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Hodder Fiction scoops 'escapist' romantic comedy by Lish McBride
Hodder Fiction has scooped a new "escapist" romantic comedy by Lish McBride. The novel follows two people who meet when their bags get mixed up at the luggage carousel in JFK airport in New York City. Commercial fiction publishing director Phoebe Morgan bought world all-language rights, including Film and TV, to The Suitcase Swap, from Cheyenne Faircloth at Handspun Literary Agency, for publication in Spring 2025.
Morgan said: "I love meet-cutes and later-in-life romances, and this book has it all. Set against the recognisable backdrop of New York city, The Suitcase Swap explores what happens when two people with their fair share of emotional baggage are given another chance at love—despite the fact they might not feel brave enough for it. It’s about how life pulls us in mysterious directions, it’s about feeling the fear and doing it anyway, and above all, it’s about finding yourself after loss—and then finding someone else to laugh with again, too."
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McBride, a former bookseller based in the US, said: "I’ve always loved a good rom-com and I was thrilled to work with Phoebe Morgan and her team at Hodder & Stoughton on this one. I know some people think romantic comedies are ‘escapist’ and honestly, I hope The Suitcase Swap is escapist. I hope people pick it up and laugh along with Sophie and Mike. I want them to step into a world, however briefly, where there’s real warmth and connection. More importantly, I wanted readers to see two characters starting over in their fifties and to understand that people are still sexy and worthy of love as we get older, because we absolutely are."
Faircloth said: "McBride’s writing is always filled with warmth and laughter, and the tender exploration of the love between two people well into their lives is just the cherry-on-top of this story. I’m delighted this book found such a wonderful home with Phoebe and the Hodder & Stoughton team."
The Suitcase Swap will be published by Hodder & Stoughton in paperback original, e-book and audio on 10th April 2025.
