Hannah Brown is a television personality, lifestyle expert and two-time New York Times bestselling author. Brown’s authenticity and charismatic personality have captivated her millions of followers, and she continues to inspire and empower others. Born and raised in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Brown currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee. 

Tell us about Reasons to Be Loved by You. What inspired this story?

People always ask me where my ideas come from, and this one is honestly too wild to have made up. My brother ended up falling in love with my ex-fiancé’s ex-girlfriend, and now they’re married, have a beautiful daughter (my niece), and I absolutely adore them all. Looking back, it’s one of those stories where you think, “There is no way this actually happened.” That real-life twist was the spark for the book, and I remember thinking, “If anyone is going to write a story inspired by this, it should be me.” I always knew out of everyone in the Core Four, I wanted Nikki to be the most like me—she is a former pageant queen whose search for love on a reality dating show ends in a very public heartbreak. While the book is fiction, that gave me a really authentic foundation to explore themes that have shaped my own life—from heartbreak to healing, complicated family dynamics and learning that your worth isn’t determined by whether someone chooses you. At its heart, Reasons to Be Loved by You is a love story, but it’s also a reminder that sometimes the life you never would’ve planned for yourself ends up being even better than the one you thought you wanted.

You built an audience long before you built fictional worlds. How has being a content creator prepared you for being an author?

I’ve always believed people connect more with honesty than perfection. My audience first got to know me through a love story, but over the years we’ve gone through a lot more together than just that. They’ve seen the highs, the heartbreaks, the mistakes, the growth—all the messy parts of figuring life out.

I think that’s actually what prepared me to write fiction. Storytelling has always been at the center of what I do. The difference now is that instead of bringing people into my own story, I get to invite them into brand-new love stories and let them experience those emotions through someone else. At the end of the day, whether it’s social media, television, or a book, I’m always hoping people see a piece of themselves in the story.

What aspects of becoming an author took you by surprise?

How long everything takes! I think before I started writing, I imagined you’d write a book, turn it in, and then it magically appeared on shelves. That is definitely not how it works. The amount of time, patience, and revision that goes into a book surprised me. You’re living with these characters for years, not months, and there were so many moments where I thought I had everything figured out, only to realize there was still more work to do. I also gained such an appreciation for how collaborative publishing really is. Getting to work alongside my incredible co-writer, Emily Larrabee, my editors, the publishing team, marketing, publicity – there are so many people pouring their hearts into not only making the book the best it can be, but also making sure it finds its readers. It truly takes a village, and that was one of the most rewarding parts of the experience. It taught me that good stories—and getting them into readers’ hands—take time.

You’ve said this story echoes parts of your own experience with public heartbreak and finding love. How did writing fiction help you explore those themes differently than memoir?

One of my favorite parts about writing fiction was that I wasn’t limited to telling just my story. Nikki may be the character who shares the most similarities with me, but creating the Core 4 gave me the opportunity to build out an entire world where each woman has her own journey, her own struggles, and her own version of what love and growth look like. That’s what I love about fiction—it lets you explore different perspectives and remind readers that there isn’t just one path to a happy ending. While Nikki’s story is rooted in some emotions I’ve experienced, getting to write about all four women navigating friendship, family, heartbreak, and love made the world feel so much richer. My hope is that every reader finds a little bit of themselves in at least one of the Core 4, because each of them represents a different way of learning who you are and finding the life that’s meant for you.

Do you have a favorite book influencer or author you follow?

One of my favorite parts of becoming an author has been getting to immerse myself in the book community. Through BookTok, book festivals, and moderating conversations with other authors, I’ve met so many incredible writers and readers who are genuinely passionate about stories. I’ve especially loved getting to know authors like Joss Richard and Lyla Sage. Their books have so much heart, and they’re the kind of stories that make you want to cancel your plans, curl up on the couch, and keep reading until the very last page.

What books do you recommend over and over?

I have a few books that I recommend all the time because they’ve really stayed with me. In Five Years by Rebecca Serle is one of those books that lingers with you long after you finish it, and People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry is one of my favorite romances. Pride and Prejudice will always be a classic that I come back to, and The Nightingale is one of the most beautifully written, emotionally impactful books I’ve ever read. Another all-time favorite is Tom Lake by Ann Patchett. I think the best books are the ones that entertain you but also stay with you long after you’ve turned the last page.

Reasons to Be Loved by You by Hannah Brown

Two years after a humiliating breakup on a reality dating show, a former pageant queen returns to her family’s Georgia lake house hoping for a quiet Fourth of July. Instead, she discovers that her younger brother is engaged to the very woman her ex-fiancé had been secretly dating, forcing her into an uneasy alliance with the bride-to-be’s brother. Full of witty banter, family drama, and an irresistible opposites-attract romance, this heartfelt summer love story proves that sometimes the best happily-ever-afters come from the most unexpected beginnings.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon