This has been a fantastic year. It’s had its trials, as they all do, but there's been some amazing moments.

First, a massive thank you to you. At the beginning of 2024, I decided that if I didn't have a little success I’d give up writing books whenever I finished my tenth book. Success didn’t mean huge publishing deals or becoming a New York Times Best Seller. At the time, I’d had less than 2000 page reads in three months for Stalling in Love.

But you continued to support me in unimaginable ways. You changed my life and gave me the confidence to keep writing, keep trying, and put myself out there. Instead of giving up, I released more books. Don’t underestimate the impact you have on others' lives and how you can give someone the chance to reach their dreams. You’re pretty fucking awesome, and I hope I’m not the only one to tell you that this week.

Here are my 2025 highlights:

• I released Start Your Engines. How exciting was that rollercoaster? It’s had so much love, and I’m more grateful than you know. It will be one of many F1 romance books.

• I also released the final book in my debut series. Fake a Chance on Me is my rugby romance with a disability rep. To know that more people are learning about a rare genetic syndrome through Fake a Chance on Me, while falling in love with Lucas Knight, fills me with a warm glow. And now it feels right to say goodbye to the Bulls rugby team.

• I released a free novella called Ready or Knot. It might not be free forever, so get it on Bookfunnel now.

• I wrote two new first drafts - books ten and eleven. I guess I’m not finishing anytime soon then… I also edited two other books. 2026 will be a big year. Watch this space!

• I went from 170,000 page reads in 2024 to, at last check, 1,800,000. That’s more than a million than last year. It blows my mind, especially as I was giddy with last year’s numbers. This year was beyond anything I’d experienced as an author in the nine years before, and I will hold onto it like a prize I don’t deserve.

• I attended my first event as a romance author - the HEA event in Liverpool. I was lucky to meet lots of romance readers and authors. I did a pop-up event in Cardiff where I talked about my favourite subjects – writing and romance books – and I followed this with an online event and the Indie Book Fair in Oxford. Bring on next year with even more events!

• I started a new “day job” to fund my writing lifestyle. Little did I know that it would give me the opportunity to meet professional sportspeople and Paralympians. There really is inspiration at every corner.

• I got my Rebecca Chase banner made so I could take something to events, I had a Coulter F1 Racing T-shirt and hoodie printed and commissioned my first character art. You can see what I meant by writing lifestyle!

• I attended my first British Grand Prix as a plus-one for my husband, who is a marshal. It was the first time we’d camped together, and we survived! It also gave me the opportunity to sashay about in my Coulter-branded clothes, take lots of videos, and stand agape when I stared at the track at the end of the Friday and saw George Russell ride by on a scooter with Kimi on the back. Inspired? Totally. But also, I just had the best time as a racing fan.

• I reached over 2k Instagram followers and started YouTube and Pinterest accounts.

• Other highlights include voice notes and chats with many of you, trips to car cafes, ice hockey matches, rugby games, including two Women’s World Cup rugby games, getting my second neurodivergent condition diagnosis and spending time with my friends, family and my pets.t were your highlight