages to find time for his fledgling DJ career.

“Okay, then,” Rhett continues, gracefully moving on. “Let’s get started.”

His set is a mix of covers and original music spanning back to his first album, through his folky sophomore tracks, and coming to the new music he put out a few months ago. It’s by far his best, blending his folky, acoustic voice with some faster-paced rhythms and just a hint of that country twang I fell in love with.

Rhett and his band get to the chorus of their first song, attacking their guitar strings with a ferocity matched only by that of Roland and Olie’s dancing.

“The only good I’ve ever done,

The only mile I’ve never run,

The only, only, only”

The band cycles through a few more songs and by the time he gets to the end, Cowgirl and I are swaying to the music with Nina and Brooklyn.

“All right, y’all, this is my last song, but before I get going, let’s hear it again for our lovely couple, Olie and Roland!”

The guests all cheer as Olie and Roland make out again, hands roving way further south than they should in a public place.

“Whoa there, you two,” Rhett says, leaning into the mic. “Let’s keep it PG-13. But seriously, y’all, these two are a fantastic couple. I saw it right from the beginning and I couldn’t be happier for them.” He pauses, strums a chord on his guitar, adjusts the strings, and comes back to the mic. “This last song I’m going to play for y’all is off my new album and… well, it’ll be obvious what it’s about.” He smiles, lips tugging higher on one side as he searches for my eyes. “Georgia, this one’s for you.”

I’ve heard the song hundreds of times since Rhett first played it for me in my apartment the night the finale of Roland’s season aired. We were sitting on my bed, watching the TV I’d bought specifically to watch Love Shack live, and Rhett pulled out his guitar during an ad break. Then, like now, the words took my breath away, and my eyes zeroed in on him like he was the whole wide world.

Even though “Georgia in Pink” has become a platinum-certified track, the words burrow into my heart because no matter how many strangers hear them, they’re for me.

It starts simple, just Rhett on guitar, but by the time they reach the bridge, the whole band is playing and Rhett’s voice is free, open, tearing the notes apart as he nails each and every one. The last few words are drawn out with a jazzy trill, and he closes his eyes as the sound pours out of him. When he opens them, he beams down at me and blows me a kiss.

He shrugs out of his guitar and hands it off to his drummer, then he steps off the stage and makes his way straight to me like there aren’t several hundred people and a few cameras watching. Cupping the back of my neck, he draws my mouth to his, keeping a careful distance for Cowgirl in between us.

A roar of sound makes me jump back as Norbert gets on the mic and bellows, “Get ready to re-start your heart!” followed by the opening notes of a song that’s become all too familiar. “Love Shack” by the B-52s bursts over the speakers and Olie jumps onto Roland, wrapping her legs around him and humping him in midair.

Rhett pushes me back to the edge of the tent and takes my face in his hands, kissing me again, running his tongue over my prosecco-chilled lips.

Cowgirl meows and we break apart, laughing. “Great job,” I say. “Even better than last week.”

He smiles ruefully. “You really think so?”

“Yes. The album is fantastic. You’re fantastic.”

He shakes his head, still holding my face in his hands. His eyes are intense, burning, and when he speaks, his voice is hoarse. “You—Georgia, the best part of the album is you. The best part of me is you.”

My heart speeds up as I say, “Should we just do it—get married now? I mean, we are in Vegas. We can do a big party later.” It spills from my mouth like a smattering of diamonds, lighting up his face.

He presses his forehead to mine. “They won’t miss us.”

Hand in hand, we sneak away from the tent and toward the Vegas strip, off to find another Elvis impersonator who isn’t plastered. When we get to the road, I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him close, “Love Shack” still beating through our feet.

When we kiss, when he whispers my name into the hollow of my mouth, melts his lips to my forehead, it’s a revelation all over again to know that it isn’t for the cameras at the season premiere, it isn’t for the producers or the fans.

It’s just for us.

The end.

Thank you for reading! I hope you had a good time and maybe laughed a little bit. <3

Until next time!

Isabelle 🌹

Let me start with something fun: my second book, Still Falling for You, is currently 25% off when you pre-order online with Barnes & Noble! Barnes & Noble Rewards and Premium Members get 25% off all pre-orders today and tomorrow using code PREORDER25! (It’s free to sign up for the rewards program and you get occasional bonuses which is fun!) Premium Members get an additional 10% off!

25% off now!

Plus, Most Eligible, my first book, is also on sale at a number of retailers! Find it about 25% off at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Target, and perhaps a few more I don’t know about!

Most Eligible!

Asking people to preorder is always a little intimidating, as self-promotion often is… pre-orders are HUGELY important for authors because they tell publishers and booksellers that people actually want to read the book! But pre-ordering is not the only way to support books by me or other authors. Even before a book comes out, you can request that your local library buys it, which is a tremendous help as well!

I’ve been very busy lately drafting a secret project for fun, preparing a new rom-com proposal to send to my editor for a hypothetical book 3 (!!!), and just life in general.

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🏖️ Summer Reading

Here’s a few books I’ve read lately that would make a perfect summer reading list, if you’re looking for books to bring along to the beach:

• American Love Song by Britt Middleton - I cannot say enough about this book! Steamy, swoony, and full of heart, this is truly the country music romance of my dreams.

• Safari Murder Party by Rachel Moore - This book was simply SO much fun! What do you get when you leave corporate employees on an island to fight to the death? An absolutely delightful romp of a book that had me hooked from page one.

• Chase Me if You Can by Heather Frances - If you, like me (and everyone else) loved Twisters and said “where the heck was the kiss,” this one’s for you! Action-packed, steamy, and emotional, this book will have your heart racing!

Out soon:

I was lucky enough to read early copies of these books and they should definitely be on your radar!

• Rewrite the Stars by Lindsay Hameroff - perfect summer vibes! This book is out July 7!

• Vengefully Matched by Audrey Goldberg Ruoff - delightfully witchy and magically swoony! Out October 6!

Bonus recommendations:

I read these two a while ago, and they’re both written by dear writing friends of mine! Perfect summer vibes to be found in both:

• The Truth is in the Detours by

• The Summers Between Us by

What I’m reading:

Currently listening to Into the Blue by Emma Brodie and reading an early copy of Second Chance Saloon by Maggie Eckersley! Loving both!!

What I’m watching:

20 years late, I’m finally watching Friday Night Lights. 10 years late, I’m finally watching Stranger Things. Notice a theme? I’m also watching Love Island which I am very much not late to as it comes out every day!

Until next time!
Isabelle

I am so thrilled to share the gorgeous cover of my second chance, stunt double rom-com, STILL FALLING FOR YOU, hitting shelves January 26, 2027.

“Utterly electric.” - Briana J. Newstead

“A wild ride of a rom-com.” - Mara Williams

“Delicious tension and palpable chemistry.” - Lindsay Hameroff

Pre-order Still Falling for You

I am absolutely obsessed with the cover: the little figures, the bright yellow text, and the colors!!! It is so so gorgeous and captures the action-packed, romantic vibe of the book perfectly. Thank you to Olga Grlic for this gorgeous cover, and to my fabulous editor Kelly Stone for seeing the heart of this book and helping me make it the best it can be. 🤠

This book Is about two Hollywood stunt doubles and their second chance romance on the film set of a cowboy vampire movie. It combines so many of my favorite things. To name a few: cowboy vibes (without actual cowboys), forced proximity, HORSES, DANGER, YEARNING, BRITISH LOVE INTERESTS 👀, and second chances! It’s funny, fun, tender, steamy, involves death-defying stunts, and packs an emotional punch. It’s also about resilience, strength, trust, and not giving up on your dreams.

