Love Literary Style

September 19, 2016
Gillespie (Girl Meets Class) charms with a lively tale of opposites attracting. Atlanta college English instructor Aaron Mite is a serious novelist who thinks genre fiction is pure trash. His literary-critic father has him convinced his writing is mediocre. Young widow Laurie Lee, a self-published romance author with mainstream publishing dreams, can’t think of anything she’d love more than to become a bestseller. After Aaron and Laurie meet at a Georgia writer’s colony—where he and the organizers mistakenly think she’s an award-winning literary author named Laura T. Leer—Aaron quickly falls for the bubbly blond. Even after Aaron discovers that the beauty next door writes in a genre he despises, their relationship continues swimmingly—until Laurie hits it big, Unsurprisingly, Aaron has a tough time dealing with her success, given that his own prospects aren’t promising. Aaron’s jealousy rings very true, and Laurie is no flimsy stereotypical heroine; she’s glib and bubbly on the surface, but dealing with real pain underneath it all. Gillespie’s take on this familiar trope is buoyed by sympathetic characters, a well-executed if slightly overused theme, and a strong cast of supporting characters.

September 15, 2016

Laurie Lee is a Georgia-based romance writer--indie, not self-pub--who is trying to increase her online sales. A writing colony could help her to hone her skills as well as introduce her to other authors. And who would turn down a free-ride scholarship? Aaron Mite, an adjunct professor at Atlanta Metro University, writes literary fiction. For him, the colony seems like a pleasant respite from his now-defunct tumultuous relationship with bookstore owner Emma. Quiet and introspective, Aaron is intimidated to be sharing a duplex with the accomplished (read: MacArthur Genius Fellow) Laura T. Leer. Right. Free-spirited Laurie and single-minded Aaron eventually do hook up, yet despite the excellent sex, how will genre fiction snob Aaron react when the mistake is discovered? What seems at first to be a frothy rom-com of mistaken identity set in the world of publishing is actually a multilayered character study of opposites finding common ground and overcoming long-held regrets. VERDICT Gillespie (Girl Meets Class) leads readers on a merry chase in this deceptively thought-provoking and addictive tale that will be a hit with romance fans. The lit fic crowd? One never can tell.--Bette-Lee Fox, Library Journal

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