Uncategorized Archives - Paper Literary

IF LOOKS COULD KILL by Katherine Blake publishes in UK paperback

Happy paperback publication day to IF LOOKS COULD KILL by Katherine Blake, previously published as THE UNFORGETTABLE LORETTA, DARLING – a tribute to love, bookshops and Nora Ephron. It publishes today in the UK with Bloomsbury.

Martinis, makeup …. and murder?

It’s 1950 and Loretta Darling is living the California dream. She’s a make-up artist to the stars, dancing till dawn at fancy parties and tanning on palm tree lined beaches.

But Tinseltown backlots are filled with monsters and Loretta finds herself up-close-and-personal with one of the worst.

Big mistake. Huge.

LA has picked on the wrong girl and they’re about to discover there’s much more than lipstick lurking in her beauty case.

Hollywood may be Loretta’s dream, but she’s straight out of their nightmares.

PRAISE FOR IF LOOKS COULD KILL:

‘Sparkles with fun and wit’ – LIBBY PAGE, bestselling author of The Lido

‘A fun, gossipy glimpse into Golden Era Hollywood’ – JULIE COHEN, bestselling author of Together

‘Great fun – Loretta is glorious!’ – LUCY DIAMOND, bestselling author of Anything Could Happen

‘What a delicious dark delight of a book!’ – JENNA BLUM, bestselling author of Those Who Save Us

‘So sassy and delicious. Loretta is one cool character’ – JOSIE SILVER, Sunday Times bestselling author of One Day in December

‘Full of scene-stealing characters, this book is a wildly enjoyable ride’ – LAURA WOOD, author of Under Your Spell

‘Absolutely loved this romp of a book. So feisty and fun’ – TANIA TAY, author of The Other Woman

by Paper Literary

Kit Conway's CAT FIGHT publishes today in the US

Happy US Publication Day to Kit Conway! Her debut suspense novel, CAT FIGHT, publishes today in the US from Atria Books. The book has also recently been optioned for film by Cowboy Films.

BIG LITTLE LIES meets Tiger King in this debut following the unraveling of a wealthy, insular London suburb after one of the residents spots a big cat during a dinner party and three neighbors use the hysteria surrounding the sighting for their own, at times sinister, purposes…

PRAISE FOR CAT FIGHT:

Original, sharp, clever, and wonderfully observed, Cat Fight got under my skin, luring me in, baiting me perfectly to a denouement that made me gasp ― Andrea Mara

A genuinely original domestic suspense . . . Twisty, sharp (clawed) and deliciously unhinged ― Catherine Ryan Howard

A twisty tale stuffed full of secrets, drama and cattiness ― Cesca Major

Half thriller, half witty social commentary. You think you know what’s going on, you’re wrong. ― Nikki May

Like a British Liane Moriarty, Conway deftly balances tension and humour in this perfectly plotted suspense debut ― Jess Bull

Fresh, funny and razor sharp. A brilliantly twisty novel ― Anna MazzolaI loved it! Tense, clever, filled with wry observations and claw sharp plotting ― Alex HayFeisty, clever and original . . . I devoured it ― Cressida McLaughlin

Catty, claustrophobic, choked with tension, this look at a suburban middle-class community is Kent’s answer to Big Little Lies . . . there’s nothing not to love ― Rachael Blok

Sharpen your claws and get ready for this brilliantly observed suburban suspense . . . I predict it will fly! ― Nikki Smith

Entertaining and funny, while still being dark as hell . . . a truly original domestic suspense ― Caz Frear

A compelling, gripping thriller which kept me guessing . . . wrapped up in a witty and sharply observed social satire ― Aliya Ali-Afzal

FABULOUS . . . Deserpate Housewives meets Tiger King meets Motherland. I loved it ― Sarah Turner

The book I wish I’d written . . . fans of Big Little Lies are going to love it ― Amanda Cassidy

Prepare for your next obsession! I was gripped from the first page to the last. ― L. C. North

A gripping, intriguing domestic thriller with a dramatic difference. I loved this book ― Laura Marshall

What a wild ride! I had no idea what would happen next in this bold, fun novel set in a community held together with lies and leopard print ― Holly Seddon

The claws are out in this fantastic domestic thriller. Thrilling, funny and impossible to put down ― Jo Jakeman

