See You at the Summit

A woman’s coming out is complicated by her attraction to a man in YA author Taylor’s cheerful and affirming adult debut (after The Rebel Girls of Rome). Simone Whitaker, 29, feels like she’s finally her most authentic self: she has just come out as bi and started working as a marketing project manager for Toronto’s new Rainbow Museum, dedicated to celebrating the LGBTQ+ experience. She’s eager to live her truth and date women, but she’s conflicted when on her first day on the job, she’s instantly attracted to hot carpenter Ryan Foley. After Simone accidentally ruins a project he was working on, the pair butt heads, but clear the air while attending the Whistler Pride and Ski Festival with their colleagues. That outing leads to one steamy night together which neither of them can forget when they return to Toronto. But their relationship is complicated by Ryan’s somewhat over-the-top trust issues after having been burned before, and Simone’s authentic fears of coming off as a “queer imposter.” Plenty of romantic tension and heartfelt conversations about identity keep the pages of this earnest rom-com turning. Taylor should win a whole new set of fans. (Jan.)