Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Emily Harding to HJ!
Hi Emily and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, How Freaking Romantic!
Hi! Thanks so much for having me.
Please summarize the book for the readers here:
The novel follows Bea as she tries to navigate her final year of law school while stuck in the middle of her best friend’s messy divorce. Things get even messier when she finds out she must work alongside Nathan, the attorney for her best friend’s soon-to-be ex-husband. Luckily, Bea has always been able to wield anger to her advantage and she’s more than willing to make Nathan her next target . . . but it’s not long before her anger is eclipsed by other much more complicated feelings.
Please share your favorite line(s) or quote from this book:
“Love’s not supposed to be easy. But if you’re lucky, it’s simple.”
“Romance exists. It’s just so hard to define, we stopped trying and told ourselves we can buy it instead.”
Please share a few Fun facts about this book…
The idea for this book came from a quote attributed to Jane Austen as she was writing Emma: “I am going to take a heroine whom no one but myself will much like.” I had those words hanging on the wall above my computer as I was writing Emma of 83rd Street with Audrey Bellezza, and I began to think about how universally loved Emma is despite being unlikable. That led me to wonder what an unlikable character would look like today, and that was the beginning of Bea.
What first attracts your Hero to the Heroine and vice versa?
At their first meeting, they see each other at their worst, so there’s no front to maintain going forward. Because of that, they both really “see” the other person (though Nathan realizes this before Bea) and that vulnerability is what allows feelings to grow.
Did any scene have you blushing, crying or laughing while writing it? And Why?
One of the very last scenes sees Bea at her lowest (I won’t spoil it here, but you’ll know when you read) and she’s outside an office building when the security man comes out with an umbrella. That character was inspired by the very real security man who worked at my old office in midtown Manhattan who was such a steady, lovely presence every morning. When I decided to write him in, I didn’t think much of it, but I got very nostalgic after that scene was finished. Proof that even the smallest interactions make an impact.
Readers should read this book….
If you’ve ever felt like you were too much, like you had to minimize yourself to be seen or to be loved. Or even if you’ve ever felt rage about life or the world in general, and have been told that makes you difficult or unlikable—this story is for you.
What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have in the works?
This fall, Audrey and I have the third installment of our For The Love Of Austen series coming out: Anne of Avenue A. It’s a modern adaptation of Persuasion that takes place in Manhattan’s East Village and we love it so much. I can’t wait for readers to get their hands on it!
Thanks for blogging at HJ!
Giveaway: (3) A finished copy of HOW FREAKING ROMANTIC by Emily Harding
To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: Do you love a good enemies-to-lovers slow burn, or do you prefer your romance with instant chemistry? Would How Freaking Romantic be your kind of read?
Book Info:
In this sharply funny solo debut, an aspiring lawyer is forced to work alongside the opposing counsel in her best friend’s divorce case, which leads to the biggest irreconcilable difference of all: love.
Beatrice Nilsson is what some might call “feisty” (those who love her) and others “combative” (those who don’t). But no matter what you call her, she’s a good lawyer and an even better friend. So when the marriage of her two closest pals ends in divorce, Bea picks a side and storms the office of attorney Nathan Asher to tell him exactly what he can do with his alimony petition. Unfortunately, what should end with a few choice words soon spirals into uncharted territory when Nate shows up at her NYU Law office a few days later as a newly-minted adjunct professor—and her new colleague.
Bea still hates Nathan, of course. But between weekly meetings and networking events, walks around Washington Square Park and late-night pizza, that hate begins to feel a lot like something else. And as uncomfortable truths emerge about the divorce that started it all, she might have to choose between her friends’ happily ever after and her own for the very first time.
Meet the Author:
Emily Harding is one-half of the writing duo behind the For the Love of Austen series, including Emma of 83rd Street and Elizabeth of East Hampton. She is a graduate of Emerson College with degrees in both creative writing and film. After working over fifteen years in television development and production, she found her way back to writing. Emily lives in Dallas with her husband, two children, and an incredibly spoiled Texas heeler.
Janine Rowe
I like both, slow and instant chemistry. It just depends on what kind of mood I am in.
Pam Conway
I enjoy both & this book sounds good!!
Debby
I like both also depending on my mood. I think I would enjoy reading this book.
Rita Wray
I like enemies-to-lovers slow burn.
Mary C
I like enemies-to-lovers slow burn.
Daniel M
not much of a fan of enemies-to-lovers, those issues don’t go away after a roll in the hay
Nancy Jones
I enjoy both.
Summer
I like both, it’s all in the execution. This one definitely sounds like something I’d enjoy with this guy being the lawyer on the opposite side of her friend’s divorce, that could make for some juicy conflict and tension.
Crystal
I enjoy a good enemies to lovers slow burn with a strong female character
psu1493
Q: Do you love a good enemies-to-lovers slow burn, or do you prefer your romance with instant chemistry? I like both.
Would How Freaking Romantic be your kind of read? This story sounds interesting and relatable.
Melanie B
I love an enemies to lovers slow burn!
Dianne Casey
I like enemies to lovers.
Amy R
Do you love a good enemies-to-lovers slow burn, or do you prefer your romance with instant chemistry? I usually prefer instant chemistry
Would How Freaking Romantic be your kind of read? enemies to lovers
Diana Hardt
I like both.
Bonnie
I love enemies-to-lovers romance. How Freaking Romantic sounds great.
cherierj
I enjoy both. Both can be done well.
Patricia B
I am not a fan of insta-love. A relationship needs to take time to develop and for them to get to know each other.
Glenda M
I like both!
T Rosado
Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite romantic trope, if not my favorite. I have a love/hate relationship with slow burns. It’s got to have a great pay-off. Insta-love isn’t my favorite, but I’ve read some good books that do it well.
erahime
Do you love a good enemies-to-lovers slow burn, or do you prefer your romance with instant chemistry?
Both, actually.
Would How Freaking Romantic be your kind of read?
Yes, it would be.
bn100
both