I absolutely loved it . . . captivating ― Amanda Reynolds

Unusual and compelling ― Emily Edwards

An astute takedown of suburban life . . . finely drawn comedy with sharp claws ― Chris Bridges

Begins with peaceful suburbia and slowly all hell breaks loose. Loved it ― Rachel Wolf

The most twisty and turny and tense and sweaty and socially-painful thriller I have ever read ― Bethany Clift

by Paper Literary

NOTES ON INFINITY by Austin Taylor is out now in the US

Happy Publication Day to Austin Taylor, whose debut novel NOTES ON INFINITY publishes today in the US! The book is published by Celadon Books.

A singular, extraordinary debut about Zoe and Jack, Harvard students who find themselves propelled into the intoxicating biotech startup world when they announce they’ve discovered the cure for aging. A different kind of love story where the thirst for achievement consumes and the stakes are forever.

Zoe, the daughter of an MIT professor who grew up in her brother’s shadow, can envision her future anew at Harvard. Jack, a boy in Zoe’s organic chemistry class with unruly hair and a gleam of competitiveness, matches her intellect and curiosity with every breath. When Jack refers Zoe for a position in a prestigious professor’s lab, the two become entwined as colleagues, staying up late to discuss scientific ideas. They find themselves on the cusp of a breakthrough: the promise of immortality through a novel antiaging drug.

Zoe and Jack set off on their new project in secret. Finding encouraging results, they bring their work to an investor, drop out of Harvard, and form a startup. But after the money, the magazine covers, and the national news stories detailing their success, Zoe and Jack receive a startling accusation that threatens to destroy both the company they built and their partnership.

A captivating novel about young love, the allure of immortality, and the recklessness that can come with early success, Notes on Infinity asks: How far would you go to achieve your dreams?

PRAISE FOR NOTES ON INFINITY:

A Zibby Owens “Summer Read” * A Jordy’s Book Club “Most Anticipated Book of 2025” * An Oprah Daily “Best Summer Reads”

“Notes on Infinity is mesmeric, and beautiful, and it stole my breath and my heart. It’s a grand story of science and startups, and a simple story of first love and belonging. A cautionary look at our need to push our limitations, and a perfect portrait of friendship, family, and that fine line between exhilaration and agony. I really couldn’t have loved it more.”
―Chris Whitaker, author of All the Colors of the Dark and We Begin at the End

“I adored this book. It follows two Harvard students developing an antidote to aging. I have an absolute fascination in start-ups from colleagues’ stories of Google in its early days. This delivered in that respect, but in so many others, too: love, and partnership, and being the only woman in the room, growing up and deciding who you wish to be. It is very clever, but it has a huge, messy heart, which is exactly what I love in a book.”
―Abigail Dean, author of Girl A and Day One

“Dive into the world of Harvard’s brightest minds with Notes on Infinity. This unputdownable campus novel offers an inside look at the intense, high-stakes world of academia, where ambition, brilliance, and pressure collide. Austin Taylor gives a sharp, thoughtful exploration of the pursuit of dreams, of greatness, and the cost of success in an environment that demands nothing less than perfection. For lovers of campus dramas and anyone who has ever wondered what really happens behind Ivy League walls.”
―Weike Wang, PEN/Hemingway Award-winning author of Chemistry, Joan is Okay, and Rental House

“The best of books: one I could not put down while also, simultaneously, wishing it was truly infinite. A perfectly realized novel with crystalline characters and a palpable sense of time, historically and of the characters’ lives. Austin Taylor’s ability to tell a story is superb and Notes on Infinity is a reading experience to savor.”
―Lottie Hazell, author of Piglet

“As ambitious, intelligent, and dazzling as its characters, Notes on Infinity had me in its thrall from start to finish. A transporting smart kids campus novel and love story that examines contemporary startup culture from a tough female perspective―I will be recommending this one widely. I devoured it.”
―Emma Knight, author of The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus

“With Notes on Infinity, a tangled tale of biotech gone awry, Taylor shifts the boundaries of the campus novel, portraying a newly pressurized student culture… [and] explores arguably the most human boundary of all―mortality.”
―Publishers Weekly, Writers to Watch feature

