Off Book with Jourdana Webber: Romance, Reinvention, and the Power of Choosing Yourself
- genredpodcast
- Jun 11
- 6 min read
This week on Off Book, we’re joined by author Jourdana Webber, whose debut romance Unconventionally, Elle is giving Legally Blonde meets Sex and the City, with a swoony, self-discovery-forward rom-com heart.
Jourdana introduces us to the world of Elle, her upcoming interconnected romance Could’ve, Should’ve, Would’ve, and what she lovingly calls the “Elleverse.” We talk publishing, corporate burnout, found family, romance as comfort, and why sometimes the most romantic story is the one where a woman chooses herself first.
And yes, somehow we also get into Omegaverse, Haunting Adeline, the Darcy hand flex, and why our grandmothers were absolutely reading romance before we were ready to admit it.
About Unconventionally, Elle
Jourdana describes Unconventionally, Elle as a swoony contemporary romance about a woman who did everything “right” only to realize none of it was actually right for her.
Elle has the career, the life plan, and the external version of success, but something still feels off. So she blows up the script and goes on a journey to figure out who she is, what she wants, and what success means when you stop measuring your life by everyone else’s expectations.
It’s a romance, yes, but it’s also about identity, healing, grief, friendship, and found family. One of the things we loved most is that the love triangle does not rely on one man being obviously terrible so the other can “win.” Instead, Elle’s story is about timing, fit, self-knowledge, and choosing the life that actually feels like hers.
A romance heroine who is not looking for someone to complete her? We love to see it.
Romance That Breaks the Rules Without Shattering Them
One of the big things we talk about in this episode is how Unconventionally, Elle still gives readers the romance beats they love, but in a way that feels fresh. It has the emotional payoff, the banter, the swoon, and the relationship tension, but it also plays with expectations.
Jourdana says she did not want to write a story where one guy was the obvious wrong choice and the other was the obvious right one. She wanted Elle to choose herself first, and then figure out who enhances the life she’s building.
That distinction matters. Romance does not always need to be about being “completed.” Sometimes it is about becoming whole enough to know who belongs beside you.
Jourdana’s Publishing Journey
We also get into Jourdana’s publishing path, which started with a dream about three best friends dancing at a tiki bar in Mexico. Naturally, she woke up and told her husband she was going to write a book.
As one does.
Jourdana talks about leaving corporate America, freelancing, rewriting Elle multiple times, and realizing that the traditional publishing path was not the only valid version of success. After time in the query trenches, she decided to indie publish Unconventionally, Elle, bringing her business background, creative control, and very strong “excuse me, I belong here” energy into the process.
She hired experienced editors, found a cover artist whose work she loved, and treated her indie publishing career with the same seriousness and polish as a traditional release.
One of the most interesting parts of the conversation is how closely Elle’s story mirrors Jourdana’s own publishing experience: making your own version of success instead of waiting for someone else to define it for you.
Why Indie Publishing Is Having a Moment
This episode also turns into a great conversation about indie publishing, hybrid models, and how romance authors are creating their own lanes.
We talk about authors who began in indie publishing and later moved into traditional or hybrid spaces, including names like B.K. Borison, Sarah Adams, Megan Quinn, and Elsie Silver. Jourdana talks about how social media has helped level the playing field for authors, because at the end of the day, every author needs readers.
Whether you’re traditionally published, indie published, hybrid published, or somewhere in between, the goal is the same: connect with people who will love your work.
Also, if Jourdana has to manage one more platform, she may lose it. Relatable.
What Romance Gets Right
A major theme of this episode is the misconception that romance is “just fluff.”
Jourdana pushes back on the idea that romance is either unserious or purely spicy. For her, romance offers hope. It gives readers the promise that no matter what characters go through, they are going to come out stronger and find joy.
And honestly? Real life is already doing enough. Let people have a happily ever after.
We also talk about how romance often gives women-centered stories room to explore real issues, personal choices, family wounds, grief, identity, queerness, chronic illness, friendship, sexuality, and what it means to build a life on your own terms.
Romance is not less meaningful because it includes love. Sometimes love is the whole point.
Heated Rivalry, Representation, and Why Love Stories Matter
Naturally, Heated Rivalry comes up, because Katy remains in deep emotional recovery from that book and adaptation.
