20 SPICY reads to add to your list 🔥🌶️🥵

The Shortlist vol. 4

Most of the year, I’m an audiobook girl. Personal development, business, leadership, all in my ears while I’m habit stacking. But sitting down with a Kindle and actually reading for fun is rare. Truly rare.

Which is why my bi-annual exec offsite matters. It’s my intentional getaway with my husband, Jason, and it’s basically the only time I get to be horizontal at the pool for hours and let my brain do something other than solve problems, answer questions or feed someone a snack.

And when I’m in this mode, I want one kind of book.

Not fantasy. Not thrillers (although that is my second favorite “just for fun” genre). Not something that takes 200 pages to get going. I want a book that’s fun, addictive, and yes, spicy... like very spicy.

A couple years ago, I asked two people whose taste I trust completely, Becca of @bookedwithbecca and Kristyn of @librariankristyn, to send me their spiciest, non-fantasy picks. More recently, Meghan of @readrunthrive sent me a tailored list, and let’s just say she understood the assignment.

So if you’re looking for a Valentine’s-adjacent reading list that brings the heat, here’s what’s on my list right now.

1. Scandalized by Ivy Owens picked by me

2. Mile High by Liz Tomforde picked by me

3. Love Redesigned by Lauren Asher picked by Kristyn

4. The Roommate by Rosie Danan picked by Kristyn

5. Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan picked by Kristyn

6. Taste like Shakkar by Nisha Sharma picked by Kristyn

7. Business or Pleasure by Rachel Lynn Solomon picked by Kristyn

8. King of Wrath by Ana Huang picked by Kristyn

9. The Idea of You by Robinne Lee picked by Becca

10. The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon picked by Becca

11. Seven Days in June by Tia Williams picked by Becca

12. A Deal with the Bossy Devil by Kyra Parsi picked my Meghan

13. The Takeover by T L Swan picked my Meghan

14. Summer in the City by Alex Aster picked my Meghan

15. The Ex Vows by Jessica Joyce picked my Meghan

16. Broken French by Natasha Boyd picked my Meghan

17. Any Trope But You by Victoria Lavine picked my Meghan

18. Savor It by Tarah Dewitt picked my Meghan

19. Will They or Won’t They by Ava Wilder picked my Meghan

20. The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren picked by my Chief of Staff

Valentine’s Gifts for you, your kids, your gals, and your date night in 💌

If you missed it, I shared Valentine’s gifts for just about everyone in your life (including you!)

• If you’re looking for a wishlist to send to your partner, shop For the Modern Mom.

• If you’re looking for class valentine’s, crafts, or candy alternatives, shop For the Kids.

• If you’re looking for something to bring to a Galentine’s, shop the Galentine’s Gift Exchange.

• If you’re looking for unique ways to celebrate with a date night in, shop Date Night at Home.

You built the life you wanted. Now what?

Last month I introduced a premium tier of my newsletter, to share the writing I originally planned for a book called The Fulfilled State.

The Fulfilled State is a book, but it’s also more than that.

Each chapter comes with prompts, reflection exercises, and tools you can actually use, not just read. And because it’s on Substack, you won’t be doing this quietly alone. The comments are part of the work, a space to ask questions, share what’s clicking, and build alongside other ambitious moms who want more alignment, intention, and choice.

The Preface is live now, and it explains why I’m writing this and what we’re building together over the next year.

The Fulfilled State: Preface

As a paid member, you’ll also get:

• Weekly drops of my European summer camp research

• Deep dives on tools, systems and mindsets that help me take more action and overthink less

• Behind-the-scenes on building MNT from 3 locations to a national brand

Founding Member Rate

Join by the end of February for 25% off ($6/mo or $60/yr).

New Modern Mom Podcast Spotlight

You know what’s really hot? Being in alignment with your partner about finances.

In this Toolkit episode of The New Modern Mom Podcast I sit down with my husband, Jason to kick off a deeper look at how we made some of the biggest decisions of our lives: quitting our tech jobs, buying two Pilates businesses, going all-in on scaling MNTSTUDIO, and somehow still budgeting for a summer in Europe with our kids.

💬 What financial freedom actually means (and why defining it as a couple matters)

🔥 FIRE Movement principles without delaying joy: planning for the future while living fully now

💡 Bridging different money mindsets without the blame

📈 The exact apps we use to track goals and spending

🛠 Our 4-step “Money Date” Blueprint: yes, we schedule them like date nights

A one-second favor? Drop a comment with your favorite romance read!

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• 📤 Hit ‘Share’ to send this to your group chat

Thanks for joining me on this journey,

Barbara

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