Hi, Joss! Welcome back! How have you been since we spoke last year for It’s Different This Time?

I can’t believe it hasn’t even been one year since It’s Different This Time came out and now I have two books! Truly, this past year has been life-changing and one of the best years of my life. Never could I have imagined the overwhelming reception. I’m so beyond grateful.

Your latest novel, Let’s Kiss and Tell, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Messy, complicated, sexy, real, and beautiful.

What can readers expect?

Readers can expect that same voice from me if they read and loved It’s Different This Time. But Let’s Kiss and Tell is a little more sexy and messy. It takes place in LA in the summertime and follows a cynical sex columnist and no-nonsense news writer. They’re both cynical when it comes to relationships and decide to enter a fake relationship to help each other professionally and personally.

Where did the inspiration for Let’s Kiss and Tell come from?

I’m a big fan of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. This book isn’t a retelling, but more of a love letter to what I adore about that film. I wanted to write a story that had the same power imbalance, a workplace romance, and fake dating – all elements that I love about that film.

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

I love Lucy and Marsh so much. They’re so complicated and different than any character I’ve written. They have big ideas and unique views on love that I relate to but at the same time don’t relate to at all. Aside from them, one of my other favorite characters of the book is Julia…Marsh’s ex.

Can you take us through what a writing day looks like for you?

I try to treat my writing like a 9-5 job. I wake up in the morning, make a coffee and breakfast and then sit at my computer until lunch and then write until the end of the day. That’s standard, but sometimes I’ll write with friends at coffee shops or skip an afternoon writing session and find a good 2 hours in the evening.

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

All the time. I get writer’s block, I second guess myself, and I sometimes want to trash everything. What helps is for me to clear out the noise. I usually find the pressure or self doubt comes from thinking about how readers will perceive my books. I try to get out of that headspace and write the story that I want vs. what I think people will want to read.

What’s one piece of writing advice you wish you’d heard sooner?

People will love your book and people will hate your book. That’s a good thing.

What’s next for you?

I’m currently working on Book 3! More to come soon but I absolutely love this next story!

Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up? Any you’ve read so far this year that you’ve enjoyed?

I’ve loved Every Version of You by Natalie Messier and Leave and Come Back by Lavanya Lakshmi. I’m excited to finally read Yesteryear.

Will you be picking up Let’s Kiss and Tell? Tell us in the comments below!

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About Every Version of You: For fans of The Love of My Afterlife and The Seven Year Slip, Reese’s Book Club LitUp Fellow Natalie Messier’s heartfelt contemporary romance debut follows a woman who gets a second chance at a formative time in her adult life—this time to win the “one that got away.” Releases on July 7th 2026. 

Like many women (most women, perhaps?) I’ve expended a lot of energy trying to make myself as likeable as I can, whittling myself down into the most palatable version of myself. So when I encounter a story where the main character simply hasn’t bothered to do the same, I’m intrigued. As a woman, there’s a million ways to do things wrong and seemingly no way to do things right, so it’s refreshing to see a woman who refuses to play the game.

Or, perhaps, she plays the game wrong. She makes a mess. She works so hard to be likeable that in her attempts, she loops back around and becomes insufferable. She tries to do the right thing, only to make everything worse. Women who care too much what people think, or women who don’t care at all—give me all the messy women. Without further ado, please find some of my favorite messy female leads in books, movies, and TV shows.

Buffy and Faith in Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Nothing says messy quite like a vampire slayer falling for a vampire—and Buffy does it twice! To be fair, some mess is to be expected—is earned, even—when you have the weight of the world on your shoulders. But when I say I love messy women, I mean messy, so I’d be remiss not to mention my favorite Buffy character: Faith. Even though Buffy errs on occasion, she always tries to follow the right path and do good. Faith messes up way more, on a bigger scale, and she does so unrepentantly. She looks out for herself, and though she comes back around, she ends up on the side of evil—lured there by a father figure who preyed on all her insecurities and desire for familial love. And you know what, I loved her through it all.

Evangeline Jenner in Devil in Winter

It’s undeniable that Lisa Kleypas writes some of the best MMCs in romance—and her heroines are just as compelling, entertaining, and easy to root for! I have a particular soft spot for all of the ladies in her Wallflowers series. Each one messy in their own way, it was hard to pick who to include on this list. From Lillian’s bold and brash demeanor, to Daisy’s fanciful imagination. I love Annabelle and the way she determinedly schemes to catch a husband—but I’d argue that Evie is the messiest. I mean, propositioning a marriage of convenience to the man who kidnapped one of your closest friends…I never would have guessed Evie would have it in her earlier in the series, and that to me makes her one of the historical queens of mess.

Eleanor Shellstrop in The Good Place

I’ll just say it: I don’t think I’ve ever seen a fictional character who loves shrimp as much as Eleanor Shellstrop. I don’t know why I think that adds a tally in her “mess” column, but it does. I won’t ever forget how hard I laughed the first time I saw the pilot episode when Eleanor tells Chidi she doesn’t belong in the Good Place. In life, Eleanor was selfish, callous, and uncaring—but in death, she gets a second chance. Does she nail this second chance right off the bat? She wouldn’t be messy if she did. But Eleanor, like many women on this list, embodies what is to me one of the most important things about messy women—they deserve love too.

