What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write The One Who’s Too Perfect (Lizzie Finds the One Book 2)?
This book was kind of personal, but not in a tell-all memoir kind of way. I’ve never fake-dated the first-round NFL draft pick—which honestly feels like an oversight on my part. There were many reasons why things didn’t work out with the guys I dated. Some of those reasons were the men. There were some real head-scratchers in there. But if we’re being honest, a lot of those reasons were me. I was too picky, overanalytical, too why does he breathe like that? I did date a guy who was perfect. And I mean like my friends still bring him up as if he’s some rare unicorn that got away perfect. But I just couldn’t see it at the time. If we’d been ten years older, if I’d had my act together, if Mercury had been in retrograde—who knows? So, I took all of the missed chances, the bad decisions, the how did I not realize this guy was The One moments and let them inspire me for this book that fits so well in my series Lizzy Finds the One. The series is a love letter to messy relationships, bad timing, and figuring things out way too late…but with more fake dating, more jumping off waterfalls, and more shirtless men. And no confirmed crying in my car.
If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of The One Who’s Too Perfect (Lizzie Finds the One Book 2), what would they be?
Lizzy Sheridan’s theme song? ‘Oops!… I Did It Again’ by Britney Spears because “I played with your heart, got lost in the game” is her official tagline.
James’ theme song is ‘Industry Baby’ by Lil Nas X & Jack Harlow. Because if there’s one thing James Thorley excels at—besides throwing a football, flashing a perfect, PR-friendly smile, and making every grandma in America adore him—it’s reminding you that he’s already won before you even realized there was a competition.
Rhys Cameron–easy. His theme song is ‘Say You Won’t Let Go’ by James Arthur. Cue eye roll. Cue dramatic sip of bourbon. Because underneath that ‘I don’t do feelings’ act, Rhys is exactly the type to love someone quietly, fiercely, and in ways that actually matter.
What’s your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?
Picking a favorite genre is like picking a favorite food. Or a favorite dog breed. Sure, I could say panang curry or English bulldogs, but that feels unfair to tacos and to my two mutts, whose sole purpose in life seems to be having absolutely no purpose. I’m equal opportunity when it comes to books. I literally enjoy reading everything. Like, I just finished the MindF*ck series by S.T. Abby. Those books are a twisty, turny, murderous, romantic ride. I honestly needed to check my moral compass after finishing them. Then I swung wildly in the other direction and picked up Good Energy by Casey Means, because I like to balance fictional murder sprees with optimizing my mitochondria. And then I just started We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker, because why not emotionally devastate myself now? As for writing? I love writing rom-coms because love is hard, life is weird, and people are disasters, and I find that deeply relatable. But if my next novel is a serial killer romance that I wrote while chugging a green smoothie and ugly-crying, don’t be surprised.
What books are on your TBR pile right now?
Right now, my TBR pile is judging me. Staring at me. Threatening to collapse and crush me in my sleep. At the top? Every Last Secret by A.R. Torre. Because who doesn’t love some psychological torture? I mean, in books. Not in life. Just to clarify. Then there’s James by Percival Everett, which—I don’t know how I know this—but I just know it’s going to change me on the inside. Like, deep in my bones. In ways I can’t explain yet but will absolutely text my friends about at 2 AM when I have an existential crisis over a single beautifully crafted sentence.
What scene in your book was your favorite to write?
My favorite part of the book to write was the not-so-happily-ever-after, followed by the happily-ever-after, which was then immediately topped off with the is-this-actually-a-happily-ever-after? moment. Life is not a straight line. It’s more of a chaotic zig-zag with an occasional accidental backflip into traffic. And I love writing those moments where you think you’ve reached the happy ending, only to have life go, ‘Ha! No. Try again.’ Like, the second my characters start to breathe easy, I throw something deeply inconvenient at them. A miscommunication. A weirdly timed ex-boyfriend sighting. A bird flying directly into someone’s face. Something real. (And I want to throw in a spoiler alert by saying that wasn’t a spoiler…because there is a full stop happily ever after in there. Or is there? No, just kidding. There is.)
Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)
I’ll randomly say words out loud as I’m typing, just to hear how they sound. Like, I’ll be deep in a scene, typing away, and suddenly— “bilious.” Or “dank.” Or, “moist.” And do these words fit in my book? No. Absolutely not. But will I force them in somewhere? You bet. Probably in some viscous, completely unnecessary description of soup. And then I’ll sit there, thinking, Is this too much? Has anyone ever actually described soup as viscous? Will my editor stage an intervention? But by then, I’m already emotionally attached, so it stays. So, that’s my process. Chaos, strange vocabulary choices, and a commitment to making soup sound deeply unsettling.
Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?
Technically, my motto is ‘Do what you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.’ But let’s be real—sometimes even the things you love feel like a lot. Like, I love writing. But have you ever stared at a blank document for three hours, typed six words, deleted five, and then wondered whether snail farming was a viable job? Because I have. So, I guess my real motto is: “Do what you love, but also accept that sometimes even your dream job will make you want to fling your laptop into the ocean. That’s normal. Just drink some coffee, kiss your mutt, and try again.”
If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?
Expect things you thought would never happen to happen in real life… because you’ll never know when you’ll get randomly selected for a TSA pat-down and the security officer has to tell you, ‘Miss, just the belt.’ That’s exactly the kind of moment I want people to take from my books—that life is unpredictable, embarrassing, hilarious, and sometimes just deeply unfair. Like, one minute you’re confidently strutting through the airport, and the next, you’re standing there—arms out, shoes off, being gently but firmly reminded you didn’t have to take your pants off. So, if there’s one thing I want readers to remember, it’s this: you never know what ridiculous, impossible, slightly mortifying moment life is about to throw at you—so just roll with it, laugh when you can, and wear pretty underwear.
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