Love at First Set: A Novel

Lizzie’s whole life is at the gym. When she’s not managing the desk at her best friend James’ family gym, she’s either working out or sketching ideas for her own. When James pressures her to be his plus one at his sister Cara’s wedding, she doesn’t expect to meet the bride crying alone in a bathroom stall, and she certainly doesn’t intend to give her a pep talk that essentially convinces her to cancel the wedding. But when Cara moves in with James while she gets her life back together, there’s no denying Lizzie’s growing feelings. With her job and her friendship on the line, things are about to get heavy. Dugan has proven that she can write relatable characters and plots capable of plumbing the truly gargantuan emotional depths of queer romance, but while the first third of this one started strong, the character development and plot stagnated around the halfway mark and became a bit repetitious and unbelievable until the last couple of chapters. With Lizzie reading more lusty than in love and Cara having the personality of a spoon, they just don’t have the chemistry to pull off what could’ve been a delightful premise.