Love Songs for Sceptics: A laugh-out-loud love story you won't want to miss!

by Christina Pishiris

A fantastic debut from a HILARIOUS and brilliantly ORIGINAL NEW VOICE in women’s fiction...
 
‘I loved it. It’s an absolute joy... I finished the book with a huge smile on my face’ BETH O’LEARY, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Flatshare

My brother’s getting married in a few weeks and asked for help picking a song for his first dance. I suggested Kiss’s ‘Love’s a Slap in the Face’.  It didn’t go down well.

When she was a teenager, Zoë Frixos fell in love with Simon Baxter, her best friend and the boy next door. But his family moved to America before she could tell him how she felt and, like a scratched record, she’s never quite moved on. Now, almost twenty years later, Simon is heading back to London, newly single and as charming as ever . . .

But as obstacles continue to get in her way – Simon’s perfect ex-girlfriend, her brother’s big(ish) fat(ish) Greek wedding, and an obnoxious publicist determined to ruin her career – Zoë begins to wonder whether, after all these years, she and Simon just aren’t meant to be.

What if, despite what all the songs and movies say, your first love isn't always all it's cracked up to be? What if, instead Zoë and Simon are forever destined to shuffle around their feelings for each other, never quite getting the steps right . . .

With a smart, relatable central character and razor-sharp wit, Love Songs for Sceptics is perfect for fans of Mhairi McFarlane, Lucy Vine and Lindsey Kelk. 

‘A dazzling debut. Christina has a fresh, fun voice – I laughed and cried in abundance!’ HEIDI SWAIN, Sunday Times bestselling author

‘Brilliantly written, Love Songs for Sceptics is warm, engaging and so funny. I am officially a huge fan and can't wait for more from Christina’ LUCY VINE

'I absolutely loved Love Songs for Sceptics. Hope infused into every page - JOYOUS' MIRANDA DICKINSON

'Do you ever feel like an author reached into your brain and pulled out the exact book you wanted, at the exact right time? This is what it felt like from the very first page of Love Songs for Sceptics. Voicy, heartfelt, hilarious, propulsive--this book is brilliant. With the ache of second chances, the chaos of family, and in the iconic backdrop of London, Love Song for Sceptics strikes the perfect notes of romance, snark, and yes, even sweetness (hold the schmaltz).' Christina Lauren, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author

‘Christina is a breath of fresh air, and her book throbs with fun and sentiment. A wry modern eye and a sparkling debut’ JULIET ASHTON, author of The Sunday Lunch Club 

'Engaging, relatable and brilliantly funny!' JOANNA BOLOURI, author of Relight My Fire

‘An exciting new talent. Funny, sharp and real – it’ll make your heart sing’ LAURA KEMP, author of The Year of Surprising Acts of Kindness

'I loved this book. Christina’s debut is funny, relatable, and smart. And also made me hungry for Greek food!' CATHERINE BENNETTO, author of How Not to Fall in Love Actually
 
'I'm blown away that this was a debut. Christina's writing is polished, engaging, and witty; I was invested in Zoë's life straight away and I loved, loved, loved Zoë's personal growth. Love Songs for Sceptics hooked me from the first page, made me smile all the way through, and immediately cemented itself as one of my all-time favorite contemporary love stories.' SARAH HOGLE, author of You Deserve Each Other

'Funny, sweet, and full of surprises, Love Songs for Sceptics is the perfect rom-com for music nerds.' KERRY WINFREY, author of Waiting for Tom Hanks and Not Like the Movies

• ISBN10: 1471189961
• ISBN13: 9781471189968
• Publish Date: 1 October 2020 (first published 28 November 2019)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Simon & Schuster Ltd
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 464
• Language: English

Reviews

[Emma (SCR)]

This review was originally posted on Star Crossed Reviews I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.Thank you to Simon and Schuster for my copy of this book via Netgalley.

Our main character is Zoe. Zoe has grown up loving music. She lived for the next edition of her favourite music magazine. She also loved when Patrick would come to visit her parents' restaurant and she could get her fill of music. Now she's the editor of Re:Sound and desperately needs a big interview to stop it from sinking. Zoe is a fun character. She is full of energy but is also spunky. She's not going to let the magazine die. Not just for her but also for her staff.

Zoe has been in love with her best friend Simon since she was 13 and while it might seem like there's a spark there I think the universe is doing it's damnedest to show these two that actually they might not be right for each other. I wasn't a huge fan of Simon. I didn't like the way he treated Zoe. I thought he took her for granted.

I loved hearing all the greek traditions and I loved how Zoe's sister in law embraced it all too. It was really interesting to hear all about it.

I loved the chapter headings in this book. I loved that the song titles were matched to the theme of the chapters.

This is a heartwarming story that is about love. Not just love between a couple but the love between friends, family and work colleagues. The love of music and how it can evoke feelings and memories with just one song.

Christina does an excellent job with this debut and I can't wait to see her backlist grow.