Just Some Stupid Love Story

Doyle’s sensitive yet sluggish debut meanders through a five-year exploration of whether the beats of a rom-com apply to real life. Cynical Hollywood screenwriter Molly Marks is known for writing romantic comedies but, after witnessing her parents’ acrimonious divorce as a teenager, she does not believe in real-world happily ever afters. She reluctantly attends her 15th high school reunion in South Florida only to be seated next to her ex-boyfriend Seth Rubenstein, whom she ghosted right before graduation. Seth may be a successful Chicago divorce lawyer, but he’s also a big believer in true love. That’s why, after they drunkenly hook up, he proposes they wager on which of their classmates will stay together until their 20th reunion. As the months and years pass, Molly and Seth are occasionally thrown together by coincidence and family events. Hopeless romantic Seth knows that Molly is his person, but her fears prevent her from embracing their connection. Seth’s devotion is sure to win readers over but Molly, whose issues cry out for therapy, frustrates. The plot’s five-year span traverses the Covid lockdown, which Doyle handles with impressive care. Though the narrative sometimes drags, Doyle’s winking inclusion of typical rom-com tropes adds some fun as Molly and Seth figure out if they’re soul mates. This takes a while to get into, but satisfies in the end. Agent: Sarah Elizabeth Younger, Nancy Yost Literary. (June)