TL;DR: Hardly Strangers is the romance novel you didn’t know you needed, this pod ep will make you laugh-cry, and if Alana doesn’t write a sequel, Jesse is showing up with a pitchfork. 🌈📚

“Hardly Strangers” out now: https://831stories.com/products/hardly-strangers-by-a-c-robinson

Babe, you’re not ready for this week’s NiGHT SCHOOL. Our literary icon Alana Cloud-Robinson has blessed the world with Hardly Strangers, her debut novel that’s part romance, part emotional therapy session, and 100% iconic. Naturally, we dedicate the entire episode to breaking it down, crying over it, and, of course, demanding a sequel because we’re invested.

Jesse kicks things off already spiraling, demanding to know what happens after the book ends. Pancakes? Paris? Babies?

Alana details going “full Stephen King mode” writing it in a fugue state, only to later panic about whether it’s good (spoiler: it’s great). Isabella and Jesse devour it like it’s brunch after a night out, sobbing over the audiobook (even the acknowledgments, because this crew is dramatic).

Speaking of emotional journeys, the gang dives deep into the book’s climactic moment, where Shera confronts her deepest trauma. Alana reveals this was inspired by her own life, describing how writing it was both cathartic and soul-crushing. Jesse applauds her for turning pain into art, while also demanding justice for the fictional characters she left hanging.

Oh, and the anecdotes? Gold. Alana casually reveals she once took a walk with a random man while waiting for her date to show up. Bold. Jesse spirals into full Misery mode, vowing to kidnap Alana if she doesn’t write a sequel. Isabella sprinkles in deep life lessons like, “Vulnerability isn’t wasted” and “Embrace the plur” (because yes, EDM somehow makes its way into the episode).

Ultimately, this episode is a love letter to Alana’s book, to fleeting moments of connection, and to the power of laying it all on the line—even if it’s scary. It’s chaotic, heartfelt, and hilarious.

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Produced by Keida Mascaro