First Date x Indie Bookshop Week feat. Laura Kay

Independent Bookshop Week has arrived and this year it finds us gearing up for Scotland's inaugural festival for romance writing: First Date  takes place at the Scottish Storytelling Centre on June 25th.

If you're not in Edinburgh for it, fear not. The panels will not only be livestreamed, but we've also invited some of our favourite authors of romance fiction from further afield to take part in the celebrations virtually by recommending their favourite romance reads!

First up in the series is Laura Kay.

Laura is a London based writer whose work has appeared in Diva Magazine and the Guardian. She was one of ten writers selected for Penguin's 2018 Write Now programme, during which she developed her debut novel, The Split, which was be published by Quercus in 2021. Her recent book, Tell Me Everything, was published in May 2022 and her third novel, Wild Things, is coming out in 2023. Laura is currently at work on a cosy crime novel and lurks on Twitter @lauraelizakay and Instagram @lauraekay.

Over to Laura!

This is an eclectic mix of books with the tenuous common thread of romance and the strong common thread of being books that I would want to read in the sun, feverishly turning the pages to find out what happens.

Sometimes romance is a meet-cute and sometimes it’s a slow burn and sometimes it’s a couple of weirdos who are completely obsessed with each other and I think I’ve got it all covered in this list.

Follow #FirstDateFestival on our social media and keep an eye out for more recommended romance reads through Independent Bookshop Week. Info about First Date Festival can be found HERE.