The First Date Prophecy

Balancing laugh out loud comedy with heartfelt emotion, the first collaboration between married writing duo Kate Tamberelli (Immaculate, written as Katelyn Detweiler) and debut author Danny Tamberelli explores the pitfalls and frustrations of online dating. Aspiring writer Lucy Minninger is not having any luck with either men or her hunt for odd jobs on Craigslist. After a disastrous date with an aspiring DJ who demanded to be referred to by a hashtag, her fortunes change when she spots former child star Rudy Riziero on a dating app. Rudy left Hollywood and his older, hugely successful actor brother to make a go of it in New York City’s music and comedy scene. He’s working hard to achieve his dream—and going on some horrible dates of his own in the meanwhile. Things get off to a memorable start between this quirky duo when, on their first date, a psychic tells them that they’re meant to be and then drops dead in front of them. Bonded by this bizarre experience, the pair begin an offbeat spiral into love. The characters’ eccentricities feel entirely authentic, while subplots about family drama and friend groups growing apart add nuance and poignancy to this sweet romp. Rom-com fans should snap this up. Agent: Jill Grinberg, Jill Grinberg Literary. (July)