“Taylor thrills with her crackling and science-heavy depiction of the hothouse startup and its founders’ dizzying ascent into the spotlight…. readers will race through the pages to see what happens next. This is a winner.”
―Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

“Notes on Infinity is a blazing meditation on the pressure cooker of academia, the price of fame in the digital age, and how far is too far to go for a chance at corporeal―or scientific―immortality. “
―Shelf Awareness

“A convincing portrayal of the hothouse collegiate environment in the sciences by an author with exciting potential.”
―Kirkus

“With a trajectory that echoes that of Elizabeth Holmes’ Theranos, Taylor’s debut provides an insider’s glimpse into the high-stakes Ivy League climate and the potentially devastating personal consequences for those caught up in ambition beyond their abilities.”
―Booklist

by Paper Literary

Publication week for Lauryn Hamilton Murray's epic debut YA romantasy HEIR OF STORMS

Happy publication week to Lauryn Hamilton Murray! Her debut YA romantasy, HEIR OF STORMS, publishes today in the US and on Thursday in the UK, from Penguin Children’s.

I am the girl who wove the storm that shook the world.
And I’m coming for my crown.

When Blaze came into the world, she almost drowned it.

Blaze, a Rain Singer, is born into one of the most powerful fire-wielding families in the empire. Her birth summoned a devastating storm that resulted in the deaths of thousands, and she has spent her life as an outsider, reviled and feared.

When Blaze and her twin brother, Flint, are selected to compete in the Choosing Rite, the trials which decide the future rulers of the empire, she’s suddenly thrust into the limelight – and into battle.

Threats abound at the Golden Palace, where intrigue and romance await with not one but two handsome suitors: the enchanting Crown Prince and a dangerously alluring newcomer at court.

As her powers strengthen and her fellow competitors fall, the throne is suddenly within her grasp. But in order to take the crown, she’ll have to leave behind the stories that others have told about her and find the courage to write her own.

PRAISE FOR HEIR OF STORMS:

‘Heir of Storms is everything I’ve been craving in a YA fantasy. An original spin on timeless tropes, between its thrilling trials, delicious romance and addictive cast of characters, this is the must-read book of the year.’ – Bea Fitzgerald, bestselling author of Girl, Goddess, Queen

‘Bears all the hallmarks of addictive YA fantasy―perilous trials, elemental magic, court intrigue, epic twists, and an electrifying romance. Fans of Stephanie Garber have found their new obsession―this is going to be huge’ – Laura Steven, international bestselling author of Our Infinite Fates

‘A thundering success of a YA debut that marks Lauryn Hamilton Murray as a real talent. It manages to feel both fresh and nostalgic at the same time and has so much that I love in a YA fantasy: swoony romance, brilliant world building, courtly intrigue, thrilling trials, and epic twists. I’m desperate for book two!’ – Katherine Webber, bestselling author of Twin Crowns

‘I laughed, I cried, I gasped. This is an unputdownable read that is sure to be everyone’s new obsession!’ – Anam Iqbal, author of The Exes

‘Lauryn weaves a masterful and totally immersive tale that will draw you further in at every turn. Beautiful, brilliant, and utterly breathtaking, Heir of Storms is a must-read for fantasy lovers!’ – Beth Reekles, bestselling author of The Kissing Booth

‘Heir of Storms is a dazzling tale of love, legacy and the price of power. With vibrant prose and dagger-to-the-throat romance, this book will leave you spellbound.’ – Kat Delacorte, author of With Fire in Their Blood

‘In Heir of Storms, a fierce heroine faces magical trials, courtly intrigue, and sizzling love triangles―think The Hunger Games with more spells, more stakes, and way more swoon. A must-read!’ – Melissa de la Cruz, #1 New York Times bestselling author

by Paper Literary

Moira McDonald's STORYBOOK ENDING publishes in UK

Happy publication day to Moira Macdonald and STORYBOOK ENDING – a tribute to love, bookshops and Nora Ephron. It publishes today in the UK with Bloomsbury.

This is the story of a love triangle… of sorts.

April is lonely. Since her office issued a permanent work from home mandate, she’s lost herself a little. So, in a bid to break out of the funk, she leaves an anonymous note inside a book for the hot guy at her neighbourhood bookstore.

