Jenn Bouchard returns to the Spotlight this week to chat about her romantic comedy, Considering Us
Author Name: Jenn Bouchard
Book Title: Considering Us
Book Genre: Romantic Comedy
Release Date: February 6, 2025
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
Welcome back, Jenn! What inspired the idea for this book?
Food is always front and center. I have written about a few chefs, but I loved the idea of Devon as a private chef to the Boston elite. Her relationship with David—the one client she manages to keep after her scandal—was so much fun to write. If this book ever gets adapted to the screen, their interactions would be a blast to see play out visually.
As for the boarding school setting, I have so many friends who either attended them or worked at them, so I interviewed a bunch of people to get a full picture of life on a residential academic campus. They were incredibly helpful and gave me so much inspiration.
How has your real life (day job, hobbies, etc.) informed your books (or latest release)?
I wrote Considering Us in the second half of 2022. I had just gotten through the worst of teaching through the pandemic. That’s my day job; I have been teaching high school social studies for 25 years. I needed to write something light and fun. This book was the perfect anecdote to the stress of teaching during uncertain times.
In what ways do you think you’ve evolved as an author over the course of your career so far?
I know that I can do this; there is a confidence that comes from writing several books. I was completely clueless going into the launch of my debut First Course in 2021; I was figuring out everything as I went. This time, I knew what I wanted to focus on, what I was willing to spend money on, which risks I would take, etc. And, quite honestly, I think I am a better writer now. The more you read and write, the better you get at it.
What’s your favorite part about writing/being an author? What do you find challenging?
I love meeting readers and other writers. The community of authors is incredible, and I have found so much support from them. I am part of a collective of eight women writers called The Eleventh Chapter, and working with them has been life changing.
It is very challenging to balance writing time with the business of publishing. Often I feel like I am not doing anything particularly well. I also have a full-time day job and am a parent to two busy teenagers. I do volunteer fundraising work for several organizations. Time management is tricky. And then there’s making dinner…
What about the writing/editing/publishing process has changed for you over the course of your career?
I am plotting less and pantsing more! With the book I am writing right now, I developed the characters and gave myself a very loose overview of the story. It’s been nice not to feel as much pressure to stick to a strict outline, which often I would just end up adjusting anyway.
Can you tell us about what you’re working on now?
I am writing another rom-com. This one is called Way Outta Left Field, and the romance is between a female baseball coach and a male softball coach, who also happens to own an Italian restaurant with his family. The guy is the cook in this book! I love writing about the delicious food he serves her. Believe me, this woman deserves it. She’s been through things.
My teenagers are fantastic athletes. I am not athletic. They have been my inspiration in writing this and have also been my consultants. They’ve taught me so much about the sports themselves, as well as what makes a good practice, what can go wrong in a game, etc.
The story is also full of wise old New Englanders. I think these are some of my favorite people to write.
Where can readers find you?
Website: jennbouchard.com
Socials: Facebook, Instagram, X: @JennBouchardBOS
I have a ton of events coming up, both in-person and online. Please check my website for a listing!
Thank you, Jenn! Considering Us is out on February 6 and available for pre-order.
Considering Us
After an affair with a client’s husband leads to scandal, private chef Devon Paige is left with only one client in Boston -a reclusive professional basketball player with a craving for cookies. With no other choice, Devon lands on the doorstep of Rockwood, a boarding school on the New Hampshire seacoast, taking a job leading their dining services. She is shocked to soon discover Kyle Holling on staff, who she hasn’t seen in over fifteen years since a memorable night just before departing for college in different cities. Devon and Kyle must determine what their relationship looks like years later, all while dodging the cameras of an underground newspaper, dealing with the installation of a controversial campus sculpture, and grappling with the arrival of Devon’s former lover’s daughter as a newly-enrolled student.
When Devon meets a handsome paramedic named Heath, she ditches the possibility of romance with Kyle in favor of what appears to be a more straightforward relationship. But a trip to Los Angeles to keep her client well-fed ahead of his basketball game threatens to upend everything, forcing Devon to finally answer the one question she has been avoiding: is fifteen years too late to rekindle a one-night stand?
Author bio:
Jenn Bouchard is the award-winning author of the novel First Course, Considering Us, and several short stories. She is a graduate of Bates College and Tufts University. An avid cook, Jenn volunteers for good causes and is a devoted Red Sox fan. A high school social studies teacher of twenty-five years, she lives with her family in the Boston suburbs.