I love asking authors about their favorite books. Its what inspired this new feature called Three Favorites where we let authors write about the books that matter to them. Our Third “Three Favorites” feature is from New York Times Bestselling author Goldy Moldavsky. Her new book Just Say Yes, is a timely and charming YA rom-com for fans of The Proposal and The Sun is Also a Star.
So what are Goldy’s three favorite opposites attract novels?
Before I embark on a new writing project, I make a list. On it, I put everything I can get my hands on that will help me shape my future book. Movies, music, poems. In Just Say Yes, my latest YA novel, sunny, popular, outgoing Jimena Ramos is a 17 year-old who discovers she’s undocumented and finds she can only gain her citizenship by marrying a US citizen. Now she’s in search of a husband, and her grumpy, straight-laced, know-it-all friend Vitaly begrudgingly helps her on her quest while adamantly refusing to marry her himself. Vitaly and Jimena are on completely different wave lengths. Accordingly, I crammed my list with books featuring one of my favorite romance tropes: Opposites Attract. Here are my top three.
Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren
I picked this book up for a couple of reasons. One was that it featured the Sunshine/Grumpy trope, with the Sunshiniest of women, something that she shared in common with Jimena. And the second thing I loved about this book was it has a convoluted group dating scenario. Josh and Hazel choose to go on double dates—with other people—to help each other through their own lacking situationships? Sign me up!
This idea appealed to me because my own book has its own convoluted forced proximity dating scheme, where the romantic leads show up on dates—but not with each other. In Just Say Yes, Jimena devises a plan to go on a string of dates in order to find a husband quickly. Vitaly agrees to chaperone as he—rightly—believes this to be a stupid and dangerous endeavor. He sits outside the same café for all of Jimena’s dates, watching them through the window, getting a front row seat to Jimena’s dating disasters and, of course, falling for her.
Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
A book about a woman with a plan, and the man who helps her see to it. In Just Say Yes, Jimena sets out on her marriage plan, writing down a list of things she believes will help her achieve her singular goal. And in Get A Life, Chloe Brown, by-the-book Chloe writes down a list of all the things she’s ever wanted to do in her life. Who should help her but her but her rough-around-the-edges, motorcycle-riding, tattoo-covered handyman. My favorite thing about Red and Chloe’s relationship is that no matter how much they’re there for each other, there’s no shortage of butting heads. Even as they build their relationship they get under each other’s skin, which stirs up so much good tension.
The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon
She’s a talk radio purist whose been at her job forever, he’s a full-of-it disrupter who think he knows better. I loved the contentious relationship between Shay and Dom in this enemies-to-lovers novel. And the inversed fake dating trope? Admission time: Fake Dating is my favorite trope of all time. And this book completely turns that idea on its head. Shay and Dom don’t pretend they’re dating—they pretend they’ve already dated and now hate each other’s guts. Which—whodathunk—would be the perfect foundation on which to build a beautiful relationship. I loved this couple, this story, and how their differences pulled them together.
Just Say Yes by Goldy Moldavsky is available now in hardcover and e-book.
Author Photo Credit to Dana Goldstein. Featured image designed by Jon Negroni. Read more articles by Brianna Robinson here.
Brianna Robinson is a book publicist and Sarah Lawrence College alum. She lives in New York with too many books and two enthusiastic dachshunds. You can find her on twitter @blrobins2.
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