I love a book about relationships, and my next guest sure knows how to write one.

Helen Ellis is an Alabama native turned New York Times bestselling author, who lives her life with a trademark southern charm and refreshing wit.

She is best known for her special brand of humor and sparkling joy, and bring your baggage

and don't pack light, American housewife, Southern Lady Code, and now Kiss Me in the Coral

Lounge, intimate confessions from a happy marriage.

In a collection of essays inspired by her husband slash muse, Helen details why marriage is both work, but more importantly,

play, and what it takes to successfully have a happy one, or at least what's worked for her.

I sat down with Helen in that very coral lounge and we discussed marriage contracts and

mantras, COVID explorations, and of course, kisses. I'm Jenna Bush Hager and welcome to read

with Jenna.

Thank you. So, Ellen, here we are in the famous Coral Lounge.

Can you believe it? I can't believe you're off the television in the Coral Lounge. I'm so excited to be in the Coral Lounge because I've read all about it. This is kind of the inspiration for your newest book.

Can you just tell me about what the vibe in the Coral Lounge is like? The vibe in the Coral Lounge is,

you know, I like to name things because I am a writer. And so why would I call it the TV room?

And when my husband and I came to the decision of we're not going to have children and we're not going to have house guests,

we decided to have two living rooms instead of a two bedroom.

And we painted it this a bright coral color.

And so I just called it the coral lounge.

And this is where you like to get kissed.

I like to get kissed in every room except the bathroom. But during the pandemic, we really spent

a lot of time here in the coral lounge. We ate off this table while binge watching Dynasty.

You know, when one of us is snoring, one of us, the other one comes in

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