Publishers Weekly
05/08/2023
TV executive Amy Duffy, the endearingly messy heroine of this spirited rom-com from Dent (The Setup), is excited to pitch a show she’s spent four years developing—only for her boss (and boyfriend) Chris Ellis to spitefully torpedo the project. In revenge, Amy gets very drunk and urinates on Chris’s car—a moment that is unfortunately filmed by passersby and posted online, where it goes viral, prompting Amy to flee New York. Fast forward two years, and Amy has made a fresh start at a London production company. When disgraced reality star Jake Jones moves into her building, Amy sees a kindred spirit. Jake, an aspiring writer, is also hiding out from infamy, and the pair bond over their somewhat sordid pasts. After the production company’s business merger, Amy’s in prime position to move into a development deal, leading her and Jake to work up a spiffy proposal for a new show. Sparks fly between these new creative partners, but when Chris unexpectedly reenters the picture, Amy and Jake’s personal and professional hopes hang by a thread—unless Amy can find a way to expose Chris for who he really is. It’s a gleefully over-the-top plot, but anyone who’s ever been screwed over at work will empathize with Amy’s plight. In the end, justice is served most deliciously. This is pure popcorn. (July)
From the Publisher
One of USA Today’s Summer Must-Read Romances
One of Entertainment Weekly’s 27 Best New Books to Take on Your Summer Vacation
One of Library Journal’s Best Fiction Books of the Year (So Far)
One of PureWow’s 11 Books We Can’t Wait to Read
“The Sweetest Revenge is my favorite kind of story—one with an irresistible premise that delivers in a way I never imagined possible. It is at once funny, poignant, and deliciously satisfying. I had to force myself to slow down and savor the end. I absolutely loved it.” —Annabel Monaghan, author of Nora Goes Off Script and Same Time Next Summer
“Super fun and deliciously cathartic.” –Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
“The perfect storm of a romcom - the chaotic, hilarious entanglement of a kickass heroine, her hot AF neighbour, and a very unwelcome ex. As intoxicating as a cocktail on a summer’s day - I encourage everyone to dive in.” –Beth Morrey, author of The Love Story of Missy Carmichael
“[A] gleefully over-the-top plot, but anyone who’s ever been screwed over at work will empathize with Amy’s plight. In the end, justice is served most deliciously. This is pure popcorn.” —Publishers Weekly
“Equal parts hilarious, heartbreaking, and swoon-worthy, Dent's addictive novel isn't here to make sweeping philosophical statements about the morality of vengeance. In fact, it actually delights in how delicious getting petty retribution can feel in the moment (so relatable).”—Entertainment Weekly
“Dent writes quirky yet relatable characters, and her protagonist in this latest novel is outstanding… Readers will love the fast-paced wit of both Amy and the supporting characters while she discovers who she is, where she wants to be, and what is truly in her heart.” –Library Journal (starred)
“Chockful of fun banter and delicious tension, The Sweetest Revenge is a humorous and satisfying story of a woman triumphing over her messy past and getting the romance she deserves along the way, set in the cutthroat world of television production. Readers will root for Amy and Jake.” —Lauren Ho, author of Last Tang Standing and Lucie Yi Is Not a Romantic
“[A] slow-burn romance that readers will delight in...Fun.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Readers who enjoy Rachel Lynn Solomon will be charmed.” –Booklist
Library Journal
★ 06/01/2023
Dent (The Setup) writes quirky yet relatable characters, and her protagonist in this latest novel is outstanding. Amy Duffy, a once up-and-coming TV producer, fled New York for London, where she has been working under the radar while healing from a broken heart, after a workplace relationship gone bad, and the humiliation of a drunken retaliation against her ex-boss/ex-boyfriend that went viral. But when her London employer announces a merger, her past walks through the door in the form of her former boss—the ex-boyfriend from her old job. While her professional life hangs in the balance, Amy learns that her celebrity crush, Jake Jones, is her new neighbor. Discovering how much they have in common, and Jake's passion for screenwriting, Amy suggests they work together on a pitch to help her win a spot on the new production team at work, which her ex is overseeing. Sparks fly both on and off the page, and Amy is now faced with yet another potential workplace romance that could end just as dramatically as her last. VERDICT Readers will love the fast-paced wit of both Amy and the supporting characters while she discovers who she is, where she wants to be, and what is truly in her heart.—Alicia Cerone
Kirkus Reviews
2023-05-09
A woman’s attempts to rebuild her life lead her down an unexpected path.
Amy Duffy has suffered a humiliation. Not your run-of-the-mill embarrassment but a full-blown catastrophe. After Chris Ellis, her boss/boyfriend, who's head of development at the TV production company where they work, screws her out of a better job and abandons her moments before they were supposed to go to her cousin’s wedding, Amy gets drunk, blows off the wedding, pees on Chris’ car, and is caught on camera. Amy cannot face seeing her family, which she let down, or returning to work, where everyone has seen the video. Amy leaves New York City for a less prestigious job at a smaller studio in London, where she’s mostly in charge of directing promos for reality television shows. Growing more comfortable in her new life, Amy jumps on an opportunity to land her dream job: Her company is restructuring and they need a new development person. Enter Jake Jones, Amy’s handsome new neighbor, who just so happens to be a gifted writer and, like Amy, is trying to escape his own humiliation: Jake was on a reality dating show and tried to jump off a cliff to swim his way out after having second thoughts. Amy has a proposal for Jake: Will he help develop a TV show that she can pitch at work? Jake agrees, and as they work together on their London-based detective show pitch, sparks begin to fly in a slow-burn romance that readers will delight in. But a company restructuring means a new interim head of development, and, wouldn’t you know it, that interim head is none other than Chris. Anyone can see where this plot is going from a mile away, but, thanks in large part to Dent’s humor, readers will still enjoy the ride.
As fun as it is formulaic.
