From the Dial Press (Penguin Random House)
Alice Rue Evades the Truth
Alice Rue has never spoken to her longtime crush Nolan Altman, but when she saves his life one night in their office building, the EMTs tell his family that Alice is Nolan’s girlfriend. She wants to set the record straight, but Nolan’s in a coma, and if the family feels comforted by the idea of Nolan having his “girlfriend” by his side for what might be his last moments, isn’t it kinder to go along with it? At least for now?
After all, the Altmans are impossibly nice and supportive, and there’s something about Nolan’s sister, Van, that makes Alice feel more seen and understood than she has in years. The local news names her a hero. Her boss finally starts treating her well. Alice even starts to remember what it’s like to have a family. She knows it’s wrong to lie, but it’s easy to convince herself that she’s doing the right thing by evading the truth.
What she can’t avoid, however, is her growing chemistry with Van. Alice must decide if she can unravel this tangle of lies in order to salvage her chances with the woman who just may be the love of her life–especially if Nolan wakes up. Warm, witty, and full of heart, this debut romcom is a love story for pessimists who secretly hope for their own happily ever after.
Praise for ALICE RUE
“This is the book I’ve wanted since the first time I saw While You Were Sleeping, and it was everything I dreamed of. Vibrant, voice-y, tender, genuinely funny, and bursting with all the imperfect charm of a real, hopeful love. I can’t wait to make everyone I know read this.”
—Casey McQuiston, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Pairing
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"Nostalgic and witty, this romance is for everyone who yearned with the fire of a thousand suns, only to find true love in the unexpected. A swoony, tender delight."
—Ashley Herring Blake, author of Delilah Green Doesn’t Care
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“Emily Zipps’s debut sits at that ideal romantic comedy intersection, balancing equal parts zany concept and grounded emotional exploration. I loved following Alice—through her carefully crafted non-lies and a stream of surprises as steady as the Portland rain—as she moved from bone-deep loneliness to a life filled with people who care for her and for whom she wants to care in return. Funny, gentle, and incredibly sincere, Alice Rue Evades the Truth is a beautiful examination of what it means to fall in love not with the idea of a person but the full reality of them.”
—KT Hoffman, author of The Prospects
Trade Reviews
“Zipps puts a fresh, queer spin on a classic rom-com setup in her thoroughly enjoyable debut. As a night-shift receptionist at an office building, the most excitement Alice usually gets is when her secret crush, Nolan Altman, comes in to work—until the night Nolan collapses in the lobby and hits his head on the floor. After Alice’s frantic 911 call and inexpert CPR, the ambulance whisks Nolan away. Later, his entire family turns up at her desk to meet the woman who saved his life, and whom the paramedics identified as his girlfriend. The Altmans are eager to welcome Alice into their lives while Nolan remains unconscious; meanwhile, Alice has been so lonely she doesn’t correct their assumption. Keeping up the ruse comes with several complications, however: she’s never even had a real conversation with Nolan, and if he wakes up, the whole thing falls apart. Worse, Nolan’s butch sister, Van, is the most attractive, magnetic woman that Alice has ever met. As Alice’s lie grows, Zipps dexterously handles the many layers of complicated interpersonal tension and, ultimately, sticks the landing. This flawed but lovable heroine is sure to win hearts.”
—Publishers Weekly
“DEBUT A classic rom-com scenario gets a new imagining in Zipps’s debut. Alice Rue is a lonely receptionist on the night shift who secretly harbors a desperate crush on Nolan, a hot finance guy who’s always working late at her office. When Alice saves Nolan’s life one night, a miscommunication with emergency services means that his desperate family thinks she’s also his girlfriend. Alice wants to tell them the truth, but something keeps holding her back: Nolan’s dire condition in the hospital, his family’s immediate warm welcome, and Nolan’s dreamy butch sister, Van. As Alice and Van start to fall for one another, Alice’s lies stack up, and she will eventually have to face the truth.
This is a romance that, while funny and sexy, also deals seriously with parental loss, trauma, loneliness, and disability. The novel takes inspiration from the 1995 movie While You Were Sleeping, but it is very much its own enjoyable story about queer desire.
VERDICT: Zipps’s debut is perfect for readers looking for a sapphic romance with rom-com charm.”
—Library Journal
Bookseller Reviews
“This is Zipps' first novel, and I'm over here KICKING MY HEELS with excitement after finding such a gorgeous new voice in romance. Emily Zipps is my new auto-buy romance author, and she holds her own with my other favorites like Casey McQuiston, TJ Alexander, and KT Hoffman. Alice Rue Evades the Truth is a perfectly balanced sapphic romance. It's got drama- a coma and amnesia! It's got humor- comedy of errors! It's got heart- juicy family relationships! It's got romance- the dreamiest butch you'll ever meet! The best romance I've read in ages.”
—Bookseller, Spoke & Word Books
Milwaukie, OR
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“Alice Rue Evades the Truth is the ONLY 'While You Were Sleeping' retelling I will ever accept. This book had me kicking my feet the entire time I read it. Zipps has done an amazing job at taking a story we all love and sparking a brand new and deeply relatable chapter to it. Not only are the characters so painstakingly us in today's era but they are funny and so charming. You will absolutely fall in love with Alice and her journey to find love. Please, please read this book!”
—Bookseller, Lovestruck Books
Cambridge, MA
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"Alice Rue Evades the Truth proves that the ONLY thing that could improve on the masterpiece that is "While You Were Sleeping" is making it queer. With a charming love interest and a lovely setting, Alice Rue is sure to be a hit.”
—Bookseller, Under the Umbrella Bookstore
Salt Lake City, UT
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One of my favorite local, independent bookstores!
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Ships nationally; based in LA and NY
Ships nationally; based in Albuquerque
ALICE isn't a children's book but this is the coolest store in the world (incidentally, it's my Aunt's store). Ships nationally, based in LA. Go visit!
Other wonderful places to buy books!