Bad Publicity

Gillam sparkles in her well-crafted rom-com debut. British transplant Andie is living her dream as a senior publicist for a top New York City publishing house—until she’s assigned to handle the month-long book tour of bestselling author Jack Carlson, a former college classmate who let Andie down in an epic way when they were students. Five years later, she has no interest in forgiving and forgetting, but she also refuses to let their past ruin her first major campaign. As the tour unfolds, Andie slowly begins to soften toward Jack—until a confrontation about their shared past tears them apart once more. Gillam waits until fairly late in the game to detail Jack’s misdeed, but the payoff is worth it, making it immediately apparent why Andie is still so damaged while also making Jack’s actions feel motivated and, ultimately, forgivable. An all-star supporting cast, especially Andie’s scene-stealing bestie, Sara, underpins the fast-moving plot. This should win Gillam plenty of fans. (May)