Love Songs for Skeptics: A Novel

by Christina Pishiris

Overview

"Voicy, heartfelt, hilarious, propulsive—this book is brilliant."—Christina Lauren, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author

For fans of Josie Silver and Emily Henry comes a debut romcom about the life-changing magic of second chances. This charming and quirky debut has it all: childhood friends, love triangles, enemies-to-lovers, and a dash of My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

Zoë Frixos gets the whole love song thing. Truly, she does. As an editor at a major music magazine in London, it's part of her job description. But love? Let's just say Zoë's been a bit off-beat in that department. After falling hard for her best friend, Simon, at thirteen and missing every chance to tell him how she felt before he left town, Zoë came to one grand conclusion: Love stinks.

Twenty years later, Simon is returning to London, newly single and as charming as ever, and Zoë vows to take her second chance. But Zoë's got other problems now: In order to save her magazine from closure, she has to land the biggest interview of her career with a notoriously elusive rock idol. There's just one problem: Nick, the arrogant publicist who seems determined to stop the story and ruin Zoë's life.

With her brother's big(ish) fat(ish) Greek wedding on the horizon, Zoë begins to wonder if her first love is the right love. In the wake of a life-changing choice, Zoë must decide if she's right to be skeptical about love, or if it's time to change her tune…

Praise for Love Songs for Skeptics:

"Funny, sweet, and full of surprises...the perfect rom-com for music nerds." —Kerry Winfrey, author of Waiting for Tom Hanks

"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

"Immediately cemented itself as one of my all-time favorite contemporary love stories." —Sarah Hogle, author of You Deserve Each Other

"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

"An endearing and engaging story. Highly recommended." —Fresh Fiction

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781728217611
Publisher:	Sourcebooks
Publication date:	01/05/2021
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	416
File size:	1 MB

Editorial Reviews

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.)

Publishers Weekly

"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

"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

"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

"An endearing and engaging story. Highly recommended." — Fresh Fiction

"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

From the Publisher