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Forty is not the end of your love story—it might be the beginning of your best one yet. In this episode, I’m chatting with romance author L.B. Dunbar all about love over 40, menopause, midlife reinvention, and why Christmas romances are the perfect escape when life feels like… a lot.

We dig into how L.B. pivoted her career to write romance with characters in their 40s and 50s, what makes second-chance love hit different in midlife, and why today’s Gen X and Millennial readers are craving stories that reflect their real lives—kids, divorce, therapy, hormones and all. Then we switch into full holiday mode to talk about her grumpy/sunshine Christmas romances (including a sexy maybe-Santa), plus a few cozy cowboy recs if you love a small-town escape.

Scroogish by L.B. Dunbar — Buy on Amazon | Contemporary Romance, Holiday Romance, Second Chance | KU ✅ / Audio ✅

Naughty-ish by L.B. Dunbar — Buy on Amazon | Contemporary Romance, Holiday Romance | KU ✅ / Audio ✅

Grouch-ish by L.B. Dunbar — Buy on Amazon | Contemporary Romance, Holiday Romance | KU ✅ / Audio ✅

Elf-ish by L.B. Dunbar — Buy on Amazon | Contemporary Romance, Holiday Romance, Grumpy/Sunshine | KU ✅ / Audio ✅

The Holiday Post by L.B. Dunbar — Buy on Amazon | Contemporary Romance, Holiday Romance, Forced Proximity | KU ✅ / Audio ✅

The Holiday Whoopi by Sarah L. Hudson — Buy on Amazon | Contemporary Romance, Holiday Romance, Steamy |KU ✅ / Audio ✅

Between the Pines by Amber Palmer — Buy on Amazon | Cowboy Romance, Small-Town Romance | KU ✅ / Audio ✅

Dust Storm by Maggie Gates — Buy on Amazon | Cowboy Romance, Grumpy/Sunshine |KU ✅ / Audio ✅

[00:00] Meet L.B. Dunbar & why she writes romance over 40

[03:00] Millennials, Gen X, and outgrowing 20-something romances

[06:00] Menopause, hormones & not giving a f*ck in midlife

[10:00] How L.B. started writing Christmas romances

[13:00] Scroogish, Naughty-ish, Grouch-ish & Elf-ish: her holiday series

[16:00] Sexy Santa energy & The Holiday Post

[18:00] Current reads, Hideaway Harbor & The Holiday Whoopi

[19:30] Cowboy romance recs: Between the Pines & Dust Storm

[21:00] Where to find L.B. Dunbar online and final thoughts

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