Description

Book Lovers.

An Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller

From the bestselling author of Funny Story comes a charming, witty, and heartfelt romance about unexpected connections, second chances, and discovering that real life rarely follows the stories we create for ourselves.

“One of my favorite authors.” — Colleen Hoover

One summer. Two rivals. One unforgettable twist.

Nora Stephens knows stories better than anyone. After all, books are her world. But despite spending her career helping authors create unforgettable characters, Nora has never seen herself as the kind of heroine found in romantic novels. She isn’t the carefree dreamer, the charming small-town girl, or the endlessly optimistic sweetheart. She’s a sharp, determined literary agent who fights fiercely for her clients and dedicates herself completely to the people she loves—especially her younger sister, Libby.

When Libby convinces Nora to leave the city behind for a month-long sisters’ getaway in Sunshine Falls, North Carolina, she hopes the trip will transform Nora’s life into the kind of heartwarming story she always reads about. But Nora’s reality doesn’t involve charming small-town adventures or a mysterious stranger sweeping her away.

Instead, she keeps crossing paths with Charlie Lastra, a serious, sarcastic book editor from New York who she already knows all too well. Their encounters are anything but romantic, especially since every meeting they’ve ever had has ended in frustration rather than sparks.

Nora doesn’t believe she was made to be the heroine of her own story, and Charlie is convinced he’s nobody’s hero. Yet as circumstances continue bringing them together, they begin to question the versions of themselves they’ve carefully created.

What starts as a rivalry slowly becomes something neither of them expected—a chance to rewrite their own stories and discover that sometimes the best endings are the ones you never planned.