Author Ellie K. Wilde on Writing Feel-Good Romance for the Reality TV Obsessed
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If you’re craving a spicy romance filled with laugh-out-loud banter, swoony green flag heroes, and heroines who can hold their own, Ellie K. Wilde should be on your radar.
In today’s What to Read Next podcast episode, I sat down with Ellie to talk about her latest romance, Only Between Us—a football romance that can be read as a standalone—and her upcoming surfing romance that flips the script with a female pro athlete lead.
But we didn’t just talk books. We bonded over our shared love for peak reality TV drama. (Vanderpump Rules season 2? Iconic. Love Island USA this year? Unhinged.) And Ellie gets it—why a good romance novel, like good reality TV, is about chemistry, chaos, and that addictive feeling of escape.
Why You’ll Love Ellie’s Books
Ellie’s writing hits that perfect sweet spot between spicy and soft. Her books are not quite rom-coms but packed with banter, feel-good energy, and sweet heroes who are secure, respectful, and completely obsessed with their love interest.
Her current series is on Kindle Unlimited, making it the perfect weekend binge. Start with Only Between Us—a fun opposites-attract story featuring a scrappy heroine and a secretly smitten football player.
And keep an eye out for book three, coming in February, which features a pink-loving competitive surfer and the man who proudly wears glitter “Team Summer” merch to support her. Yes, please.
What We Talked About
- Why Ellie started writing romance after bingeing thrillers during the Gone Girl era
- How writing “green flag” book boyfriends became her signature
- Her favorite reality TV eras (Vanderpump, The Hills, Flavor of Love—remember those?!)
- The difference between today’s influencer-heavy shows vs. the messy reality TV of the 2010s
- Why her upcoming surfing romance flips the sports romance trope in the best way
- Recent romance reads she’s loving
📚 Books Mentioned
Only Between Us by Ellie K. Wilde — Buy on Amazon | Sports Romance, Contemporary Romance | KU ✅
Not Safe for Work by Nisha J. Tuli — Buy on Amazon | Workplace Romance, Contemporary | Audio ✅
Winging It With You by Chip Pons — Buy on Amazon | Fake Dating, Reality TV Romance | Audio ✅
Related Author Interviews:
- Exploring Magical Realism and Romance: An Interview with Author Melissa Weisner
- Exploring Small Town and Mafia Romances with Charity Ferrell
- 4 Books Elsie Silver Can’t Stop Talking About
Listen Now
🎧 Catch the full episode wherever you listen to podcasts.
📬 Subscribe to our Substack for more author chats, reading guides, and cozy book life tips: wtrnblog.substack.com
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