The Lonely Hearts Trivia Night

Farnsworth’s cozy debut walks the line between romance and women’s fiction as four well-rounded characters find comfort and community in one another. Lonely Londoner Donna, a brash trivia enthusiast who’s recently suffered a bout of depression, posts an online ad looking for people to form a pub quiz team and gets four volunteers: couple Jamie and Luke are new to London and teetering on the verge of breaking up; Bryony is a stay-at-home mom looking for purpose outside the house; and Harry is “between jobs” and recently went through a breakup. Together the “Red Hot Quizzy Peppers” team up to tackle the London Pub Quiz League tournament, whose grand prize is £10,000. As they progress through the rounds, they grow closer to each other and each team member encounters trials and tribulations in their personal and romantic lives. While the individuals’ lives are interesting, romance fans may be disappointed by the lack of one strong central love story. Still, there’s no denying this has heart. Agent: Laura Williams, Greene & Heaton. (June)