Laura is a busy single mum. Thanks to the meddling hand of fate, she’s the one who finds April’s note, thinking it’s from the guy who served her at the bookstore. A little flirtation with an attractive man who loves books might be just what she needs.

Meanwhile Westley, handsome but not so perceptive, is too distracted by a movie filming at the shop to notice either woman’s furtive glances as they leave notes for each other amid the books in the stacks.

April and Laura’s continued anonymous correspondence will shake all three of these characters out of their mundane routines, sparking a glimmer of hope that they might just get what they want: a storybook ending of their own.

An intricate web of miscommunication and serendipitous encounters, Storybook Ending is a playful tribute to romance, friendship and bookstores; and to the objects – from a forgotten slip of paper to someone’s heart – left between the pages of books.

PRAISE FOR STORYBOOK ENDING:

I so enjoyed Storybook Ending. It’s the perfect balance of cosiness and originality – warm, comforting, with a hilarious mix-up at its heart that I couldn’t wait to see unravel. – Beth O’Leary, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Flatshare

Storybook Ending is so radiant, so big-hearted, reading it feels like receiving an unexpected gift, one that you’ve waited a lifetime for. It’s a love letter to the secret, unspoken longings nestled within the pages of ordinary lives. In a world filled with love stories and tangled triangles, this one stands out-reaching a resolution as unique as it is profoundly satisfying. I absolutely loved this book. – Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author of The Many Daughters of Afong Moy

An absolutely charming love letter to bookstores and the magic that happens inside there. – Annabel Monaghan, bestselling author of Summer Romance

I sat down to start Storybook Ending and before I knew it a hundred pages had passed. Moira Macdonald’s novel is just that good – wildly clever, funny, and filled with enough Princess Bride and Nora Ephron references to melt my cold Millennial heart. It’s also a heartwarming homage to books and the people who cherish them – a celebration of a story’s power to fill our lives with hope, romance, and community. I loved it. – Grant Ginder, author of The People We Hate at the Wedding

Storybook Ending is the ultimate catnip for bookstore lovers everywhere – oh, the things we leave between the pages of our beloved books! Heartfelt, soulful, and distinctly cozy, Storybook Ending weaves a deeply satisfying tale of anonymous love letters, mistaken identity, and the complexities of human connection. – Suzanne Rindell, author of Summer Fridays

by Paper Literary

HEIR OF STORMS chosen as Waterstones YA Book of the Month

We are delighted to announce that Lauryn Hamilton Murray’s highly anticipated debut, HEIR OF STORMS has been chosen as Waterstones’ YA Book of the Month.

Publishing this week from Penguin Children’s, HEIR OF STORMS is a blazing YA romantasy perfect for fans of the Hunger Games and Twin Crowns series.

Congratulations, Lauryn!

Praise for HEIR OF STORMS

★ “An impressive debut that highlights the importance of fully embracing one’s true self.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ “Debut author Murray’s lush, confident prose distinguishes this impressive series opener.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“In Heir of Storms, a fierce heroine faces magical trials, courtly intrigue, and sizzling love triangles—think The Hunger Games with more spells, more stakes, and way more swoon. A must-read!” —Melissa de la Cruz, #1 New York Times bestselling author

‘Heir of Storms is everything I’ve been craving in a YA fantasy. An original spin on timeless tropes, between its thrilling trials, delicious romance and addictive cast of characters, this is the must-read book of the year.’ Bea Fitzgerald, bestselling author of Girl, Goddess, Queen

‘Bears all the hallmarks of addictive YA fantasy—perilous trials, elemental magic, court intrigue, epic twists, and an electrifying romance. Fans of Stephanie Garber have found their new obsession—this is going to be huge’ Laura Steven, international bestselling author of Our Infinite Fates

‘A thundering success of a YA debut that marks Lauryn Hamilton Murray as a real talent. It manages to feel both fresh and nostalgic at the same time and has so much that I love in a YA fantasy: swoony romance, brilliant world building, courtly intrigue, thrilling trials, and epic twists. I’m desperate for book two!’ Katherine Webber, bestselling author of Twin Crowns

‘I laughed, I cried, I gasped. This is an unputdownable read that is sure to be everyone’s new obsession!’ Anam Iqbal, author of The Exes