Solange Pereira in The Wedding Crasher

I’m a huge fan of Mia Sosa. Her FMCs are strong, sassy, and thoroughly entertaining. Solange in The Wedding Crasher is a perfect example of the fact that sometimes, mess can come well-intentioned. Was she right to crash Dean’s wedding? Absolutely, but that doesn’t make it not messy. Not that I minded, since it led to one of my favorite, messiest tropes—fake dating. I eat it up every time.

Isabel Conklin in The Summer I Turned Pretty

Falling for two brothers is peak messiness as far as romance FMCs go (special shout-out to Percy in Every Summer After for doing the same!), but Belly is such a lovable character. She’s coming of age, she’s torn between two boys who both give mixed signals and have histories with her. And you know what, everything that happened in these books and show was messy of Conrad and Jeremiah too, so I for the record am Team Belly all the way.

Nicole Speyer in The Best Worst Thing

I’m almost hesitant to call Nicole in The Best Worst Thing messy because everything she does is completely justified. Showing up unannounced on the doorstep of her former coworker who she had a will-they-won’t-they thing going on with years ago? Well, why not, considering she walked in on her husband sleeping with their dog walker. Nicole’s story and romance with Logan is undeniably messy, but she does the best with the circumstances she’s given. Still, she’s so undeniably human, and I think she’s earned her place on this list.

Julie in The Worst Person in the World

Julie might be the messiest woman on this list. She’s lost, listless, struggling in her career and in her romantic life. The other day, my partner asked if I remembered the scene where she and Eivind really want to cheat on their partners but are determined not to, so they push the boundaries of what “cheating” is. And you know what, personally, I think they cross that line pretty early on! But watch it and decide for yourself. Regardless, I found Julie easy to root for and empathize with in all her missteps.

June Wood in It’s Different This Time

Joss Richard’s debut was one of my favorite books I read last year. June Wood is my girl. It’s so relatable how she gets in her own way with her avoidant tendencies. She waits for the other shoe to drop, scared that Adam is too good to be true, and haven’t we all been there? But all of June’s insecurities and fears only makes it all the more satisfying when she finally accepts that good things can happen to her and gets her HEA.

Issa Dee in Insecure

Issa in Insecure is a very real kind of messy. Her mess is often driven by her awkwardness and the fact that she’s a young woman in her twenties, trying to find her way in life. Issa can be an unreliable and selfish friend at times, but who among us hasn’t hurt a few people while in crisis? She doesn’t always know what she wants, and she missteps in her pursuit to figure out what it is. Personally, I don’t know what’s more relatable than that.

Angela Gutierrez in Kiss Me, Maybe

You want to talk about messy? Creating a scavenger hunt on TikTok where the winner earns your first kiss. That’s pretty messy—and it’s exactly what Angela does in Gabriella Gamez’s sophomore novel after she goes viral from posting a video about being ace and a late bloomer. Luckily, she needs help pulling off the event. Enter Krystal, the hot bartender Angela’s had a crush on for years. Krystal isn’t ready for romance yet, and Angela is in the process of figuring herself out. It’s swoony, it’s romantic, and yes, it’s a bit messy.

Tashi Donaldson in Challengers

Love triangles are messy by nature, and a love triangle that spans 13 years like the one at the center of Challengers is all the more so. To be fair, everyone in this movie is a bit unhinged—but this is a list of messy women, so forget the guys for a second. Tashi shows that mess can be calculated. It can be intentional. Tashi is such a puppet master in this movie—but everything she does is messy, it’s fantastic to watch. From kissing both men as teenagers and telling them she’ll give her number to the winner of the next day’s tennis match, to everything she does before their match as adults, Tashi knows she has the guys wrapped around her finger, and she utilizes her power to its most chaotic degree.

Fleabag in Fleabag

A list of messy women wouldn’t be complete without Fleabag. She basically rewrote the book. In terms of influential characters, she’s top of the list when it comes to what I write. Every move she makes is questionable, yet thoroughly entertaining and empathetic. Season 2 of Fleabag might be one of the best seasons of television ever written—Hot Priest, anyone?—and so much of it is because of the growth we get to see her go through.

A Few More Messy FMCs Releasing in 2026

If you’re a fan of the aforementioned messy women, there are several books releasing in 2026 whose FMCs should be on your radar!

First up is Kaia Harper in Adrienne Thurman’s Don’t Tell Me How It Ends (out now). Kaia is a floundering twenty-something who has sworn off romance—only to be roped into her meddling sister’s matchmaking business. When Kaia begins falling for Ro, she pushes him away because it’s what’s familiar to her.

Next, Violet Lumani’s Not Good Neighbors (out now) is about Penny Huff, who is so irritated about the tragically thin wall between her apartment and her neighbor’s that she attempts to soundproof it…only to literally blow a hole in it, trapping the two in each other’s spaces.

