One of Real Simple’s Best Books of 2019 One of Thrillist’s Best Books of 2019One of Good Housekeeping’s Best Books of 2019
“Fans of Where'd You Go, Bernadette will love this. . . a bittersweet, often funny novel about hope, memory, and loose ends.” —Real Simple, “The Best Books of 2019 (So Far)”
A comedy-drama for the digital age: an epistolary debut novel about the ties that bind and break our hearts, for fans of Maria Semple and Rainbow Rowell. Iris Massey is gone. But she’s left something behind. 
For four years, Iris Massey worked side by side with PR maven Smith Simonyi, helping clients perfect their brands. But Iris has died, taken by terminal illness at only thirty-three. Adrift without his friend and colleague, Smith is surprised to discover that in her last six months, Iris created a blog filled with sharp and often funny musings on the end of a life not quite fulfilled. She also made one final request: for Smith to get her posts published as a book. With the help of his charmingly eager, if overbearingly forthright, new intern Carl, Smith tackles the task of fulfilling Iris’s last wish. 
Before he can do so, though, he must get the approval of Iris’ big sister Jade, an haute cuisine chef who’s been knocked sideways by her loss. Each carrying their own baggage, Smith and Jade end up on a collision course with their own unresolved pasts and with each other.
Told in a series of e-mails, blog posts, online therapy submissions, text messages, legal correspondence, home-rental bookings, and other snippets of our virtual lives, When You Read This is a deft, captivating romantic comedy—funny, tragic, surprising, and bittersweet—that candidly reveals how we find new beginnings after loss.

When You Read This: A Novel

Literature & Fiction

Adkins, Mary

United States

Harper

“Warm, original, funny and heartbreaking, this novel made me drop everything so I could read it in one lovely afternoon. When You Read This is inventive and witty, but more importantly it’s honest and wise. I adored it.” — Jennifer Close, author of Girls in White Dresses and The Hopefuls 
For fans of Maria Semple and Rainbow Rowell, a comedy-drama for the digital age: an epistolary debut novel about the ties that bind and break our hearts.\nFor four years, Iris Massey worked side by side with PR maven Smith Simonyi, helping clients perfect their brands. But Iris has died, taken by terminal illness at only thirty-three. Adrift without his friend and colleague, Smith is surprised to discover that in her last six months, Iris created a blog filled with sharp and often funny musings on the end of a life not quite fulfilled. She also made one final request: for Smith to get her posts published as a book. With the help of his charmingly eager, if overbearingly forthright, new intern Carl, Smith tackles the task of fulfilling Iris’s last wish. 
Before he can do so, though, he must get the approval of Iris’ big sister Jade, an haute cuisine chef who’s been knocked sideways by her loss. Each carrying their own baggage, Smith and Jade end up on a collision course with their own unresolved pasts and with each other. 
Told in a series of e-mails, blog posts, online therapy submissions, text messages, legal correspondence, home-rental bookings, and other snippets of our virtual lives, When You Read This is a deft, captivating romantic comedy—funny, tragic, surprising, and bittersweet—that candidly reveals how we find new beginnings after loss.

Humor & Satire

Harper Paperbacks

From the beloved author of When You Read This, a smart, sharply observed novel about gender and class on a contemporary Southern college campus in the spirit of The Female Persuasion and Prep. Carter University: “The Harvard of the South.”
Annie Stoddard was the smartest girl in her small public high school in Georgia, but now that she’s at Carter, it feels like she’s got “Scholarship Student” written on her forehead.
Bea Powers put aside misgivings about attending college in the South as a biracial student to take part in Carter’s Justice Scholars program. But even within that rarefied circle of people trying to change the world, it seems everyone has a different idea of what justice is.
Stayja York goes to Carter every day, too, but she isn’t a student. She works at the Coffee Bean, doling out almond milk lattes to entitled co-eds, while trying to put out fires on the home front and save for her own education.
Their three lives intersect unexpectedly when Annie accuses fourth-year student Tyler Brand of sexual assault. Once Bea is assigned as Tyler’s student advocate, the girls find themselves on opposite sides as battle lines are drawn across the picture-perfect campus―and Stayja finds herself invested in the case’s outcome, too. 
Told through the viewpoints of Annie, Bea, and Stayja, Privilege is a bracingly clear-eyed look at today’s campus politics, and a riveting story of three young women making their way in a world not built for them.

