Release Date: Expected 8th June 2023
Publisher: Aria & Aries
Emmy Clooney (no relation) isn't her biggest fan. In fact, sometimes she's her own worst enemy.
She's still waiting for her moment to shine- the moment everything clicks and she's got her life together, but in the meantime she's stuck taking small acting roles as the short-haired, queer young woman - but at least she's good at it.
Until Mae walks into an audition - who is exactly the same as Emmy, which makes her the enemy too. But as their rivalry starts to heat up, she can't deny that as much as she wants to hate Mae, there's something about her she can't stay away from. Not as though she gets much of a choice, anyway because she's everywhere. But you know what they say - keep your friends close, and your annoyingly hot doppelganger enemies closer!
"For a second, I have a sense of an alternate universe, a universe where I'm like myself, but better in every way Then I realise it's not me at all. But Mae is exactly my type."
Lindons follow-up novel is an absolute joy. This playful, fun romcom is one of those love stories that goes beyond the love we find in romance but the love that can be found all around us.
Our narrator Emmy is clearly frustrated with her life, with still having to work at her Dads pizza place when she should be acting, with her place in life. But even with all this self-doubt and loathing, it's interesting to see how much she thinks Mae is threatening, charming, beautiful - even though she reminds her so much of herself. As an ex-theatre nerd, I loved seeing her passion, all the rituals and quirks of the stage, the old superstitions and routines making me extremely nostalgic for the spotlight. As a narrator, she was amazing - always observing the little details and setting the scene, but going off on hilariously witty tangents with us and addressing us like a friend. She makes absolutely ridiculous decisions, over reacts, and misunderstands but she was so authentically human that I didn't blame her.
The entire cast are bright, vibrant, larger-than-life but still have an air of genuiness about them. And anyone who knows theatre kids knows that yes, people really do act like that even first thing in the morning. Her friends were playful and fun, blunt and honest but deeply caring and warm - Lindon gives us a collective of relationships that are beautifully complex and meaningful, but of course sometimes heart-breaking and confusing like people usually are.
Emmys journey was hilariously chaotic - her meet-cute turned rivalry with Mae, her nightmarish career moments, her attempts at dating, her complicated family life, her competitiveness reaching new levels of intensity - almost becoming vital to them, linking them together. There were moments that made me want to hide my eyes and throw away the book because it got so tense, moments that made me want to scream at them, and some moments I saw coming but was bewildered about how we'd get there.
Again Lindon cleverly subverts and explores stereotypes and tropes about queerness and spiritedly plays with them - taking the things that are used to often pigeon-hole us and reclaiming them in her own refreshingly authentic way. Emmys sexuality and identity, and how this plays a part in who she has become is dealt with brilliantly and genuinely, giving us a snapshot of a person trying to figure out their life and who they want to be.
A chaotic romcom with a lot of heart - this book made me happy I was reading on a kindle or the crying would have ruined the pages! An amazing follow-up from a powerful and entertaining voice.
"You're the only person you can't run away from … It's the worst."
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I was gifted an advanced reviewers copy of this title in return for an honest review.
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