Q&A with Leesa Ronald author of Power Moves

Allen & Unwin
Dec 16, 2025
3 min read

We speak with Leesa Ronald author of rivals-to-lovers romance Power Moves.

In Power Moves, Leesa Ronald introduces readers to Camilla “Millsy” Hatton, a woman who thrives on pressure, deadlines, and being the calmest person in any crisis… or at least looking like it. Her carefully curated world is thrown off balance by Archie Cohen - the one man from her past who knows exactly how to get under her skin, and the last person she expects to turn up in her professional orbit again.

What follows is sharp, addictive, and wildly fun: a story full of whip-smart banter, big personalities, and two people who are far too good at annoying - and surprising - each other. Today, Leesa Ronald takes us behind the scenes, sharing the lines that made her laugh at the keyboard, the characters readers will fall for, and the moments she’d love to see play out on screen.

Let’s dive in.

A&U: Hey Leesa! Thanks for speaking with us. First up, Millsy and Archie have Olympic-level banter—what was the most fun (or most wicked) line you wrote that made you laugh out loud at the keyboard?

LR: Oh my gosh, there are so many! I love their banter together the first time they’re on the page together in the cafe, and this is a particular goodie (after the dragon-costume press conference when her zipper is stuck):

“Is it working or not?”

Archie chuckles. “I can confirm lots of things are working right now but if you’re referring to the zipper, yes, it’s coming apart.”

A&U: Power Moves is full of big personalities. Which side character would you happily give a spin-off novel, and why do you think readers will fall for them?

LR: Could I give them all a spin-off?! Jessie and Remi would both be fab, but I actually think my favourite story to write would be Maxy’s. He is such a good man!

A&U: What’s one tiny detail or line in the book that you secretly hope readers notice because it tells us something big about a character?

LR: The line where Millsy says “it would be cyanide for both our careers but more so for mine because I’m less high profile and female,” reveals how self-aware she is about the world she’s operating in. As much as she’s an idealist, she’s not blinkered to the flaws.

A&U: Was there a moment in drafting Power Moves where the characters took the story somewhere you didn’t expect—one of those ‘well, that wasn’t in the plan’ surprises?

LR: Yes! So many. The festival scene, the second Wagga scene. The latter in particular kept surprising me when I re-read my drafts because I hadn’t necessarily intended to write it, but I had to keep reminding myself of a George Saunders quote, that said something along the lines of: are you gonna wimp out or push through the hard stuff? It came to the point, for me, where not writing that scene would’ve been more meaningful than writing it!

A&U: If you could choose one scene to watch as a movie moment (slow-mo, dramatic lighting, full soundtrack), which would it be and why?

LR: Oh gosh, probably the engagement party with the nineties DJ soundtrack, the dancing, the head knock, and the escalation all the way to the New Friends Game. I would LOVE to watch that!

A&U: If you could slip one extra bonus chapter into the finished novel—an epilogue, a deleted scene, or a behind-the-scenes moment—what would it show us about Millsy and Archie?

LR: I would love a scene with Archie meeting Millsy‘s family properly, just for all the heartwarming feels. He‘d definitely be a welcomed houseguest (he’s got very good manners!) and he wouldn’t be afraid to make Millsy feel adored in front of her family.

I also had a scene I deleted where Millsy was in a spin class with Chappo, and it didn’t come off well for him. I think readers would appreciate that one!