Today I’m happy to say I have an author interview to share with you for my spot on the Know Your Newlywed tour hosted by TBR and Beyond Tours. This audiobook was produced by Elena Armas and written by Hillary Nussbaum & Heather Taylor. I have a feeling I’ll love this romance, so let’s talk about what it’s all about!
Know Your Newlywed by Hillary Nussbaum, Heather Taylor & Elena Armas
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Publishing Date: December 10, 2024
Tyler Posey (Teen Wolf) and Mary Mouser (Cobra Kai) star in this swoon-worthy, full-cast rom-com! When two super-fans of a beloved dating gameshow hear that it’s being rebooted, they decide to team up and fake a marriage to compete in the hilarious new audiobook Know Your Newlywed, written by Heather Taylor and Hillary Nussbaum, and executive produced by New York Times bestselling author Elena Armas.
Cleo is a researcher with big dreams of a PhD in anthrozoology, and a guilty pleasure obsession with Know Your Newlywed, a decades-old gameshow where married couples compete by answering obscure questions about each other. She’s more invested in her career than in finding a relationship of her own, though—that is, until she comes across Javi’s dating app profile, which says he’s “looking for someone to win Know Your Newlywed with.”
Sparks fly, and when Cleo and Javi catch wind of a reboot of their beloved show, they apply on a whim, pretending to be newlyweds themselves. Before they know it, they’re cast as contestants, playing the part of smitten married couple better than they could’ve imagined. Their very real chemistry is impossible to ignore, and as the competition heats up, they quickly become America’s sweethearts. But how far can Cleo and Javi take their secret? And as they inch closer and closer to a life-changing cash prize, will the mounting pressure and their individual ambitions get in the way of their blossoming romance? Or is their connection strong enough to last once the cameras stop rolling?
Book Links
Author Interview
What inspired you to write Know Your Newlywed?
HILLARY: We always wanted to write a romance – we’re both big fans of the genre. When Heather and I were brainstorming romance ideas, we started by looking at our own lives. I used to work in reality TV development at a company that was known for its gameshows and formats. In that job, I was always mining my life for themes that could give gameshows more emotional resonance, thinking about things like, “How can I turn planning a wedding into a gameshow?” When we had the idea to do a room com against the backdrop of a gameshow, it was a natural leap to an idea like Know Your Newlywed where two strangers pretend to get married to compete on the reboot of their favorite show where newlyweds compete for prizes. The gameshow we came up with is about that moment of being in a new marriage and all of the joy, but sometimes fear that it brings, that feeling of “can I ever really know my spouse?” The audiobook is partly about whether that’s really a good test of the strength of a relationship.
HEATHER: It was such a blast for me to lean on Hillary’s experience in reality TV to build out the world of Know Your Newlywed. I learned a lot, that’s for sure! Then, as we fleshed out the characters, we thought it would be perfect to have one of our leads work in marketing like where we worked – and as I’m a huge science fan, we thought a scientist at the center of our romance would honor that love! So that’s how Javi and Cleo came to life.
What has been the favorite part of your publishing journey so far?
HEATHER: I think I’ve been most excited about learning about the publishing process. There’s a whole different language when talking about business and development in the publishing industry – different milestones, a different editing process, different achievements, and a whole different fanbase than what I’ve experienced working in film and TV.
HILLARY: And we’ve been able to work with some great people, which has been awesome. I’ve really liked the collaborative nature of the process, working with Elena Armas and the incredible team at Simon and Schuster to shape this project and get it out into the world.
If you were a character in Know Your Newlywed, what kind of character would you be?
HEATHER: My first thought was that I’m definitely Winston, so I already exist in the book – he’s an artist, yes, but also pragmatic and understands that art is also business. Like me, he came from humble beginnings and had to work multiple jobs while trying to make it as an artist. He’s Javi’s voice of caution and though he’s supportive, he’s always a realist.
HILLARY: If I’m honest with myself, I would probably be the producer on set that’s always rushing everyone around! But I’d like to be Hannah, Cleo’s best friend – she’s honest and supportive, always there for her friend but not afraid to speak her mind when there’s something Cleo really needs to hear.
Describe Know Your Newlywed in five words or less.
