Leeanne Slade burst onto the romance scene earlier this year with her bestselling Audible Original debut, The Rebound. We fell head-over-heels for Kitty and Leo’s love story, brought to life by narrator Claudia Jessie, best known for playing Eloise Bridgerton in Netflix’s Bridgerton series. The author is back with another delightful romance called Told You So, performed by The Morning Show’s Bel Powley, that tackles the question: Can you meet the love of your life at someone else’s wedding?

We caught up with the former UK radio advertising executive to talk about her favorite romance tropes to write and listen to, her all-star narrators, and what listeners can expect from her new rom-com.

Audible: Leeanne, congratulations on your huge success! Your Audible Original romance debut, The Rebound has a 4.8 rating with more than 2,000 glowing reviews. What can listeners expect from your new rom-com, Told You So?

Leanne Slade: Thank you so much! It's been a whirlwind, and I'm so thrilled listeners have embraced The Rebound. Told You So is another romantic comedy about Lucie, who, on the way to her best friend's wedding in Spain, is seated next to a world-famous psychic. The psychic tells her that by the end of the week, she will be with the love of her life. However, the only single men on the guest list are her sweetheart childhood best friend, the tattooed bad boy who got away, and the insufferably gorgeous best man that she absolutely despises! It was so much fun to write, full of sunshine, wine, and wacky wedding festivities. And I really leaned into everything I love about the genre, bringing in a mini "battle of the tropes" between friends-to-lovers, enemies-to-lovers, and second-chance romance.

I read that you used to work in advertising for some of the UK’s most iconic radio brands. What inspired you to change careers and become a full-time author? Did your background in radio help prepare you to write audio-first romances?

I'd been working in radio for over a decade, and whilst I loved the medium, I was desperate to make a change. Writing was a huge passion of mine when I was younger, but it wasn't until the birth of my first child in 2018 that I decided to attempt writing a novel. It felt like such a long shot to make a career out of it, but after many years of trying, I connected with my incredible literary agent who sent my book to the team at Audible. Releasing my books audio-first has felt so serendipitous—a true full-circle moment.

You’ve been lucky to work with two amazing narrators. The Rebound was narrated by Claudia Jessie, who plays Eloise Bridgerton in Netflix’s Bridgerton series, and Told You So is narrated by The Morning Show’s Bel Powley. Did you have any involvement in casting? Can you share any details behind the narration?

I have been so incredibly lucky to have Claudia and Bel on board for these projects—it has been a dream come true. I was sent a list of names by the casting team at Audible, and very quickly both Claudia and Bel became first choices. They both have such gorgeous tones to their voices; it is so easy to get lost in their narration. Claudia really brings out Kitty's humor and makes her unique situation feel relatable. Bel plays up Lucie's loving nature and brings so much heart to a character I absolutely adore. They are so talented—I'm in awe of both of them!

Your rom-coms are full of fresh, funny characters who feel like real people. Is there a character you’ve enjoyed writing the most? And/or, is there a character that reminds you of yourself?

Thank you! None of my characters are based on anyone real, but I think all of them have a little piece of me laced in there somewhere—whether that's Lucie's people-pleasing nature or Kitty's career in advertising, for example. My absolute favorite character to write, however, was Kitty's mum in The Rebound—she's a quirky, cat-obsessed divorcee whom I have nothing in common with, but she flew right out of me and onto the page!

What are your favorite romance tropes to write and listen to?

Would it be too revealing to say, "only one bed"? There's something so fun and playful about that particular one! A well-timed "who did this to you?" between two enemies can also get my feet kicking happily. I think a lot of romance tropes get a bad reputation for being cliché, but in the wise words of Taylor Swift, just because something is cliché it doesn't mean it's not awesome! Plus, romance authors do such a wonderful job of bringing fresh twists to the classics—there is always something new to love.

Do you have a favorite listen from this year that you can share with us?

So many authors are truly at the top of their game at the moment, so it’s tough to pick a favorite. But a few standouts are Emily Henry’s Happy Place, Lindsey Kelk’s Love Me Do, Kennedy Ryan’s Coming Home, and Abby Jimenez’s Yours Truly.