Commitment-phobic Norah Gold in Rachel Pologe’s Now That We Don’t Talk (out 10/20) is a certified bolter who avoids emotional situations at all costs. So when she returns home for the holidays, her goal is to avoid Henry Cole, the boy who broke her heart back in high school. Easier said than done, since she discovers that their mothers are dating.

Alix Kelinda’s The Christmas Curse (out 10/20) is about Devra, a Christmas-hating recluse convinced her family is cursed due to the catastrophes that have tormented them every December for the past 30 years. So of course, when holiday-obsessed Bradley moves in next door, she’s certain he’s been sent by the curse.

A young adult romance to check out is Angelica Cheng’s The Fast Track (out 8/4) about a 17-year-old up-and-coming young driver Justine Kwong, who is trying to make it to F1 and falls for her biggest rival on-track.

Lastly, Harper Kinsley’s Spikes, Dice and Other Variables (out 9/15) centers on high schooler Riley McMahon, who struggles to keep her grades up and pretends to know how to play D&D to get her love interest to like her enough to tutor her. Sounds like teenage messiness at its finest!

The post Natalie Messier’s Favorite Messy Female Leads appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

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

Hi! Thank you so much for having me! I’m Joss, I write contemporary romance and am the author of IT’S DIFFERENT THIS TIME, a second-chance romance that takes place in New York in the fall.

Previously, I was an editorial and social director who’s worked at companies such as Hello Sunshine and Reese’s Book Club, The Walt Disney Company, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Netflix, and Paramount. I’m also the creator and host of Three’s Company, Too: A Rewatch Podcast and have been formally recognized with a Daytime Emmy Award. I was born and raised in Toronto, ON and currently live in Los Angeles with my husband and rescue pit bull, Annie!

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

I actually grew up writing The Sound of Music fanfiction back in elementary school. I had zero readers, but boy did I love writing it. I quickly learned that I adored romance stories in all forms; on the page and on the screen. While I always loved reading, I took a break from that in college to pursue my TV career and it wasn’t until the pandemic (like most of us), when things slowed down, I rediscovered my love for writing.

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

• The first book you ever remember reading: To me, WHEN YOU GIVE A MOUSE A COOKIE. On my own, JUNIE B. JONES AND THE STUPID SMELLY BUS.
• The one that made you want to become an author: BEACH READ by Emily Henry
• The one that you can’t stop thinking about: TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW by Gabrielle Zevin

Your debut novel, It’s Different This Time, is out September 30^th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

1. Sweeping
2. Romantic
3. Heartbreaking
4. Real
5. Funny

What can readers expect?

June and Adam’s stories are told in a dual timeline over the course of twelve years. Two former roommates and best friends are forced back into their beloved New York City brownstone where they must confront the events that led to their estrangement—and the unresolved feelings lingering between them. It takes place in one of the dreamiest cities in the world: New York City in the fall. It’s perfect for fans of second-chance romances, forced proximity, Broadway, and friends-to-lovers.

Where did the inspiration for It’s Different This Time come from?

One of my favorite television shows is the late seventies and early eighties sitcom, Three’s Company. I have always been fascinated with the bond that forms between roommates; people that have been living together and have seen each other in the most vulnerable states over the course of many years. Ever since I was a child, I’ve wanted to write a story around those dynamics and see if two people could fall in love and not end up together. I think that’s more real than anything. The romantic in me wanted to see if things could be different years later.

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

Oh gosh, all of it! I genuinely wrote this story for myself and I think that’s why I love it so much. It’s also the first book I’ve ever written. Everything when writing IT’S DIFFERENT THIS TIME was a first for me. The first time drafting, the first time coming up with character names, the first time editing. I loved every single moment.

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

I’m not great when it comes to outlines. I quickly learned that writing a dual timeline with no outline was setting myself up for a lot of “figuring things out” halfway through the book. Thankfully, I felt so incredibly close to June and Adam and their journey that I quickly was able to course correct because I knew where I wanted this story to go. But because of that experience, I’ve learned the value in outlining and it’s something I work on every day!

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

I actually wrote IT’S DIFFERENT THIS TIME with the intention of not trying to sell it. I wrote it because I just wanted to tell this story, for myself honestly! I was going to force feed it to my husband and friends and live a very content life knowing the people close to me read it. It wasn’t until my second or third draft I realized that I wanted this to be a story I could share with people. I did a lot of research online and found advice on finding an agent and selling a book. A lot of it was helpful, and a lot of it was not.

After a few of my friends read IT’S DIFFERENT THIS TIME and gave me either feedback or praise I knew that it was ready to send out. I made a list of agents that I wanted to query and am so unbelievably grateful that my current agent, Samantha Fabien, saw something special in my manuscript.

What’s next for you?

I’ve been working on Book 2 and I’m excited to share more details with everyone very soon!

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

We are blessed with so many incredible books! A few of my favorites from this year have been B.K Borison’s FIRST TIME CALLER and Elissa Sussman’s TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY FINE. I’m currently reading Ellen O’Clover’s THE HEARTBREAK HOTEL and I can’t wait for Lyla Sage’s SOUL SEARCHING and Sarah Adam’s IN YOUR DREAMS!

Will you be picking up It’s Different This Time? Tell us in the comments below!

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