June 6, 2023

The Search for Love is Universal

After a lifetime of searching for someone like herself in a book, Holly Smale wrote one herself.

The Search for Love is Universal

After a lifetime of searching for someone like herself in a book, Holly Smale wrote one herself.

If ‘art is a mirror held up to nature’, then I have spent a lot of my life searching for my reflection and finding very little. While books have always been what I turned to for comfort and escapism – to see the world through other lenses – I have also been left feeling a little like a ghost, desperately ripping down dust-sheets but seeing nothing. And so the conviction that I was alone, and possibly ‘broken’, became more pronounced with every page I turned.

When I was diagnosed as autistic in my late 30s, that belief began to shift. I am simply wired differently, and – as the shame slowly melted away – my attention turned back to the page. If I had failed to find many women like me in books, perhaps I could write one. Thus Cassie was born. Like me, she would struggle with human connection and communication; she would find relationships difficult, emotions confusing and her environment sensorily overwhelming. Like me, she would be considered ‘weird’ and frequently ‘unlikeable’ and would struggle to find her place in a world that held her permanently at arms’ length.

But I didn’t want to write an ‘issues’ book. I wanted to write a joyful, fun story, albeit one with a slightly less usual protagonist. At its heart, this book is about what we all experience: a basic human desire to connect with the people around us, and ultimately to ourselves. Cassie uses time travel – in a very autistic way, looping, repeating, hyper-focusing – to do what we’ve all found ourselves wishing we could do at some point: undo our mistakes, rewrite our histories and edit our own lives. She may do it in a slightly unconventional way, but the search for love is universal. And this is what Cassandra In Reverse has always been about: love, in all its different forms. Love for each other, as humans, despite our differences.

We deserve books that reflect us all, and with Cassie I found a way to rip down the dust-sheet. Whether you’re autistic or not, this is a story that ultimately encourages you to be yourself and celebrate the beauty in our individuality.

None of us are truly alone.

GIVEAWAY ✨ We're giving away 5 advance copies of the coveted Gone Before Goodbye by @ReeseWitherspoon and @HarlanCoben. Be the first to dive in!

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To the Moon and Back by @ElianaRamage truly shows us that the stars are in reach! ⭐ Grab this exclusive version, including a letter to YOU, an extra chapter, discussion questions, book club insights, and even a conversation with the author at the link in our bio.
#ad The ultimate literary escape is calling ✨ 

We teamed up with World of @Hyatt and brought you an unforgettable bookish adventure with upscale accommodations, scenic views, campfire conversations, and more. Grab your book club and prepare for the dreamiest getaway. Head to our link in bio to book your trip now!
Loving this bookish insight from @MissJudyGreer! Books truly meet us where we are, and take us to where we've never been! 💙

This week on Bookmarked, the Reese's Book Club Podcast, we welcome the incomparable @MissJudyGreer! @DanielleRobay and Judy chat all things power of story, female friendships in media, the new Stephen King book-to-screen adaptation, and more!

Listen on the @iHeartPodcast App, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you love to listen! 🎧

Photo courtesy of Gregory Russell.
"To the Moon and Back is a story of love, identity, relationships and where they were rooted from, but also the vastness of what awaits us beyond the stars and where we belong within that majesty."

Immerse yourself in the beautiful world of our September pick at our link in bio.

📷+💬= @jacobrivsan
Meet Nathalie Standingcloud, proud member of the Cherokee, Creek, and Salish tribes, and one of the incredible voices that brought the To the Moon and Back audiobook to life. Through her work as a storyteller and artist on projects like Killers of the Flower Moon and Reservation Dogs, Nathalie shines a light on her Indigenous identity and heritage, and inspires others to embrace Indigenous narratives.

Press play on the story of a young woman’s mission to become the first Cherokee astronaut at our link in bio. 🎧
COVER REVEAL ✨✨ Fake relationship plot? Check! British love interest? Check! Written by our favorite @RaeganRevord? Check!

You're going to want to open this one 💌 Rules for Fake Girlfriends is out now! Start reading at the link in our bio.
Bring your love of stories, we’ll bring the community magic ✨ 

Shine Away is the ultimate Reese's Book Club fan experience, a weekend of inspiration, empowerment, and connection for women and book lovers. Did you know there's only 32 days left until this magical, one-of-a-kind event? Snag your spot at our link in our bio to make your Shine Away weekend one for the books!
"I don't often cry in a book, but this one got me."

Us too. We're still not over Broken Country. 💛

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