The Unplanned Life of Josie Hale

March 7, 2022
Eding (Unbound) walks the line between women’s fiction and romance with this sweet and goofy celebration of chosen family and learning to be an adult. Substitute teacher Josie Hale is 30, newly separated from her husband, and unexpectedly pregnant, when she randomly reconnects with both her high school best friend, Kevin, and her undisclosed high school crush, Ben, now roommates, and ends up moving in with them under the terms of a “Corn Dog Pact” to get their financial, career, and love lives together within the year. Between nacho making and late-night TV bingeing, Josie helps Ben connect with his visiting 11-year-old daughter, and the three roommates prepare the household for Josie’s baby. Meanwhile, Josie and Ben work through the embarrassment and potential opportunity of realizing their old crush was mutual. Eding infuses her playful story with heart and teasing goodwill between the friends instead of sexual tension. The fantasy here is of being supported, rather than seduced. Readers looking for low-heat second-chance romance will be charmed. Agent: Katie Salvo, Metamorphosis Literary.

April 15, 2022
Thirty-year-old Josie Hale discovers she is pregnant after catching her husband with another woman and moving back in with her parents. Craving the comfort of a corn dog, she emerges from hiding and almost immediately runs into high-school buddies Kevin and Ben at the local fair. They haven't seen one other in a dozen years, yet they get along as though no time has passed. They are all disappointed with the direction of their lives, so the three of them decide to move in together and make a pact to collectively improve their lots. Josie finds work as a substitute teacher, Kevin changes career directions at his father's insurance agency, and Ben returns to school to improve his job prospects. Josie's high-school crush on Ben is not as unrequited as she thought, Kevin's fear of commitment has turned on him, and Ben's relationship with his 11-year-old daughter can only get better. Adulting is hard, but second chances with a found family can make it easier to handle. A good fit for readers of romantic women's fiction and those who enjoy coming-of-age-after-college stories.

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