Bingsu for Two

Witherspoon dishes up a healthy serving of slow-burn romance sweetened by fake dating tropes in this meta debut. Teenage River Langston-Lee has had a tumultuous 24 hours. After dumping his girlfriend Cecelia, he quits his job at his parents’ café following an argument with cute but sardonic customer Sarang. His best friend Kai then offers River a job at Bingsu for Two, the neighboring Korean café that has been struggling financially—and which, coincidentally, is owned by Sarang’s family. River lies to his parents about working for a rival café, but after accidentally posting a video of Sarang’s training to his popular anonymous social media account, Bingsu for Two goes viral. What’s more, the account’s followers love seeing River and Sarang together, so they pretend to date to get views. As the café grows more popular, Cecelia discovers his deception, forcing River to decide if he should return to what he knows or follow his heart. Inclusions of River’s fandom obsessions imbue the narrative with a tongue-in-cheek undertone, and the fully rendered worldbuilding is further brought to life by the grounded characters and their charming dynamics. Ages 14–up. Agent: Maeve Lysaght, Copps Literary. (Jan.)