This is my favorite thing I’ve ever written, but it was also the most challenging. Getting to share this cover is truly surreal and I feel incredibly proud of myself, and also my characters for getting to this point! I cannot wait to share Fox “When I crash a vehicle I do it on purpose” Wildwood and Mavis “I haven’t been pining after you” Stilton with you! I love them SO much, and hope you do too.

Yes, give me horses & danger & yearning!

About Still Falling for You:

The Fall Guy meets Ava Wilder’s Will They or Won’t They in Isabelle Engel’s new action-packed rom-com about two stunt doubles with a complicated history who discover that love might be the most dangerous fall of all.

It’s been three years since stunt double Mavis Stilton traded punches (and kisses) with hotheaded stuntman Fox Wildwood. After their whirlwind romance ended in a devastating breakup and near-fatal accident, Mavis left stunts behind for good.

When A-list actress Vanessa Watkins offers Mavis the chance for a comeback doing stunts on a Wild West vampire movie, she jumps at it, desperate to win back the life of adventure she set aside. The only catch? Fox is the stunt double for the male lead, forcing Mavis to face the danger of working with him again.

After several on-set mishaps, Mavis and Fox start to suspect that someone is trying to sabotage the production. With the future of the project on the line and the stunts ramping up in difficulty, the two must begrudgingly work together to save the film—and their careers—before someone falls head over heels . . . literally.

Still Falling for You is a second-chance, enemies-to-lovers romance packed with adrenaline, twists, turns, and sizzling chemistry.

Add on Goodreads!

Pre-order Still Falling for You

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Pre-orders are one of the best ways to support authors you love, and help them get to keep writing more books! Plus, it’s a present to future you, who will be extremely excited to get this book delivered to your door.

Preorder Links:

• All Links

• Barnes & Noble

• Indigo (for my Canadian friends!)

• Pre-order from my favorite independent bookstores East City Bookshop (Washington, DC) or Lovestruck Books (Cambridge, MA)!

• You can also add it on Goodreads!

• While you’re at it, my first book Most Eligible is on sale in many places! Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and Bookshop.org are just a few!

And since it’s a second chance romance, let me give you a second chance to look at this gorgeous cover:

I CANNOT WAIT FOR YOU TO MEET MAVIS AND FOX!!! I miss them so much already since I’ve transitioned into not working on this book every waking moment of the day and then dreaming about it at night. And my mom loves them too, so I can confirm they’re a hit for all ages!

Until next time!
Save a horse,
Isabelle

I can’t believe it’s already been three months since Most Eligible published. A whole quarter of a year! Time truly flies when you’re busy. And busy, I definitely have been! I work a 9-5 day job, recently turned in my final edits for my second book (You can preorder it here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!), and did a lot of promo stuff for Most Eligible. So the last three months have definitely been busy.

Before we get into it, let me tell you a little about my second book, STILL FALLING FOR YOU, coming in January 2027. Here’s the brief blurb: The Fall Guy meets Ava Wilder’s Will They or Won’t They in Isabelle Engel’s new action-packed rom-com about two stunt doubles with a complicated history who discover that love might be the most dangerous fall of all.

Pre-order it now!

Here are 3 fun facts about STILL FALLING FOR YOU (keeping on the theme of 3s!)

1. It is not a sequel to Most Eligible, though there is a tiny Easter Egg reference!

2. There are horses.

3. I went to a stunt class to research for the book! I had so much fun and could not walk for a week.

Back to the purpose of this newsletter:

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I thought it might be fun to share a few things I’ve learned in the last few months of being a published author (and things I learned in the lead up to publication day). These are kind of “soft” lessons, i.e., not “posting X times a day on social media increases your sales by X” (if that’s true, I’d prefer to remain ignorant.) These are more-so things that were helpful for me in maintaining mental/emotional balance and dealing with the huge perspective shift that comes when suddenly anyone in the world can read the weird little love story you dreamed up in your Notes app.

1. MY Book vs. THE Book

A radical perspective shift.

This was a perspective shift that happened almost without my knowledge, but boy was it radical. Before a book goes to early readers, really the only ones who have read it have received through the filter of YOU, the author. Maybe it’s your mother, your editor, agent, friend, beta reader — either way, they knew you and you are inextricably linked to the book they’re reading. It’s YOUR book (or, MY book, in my brain).

But when the book goes to early readers, and eventually general readers at any time anywhere, it’s A book, THE book. People are picking it up for the premise, for the pretty cover, perhaps for the fun tagline on the back. Especially for a debut author, because people aren’t buying it based on previous books you’ve written. This process of separating my book from myself makes me a little bit sad! But all in all, I think it’s for the best. There is a version of the book in my head that will forever be mine, but separating it mentally from what people are reading—remembering that reviews and comments are not about me, but rather this hunk of three hundred pages of paper, has been helpful in not getting too bogged down by the mental weight of having people comment on, essentially, my imagination. (I try to be good about not reading reviews, but it’s hard! And even if you’re diligent about staying off Goodreads, the reviews will find you, it is inevitable.)

2. Everything happens all at once and the goalposts are always shifting.

Is this what it feels like to play a sport? I wouldn’t know.

Several times, I have heard the saying “hurry up and wait” used when describing publishing. It’s incredibly accurate. Publishing is, at one minute, a rollercoaster you’re hanging onto by your fingertips, and the next, an empty desert (read: email inbox) with no one else in sight. In my case, since my second book will be published about a year after the first, I had to finish my edits right around the time that Most Eligible came out. Was it difficult and stressful? Yes. Was it a good distraction from publication anxiety? Kind of?

I think for anyone who is approaching publication of any book—but especially the first one—it’s important to remember that surprises will crop up, and there will probably be a million things competing for your attention. Edits on whatever is coming next, marketing materials to review, trying to engage “meaningfully” on social media, spending way too much time stressing that your book won’t “do well”1 or that you aren’t doing enough.

But if you, like me, are an over-thinker, you will probably never feel like you are doing enough. You will wonder if you should be calling more bookstores or cold emailing family members you forgot about or setting up more events. I’m sure it differs for everyone, but for me, there will never be a threshold at which I can sit back, relax, and think “Wow, I’ve done enough.”

I say this not to be depressing, but to assure anyone who has similar anxieties that they are not alone, and that as authors, there is only so much we can do, and that the most important (and hopefully most fulfilling) aspect of being an author is the actual writing part.) An author is one person. A publisher is a multi-million (billion?) dollar corporation. I’ve heard it said that authors can’t really “move the needle,” but I think it’s more that the needle we’re moving is just on a very different planet. (Continued below).

3. Size doesn’t matter.

Sorry. (Not.)

In my short time as a published author, I’ve found that small-scale connections matter just as much as ones that may seem larger, and I’ve found are way more fulfilling. Befriending a bookseller, supporting your author friends, attending local book events—these are all things that will help create a community that will uplift you in return.

