Hello friends! I’m excited to announce that I’m taking my new novel But How Are You, Really on tour this summer in the United States.
Here are the public, in-person events we have planned so far:
- Tuesday June 4th, 7pm ET — NYC. The Strand with Carlos Maza. Buy tickets here.
- Wednesday June 5th, 6pm ET — Philadelphia, PA. Philly AIDS Thrift @ Giovanni’s Room with Laura Piper Lee. More info here, free to attend.
- Saturday June 8th, 3pm ET — DC. Solid State Books with Andie J. Christopher. RSVP here.
- Thursday June 27th, 7pm CT — Kansas City, MO. Under the Cover with Gabe Rosenberg. Buy tickets here.
- Monday July 1st, 7pm PT — Portland, OR. Powell’s City of Books with Jen Comfort. More info here, free to attend.
I would love to see you there! I can’t wait to meet you in person, sign your books, and thank you for your support. An author’s worst nightmare is a sea of empty chairs at a book event, so please come by if you’re in the area.Here are the public, in-person events we have planned so far:
Can’t make it to an event? Don’t worry, I’ll be adding some digital events on Instagram Live and on Patreon. More information to come! Subscribe for free on Patreon to stay up to date on my plans.
But How Are You, Really is now available for pre-order from the big booksellers, including:
If you plan to purchase the book, please please please consider pre-ordering today. Early sales numbers are very important in publishing. Pre-orders send a message that a book and its author are loved and supported, which will impact where the book is available, how much press it gets, what kind of events I might have, and other decisions about my future. That’s even truer for debut authors like me, who are largely unknown and need to prove we are worth reading and investing in down the line.
If you’re not able to pre-order at this time but you want to support the book, share this page with a friend who loves romance, millennial stories, or queer voices! Add the book to your “Want To Read” list on Goodreads here!
Here’s what you can expect from But How Are You, Really:
- Bisexual heroine + cinnamon roll bro hero (cinnamon broll??)
- Second-chance romance @ the college reunion
- Laid off, burned out millennial woes
- Queer chosen family
- There’s only one twin-XL bed
- Now That’s What I Call Trauma! AKA abuse survivors deserve HEAs too
Official synopsis:
Can a college reunion restart your life?
A burned-out bisexual confronts old demons, her estranged chosen family, and the ex she maybe shouldn’t have walked away from when she attends her five-year college reunion.
Charlotte Thorne does not want to go back to Hein University. Her life postcollege isn’t what she expected—her career in media is stalled, her passion for drawing has fallen by the wayside, and she’s done a terrible job keeping in touch with her queer chosen family since graduation day. Willingly spend a full weekend with her incredibly successful classmates? Hard pass.
But when her demanding boss, tech journalist Roger Ludermore, is invited to give the commencement address at this year’s graduation—which falls on the same weekend as her five-year reunion—Charlotte has no choice but to return to campus.
The minute she steps foot on Hein property, the past comes crawling back in its glory and cringe: disco parties at the LGBTQIA+ program house, sleeping in a twin XL bed, and her chemistry with Reece Krueger, the hockey player she rebounded with after a traumatic breakup. Suddenly the weekend Charlotte has dreaded for months feels like an opportunity to go back in time. Determined to have some fun, Charlotte dodges her best friend’s questions about her mental health, ignores her boss’s constant Slack messages, and tries to avoid the truth about why she ghosted Reece five years ago. But can she really outrun her past and get her life together in seventy-two hours?
Reviews:
“Dawson’s lively debut features a diverse and relatable cast of characters with realistic issues that will be immediately recognizable to young millennials and Gen Zers. It’s both a celebration of the uniqueness of the college years and a testament to the struggles new graduates face in the “real world.”” — Booklist
“Ella Dawson’s But How Are You, Really lives in my chest as a deep, aching blue. The whole time I was reading I had that expansive feeling like I could cry at any moment — for sadness at some of what Charlotte has been through, but also for the sheer joyful triumph of watching Charlotte with her supportive friend group, her creative awakening as an artist, her hot and tender second chance with the love she wasn’t ready for back in college. Sharply funny and observant, But How Are You, Really managed to make me nostalgic for places I’ve never been and people I’ve never met. It is easily one of the best books I’ve read in a long time.”
–Alicia Thompson, USA Today bestselling author of With Love, from Cold World
“But How Are You, Really reminds us with humor and grace that growing up isn’t something that happens all at once, but sloppily, gradually, beautifully. Dawson has a tender eye for detail, renders Charlotte and her world relatable, heartbreaking shades. A wonderful book that will have you aching for every one of your past selves.”
–Jean Kyoung Frazier, author of Pizza Girl
“Part journey to self-love, part love letter to college and chosen family, But How Are You, Really vividly captures the highs and lows of post-grad life. Dawson’s debut is emotional and nostalgic, introspective and romantic, featuring a beloved cast of characters who come alive on the page.”
–Carola Lovering, author of Tell Me Lies and Bye, Baby
“Moving, sexy, and painfully relatable, Ella Dawson deftly captures that lost and longing feeling we all experience in our twenties, particularly when faced with the ghosts of our past selves. Set at a college reunion, But How Are You, Really is a story of second chances and rediscovering one’s self that will have you cringing, crying, and nodding in recognition. I absolutely adored it.”
–Genevieve Wheeler, author of Adelaide
“Ella Dawson knows sexy angst and this book has it. It’s a throwback full of funny characters, nuanced realistic heartbreak, and the power of recovery and friendship. Come for the hot sex, stay for the catharsis. Is it possible to craft a perfect 2018 period piece? Ella’s done it.”
–Gabe Dunn, New York Times bestselling author of I Hate Everyone But You
“But How Are You, Really is a delight to the senses. Dawson displays biting humor and poignant storytelling in a book that is shameless in all the best ways.“
–Andie J. Christopher, USA Today bestselling author
Ella Dawson 