Hi, Audrey! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

Hi! I’m a teacher and a writer and a wrangler of two human children, a cat, and a dog. I taught high school English and journalism for 15 years and this fall I’m starting a new adventure teaching middle school ELA, so I guess you could say that my job is books, quite literally. I spend most days talking about books, and when I’m not talking about them or thinking about them, I’m writing them. So far I’m publishing adult books, but I do also love reading and writing kidlit.

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

As a small child I always loved PBS, especially Reading Rainbow. In elementary school I got my first library card, and began my fixation on picking a topic and reading everything I could get my hands on. In this voracious special-interest based reading, I fell in love with stories. My obsessions were eclectic, too; I loved everything from Star Wars to Greek Mythology, from historical fiction to Arthurian legend. The first time I remember writing a story down was in 6^th grade, when my English teacher read it and then wrote in my composition notebook that I should think about writing as a career. I promptly forgot about that, got into newspaper writing in high school, studied that, and then went into teaching English. I was aways writing stories; it just took me from about age 11 until my mid thirties to sit down and finish writing one. And it’s lovely to launch my debut at the same time that I am going into teaching the age group that I was in when that spark of joy first struck. It’s a full circle narrative moment.

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

• The first book you ever remember reading: Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
• The one that made you want to become an author: Young Jedi Knights by Kevin J Anderson and Rebecca Moesta
• The one that you can’t stop thinking about: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by VE Schwab

Your debut novel, Hopelessly Teavoted, is out September 16^th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Touch her and I die.

What can readers expect?

This book is for people who love the sparkly kind of spooky, The Addams Family, Pushing Daisies, Practical Magic, and any sort of our world, but make it speculative, romantic set up. It is also for people who love yearning, pining, and burning for a beloved.

Where did the inspiration for Hopelessly Teavoted come from?

I had been writing fantasy and contemporary books that weren’t going anywhere, and I gave myself permission to write something that was full of my own specific special interests, in this case my life long love of The Addams Family and my ongoing frustration that Pushing Daisies was canceled. I also really wanted to write a romcom for people who know sadness. I didn’t coin this; I heard the incredible Rachel Runya Katz call something a romtraumcom. Mine is a romtraumcom, maybe even a romtraumdramacom, too. I highly recommend all of their books, by the way, and Isn’t It Obvious is my favorite, coming in October!

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

All of them! But specifically, I really liked writing Azrael’s struggle with depression and anxiety, Vickie’s realization that it’s OK to set boundaries with people who are toxic, even if that means some of her family, and Priscilla’s commitment to pranking.

Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?

Yes! I struggled with feeling like maybe I was too much or not enough to write in general and to write specific things. I spent time wondering if the parts of my identity that this novel reflects were significant enough qualifications to write it. I ended up leaning into that because I realized that fear of the in between, and particularly fear of not being enough, was really a core component to Azrael and to Vickie, and something that they shared that made their individual journeys and their love story believable.

This is your debut novel! What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?

It’s been tough! It took me more than 20 years to ever finish writing a novel, but then when I did, they sort of all came pouring out of me. I think this is the seventh full book I finished writing, and I’ve written an entire handful more after that. Like anything worht doing in life, it takes a lot of juggling and planning to find the time to do it. But I’m really grateful to be here, talking about books all day with my own kids and my students and then getting to write them, too.

What’s next for you?

Vengefully Matched is the stand alone companion novel to Hopelessly Teavoted, and it’s currently slated for fall 2026. It’s a sapphic rivals-to-lovers story of Priscilla Hart, the main character of Hopelessly Teavoted’s sister. Think Death Becomes Her and the Sabrina Carpenter “Taste” music video meet all of us shipping a grown up Wednesday and Enid.

Lastly, what books have you enjoyed reading this year? Are there any you’re looking forward to picking up?

There are so many! I’m really looking forward to Mate by Ali Hazelwood and Sparks Fly by Zakiya N. Jamal. For romance books I have read recently, I recommend Secret Nights and Northern Lights by Megan Oliver (coming November 18) and Roll for Romance by Lenora Woods. This year I finally got around to reading Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson, which has been on my tbr forever, and it lived up to the buzz. I also just finished and loved Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by VE Schwab.

Will you be picking up Hopelessly Teavoted? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Audrey Goldberg Ruoff, Author of ‘Hopelessly Teavoted’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Read on to discover some of our picks and tell us in the comments below if you will be picking up any!

The House of Quiet by Kiersten White

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From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Hide comes a dark fantasy about a girl who will risk everything—posing as a maid, confronting powerful enemies, and unraveling deadly secrets—all to save her missing sister from the enigmatic House of Quiet.

It Had to Be Him by Adib Khorram

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Heartstopper meets Eat Pray Love in this swoony, spicy, second-chance romance from USA Today bestselling author Adib Khorram about two former classmates unexpectedly reuniting in Italy.

Make Me a Monster by Kalynn Bayron

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New York Times bestselling author Kalynn Bayron is back with a Frankenstein-tinged horror romance, creating a hauntingly beautiful exploration of body horror, family secrets, grief and loss and love.

