Love by the book : a novel / Jessica George.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

AN INSTANT USA TODAY BESTSELLER * A New York Times Most Anticipated Book of Spring * "A beautiful and all-too-rare look at the importance of platonic love." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred)

Friendship is the love story you can count on.

Remy is lucky. Her debut novel, based on her three best friends, became an instant bestseller when it was released, and her agent and publisher are clamoring for a follow-up. But just as Remy's creative inspiration seems to leave her, so too do her friends: one moves to New York, one gets pregnant, and one gets back together with her (awful) boyfriend. After an ill-advised one-night stand complicates matters further, Remy is left deeply alone--and unable to find her next book idea.

Simone is successful. A Kindergarten teacher with a passion for kids, and a well-paying side hustle that affords her all the material comforts she desires, she doesn't have time for a robust social life. All Simone needs is her close-knit family--but after the true nature of her work is revealed, they cut her off, and she realizes for the first time just how isolated she is.

When Simone and Remy bump into each other (literally) in a bookstore, it isn't exactly soulmates at first sight. Simone is guarded and prickly, Remy is insecure and heartbroken, and each woman is harboring a secret. And yet they might just be the missing piece the other has been searching for--if only they can let each other in.

Can Simone help Remy make one of the most important decisions of her life--and can Remy help Simone recover all that she's lost? In Jessica George's heartwarming, funny, and soulful second novel, she explores the restorative nature of female friendship and the life-changing power of platonic love.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

George (Maame) chronicles the unexpected and fraught friendship of two London women in her sharp latest. Novelist Remy Baidoo, 30, has never had much interest in traditional romance, garnering all the support and love she needs from her friend group, who inspired her first book. But as she struggles to write her next novel, the women begin fading from her life. In contrast, schoolteacher Simone Beduah, 29, has convinced herself she doesn't need friends. Then her religious family disowns her after discovering she's also a sex worker. When they run into each other at a literary event, Remy, whose inclination to overshare runs on overdrive, forms an unlikely bond with quiet introvert Simone. As their friendship deepens, Remy discovers she's pregnant from a one-night stand despite being told earlier by a doctor that she can't get pregnant, and Simone realizes Remy has secretly been writing about their friendship. The revelations force both women to make tough decisions about trust and their futures. While some of the plot turns feel too convenient, George offers a fresh perspective on female friendship, showing that "platonic love can be incredibly romantic." Fans of the author's celebrated debut will find much to enjoy. Agent: Michelle Brower, Trellis Literary Management. (Apr.)

Booklist Review

Breakout star Jessica George has written a sophomore novel to rival her successful debut, Maame (2023). Remy Baidoo is struggling. Nearly two years after her debut novel became a best-seller, inspiration for her second is nowhere to be found. Worse, the four best friends who inspired the first novel are dispersing, threatening their decades-long bond. Abandoned by her stories and her friends, Remy's effort to find herself leads to ill-advised actions with lasting consequences. Meanwhile, Simone has always relied solely on her family. But when the truth about her controversial side hustle comes out, they abandon her, forcing her to face the isolated existence she's meticulously crafted. When Remy's and Simone's worlds collide at an author event, they traverse the complicated territory of adult friendships and discover that romance isn't limited to lovers; it can also bloom powerfully between friends. Tales of female friendships are some of the world's greatest love stories. George writes with a lightness that belies the depth of her focus as she carefully and candidly tackles serious issues. Her moments of humor, juxtaposed with intimate dialogue, shape this beautiful platonic love story that will have readers crying through stifled giggles. Acing the Alison Bechdel test, George's novel is healing for body, mind, and soul.

Kirkus Book Review

Two lonely women connect at a time when they both desperately need a friend. Remy Baidoo found success with the publication of her first novel,These Four Friends. Based on her own close relationships with the three most important women in her life, Remy's book is an ode to platonic love. But when one friend leaves London for New York, another has a baby and moves to the suburbs, and the third retreats into an unhealthy relationship, Remy finds herself alone, wondering if she'd only imagined their close friendship. Elementary school teacher Simone Beduah always had one best friend: her sister. But when Simone's secret side hustle as a sex worker comes to light, her relationship with her family fractures. When Remy and Simone literally bump into each other at a book event, it isn't exactly friendship at first sight. Remy is desperate for a new friend, while Simone is much more guarded. But when they keep running into each other, the two eventually realize they could build a wonderful and important relationship. As Remy puts it when discussing her own book, "I've always loved stories about female friendship….I just think love among friends deserves more discussion and praise than it currently gets.…Friends either aren't deemed important enough in the grand scheme of things, or they're taken for granted…" George has crafted a story here in which friendship is just as important, if not more so, than romantic or sexual partnership. Remy and Simone each have character arcs full of drama and personal growth--Remy must learn how to be herself without relying on her three original best friends for everything, while Simone must learn how to let people in. George writes with an uncommon degree of care and nuance about complicated topics like sex work, asexuality, and the choice to become a mother (or not). In a sea of romances, this novel stands out for asserting that friendship can be a love story, too. A beautiful and all-too-rare look at the importance of platonic love. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.