Fri, 03 Apr 2026 23:31:07 +0100WeeblyWed, 25 Mar 2026 15:14:02 GMThttps://www.bellaosborne.com/blog/its-a-juggling-actI thought I would share a little bit of what happens behind the scenes when you're writing a book.

For a start you're never just writing one book! Here's what life looks like for me at the moment:
- I am currently promoting book 16 my latest rom com, Not Quite Done With Dating, which came out 29th January but the ebook is currently on a 99p/99c deal so I want as many people to know about this as possible
- I have recently been working on the copy edits for book 17 which will be out in August and whilst they have gone back to my editor my brain is still mulling them over which means I keep thinking of other improvements and tiny tweaks. I'm not entirely sure if this is really helpful or a giant pain in the bum. I've moved on but my brain hasn't!
- I am also finishing off a first draft of book 19 which is for Christmas 2027. That will need a self edit before I send it to my agent. There will then be another round of edits before I submit it to my editor
- My structural edits for book 18 have just landed and thinking about them is making my brain melt
- I also have a spark of an idea that is bouncing around my head and drawing my attention because the new shiny idea is always the most exciting!

So there you go. My head is swimming with so many stories but then I wouldn't have it any other way!
]]>Wed, 11 Feb 2026 14:28:11 GMThttps://www.bellaosborne.com/blog/playlist-not-quite-done-with-datingThis has, without doubt, been one of my favourite playlists to put together. (Not Quite) Done With Dating has been a long time in the making so it has given me a chance to really think about what songs best fit with the story. I could genuinely see this working as a film soundtrack. I just need a film producer and a few million quid to get it off the ground!
Nora’s story was originally going to be a second thread in another novel until my agent pointed out that the idea was too strong and deserved to be a lead thread plus it was in danger of overshadowing the other part of that story. I slept on it and decided that she was completely right and then after rocking in a corner I proceeded to unpick the thirty thousand words I had already written.
But the thing with writing is that nothing is ever wasted. So when it came to sitting down to plan (Not Quite) Done With Dating I already knew Nora really well and was totally sold on her idea to apply a business rule to her love life in the hope of finding The One. As she starts to go back through her ex boyfriends I immediately had Little Mix, Shout Out To My Ex, playing in my head so that definitely had to feature in the playlist. 
There is a lovely scene where Jay encourages Nora to face her fears by humming one of her favourite tunes which is It’s All About You by McFly and that fits with the story in so many ways. I also love that Tom Fletcher wrote this for his then girlfriend, now wife, Giovanna.
When it comes to ear worms it’s fair to say I’ve had a few while I’ve been working on this story but none more so than Belong Together by Mark Ambor. My nineteen-year-old daughter was surprised to hear me playing it and mortified when I sang along. But it’s such a jolly upbeat song that it can’t fail to make you feel a little bit brighter (OK now I do sound old). I don’t care and I can absolute see this playing over the film credits, well an author can dream!
 
(Not Quite) Done With Dating
 
Flowers by Miley Cyrus
What is Love by Haddaway
Shout Out To My Ex by Little Mix
Dakota by Stereophonics
Crush by Jennifer Page
Secret Smile by Semi Sonic
It’s All About You by McFly
Love Me Not by Ravyn Lenae
Changes by Charlie Puth
I’m In Love With You by The 1975
Give Me A Little More Time - Gabrielle
You Belong With Me by Taylor Swift
I Love You I’m Sorry by Gracie Abrams
Belong Together by Mark Ambor
 
And here’s the link to the playlist on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5NVUKTMd222lDa7IBdfTGZ?si=wPT0ZRTUSh6KjWMlu-CmjA
 