An example: I did a few signing events around the release of Most Eligible, at a wide range of bookstores. Established, larger indies, tiny new bookstores, and Barnes & Noble. The event where I sold the most books (by a notable margin) — and had the most people come in, excited to meet me and learn about my work? The smallest bookstore that had only been open for a few months. (Shoutout to The Little Bubblegum Bookshop in Providence, RI!! You are incredible!!) The owner of the store had done a lot of outreach to her local community, invited friends and family, and she even put out roses to hand out to the customers. A man showed up, FaceTiming in his wife who was stuck in traffic but had been excited about the event. A few other booksellers from the area showed up and said they had ordered the book for their stores. I met a woman who worked on a reality show, and was excited about the book! It was such a show of community and engagement, and I had the best time.

This is not to say that “larger” or more established bookstores are not wonderful in the support they are able to offer authors—they are!! But it does go to show that even beyond the warm, fuzzy interpersonal connections you can form with readers, friends, and booksellers, in the numbers game, a smaller-scale, real-world connection can have just as big of an impact as a seemingly larger one.

Three more tiny things I’ve learned, because I am incapable of writing a short email:

1. I misspell Eligible EVERY SINGLE TIME. Which is hard for a number of reasons…

   Give me a reason to need to spell it!

2. When I’m stressed, I like to hyper-fixate on rewatching a show. In the lead-up to Most Eligible, I rewatched a lot of Game of Thrones as well as my go-to comfort watch, New Girl.

3. I’m very good at living in denial. Like, I’m still not fully convinced that I published a book? Someone let me know if this has all been a lie…

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What’s coming up:

I’ll be at Romancelandia in Centreville, MD for Independent Bookstore Day on April 25th! Will I see you there?

What I’m reading:

The Other Side of Starting Over by Mara Williams - I’m so torn between needing to rip through this to see what happens and wanting to savor every word. It’s so good. I’m reading it early (mwahaha!) and it’ll be out in November!!

I’m about to start The Paris Match by Kate Clayborn and I can’t wait!!

Stay tuned in the next month or so for a COVER REVEAL of my next book! And please excuse any typos in this email. I absolutely relish the fact that a newsletter does not have to be copy-edited or proofread!

Until next time,

Isabelle

PS: Here’s a picture of some beautiful flowers near where I live in DC!

Happy Women’s History Month! My birthday is on March 8, which is international women’s day, and I absolutely love sharing my birthday with such an awesome holiday. One of my favorite parts of writing Most Eligible was creating the cast of characters that surround our protagonist, Georgia. The majority of them are women, and other contestants on the reality show she’s snuck her way onto. It was such a joy to write this amazing group of women and find ways for them to lift each other up rather than tear each other down (though there’s a little bit of that too!) If you’ve read Most Eligible and had a favorite contestant, let me know in the comments. I have a favorite… should I tell you who it is?

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Without further ado… a very fun event announcement!

Most Eligible Virtual Book Club - this Monday!!

I'm SO EXCITED to make this announcement! 🌹 Next week (Monday, March 9, at 8pm ET / 5pm PT), I'll be going Live on Instagram with the lovely Julie LaPlaca for a virtual book club discussion of my debut rom-com Most Eligible!

It's the perfect time to chat reality TV books, since the new season of The Bachelorette will be starting the following Monday. Julie is a former Bachelor and Bachelorette producer and her memoir, The Love Producer, is coming out this summer. I'm so honored to be in conversation with her and can't wait to chat reality TV, Most Eligible, and writing! 🥰 (event details below!)

To receive a reminder email about this event and submit a question, fill out this form!

What?

• A virtual book club discussion between Isabelle Engel (author of Most Eligible) and Julie LaPlaca (author and former Bachelor producer). Isabelle and Julie will discuss Most Eligible and answer a few audience questions! The live questions feature will be disabled on the stream, but you can submit your questions at this link for consideration!

When?

• Monday, March 9th, 2026, 8pm ET, 5pm PT

Where is this and how do I join?

• INSTAGRAM LIVE! The livestream will be accessible from Isabelle’s profile: https://www.instagram.com/isabellegwrites/

• At 8pm ET, (provided that technology behaves), a little “Live” banner should show up below my profile picture. You can tap on my profile picture to join the livestream!

Do I have to sign up?

• No sign-up required to join the livestream, but if you’d like to get a reminder email before it starts or submit a question to us, you can fill out this form!

Where can I get Isabelle and Julie’s books?

• Order Most Eligible now! In honor of my upcoming birthday and women’s history month, Most Eligible is currently 25% off on Amazon and Barnes & Noble! (Just kidding, that’s not why it’s on sale, but let’s pretend it is!)

• Pre-order Julie’s upcoming memoir, The Love Producer! I was lucky enough to read it early (seriously, pinch me!) and it is fabulous.

And I’m excited to share a few book recommendations!

Female empowerment book recommendations (contemporary romance/romance-adjacent edition:

• A Hundred Other Girls by Iman Hariri-Kia - a funny, fun, empowered, and intelligent debut novel about a young woman finding her place in the media landscape in New York. If you’re excited for The Devil Wears Prada sequel, you’ll love this one.

• The Free Verse Society by Delali Adjoa - I had the honor of being on a panel with Delali (a fellow 2026 debut author!) at Love Y’all Book Fest in February, and was in awe of the care and compassion with which she spoke about her characters. I am so excited to read this one when it comes out on March 24!

• Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez - this book has been out for a while, but it is one of the first that comes to mind when I think of romance novels that made me feel empowered!

• Some Kind of Famous by Ava Wilder - I loved this celebrity/normal person romance so much! Following along on Merritt’s journey of reclaiming her power and identity in the entertainment industry was such an empowering, juicy treat.

Until next time, and hope to see you (virtually) on Monday!

~ Isabelle

We’re nearing one month since the publication of Most Eligible, and I can’t believe how fast it’s gone! This month has been a bit of a whirlwind and at some point, maybe I’ll write about it in a newsletter. Today is not that day, however, because I am hard at work on my (final?!) round of book 2 edits and running on fumes. But quickly: it was truly such a joy to meet so many readers at the events celebrating the launch of my debut novel. It was better than I could have ever imagined, and I was so touched by each and every person who came out to celebrate with me, sent a message, posted a picture of the book, or supported the release in any way. Thank you thank you thank you! <3 It is because of all of you that Most Eligible went into a second printing just a few weeks after it released.

I also had a minor (major) freak out yesterday seeing my little book baby featured on this pre-Valentine’s People.com list. I mean, I’ll read any article that starts with a picture of Shane and Ilya (characters from Heated Rivalry, a TV show (in case my parents (AKA most loyal newsletter readers) do not know what I’m referencing here)), but seeing my book on there as well was truly unreal.

Heated Rivalry made me feel ALL the love (and tears and heartbreak and heart-warm); I hope Most Eligible makes you feel something even a tenth as strong!

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Upcoming events:

I’m excited to share information about three upcoming events that I’ll be doing this month! One virtual event with my editor, Kelly Stone, one festival, and one local author panel in Maryland with some of my favorite authors of all time!

Young Publisher’s Association (February 12, 8pm EST, virtual event)

Join us for a virtual panel on February 12 at 8 PM EST/5 PM PST with Isabelle Engel, author of the new novel Most Eligible, and Kelly Stone, the novel’s editor and the chair of the Young Publishers Association’s mentorship program. More info here!

Sign up here!

Love Y’all Romance Book Fest (February 14-15, Atlanta, GA)

If you’ll be at Love Y’all, you can pre-order Most Eligible from Read it Again Books and pick it up at the fest! Head over to my website to see my Love Y’all schedule! Will I see you there?

