Imagine inadvertently running into an ex. And then the same thing happening the next night, and the next – it’s the kind of thing that you’d chalk up as a bizarre (and largely unwelcome) coincidence. This is the premise of cult American writer and New York Times bestselling author Sloane Crosley’s second novel Cult Classic, which follows Lola – a 30-something New Yorker who’s unsure about her upcoming nuptials to her perfectly nice fiancé Boots – as she keeps bumping into her Rolodex of ex-boyfriends. But when it turns out to be less of a coincidence than she first thought, old feelings, questions and insecurities are brought to the surface as she confronts her past to figure out her present.
“Described as Sex And The City meets The Good Place, Cult Classic also has a little of A Christmas Carol thrown in – if Ebenezer Scrooge was visited by the ghosts of all his former love interests, that is,” says Stylist Loves deputy editor Annie Simpson. “A spin on the classic rom-com – with just a touch of mystical, sci-fi energy – Crosley masterfully captures the messy emotional minefield that is dating in a big city. Whatever your relationship status, the home truths dished out as a result of Lola’s self-scrutinising narrative are sure to strike a chord, especially with those who have a tendency to dwell on the ‘what-ifs’ of life.” £16.98, Bookshop.org