Would life be sexier if our relationships were written like the back cover of a mass market romance novel? Check out some of these best-selling titles to find out:
What She Really Wants, for Dinner
Free-spirited culinary enthusiast Tim has big dreams about what’s for dinner tonight. Maybe a NYT Cooking recipe that says it takes thirty minutes, but actually takes two hours. Or maybe he’ll do something with those frozen salmon fillets he got on sale at Whole Foods—the possibilities are endless! At least, that’s what he thought before Erica came home from work and turned his kitchen upside down. Now, after several red-hot rounds of culinary rejection, temperatures are rising—and it’s not just the preheating oven. Why can’t Erica see that all he’s ever wanted to do is give her the world on a seafood platter?
Strong-willed Erica knows exactly what she wants in life, but not what she wants for dinner. All she knows is that it’s not whatever Tim is making tonight. How will she find the courage to tell the man she loves that he always overcooks the salmon?
It’s a dark secret that’s been eating away at their relationship for months. Now, she’s faced with an even bigger dilemma: She must somehow admit that what she really wants is someone else’s cooking. How will he take it when she suggests bringing in outside food? Will he follow her into the hedonistic realm of delivery orders, or will he judge her for her illicit weeknight desires? His answer could change the fate of their relationship for . . . tonight, at the very least. Maybe even into tomorrow morning.
Will she let their love go hungry, or will she reveal . . . What She Really Wants, for Dinner.
The Forbidden Question
Doomed to a life of romantic uncertainty, loving but sensitive Tiffany finds herself in an emotional stalemate she can’t escape. After what she thought was a successful brunch outing with her friends and new girlfriend, she can’t help but notice that her beloved, Heather, has suddenly become silent and moody. Was it something she said at brunch? Something she did? A face she made? A breath she breathed? Is this the silent conflict that will bring their relationship crashing down around them? She has so many questions, and yet she’s afraid to know the answers. The pressure is almost unbearable, but she must find the courage to ask the most illicit question of all: Are you mad at me?
Introverted Heather is the very definition of the strong silent type. Enamored with kind and caring Tiffany, there is only one thing in life she loves as much as her new girlfriend, and that’s being alone. That morning’s brunch had its moments, but ultimately required more small talk than her limited powers of conversation could muster. If she had to ask one more of Tiffany’s peripheral acquaintances what they did last weekend, while feigning genuine interest, she was going to crush her bottomless mimosa glass in her fist. Home at last, all she wants is a little peace and quiet. What she gets is a crisis of faith from her partner that shakes her to her very irritated core. Utterly devoted, Heather would do anything to make Tiffany happy—anything that is, but answer that dreaded question.
Soon, they’ll put their love, and interpersonal communication skills, to the test. Because no relationship can escape . . . The Forbidden Question.
The Screens Between Us
When fiery redhead Liz first meets happy-go-lucky Jeremy, she can’t help but fall for the way he looks into her eyes and actually listens when she speaks. She knows he’s the one the moment he reveals he has a healthy relationship with his mother. However, when their instant attraction causes them to immediately fall into bed together, she makes a shocking discovery. Nothing could’ve prepared her for the raw passion, the fire, and the frequency with which Jeremy looks at his phone. Instead of gazing lovingly into her eyes as they lay in bed together, he gazes adoringly at sports stats, the front page of Reddit, and the unending scroll of TikTok. Will Liz retreat into a screen of her own, or will she fight to keep the attention of the man she loves?
Carefree and charming Jeremy has met his match in feisty no-nonsense Liz. Sure, she does look a bit like his mom with that flaming red hair, but not in a weird way—not really. From the second they locked eyes, he’s been determined to make her his forever, or at least until three years from now when they’re both kind of bored with each other and ready to move on. No power on Earth could convince him to relinquish her until then, except perhaps one—the power of the phone. Compulsive scrolling is just a part of Jeremy’s nature that he thinks Liz should learn to accept. But, when she refuses to compete with a machine, a battle of wills ensues that promises to break both hearts and screens.
Will love conquer all? Or will they be torn apart by . . .
The Screens Between Us.
Mistletoe or Mezcal?
Hardworking and intrepid Alex wants nothing more than to plan a tropical vacation getaway for the holidays this year.
Tantalizing dreams of pina coladas and banana daiquiris dance in his head as he imagines himself and his boyfriend David get- ting tan on a beach in Tulum. Unfortunately, all David can talk about is going home to see his family in snowy Chicago. Nothing could be further from Alex’s vision of spending Christmas in a Speedo than sitting at a table in suburban Illinois, listening to David’s uncle call himself a fiscal conservative, while slurping down spoonfuls of marshmallow ambrosia salad. He’ll have
to use all his powers of seduction to convince David that they should be renewing their love somewhere warm, not letting it wither in a city cold enough to rival the North Pole.
Lovable methodical David can’t wait to go home for the holidays, like he does every year. He knows wild, adventurous Alex would rather take a steamy tropical vacation, but what’s Christmas time without snow and at least one uncomfortable conversation with your family about politics? He knows that with enough time, he can win Alex over and into his twin-size childhood bunk beds. The only thing he’s up against is the tick- ing clock. Will he be able to make Alex see things his way before the price of flights to Chicago start to skyrocket? Or are they destined to have a decidedly unhappy holiday?
Only time will tell if this holiday will bring . . . Mistletoe or Mezcal.
Romancing the Phone
Successful and always put together, Emily has it all: a job that pays a living wage, an apartment that has at least one window in each room, and friends that bail on their plans to hang out only 30 percent of the time. There’s just one thing keeping her from achieving each and every goal on her five-year plan checklist: finding a stable romantic partner. Despite the fact that she’s active on every dating app available, all she’s got to show for it is enough unsolicited dick pics to complete a successful double-blind study of men’s genital health in her area. That is, until she comes across Sam’s somewhat dull, but red-flag-free profile.
When down-on-his-luck Sam matched with the lovely Emily, he knew this was his chance to turn things around for himself.
He’s matched with plenty of other women before, but he’s never made it past the initial texting phase with any of them. Some personalities just don’t translate well digitally, and Sam’s is one of them. With straightforward, goal-oriented Emily, he feels like this might just be the time he finally gets past the awkward “Hi, what’s up?” part of the conversation. In fact, he’s already fantasizing about moving on to more intimate topics with her—like whether that’s her dog or someone else’s in her profile photo. His most fervent desire is to simply hold her interest long enough to invite her on an in-person date. However, he’ll have to control his wild conversational urges—he doesn’t want to scare her off before he can fan their slow burn small talk into a texting inferno.
Love is complicated face to face, and it’s even harder when you’re stuck . . . Romancing the Phone.
Excerpted from Do I Feel Better Yet?: Questionable Attempts at Self-Care and Existing in General by Madeleine Trebenski. Published by Chronicle Prism, an imprint of Chronicle Books. Copyright © 2022 by Madeleine Trebenski.
Do I Feel Better Yet? is available from Amazon and Bookshop.