Rom Con: After the Roses (Saturday February 28, 1 - 2:30 PM, Westminster, MD)

Presented by Park Books on Main and Carroll County Public Library. A fabulous panel of authors will ensure that the romance continues long after Valentine’s Day! Grab your squad and head to the library for a SWOON-WORTHY author talk followed by book signings. Attending Authors: Sarah Adler, Isabelle Engel, Audrey Goldberg Ruoff, Lindsay Hameroff, Nikki Payne, & Leslie Rene! Reserve your tickets here!

A few February releases to add to your Valentine’s Day reading list:

• The Epicenter of Forever by Mara Williams

• Love and Other Brain Experiments by Hannah Brohm

• It’s All in Your Head by Sabina Nordqvist

• Racing Hearts by Ann Adams

• Still Into You by Erin Connor

• Not a February release, but Most Eligible would also make a great Valentine’s Day read! People.com thinks so too :)

A few other bonus recommendations:

• Alive and Wells by Bailey Hannah (sexy cowboy romance anyone?!)

• Anywhere With You by Ellie Palmer (I read this a few months ago but have been thinking about it a lot lately for some reason!)

• Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino (an absolutely wild ride of a book that kept me guessing until the very end)

• Katabasis by R. F. Kuang (I didn’t read this yet, but my boyfriend did and loved it!)

• The Winter Olympics - I have been absolutely obsessed with watching figure skating, and I know I’m not alone. It’s been such a fun bright spot in a busy time!

Until next time!

Isabelle

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This seemingly random date has been etched into my brain for over a year now, because today is the day that my debut novel, Most Eligible, is out in the world! You can buy a copy now at the links below, and request at your local library (available in print, e-book, and audio!)

Buy Most Eligible!

Most Eligible is about a journalist, Georgia, who goes undercover on a reality show called Love Shack. She’s a true love skeptic (and she hates reality TV), but just when she thinks she’s ready to (pretend to) fall head over heels for America’s Most Eligible Bachelor, BOOM! In walks the dreamy country singer she had a one-night stand with last year. He’s this season’s host, and boy is Georgia still not over him. But he’s definitely over her… or is he? I guess you’ll have to read to find out!

Release Party RSVP - In Person & Online!

Publishing a book has been process I could never have prepared for. It’s full of highs and lows, ebbs and flows, and a whole lot of waiting. Back when I first signed my publication deal, my mom thought the book would be out in a matter of months. Wouldn’t that be fun! But here we are, a year and a half later, and it’s finally happening.

One of the most fundamental perspective shifts I’ve experienced over the past year was when random people on the internet began reading and reviewing Most Eligible. That was the moment when, in some ways, it stopped being MY book, and became A book. The people who were reading no longer knew me or were reading because of a connection we had. They were reading because they were readers, and it was a book. To me, Most Eligible will always be MY book. The writing process was full of so much joy and discovery, and this book will always have a core, special place in my heart. But now, this book belongs to you just as much as it does to me. (Well, actually it belongs to me at least a little more, but you get what I mean.)

People have been telling me that “the hard part is over” - and by that, they mean writing the book. But a little (introverted) part of me keeps thinking, “but that was the fun part too!” But I didn’t know how rewarding it would be to hear people tell me they loved the book, to say they laughed out loud while reading, that they’re in love with Rhett (you know who you are!), or that they were surprised and delighted by the ending! I’m so grateful to everyone who has already read Most Eligible for helping me make this part (the publishing part), the fun part too. <3

I wish I could go back in time and tell the 17 year old me who sat in the stacks of the high school library (because she was too anxious to venture into the cafeteria) and wrote her historical romance novel that this is how it would turn out. That she would get to walk into a bookstore and see her book there on the shelves, ready for someone to take it home. The dedication in Most Eligible is for her, and anyone else who writes for the writing, and who loves it too much to ever stop.

Most Eligible is a romance at its core, but it’s also a love letter to reality TV and strong female friendships. Reality TV, and especially reality TV that revolves around romance, is often referred to as a “guilty pleasure,” or something that’s not high-brow enough to admit to enjoying. It’s also something that is stereotypically thought of as being enjoyed by women, which I don’t think is a coincidence. (More on this in a future newsletter, maybe!) When I wrote Most Eligible, I had a lot of fun toying with the idea of what’s real and what’s fake on reality TV shows like The Bachelor. I made choices about which contestants were there “for the right reasons,” which lines were scripted or natural, but the one aspect that I was sure I wanted to be genuine was how badass the female contestants were and how real the friendships they formed are. These (fictional) women are ready to take on the world and I can’t wait for you to meet them.

Thank you so much to everyone who has helped me and this book get to this point. The SmoochPit mentorship program (shoutout to Julie!), my writing friends and critique partners, my amazing agent Kendall, Kelly and the rest of the team at SMP, the booksellers who are hyping up Most Eligible’s release, Amanda Leigh Cobb (the audiobook’s amazing narrator!), my wonderful family who have descended upon DC to come to the release event, my friends, and my amazing boyfriend who has told me so many times that “the book doesn’t suck.” ❤️ It’s much less scary to do this publishing thing with you guys in my corner.

And thank you! Whoever you are! I hope you love Georgia and Rhett’s love story and adventures on Love Shack as much as I do. Happy reading!

Isabelle <3

This will be a short and somewhat chaotic newsletter, because my brain is only working at approximately half capacity right now due to angst about Most Eligible publishing NEXT WEEK (1/13/26), the revisions I’m working on for my second book, and the dental work I had done today! Yesterday, I learned that Most Eligible made it onto Town and Country Magazine's Best New Romance Novels to Read in 2026 and that was a really wild moment. There, next to Emily and Paris and media mogul memoirs and The Odyssey is an article that links to my little book baby.

And to top it off, it seems that Most Eligible is 25% off on Amazon & Barnes & Noble right now! Click the link below to preorder and get your copy next week. <3

Pre-order!

Pre-order signed copies!

2025 was a real rollercoaster! There were some definite highs: Most Eligible officially going up for pre-order, getting to share the pretty pink cover with the world, getting to work on another romantic comedy, sharing last week that Most Eligible is a January Book of the Month selection!! And some definite lows too! Huge imposter syndrome, feeling like the book I’m working on was NEVER going to work… but people keep telling me this is normal…

Want to come to an event to help me celebrate the launch of Most Eligible?

Check out my event schedule!

My launch day event at East City Bookshop in Washington, DC will be both virtual and in person! Want to join via Zoom? Sign up here!

Things I did this year:

• Copy edits and proofreading for Most Eligible

• Wrote a whole book

• Rewrote that whole book

• Revised that whole book. Multiple times. Still going.

• Traveled to Paris with my amazing boyfriend Milo to celebrate our 5 year anniversary!

• Marched right on through the quicksand of imposter syndrome… sort of. I have at least one leg still stuck in it, maybe more.

• Got ready to launch Most Eligible into the world! (This is a lie, I am not ready.)

• Got together with some fabulous book-ish friends

• Helped one SmoochPit mentee query her manuscript, and helped another revise her book!

• Did my first podcast interview(s!)

• Visited NYC to meet my agent and publisher for the first time!

• Blurbed two books!

• Read so many amazing books!

• Watched all of Breaking Bad (except the last six episodes, which I’ll get to soon. no spoilers please)

• Worked at my 9-5 job!

• Made this fun playlist for Most Eligible!

• I probably did other things, but my brain is mush. If you think you remember something else that I did this year, please write in!

