Interview: Kaitlyn Hill talks Wild About You, Dolly Parton and more

Kaitlyn Hill is one of those authors whose books I always pick up. No matter what she's releasing, I'm always down to read it including Wild About You.

That's why I was not only so excited to review Wild About You but also talk to Kaitlyn Hill before the book was released. While it's going up on release day, I finished this book a few weeks ago and it's easily become one of my new favorites of hers.

While I won't give away too much, it's still focused on a reality show and Kaitlyn even shared which show she had in mind while writing it. As someone who doesn't watch much reality TV, I feel like her books are the perfect mix of bringing the over-the-top elements of reality TV while also having realistic characters and romances.

With that being said, I'd like to thank both Kaitlyn Hill and Penguin for setting this interview up as it's always great to be able to talk to her.

Kaitlyn Hill talks about her newest release, Dolly Parton, and much more.

Culturess: So far, each of your books has revolved around a reality show of some kind. What attracted you to that concept? 

Kaitlyn Hill: I often say that I’ve been “researching” for my books for most of my life, because I’ve been watching reality TV for almost as long as I can remember! I had no idea when I wrote my debut, Love from Scratch, that it would even get published, let alone that the cooking show premise would be the beginning of three books exploring different sides of the reality show world. But there are so many sides to explore, each one bringing different possibilities for drama, fun, and romance. In the case of my books, too, you’re seeing what we don’t always get access to as viewers of the show, the behind the scenes action and insights into what’s real and what’s manufactured by producers. That adds an extra layer of messiness that’s super fun for me to play with.

Culturess: Speaking of reality shows, is there a show or shows that inspired Wild About You?

Kaitlyn Hill: I go through phases with some shows, and this book was pretty directly a product of my Amazing Race phase! They make up such creative challenges and do a great job of making viewers feel the tension and urgency that the contestants are feeling as they race around the world. In one old season I found especially funny, half the teams were couples, and half were single people who’d been paired up by producers in a sort of halfhearted attempt at adding a dating show element to the game. Some of the producer-made teams were super incompatible, but there were others who I actually wanted to fall in love! That definitely got the wheels turning in my mind about pairing up seemingly-opposite strangers in a reality show race, and the concept of Wild Adventures, the show Natalie and Finn compete on, spun out from there.

Culturess: Dolly Parton comes up a few times in the book and I loved that. Would you ever write a Dolly-inspired book?

Kaitlyn Hill: Oh gosh, that would be SO fun—Dolly is so great at storytelling through her music so there’s a lot to draw inspiration from! I toyed with an idea of a Jolene-inspired romance a while ago, so maybe I’ll have to return to that someday. I’ve actually been a Dolly fan longer than I’ve been a reality TV fan :)

Culturess: What is a trope you haven't written yet that you'd like to explore at some point? 

Kaitlyn Hill: Fake dating! I’m always in the mood to read a fake dating book. It’s one of the less realistic-seeming tropes, or at least one I’ve never actually seen play out in real life (that I know of haha), so I love seeing the silly circumstances authors set up that lead the characters to pretend to date and how they make it believable. And I looove the classic moment when someone’s pushy friends and family are demanding that the fake couple kiss each other for the first time in front of an audience. It’s just one kiss, it won’t change anything…right?? 10/10 for me every time.

Culturess: While it's a bit early, do you think your next book will be centered around a reality show? 

Kaitlyn Hill: As of now, I plan to leave reality show world for book 4! Time to mix it up a bit, but I’m not ruling out another showmance someday, if the right idea hit me. I’ll still be taking my characters on slightly outlandish romantic adventures in the meantime, just without the TV cameras. More to share on that soon! :)

Wild About You by Kaitlyn Hill is out now where books are sold.

Will you be picking up a copy of Wild About You? If so, let us know your ranking of all of Kaitlyn Hill's books.