Reviews
"Stacey, the narrator of Monsters: A Love Story, is a feminist poet in Hollywood--you got to love her for that alone. But you also love her because she's sharp, tough, and honest. The novel's wry insights into messy relationships put me in mind of The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P. and Emma Straub's The Vacationers ." --Timothy Schaffert, critically acclaimed author of The Swan Gondola "At the beginning of the novel Stacey is in darkness. But it's a sad reality that turns magically around. Inspiring for women everywhere." --Lucy Sykes, author of The Knockoff " Monsters: A Love Story spins several tales at once--the numbing navigation of grief, the ambivalences of motherhood, and the seduction of a world that thrives on fantasy. Kay's beautiful, spare prose lands us right in the heart of this complicated, wounded cast. But ultimately, this is a love story, how the meeting of kindred spirits is often as punishing as it is beguiling. When monsters fall in love, it is impossible not to watch, impossible to put the book down." --Rebecca Rotert, author of Last Night at the Blue Angel " Monsters: A Love Story is a deeply felt and modern day spin on the fairy tale notion of happily-ever-after. When a young widow discovers that Prince Charming is just as damaged as she is, she's forced to confront her own monsters and learn to love them. This is smart, fun, sexy writing." --Mark Haskell Smith, author of Raw: A Love Story " Monsters is smart, witty, hilarious, raunchy, irresistible, and full of crackling dialogue. At its heart, though, the story of an improbable love affair between a Nebraska poet and the hot movie star who optioned her book is a classic, heart-warming, romantic fantasy." --Catherine Texier, author of Victorine " Monsters: A Love Story reads like a seduction. I couldn't stop reading, even through Stacey's self-destructive snark and Tommy's caddish cruelty. Somehow, I couldn't help rooting for them. Monsters they may be, but vulnerable monsters with hearts full of yearning--familiar creatures, after all, despite their glamorous, outsized lives. Liz Kay has created a book full of beautiful monsters, just like Stacey's; and now they're mine, too, and I'm glad." --Amy Hassinger, author of The Priest's Madonna , Selected as a Summer Beach Read Pick by Harper's Bazaar , Associated Press, Purewow, and Refinery29 "The unlikely romance between a feminist poet and the Hollywood heartthrob who options her book is at the center of Kay's entertainingly dyspeptic Monsters ." -- Vogue "In the tradition of Lolly Winston's Good Grief . . . this fast-paced novel will have readers immersed in the heady feeling of an alcohol-fueled affair with one of the sexiest men alive." -- Library Journal (starred review) "Witty and so nimbly-worded, Monsters had me at hello. From the near-madcap improbability of the novel's premise, to the punchy repartee and ping-pong banter between Stacey and Tommy, it's impossible to resist the book's charms. ." --Jill Alexander Essbaum, author of Hausfrau "A perfectly imperfect love story . . . Kay has created a heartfelt, sometimes dark but ultimately romantic story about what happens when two broken people come together." - BookPage "A smart, satirical feminist novel, but as the subtitle suggests, it's also a romance." -- ShelfAwareness "I love to see truth in writing when it comes to love and relationships . . . [ Monsters is] an electric, fast-moving novel." - B&N Reads "An addictive read: a page-turner that is at once dark and uplifting, shocking and hopeful. Kay's book takes a sharp spin on the notion of fairy tale romance." --Janelle Brown, author of All We Ever Wanted Was Everything "At times somber, at times heartwarming, the story of this improbable romance is an addictive page-turner, ripe with seduction and charm, that drops insights into this messy, crazy, wonderful thing called love.." -- Washington Independent Review of Books "This one will make you laugh and cry . . . Monsters is fast-paced and completely addictive." -- Purewow "The novel's wry insights into messy relationships put me in mind of The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P. and Emma Straub's The Vacationers ." --Timothy Schaffert, author of The Swan Gondola "This edgy and entertaining novel would make a great beach read." -- Booklist "Magical." --Lucy Sykes, author of The Knockoff "When monsters fall in love, it is impossible not to watch, impossible to put the book down." --Rebecca Rotert, author of Last Night at the Blue Angel "A deeply felt and modern day spin on the fairy tale notion of happily-ever-after. . . Smart, fun, sexy writing." --Mark Haskell Smith, author of Raw: A Love Story " Monsters is smart, witty, hilarious, raunchy, irresistible, and full of crackling dialogue." --Catherine Texier, author of Victorine "Reads like a seduction. I couldn't stop. . . Monsters they may be, but vulnerable monsters with hearts full of yearning." --Amy Hassinger, author of The Priest's Madonna
Synopsis
A hilarious debut novel about a perfectly imperfect love story. Even the smartest people can be stupid at love. When Stacey Lane writes a feminist take on Frankenstein , she never imagines it will catch the eye of unbelievably sexy Hollywood star Tommy DeMarco. Tommy's passion for her book--and for her, a recently widowed poet, mom, and certified mess--threatens to turn her life upside down, or maybe right-side up. From their first poolside meeting the two are set on a collision course as they go about making the book into a movie, making each other crazy, and making love, if only in secret. Fueled by desire, love, grief, expertly poured cocktails, and crackling dialogue, Monsters: A Love Story is a witty portrait of a relationship gone off the rails and two people who are made for each other--even if they're not so sure they see it that way. **A Summer Beach Read Pick for Harper's Bazaar , the Associated Press, Purewow , and Refinery29** "This fast-paced novel will have readers immersed in the heady feeling of an alcohol-fueled affair with one of the sexiest men alive." -- "An addictive page-turner, ripe with seduction and charm, that drops insights into this messy, crazy, wonderful thing called love." -- Washington Independent Review of Books "Entertainingly dyspeptic." -- Vogue "A perfectly imperfect love story."-- Bookpage