Here’s one last plea to pre-order Most Eligible, and get it next week! (25% off on Amazon & Barnes&Noble right now!)

Pre-order!

Pre-order signed copies!

And if you are a Book of the Month subscriber, you can make Most Eligible your January selection:

Most Eligible on BOTM

Speaking of pre-orders, here are some January romance releases I’m very excited for!

• Next Level Love by Shameez Patel

• For Our Next Song by Jessica James

• The Re-Do List by Denise Williams

• Two Left Feet by Kallie Emblidge

• We’ve Hit Turbulence by Jessica L. Cozzi

• Last First Kiss by Julian Winters

• Sunk in Love by Heather McBreen

• Playing for Keeps by Alexandria Bellefleur

Bonus recommendation!

My extremely talented dear friend Mara Williams’s second book, The Epicenter of Forever comes out on February 1! I was honored to have the chance to read and blurb this book earlier this year, and I think Past Me said it the best, so here are my thoughts:

“A rich, layered story about forgiveness, family, and starting over, The Epicenter of Forever is the kind of book that teaches you something about yourself and will leave your heart racing. Williams weaves her signature wit and lush prose through a California landscape filled with big trees, bigger feelings, and love that shakes the world. This was the most magical, immersive, heart-pounding read I’ve had in ages. The Epicenter of Forever is a triumph of emotion from a stunning voice in fiction.”

In other words: YOU NEED THIS BOOK!!! It will change your life!

You can also pre-order a signed copy of The Epicenter of Forever(that comes with lots of pretty goodies) here!

Until next time!

Isabelle <3

I have some super exciting news that I’ve been dying to share for a while now! My debut romantic comedy novel, Most Eligible, is a January Book of the Month selection! * screams *

I’m very overwhelmed with gratitude and joy and a heck of a lot of imposter syndrome about this, but I’m so excited for this opportunity for Most Eligible to find readers. I have been a BOTM subscriber for a while and seeing my book on their website is truly wild! Like, am I hallucinating?

So if you’re interested in making my joyful, zany rom-com your Book of the Month pick, click the link below! And check out the other January picks and add-ons as well - so many great books, and many choices for romance readers!

Make Most Eligible your BOTM

Here’s a few of the lovely things BOTM said about Most Eligible:

It means SO much to me that the female friendships are called out in the ‘good to know’ section! The amazing cast of women on my weird little fictional reality show were so much fun to write, and are so special to me. Seeing other people see that is such a dream come true! See below: “connections can exist where we least expect them.” I hope that my fictional friends become yours too. <3

PLUS: on an unrelated note, Most Eligible (and so many amazing 2026 releases) is currently 25% off from Barnes & Noble through their pre-order sale! (sale ends today 1/1!)
Code: PREORDER25

25% off you say?

Until next time! (Which will be sooner than usual!)

Isabelle

My debut novel, Most Eligible, comes out in less than two months. Am I calm? No. Am I excited? Yes! I’ll keep it brief, but wanted to send a newsletter with all the relevant info about pre-ordering the book, pre-order bonuses, and my book tour schedule (!!!!)

I’m super excited to share my event schedule for the launch of Most Eligible! If you’re located in the DC/MD/VA or MA/RI areas, I’m coming to a city/town near you!!! Links and details below for the evening events, and on my website with the full schedule.

Most Eligible Book Tour

Evening Event Details & Ticket Links:

• Tuesday, January 13, 2026 (publication day!) 7pm EST— at East City Bookshop in Washington, DC

  • In conversation with Ava Wilder

  • This event will be hybrid, so you can join in person or online!

DC Tickets!

• Tuesday, January 20, 2026, 7pm EST — at Lovestruck Books in Cambridge, MA

  • In conversation with Betty Cayouette

Cambridge Tickets!

• Thursday, January 22, 2026, 6:30pm EST — at Barrington Books in Barrington, RI (my hometown bookstore!)

  • In conversation with Penelope Ward

Barrington Tickets!

Bonus signing events: (Stop by to get a signed copy of my book, meet me (I’m really nice!), get a Most Eligible-themed temporary tattoo, and be home before dinner!)

• Saturday, January 17 at Friends to Lovers in Alexandria, VA from 12-3pm

• Friday, January 23 at The Little Bubblegum Bookshop in Providence, RI from 4-6pm

• Sunday, February 1 at Curious Iguana in Frederick, MD from 2-3pm

How can I get a copy of Most Eligible?

Pre-orders are open now! Use the links below to buy your copy now and get it on publication day. It’s a good book, if I do say so myself, and I think you’ll enjoy it. Library Journal called Most Eligible a “must-read” and it was also featured on “Most Anticipated” lists from Women.com and SheReads. I’m still in shock!

• Pre-order a signed copy from East City Bookshop

• Pre-order from any retailer - You can also pre-order from your favorite independent bookstore by searching on their website or using Bookshop.org!

  • Submit proof of preorder and receive an exclusive art print! 🌹

What formats will Most Eligible be available in?

ALL the formats! Yes, audio too! You can pre-order Most Eligible in your preferred format; print, e-book, or audio, here. (Button to choose format found on the right-hand side.)

Pre-Order! <3

How else can I support you as a debut author?

Thanks for asking! Pre-ordering the book obviously helps a lot, as it shows my publisher that people are clamoring for Most Eligible, and more books written by me! But there are other ways to support me too: You can request Most Eligible from your local library (yes, even before publication!) by filling out your library’s “Suggest a Title” form (usually called something like that). Word of mouth is also hugely important! Telling people “my friend/college roommate/frequent grocery store customer Isabelle wrote a book and it’s coming out in January” (preferably with a tone of excitement) will get the word out!

Thanks for reading, and hope you’re staying warm!
<3 ~ Isabelle

It feels like January is a million years away and also right around the corner. January 13 is the date Most Eligible publishes, and I am kind of in shock at how quickly it’s coming up. I’ll probably be popping into your inbox a little sooner than usual in the coming months with some updates and news!

First, I wanted to share a link to the Feeding America website. There are a lot of great food banks out there and many options for where you can choose to donate, but if you are overwhelmed by the options, this is a great place to start. They also posted this guide for how to help people affected by SNAP uncertainty. Raising awareness, donating items, and donating money if you are able are all helpful and all needed.

Signed Copies:

I’m thrilled to be partnering with my favorite local bookstore, East City Bookshop, to do signed and personalized copies of Most Eligible! If you preorder through East City, your copy will be signed by yours truly. The East City team is phenomenal and they have the absolute best selection of romance, and a wonderful line up of romance events as well! If you’re in the area, I’d definitely recommend paying them a visit!

East City Pre-Order

The Most Eligible Audiobook:

I LOVE audiobooks!!! I read a lot via audio and so do several of my family members, so it’s really special to me that my book will publish via audio simultaneously with the print and e-book editions! I’m so grateful to the Macmillan Audio team and to our fabulous narrator Amanda Leigh Cobb (seriously, she is PHENOMENAL!!!) for putting together the audiobook! My oldest brother is only able to read via audiobook, and he has told me a few times that he’s waiting until he can listen to the official audio to read my book. His other option is having my dad read it out loud to him (which has been offered!) but I think the professional narration will be a good way to go.

Pre-Order the Most Eligible audiobook!

