We chat with author Bethany Rutter about Ask Me Anything, which is a gorgeously sassy campus-set romcom, where problem pages and parties turn enemies to lovers.
Hi, Bethany! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
I’m the author of six novels – two for adults and four for young people, and my latest is a campus romance called Ask Me Anything! I live in London with my husband and our big orange cat, and I also work as a personal trainer because I love helping people find a sustainable movement practice (something I wrote about in my last novel, Slowcoach!)
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I read a lot as a child – we lived near a library, and I remember going there a lot and my parents read to and with me often, and I think for most authors that’s their origin story! I think finding stories interesting as a reader is what makes you feel more likely to try and write for yourself.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: I know it’s a bit of a funny answer but I have such a strong memory of reading Vile Victorians from the Horrible Histories series because I’m obsessed with clothes and I remember being fascinated by the descriptions of what female servants would wear!
- The one that made you want to become an author: The ‘Girls’ series by Jacqueline Wilson was hugely influential on me. The fact she’s revisiting the stories of my childhood now is just so incredible to me. I don’t think I can overstate her significance to (particularly) women of (particularly) my generation!
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: I read The Bee Sting by Paul Murray earlier this year and I genuinely think about it every single day. I find it hard to believe the characters aren’t real because I lived inside their heads for so many pages!
Your latest novel, Ask Me Anything, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Fun, naughty, sweet, serious, glamorous!
What can readers expect?
A campus romance about a fun, silly, flirty second-year art history student with a dating advice column in the university magazine and a big crush on her editor. Is he good news? Only time will tell.
Where did the inspiration for Ask Me Anything come from?
All my books have a lot of me in them but Ask Me Anything is the one that definitely has the most elements from my own life. University was such a formative time for me, and I wanted to write a book for young people that captures the idea of having complete freedom but while still operating within some kind of safety net. I needed my main character, Mary-Elizabeth, to be living independently and making her own decisions, but fundamentally she is still a teenager.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
One of the most fun times of my life was when I was DJing at a night I used to run, called Dancing On My Own. This is the first time I’ve written a character DJing and I absolutely loved it! I liked being able to revisit that time through fiction, and it also gave really distinct ‘moments’ in the novel for her to be looking forward to or for events to take place at.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
I think it was quite challenging to write two love interests who are attractive enough for you to understand why she likes them but flawed enough at different moments for you to understand why she isn’t attracted to them.
What’s next for you?
More books, I hope! I have a romance novel out in the spring called The Wonder of You, which is published under a fun pseudonym and is about the grown-up child stars of a Hollywood franchise in the vein of Twilight/Hunger Games!
Lastly, what books have you enjoyed reading this year? Are there any you’re looking forward to picking up in 2026?
I keep telling everyone about Big Fan by Alexandra Romanoff and I want to read more books published by 831 Stories. I love the covers even though I know you’re not meant to judge a book by its cover! I’m looking forward to Reality Check by Lizzie Huxley-Jones, which I believe is a queer romance set during the filming of a dating show. I’m a sucker for devices like that!