‘Lauryn weaves a masterful and totally immersive tale that will draw you further in at every turn. Beautiful, brilliant, and utterly breathtaking, Heir of Storms is a must-read for fantasy lovers!’ Beth Reekles, bestselling author of The Kissing Booth

‘Heir of Storms is a dazzling tale of love, legacy and the price of power. With vibrant prose and dagger-to-the-throat romance, this book will leave you spellbound.’ Kat Delacorte, author of With Fire in Their Blood

by Paper Literary

Jessie Elland's debut THE LADIE UPSTAIRS publishes today

Happy Publication Day to Jessie Elland, whose debut ‘fever dream of a novel’ THE LADIE UPSTAIRS publishes today in the UK! The book is published by Baskerville/John Murray Press, an imprint of Hachette.

Scullery drudge Ann longs to become a lady’s maid. Ann can’t quite remember how or when she arrived at the grand Ropner Hall, but she loathes spending her days toiling in the dank kitchen.

When a chance meeting with Ropner’s Lady Charlotte leads to the opportunity to become her personal maid, Ann is convinced she has finally escaped her own version of hell. But has she? As Ann’s new life above stairs takes a sinister twist, will it turn out that the terrors lurking up there are worse than the devils she knows below?

PRAISE FOR THE LADIE UPSTAIRS:

The Ladie Upstairs is a fever dream of a novel. Fuelled by sapphic femgore, it’s sick and sultry, and a deeply beguiling masterclass in the perverse; I couldn’t put it down! – Lucy Rose, author of THE LAMB

Devilishly addictive and delightfully gory from an exciting new voice in literary horror. Northanger Abbey meets Saltburn – Christine Anne Foley, author of BODIES

Elland’s voice is established and enchanting, leading you unarmed into the unexpected. Her prose is disgustingly beautiful and sharp with shame. The Ladie Upstairs is an addictive, feverish and strangling read – Charlotte Paradise, author of OVERSPILL

Beautiful prose, unforgettable characters, and a strange, twisty, dreamlike plot – Lauren Wilson, author of THE GOLDENS

by Paper Literary

Kit Conway's CAT FIGHT to be adapted for TV by Cowboy Films

BAFTA and Academy-Award-winning indie production company Cowboy Films has secured the rights in a competitive situation to adapt Cat Fight, the novel by Kit Conway, for TV. The deal was brokered by UTA on behalf of the author, who is represented by Katie Greenstreet at Paper Literary.

Bantam published the novel in the U.K. on May 15, with the U.S. to follow on June 3 from Atria Books.

Described as Big Little Lies meets Tiger King, Cat Fight is a fun and propulsive novel about three suburban women who, throughout one summer, each use the growing hysteria around a big cat sighting to achieve their own agendas—some more sinister than others. It marks a suspense fiction debut for Conway, who previously worked as a corporate lawyer in London.

“Cowboy Films are such creative and ambitious storytellers, and I was blown away by their vision for the project. I’m thrilled to be working with them on Cat Fight’s journey from page to screen and excited for what lies ahead,” Conway shared in a statement.

Added reps from Cowboy Films, “We could not be more thrilled that Kit has entrusted Cowboy Films to adapt her brilliant novel for TV. Big Cat sightings hold a unique appeal to the public and Kit harnesses this phenomenon to create a fun, exciting, and mysterious tale of suburban life that we feel will captivate the audience.”

Cowboy Films, run by producers Charles Steel and Alasdair Flind, is an independent Film and TV company that has produced BAFTA and Academy Award-winning films for over 20 years. The final season of its highly successful Netflix show Top Boy was released last year. The series won the BAFTA for Best Drama Series. The company’s previous credits include feature films like The Last King of Scotland, which won the BAFTA for Best British Film along with the Academy Award for Forest Whitaker as Best Actor; theatrical documentaries such as the BAFTA-nominated Marley; and short films like Andrea Arnold’s Wasp, which won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short.

Conway is represented by Katie Greentstreet at Paper Literary and UTA.

by Paper Literary

CAT FIGHT by Kit Conway publishes in the UK

Happy Publication Day to Kit Conway! Her debut suspense novel, CAT FIGHT, publishes today in the UK from Transworld, an imprint of Penguin Random House.