Here are a few of my favorite audiobooks that I’ve listened to recently, in case you’re looking for something to listen to this fall:

• A Flicker in the Dark, by Stacy Willingham, read by Karissa Vacker

• Thank you for Listening, written and read by Julia Whelan

• Everything I Never Told You, by Celeste Ng, read by Cassandra Campbell

• I’m Glad My Mom Died, written and read by Jennette McCurdy

• Girls and Their Horses, by Eliza Jane Brazier, read by Helen Laser

• Sunrise on the Reaping, by Suzanne Collins, read by Jefferson White

• The Art of Catching Feelings, by Alicia Thompson, read by Kristen Sieh (all of Alicia’s books are fantastic on audio!)

• Twice in a Lifetime, by Briana J. Newstead, read by Connor Swindells and Shalom Brune-Franklin

My mom loves audio too, and recently started listening to Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, which she tells me is a lot of fun!

Would you like to listen to the Most Eligible audiobook early? You can enter a giveaway on The StoryGraph now through November 18!

Audiobook Giveaway!

A few other fun things: Most Eligible was featured in Library Journal’s romance genre preview along with so many fantastic titles! And was named one of Women.com’s most anticipated books for Winter 2025/26. It’s quite surreal to see my little book out there next to so many authors I admire, and to see the outpouring of positivity and support from early readers! Thank you so much to everyone who has read early and everyone who is excited to read when the book comes out. Your support means the world to me!

What I’m reading…

• Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy — a recommendation from my dad!

Until next time,

Isabelle :)

Most Eligible comes out in a little less than 3 months, which is… wild! I’m here to tell you about why Fall is my favorite season and to share a fun giveaway I’m running!

Preorder Most Eligible

ARC Giveaway!

I have a few extra advanced copies of Most Eligible, so I figured I’d do a little giveaway! Sign up now at the link below for the chance to receive a physical ARC of Most Eligible, lightly personalized by yours truly. I’ll highlight some of my favorite passages, and may even include a joke or two that didn’t make the final cut 😏 I’ll also send you an art print of this gorgeous character art. I’ll plan to leave the sign up open for a week, but may close it early or extend it depending on interest, and will choose the winner randomly! 😍 (US only due to shipping cost, thank you for understanding!)

Giveaway!

Why Fall is My Favorite Season:

I just love Fall. I’m from New England, which is the perfect place to enjoy Fall weather (is Fall supposed to be capitalized?) To be totally honest, I’m not a Pumpkin Spice Latte person and I’m embarrassed to say that I never think about my Halloween costumes that far in advance. I just love the weather in the Fall - the hint of cold, the smell of leaves, apple cider doughnuts (!!!). SWEATERS! I love sweaters. I have so many sweaters. I also love vests but haven’t ventured into sweater vests yet. Maybe this is the year.

Fall always makes me a little bit homesick because where I’m from, all of that is so magnified. I said yesterday to my boyfriend that I just wanted to lay eyes on a farm at some point this season, so hopefully we’ll make that happen. I think in order to stay sane, I need at least one day of pastoral frolicking per season. (Bonus points if I can also pet farm animals alongside children one fifth my age!) We went strawberry picking in the summer, so we’re due for another farm trip soon!

What I’m reading and watching:

• Female Fantasy by Iman Hariri-Kia, which is fabulous!

• Soul Searching by Lyla Sage, perfect for ghost-y season!

• Watching: Just finished season 4 of Breaking Bad (I’m watching for the first time). WHAT a wild ride.

Until next time,
Isabelle

Preorder Most Eligible!

I am here to share some exciting news! In collaboration with my publisher, we have put together a fabulous pre-order campaign for Most Eligible! I am so excited about it! The question is, how many exclamation points will I use in this newsletter to demonstrate my excitement? My guess is 15-20.

Preorder Most Eligible!

Details:

If you pre-order Most Eligible (in any format, including audio and e-book!), you can receive an exclusive art print inspired by the book by the immensely talented Alessandra Berenato! Simply upload your receipt at the link below along with your information, and a print of this beautiful art will be sent your way. 😘 And stay tuned as well for possible info about signed copies!

Pre-order Campaign!

Without further ado… behold… The art!!!

I am still in disbelief over how incredibly this character art of Georgia and Rhett turned out! Alessandra is such a talented artist and I was so excited when she said she’d be able to bring my characters to life. The second I saw this art, I was head over heels in love! This is pretty much exactly how I pictured Georgia and Rhett, right down to the thigh slit in her dress and the way he’s looking at her 😭 And this scene is one of my favorites in the book.

The Bachelor meets Funny You Should Ask in this laugh-out-loud rom-com debut about a journalist who goes on reality TV only to find her country music star one-night stand is the host. Publishing January 13, 2026 🌹 When you pre-order Most Eligible, submit your receipt to receive an exclusive art print inspired by the book while supplies last!

What I’m reading/about to be reading:

• Twice in a Lifetime by Briana J. Newstead — I had the immense privilege of beta reading TIAL in 2023 (how has that much time passed?!) and was utterly captivated by Briana’s lush, poignant prose and the top-notch, incredibly romantic chemistry between the leads, Caleb and Jo. I’m listening to the audio now and it is absolutely incredible. The narrators brought these two to life so perfectly!

• Honey and Heat by Aurora Palit — I have been looking forward to this book ever since I read the blurb— one night stand + opposites attract + workplace romance?!

• Female Fantasy by Iman Hariri Kia — one of my most anticipated books of the year! Coming October 14, 2025! Get ready for a mermaid girl fall!

Until next time!

~ Isabelle

PS: I was almost right on the money 22 exclamation points used (I would put one here, but that would make my data inaccurate). And please note that I did write this and then have to change it because I added three more exclamation marks.

Popping into your inbox to let you know that Most Eligible (my debut romcom coming in January 2026) is currently ON SALE!! If you preorder now through Friday, September 5 from Barnes and Noble, you can get 25% off all formats (print, e-book, audio) with the discount code PREORDER25. Please note that this sale is only available to B&N Rewards and Premium members (and Premium members get an additional 10% off!), but it is free to become a Rewards member (Details here).

B&N Preorder

If you preorder, please hang onto your receipts! I’ll have some more details soon about some fun goodies you can get if you preorder! :)

Now, through September 15, you can also enter to win 1 of 100 advanced copies through a Goodreads giveaway! Best of luck!

Enter the Giveaway!

FAQ:

What other books should I consider preordering?

Here is a small sample (very much not an exhaustive list!) of great romances coming out in the next several months, that you can preorder during this sale!

2025 Books:

• Some Kind of Famous by Ava Wilder

• Female Fantasy by Iman Hariri-Kia

• Ladies in Hating by Alexandra Vasti

• Honey and Heat by Aurora Palit

• It’s Different This Time by Joss Richard

• Never Over by Clare Gilmore

2026 Books:

• The Epicenter of Forever by Mara Williams

• Love and Other Brain Experiments by Hannah Brohm

• For Our Next Song by Jessica James — my publication day twin!

• We’ve Hit Turbulence by Jess Cozzi — another publication day twin!

• Next Level Love by Shameez Patel

• Last First Kiss by Julian Winters

• The Re-Do List by Denise Williams

• Racing Hearts by Ann Adams

• Sparring Partners by Erin Rose

• The Book Tour by Emily Ohanjanians

• Sunk in Love by Heather McBreen

• The Best I Never Had by Amy Buchanan

Why should I preorder?

A) It’s a gift to future you!

