Author Spotlight: Kelly Reynolds
Romance Advocate, Podcaster, & Writer
When I first started reading romance novels in March of 2020, I fell into a world I kinda knew (words and stories) and kinda didn’t. Because Romancelandia, like many genres within the storytelling realm, has its own vocabulary and norms and expectations. I was trying so hard to reconcile what I was reading with what I already knew, and it wasn’t working. Remember, I grew up reading horror, thriller, and mystery novels. And was overeducated on the classics. Yeah, I knew fantasy, but romance fantasy and paranormal was unlike anything I had ever read. I wanted more info, but was kinda clueless. And I was afraid to ask for info in groups, because hello, social anxiety is my baseline. People were throwing around what seemed like simple initialism (TSTL, HEA, PNR,...) and I felt really really dumb for not knowing what they meant.
So, I spent a lot of time googling stuff. Y’all, be careful with that. Some things cannot be unseen. Ugh! But I did learn that there’s way more to reading romance than understanding the genrespeak in groups. And along my journey to learn more, I stumbled upon a podcast and Facebook page for Boobies & Noobies, created and hosted by Kelly Reynolds.
After the obligatory giggles subsided, I followed the page on both FB and Instagram and dove into the podcast episodes, learning as much as I could from the conversations about books I had never heard of by authors I was equally clueless about. And even though I didn’t know the books, the discussions were great. They were funny, energetic, and sometimes took a critical eye to elements of the stories being discussed. I found a weird sense of comfort in that.
You see, I was still finding my comfort zone with understanding and enjoying romance novels. The book snob in me wasn’t extinguished quite yet, and those discussions helped frame what was read into language I understood: tropes, themes, plot elements, character development, etc. But it was what went beyond those things that really made the biggest impact. It was the open and candid discussion of seggsy times in the books. The normalization of relationships and the open door elements of them. And the words that come with those expectations. It was the candor around words that worked and words that were cringy. Same for situations. Because, let’s be real, not all situations in all books are designed for comfort. And that’s amazing! But then some situations brought up discussions of trigger warnings and problematic writing. And I learned sooo much! SO MUCH!
Most recently, I’ve been really drawn to episodes of Tit Talk. Rather than focusing on a specific book, Kelly and her co-hosts and guests discuss relevant topics on everything from the five star book rating system to unlikeable heroines in romance novels. Once again, another great learning opportunity for new and experienced romance readers alike.
Kelly’s always had a way with words, and in late 2022, she made the leap from reader to writer when she published her first novella, Meet Me in Los Feliz. I was so excited to get an ARC copy and couldn’t wait to see how Kelly’s thoughts and ideas on romance novels translated to her own writing. I was definitely not disappointed. She incorporated so many under-represented and under-utilized elements of romance into a character driven story I embraced from page one. It was really refreshing. And Meet Me in Los Feliz was the perfect holiday bite-sized treat, too. She followed it up a year later with Venice, Actually, and once again I fell in love with her characters from the very beginning. They’re real, relevant, relatable, and so much fun. Oh, yeah, and seriously steamy. I mean, damn, y’all. The spice is right!
I got the chance to meet Kelly in real life at the HEA Reader Event in Indianapolis this fall. And she is just as hilarious and awesome in person as she is online. It was actually kinda cool because I didn’t feel awkward around her at all. Maybe watching her videos and knowing what her voice sounded like already provided some level of familiarity and comfort. Or maybe it’s just her outgoing persona. But I felt instantly at ease. And that’s saying something, y’all.
I can’t wait to see Kelly in person again! And I get to do that in April at Charm City Romanticon in April 2024. She’ll be one of the Rising Star Authors on April 6th!
Just the Facts about Kelly Reynolds
First book I read by Kelly: Meet Me in Los Feliz
What I love most about her books: Real, relatable characters
Fave book by Kelly: So far, it’s Venice, Actually
Fave Kelly character: Killian from Venice, Actually
Fave Kelly cover: Venice, Actually
Get all the info about Kelly in both her author and podcastery lives through her Linktree:
Connect with Kelly and Boobies & Noobies
You can grab Kelly’s books on Amazon
You can find Kelly on social media here: Facebook Boobies Instagram Kelly Reynolds’ author Instagram TikTok
Patreon group: Join Kelly's Patreon
