How To Judge A Book By Its Lover by Jessica Jiji

Long Island-born Laurel Linden, who fancies herself a writer, craves a publishing contract for her 600-page historical novel about Napoleon Bonaparte’s hairdresser. Despite mounting evidence that her book is a mess, Laurel holds out hope it will be a bestseller, biding her time until she’s fabulously famous by earning cash as a New York City dog walker. Meanwhile, she has to steel herself against everyone urging her to quit writing fiction and get a real job, especially sister Jenna, the drama-queen-turned-perfect-housewife who always thinks she knows best.

Laurel wants to date a sexy and sophisticated New Yorker but her only offer is from Irwin, a suburban pediatric dentist. With no hope of success in her career or her love life, she decides to accept a job at a girdle-industry trade magazine and give Irwin a shot at her heart. That’s when she lands her newest dogwalking client – Anderson Gallant, the son of one of the most powerful men in publishing – and meets a handsome Belgian art critic named Lucien.

Her best friend Vanessa encourages Laurel to find the guts to manipulate Anderson into giving her a huge book deal, nab Lucien as her boyfriend and stand up to Jenna. But, slowly and dreadfully, Laurel comes to realize that her epic “Napoleon’s Hairdresser” is hilariously bad, Lucien is a pretentious jerk, and, worst of all, Vanessa is a frenemy. Ultimately, in a series of bold moves, Laurel discovers that life’s scariest risk leads to its sweetest happily ever after.