]]>Fri, 26 Sep 2025 13:42:47 GMThttps://www.bellaosborne.com/blog/what-is-a-romance-tropeI have to confess that I was oblivious to tropes until recently so here is my take on what a romance trope is.
It's basically a neat way of categorising certain things that pop up frequently in romance novels. And by certain things I mean situations, plot points, character types and themes.
So let me give you some examples. As someone who didn't know what a trope was it wasn't something I had considered when writing my books but now I know about it, it made me curious to see which tropes had accidentally ended up in my stories.
It appears that I am a fan of Enemies to Lovers as that features in Mistletoe Magic In The Highlands, An Invitation To Seashell Bay, The Perfect Christmas Village and quite a few more. Grumpy versus Sunshine is also one that pops up a lot and it was particularly fun to write in The Promise Of Summer as Curtis is an unconventional hero who is extremely logical and that side of him is highlighted when he encounters quirky fun-loving Ruby who gets herself into all sorts of situations. Reverse Grumpy Sunshine is key in Finding Love At Sunset Shore as Ros, my main character, is the grumpy one rather than the hero.
One Family Christmas features the Second Chance trope but also Forced Proximity as the family is forced to spend longer together than planned due to a heavy snowfall, but there's also Childhood Sweethearts and a heavy dose of Secrets as everyone is keeping a secret including the cat, dog and the house.
A Walk In Wildflower Park ticks off the Office Romance, Rivals and Opposites Attract tropes. This book happens to include one of my favourite heroes - Hudson Jones. A gorgeous American in an English office is always going stir things up.
Only one book, Finding Love At Sunset Shore, features a Fake Relationship but it also has a Cinnamon Roll hero. Let me explain that one a little further as I think all the other tropes I've mentioned are fairly self explanatory. A Cinnamon Roll hero is one who is kind of perfectly sweet, kind, considerate and definitely has the swoon factor - which is pretty much how I feel about a cinnamon bun.
Fish Out Of Water is key in Escape to Willow Cottage where Beth is fleeing a bad relationship so leaves behind all her city mod cons for a dilapidated cottage in The Cotswolds. Wedding Fever is most definitely covered off in A Wedding At Sandy Cove which also has the Single Dad trope because my hero has stepped up to take care of his nephew.
That is by no means an exhaustive list but I think it covers off a lot of the most frequently used and popular tropes. It's lovely to see readers identifying key tropes in stories and now searching out books based on their favourite tropes. If you know what you like, then why not?
I'm pleased to see that there are still lots of tropes I've not included yet like Friends To Lovers, Only One Bed, Secret Identity or Love Triangle. So watch this space to see what tropes might feature in my future novels.
Thanks for stopping by and reading!
]]>Thu, 24 Oct 2024 09:35:52 GMThttps://www.bellaosborne.com/blog/playlist-mistletoe-magic-in-the-highlandsI loved writing Mistletoe Magic in the Highlands. My Christmas books are full on festive romantic comedies and are always fun to write. They would make excellent Hallmark Christmas films (just my opinion obviously but just in case a film producer happens to be reading this :-)) Liv is a feisty heroine who gets herself into a number of scrapes but always keeps her sense of humour which means she has some great comedy liners. It's not just about the laughs it's also about showing how characters meet challenges and evolve so it was good to see her grow across the novel. The setting is the Scottish Highlands so it was a treat to be able to immerse myself in that wonderful location. The story is set in the run up to Christmas so there are obviously some festive tracks on this playlist but there are lots of others too so hopefully it’s well balanced. I was tempted to add in some bagpipe music but decided against it, I’m sure you can find some for yourselves if you really want to!
So here’s the list of songs:
Emotions by Mariah Carey
Mambo No5 by Lou Bega
Wild World by Maxi Priest
Let It Snow by Dean Martin
Fantasy by Mariah Carey
Merry Christmas Everyone by Shakin’ Stevens
Love Is A Battlefield by Pat Benatar
Blame It On Me by George Ezra
Say What You Want by Texas
Stick Season by Noah Kahan
Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer by Elmo & Patsy
All I Want For Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey
 
