We chat with author Laura Piper Lee about Zoe Brennan, First Crush, which is a romantic comedy that sparkles with humour and heat, and follows a struggling vineyard owner who gets a second taste of her first crush.
Hi, Laura! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Sure! I enjoy nothing more than a good laugh. While I practice law as my day job, I am a deeply unserious person. Writing romantic comedies full of jokes, swoons, and laughter is an amazing release for all my deeply silly thoughts.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I’ve always sought creative outlets—singing, writing music, drawing, acting, cosplay, home renovation, graphic design—but writing is the one that has stuck the longest! I started writing stories and plays as early as second grade, and even though I won contests and awards for my writing when I was growing up, I never took it seriously as a career. I grew up poor in rural Georgia to a single mother of three children, and it was always my first priority to make sure that whatever I did for a living, I could provide a safe, stable home for my own family one day. After I settled comfortably in my legal career, though, I found myself writing again, and I haven’t stopped since!
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: The Monster at the End of This Book: Starring Lovable, Furry Old Grover by Jon Stone. Exquisite comedy!
- The one that made you want to become an author: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green was the first book that I remember distinctly thinking: I want to do this, too, one day.
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers—I love all the deep thoughts on work and finding your life’s meaning in this beautiful, compact little book.
Your latest novel, Zoe Brennan, First Crush, is out January 21st! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Lonely lesbians make wine/love.
What can readers expect?
Like my debut Hannah Tate, Beyond Repair, Zoe’s story is funny, spicy, heartwarming, and full of found family and close friendships. There is also a blindfolded threesome in chapter two, which I hear is a major selling point. J Readers can expect to laugh and swoon, but Zoe has a lot of sadness in her past that’s shaped her world view for better and definitely for worse that she processes and has to grow through in order to find and accept love. And Laine, Zoe’s first crush, who comes home to Blue Ridge after an unsuccessful stint making wine in Napa, has to move past her failures and learn how to create again. Together, they reinvent themselves and their ideas of each other forged when they were younger as they make wine and run Zoe’s family’s vineyard. From crush to unexpected hook-up (see blindfolded threesome) to employee to complete pain in her ass, Laine becomes so much more to Zoe over the course of the story, and ultimately, the love she never believed she’d find.
Where did the inspiration for Zoe Brennan, First Crush come from?
My own first queer crush in a small Georgia town! When gearing up to write Zoe’s story, I wanted to explore the strange power dynamics that a first crush can hold over you, even many years later. For example, my first queer crush and I recently reconnected after twenty years, and she told me she was going to read Zoe Brennan, First Crush! I’m sweating just thinking about it, especially since I included little snippets of our own past together in the book. *nervous laughter*
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
For comedy, I really enjoyed writing the six-year-olds’ soccer game—Laine is so hyper competitive, it was hilarious making her sweat. For feelings, though, I REALLY enjoyed writing the wedding scene of [redacted] in the middle. I cry every time I read it.
Why romance?
I’ve always been a romantic and a life-long flirt. I figure all those exes and heartbreak have to be good for something! I also love how hopeful romance as a genre inherently is.
What’s next for you?
I have two books in the works right now, which is a little bit terrifying to be honest! I can’t divulge too many details at this point, but one is a contemporary rom-com set in New Jersey, which is a hilarious departure from my Blue Ridge novels, and the other takes place during an apocalypse! Ahh, happy sigh. I love writing!
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up in 2025?
I am ridiculously excited for Erin Connor’s Unromance, Alexandra Vasti’s Earl Crush, Naina Kumar’s Flirting with Disaster, and Rosie Danan’s Fan Service, all releasing imminently! I’m also super excited to read Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett coming in February!
Please connect with Laura by following her on Instagram @laurapiperlee, TikTok @laurapiperlee, visiting her website, and subscribing to her newsletter on Substack: For a Good Time, Read Laura Piper Lee.
