I'll Get Back to You

A Novel

By: Becca Grischow

Narrated by: Allison Grischow

A charming home run of a queer holiday romance where two former classmates’ plan to fake-date their way to freedom goes immediately awry—but, perhaps, exactly the way they need it to

Murphy was supposed to be settling into her junior year at the University of Illinois with her best friend, Kat. Instead, she’s stuck in a hellish suburban holding pattern: living with her parents, failing the same class that kept her from graduating the first time around, and making minimum wage at the same coffee shop she’s worked at since she was sixteen. It doesn't help that the dating pool for a twenty-one-year-old lesbian in the tiny town of Geneva, Illinois, is anemic at best.

When her and Kat’s long-awaited reunion is plagued by stuttering conversation and uninvited guests, Murphy’s resentment threatens to boil over. That is, until a miracle appears in the form of Ellie Meyers, a former classmate who is way cuter and not nearly as straight as Murphy remembers. Their heavy flirting holds the promise of something more… until Murphy learns that Ellie’s mom is the very professor preparing to flunk Murphy for a second semester in a row. Talk about killing the vibe.

Romance might be off the table, but Ellie could be Murphy’s key to getting into Professor Meyers’ good graces and finally getting out of Geneva. And Murphy—well-versed in defying parental expectations—might be Ellie’s chance to get her mother onboard with her own dreams. Together, they hatch a plot: fake a relationship for a holiday weekend at the Meyers’ house. If everything goes according to plan, Ellie will be living her dream halfway across the country, and Murphy will finally be able to graduate community college and start her life in earnest. So, the fact that Murphy can’t stop thinking about Ellie’s lips on hers isn't relevant. It’s just a part played well.

Right?

A story about opening your heart to possibility, I'll Get Back To You is a giddy love letter to anyone in need of a bit of bravery to step up to the plate—and to the unending process of finding yourself.

©2024 Becca Grischow (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Grischow’s debut is as self-assured and charming as her protagonist desperately wishes she herself were…Grischow’s take on fake dating is compulsively readable, funny, and full of heart. Readers will fall for this as fast as Murphy falls for Ellie.” —Publishers Weekly *starred review*

“Full of humor and tenderness, I'll Get Back To You inspires readers to embrace the surprises life tosses our way. A cozy, sexy romance." —Ashley Herring Blake, author of Delilah Green Doesn’t Care

“A festive and poignant romance about new adulthood, growing pains in friendships, and embracing your hometown. You’ll be drawn in by the clever fake dating scheme, but Murphy’s meaningful journey of finding herself in her early twenties is the real star. I’ll Get Back to You is the Thanksgiving romance I’ve been waiting for.” —Susie Dumond, author of Queerly Beloved

“I’ll Get Back To You is a completely charming sapphic romance set against a loving ode to the Midwest. From the Cubs mentions, to the anxieties about the future, to the very Illinoisan texture baked in all throughout, this book hit home for me in so many ways. I laughed just as much as I clutched my hand over my heart to swoon!” —Bridget Morrissey, author of That Summer Feeling

“With compassion and heart, Grischow masterfully touches on the growing pains--emphasis on pain--and self discovery associated with those early years of adulthood ” —Iman Hariri-Kia, author of A Hundred Other Girls

Very descriptive

I liked the storyline and the genre. I liked someone was willing to write a story about two women together. Hard to find.