Head of Zeus bags romantic comedy by debut author Nicole Kennedy

Head of Zeus is to publish the debut novel of Nicole Kennedy, a former City lawyer. 

Publishing director Laura Palmer acquired English language rights in a two-book deal from Nelle Andrew at Peters Frasers & Dunlop. The first title, a romantic comedy called The Real Thing, will be published in June 2021 in hardback, export trade paperback, e-book and audio, with a mass market paperback to follow in March 2022. 

The Real Thing tells the stories of Cassie, an Instagram star and mother-of-twins, whose perfect life is falling apart behind the scenes, and Beth, a new mother who is trying to resist being sucked in by the lure of social media. The book is about motherhood, female friendship and the pressures of modern life. 

Kennedy said: "I began writing The Real Thing while on maternity leave. I wanted to capture the quirks of modern motherhood, especially in relation to social media and flexible working, but quickly realised that what I was actually writing was a tribute to female friendship and its many complexities: loving, competitive, challenging and painful."

Palmer added: "The Real Thing is just the sort of smart, grown-up women's fiction I adore: the characters are flawed and relatable, the plot is gripping, and the world is familiar but with a dash of glamour. Nicole is brilliant (and very funny) on the tension between the expectation of motherhood, and the reality. I know this will strike a chord with modern women everywhere."