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| Credit: Leah Holt |
Katie Holt is a New York City resident but a Tennessee native. She studied English with a concentration in creative writing at NYU and fought with every professor to prove that romance novels were worthy of their time. She’s a Nora Ephron fanatic, Swiftie, and warm chocolate chip cookie enthusiast. Katie is also the author of her highly-acclaimed debut Not in My Book.
Synopsis:
Ella has grown up at The Last Page, a charming local bookstore in New York City where she now works. Her first kiss was in the women’s health section. A boyfriend dumped her in comedy. The owner is like a second father to her and has begun training her to take over the store. So when he unexpectedly dies and his estranged grandson is left everything in the will, Ella is devastated.
Ella has grown up at The Last Page, a charming local bookstore in New York City where she now works. Her first kiss was in the women’s health section. A boyfriend dumped her in comedy. The owner is like a second father to her and has begun training her to take over the store. So when he unexpectedly dies and his estranged grandson is left everything in the will, Ella is devastated.
Henry doesn’t know the first thing about running a bookstore. With his aging mom back in Tennessee, he plans to stay in New York just long enough to ensure things are running smoothly and then head back home. What he never could have counted on was the beautiful, funny bookseller who loves The Last Page more than any place in the world—and who sees him as the villain who’s come to ruin her life.
But when it becomes evident that the store is in deep financial trouble and Henry and Ella are both at risk of losing everything, they have no choice but to put their differences aside and team up—despite the inconvenient chemistry blossoming between them. (Courtesy of Amazon.)
“Holt expertly injects their romance with humor while crafting a love letter to book lovers and New York City. This is a charmer.”
—Publishers Weekly, starred review
—Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Holt’s novel has so much to savor: a large cast of lively characters, laugh-out-loud banter, a whimsical bookshop setting, an excellently executed slow-burn enemies-to-lovers storyline, and a bustling backdrop. Recommended for fans of emotional, steamy, bookish romances with strong Latine leads.”
—Library Journal, starred review
“A cute literary-themed romance.”
—Kirkus
What is a favorite compliment you have received on your writing?
This is honestly hard to narrow down! I love when people tell me they've laughed out loud in certain scenes or cried. Or that New York City felt like a character. But, I had one reader send me a DM on Instagram gushing over Not in My Book. She told me she'd always felt too much and that the kind of love she wanted didn't seem to exist, but Rosie and Aiden changed her mind. That's exactly what I wanted to get across with Not in My Book--that your romantic standards aren't too high, you're just not meeting the right partners yet, and that you are never too much for the right person. That one lingered for days.
This is honestly hard to narrow down! I love when people tell me they've laughed out loud in certain scenes or cried. Or that New York City felt like a character. But, I had one reader send me a DM on Instagram gushing over Not in My Book. She told me she'd always felt too much and that the kind of love she wanted didn't seem to exist, but Rosie and Aiden changed her mind. That's exactly what I wanted to get across with Not in My Book--that your romantic standards aren't too high, you're just not meeting the right partners yet, and that you are never too much for the right person. That one lingered for days.
What were the biggest rewards and challenges with writing The Last Page?
This one was definitely challenging to write in a lot of ways!! I felt a lot of pressure after Not in My Book and hoping I could somewhat live up to my debut. But, this is a larger cast of characters and a wayyyy slower burn. It was honestly challenging to write a relationship where friendship really needed to be the base. The biggest reward has been readers' responses so far, though! I try my best not to look at reviews...but somehow I always get too curious and poke around online. This is a romance, obviously, but there's a lot of discussion on grief here! To see that resonated with people and again, that people saw themselves in Ella.
If The Last Page were made into a movie, who would you cast in the leading roles?
This question is always so hard!! I try not to imagine actors/actresses when I write (though this is based off of Leslie Knope x Ben Wyatt) and I feel like I never know any celebrities when I'm asked this question. A lot of people fancast Isabela Merced as Rosie (for Not in My Book), but she's wayyy more Ella to me! I think she nails that sickly sweet and deadpan line really well. For Henry, I imagined a young Adam Scott (if he was a football player), but Leo Woodall comes to mind!!
What is your go-to independent bookstore?
My girl The Strand!!! So much of this book was based on my time as a bookseller there. I absolutely loved working there and often return to wander around. It's a reader's paradise. But, when I'm home, I love going to Good Girl Books in Knoxville, TN. I would've done anything to have a romance only bookstore when I was growing up and I love that romance readers have a space to connect!
If your life was a TV series, which celebrity would you want to narrate it?
HA I love this question!! Tina Fey came to mind immediately! She has such a sharp mind and I think she'd give me the kind of brutal honesty that John McEnroe gave Devi in Never Have I Ever.
If we were to visit you right now, what are some places you would take us to see?
There's so much to do in New York! I feel like I'd have to take you to get some Peruvian food. Pio Pio and Don Ceviche are wonderful choices. I've been obsessed with this game bar in the West Village, Cellar Dog, recently. There's live jazz and ping pong tables, shuffle boards, pool tables, and game boards. And Little Island! I love walking along the West Side Highway and meandering around there. And, naturally, a trip to the Strand!
Thanks to Katie for chatting with us and to Alcove Press for sharing her book with our readers.
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2 comments:
I have fond memories of being in charge of the school library when I was a child. The headteacher used to choose a few students to run the school library and given that I was very studious and loved to read, I was one of the lucky ones who got selected for this role. I used to love tidying the shelves, creating book-of-the-month displays and choosing which new books the headteacher should buy in for us to stock in the library. I enjoyed inviting the younger students into the library and helping them to choose books they might like to read. We also used to set reading challenges to improve their reading skills and confidence.
I remember how exciting it was when we made our weekly trip to the library in town.
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