The Next Round was the winner in the Romance category in the 2025 IndieReader Discovery Awards, where undiscovered talent meets people with the power to make a difference.
Following find an interview with author Eva Frances.
“I am beyond ecstatic and ever so grateful that IndieReader judges have selected my debut novel, The Next Round, as the winner for the Discovery Award for Romance.
When I wrote the book last year, all I wanted was to gather all the parts of the story out of my head (and heart) and exorcise it into book form. The story had been knocking around in my mind for many years, and it was finally time to string the words together to tell it.
I chose to go indie as I had no interest in going through the querying rigmarole, nor the criteria and judging that entails. More importantly, I wanted all the rights to my own work, in its entirety. My aim has always been to just write the book (and every book after). That’s it.
It is wonderful and unexpected to have my debut received and recognised by the book community so enthusiastically. The characters are very special to me, and I’m so glad that readers get to know them too, and laugh and cry through their story.
Thank you so much.”
What is the name of the book and when was it published?
The Next Round was published on 1 December 2024 across all book formats. It was timed for a summer release in Australia.
What’s the book’s first line?
“Seeing my mother cry broke something primal deep inside me. For weeks, she cried soundlessly, thinking I never noticed.”
What’s the book about? Give us the “pitch”.
The Next Round is a friends-to-lovers, second-chance romance written in a dual timeline. It follows the story of two friends before and after their more-than-friendship ruptured. After five years, Andie and Chris are thrown together in a mix of professional and personal circumstances, and old and new feelings are stirred and shaken up. Seen through the eyes of Andie, we see her assess and re-assess her feelings, as the puzzle pieces reveal in a “will they/won’t they” slow burn. It’s a tale of old friends becoming more, despite the seemingly insurmountable emotional obstacles between them.
What inspired you to write the book? A particular person? An event?
The story has been simmering in my mind for many years. It is essentially a love letter to Sydney with characters who are loosely based on my favourite people. There are also many references to places that actually exist and hold a special place in my heart. Parts of the story are even more loosely based on relationships and random events in my life, which have all been pieced together into their own story.
What’s the most distinctive thing about the main character? Who-real or fictional-would you say the character reminds you of?
The main character is Andreia ‘Andie’ Herrera. I chose her first name because it was derived from Ancient Greek and it means ‘brave’. While it is a love story and a second chance romance, a big push of the story is about Andie becoming her full self, becoming braver to make decisions about what she wants to do with her life, and finding the courage to face the ruptured relationship she had with a dear old friend. She is feisty and foul-mouthed but is a fiercely loyal friend with a generous spirit—a walking set of contradictions with a big heart.
While many of her quirks and neuroses are reflections on parts of my life and younger self, I would say she is a combination of a modern Elizabeth Bennet and Jo March.
What’s the main reason someone should really read this book?
The Next Round is a beach read through and through. It is an escape to the Australian summer, where we say January and beach in the same breath, and Christmas in June (or July) is a thing. It’s very different from your usual Northern Hemisphere ‘holiday’ read. While it is a romance, there are some heavy hitting themes which give it an added dimension compared to a typical romance title. But the main reason to read the book is to laugh and cry with the characters as they find true love in each other—and that is what a romance book is ultimately about.