New Adult Contemporary Romance

Querying

A new adult contemporary romance that is a small-town drama, complete with witty, quick banter reminiscent of Gilmore Girls and centers on friendship and first love like a sexier version of Jenny Han’s The Summer I Turned Pretty with a Gossip Girl twist. Through a summer love triangle and friendship drama, this book re-imagines classic romantic comedy tropes in a structure similar to Katie Cotugno’s 99 Days.

Evie wakes up the morning of her birthday, naked in her childhood treehouse…with the wrong boy. She’s spent her whole life dreaming of her best friend, Cole falling in love with her, but tangled in her limbs is her charming, infuriating next-door neighbor, Josh. Evie’s dream of living a summer straight out of old Taylor Swift songs with Cole implodes when she discovers he’s wrapped in the evil clutches of her high school nemesis.

However, Evie’s lifelong crush doesn’t vanish because she’s having hot, irresistible, unforgettable sex with Josh, leaving her to navigate conflicting feelings for both guys. When an anonymous source digs up juicy secrets about the townies threatening to expose betrayals and crushes, and fuel old rivalries, Evie’s perfect ideals of friendship and true love come crashing down. If Evie can’t face the truth, this summer could ruin her reputation, shatter her lifelong friendships and change her outlook on love forever.

Cruel Summer Aesthetics & Playlist