In this sweeping, second-chance romance, a twist of fate forces two former roommates to move back into their beloved New York City brownstone and face the events that led to their estrangement--and confront their unresolved feelings for each other. So begins the email that turns June Wood’s entire world on its head. Five years ago, she lived on Perry Street with her former best friend Adam Harper. But why is the management company reaching out to her about it now?; Still smarting from the news of her hit TV show being canceled, June has nothing else to lose. She boards a plane from Los Angeles to New York City to find out more about the mysterious email and the promised opportunity it alludes to. It turns out that, thanks to an unbelievable legal loophole, if she and Adam can live together in the stunning West Village brownstone for a month, it’s theirs. Any true New Yorker knows you don’t pass up prime city real estate, and that fall in the city is magical--so what’s there to think about? And yet, though most things have changed in the time since they last spoke, one thing hasn’t: June and Adam have unfinished business. They didn’t Every day they move closer to owning Perry Street reveals misunderstandings, long-term resentments, and long-buried feelings . . . which are suddenly feeling very, very not so buried. But they’ve already lost their friendship once before, devastating them both. Can they risk losing it again for something a little different this time?

Autorentext
Joss Richard (she/her), USA Today bestselling author of It’s Different This Time, has worked at companies such as Hello Sunshine and Reese’s Book Club, the Walt Disney Company, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Netflix, and Paramount. She’s also the creator and host of Three’s Company, Too: A Rewatch Podcast, and has been formally recognized with a Daytime Emmy Award. Born in Toronto, Ontario, to Filipino immigrant parents, Richard currently lives and works in Los Angeles, California.

Klappentext

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • In this sweeping, second-chance romance, a twist of fate forces two former roommates back into their beloved New York City brownstone where they must confront the events that led to their estrangement—and the unresolved feelings lingering between them.

Reeling from the cancellation of her hit TV show, June Wood has nothing left to lose when a mysterious email lures her back to the New York City brownstone she once called home before she moved to Los Angeles. Thanks to a clause in the former owner’s will, she and her old roommate, Adam Harper, now own the multimillion-dollar property—or at least they will in a month, once all the paperwork is signed.

Four weeks, then June can return to her life in LA and forget about New York City and everything she left behind. Sure, the fact that June and Adam are estranged and haven’t even spoken in five years, and that their friendship didn’t exactly end on good terms might complicate matters, but this is an opportunity of a lifetime.

As the autumn leaves fall around them, through shared meals and late-night conversations, old wounds and long-buried sparks resurface, and it becomes strikingly clear: June and Adam have unfinished business. Confronted with the consequences of their choices years before, they must now navigate the minefield of their past the best way they know how: together. Second chances are always a risk, but maybe, if they get it right and are finally honest with each other and with themselves, it could be different this time.

Leseprobe
Chapter 1

“The show’s not getting renewed.” Theo’s voice interrupts my thoughts.

My eyes cut to the time on the car dashboard, which reads 8:27 a.m., and two things cross my mind. The first being how I no longer have time to pick up a coffee before getting to the studio. The second being that there should be a general rule of thumb for bad news. Specifically, that your agent shouldn’t tell you you’re out of a job before 9 a.m.

“Oh,” I respond, trying to sound cool. “Well, that . . . f***ing sucks.”

Swindlers is . . . or I guess was a half-hour comedy following the lives of TV executives in the seventies. Was it my defining role as an actor? No. Did it pay the bills? I mean, it was starting to.

“I know, but it happens all the time,” Theo assures me. There’s a painful stench of optimism filling my car through the Bluetooth speaker. I crack a window open and breathe in what one would normally call fresh air, but let’s be honest, it’s smog. Right now, LA’s eighty-degree weather in September is more suffocating than anything. “And, June, I know it’s shitty,” she continues. “But the industry is suffering right now. They’re barely making more than one season of anything.”

My brain goes on autopilot as I drive down Melrose, which is, no surprise, congested. These things do happen, especially on streaming networks. Shows have been getting canceled all year, leaving most of my actor friends out of work for months. While I can more than empathize, landing a recurring role on a show felt like a new chapter of security, a steady career.

I’m a working actor. That means I’ve had a few lines in almost everything, yet am known for nothing, and, ironically, never know when I’ll be working again. People definitely don’t stop me on the street when I go out, which I prefer, and I’m lucky if my monthly residual checks are enough to pay the rent.

My knuckles turn white, gripping the wheel as I try not to feel overly defeated.

“Okay, so what’s next?” I try to pump myself up. “What about the self-tapes?”

“Well, that’s actually one of the things I want to talk to you about,” Theo says. “Film and TV are great, and I can get you the auditions . . . but let’s chat about theater again.”

“Is there a production in the city?”

“No, New York.”

“Theo . . .” I shoot an exhausted look at her name on the car’s display screen.

“I know it’s a stretch, but there are some amazing revivals happening, and with your background, you have a good shot. June, theater is steady, and you’re good at it.”

Theo’s been my agent for the past five years. She holds a level of authority most people work decades to attain, and she’s the most honest person I know, whether I like it or not. At thirty-two, I don’t find it easier to hear she’s not white enough, she’s not Asian enough, she’s not ethnic enough, she’s too pretty to be the friend but she doesn’t have leading lady potential. So, when Theo says that I should go back to theater . . . she’s probably right.

“What are the revivals?” I ask.

“A few Off, but there’s two for spring that are on Broadway. They’re shopping around some big names.”

Almost missing my turn, I pull into the studio entrance. I tap my key card and nod toward the older man in the security booth.

“Morning, Gus! So, did we win the Powerball?”

“Morning, June.” He playfully tips his hat. “I’m still here, aren’t I?”

“There’s always next time.” I give an encouraging smile.

“Ain’t that the truth,” he laughs. “Have a good one!”

“You too!” The gate rises and I drive onto the lot for what might now be the last time in a while. “Theo, I just got to set. . . . Can I think about it?”

“Of course. Happy last day.” She lets out a weak laugh. …