The Book Proposal

by KJ Micciche

Overview

DESPERATELY SEEKING FICTIONAL HERO FOR HAPPILY EVER AFTER

Gracie Landing's life is a disaster, and for a romance novelist, that's saying something. Broke, blocked, and freshly single, she drunkenly emails her high school crush in a fit of despair…only to spark the best banter she's had in years.

As their flirty email friendship deepens, so does Gracie's inspiration, and soon, Colin Yarmouth—grown up, gorgeous, and carrying some scars of his own—is unknowingly helping her finish her next book. But when real feelings collide with fiction, Gracie must decide what she's willing to risk for the rewrite of her life.

A fast-paced romantic comedy filled with sharp humor, bookish charm, and a heroine you'll want to text after wine, this debut is for fans of messy leads, second chances, and laugh-out-loud love stories that write themselves.

Praise for The Book Proposal:

"With witty banter and a clever, self-aware plot, this romantic gem marks Micciche as a writer to watch." —Publishers Weekly STARRED Review

"Ridiculously endearing and entertaining, this debut rom-com…will have fans of bookish romances laughing out loud, unable to stop turning the pages." —Library Journal

"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." —Booklist

"A wonderfully real main character and a sparkling new voice. Every page is a rom-com lover's delight." —Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka, authors of The Roughest Draft and Do I Know You?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781728264721
Publisher:	Sourcebooks
Publication date:	05/16/2023
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	8.20(w) x 5.40(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

KJ Micciche (she/her/hers) is a novelist who writes rom-com and contemporary romance. She hails from Queens, New York, where she spent countless hours curled up under the covers, reading The Babysitters Club as a kid by flashlight way past her bedtime. A lifetime believer in the power of literacy, KJ runs a non-profit organization that teaches kids with dyslexia how to read - and she pens her own stories as well. Proud mom of two little girls, she and her family live on Long Island and summer in Cape Cod. 

Editorial Reviews

"Sassy, smart and wicked fun!" — Kristan Higgins, New York Times bestselling author

"With witty banter and a clever, self-aware plot, this romantic gem marks Micciche as a writer to watch." — Publishers Weekly

"A wonderfully real main character and a sparkling new voice. Every page is a rom-com lover’s delight." — Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka, authors of Do I Know You?

"Ridiculously endearing and entertaining, this debut rom-com...will have fans of bookish romances laughing out loud, unable to stop turning the pages." — Library Journal

A wildly unique romance.

From the Publisher

2023-03-14
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.

Kirkus Reviews