Wild Things

Kay (Tell Me Everything) delivers a cute queer rom-com that feels like a warm hug. Uptight Londoner Eleanor “El” Evans feels stuck in her dead-end job and tiny flatshare. She’s also hopelessly in love with Ray, her gorgeous (and totally oblivious) best friend. After Ray teases El for being overly sensible, El determines to prove herself wild, fun, and brave, and thus become the cool, sexy girl of Ray’s dreams. But drugs, alcohol, and tattoos don’t do the trick, and El is beginning to despair—until their “token straight” friend Will announces he’s inherited enough money for a down payment on a house in the countryside. And so, together with gay social-media wizard Jamie, the little found family moves into quiet village retreat Lavender House. What could be wilder, El reasons, than leaving real life behind to buy a house with her best friends? Well, maybe trying to sleep next door to the girl she can’t stop thinking about without giving herself away. Despite El’s commitment to going wild, she remains a surprisingly passive character throughout. Still, with breezy, low-stakes conflict, heaps of charming queer characters, and a happy ending for all, this proves both compulsively readable and tremendously enjoyable. Agent: Emma Finn, C&W Agency. (May)