Podcast Summary: Chatting With NYT Bestseller BK Borison!
Podcast: I'll Read What She's Reading
Hosts: Reggie, Mikayla, and Kennedy
Guest: BK Borison, New York Times bestselling author
Date: October 15, 2025
Episode Theme:
A lively, in-depth conversation with romance author BK Borison, delving into her writing process, inspiration, upcoming books, and love for small towns, nostalgia, and magical realism. The hosts and guest share relatable insights, playful banter, and plenty of book recommendations for romance fans.
Main Episode Theme
The episode centers around an informal yet insightful interview with BK Borison, celebrated romance author known for her cozy small-town settings and 90s romcom-inspired novels. The conversation explores inspiration behind her books, character development, writing routines, the balance of humor and emotion in her work, cover design, inter-author community, and a sneak peek at new projects. The tone is enthusiastic, relatable, and deeply passionate about the romance genre.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Rapid Fire "This or That" with BK Borison [(00:58–07:00)]
- Trope preference: Enemies to lovers over friends to lovers
“Oh, I love a good enemy. Still lovers.” – BK Borison [01:10]
- Dream job: Tree Farm owner over radio host; loves the idea of disappearing into nature
“I’d love to disappear into a field of trees. That’s my job.” – BK Borison [01:26]
- Small town vs. big city: Prefers living in cities, but loves to romanticize small towns in fiction
“Fictional small towns...encompass all the things we crave in community... But the reality...is a little less romantic.” – BK Borison [02:25]
- Book format: Physical books. Has difficulty with audiobooks because her mind drifts
“I wish I could [listen to audiobooks]... but my brain tends to drift as soon as audio starts.” [03:00]
- Writing/reading chapters: Writes long chapters but enjoys reading short ones
“As a reader, short chapters. As an author, long chapters.” [04:23]
- Romance pacing: Always a slow-burn fan – loves the yearning and emotional buildup
“Slow burn. Always. I, as a reader, as a writer, I love the yearning. Everything about it.” [05:13]
- Point of view: Prefers dual POV at present but misses the mystery of single POV
“I’m really itching to write a single point of view again because I kind of like the mystery of that…” [05:36]
- Favorite season in Inglewild: Winter—loves the magic of the season on the farm
“There’s just something...really magical about writing it during that season.” [06:32]
2. Inspiration for Small Towns & Gilmore Girls Influence [(07:00–09:15)]
- Inglewild is inspired by real coastal towns in Maryland, especially Annapolis and Berlin.
- Major Gilmore Girls influence in terms of aesthetic and community vibe:
“Very Gilmore Girls esque, very romanticized version of what I want this little community to be.” – BK Borison [07:51]
- While her female characters aren’t direct copies of Rory or Lorelai, elements of their relationships inform her work, especially in First Time Caller.
3. Character Development—Personal Inspiration & Therapy on the Page [(09:15–12:40)]
- Characters are a blend of herself, observations from daily life, friends/family, media.
- Writing as a therapeutic process:
“Something that’s bothering me at the time always comes out in the book...Good Spirits, probably the most of any book. It was the most, like, trauma dumping of me to get out.” [09:32]
- Each book acts as a "bookmark" of where she was in life during its writing.
4. BookTok & Unexpected Success [(12:40–13:34)]
- First Time Caller far surpassed expectations, got massive response on TikTok and among readers.
- Initial uncertainty about its performance; team was surprised by its popularity.
5. The Heartstring Series: Radio Nostalgia & 90s RomCom Homage [(13:34–16:27)]
- First Time Caller and its sequels are directly inspired by 90s rom-coms:
- Book 1: Sleepless in Seattle
- Book 2: When Harry Met Sally
- Book 3: You’ve Got Mail
- Borison wanted to capture the nostalgic, comforting feel of radio and classic romcoms.
“The Heartstring series really romanticizes the idea of radio...” [13:34]
- Commentary on the current lack of female-driven romcoms in Hollywood; romance books are filling that void.
6. Dream Film Adaptations & Cover Art [(16:27–36:55)]
- Borison is open, but a bit hands-off, about casting her books for film/TV because her visions are so personal.
- Clear vision for some characters: Dakota Johnson as Lucy.
- The importance of cover design: actively involved in the process, collaborates closely with illustrators Brittany Keller and Miriam Strasberg.
