November 21, 2022
Kellogg debuts with a cute but somewhat gimmicky lesbian retelling of Pride and Prejudice set in modern-day New York City. Liz Baker and her three roommates all work for The Nether Fields, a queer magazine on the verge of shutting down—until it’s bought by two wealthy Smith College graduates, Bailey Cox and Daria Fitzgerald. From there, Kellogg sticks to Austen’s script to the letter: Liz and Daria loathe each other until they gradually prove each other’s initial assumptions wrong and fall in love almost without noticing. It can be frustrating to watch the characters follow their predetermined paths, especially when the plot demands that the updated characters make choices that feel unmotivated in order to fit the beats of the original. But Kellogg anticipates her own detractors: Liz, who dreams of writing a novel, makes an argument for the existence of this book in a conversation with her best friend, Jane, in which they decide that writing “fluff” can be a worthy pursuit. That’s all this sweet romance wants to be, and as pure fluff it works just fine. Agent: Jessica Alvarez, BookEnds.
Starred review from January 1, 2023
DEBUT Pride and Prejudice meets the New York City queer publishing scene in Kellogg's debut. Liz Baker is a sex and relationships writer at the struggling queer online magazine The Nether Fields, but writing quizzes and sex toy reviews is no longer as interesting to her as it used to be. Plus she hasn't had a successful date in a year. When The Nether Fields is saved from closure by last-minute buyers, Bailey Cox and Daria Fitzgerald, Liz clashes immediately with the surly, suited Daria, who thinks Liz is nothing but a frivolous fluff writer and that the magazine is doomed to failure. Despite their conflict, however, Daria and Liz soon discover that they have more chemistry (and more in common) than they ever expected. Kellogg has written a sincere, funny book that successfully uses Jane Austen's characters and plot as a means to explore queer identity, gender expression, and the intersection of admiration and attraction. VERDICT Will charm readers looking for a queer spin on Pride and Prejudice and relatable stories about finding one's place in the world.--Sierra Wilson
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March 1, 2023
A queer debut rom-com in which a magazine's sex-advice columnist and the woman in charge of cutting costs frequently butt heads and fight their attraction. Liz Baker works as a relationship and sex-advice columnist for Nether Fields, "a magazine for queer women, nonbinary people, and trans people," but receives the bittersweet news that the publication is being shut down. She's sad to see Nether Fields close, though the severance money will allow her to keep writing full time. Then the magazine is saved at the eleventh hour, purchased by Manhattan real estate agent Bailey Cox and her more cutthroat business partner, Daria Fitzgerald. Though Bailey is a fan of the magazine and wants to see it succeed, Daria is more concerned with finding expenses to cut. Liz's first impression of Daria is a bad one--she overhears Daria insulting the magazine to Bailey, specifically mentioning some of Liz's articles. Things only gets worse as Daria slashes popular office perks. On the other hand, Liz is powerfully attracted to Daria, though Daria treads (and often fails to tread) the line between curt and mean. The power balance between them is also a problem, especially as Daria makes it clear that Liz will be the first to go once departments start downsizing. The romance is slow to develop, as Daria's and Liz's snap judgments about each other often stunt meaningful conversations. They eventually get there, realizing how wrong their initial assumptions were, but readers may tap out well before then. The supportive and diverse queer community that serves as the backdrop to the romance is the most compelling thing about this book. While the insertion of queer celebrities and pop culture into the narrative quickly identifies the characters as being very much plugged into online spaces and media, it winds up overloading the romance. Where the relationship falters, though, the setting of Nether Fields and its devoted staff shines. A wonderful cast is squandered by a downright antagonistic romance.
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March 15, 2023
Liz and her three roommates, Jane, Lydia, and Katie, all work at Nether Fields, a magazine for queer women, nonbinary people, and trans people, and each roommate has their own responsibilities and varying degrees of success. When new owners acquire the financially struggling magazine, Liz regrets her lost chance to focus on her fiction writing. When she meets one of the new owners, Daria feels like it might be the worst--or best--experience of her life. Could their spark become a flame? Debut romance novelist Kellogg cleverly and subtly mixes aspects of Pride and Prejudice and Sex in the City as she charts the bumpy path Liz and Daria find themselves on. The result is a solid rom-com with lots of witty pop-culture references and a full cast of LGBTQ+ characters representing different identities and experiences. The Q&A with the author and reading group guide are useful additions. Kellogg's first romance seems like a natural starter for a series of novels and perhaps even a screen adaptation.
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