Romance readers know Jasmine Guillory for her bestselling novels, but this summer, fans got something extra special: an exclusive look into her newest work, a relaxed conversation on representation and writing, and a behind-the-scenes peek at her latest brand collab.

The event took place in Montauk, New York, as part of Liquid I.V.’s Club Quench — a beach book club created to launch the brand’s newest flavor, Orange Vanilla Dream. The day featured tastings, book-themed mocktails and an exclusive reading from Guillory’s never-before-published dream sequence, inspired by the new flavor.

Blavity caught up with Guillory at Club Quench to talk about how the reading world has evolved, what’s changed for Black authors in publishing and what she’s working on next.

The rise of book culture—and Black voices—post-pandemic

“It makes me so happy,” Guillory told Blavity. “I still feel brand new in this industry, but my first book came out seven years ago, so it’s been a little while. And I feel like, when I was first starting to write, which was 10, 15 years ago, I didn’t see that many other Black authors out there. They were there, but you go into a bookstore and you don’t see them, right? You go to libraries, libraries didn’t carry them.”

She continued, “Now, there’s just so much more diversity, even in what bookstores and libraries carry, even in what publishers are publishing. And there’s so many great self-published authors that it’s just so inspiring to see all the different kinds of books people are writing and the ways that people have had ideas and pushed themselves to do it.”

“It also makes me feel ancient,” she added, laughing. “Because I’ve had younger writers tell me, ‘I started reading your books in high school.’ And I was like, ‘How is that possible?’ But I was so inspired by people who came before me, and it’s so wonderful and mind-blowing that other people could be inspired by my work.”

TikTok and finding book communities online

Guillory has always loved discovering new ways to connect over books, and she’s here for how BookTok and influencer book clubs are changing the game.

“I just love seeing… because I’ve been a lover of books for a long time, and I feel like every five or 10 years there are more interesting ways to read books and to access books and to talk about them,” she said. “And I feel like there’s always a conversation about like, ‘Publishing is dying, books are dying.’ No, they’re not. People are always finding new ways to talk about books.”

She added, “Yes, everyone is on their phones, but they’re on their phones talking about books. That’s great. And so, I’m always excited by any new ways that people are accessing books, talking about them, finding community in books and the literary world. I think that’s just so fun for me.”

“And I think every generation does it a little differently, and I love that,” she said. “I think there’s always a conversation about like, ‘What counts as reading? Do audiobooks count?’ Who cares? We’re all enjoying books and getting to talk about them. And that’s the joyful thing for me.”

On identity, representation and industry progress

When asked about the sacrifices some Black authors have had to make in publishing—like Robinne Lee reportedly having to write white characters in The Idea of You—Guillory said she’s seen the landscape shift.

“I feel like the landscape, if she had written it five years later, she may have done something different because the landscape has changed a lot, and publishers were not as willing to tell those stories then as they are now.”

She recalled a panel with To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before author Jenny Han: “She said that she’d had a number of conversations with people from Hollywood, and their first question was always, ‘We want to make this about a white girl.’ And she was like, ‘No.’ And now, years later, finally someone wanted to make it about an Asian girl, and they got it.”

Guillory emphasized, “I think maybe 10 years ago that story wouldn’t have been told. It wouldn’t have happened. And I think things are… Look, there’s still a lot of bad going on in this world, but things have been getting better about that.”

“There are people in publishing, in Hollywood, in all of the media who recognize there is an audience for those stories,” she added. “And our stories are universal. And so, it has been wonderful to see that.”

What she’s excited to write next

Guillory recently signed a new book deal and is already dreaming up the stories to come. One thing she knows for sure? She’s not done with the world she built in Drunk on Love.

“I know really what one is going to be about. If Drunk on Love is about a brother-sister pair who own a winery together, and that it is about the sister’s love story, then I know I want to tell his love story — the brother’s love story,” she said.

“That will be a fun one because the brother, Elliot, is kind of a silent, grumpy type. And I think it’ll be fun to be able to tell the story of a silent guy with a heart of gold who is obsessed with his job. And so, I’m excited about that one.”

She added, “I have a few ideas for the others, but I haven’t quite figured them out. And I feel like I always have to live with an idea for a little while before I can really commit to it. I just start thinking about it and thinking about, ‘What else will happen and what else is in their world?'”

“Some of them might be about people that we’ve met before in the universe, and maybe not. And maybe I’ll start a whole new series. We’ll see.”

Her Club Quench collab was all about joy

Partnering with Liquid I.V. wasn’t just a cool opportunity — it was something Guillory genuinely enjoyed.

“It was really fun. I love Liquid I.V. I got the email about this when I was in the car with my sister and I told her about it and she was like, ‘Oh, my God, I love Liquid I.V.,'” Guillory said. “And I was like, ‘Are we being filmed right now?’ [laughs]”

But what stood out most was the way the brand embraced books and romance.

“I also feel like it’s so exciting to have big brands want to do things about books,” she said. “I think that shows again the power of romance and how much more mainstream romance has become.”

“I love that the whole idea is to quench our thirst while we’re reading.”