How to Write a Rom-Com by Christina Wolf (May 15, 2025) Thank you to Christina and Head of Zeus for the gifted digital advanced copy of this delightful charmer!
Lucy Bowen works at the largest romance imprint in New York City, but she’s stopped believing in love herself, a tricky situation when your entire job is built around happily-ever-afters. When the imprint’s biggest author, Ruby Jones, threatens to quit because she’s lost her spark, Lucy’s boss devises a wild plan: they’ll reverse-engineer Ruby’s next book by creating the perfect romantic story themselves. And Lucy? She’s the one who’s going to find the inspiration – whether she likes it or not.
So Lucy’s off to a tiny lakeside town, tasked with turning real life into romance. She’s fully prepared to play the part, just not to actually fall for it. Of course, her next-door neighbor is impossibly hot, has an adorable dog, and owns the local restaurant. He’s practically the perfect fictional hero – except for the fact that he doesn’t like outsiders. But that’s fine, Lucy tells herself. She’s not about to become a cliché… even if the clichés start to feel more real than she ever expected.
This book is an absolute delight! Wolf does such a wonderful job playing with and celebrating the very rom-com tropes she’s gently poking fun at. Lucy’s journey is heartfelt and hilarious, the small-town setting is perfectly cozy, and the chemistry sizzles with that spark you can’t help but root for. It reminded me a lot of The Bromance Book Club – self-aware, full of charm, and brimming with wit (and grand gestures!). I loved the tension between Lucy’s cynical city life and the warm, inviting world of the town she’s sent to “study.” If you’re in the mood for a story both meta and swoony, you’ll enjoy this one. I can’t wait to see what Christina Wolf writes next!
Book: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Spice: 🌶️
Book Smart Kate 