B) It helps authors — a lot! Preorders shows publishers the demand for a book before it is even out, and can lead to increased marketing, etc. Preorder numbers go into the first week of sales, which can increase a book’s chance of making a bestseller list. If you’re not able to preorder, you can also request from your local library, which is another great way to support!

C) If you preorder Most Eligible, you can receive a special little goody, so save your receipt! More details coming soon!

Thank you for reading this far! Here are two pictures of cows I took when I was in Vermont with my family last week:

Until next time,
Isabelle

I hope your summer is wrapping up nicely (but oh my gosh, it’s already the end of summer?!) I’m here with the last installment in my “Publishing Journey” series, where I’ll talk a bit about what my experience has been like since signing a 2 book deal with St. Martin’s Griffin for my debut novel, Most Eligible!

Preorder Most Eligible!

Add on Goodreads!

There is a lot I could talk about for an “after the book deal” post, but what I’ll mainly focus on is the overall process and timeline, plus a bit about the edits I worked on with my editor.

Disclaimer: Everyone’s experience is WILDLY different in publishing! The below timeline is how things unfolded for me over the last year, but is not, by any means, indicative of what the process looks like for others.

Before I get into it, I also want to shout out a great opportunity for un-agented romance writers! The SmoochPit mentorship program. I was a mentee in 2023 and a mentor this past year in 2024. I had a wonderful experience and highly recommend this program to romance writers interested in traditional publishing! I will be mentoring again this year — for more info about what I’m looking for, you can check out my profile!

SmoochPit Info

My Approximate Publishing Timeline:

June 2024: First call with my editor at St. Martin’s Griffin.

July 2024: Book deal announced on Publisher’s Marketplace! It’s all starting to feel real…

August 2024: Receive round 1 of edits from editor! The main things we focused on were: clarifying the ending of the book, developing side characters more, and amping up certain sequences in terms of pacing and action. I was really excited about all of these edits, especially with the side characters because they are some of my favorite parts of the book! And the action sequences were especially fun to work on. Taking a previously sedentary sequence of scenes and shoving it into a paintball sequence? Sign me up!

September 2024: At the end of September, after many bleary early morning writing sessions, I sent the revised manuscript off to my editor, Kelly.

October 2024: Receive round 2 of edits! This time around, the edits were less extensive, but there was still work to be done! I worked on clarifying certain character arcs, differentiating more between when Georgia is acting for the evil reality TV cameras and when she’s being genuine, and digging a little deeper into her relationship to her parents.

Also in October/November: Book re-titled! I’ll probably do a separate newsletter post on all the titles this book has had over the process, but I’m so, so happy with Most Eligible and where we landed.

Beginning of December 2024: Turned in nearly-final edits!

January 2025: Receive sensitivity reader feedback. I was so happy to have the opportunity to work with a sensitivity reader on Most Eligible, specifically for the side character Brooklyn, who uses a wheelchair. It was really important to me to have accurate and well-rounded representation, and the sensitivity reader was instrumental in helping make that happen! I made a few small changes based on the sensitivity reader’s feedback before the book went to copy edits.

In the meantime: I worked with my editor on a list of authors to contact for blurbs and filled out the publisher’s author questionnaire, listing everything from my social media profiles to interests to inspiration for the book to potential family members who could help promote it. I also had a conversation with my editor about my pitches for book 2!

March 2025: Receive copy edits.
What this looks like: Getting a big ol’ word doc with hundreds of changes that promptly makes my computer crash. Also, learning that I do not know how to use commas. I went in and reviewed each note made by the fabulous copy editors, ranging from comma usage to continuity questions.

I also received my “Style Sheet” — a document detailing all of the unique language and writing things in the book that we had to make sure were formatted the same each time, for example:

The document was also marked with some very fancy Word formatting, which lets the publishing team know about formatting needs of certain words/sections.

April 2025: Worked on writing an author letter for the marketing team. This was hugely intimidating to me for some reason and I put it off for a long time. Why was writing 400 words about why I wrote the book harder than writing the entire 90k word novel? I’m really proud of the author letter I ultimately wrote though, because I got to highlight a number of aspects about the book that are important to me: for example, the strong friendships among the women being pitted against each other by reality TV producers.

May 2025: First pass for review. This is the formatted version of the book — I read through it and noted typos, etc., as well as formatting questions. This was done in Adobe. It was SO cool to see the book in such pretty fonts and all formatted — tiny sneak peak below!

After this, there were occasional other queries that came up from proof readers, which we dealt with on a case by case basis. The biggest of which involved keeping better track of the heroine’s undergarments in one scene in the middle of the book.

July 2025: Most Eligible went up on NetGalley, which is a site where reviewers for books can read it early and post feedback. The version up on NetGalley is pre-proof reading, so if you come across a typo or formatting error, this is totally normal. This was something that surprised me to learn when I started reading books on NetGalley!

Request on NetGalley!

August 2025: This month, I turned in a first draft of my second book for St. Martin’s! It was very overwhelming to draft this on top of the above schedule (and my day job), but I’m really proud of the book I ended up writing. It is still hugely messy and needs a ton of work, but turning it in felt like such a big weight off my shoulders.

So there you have it! A very abbreviated timeline of the last year and change in my publishing journey. Not pictured: me being cranky at having to wake up early to work on edits, tears over book 2 when it wasn’t working, the euphoria over seeing the physical advanced copies!!!!, accidentally seeing ratings on Goodreads and promptly locking myself out… and more…

And as a reminder, Most Eligible is available to preorder wherever you get your books! If you do preorder, make sure to save your receipt :) — I’ll have some more details soon!

If you’ve made it this far in this rambling newsletter, thank you! Here are some book recommendations to brighten your day:

• Swept Away by Beth O’Leary — I was SWEPT AWAY by this book! It is overwhelmingly romantic and the stakes are so high that my heart was pounding the entire time.

• Love is a War Song by Danica Nava — so sweet and cute — the cowboy romance you NEED to be reading.

• The Truth is in the Detours by Mara Williams — sad summer is ending and wish you could hop on a gorgeous road trip? Why not read this book instead?

• The Summers Between Us by Noreen Nanja — literally the perfect summer beach read.

• As a complete left turn from these romance recs, I just started watching the original Walking Dead show and have been pleasantly surprised by the amount of romance and interpersonal drama! Highly recommend if you are not bothered by entrails (which I am, so that’s been a bit tough).

Until next time!

Isabelle <3

I’m popping in with a quick note to let you know that Most Eligible (my debut romcom coming in January 2026) is currently ON SALE!! If you preorder now through July 11 from Barnes and Noble, you can get 25% off all formats (print, e-book, audio)! Yes, TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT OFF with the discount code PREORDER25. Please note that this sale is only available to B&N Rewards and Premium members (and Premium members get an additional 10% off!), but it is free to become a Rewards member (Details here).

B&N Preorder

And no, this sale does not mean that if you preorder at 25% off, you’ll get 25% less book. How else would you know if Georgia and Rhett end up together??

If you’re thinking, Isabelle, why the heck would I preorder a book six months in advance? Can’t I just buy it when it comes out?

The short answer is yes! I will be so grateful if you buy the book in any shape or form, or if you request it from your library.

