Exes and O’s

A romance-obsessed social media star refuses to give up on her own happily ever after in Lea’s captivating second Influencer rom-com (after Set on You). Bookstagrammer Tara Li Chen is “trash for a second-chance reunion trope,” especially after witnessing the real-life rekindling of her Grandma Flo’s love for a childhood sweetheart. So Tara decides to date her exes—all but her recent ex-fiancé—in hopes of finding her own second-chance romance. The experiment goes as hilariously badly as readers will expect, and Tara realizes she may be giving off “crazy ex-girlfriend” vibes. Meanwhile, her new roommate, Trevor Metcalfe, has a very different view of relationships—i.e, avoiding them at all costs and bringing home a different woman every night. He can’t help but be sucked into Tara’s chaotic love life, however, offering much-needed advice and a shoulder to cry on. Their developing friendship is one of the book’s chief joys, with Lea making their dynamic feel tender, fun, and entirely believable. Then Trevor appears in one of Tara’s livestreams, leading her followers to instantly start rooting for a relationship (or “room-ance”) between them. The resulting romance is as sensitive and swoony as it is self-aware, playfully engaging popular romance tropes. This is a winner. Agent: Kim Lionetti, BookEnds Literary. (Jan.)