Courtney Kae Books in Order

Courtney Kae writes queer romantic comedies built around hopeful endings, messy feelings, and people learning to ask for what they want. They are the author of the Fern Falls novels, In the Event of Love and In the Case of Heartbreak, and they live in Los Angeles with their child and well-spoiled cats.

Kae had been writing for about a decade before their first published novel. Earlier on, they wrote young adult fantasy, while also reading romance widely and figuring out the kind of stories they most wanted to tell.

The turn toward romance came in late 2019, when Kae and their family were watching holiday movies together. They loved the comfort of a story that promises a happy ending, but noticed how rarely queer characters got to be at the center of that kind of cozy holiday escape. So Kae decided to write the story they wanted to find.

A big-city event planner crashing into a tree farm was the spark.

That idea became In the Event of Love. Before sending it out, Kae revised the manuscript through a writing mentorship with romance author Rachel Lynn Solomon. The program gave them a community of writers as well as practical experience with revision, deadlines, and preparing a book for agents.

Published in 2022, In the Event of Love introduces Morgan Ross, an event planner whose career trouble sends her home to Fern Falls. There she reconnects with Rachel Reed, her former best friend and longtime crush, while helping with a fundraiser for Rachel's threatened tree farm. It is a wintry, second-chance romance with small-town holiday energy and plenty of room for Morgan and Rachel to work through old hurt.

Kae followed it in 2023 with In the Case of Heartbreak. This time, the focus shifts to Ben Parrish, a pastry chef and café worker who has spent years quietly in love with his neighbor, Adam Reed. When Ben's work plans and attempted confession go badly, a family birthday trip to the California coast puts Adam back in his path. The book trades snow and pine trees for beach parties, cinnamon rolls, and a friends-to-lovers romance that asks both men to be more honest.

Second chances, longtime crushes, and the comfort of a welcoming community show up often in Kae's work. They have spoken about coming to their queer identity later in life, and about enjoying the chance to give adult characters the supportive queer spaces they may have missed when they were younger.

Happy endings are the point.

Outside the novels, Kae co-hosts the bookish podcast Happy to Meet Cute. Their author bio also lists a forthcoming paranormal romantic comedy, She's a Reaper. When they are not writing or talking books, they enjoy movie nights, breakfast at any hour, and trying to keep their plants alive.