Lisa Brown Roberts | Romance, Bromance, and Soundtracks, Oh My!

I spent most of my teenage years wishing I lived inside a John Hughes movie, complete with an awesome ‘80s soundtrack. The soundtrack I could manage since I’m an ‘80s girl, but charming the dream guy with my quirky awkwardness and shiny braces? Not so much.

When I write a young adult romance, I give my inner teenage dreamer free reign. In addition to including some painful, cringe-worthy moments (because that’s my reality) I also create a world where the heroes are thoughtful and funny, even if they come off as cocky and arrogant at first, like Slade does in PLAYING THE PLAYER.

I don’t write about beautiful, perfect heroines because that’s not my reality, and I don’t like to read those type of books. Instead, my heroines are average in appearance but remarkable in other ways, and that’s what catches the hero’s attention…eventually.

Friends-to-lovers is my favorite trope because that is my reality. I’m lucky enough to be married to my best friend. We still love to hang out with each other and laughter is a big part of our lives. I wish that for everyone, so I always make sure my heroines and heroes have fun with each other, and that they share private jokes that make them laugh. It’s not all about the kissing…though of course that’s important, too.

When I wrote PLAYING THE PLAYER I got to play with some of my favorite tropes: frenemies-to-lovers, friends-to-lovers, and secret bets. I also had fun inverting traditional gender stereotypes.

Trina and Slade are forced to work a summer nanny job together. She’s the super nanny, and he’s the slacker nanny, or so Trina assumes. But when push comes to shove, and when two crazy five-year-olds get out of control, readers discover who the real super nanny is.

Something else I love to include in my books is strong friendships. As a reader, I don’t like reading about catty girls or stereotypical “dude” relationships, so that’s not what I write. I love writing bromances, and I had almost as much fun with Slade and Alex’s friendship as I did with Trina and Slade’s romance.

In this story, both Trina and Slade have best friends who do what true friends should: support them, yet also call them out when they make dumb decisions or are ridiculously stubborn.

I’ve heard from early reviewers that this book reminded them of a John Hughes movie, which makes me so very happy. It probably didn’t hurt that I snuck in a couple of Ferris Bueller references, including the “Oh Yeah” song that always makes me smile.

To me, the best romances are grounded in friendship, laughter, true appreciation of each other’s unique qualities…and lots of swoony kissing. I strive for that in all my books, and hope that readers fall in love right along with my characters.

About Lisa Brown Roberts

Lisa Brown Roberts still hasn't recovered from the teenage trauma of nearly tweezing off both eyebrows and having to pencil them in for an entire school year. This and other angst-filled memories inspire her to write YA books about navigating life's painful and funny dramas, and falling in love along the way.

Her almost forever home is Colorado, though she occasionally pines for the days when she lived within walking distance of the Pacific Ocean. Her house is full of books, boys, several four-legged prima donnas, and lots of laughter.

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About PLAYING THE PLAYER

The Good Girl Vs. The Player Round one begins...

Trina Clemons needed the money. Why else would she - the most organized, prepared student in school - spend the summer as a nanny and partner with the biggest slacker ever? Now she's ready to tackle nannyhood with her big binder of research and schedules. Just don't ask her about the secret job of "fixing" the bad habits of a certain high school player...

Slade Edmunds prefers easy hook-ups, and Trina is definitely not his type. She's all structure and rules, while Slade wants to just have fun. Fortunately, Trina has no idea about the bet Slade made with his best friend that he can totally get her to unwind by the end of summer...

Then the weirdest thing happens. There's chemistry. A lot of it. But nothing gets between a boy and a girl like a big, fat secret...