We chat with author Stephanie Parente about Return To Sender, which sees opposites attract in this heartwarming debut romance about grief, sisterhood, and finding love when—and where—you least expect it.
Hi, Stephanie! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hi Nerd Daily! I write stories about messy people falling in love. I live in Rhode Island with my rescue dog, Luna, who screams if I leave her alone. I’m an aries, my favorite season is autumn, and I like listening to the same song on repeat for hours.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
My elementary school would have the kids write and illustrate a story and then would bind them and “publish” them – I believe my mom still has mine in a bin somewhere. It was so fun and I’m sure that sparked something for me, along with being a voracious reader.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: The Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne
- The one that made you want to become an author: This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Leave and Come Back by Lavanya Lakshmi
Your latest novel, Return to Sender, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
A mail fraud love story
What can readers expect?
Return to Sender is the story of Violet, a 26-year-old who has become the guardian of her teen sister Phoebe following the sudden death of their father. The sisters are drowning in grief and have lost hold of each other in the process when a letter written by the man who used to live in their apartment is returned to them. Phoebe becomes obsessed with getting the letter in the right hands and once they track down the author, Dex, things quickly spiral until the trio are on a cross country road trip to potentially right a derailed happily ever after. It’s an emotional story about love and grief and sisterhood with a lot of laughs along the way.
Where did the inspiration for Return to Sender come from?
I saw a post on Tumblr years ago about a man who was drunk in Boston and only knew his old address, so he sent a postcard from the bar he was at, and my brain hooked on the idea of two people falling in love who had at one point or another lived in the same apartment. I couldn’t quite figure out how to navigate it without it turning creepy, so I put it on the back burner for a long time. A couple months after my dad passed away, I saw something about a RETURN TO SENDER envelope and the idea struck in full force.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
Phoebe! I’ve lost count of how many readers have told me how much they adore Phoebe and I think that has to be a testament to how much fun I had writing her. She’s so snarky and sour and full of life in the face of tragedy.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
It’s definitely tough to write about something you’ve experienced yourself, let alone as you’re dealing with it. Violet’s grief for her father is very much inspired by my own loss ( fun? fact: there is an actual passage from my journal on the day my dad died that made it into the book). While I did not obtain custody of a younger sibling or take a cross country road trip, it was important to me to show the uglier side of grief and it was hard, but I think pouring it all out helped immensely.
What’s next for you?
I’m currently working on my next contemporary romance out with The Dial Press in 2027! I can’t say too much about it yet but I will say there’s a neighborly element to it and it takes place in Rhode Island.
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up? Any you’ve read so far this year that you’ve enjoyed?
Counting the days until Danica Nava’s Sunflower Season and John Green’s upcoming Hollywood, Ending. I finally had the chance to read Regina Black’s August Lane and it’s exactly as good as everyone says it is. I can’t stop thinking about Laura Marie Meyers’ The MASH Up or Emily Zipps’ Alice Rue Evades the Truth.
