The Art of Lainey

While working at her parents’ coffee shop, Lainey Mitchell is publicly dumped by her gorgeous long-term boyfriend, Jason, and she’s devastated. But her best friend Bianca has a plan: Lainey needs to let Sun Tzu’s The Art of War guide her efforts to win Jason back. When Lainey learns Jason that has already moved on with another girl, in an effort to “exploit enemy weaknesses” (namely jealousy) and put herself “in a position of power,” Lainey enlists the help of Micah, her mohawked, punk rocker, chocolate chip muffin–baking coworker. Micah has also been dumped recently, and getting his ex back is part of the plan, too. Stokes (who also writes YA as Fiona Paul) offers a summer romance between two people who couldn’t be more different and who, therefore, have plenty that’s new and exciting to offer each other. It’s a familiar rom-com setup that follows an expected trajectory (Lainey and Micah naturally begin to fall for each other) but a satisfying and sweet story, too. Ages 14–up. Agent: Jennifer Laughran, Andrea Brown Literary Agency. (May)