Welcome back to Jen’s Jewels, your go-to destination for the hottest new summer reads! Today, I’m featuring THE STORIES WE TELL by Savannah Carlisle. If you love heartfelt coastal stories filled with charm, emotion, and summer romance, this is one you won’t want to miss.
LIGHTNING ROUND
What’s your favorite writing season: hopeful spring, beachy summer, reflective fall, or cozy winter, and why?
In the beginning, I only wrote beachy summer, so it’s definitely my go-to. However, I wrote my first Christmas romance last winter and loved it so much that I’ll be releasing another one this year!
What’s one snack or treat that always appears when you’re deep in writing mode?
An iced skinny vanilla latte with cinnamon keeps me fueled during those long writing sessions.
If your main character had a motto, what would it be?
Piper’s motto would be, “Always stay one step ahead.” As a publicist, she’s always looking out for her clients’ reputations, and she’s a Type A who loves to plan everything in both her personal and professional life.
THE SPRING SPARK
May often signifies the start of something new. In what ways did this story represent a new chapter for you as a writer?
It’s really the ending of this book that represents a new chapter for me as a writer, because this is the final book in the Big Dune Island series. I’ve been writing and editing these books, and living with these characters in my head, for eight years now. I miss them already, but giving them the endings they deserve means moving on to a new chapter as an author now.
What was the very first image, line, or idea that sparked this book?
The first idea I had for this book was Piper running up Callie’s stairs to tell her a famous documentary producer wants to feature her. I knew I wanted to circle back to Callie, because she started this series, and I wanted her to be part of the final book in a meaningful way.
Tell us about a scene that changed significantly from your first draft to your final version. What made you rethink it?
Originally, Piper running to Callie’s house to tell her about the documentary was the opening scene of the book, but after some editorial feedback, I added a new beginning to set up Piper and Wyatt’s romance first. What was Chapter 1 is now Chapter 3 so that there are two chapters setting up Piper and Wyatt’s relationship first.
Setting can shape a story in powerful ways. What role does the setting play in your book, and what inspired you to choose it?
When I started this series, I wanted the town of Big Dune Island to feel like a character in the books. I think one of the reasons I love shows like Gilmore Girls, Virgin River, and Sweet Magnolias is that the towns, the neighbors, and the business owners there collectively have a personality of their own. I wanted all of my characters to love where they live and treat their friends there like family so you get that warm, cozy feel that makes you wish you could live there too.
THE PERSONAL TOUCH
What’s a behind-the-scenes detail about writing this book that readers might never guess?
Of all the characters I’ve written, Piper is probably the most like me. Although many of my readers know I went from being a corporate attorney to being a sports business reporter, most probably don’t know that I was a publicist for a few years as well. I’m also very Type A like Piper, and like her, I had to grapple with what happens when you realize the thing you’ve worked your entire life and career for might not be what you want anymore.
If readers could step inside one scene from your book and experience it in real life, which scene would you choose and why?
Piper gets to go to a movie premiere in Hollywood with her best friend, and then she even gets hit on by a famous movie star. I think most of my readers would enjoy getting to experience that night!
LOOKING AHEAD
Can you give readers a sneak peek into your next project, minus any spoilers?
I’m currently finishing up a fall book set in Colorado that I’m describing as Gilmore Girls meets Heartland. I’m flipping Gilmore Girls a little though and having it be the grandmother character who has to come to the mother character for help. Basically, just imagine if Emily Gilmore had to go live on a working ranch in Colorado with Lorelai because her assets are all frozen!
Where can readers connect with you and keep up with your latest writing news? (Website, social media, newsletter, etc.)
Check out my website at and follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. You can also sign up for my newsletter and get a free beach read novella here.
BONUS: The Author’s Playlist
Share 3–5 songs that capture the mood of your book or that helped inspire you while writing.
You Are in Love by Taylor Swift
Roots and Wings by Miranda Lambert
Look at Us Now by Daisy Jones and the Six
Also, I worked with a singer-songwriter to produce a real song Callie writes in the first book of the series that I always listen to when writing the books in this series: Saltwater Revival.
Big Dune Island #4
Two corporate pros. One high-stakes documentary. A coastal love story where ambition and heart collide.
Piper Presley has spent years chasing her dreams of stardom, and she’s this close to making it big. When she returns to charming Big Dune Island to oversee a documentary about her superstar client, she sees it as the perfect launchpad, until local marketing director Wyatt Mason turns every plan upside down.
Wyatt’s easygoing style and deep roots on the island clash with Piper’s polished, big-city strategy. But their chemistry is impossible to ignore.
As they navigate behind-the-scenes drama, a buried scandal threatens everything they’re working toward, including their growing connection. With career-defining choices on the horizon and a hurricane brewing offshore, Piper and Wyatt must decide what really matters…and where home truly is.
Perfect for fans of Emily Henry, Debbie Macomber, and Sherryl Woods, this feel-good escape will leave you swooning, sighing, and smiling long after the last page.
Romance Contemporary [ Harpeth Road Press, On Sale: May 19, 2026, e-Book, ISBN: 9781963483611 / ]
Born in sweltering Singapore, Celine Ong (she/they) was raised in mosh pits, and writes queer romance novels about chaos gremlins with bad manners, weird feelings, and big hearts. With a B.A. in Psychology, by day, she works with her local queer community. By night, she’s just a little court jester. Hold Me Like a Grudge is their debut novel.
Jennifer Vido is the author of The Gull Island Series, sweet Lowcountry romances inspired by her love of coastal living and small-town charm. Serendipity by the Sea won Best First Book from the New Jersey Romance Writers Golden Leaf Contest, and Baltimore Magazine readers named her Best Local Author in 2024 and 2025.
A Vanderbilt graduate, Jennifer traded in teaching French to follow her dream of becoming an author. She loves discovering and sharing literary gems through her Jen's Jewels column, celebrating the books that make her heart happy.
Jennifer lives in Maryland with her husband and is mom to two grown sons. Her rescue dog, Fripp, is her constant companion, though he's better at napping than editing. When she's not writing, you'll find her at the beach with her toes in the sand, dreaming about her next romance.
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