cover image It’s Been a Pleasure, Noni Blake

It’s Been a Pleasure, Noni Blake

Claire Christian. Mira, $16.99 trade paper (368p) ISBN 978-0-7783-3156-8

Christian’s delightful sophomore outing (after A Beautiful Mess) is a vibrant story of self discovery. After Noni Blake’s nine-year relationship fizzles out, Noni, a plus-sized, bisexual teacher, is ready to jump back into the dating scene. She creates a list of people she wishes she’d slept with when she had the chance and sets out to amend these missed connections on a semester-long vacation during which she’ll travel from Australia to the U.K. But when a string of disappointing sexual encounters culminates in sleeping with her college crush only to discover that the woman has a girlfriend, Noni changes her focus from romance to the pursuit of pleasure. Her quest for joy sees her buying lingerie, eating without guilt, and posing in a nude photo shoot. But she’s unprepared for Beau, a brazen Scottish tattoo artist, to weasel his way into her heart. As their fling grows serious, Noni must figure out how to carry the pleasure she’s found on vacation into her daily life. Noni is equally sincere and hilarious as she learns to be true to herself, and Beau’s unwavering support is sure to make readers swoon. Both a celebration of pleasure and a dissection of the restrictions people place on their own lives, this is sure to capture readers’ hearts. [em]Agent: David Forrer, InkWell Management. (Feb.) [/em]