Privilege: A Novel

Dramas & Plays

From the beloved author of When You Read This, a smart, sharply observed novel about gender and class on a contemporary Southern college campus in the spirit of The Female Persuasion and Prep. Carter University: "The Harvard of the South." Annie Stoddard was the smartest girl in her small public high school in Georgia, but now that she's at Carter, it feels like she's got "Scholarship Student" written on her forehead. Bea Powers put aside misgivings about attending college in the South as a biracial student to take part in Carter's Justice Scholars program. But even within that rarefied circle of people trying to change the world, it seems everyone has a different idea of what justice is. Stayja York goes to Carter every day, too, but she isn't a student. She works at the Coffee Bean, doling out almond milk lattes to entitled co-eds, while trying to put out fires on the home front and save for her own education. Their three lives intersect unexpectedly when Annie accuses fourth-year student Tyler Brand of sexual assault. Once Bea is assigned as Tyler's student advocate, the girls find themselves on opposite sides as battle lines are drawn across the picture-perfect campus--and Stayja finds herself invested in the case's outcome, too. Told through the viewpoints of Annie, Bea, and Stayja,&nbsp;Privilege&nbsp;is a bracingly clear-eyed look at today's campus politics, and a riveting story of three young women making their way in a world not built for them.

Product Description 
“Becomes increasingly difficult to put down. . . . The novel is itself like a sandy beach, equal parts beautiful and uncomfortable. . . . Lines blur and expectations aren’t met, keeping readers on their toes. . . . makes for a surprisingly fast-paced Palm Beach.” —Associated Press 
A thought-provoking page-turner from the author of When You Read This and Privilege that captures the painful divide between the haves and have-nots and the seductive lure of the American dream. 
Living in a tiny Queens apartment, Rebecca and her husband Mickey typify struggling, 30-something New Yorkers—he’s an actor, and she’s a freelance journalist. But after the arrival of their baby son, the couple decides to pack up and head for sunny, comfortable Palm Beach, where Mickey’s been offered a sweet deal managing the household of a multimillionaire Democratic donor. 
Once there, he quickly doubles his salary by going to work for a billionaire: venture capitalist Cecil Stone. Rebecca, a writer whose beat is economic inequality, is initially horrified: she pillories men like Stone, a ruthless businessman famous for crushing local newspapers. So no one is more surprised than her when she accepts a job working for Cecil’s wife as a ghostwriter, thinking of the excellent pay and the rare, inside look at this famous Forbes-list family. What she doesn’t expect is that she’ll grow close to the Stones, or become a regular at their high-powered dinners. And when a medical crisis hits, it’s the Stones who come to their rescue, using their power, influence, and wealth to avert catastrophe. 
As she and Mickey are both pulled deeper into this topsy-turvy household, they become increasingly dependent on their problematic benefactors. Then when she discovers a shocking secret about the Stones, Rebecca will have to decide: how many compromises can one couple make? 
 Review 
“ 
Palm Beach centers on a 30-something married couple who pull up stakes and relocate with their newborn son to South Florida, where they become increasingly, uncomfortably close to a billionaire VC and his wife.” -- 
Bustle, “20 Books to Read if You Love Sally Rooney” \n"Mary Adkins’ PALM BEACH is a rare page-turner that gives you all the fun and decadence of a beach read while exploring the relevant issues around wealth inequity. I opened it up and could not stop reading!" -- 
Jessica Anya Blau, author of Mary Jane\n“A look inside the world of the ultra-rich, PALM BEACH offers up moral complexity, page-turning plotting, and deep insight into motherhood and family. Delicious, addictive, whip-smart and full of heart.” -- 
Rufi Thorpe, author of The Knockout Queen\n"A smart page-turner." -- 
Palm Beach Daily News\n“Poses serious questions relatable to many readers in addition to being an entertaining, quick read. . . . Adkins’ latest has plenty of substance. . . . 
 Palm Beach would certainly generate lively discussion among book club members and may have you questioning what you would do in a similar situation.” -- 
BookTrib\n“A unique twist on a fish-out-of-water story centered on a couple who relocate to Palm Beach from New York City. . . . Fans of Jojo Moyes and Sally Rooney will appreciate Adkins’ talent in weaving subtle events together to create complex characters whose persuasions evolve throughout.” -- 
Booklist\n“An entertaining read. . . . Adkins offers great fodder for book club discussions; her novel should appeal to readers who enjoyed Cristina Alger’s 
The Darlings, Julian Fellowes’s 
Snobs, or Sophie McManus’s 
The Unfortunates.” -- 
Library Journal\n“Delves into the world of Florida’s wealthy excess. . . . it’ll keep readers turning the pages.” -- 
Publishers Weekly 
 About the Author 
Mary Adkins is the author of When You Read This, Privilege, and Palm Beach. A native of the American South and a graduate of Duke University and Yale Law School, her writing has appeared in the New York Times and the Atlantic. She also teaches storytelling for The Mo

