Joss Richard trades sweeping romance for messy, complicated love in her latest novel Let’s Kiss and Tell
Ahead of her appearance at Vancouver Writers Fest, L.A.-based author discusses trials of modern dating and the value of contemporary romance
Joss Richard. Photo by Sela Shiloni
Vancouver Writers Fest presents Joss Richard at The Dating Game: Romance Novel Edition at the Revue Stage on October 24 at 1:30 pm
FAKE DATING, NEWSROOM ROMANCE, and a lot of self-sabotage—Joss Richard’s Let’s Kiss and Tell is a sharp turn from the sweeping second-chance romance of her bestselling debut novel It’s Different This Time.
The book follows sex writer Lucy Reid, who has built a successful career assuring people that they don’t need a partner to be happy. But when her editor reveals that her column’s click-through rate has plummeted and most of her readers are already in relationships, Lucy’s position becomes a lot more precarious. Without a second thought, she announces to her office that she has recently started seeing someone and has no problem writing about her committed relationship. Cue the timely entrance of our workaholic male lead, Marshall Oakley (Marsh), the company’s new senior news writer, who just so happens to need a plus-one to his ex-girlfriend’s wedding.
After hitting it off at a work party, the pair mutually agree to enter a seemingly low-stakes, short-term fake relationship. Marsh will be able to put his friends and family’s worries at ease while Lucy attempts to convince her audience, and her boss, that a relationship is not the panacea that everyone regards it to be. The arrangement is simple enough, but it fails to account for the duo’s relentless chemistry. As butterflies give way to romantic tensions and barely contained sexual desire, the journalists are forced to face their feelings and reconsider their preconceived perceptions on love.
If the premise feels reminiscent of a particular ’90s romantic-comedy film, that was exactly the Toronto-born author’s intention.
“One of my favourite rom coms is How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, and this is sort of a love letter to what I adore about that movie,” Richard tells Stir over Zoom. “I love the workplace romance, the fake dating, the power imbalance, so I tried to take those elements to create a story that was my own.”
But Lucy and Marsh aren’t being kept apart by a secret magazine assignment or lucrative bet. Both parties are clear on their motives, as well as their intentions of keeping things professional—as much as the situation allows. The only antagonist thwarting their growing desires is themselves; behind his no-nonsense attitude, Marsh harbours insecurities stemming from the collapse of a nine-year relationship, and beneath Lucy’s larger-than-life persona lies a fear of commitment rooted in the heartbreak and betrayals she has witnessed.
“What I love about contemporary romance is that you have these two characters that are going through a lot of self-sabotage,” observes Richard. “That is usually the main obstacle; it’s either pushing through trauma, grief, or self-doubt.”
Romance wasn’t always part of the plan for the L.A.-based novelist, who built a successful career in the entertainment industry before turning to writing. With over a decade of experience in television broadcast and social media production at several notable networks, including Paramount, Netflix, and Walt Disney Company, Richard shifted her storytelling lens to romance writing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I was always writing when I was younger, but I didn’t know that being a writer was something I could do. I just wasn’t surrounded by any writers and it always felt like a pipe dream,” she says. “It wasn’t until COVID that I was reading so many books, consuming so much romance, and writing a little fan-fiction here and there, one day I thought ‘Okay, I want to try writing something that’s my own. And that turned into my debut novel It’s Different This Time.”
In a genre far too often reduced to its happy endings, Let’s Kiss and Tell makes a case for the messier middle. Sandwiched between out-of-breath boxing sparring sessions and million-dollar open-house tours are moments of vulnerability, erotic sensuality, and an all too familiar sense of confusion.
“You can have a big sweeping romance, and that’s wonderful if you find that, but I also wanted to accurately represent the people that are single and dating in 2026 that have not found their person or are in a situationship,” says Richard. “Lucy and Marsh definitely have chemistry from the first interaction, but I wouldn’t say it’s a typical ‘love at first sight, we knew we were meant to be’ situation. There are so many different types of love stories, and that quiet, messy, complicated love is just as valuable.”
A testament to the realities of modern dating, Let’s Kiss and Tell embraces the awkward, the uncertain, and unabashedly steamy. One moment, they’re sharing personal stories they’ve never shared with anyone else, only to pretend the next day as if everything’s purely business. Richard ensures readers remain vigilant to the very end.
In celebration of all love stories, Richard will join fellow romance authors Katrina Kwan and Danielle McKechnie on October 24 at the Revue Stage as part of The Dating Game: Romance Novel Edition. Hosted by Canadian book blogger Rachel Sargeant, the Vancouver Writers Fest event brings together the three writers to help romance readers discover their next perfect book match.
As she prepares for her the release of her next novel, a coastal summer romance coming out next year, the author shares her thoughts on the role of contemporary romance in literature. Far from the casually slapped on labels of “fluffy stories” and “smut”, Richard views the genre as opportunities for readers to reflect inwardly through the characters’ journey.
“No matter how many people read your book—five or thousands and thousands—it will connect with someone,” she stresses. “Contemporary romance teaches you how to be a better communicator, how to look at yourself, and in this day and age when there is so much hate in the world, to be able to openly love and tell people that you love them is such a great tool.” 
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