Jourdana shares how meaningful that story has been to someone close to her, especially in the way it represents queer love, coming out, family dynamics, and being fully seen. It leads to one of the loveliest points of the episode: romance tells people that their love story matters.
Not every book has to change the world, but sometimes a book changes someone’s world. That counts.
Jourdana’s Genre Comfort Zone
Jourdana’s favorite genres are romance and cozy fantasy, depending on the mood.
Romance is her comfort genre because she loves knowing there will be a happily ever after. Cozy fantasy scratches a different itch: magic, whimsy, fairy-tale vibes, Shrek energy, and stories that feel like a soft place to land.
Her forever genre would probably be magical realism romance, especially in the vein of authors like Kate Robb and Ashley Poston. Romance, but with a little bit of magic? That may be the Katy gateway drug.
Friends to Lovers, Second Chance Romance, and Right Person, Wrong Time
Jourdana is a major friends-to-lovers girl. She loves the yearning, the history, and the stakes of possibly risking a friendship that already feels like family.
We also get into second chance romance, which has started hitting differently with age. As we say in the episode, at some point you realize you’ve met a lot of people in your life. Are you really supposed to never speak to any of them again?
The group also agrees that “right person, wrong time” is its own emotional weapon. Rude, but effective.
About Could’ve, Should’ve, Would’ve
Jourdana also gives us a preview of her upcoming book, Could’ve, Should’ve, Would’ve, which she describes as Mamma Mia meets When Harry Met Sally.
The book follows Addison Taylor, a Broadway actress dealing with chronic illness, who made a pact with her best friend that they would get married if they were both single by 30. The only issue? They both prefer men.
After a breakup right before her 30th birthday, Addison ends up going on her planned European birthday trip with her best friend’s brother, Grey Buford, a finance guy with poet energy and ultimate wife-guy potential.
There is Scandinavia. There is romance. There is a sassy cockatoo named Ophelia. We are seated.
Could’ve, Should’ve, Would’ve is slated for April 13, 2027, and Jourdana says the ebook and audiobook are available for preorder.
Books and Authors Mentioned
By Jourdana Webber
Romance / Contemporary
Beach Read by Emily Henry
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid
This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune
Tessa Bailey
Liz Tomforde / Windy City series
Abby Jimenez
Elsie Silver
B.K. Borison
Tara DeWitt
Sarah Adams
Megan Quinn
Dark / Spicy Romance
Haunting Adeline
The Never King
Bride by Ali Hazelwood
Romantasy / Fantasy / Cozy Fantasy
Assistant to the Villain
The Spellshop
Fourth Wing
Quicksilver
Outlander
Clan of the Cave Bear
Fever series by Karen Marie Moning
Crave series by Tracy Wolff
Magical Realism / Bookish Romance
Kate Robb
Prime Time Romance
This Spells Love
Ashley Poston
The Dead Romantics
Other Mentions
Heated Rivalry
Bourbon and Lies
Pride and Prejudice
Sweet Home Alabama
Gilmore Girls
Mamma Mia
When Harry Met Sally
Legally Blonde
Sex and the City
Listen If You Like…
Romance that has real emotional depth
Found family stories
Women choosing themselves first
Friends-to-lovers and second chance romance
Cozy fantasy with a little magic
Indie publishing journeys
Author interviews that turn into full genre therapy
The phrase “romance is like your soul being hugged”
A healthy amount of Omegaverse discourse
Where to Find Jourdana Webber and Her Books
You can find Jourdana Webber on Instagram and TikTok at @authorjourdanawebber.
She also recently started a Substack, though she admits she is still figuring that one out, which honestly feels deeply relatable.
Her debut romance, Unconventionally, Elle, is available wherever books are sold, including in paperback, Kindle Unlimited, and audiobook. Jourdana recommends checking with your local indie bookstore too, because indie bookstores are the lifeline of authors, readers, and publishing in general.
The audiobook of Unconventionally, Elle is narrated by Stella Bloom, who also narrated Quicksilver, which feels like a very fun little treat for the romantasy girlies.
Jourdana’s next book, Could’ve, Should’ve, Would’ve, is a bubbly vacation rom-com described as When Harry Met Sally meets Mamma Mia. It follows a woman nearing 30 who once made a marriage pact with her best friend, only to end up taking a birthday trip with her best friend’s brother. It comes out April 13, 2027, and the ebook and audiobook are available for preorder now.
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