Palm Beach: A Summer Beach Read

Product Description “Difficult to put down. . . . The novel is itself like a sandy beach, equal parts beautiful and uncomfortable. . . . Lines blur and expectations aren’t met, keeping readers on their toes. . . . makes for a surprisingly fast-paced Palm Beach.” —Associated PressA thought-provoking page-turner from the author of When You Read This and Privilege that captures the painful divide between the haves and have-nots and the seductive lure of the American dream. Living in a tiny Queens apartment, Rebecca and her husband Mickey typify struggling, 30-something New Yorkers—he’s an actor, and she’s a freelance journalist. But after the arrival of their baby son, the couple decides to pack up and head for sunny, comfortable Palm Beach, where Mickey’s been offered a sweet deal managing the household of a multimillionaire Democratic donor. Once there, he quickly doubles his salary by going to work for a billionaire: venture capitalist Cecil Stone. Rebecca, a writer whose beat is economic inequality, is initially horrified: she pillories men like Stone, a ruthless businessman famous for crushing local newspapers. So no one is more surprised than her when she accepts a job working for Cecil’s wife as a ghostwriter, thinking of the excellent pay and the rare, inside look at this famous Forbes-list family. What she doesn’t expect is that she’ll grow close to the Stones, or become a regular at their high-powered dinners. And when a medical crisis hits, it’s the Stones who come to their rescue, using their power, influence, and wealth to avert catastrophe. As she and Mickey are both pulled deeper into this topsy-turvy household, they become increasingly dependent on their problematic benefactors. Then when she discovers a shocking secret about the Stones, Rebecca will have to decide: how many compromises can one couple make? Review “Palm Beach centers on a 30-something married couple who pull up stakes and relocate with their newborn son to South Florida, where they become increasingly, uncomfortably close to a billionaire VC and his wife.” — Bustle, “20 Books to Read if You Love Sally Rooney” "Mary Adkins’ PALM BEACH is a rare page-turner that gives you all the fun and decadence of a beach read while exploring the relevant issues around wealth inequity. I opened it up and could not stop reading!" — Jessica Anya Blau, author of Mary Jane“A look inside the world of the ultra-rich, PALM BEACH offers up moral complexity, page-turning plotting, and deep insight into motherhood and family. Delicious, addictive, whip-smart and full of heart.” — Rufi Thorpe, author of The Knockout Queen"A smart page-turner." — Palm Beach Daily News“Poses serious questions relatable to many readers in addition to being an entertaining, quick read. . . . Adkins’ latest has plenty of substance. . . . Palm Beach would certainly generate lively discussion among book club members and may have you questioning what you would do in a similar situation.” — BookTrib“A unique twist on a fish-out-of-water story centered on a couple who relocate to Palm Beach from New York City. . . . Fans of Jojo Moyes and Sally Rooney will appreciate Adkins’ talent in weaving subtle events together to create complex characters whose persuasions evolve throughout.” — Booklist“An entertaining read. . . . Adkins offers great fodder for book club discussions; her novel should appeal to readers who enjoyed Cristina Alger’s The Darlings, Julian Fellowes’s Snobs, or Sophie McManus’s The Unfortunates.” — Library Journal“Delves into the world of Florida’s wealthy excess. . . . it’ll keep readers turning the pages.” — Publishers Weekly About the Author Mary Adkins is the author of When You Read This, Privilege, and Palm Beach. A native of the American South and a graduate of Duke University and Yale Law School, her writing has appeared in the New York Times and the Atlantic. She also teaches storytelling for The Moth. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

When You Read This EXPORT

When You Read This

Romance

Romantic Comedy

Hodder and Stoughton

Iris Massey is gone. 
But she's left something behind. 
For four years, Iris Massey worked side by side with PR maven Smith Simonyi, helping clients perfect their brands. But Iris has died, taken by terminal illness at only thirty-three. Adrift without his friend and colleague, Smith is surprised to discover that in her last six months, Iris created a blog filled with sharp and often funny musings on the end of a life not quite fulfilled. She also made one final request: for Smith to get her posts published as a book. With the help of his charmingly eager, if overbearingly forthright, new intern Carl, Smith tackles the task of fulfilling Iris's last wish. 
Before he can do so, though, he must get the approval of Iris' big sister Jade, an haute cuisine chef who's been knocked sideways by her loss. Each carrying their own baggage, Smith and Jade end up on a collision course with their own unresolved pasts and with each other. 
Funny and moving in equal measures, WHEN YOU READ THIS is a sparkling debut about love, life, and all the emails you really wish you'd never sent.

Humor & Entertainment

Humor

Hodder Paperbacks

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Adkins, Mary. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Adkins, Mary

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Adkins, Mary. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

When You Read This: A Novel

When You Read This: A Novel

Privilege: A Novel

Privilege: A Novel

Privilege: A Novel

Palm Beach: A Summer Beach Read

Palm Beach: A Summer Beach Read

When You Read This EXPORT

When You Read This

When You Read This