Edward Underhill

A trans planist makes a New Year's resolution on a frozen Wisconsin night to win regionals and win back his ex, but a new boy complicates things in this heartfelt debut YA rom-dram

Sixteen-year-old trans boy Miles Jacobson has two New Year's resolutions:

1. Win back his ex-boyfriend (and star of the football team) Shane Mcintyre.

2. Finally beat his slimy arch-nemesis at the Mid-west's biggest classical piano competition.

But that's not going to be so easy. For one thing, Shane broke up with Miles two weeks after Miles came out as trans, and now Shane's stubbornly ignoring him, even when they literally bump into each other. Plus, Miles's new, slightly terrifying piano teacher keeps telling him that he's playing like he "doesn't know who he is" - whatever that means.

Then Miles meets the new boy in town, Eric Mendez, a proudly queer cartoonist from Seattle who asks his pronouns, cares about art as much as he does-and makes his stomach flutter. Not what he needs to be focusing on right now. But after Eric and Miles pretend to date so they can score an invite to a couples-only Valentine's Day party, the ruse turns real with a kiss, which is also definitely not in the plan. If only Miles could figure out why Eric likes him so much. After all, it's not like he's cool or confident or comfortable in his own skin. He's not even good enough at piano to get his fellow competitors to respect him... especially now, as Miles. Nothing's ever been as easy for him as for other people -other boys. He's only ever been almost enough.

So why, when he's with Eric, does it feel like the only person he's ever really not been enough for.... is himself?

Always the Almost

Queer teens Abby and Leo spend a life-changing day together lost in New York City.

This Day Changes Everything

Dash & Lily meets Ferris Bueller's Day Off in Edward Underhill's new whirlwind rom-com about two queer teens who spend one life-changing day together in New York City. Abby Akerman believes in the Universe. After all, her Midwest high school marching band is about to perform in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City—if that’s not proof that magical things can happen, what is? New York also happens to be the setting of her favorite romance novel, making it the perfect place for Abby to finally tell her best friend Kat that she’s in love with her (and, um, gay). She’s carefully annotated a copy of the book as a gift for Kat, and she’s counting on the Universe to provide an Epic Scene worthy of her own rom-com. Leo Brewer, on the other hand, just wants to get through this trip without falling apart. He doesn’t believe the Universe is magical at all, mostly because he’s about to be outed to his very Southern extended family on national TV as the trans boy he really is. He’s not excited for the parade, and he’s even less excited for an entire day of sightseeing with his band. But the Universe has other ideas. When fate throws Abby and Leo together on the wrong subway train, they soon find themselves lost in the middle of Manhattan. Even worse, Leo accidentally causes Abby to lose her Epic Gift for Kat. So to salvage the day, they come up with a new mission: find a souvenir from every location mentioned in the book for Abby to give Kat instead. But as Leo and Abby traverse the city, from the streets of Chinatown to the halls of Grand Central Station and the top of the Empire State Building, their initial expectations for the trip—and of each other—begin to shift. Maybe, if they let it, this could be the day that changes everything, for both of them.

'Underhill's tender, innovative debut is the smartest take on this trope I've ever read' Jodi Picoult, #1 Sunday Times bestselling author 'Underhill skilfully employs a clever set-up and a queer lens to explore the deep changes we all experience in growing up' Steven Rowley, New York Times bestselling author of The Guncle A whimsical and healing novel about a trans man in New York who - almost 30, laid off, broke - moves back to his small Illinois hometown, walks into the bookstore he worked at in high school... and slips through time to come face to face with his pre-transition, teenage self. If you had one chance to talk to your younger self... would you? What would you say? When Darby left Oak Falls for university in New York City, all he wanted was to get as far away as possible, find a community where he could start afresh -- and finally forget about his childhood best friend Michael, and just how painfully their friendship ended. Now, about to turn 30, Darby suddenly finds himself unemployed. With no better alternative, and questioning where he really belongs, he moves back to his hometown. But the changes in Oak Falls make him feel off balance. And Michael's still there, their relationship still distant and strained. One thing is familiar: In Between Books, Darby's refuge growing up and high school job. When he walks inside, Darby feels an eerie sense of déjà vu – everything is exactly the same. Even the newspapers are dated 2009. And behind the till is a teen who looks a lot like Darby did at sixteen... a teen who just might give him the opportunity to change his own present for the better – if he can figure out how before his connection to the past vanishes forever.

Edward Underhill

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