Exclusive|Romance novelist who became popular because of his dedication

Posted by PSEDEN

2026-01-10

On 2026-01-10

You can tell her exes by this cover.

A romance novelist who dedicated her new book to her toxic ex has gone viral on Instagram, with women calling her a “hero” and congratulating her on her “savage move” as she reveals the heartbreaking story behind her breakup.

“You are the most disappointing person and the biggest coward I have ever known,” wrote best-selling author Emily Goodwin, whose nickname was blurred on Instagram.

She told The Washington Post that after her boyfriend of nearly a year “abruptly” broke up with her, she sat on her bed and cried while writing the dedication to her new supernatural vampire love story “Twisted.”

Goodwin, 38, revealed she was “basically engaged” to her ex – whose name she withheld – and believed they would be together forever.

“One night we were talking about ‘What kind of ring do you want me to buy you?’ The next day, she recalled of the heartbreaking breakup, “My family didn’t agree with it, so ‘Goodbye.’ “

The native New Yorker, who now lives in Indiana, released her first video, “When My Ex Found Out I Dedicated My Next Release to Him,” two weeks before the book (her 51st) was released in October.

The post showed a text message exchange with her ex, who warned, “This name is blocked. But this is about me… don’t post it.”

When she posted the video (which has racked up 1.2 million views), she received supportive comments from women who had also been scorned, “who said they wished they could speak out about their exes,” she said.

“I realize that a lot of other women may be disappointed by someone they trusted and that will always be a part of their lives.”

The mother-of-two decided to share a series of posts about the book’s dedication saga – in which her ex-husband called her “severely insane” and expressed displeasure at how his family and colleagues took the harsh words – which have collectively racked up more than 15 million views.

After seeing the dedication to the book and the flood of comments on Instagram, Goodwin believes her ex-husband realized how badly he treated her.

“I think he felt bad that I had been hurt so deeply and didn’t want other people to know what he had done because he was very fond of hiding everything [type] Like, ‘You’re going to be fine.’ You find someone who cares about you and move on,” she said.

“I hope that by reading the comments of everyone who agrees with me, it will make someone think twice about what they say… If you hurt someone you have to live with that, and if you don’t want to live with the consequences of knowing you broke someone’s heart, just behave better.”

Goodwin had only written two chapters of “Twisted” when the breakup happened, then decided to rewrite the entire beginning, “turning my pain into my art,” she says.

So she based her novel – set in a world filled with vampires, witches and demon hunters – on the ex-lover of her protagonist Wren.

“Her ex-boyfriend was a demon hunter and he fell in love with her and they planned a whole future together. And then his parents told him, ‘We can’t be seen with witches. You have to choose her or choose us,'” Goodwin explained.

Wren also has a quote in the book: “One of the cruelest things you can do to another person is to look them in the eyes, tell them you love them, plan a whole future together…and then walk away.”

The experience of writing the book and becoming popular gave Goodwin the closure she needed.

“I feel like it’s taking back some power,” she said.

As for her current relationship status, she has a new boyfriend and is enjoying a viral moment.

“He thought it was funny,” she said. “I threatened him: ‘If you misbehave, everyone will know.'”