Aria falls for Cole's 'irresistible' debut Holiday Read in three-book deal

Aria has scooped Holiday Read, an "irresistible" debut novel about female friendship and romance set in Newquay by Taylor Cole.

Rachel Faulkner-Willcocks, editorial director at the Head of Zeus fiction imprint, acquired world all language rights for the debut and two further novels direct from the author. The first book is slated for release in paperback and e-book in May 2023. 

"When romance-fanatic Candice meets writer Alexis she thinks her happy ending is finally rolling out ahead of her," the synopsis reads. "Until she discovers that Alexis has been using their courtship as inspiration for the romance novel he’s struggling to write. 

"When Alexis offers to bring her in on the deal if Candice helps him deliver a winning holiday read to his publisher, she accepts, and along with Alexis’ agent Daniel, they embark on a very unusual summer of love, as Candice tries to teach the men the keys to a successful love story."

Faulkner-Willcocks said: "I am so excited to be working with Taylor on this gorgeous book. It has all the ingredients I look for in a winning summer read: a relatable heroine looking for her happily-ever-after, a gorgeous hero with a dark secret, glistening sand and sea, and a brilliant twist. Books about books never fail to delight the publisher in me, and Cole’s debut took it one step further: transporting me effortlessly from my desk to a breathtaking Cornish beach. I can’t wait to take readers on the same irresistible journey."

Cole grew up on a council estate in Devon and is of Armenian heritage, through her maternal grandmother who survived the Armenian genocide as a child refugee. She is also the author of the YA trilogy Blue (Quercus Children’s Books), writing as Lisa Glass.

"I feel incredibly fortunate to have been given the opportunity to work with Rachel and the team at Aria," she said. "I loved every moment of writing Holiday Read, a story of romantic love and female friendship set in the beach community of Newquay, Cornwall, where I’ve lived for 20 years. I can’t wait to share the story with readers and I hope they’ll enjoy spending time in the novel’s world as much as I have."