Gameshow fans compete & find love
OR
Flirty banter and gameshow thrills
What is your favorite quote from Know Your Newlywed?
HEATHER: When Javi tries to get his friends to try and eat a new food innovation that he made that includes E3Live (which turns things a pastel blue), Sam says: “I eat with my eyes first, and my eyes say no.” Makes me laugh every time.
HILLARY: When Cleo and Javi go on a whirlwind tour of Chicago. At the end, Javi’s a little offended when Cleo tells him it was one of her top 5 dates. Then, she clarifies and says that technically, that one date filled all of the top 5 slots.
Could you give us 5 random facts about Know Your Newlywed (think the story, writing, publishing, anything that comes to mind)?
- Tyler Posey was our first choice for Javi even before we wrote the book!
- Heather added a real-life disagreement she has with her husband – he thinks that ocean beaches are the only real beaches and lake beaches don’t count. As both Heather’s husband and Cleo are from Boston, we thought she could make the same argument!
- As we made our FMC a scientist, we had to pick a field that would also have an identifiable sound. That’s why we picked anthrozoology, so Cleo could work at a zoo.
- We made Marisol’s signature dish the Empanada Gallega, which is from Spain, in honor of Elena.
- Despite their off-the-charts chemistry, Mary and Tyler weren’t in the same room together when they recorded their lines.
What was it like writing a book together instead of writing on your own?
HEATHER: By working with a partner, you always feel supported and safe, yet challenged. I think Hillary and I have a shorthand now, especially since we’ve worked together for a while, It makes it so we know what’s working and not working pretty quickly. I love that we always push each other to go outside of our comfort zone and that makes our work better. Also, when you get stuck, you have someone to bounce ideas off of. It’s even better as it’s someone who knows the story as well as you do!
HILLARY: All of the above. Also, you get the opportunity to play to each others’ strengths. We each have things we’re better at, and we can put those skills together to have an even better-finished product.
Tour Schedule
If this interview has you curious about Know Your Newlywed, click here for the tour schedule. A lot of amazing bloggers and bookstagrammers are talking about this book this week.
About Hillary Nussbaum
Hillary Nussbaum is a writer, director, and producer. She is cocreator and director of Anomaly, an official narrative audio selection of the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival and the Gotham Week 2020 Project Forum. Her background is in television development—she previously worked at the Emmy-winning production company, Lion Television, developing unscripted series for national cable networks like TLC, AMC, and A&E. Hillary’s personal essays have been published both online and in print, most recently in McSweeney’s Internet Tendency and Eating Well magazine, and her photos have been published in National Geographic and Sports Illustrated.
Hillary’s Links:
Website
Twitter
Instagram
Goodreads
About Heather Taylor
Heather Taylor writes/directs TV, film, and audio projects about complicated family relationships. She cohosts Braaains, a podcast about how film/TV portray mental health and disability, cocreated the 2021 Gotham and Tribeca Festival official narrative audio selection Anomaly and wrote and directed an episode of iHeart and Overtones Media’s narrative podcast You Feeling This which premiered at Tribeca Festival 2023. Heather was an award-nominated story editor on The Hardy Boys (Hulu/Disney+) and is currently a coproducer on an upcoming drama series. Her second feature film, Lethal Love, is now streaming on Netflix. Heather started as a playwright, authored three poetry collections, and is a former journalist. She strives to destigmatize mental illness, disabilities, and poverty in her work. Visit her website HeatherATaylor.com.
Heather’s Links
Website
Twitter
Instagram
Goodreads
YouTube
About Elena Armas
Elena is a Spanish writer, a self confessed hopeless romantic and a proud book hoarder. Now, she’s also the author of International bestseller and soon to be adapted to film The Spanish Love Deception; and instant New York Times bestsellers The American Roommate Experiment and The Long Game. Her books are being translated to over 30 languages–which is bananas, if you ask her.
She hopes her stories make your heart skip a beat or two, your palms a little sweaty, and your cheeks flush in that rosy pink that makes other people want to peek at the page you are reading.
Elena’s Links
Website
Twitter
Instagram
Goodreads
Know Your Newlywed is definitely a book I’ll be looking up soon! I love listening to audiobooks during my commute. Have you read any good audiobooks recently? Let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear from you!
