Review by Booklist Review
Grace Landing, a moderately successful romance writer, is pretty miserable. Her fiancé broke up with her to marry their wedding planner, and she doesn't like the protagonist in her work-in-progress. After trying to drown her sorrows during a drunken girls' night out, she drunk-emails her high-school crush, Colin, who had been her lab partner only on the first day of school. Colin has just experienced his own bad breakup and, surprised at himself, emails her back, thus starting a friendship that turns hot as they try to revise her book. Along the way, Micciche, in her terrific debut, brings New York, with its hidden treasures and lively neighborhoods, vibrantly to life. Not only is Colin a greatlooking guy, he is also exceptionally kind and caring. Full of laugh-out-loud passages, great characters who seem ready to walk right off the page, and some fun raunchy bits, this is a joy to read.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Writer's block leads to romance in Micciche's adorable metafictional debut. Romance author Gracie Landing struggles to complete her second book, but inspiration comes from an unexpected place when her high school crush, attorney Colin Yarmouth, offers her the devastating details of his recent breakup with a woman he calls Elle to use as a plot point. Colin's goal is to get a bit of revenge: he'll let Gracie air his cheating ex's dirty laundry in hopes that she'll happen across the book one day--but he never considers that Gracie and Elle might know each other. Due to a nickname mix-up, Gracie doesn't realize that Colin's ex is a power player in the publishing industry until she's already made the woman the villain in her story, a move that threatens to end her career. This twist causes a rift in the budding relationship between Gracie and Colin. To win her back, Colin will have to take a page from the best romance heroes. The author lays on the humor by putting her charming characters in squirmingly awkward situations. With witty banter and a clever, self-aware plot, this romantic gem marks Micciche as a writer to watch. Agent: Elizabeth Copps, Copps Literary. (May)
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Review by Library Journal Review
DEBUT A broke writer in Brooklyn, Gracie Landing plots steamy romance novels under a pen name that might soon be acquired by a publisher in a big-money deal. But since her ex-fiancé's betrayal, passionate love stories have been a struggle to write. Bitter about her own romantic misfortune, Gracie drunkenly emails her unattainable high school crush Colin Yarmouth, a recently divorced estate lawyer living in Queens. When he surprisingly responds and they exchange quips and more details about their current lives, Colin and Gracie develop a genuine connection. As the deadline for a new manuscript nears, Gracie finds inspiration through the lived experience Colin offers as prompts, complicating both their relationship and her burgeoning career. Readers will find themselves breezing through this book's fun, fast-paced chapters that impressively establish rich characterization and backstories for the main protagonists while also strengthening the romantic arc. The story takes unexpected turns, often through its vital supporting characters, adding further charm and energy to its lively plot. VERDICT Ridiculously endearing and entertaining, this debut rom-com is a great purchase for libraries that will have fans of bookish romances laughing out loud, unable to stop turning the pages.--Hazel Ureta
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A romance writer reconnects with her high school crush and uses his past relationship drama as inspiration for her next book. After a few too many drinks, Gracie Landing, miserable after her fiance left her for their wedding planner, pulls out her high school yearbook and, on a whim, emails Colin Yarmouth, high school athlete--turned--estate attorney. He may have been responsible for giving her the nickname Elvis back then, but she still pined for him and wrote him anonymous notes. Although her email is less than kind, he writes back, and soon their easy banter sparks a friendship. Colin also had a recent hurtful breakup, which he encourages Gracie to put in the book she's writing. Their flirtation evolves into a romantic relationship, but just when they both think everything is going great, the book in progress stirs up drama that puts everything at risk. Told through Gracie's and Colin's alternating first-person narratives, the story goes for the comedy part of rom-com, but most of it falls flat. The juvenile body-related humor feels out of place and adds nothing to the story. The leads' thoughts about others can be mean-spirited, and while maybe this makes them suitable for each other, it doesn't endear them to the reader. The expositional chunks of Gracie explaining her book are a clumsy way to frame the story within a story and halt any momentum. At best, the book is a mess, but it also veers toward problematic with its framing of gender and body image. The story is as much of a wreck as its heroine. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
