Hannah Brown is ready to serve hijinks, romance and friendship — with a subtle side of real-life inspiration — in her first novel.
“If you could combine The Hangover — that mad dash road trip, we’re on a time clock, we have to find the missing bride — and then Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants — this core four group of girls who are there to support each other and they’re all going on their different journeys — I feel like that is the type of vibe that we have going on in Mistakes We Never Made,” Brown exclusively told Us Weekly, adding that the novel has “enemies to lovers” aspects. “We have Emma and Finn, our main characters, who are best friends with the runaway bride. We don’t know where she’s going, and they have to team up even though they’re kind of not on the best speaking terms because of different things in the past. They have to join together and we are on the road with them wondering and hoping if these enemies will turn to lovers.”
Brown previously penned a memoir titled God Bless This Mess, reflecting on her life and including new juicy details of her journey as The Bachelorette.
“This is such a different experience than writing the first book. The first book was hard because it was very personal and it was writing out my own therapy sessions, but it was great. I was able to connect with a lot of people through that. But this book, it was so fun and I was able to really get creative with this,” Brown said, adding that she focused on intentional character development as an avid reader turned writer. “People can really connect with the characters. For someone like me, when I’m reading a book, I am all in. I mean, I hate to say this, but there could be a fire going on around me, and if I’m in the book, I guess I’m burning down. I get so invested and into it. And so it’s important for me that any book that I read — or now, books that I’m having the opportunity to put out into the world — that people can really connect and grasp on.”
While Mistakes We Never Made is a work of fiction, Us had to ask Brown if she would be pulling a Taylor Swift and planting Easter eggs for Bachelor Nation, who have followed her since 2019.
“I love the Taylor Swift Easter eggs and I tried to add a little of that. I will say there are a [few] Easter eggs in there, but really loosely based on things,” she explained. “I would say this whole book is a book of fiction, and I have not had this experience of Emma and Finn at all, but their feelings and their doubts and the miscommunication between two people, that was definitely inspired by things that I’ve experienced in my life.”
After things didn’t work out with her final rose winner, Jed Wyatt, or runner-up Tyler Cameron, Brown started dating now-fiancé Adam Woolard. The pair got engaged over the summer, but they aren’t rushing down the aisle.
“We’re in the beginning stages, for sure. We have a wedding planner, but that is about it. It’s been a very busy season and we’ve really been just focusing on our relationship and preparing for a marriage, not a wedding,” Brown told Us. “But the wedding planning will definitely ramp up here soon. It just feels like it’s so all consuming and when you have things that you’re really wanting to celebrate and be a part of and really be present for this new book, it feels like that is going to take up all my time and that will be great when it happens, but I’m not quite ready to just be fully thrown into that.”
Brown is also taking time to invite book lovers to take their next book club meeting to McAlister’s Deli.
“McAlister’s Deli has a million different options to choose from, so it was really cool to be able to partner with them during National Reading Month to debut these ‘Choose 2’ items that are based on some of my favorite book genres. … I mean, the trifecta is good food, good friends in a good book,” Brown told Us, explaining her the limited menu has Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy and Romance-inspired options. “My personal favorite is the adventure items, which is a jalapeño turkey crunch sandwich. I love the bold flavors. I like there to be a lot of different things going on at one time, and that is definitely the sandwich.”
McAlister’s Rewards Members are invited to tell us about their reading rituals and enter for the chance to win $500 to host their next Book Club event at McAlister’s Deli.