And the Spotify playlist is here. I hope you enjoy it. Wishing a very merry Christmas for us all!
]]>Thu, 11 Jul 2024 10:55:09 GMThttps://www.bellaosborne.com/blog/playlist-for-finding-love-at-sunset-shoreI am really sad to leave behind the characters from Finding Love At Sunset Shore. It’s been nice to be able to go through the different songs that remind me of the key points and scenes in the story so that I can relive them. Finding Love At Sunset Shore originally had the working title of The Boyfriend Risk and I think I’ll always think of that title first. Ros is in risk management and it’s the perfect role for her – she’s analytical, uptight and a rule follower. Ros is a strong character and I loved discovering her story. She’s the sort of person who is seen as quirky and occasionally downright odd by others who don’t take the time to get to know her. Ros sees things very clearly and human emotions are not her strong suit but she’s the best risk manager out there. She has a just two people who she is close to who are her dad and her friend Darla.
This is a fake dating trope story which I know has been done many times before but Ros’s story is different. Well at least I’ve not read about anyone embarking on a fake relationship for anything other than something that in some way benefits them. Frequently it’s because they want to go to a big event but don’t want people to know they are single. But in my story Ros is only doing it to make someone else feel better.
Her dad has terminal cancer and she overhears him telling his brother that he’s worried about Ros and how she will be after he is gone. He knows and respects that she’s a strong independent woman but that doesn’t stop him having that paternal worry that Ros will be alone in a harsh world where she struggles to fit in. He would like to see her in a relationship with someone who will respect her independence but be there for her when she needs them and he feels she would benefit if only she’d let others get closer to her.
Ros briefly considers the option of seeking out a man to pretend to be her partner but instantly dismisses it as a totally bonkers idea but when her friend Darla thinks she has the perfect guy to stand in as her boyfriend Ros has a very hard decision to make which goes against her fiercely independent demeanour.
This story is jam packed with funny moments and I often laughed out loud when I was writing it which is unusual especially when you are editing it for the eighth time!
It’s hard to know how a book will be received but I so hope readers take Ros into their hearts and go on the voyage of discovery with her. Plus there is the gorgeous chilled-out Cameron to enjoy who is one of my favourites of the book boyfriends I’ve created. 
I found choosing the songs quite easy this time as I think Ros has been with me for quite a long while and I can see the scenes play out with these tunes adding to the feeling and atmosphere. As usual there’s an eclectic mix but there are a few classics from my favourite era - the 80s. I so hope you enjoy Ros’s story and these songs.
Here’s what I’ve chosen to go with Finding Love At Sunset Shore:
 
Rosanna by Toto
Don’t Get Me Wrong by The Pretenders
Can’t Tame Her by Zara Larsson
As It Was by Harry Styles
Bad Habits by Ed Sheeran
Clair de lune by Debussy
Remember by Becky Hill
Secret Smile by Semisonic
All My Broken Pieces by James Bay
Whole Again by Atomic Kitten
Love Changes Everything by Climie Fisher
Stargazing by Myles Smith
 
Here’s a link to the Spotify playlist. I hope you enjoy it.
]]>Fri, 27 Oct 2023 10:35:49 GMThttps://www.bellaosborne.com/blog/playlist-the-perfect-christmas-villageSo here we are at book thirteen! It feels quite surreal that I have written and had published so many stories and I am incredibly grateful that you, my lovely readers, continue to read and enjoy them.
I had a lot of fun with The Perfect Christmas Village not least because I am a bit of a Christmas nut myself. So it was particularly fun to think about what would be on the playlist to accompany this one. I've only written one Christmas themed book previously (One Family Christmas) so it was a novelty for me and lovely to fully immerse myself in the festive season.
I'm pleased with my final line up which isn't a full on festive playlist but hopefully a nice mix of songs that fit with various scenes as the book progresses with some classic Christmas tunes in there too - well it is a Christmas box after all!

