by Edan Lepucki
First published 2014
Joellyn speaks to the baby growing inside her, recounting how she met and fell for Zachary. He was jobless and dressed terribly, yet something drew her to him despite her own sharp judgments and deep insecurities. As she tells this story of their courtship, Joellyn reveals herself as someone who critiques others while battling her own self-doubt. The relationship between Joellyn and Zachary unfolds as neither conventional romance nor fairy tale. Instead, their connection develops through messy realities and imperfect choices. This is love without the Hollywood ending, where people stumble toward each other carrying their flaws and disappointments. Joellyn's narration to her unborn daughter becomes a way of examining what it means to choose someone, and what it costs to be chosen in return.
Genres: romance, literary-fiction, family-life, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, flawed-characters, unreliable-narrator
Period: 21st-century
55 pages · Paperback · Nouvella