Photographs: Portrait by Kyle Norton; book covers contributed

 

EMILY LIEBERT
Emily Liebert is the USA Today bestselling author of seven novels and a New York Times bestselling celebrity ghostwriter. Her books are available worldwide.

 

THE STORY SHE LEFT BEHIND
by Patti Callahan Henry

When legendary author Bronwyn Newcastle Fordham disappeared off the coast of South Carolina in 1927, she was survived by her husband, their eight-year-old daughter Clara, and the sequel to a widely popular book Bronwyn wrote in an invented language when she was only 12. Twenty-five years later, Clara is contacted by a stranger named Charlie Jameson, from London, who claims to have discovered a handwritten dictionary of her mother’s lost language. She’s dubious at first, yet still crosses the Atlantic with her daughter Wynnie and arrives during the Great Smog, one of London’s deadliest natural disasters. With Wynnie’s asthma a danger, they escape to the Jamesons’ family retreat with Charlie, where Clara uncovers the truth about her mother and the story she left behind.

 

SUCH GOOD PEOPLE
by Amy Blumenfeld

It’s April’s freshman year of college and she’s standing at the back of a bustling Manhattan bar, waiting for her friend Rudy. Within hours of his arrival, Rudy is arrested. Days later, April is expelled from school. Weeks after that, Rudy is incarcerated. And finally, April meets Peter, an impressive young attorney who rights her world. Fifteen years transpire, and April is living in Chicago, happily married to Peter, with three kids and a fulfilling career. On the eve of Peter’s election for local office, Rudy is up for parole, and the explosive headlines about April’s past threaten Peter’s campaign and everything they cherish. Suddenly, April has to choose between protecting the life she created, and the person who sacrificed everything to make it possible.

 

FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS
by Marisa Kanter

Evie Bloom is an aspiring foley artist who pays attention to every detail in her career. So when she’s selected for the fellowship of her dreams, she immediately spots the catch: no health benefits—a non-starter for someone with a chronic illness. Theo Cohen, an elementary school teacher, can’t afford to live alone in L.A. and is facing eviction. His lease specifies that each tenant must meet an income threshold, unless they’re married. For Theo, the answer is clear: wed Evie, his best friend. This way Theo can keep his apartment, and Evie would be added to his insurance. Nevermind that Evie doesn’t really want to be married to anyone and that Theo has always been a little bit in love with Evie.

 

SIKE
by Fred Lunzer

Adrian writes lyrics for rappers he’s never met and finds success with a hit song about his own search for love. After his last relationship ends, Adrian decides to try Sike, a new elite AI psychotherapy app that tracks your every move and emotion, and guides you to mental contentment. Not long after, he falls for Maquie, a smart and sensitive venture capitalist, who wants to find a business as booming as Sike, even though she refuses to use it. Told from Adrian and Maquie’s perspectives, Lunzer maps out the tense first year of their relationship, as they grapple with connection, identity, anxiety, achievement, self-analysis and awareness. This debut delivers an insightful analysis of the desire for lucidity by a curious, ambitious and indecisive generation.

 

SUNNY SIDE UP
by Katie Sturino

Isn’t rock bottom the ideal place to start a climb? Sunny Greene asks herself this at 35, recently divorced, facing the daunting possibility of attending her younger brother’s wedding solo, and trying to find anything plus-sized in the Bergdorf Goodman swimsuit department. Challenges aside, Sunny has a PR empire, a beautiful Chelsea apartment, two dogs, and loyal best friends. Who says a full-figured single woman can’t enjoy dating? Enter Dennis, the charismatic, easy-going mailman, and Ted, the business magnate who wants to turn her size-inclusive swimsuit brand into a reality. There’s also her ex, who returns unexpectedly to reconnect. Practically overnight, Sunny becomes the new generation’s Carrie Bradshaw, as she navigates the trials and triumphs of dating, friendship and finding yourself.