Hi everyone! Today on the blog, we have a spotlight post with an excerpt from a great YA novel that just published this week, MEET CUTE DIARY by Emery Lee. So without further ado, let's get into it!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Title: Meet Cute Diary
Authors: Emery Lee
Publisher: Quill Tree Books
Hardcover, 400 Pages
Published May 2021
Summary: Noah Ramirez thinks he’s an expert on romance. He has to be for his popular blog, the Meet Cute Diary, a collection of trans happily ever afters. There’s just one problem—all the stories are fake. What started as the fantasies of a trans boy afraid to step out of the closet has grown into a beacon of hope for trans readers across the globe. When a troll exposes the blog as fiction, Noah’s world unravels. The only way to save the Diary is to convince everyone that the stories are true, but he doesn’t have any proof. Then Drew walks into Noah’s life, and the pieces fall into place: Drew is willing to fake-date Noah to save the Diary. But when Noah’s feelings grow beyond their staged romance, he realizes that dating in real life isn’t quite the same as finding love on the page.
EXCERPT
The rideshare smells like weed, which, given I’m in Denver, Colorado, on my way to a college barbecue, I have to admit is a bit too stereotypical, even for me. My brother, Brian, sits by the opposite window, animatedly talking to our driver like the real social butterfly he is. Me? I’ve got my eyes trained on my phone, reading through the DMs sent after my latest blog post. I shoot back little heart emojis and tons of thanks to my many adoring fans. Just enough to show them I still care since I’m going to be preoccupied with family time for the rest of the day.
Mountains fly by outside the window, and I have to keep myself from gawking at them because wow, literally every- thing’s beautiful out here—the trees, the mountains, the vast majority of the guys I’ve bumped into since I got dropped off.
It’s funny because I’m in this strange land that’s so different from where I come from, but it’s also kind of comforting. There’s no one here to remember who I used to be, to tell me I have to live like I did for the past sixteen years of my existence. I’m barreling down the highway of my new life with no one to pull that back-seat driver BS.
And even if I don’t pass, there’s a part of me that’s starting to get swept up in the magic just a little bit too. Like maybe all I needed was a change of scenery for my real life to begin.
So when Brian invited me to tag along to this college bro-fest, I hesitantly agreed. I mean, hanging out with my brother and all of his frat brothers isn’t exactly my definition of a good time, but I’m stuck here for the summer while my parents make the great move from Florida to California, and as annoying as college guys are, I can’t exactly find fuel for my blog locked in a closet all day.
I mean, I’m basically the queer Superman, putting on a secret identity that makes me even hotter just so I can go around saving people with my ultra-secret project.
It’s called the Meet Cute Diary, a blog designed to bring love to trans kids in need.
In a lot of ways, it’s the single most important thing in my life.
I lock my phone and slip it into my pocket, glancing toward Brian to make sure he’s not peeking over my shoulder. He leans forward in his seat and makes some dad joke about the retreating mountains, while the driver forces out a fake laugh as he guides us off the freeway. From the highway, I can almost pretend I’m still in Florida, but the second we take the exit, the looming mountains and greenery steal my breath. This tiny little car feels even smaller with trees and rock formations staring down at us.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Emery Lee is a kidlit author, artist, and YouTuber hailing from a mixed-racial background. After graduating with a degree in creative writing, e’s gone on to author novels, short stories, and webcomics. When away from reading and writing, you’ll most likely find em engaged in art or snuggling cute dogs.
We'd like to thank Quill Tree Books for having us share this excerpt today -- if you're interested in MEET CUTE DIARY don't forget to add it to your TBR!
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