The Angsty Romance You Need This Year | The Write Off by Kara McDowell

From What to Read Next Podcast l Book Recommendation Show by Laura R Yamin

April 11, 2026 · 19 min

About this episode

Laura R Yamin interviews Kara McDowell about her novel 'The Write-Off', exploring themes of romance and writing.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. What happens when the one that got away becomes the inspiration for your bestselling book boyfriend… and then walks back into your life? In this episode, I sit down with Kara McDowell to talk about her latest novel, The Write-Off —a second chance romance packed with college nostalgia, writer drama, and all the angst we love. We dive into dual timelines, messy twenties, and why sometimes love only works the second time around. We also chat about balancing writing and motherhood, the “glass vs. plastic balls” metaphor for life, and Kara shares her favorite contemporary romance reads right now. 📚 Books Mentioned The Write-Off by Kara McDowell — Contemporary Romance | Audio ✅ Is She Really Going Out With Him? by Sophie Cousens — Contemporary Romance | Audio ✅ The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center — Romantic Comedy | Audio ✅ Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood — Contemporary Romance | Audio ✅ If It Makes You Happy by Julie Olivia — Small Town Romance | Audio ✅ Birding with Benefits by Sarah T. Dubb — Contemporary Romance | Audio ✅ ⏱️ Time Stamps [00:00] – Meet Kara McDowell…

People in this episode

Guest: Kara McDowell

Topics covered

angsty romance
second chance romance
college nostalgia
writer drama
messy twenties

Keywords

contemporary romance
books
writing
motherhood

Mentioned in this episode

Products: The Write-Off, Is She Really Going Out With Him?, The Rom-Commers

Books & works: The Angsty Romance You Need This Year, The Write Off, The Write-Off, The Rom-Commers, Problematic Summer Romance, If It Makes You Happy, Birding with Benefits, Inside The Write-Off