Not Here to Make Friends: A Novel

In this “full-on villain romance” (The New York Times) a group of women on a reality dating show should be vying for the love of their Romeo, but it turns out one of them only has eyes for the showrunner.

Murray O’Connell is standing on the greatest precipice of his career. As showrunner of the reality dating show Marry Me, Juliet, Murray is determined to make this season a success.

Nothing and nobody will stand in his way.

Except perhaps Lily Fireball, the network’s choice for this season’s villain. Lily has classic reality TV appeal: She’s feisty, dramatic, and never backs down from a fight. She also happens to be Murray’s estranged best friend and former co-showrunner.

What was once a perfectly planned season turns to chaos as the two battle for control. Working in reality television, they’re used to drama, secrets, and romance. But what happens when suddenly they’re at the center of the storyline?

Jodi McAlister, PhD, is an author and academic from Kiama, Australia. Her academic work focuses on the history of love, sex, women and girls, popular culture, and fiction. It means that reading romance novels and watching The Bachelor is technically work for her. She is currently a aenior lecturer in writing, literature, and culture at Deakin University in Melbourne. For more, visit JodiMcAlister.com.au.

ISBN: 9781668075265
Format: Paperback
Pages: 400
Publisher: Atria Books
Published: June 04, 2024

"The plot strikes a fine balance between showing how the sausage is made on reality TV and sensitively addressing love and loss. The central friends-to-lovers romance is complicated and sometimes tortured but always believable. This is an easy pick for the beach bag."
—Publisher's Weekly“Smart, scorching and emotionally resonant, this was hands-down my favourite romance of the year.” –Freya Marske, author of A Marvellous Light“A full-on villain romance novel.”—The New York Times