Phoebe Luckhurst

SHORTLISTED for the 2022 Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction
SHORTLISTED for the Comedy Women in Print Prize

AN OLD LOVE. A STUCK DOOR. AND THE MORNING AFTER THE NIGHT BEFORE . . .

They’d like to be going out.

Instead they’re stuck in . . .

Best friends Ellen and Alexa have always been close.

Until one fateful morning when they get locked in their attic with hapless housemate Jack and Alexa’s date from the night before, Ben.

With no way out, hangovers and the hours crawling by, it seems best friends can get too close for comfort.

Especially when Ellen realises she already knows Ben – perhaps rather better than Alexa does . . .

Fans of Dolly Alderton, Beth O’Leary and Mhairi McFarlane will LOVE this oh-so relatable tale of love, landlords and what can happen behind locked doors

Praise: 

‘This will have you both cringing and crying with laughter’ WOMAN’S WEEKLY
‘A funny, joyful hug of a book! ‘ Cressida McLaughlin
‘An immaculately plotted romcom’ i
‘A hilarious debut’ EVENING STANDARD
‘I LOVED this book . . . I highly recommend The Lock In’ CARRIE HOPE FLETCHER
‘Funny and compelling from page one’ LUCY VINE, author of Hot Mess
‘Beautifully written, warm and fun’ Laura Kay, author of The Split
‘I cannot recommend this book enough!’ 5***** READER REVIEW
‘Made me smile, laugh, cringe and inwardly cheer’ 5***** READER REVIEW

THE HILARIOUS AND HEARTWARMING NEW ROMCOM PERFECT FOR FANS OFTHE FLATSHARE, FROM THE COMEDY WOMEN IN PRINT PRIZE SHORTLISTED AUTHOR

‘An entertaining romcom with a very relatable set-up.The Back Up Mangoes down like a good cup of tea . . .warm, comforting, enjoyable’ i
‘Delightful and uplifting. Brimming with nostalgia and warmth. A great read to brighten up the winter months’ Culturefly

· Marriage pact
· Slow burn
· Forced proximity
· Friends to lovers

‘I could not put it down – I just HAD to know what happened’ 5***** Reader Review
‘A romcom with depth and substance and also, refreshingly, set in Glasgow’ RED
‘Uplifting and compelling. I couldn’t put it down and I couldn’t stop smiling – I loved it’ 5***** Reader Review

*Shortlisted author for the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize*

They made a deal to marry at thirty.But Euan’s nowhere to be found . . .
Can Anya track down her back up man?
__________

Twenty-nine, single, jobless and in a nightmare house share, things could be going better for Anya Mackie.

Then she stumbles across a pact she wrote with her school crush, Euan Carrick – to marry at thirty if they’re still single . . .

But Euan hasn’t been seen for a decade.

Reluctantly enlisting the help of Euan’s emotionally unavailable best friend Jamie Kildare, Anya sets off across the country to find her Back Up Man.

But will Euan remember her?

And should Anya really be betting her future on her past?
__________

The Back Up Man is a hilariously romantic tale of mishaps and matrimony, love and long shots, foibles and friendship, that may make you text that old school boyfriend of yours . . .

‘I adored The Back Up Man! Phoebe is so funny, with such a brilliant observational eye and a perfect ear for dialogue. An absolute delight’ EMMA HUGHES

‘You’ll have a lot of fun’ HEAT

‘A charming romance’ WOMAN’S OWN

‘Funny and uplifting’ SUN

Praise for Phoebe Luckhurst:

‘Entertaining, endearing, and truly unique. Found myself wincing and laughing with familiarity’ Emma Gannon
‘The year’s most original rom-com’Elle
‘Hilarious’Evening Standard
‘Nostalgic, pitch perfect’ Cressida McLaughlin
‘Funny and compelling from page one’ Lucy Vine