“I annoy the crap out of my teams with the book cover stuff...Here’s a 14 page document on my very detailed thoughts...” [33:59]
- Unique, vibrant covers are intentional for discoverability and branding.
7. Writing Process: Structure, Messiness, & Creativity [(36:55–40:23)]
- Works on one book at a time; writing multiple projects splits her focus.
- First drafts are slow and sequential; spends 3–6 months per draft.
- Faster editing/revision phase once the core draft is done.
- Traditional publishing schedules require manuscripts to be ready a year in advance.
“My first draft takes the longest...But then the next draft is very, very quick....I can only work on one project at a time because if my brain splits up...the character starts sounding like the same.” [37:16]
8. Magical Realism & The Ghosted Series [(24:26–29:31)]
- Good Spirits features a ghost of Christmas Past haunting a modern woman—borrows Dickensian characters, infuses them with romance and a dose of "horny."
“I basically just borrowed the characters from Dickens and made them horny. That’s how I describe it.” [25:23]
- Enjoys injecting magical realism into cozy, relatable romance.
- Sequel (Ghosted 2) is Halloween-themed, continues the whimsical, supernatural vibe.
9. RomCom Tone: Balancing Humor & Heart [(20:07–21:35)]
- First draft focuses on plot; subsequent drafts emphasize “snappy” dialogue and natural banter.
“The best way to draft is if I’m not aware I’m drafting...just letting the characters take the wheel. That’s the sweet spot.” [21:09]
- Her books strive for an emotional yet lighthearted, authentic feel.
10. Reader/Author Community & Book Recommendations [(41:13–45:59)]
- Stresses importance of reading widely in the genre; takes reading “between rounds of drafting.”
- Favorite formative romance reads: Princess Diaries, The Hating Game by Sally Thorne.
- Strong ties with other romance authors, especially Sarah Adams; community provides support in an isolating career.
“It’s great to have someone to be a sounding board on all things authory.” [43:21]
- Even authors of wildly different styles/subgenres keep in touch—“The romance community is a lot smaller than people think.”
11. Fun Closers: Snacks & Current Obsessions [(46:47–end)]
- BK Borison loves chips, especially Maryland’s crab chips.
- Excited about Cat Sebastian’s upcoming release, Starship.
“Something about her writing does beautiful things to my brain and I’m just consumed entirely.” [48:16]
- Encourages listeners to preorder Good Spirits (multiple editions available with special features).
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On small towns in fiction:
“I like to romanticize the idea of a small town because...it encompasses all the things we crave in community... But the reality...is a little less romantic.” – BK Borison [02:25] -
On writing as therapy:
“Something that's bothering me at the time always comes out in the book...it was the most, like, trauma dumping of me to, like, get out.” – BK Borison [09:32] -
On the rise of romance adaptations:
“I can sense in my soul that there's going to be a rise in romcoms because they're going to take books like yours and adapt them to on screen because how could they Not.” – Kennedy [15:51] -
On cover design:
“I'm so lucky...having my dreams fulfilled on both ends.” – BK Borison [34:32] -
On favorite writing snack:
“I love a chip. I'm big in my chip phase right now. I’m a salty over sweet.” – BK Borison [46:57] -
On the publishing journey:
“This is not a job I ever thought I would get to have...writing doesn't feel like work. Like, it's...the best job in the world.” – BK Borison [39:58]
Timestamps for Important Topics
- 00:58 – Rapid fire "This or That"
- 07:00 – Inspiration for Inglewild/small towns & Gilmore Girls
- 09:15 – Where do characters come from? Therapy on the page
- 12:40 – TikTok and the surprise hit: First Time Caller
- 13:34 – 90s rom-com inspiration and the Heartstring series
- 16:27 – Fan casting, film adaptation dreams, and being hands-off
- 24:26 – Good Spirits and magical realism in cozy romance
- 36:55 – Writing process: from idea to published book
- 41:13 – Reading habits, author friendships, and community
- 46:47 – Favorite snack and current obsession: Cat Sebastian's Starship
Final Thoughts
In a warm, engaging episode, BK Borison gives listeners an authentic glimpse into the life of a romance author—her creative inspirations, personal quirks, and industry insights. The hosts’ genuine excitement, combined with Borison's openness and wit, make for a relatable and inspiring conversation. Romance readers will leave with their TBRs overflowing and plenty of cozy, magical reading ahead.
New Release Reminder:
Good Spirits releases October 21st, with several special editions available.
Add to your TBR and preorder wherever books are sold!