The Killer Question by Janice Hallett

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Janice Hallett, “the new queen of crime” (Electric Literature), returns with a fresh, edge-of-your-seat mystery that takes place at a pub’s weekly trivia night, revealed through quiz categories, phone messages, and email correspondence.

Night & Day edited by Ellen Datlow

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A horror anthology edited by the genre’s greatest, Ellen Datlow, with one side featuring stories about what haunts the night while the other side showcases the terrors that can exist in the light of day in this new addition to the Saga Doubles series.

Soul Searching by Lyla Sage

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The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Rebel Blue Ranch series returns with a brand-new story, featuring a small-town upholsterer in need of a fresh start, a photographer whose life has come to a screeching halt . . . and the supernatural forces that bring them together.

The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman

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The unmissable new mystery in the Thursday Murder Club series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Richard Osman, now streaming on Netflix.

The Second Death of Locke by V.L. Bovalino

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The Second Death of Locke is a devastatingly romantic epic fantasy about the undying bond between a knight and their mage, perfect for fans of Rachel Gillig and Alix E. Harrow.

House of Hearts by Skyla Arndt

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Solving her best friend’s murder means infiltrating a secret society, resisting a forbidden love, and running from a vengeful ghost in this sophomore novel by the author of Together We Rot.

You Are The Detective by Maureen Johnson

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November 1933. London. Seven people receive mysterious letters. Someone knows their terrible secrets. They are summoned to a posh townhouse where one is stabbed right in front of the others, but somehow no one saw a thing. Can you help Scotland Yard solve the mystery?

A Blood as Bright as the Moon by Andrea Morstabilini

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A vampire, desperately torn between worlds, is hunted down by a secret society bent on his destruction, in this timeless and unsettling queer gothic horror, perfect for fans of T. Kingfisher and Silvia Moreno-Garcia.

Among the Burning Flowers by Samantha Shannon

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A story of human resilience in the face of dire circumstances, Among the Burning Flowers leads readers through the gripping and tragic events that pave the way for the opening of the million-copy bestseller The Priory of The Orange Tree.

Lady Like by Mackenzi Lee

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Two women set their sights on marrying the same duke, but instead of becoming enemies, they find themselves falling in love—though not with him.

When We Were Monsters by Jennifer Niven

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A simmering psychological thriller about a dead teacher at an elite boarding school, the students who had every reason to want her gone, and the tangled web of rivalry and romance concealing the truth—from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of All the Bright Places.

The Macabre by Kosoko Jackson

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From award-winning and USA Today bestselling author Kosoko Jackson comes his adult speculative debut, a stand-alone novel blending time travel and globe-hopping adventure, art history, and dark fantasy about magical paintings and the lengths people will go to collect them, destroy them…or be destroyed.

You Weren’t Meant to Be Human by Andrew Joseph White

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Alien meets Midsommar in this chilling debut adult novel from award-winning author Andrew Joseph White about identity, survival, and transformation amidst an alien invasion in rural West Virginia.

Hopelessly Teavoted by Audrey Goldberg Ruoff

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After the deaths of his parents, a witch returns to his spooky family manor and joins forces with his former crush when his parents’ spirits warn them of a sinister threat in this witty and lyrically unique rom-com in the vein of The Crescent Moon Tearoom andThe Ex Hex.

Seven Reasons To Murder Your Dinner Guests by KJ Whittle

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Told from the perspectives of each of the seven guests, Seven Reasons to Murder Your Dinner Guests is a spellbinding and mysterious exploration of mortality, begging the question: how would you live your life if you knew your number was up?

Holiday Ever After by Hannah Grace

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Clara Davenport wants to solve Fraser Falls’s biggest problem. According to Jack Kelly, Clara is Fraser Falls’s biggest problem.

What Fury Brings by Tricia Levenseller

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#1 New York Times-bestselling author Tricia Levenseller makes her adult debut in What Fury Brings, a sexy, empowering romantasy featuring a warrior general who must kidnap and train a husband in order to take her rightful place as queen.

Old Money by Kelsey Miller

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On the Fourth of July, a teenager dies at an exclusive country club. Twenty years later, her cousin returns to her hometown, seeking answers behind closed gates in this rich, atmospheric thriller for fans of Lucy Foley, Liz Moore and Ruth Ware.

A Mannequin for Christmas by Timothy Janovsky

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A Christmas romance for Barbie fans who wished Ken and Allan got their own love story.

Saltcrop by Yume Kitasei

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From the acclaimed author of The Stardust Grail comes the epic tale of two sisters who sail across oceans to find their missing third sister―and Earth’s environmental salvation.

The Dead of Summer by Ryan La Sala

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Stephen King meets Holly Jackson by way of We Were Liars in this action-packed story of queer horror from the acclaimed author of The Honeys!

What September books are you looking forward to? Tell us in the comments below!

The post 24 Anticipated Books Releasing In September 2025 appeared first on The Nerd Daily.