Vi Keeland

From Tax Law to Romantic Fiction

Vi Keeland is a contemporary American romance author whose stories have captured the hearts of readers worldwide. Before she became a prominent figure on international bestseller lists, she worked in the precise world of law. She was an attorney specializing in tax law, living in Long Island with her husband, whom she has known since grade school, and their three children. Today, her books are published through Montlake Romance and have been translated into twenty-seven languages, even finding new life as animated games.

Her path to becoming a novelist was shaped by an unexpected crisis. In January 2013, Keeland published her first novel, titled First Thing I See. She had never actually intended to release the book to the public. However, after being displaced from her home due to the severe damage caused by Hurricane Sandy, she decided to take a chance. This leap of faith transformed her career, leading her to eventually write and publish thirty-one full-length novels.

Bestselling Success and Screen Adaptations

Keeland is best known for her highly successful contemporary romance novels, fourteen of which have appeared on the New York Times bestseller list. In 2016, she released Bossman, a story about an office romance that debuted at number one on both the New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists. Another major success came in 2021 with The Invitation, which also topped the Wall Street Journal bestseller list. Beyond her solo career, Keeland regularly collaborates with Penelope Ward. Their 2015 book, Cocky Bastard, became a major hit and sparked a widespread trend among romance novelists to use the word "cocky" in their titles.

Her storytelling has also caught the attention of the film industry. Three of her short stories, Dry Spell, The Merry Mistake, and Scrooged, were adapted into movies by Passionflix, while her novel Egomaniac has been optioned for film by TaleFlick. Keeland's transition from a tax attorney to a bestselling novelist serves as a practical reminder of what can happen when a person decides to face the unknown. This perspective is reflected in her own words: "Fear doesn't stop death. It stops life." By choosing to share her work after a natural disaster disrupted her life, she showed how letting go of hesitation can open up entirely new possibilities.