Just as You Are

1


Everyone knows that when you throw a dinner party for a bunch of lesbians, at least half of them will be vegan. Which, unfortunately, was why Liz was going to be brutally murdered by her roommate.

Liz paused outside her apartment door, still panting from her sprint through Crown Heights to their third-floor walk-up. The weekend train from Manhattan had been agonizingly slow, and then she d had to push through a million people on Franklin Avenue to get home: a crowd of parents waiting outside the karate studio, a line of couples outside the trendy pop-up restaurant, a large family barbecuing on the sidewalk, and dozens of people walking tiny, slow-moving dogs.

Liz said a quick mental prayer that Jane would be in a forgiving mood. Tonight s party was going to be tense enough without them fighting, too. Then she flung open the front door as dramatically as possible.

I m the worst, she said between breaths, bending over and grabbing her knees. I know it. You don t have to say it. You can have my firstborn child as repayment.

Jane, a dark-skinned Black woman with her hair in long, thin braids, let out a loud humph noise from the kitchen, where she was shaking a pan of what seemed to be sizzling onions.

You were supposed to be here two hours ago. Jane released the pan without looking up and yanked open the oven with a clang.

No, Liz said, unlacing her Doc Martens and leaving them in the pile of shoes by the door. I was supposed to be here an hour ago. Not two. You look great, by the way. And wow, it smells amazing in here! Is that risotto?

I said four. Jane pulled out a tray of mini-quiches and laid them on the stove. She still hadn t looked at Liz. It s six.

But we all know that you said four knowing I d be an hour late and get home at five. So, really, I m only an hour late. Liz eased herself onto one of the stools on the other side of the breakfast bar, which was covered in a truly impressive number of onion skins.

Camille Kellogg is a queer writer based in New York City, where she works as an editor for children’s and young adult books. She studied English and creative writing at Middlebury College and attended the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference on a fiction scholarship. She’s passionate about queer stories, cute dogs, and bad puns.

So much more than your average rom-com . . . Just as You Are is a full-on enemies-to-lovers romance that exudes queerness at every possible turn. . . . It s clear this book was written by a queer person, for a queer person. . . . Kellogg has made me feel so seen. . . . Kellogg s references to queer pop culture feel like a shared language that only exists among queer people. I don t know if a straight person would enjoy this book the same way that [a] queer person would and that s okay. This is for us. Autostraddle

Filled with intriguing characters, relatable gender and identity representation and . . . strong friendship bonds between distinct, engaging queer characters . . . Kellogg expertly delineates why queer media (and especially being represented accurately in it) is so important. . . . Perfect for fans of The Bold Type! The Nerd Daily

There have been plenty of Pride and Prejudice retellings, but nothing quite like this one. . . . Kellogg gives everything a contemporary sapphic twist. . . . This thoughtful and playful reimagining celebrates the unexpected. Gay Times

I ve never read a book that so honestly and relatably explores being a queer woman in your 20s, from queer community and friendships to exploring gender presentation and so much more. . . . The part that most spoke to my soul, though, was the protagonist grappling with the value of writing and reading queer fluff novels and celebrating seeing yourself in joyful books. Susie Dumond, author of Queerly Beloved, for BookRiot

When you tell me it features a butch 4 gender-confused mess you know I m going to drop everything to read it. Yashwina Canter for Autostraddle

Warm, witty, and wonderful! Readers will be utterly smitten by this clever, queer romance that, at its heart, is about embracing yourself just as you are. Alexandria Bellefleur, nationally bestselling author of Written in the Stars

The world Camille