The long answer is… Preorders do actually matter for authors! It shows publishers the demand for a book before it is even out, and can lead to increased marketing, etc. Preorder numbers go into the first week of sales, which can increase a book’s chance of making a bestseller list. Plus, preordering a book is like a little gift for future you :) So if you can, please preorder or consider requesting Most Eligible from your library! <3

There are soooo many great books to preorder during this sale! Here are a few I recommend that are coming out soon… (all romances)

• The Truth is in the Detours by Mara Williams

• August Lane by Regina Black

• Roll for Romance by Lenora Woods

• Love is a War Song by Danica Nava

• Every Step She Takes by Alison Cochrun

• Love at First Sighting by Mallory Marlowe

• Anywhere With You by Ellie Palmer

• Female Fantasy by Iman Hariri-Kia

• Love and Other Brain Experiments by Hannah Brohm

And one bonus non-romance rec: The Belles by Lacey Dunham, a fabulous fellow DC-based writer!

One last thing before I go — there’s still time to enter the Goodreads giveaway for your chance to win 1 of 100 advanced reader copies! Enter now through July 15!

Goodreads Giveaway

Until next time,
Isabelle

I am SO EXCITED to finally be able to share the cover of my debut novel, Most Eligible! From the very beginning of writing, this book was pink to me, so when I saw this cover it immediately felt perfect. This book is so special to me—when I started writing, my main goal was to have fun. Writing it was an incredibly joyful experience and I hope it will be a joyful experience for readers as well.

The cover designer Olga Grlic and the team at St. Martin’s Griffin did such a fabulous job capturing the vibes and spirit of the book. Not to mention the incredibly kind and amazing blurb from THE Ava Wilder, one of my favorite authors of all time. I can’t even begin to explain how obsessed I am with Ava’s books and how much it means to me that she was not only generous enough to read Most Eligible, but also that she liked it! (You can preorder Ava’s forthcoming book here!)

Without further ado…

Preorder Most Eligible!

MOST ELIGIBLE will release on January 13, 2026, but is available for pre-order now!

Preorders are extremely important for authors (especially debut authors like me!), as they allow publishers to gauge demand and excitement about a book. I, for one, am extremely excited, and I hope you are too!

I’ll be sharing the cover on Instagram tomorrow — until then, mum’s the word! ;)

Preorder Links:

All Links

Barnes & Noble

Amazon

Books-A-Million

Bookshop.org (to order from your favorite independent bookstore)

Indigo (for my Canadian friends!)

You can also add the book on Goodreads (for free!) if you would like!

And if you don’t have a favorite independent bookstore, but would like to shop indie, let me humbly suggest these independent bookstores near me and near my hometown: East City Books (D.C.), Barrington Books (Rhode Island), Lovestruck Books (Massachusetts).

About Most Eligible:

Miss Congeniality meets The Bachelor in this action-packed rom-com debut about an investigative journalist who sneaks onto reality TV only to fall for the wrong guy.

Georgia Rose is not going on the hit reality dating show Love Shack to find love. She’s there to write a killer exposé on the producers, which will guarantee the journalism job of her dreams. But when Georgia’s unforgettable one-night stand from the year before, country singer Rhett Auburn, steps into the Malibu mansion as the season’s new host, all of her carefully crafted plans unravel.

Caught up in the drama of backstabbing contestants, producer blackmail, and death-defying dates, Georgia must keep her identity—and history with Rhett—a secret. Despite the lies between them, it isn’t long before Georgia and Rhett’s heated behind-the-scenes moments start to feel more genuine than the romance Georgia’s faking for the cameras. But with her assignment unfinished and the executive producer on her tail, a second chance with Rhett could be her riskiest move of all.

Preorder Most Eligible!

Add on Goodreads!

Once more for the road…

Thank you so much for your support on this journey — it means the world to me! <3

Until next time,
Isabelle

My last newsletter post was about embracing a ‘year of yay,’ and trying to take time to enjoy the writing and reading process. This is an ongoing project for me, and so far in 2025 I have a good reading rhythm going, a bit like a snowball effect. The more I read, the more I want to read! But if I get stuck and don’t read for a while, it takes longer to get back into it.

Before I get into my story about reading The Goldfinch, I want to quickly shout out the lovely Nicole Barton, who had me as a guest on her podcast this week! I was very honored to be invited and had a great time talking with Nicole.

Link to episode on Spotify:

Link to episode on Apple Podcasts:

Subscribe now

My slowest read…

When I was a freshman in college, I read The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt for the first time. I got a copy from the university library, so it didn’t have the usual cover—it was brown and leathery and felt quite academic. I already knew most of the story because a few years earlier, my dad had read it and would recount bits to me whenever I saw him.

Here’s the blurb of The Goldfinch, if you’re not familiar:

Aged thirteen, Theo Decker, son of a devoted mother and a reckless, largely absent father, survives an accident that otherwise tears his life apart. Alone and rudderless in New York, he is taken in by the family of a wealthy friend. He is tormented by an unbearable longing for his mother, and down the years clings to the thing that most reminds him of her: a small, strangely captivating painting that ultimately draws him into the criminal underworld. As he grows up, Theo learns to glide between the drawing rooms of the rich and the dusty antiques store where he works. He is alienated and in love - and his talisman, the painting, places him at the centre of a narrowing, ever more dangerous circle.

Like Theo carries this painting around, I brought my library book to the dining hall every time I ate alone that year (which was often!) and as a result, it took me about 9 months to finish the book. Thankfully I was able to keep renewing the library loan. To be honest, it was the perfect way to experience this book, since it takes place over such a huge expanse of Theo’s life. Reading it was like diving back into a gritty but cozy world that I didn’t totally understand but never wanted to leave.

Last year, I decided to reread The Goldfinch. I didn’t remember too much of the plot and wanted to see if I would have the same visceral, blown away reaction that I did the first time.

The answer was yes and no. There were certain parts of the book that took me literal months to get through, and certain parts that hit me entirely differently than they had the first time. There were parts that I was less convinced by than my first read (Theo’s love for Pippa being one), and parts that I had to set aside for a few days because they were too heavy. All in all, it was a very different reading experience.

But just like the first time, it took me about 9 months to get through the whole book. Reading it so slowly had me forgetting some things along the way, but it was also a fantastic way to slow my brain down and focus on the beauty of the writing.

Spoilers in the following paragraph!
This second time around, I was extremely moved by Theo’s realization of his mother’s absence (this isn’t a big spoiler), as well as the moment later in the book when he is reconnected with the painting. It has some of the most beautiful ‘coming home’ language I’ve ever read.

I MEAN HOW GORGEOUS IS THIS?!?! Maybe it was the mood I was in, but I was moved to tears. “I was different, but it wasn’t.”

Writing this post felt like being an English major all over again (but really, do we ever stop being English majors?) and if you’ve gotten this far, thank you for reading! I love this book, and if you read it, I hope you do too.

What I’m reading… (more quickly than 9 months per book)

I just finished reading Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo with my boyfriend, and it was a darkly thrilling, engrossing, wild ride! For fans of dark academia, fantasy, secret societies, and secrets in general. I also read Flirting with Disaster by Naina Kumar, which takes the “snowed in” trope to a whole new level: “hurricaned-in-with-your-ex-husband.” It was delightful. Now I’m off to start an advanced copy of Backhanded Compliments by Katie Chandler, which is “a steamy sapphic romance with a fantastical twist about two bitter tennis rivals who realize they are reluctant soulmates” — sounds incredible!

I’m also watching the tv show The Pitt on HBO, which is like a grittier, less sexy Grey’s Anatomy. Highly recommend!

That’s all for now. Until next time!

~ Isabelle