Wake Up, Nat & Darcy

In Cochrane’s solid queer debut, Darcy LaCroix, a retired Canadian hockey star, must work with her onetime lover and teammate turned rival, Nat Carpenter, as cohosts of a segment on the morning show Wake Up, USA. Nat and Darcy are flown to Olympic host nation Switzerland to meet the athletes of all the winter sports and then attempt to learn how to do said sport themselves. Meanwhile, Nat’s still nursing a bruised heart and ego that Darcy caused when she denied their secret relationship in front of their college teammates. After years of intense, heartbreak-fueled hockey rivalry, will the two succumb to the chemistry that’s still obvious between them? Adding to the tension is the pressure from legions of queer viewers of Wake Up, USA who start shipping them, complete with the hashtag “#PuckingHotties.” This fandom element adds extra fun to a strong and well-executed premise that’s sure to appeal to fans of sports romances. Cochrane shows promise. Agent: Paige Terlip, Andrea Brown Literary. (Nov.)