by Meg Mason
First published 2026
Sophie Pattison has always loved books, and until recently she had everything else too: a dream job at a local book festival, a husband she adored, her lifelong best friend Emma, and a close relationship with her brother. Now Sophie lives alone. She hasn't spoken to Emma since Christmas. She avoids her brother completely. Her job hangs by a thread. Reading feels like the only thing left that matters. When Sophie rediscovers an author she first encountered in her twenties, the words hit differently this time. They become her solace and her company. She devours every novel this writer has published and begins dreaming of meeting her, even though she knows it will never happen. But what if it did? What if this author already feels like a friend? What if Sophie's feelings have grown into something that feels almost like love? Mason explores heartbreak and the slow journey from isolation toward human connection.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, contemporary, adult, adult-fiction
Vibes: contemplative, emotional, hopeful, intimate, introspective, melancholic
Tropes: emotional-journey, found-family, second-chance, slow-burn
Setting: book festival
352 pages · Hardcover · Harper
Content warnings: depression