New york times bestseller 'the summer girlfriend' exposes the ups and downs of fake relationships
Kristina Forest's latest novel, 'The Summer Girlfriend', has captured the hearts of romance readers this summer season. The USA Today bestselling author's latest work delves into the complexities of fake relationships through the eyes of her protagonist, Noelle.
Meet noelle, the bridesmaid for hire
Noelle, a bookseller with aspirations to become a librarian, finds herself in a precarious financial situation. To make ends meet, she takes on a side gig as a bridesmaid for hire, raking in good money on the weekends. However, with the rise of micro-weddings, her bookings dwindle, and she loses her main job as a bookseller, leaving her in dire need of thousands of dollars for her upcoming semester.
Enter Jeremiah, a wealthy businessman in need of a fake girlfriend to bring to his family's beach house for the summer. He's been lying to his family about having a girlfriend, and Forest's novel explores what unfolds when the two strike a deal – he'll give Noelle the money she needs for tuition, and she'll pretend to be his girlfriend for the summer.
'I always like to write about New Jersey,' Forest revealed during a recent sold-out event at Call & Response Books in Chicago. Set in the fictional town of Heart Beach, 'The Summer Girlfriend' serves as a love letter to her home state. Forest's affinity for writing about New Jersey stems from her own roots in Camden County, outside of Philadelphia, and her passion for libraries, which she believes serve as a 'place for discovery and knowledge' – especially for young people.
Forest's novel has already gained significant recognition, landing a spot on the New York Times' 'Novels Everyone Should Be Reading This Summer' list, with a preview questioning, 'What could go wrong?' with such a deal involving a fake girlfriend. The book has also made its way onto the USA Today Bestseller List this week. Forest expressed her delight at the response, stating, 'I just think it's really great that people are excited to read romance, and to read Black romance this summer.' Her intention when writing is to craft 'fun, but emotionally poignant' stories that sweep readers away.