Mia Heintzelman is a bestselling author known for her fun, flirty, and fiery romances featuring strong, unforgettable women… and the men brave enough to love them.
Her novels, including Monopolove, The Friendship Contract, and The Accidental Crush, have captured readers’ hearts and earned recognition from The New York Times, Book Riot, Romantically Inclined, and Readers Entertainment Radio. Writing from her home in Las Vegas, Nevada, she channels the city’s vibrant energy into every page while infusing each story with real connections and struggles any listener can relate to.
Mia has just released her newest audiobook, The Divorcetante, which launches The Divatantes—an exciting new Black romance series centered on love, elegance, and high-society drama.
Ebony Grace Livingston built a life around breathtaking galas, whispered exclusives, and the kind of connections money can’t buy. But when her husband’s betrayal turns her into high society’s juiciest scandal, Ebony decides she’s done curating perfection for everyone but herself.
With a high-profile wedding to pull off, a social media following obsessed with her every move, and a no-nonsense life coach reminding her that the real glow-up starts from within, Ebony is ready to write her next chapter—on her own terms. The only thing standing in her way? Lincoln Bridges. Learn more >
We sat down with Mia to discuss second-chance romance, representation in elite spaces, and what makes audiobook love stories so irresistibly intimate.
Keep reading to learn more about her and this exciting new release!
Q: Second-chance love stories require characters to be vulnerable in the same ways they’ve been hurt before. How do you craft that emotional journey for characters like Ebony, who’s experienced a public betrayal?
Ebony was raised to smile through adversity. She was graceful, polished, untouchable. But after her very public betrayal, she retreated from the spotlight. Not to disappear, but to rebuild. So, when she resurfaces, she’s not the perfect debutante anymore, but this burgeoning woman finding her voice. Then Linc shows up, this man from her past, who she might’ve chosen for herself if she’d ever had the freedom. Choosing him now means risking her heart, but this time, it’s a risk she’s willing to take.
Q: In The Divorcétante, Ebony moves through elite social circles where “reputation is the ultimate currency.” How important is it to you to showcase the diversity of Black women’s experiences, particularly in affluent settings that aren’t always represented in romance?
It’s extremely important to show the full range of Black women’s experiences, especially in wealthy, elite spaces where we’re so often erased in romance. There’s no one-size-fits-all Black woman. We’re different in every way, from hair to hustle, and that doesn’t chance with money. Ebony and her “divatantés” represent these stories that are just as varied, layered, glamorous, soft, messy, and real. They exist in affluent settings, so their stories should too.
Q: Ebony is described as someone who “curated perfection for everyone but herself.” How do you create characters like her who are learning to prioritize their own happiness, especially later in life?
For characters like Ebony, learning to prioritize personal happiness happens gradually. It’s in small changes to her social circle, valuing her voice, setting boundaries, or even a new haircut. Each choice moves her toward a truer version of herself. Especially, later in life, it can feel like love or happiness have passed you by, but stories like Ebony’s show there’s no expiration date on choosing joy. Or second chances.
Q: You’re known for “fun, flirty, and fiery romances” like those found in your The Fortemani Family and Love & Games. How do you maintain that signature energy while tackling heavier themes like divorce and rebuilding trust after heartbreak?
I write hard themes with a soft hand. Divorce, betrayal, heartbreak, even loss, are part of life. It’s the laughter (sometimes through tears), joy, and love in between that make the journey real. That balance keeps the stories flirty and fiery while grounding them in emotion. I want readers to feel like they didn’t just read an addictive, alluring book, but they shared an experience with a friend.
Q: The tagline mentions that “reinvention means risking everything.” What do you think your readers connect with most about stories of women reinventing themselves?
This book felt like the “Re-”s book. Reinventing, rewriting, reclaiming, reintroducing. Readers connect with the idea that it’s okay to honor where you’ve been while still choosing a fresh start. If you’re not happy with what was, you have the power to change what comes next. I think readers love that journey.
Q: Romance novels have found a huge audience in audiobook format. What do you think it is about hearing a love story – especially a second-chance romance like Ebony and Lincoln’s – that creates such an intimate experience for listeners?
As an audiobook lover, I think there’s something incredibly intimate about hearing a love story while tucked away in the laundry room folding unmentionables. 😆 Whether it’s laundry, exercising, or on a long drive, ordinary moment turn into an escape. I’m probably dating myself, but it’s the Calgon. For multitaskers like me, it’s a way to block out the world to get completely lost in two people finding their way to each other. Especially with romance, the emotion hits differently when it’s in your ears. It feels personal, like eavesdropping for a few hours. Just you and the characters falling head over heels…at 3x speed. 🤣
THE DIVORCÉTANTE is available NOW everywhere you listen to audiobooks
Follow the retailer links below to add to your TBR today!
Audible • Spotify • Libro.FM • Audiobooks.com • B&N