Joss Richard was born in Toronto to immigrant parents from the Philippines. Richard is a writer, podcaster, editorial and social media director now living in Los Angeles.
Fiction
It’s Different This Time
New York ; Toronto: Viking/Dell, 2025.
Publisher’s Synopsis (From its website)
Reeling from the cancellation of her hit TV show, June Wood has nothing left to lose when a mysterious email lures her back to the New York City brownstone she once called home before she moved to Los Angeles. Thanks to a clause in the former owner’s will, she and her old roommate, Adam Harper, now own the multi-million dollar property—or at least they will in a month, once all the paperwork is signed.
Four weeks, then June can return to her life in LA and forget about New York City and everything she left behind. Sure, the fact that June and Adam are estranged and haven’t even spoken in five years, and that their friendship didn’t exactly end on good terms might complicate matters, but this is an opportunity of a lifetime.
As the autumn leaves fall around them, through shared meals and late-night conversations, old wounds and long-buried sparks resurface, and it becomes strikingly clear: June and Adam have unfinished business. Confronted with the consequences of their choices years before, they must now navigate the minefield of their past the best way they know how: together. Second chances are always a risk, but maybe, if they get it right and are finally honest with each other and with themselves, it could be different this time.
Fiction
Let’s Kiss and Tell: A Novel
Toronto: Viking, 2026.
forthcoming August 2026
Publisher’s Synopsis (From its website)
Lucy Reid is a sex columnist whose views on relationships aren’t exactly optimistic. Instead, she empowers her readers to embrace their sexuality and challenge the belief that you need a partner to be happy. That is, until her editor tells her that their readers are all in relationships . . . and the team thinks it’s time for something (or someone) new. To buy herself time, Lucy impulsively claims she’s just started a new relationship that she can write about. Enter Marshall Oakley.
Marshall Oakley is the new Senior News Writer at Lucy’s company. When the two meet at a work event, Marsh reveals that Julia, his ex of nine years, is getting married, and he needs a plus one to keep his family off his back. They agree to pretend to be in a relationship until the wedding—Lucy will be able to write about finding “the one” only to break up and prove to her readers (and her bosses) that relationships don’t solve everything, and Marshall gets a no-strings date to show off to his friends, family, and his ex.
But as they spend more time together, the lines blur and each begins to reevaluate their previously held views on love. As fear gives way to misunderstandings, can they find the courage to rewrite their story with a happily ever after?
Links
Joss Richard personal website
Publisher Penguin Random House Canada, publisher of Dell and Viking books in Canada