Publishers Weekly
11/23/2020
Journalist Pishiris’s lackluster debut follows a London magazine editor on her quest for love and career fulfillment. Thirty-something Zoë Frixos’s hopes for getting together with her longtime crush, Simon Baxter, who is newly single, are complicated when he starts spending time with his college friend Jessica Honey, who is now a famous singer. Zoë and handsome publicist Nick Jones initially clash when Zoë disparages one of Nick’s clients to him. Then Nick signs as a client Marcie Tyler, a multiplatinum-selling artist said to have influenced David Bowie, and Nick and Zoë work out a quid pro quo: Zoë will convey a message from Marcie to Jessica, with whom Marcie had a falling out, and Nick will arrange for an interview with the famously reclusive Marcie, which Zoë believes will boost sales and save jobs at her ailing music magazine. Zoë realizes that she’s attracted to Nick and frets about him and Simon while uncovering more about the bad blood between Jessica and Marcie, as well as a surprise about Nick. Unfortunately, flimsy characters and ill-advised passages (much ink, for instance, is given to a game of Risk) don’t do this any favors, and Pishiris fails to rework any of the many chick-lit tropes at play. This is an easy one to miss. Agent: Jemima Forrester, David Higham Assoc. (Jan.)
From the Publisher
"I loved it. It's an absolute joy...I finished the book with a huge smile on my face" - Beth O'Leary, bestselling author of The Flatshare
"I'm blown away that this was a debut. Christina's writing is polished, engaging, and witty; I was invested in Zoë's life straight away and I loved, loved, loved Zoë's personal growth. Love Songs for Skeptics hooked me from the first page, made me smile all the way through, and immediately cemented itself as one of my all-time favorite contemporary love stories." - Sarah Hogle, author of You Deserve Each Other
"Funny, sweet, and full of surprises, Love Songs for Skeptics is the perfect rom-com for music nerds." - Kerry Winfrey, author of Waiting for Tom Hanks and Not Like the Movies
"Do you ever feel like an author reached into your brain and pulled out the exact book you wanted, at the exact right time? This is what it felt like from the very first page of Love Songs for Skeptics. Voicy, heartfelt, hilarious, propulsive—this book is brilliant. With the ache of second chances, the chaos of family, and in the iconic backdrop of London, Love Song for Skeptics strikes the perfect notes of romance, snark, and yes, even sweetness (hold the schmaltz)." - Christina Lauren, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author
"Zoë's career struggles and romantic woes make for a relatable plot about what really happens after childhood dreams come true, and a vibrant cast of supporting characters adds plenty of humor and heart. Like a favorite playlist, this cozy rom-com hits the right notes." - Kirkus Reviews