Here's what made the final cut:9 to 5 by Dolly Parton
Moonlight by Grace VanderWaal
Sunrise by Norah Jones
It Feels Like Christmas - From the Muppet Christmas Carol
Jessie by Joshua Kadison
The Show Must Go On by Queen
Winter Wonderland by Bing Crosby
Here Comes Santa Claus by Bob Dylan
I’m Still Standing by Elton John
Love Someone by Lukas Graham
It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas by Michael Buble
I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday by Wizzard
And here's a link to the playlist on Spotify.]]>Sat, 29 Jul 2023 17:19:04 GMThttps://www.bellaosborne.com/blog/playlist-an-invitation-to-seashell-bayIt’s become a bit of a thing that I jot down songs as I write a novel. An Invitation To Seashell Bay is a rom com about friendship and the assumptions we often make about others on first meeting which are frequently proved wrong.
It’s quite nice to picture a scene and have a musical accompaniment as it sometimes helps me to get the feel and atmosphere right. Plus I like it when I hear a song and know it would work well with a particular part of the story. It also helps me to picture what it might be like as a film – an author can dream!
​
These are the songs I picked for An Invitation To Seashell Bay:
 
Somebody To Love by George Michael & Queen
Spaceman by Sam Ryder
Don’t Speak by No Doubt
Shivers by Ed Sheeran
U Sure Do by Strike
Let Her Go by Passenger
Anyone For You by George Ezra
Better Together by Jeremy Loops
Crazy What Love Can Do by David Guetta / Becky Hill / Ella Henderson
More Than Friends by James Hype and Kelli-Leigh
 
Here’s a link to the Spotify playlist. I hope you enjoy it.

]]>Fri, 12 Aug 2022 13:57:46 GMThttps://www.bellaosborne.com/blog/playlist-a-wedding-at-sandy-coveThis was a fun playlist to put together. A Wedding At Sandy Cove is about weddings and brides but it's also about friendships and how important they are. I'm really pleased with the songs on this list and can see them playing over key scenes in the story. Here's the list I put together:Mirrors by Justin Timberlake
Family Affair by Sly & The Family Stone
Follow Me by Uncle Kracker
Hot N Cold by Katy Perry
Good As Hell by Lizzo
Rather Be by Clean Bandit
You’re My Best Friend by Queen
Girls Just Want To Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper
Confetti by Little Mix
Perfect by Ed Sheeran
Fire For You by Cannons
Wake Me up by Avicii

The link to the playlist on Spotify is here.]]>Sun, 24 Jul 2022 16:43:04 GMThttps://www.bellaosborne.com/blog/pinterest-a-wedding-at-sandy-coveA Wedding At Sandy Cove has been published and I can't wait to hear what my readers think of Ella and Kit and the gang. I find Pinterest is a great place to accumulate ideas for stories as I'm writing them and this book was no exception. I squirrelled away various pictures of people who looked a bit like my characters - disclaimer - there may be photos of Tom Ellis with his top off!
​If you follow the link below you can see some of the inspirations for my characters and story.
Pinterest Board Link - here]]>Wed, 11 May 2022 11:32:37 GMThttps://www.bellaosborne.com/blog/the-girls-playlistIt's become a bit of a tradition that I produce a playlist for each of my books. It's a fun thing to do and hopefully helps to bring the story to life. Here's the list of the songs I think go well with The Girls:Alone Again (Naturally) by Gilbert O’Sullivan
Don’t Go Breaking my Heart by Elton John & Kiki Dee
Dancing Queen by Abba
In Demand by Texas
Get Up by James Brown
Sailing by Rod Stewart
She’s A Lady by Tom Jones
Tiny Dancer by Elton John
You Can’t Always Get What you Want by The Rolling Stones (mentioned in the book)
Does your mother know by Abba
Can’t Get By Without You by The Real Thing
Give Me Just A Little More Time by Chairmen of the Board
Murder on the Dancefloor by Sophie Ellis-Bextor
Jailhouse Rock by Elvis
If You Leave Me Now by Chicago
All Right Now by Free
​
Link to Spotify playlist - here]]>