ACOTAR Author Sarah J. Maas's Husband, Josh Wasserman, Has 'Papa Maas' Inspired 'Rhysand'?

Sarah J. Maas has recently announced on Alex Cooper's Call Her Daddy podcast that not one but two new books of A Court of Thorns and Roses are coming. There's no denying the fact that the 'ACOTAR' fans are thrilled with the same news hitting the headlines.

Sarah J. Mass shared that the books will be released in 2026 and early 2027, respectively, and people are not able to wait. For the unversed, A Court of Thorns and Roses is a popular fantasy-romance book series, set in the magical land of Prythian. So, amid the release of exciting fans, let's know about the author's real-life romance and her marital life. Is her husband behind any of the major characters of the book, as an inspiration factor? Let's have a look!

Sarah J. Maas began writing at the age of 16

Sarah J. Maas has always been attracted to the fantasy world, and as a kid, she would spend more and more time in the writer's workshops. She was born in 1986 and was adopted by a Catholic mother and a Jewish father. She grew up in the Upper West Side of Manhattan. When she was 16, she was inspired by JRR Tolkein. She penned her first novel, Throne of Glass, which was later renamed Queen of Glass when published. The chapters instantly grabbed the attention. By the age of 22, she had deals with two agents, and she finally published Throne of Glass. As of 2022, 12 million copies of the 8-book series have been sold.

Sarah J. Maas met her husband, 'Papa Maas' during her college days: Their wedding and parenthood journey

While Sarah J. Maas's novel's-romantic world is famous among the masses, very little is known about her personal life. She is married to Josh Wasserman, the support force of the brilliant author. While it's not known in which year Sarah J. Mass met her husband, Josh Wasserman, it's said that the duo crossed paths when she was a college freshman at Hamilton College in upstate New York, where she was studying creative writing and religious studies.

Josh Wasserman was a resident assistant in her dorm building. The couple happened to have fallen in love with each other. Speaking to Jenna Bush Hager on The Today Show in 2024, Sarah shared that while her husband first saw her carrying her stuff out of the car and making her way up to her dorm, she met him that night only at the floor meeting. Sarah was in awe of Josh Wasserman and his cuteness. Talking about the fact that 'that's the one', Sarah shared:

"He saw me get out of my car with my parents, pulling up to the dorm with my car full of stuff. He was the RA in my dorm building. I did not see him until we had our floor meeting that night. And he walked in, and I grabbed my poor roommate’s leg and just clawed up her thigh because I was like, ‘He’s so cute! That’s the one.'"

It was on May 3, 2010, when Josh Wasserman and Sarah J. Maas tied the knot. While celebrating their 6th wedding anniversary, Sarah J. Maas took to their social media handle and shared that they got married to their best friend and the best guy in the universe. Sharing a bit of insight into their bonding, Sarah once wrote on her social media that she feels blessed to have such a kind, selfless, adventurous, and brilliant person, who never failed to make her laugh even after 12 years of togetherness. She also mentioned that she has never loved him more. The couple is parents to two kids, Taran, who is 6 years old, and Sloane, who is 2 years old. Along with their furbaby Annie, the couple and their kids live a blissful life.

Has Josh Wasserman inspired Sarah J. Maas's famous male character, 'Rhysand'?

Sarah adorably calls her husband, Papa Maas, and so do her fans. Speaking about the same, Sarah mentioned that it is just wonderful for her to see her fans recognising her husband as a part of the creative process as well. She also addressed how her fans call him 'Papa Maas' as well, and it makes him feel included and embraced. Well, Josh's surname isn't 'Maas', but Sarah thought she could just lean into it. She said:

"It was wonderful that the readers recognized him as part of this creative process," Sarah told Jenna Bush Hager on her Read With Jenna podcast in 2025. "They embraced him and included him and they started calling him Papa Maas. His last name's not Maas, but I'm like, 'Okay, we'll lean into that.'"

Now, people have been wondering if Josh has inspired any of the characters of Sarah in her ACOTAR novel series. Well, she never confirmed the same. But, fans certainly feel that Josh could have inspired the role of 'Rhysand' from Sarah's ACOTAR, who is the High Lord of the Night Court of the magical land of Prythian. The reason fans feel this is that Papa Maas might have inspired 'Rhysand' because there are several similarities, including similar birthdays of November 20, which the author revealed doing as a gift to her husband.

So, can it be possible that 'Rhysand' is inspired by Wasserman? Well, only Sarah can confirm that, and it's just her fans' assumption, which has been caused by the similarities that Josh and 'Rhysand' share. Whatever the case might be, Josh has always been the biggest supporter of his wife and always backed her in fulfilling her ambitions.

What do you think about Sarah J. Maas's recent announcement and her real-life love story with her 'one and only'?

Also Read: Jake Gyllenhaal Dating History, From Kirsten Dunst To A Long-Term Romance With Jeanne Cadieu

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