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Avon signs new romance titles from Ward and Page
Avon has signed new romance titles from Becky Ward and Mia Page, the pseudonym of Claire Handscombe.
Thorne Ryan, former deputy publishing director, acquired world all-language rights to The Dance Deception by Ward from Meg Davies at the Ki Agency. It is slated for publication in July.
Ryan also acquired world all-language rights in a two-book deal with Page directly from the author.
The Dance Deception is described as the "perfect steamy romance" pitched for fans of Elena Armas’ The Spanish Love Deception (Simon & Schuster). The synopsis reads: "It sees 25-year-old Kate Wareing enter a dance competition in which she is paired with professional—and very attractive—French dancer Merle. But he seems just as keen to work on their chemistry as their routine. Ward’s lively writing is backed by her wealth of experience from her job as the chief sub-editor on celebrity magazines OK! and New."
Ward said: "I’m delighted to be introducing The Dance Deception to readers and can’t thank Avon enough for singing its praises from the word go. I couldn’t be happier to be working with a team with such boundless enthusiasm for the story and its characters, or more thrilled that my sassy, steamy novel will soon be in readers’ hands."
Page’s Bookishly Ever After follows bookshop owner Lexi Austen who turns to classic novels to help her find the perfect man after a series of bad dates. The publisher has called it an "hilarious enemies-to-lovers plot" inspired by the writer’s experience as a bookseller.
She said: "I have loved being a bookseller and I’m excited to put all I’ve learned and loved about the job into a fun and lively romcom, one of my favourite genres to both read and write. I’m also thrilled to be joining the Avon family, alongside many writers I admire and whose books I love."
Publishing director Helen Huthwaite said: "‘Bookishly Ever After is a laugh-out-loud romcom that brings a delightfully fresh twist to the enemies-to-lovers and book-about-books tropes, and The Dance Deception is a deliciously steamy yet romantic novel that will leave you hot under the collar and melt your heart at the same time. Both Claire and Becky write so perfectly for the genre and their writing is the rare kind that you never want to stop reading."
