One of my guilty pleasures is cutesy, small-town romance books, even ones not set in Dorset. You can see the love for the local area and the small community kinship among the characters. While her books are set across the pond, it’s a privilege to chat to Jennifer Bardsley about her work in this genre.
Please tell me about your books. Which one was your favourite to write?
All of my books hold a special place in my heart, but writing Sweet Bliss felt magical. Inspiration struck when my daughter and I were watching our town’s Fourth of July parade and I made the decision, then and there, to switch from writing young adult fiction, to writing sweet romance books set in places similar to where I lived.
I had no idea if Sweet Bliss would sell to a publisher or not. Previous to that, I had sold to two small publishers, and also self-published under the name Louise Crypress. Writing Sweet Bliss was a big risk. Thankfully, my phenomenal agent, Liza Fleissig of Liza Royce Associates, sold it to Montlake in a two book deal. Since then, it’s been translated into three different languages and enjoyed by readers all over the world.
Tell me about why you set your novels in the Pacific North West? What is it you love about that area?
I appreciate how hearty Pacific Northwesterners are. They rarely let rain stop them from doing anything and almost never use umbrellas. People here value nature. Almost everyone I know enjoys some sort of outdoor hobby like camping, hiking, fishing, rock climbing, boating, walking, or golf.
There’s also a big sense of community spirit and feeling the duty to make your voice heard. It’s almost like the town hall scenes in The Gilmore Girls where everybody chimes in on what they think ought to be done. That really happens here and is a great source for drama in my books, especially when it spills into Facebook groups like in Talk of the Town or a campaign to save the beach, like in Slow Burn.
What Was Your Career Before You Became A Writer?
I wrote a newspaper column called “I Brake for Moms” for The Everett Herald for eleven years. Seeing how poorly local journalists were paid, and also how hard they work, inspired me to write Good Catch which is about a Seattle Times journalists who falls in love with his childhood nemesis.
Before I wrote a newspaper column, I was an elementary school teacher in California.
What books do you like reading yourself? Any authors you’re particularly fond of?
My guilty pleasure is reading celebrity memoirs. There are so many things I love about them like, name dropping, behind-the-scenes secrets, and trying to figure out if they were ghost-written or not. I’m also constantly surprised by how much I learn about human nature after reading them.
Right now I’m reading Brooke Shields is Not Allowed to Get Old: Thoughts on Aging as a Woman and there are parts that are so deeply moving that I take a picture of my Kindle so I can remember the quote. Paris Hilton’s memoir was also outstanding and taught me a lot about what it’s like to live with Attention Deficit Disorder. Matthew Perry’s book was absolutely heartbreaking, and I’ll think about it the rest of my life whenever I encounter someone dealing with substance abuse issues.
If you could collaborate with anyone, living or dead, on a writing project, who would it be and why?
I would love to write a book with Carolyn Brown, because I adore her small town romance books and how she mixes humor, love, and age inclusivity in her story lines.
What books are you looking forward to in 2025?
My friend Paulette Kennedy has a book releasing May 1st called The Artist of Blackberry Grange that’s already racking up incredible early reviews. Mansi Shah has a new one on August 12th called Saving Face. I have both of those titles preordered.
What’s next for you? Any new projects you’re excited about?
My next book comes out on June 24th and is called Glued to You. It’s about an adorkable crafting consultant who accidentally becomes pregnant after a one-night stand with her billionaire boss, and ends up hiding out in a quaint log cabin in a small town to have her baby in secret. I’m doing the final, final, final proofread now.
Thanks so much for the interview!
Huge thanks to Jennifer for taking the time to chat to me. If you’re interested in finding out more about her work, check out her website HERE.
