How to Hide in Plain Sight - by Emma Noyes (Paperback)

About the Book

"The unbreakable bonds of family are explored in this brilliant and tender story from the author of Guy's Girl. On the day she arrives in Canada for her older brother's wedding, Eliot Beck hasn't seen her family in three years. The separation has been painful. Eliot adores her big, wacky, dysfunctional family. Still, there's a reason she fled to Manhattan and buried herself in her work, and that reason is a secret she's not willing to share with anyone. Not when speaking it aloud risks sending her back there. Into the torturous, never-ending cycle of the obsessive-compulsive disorder that consumed her for years. Eliot thinks she's mentally prepared to survive the four-day-long wedding extravaganza-that is, until she sees her best friend, Manuel, waiting for her on the dock at the marina. The same person who, when they met, felt like finding the missing half of her soul. The same person she tried so hard not to fall in love with-but whose heart she broke anyway. Manuel's presence at the wedding threatens the stone walls that Eliot built around herself. The fortress that keeps her OCD at bay. And if she isn't careful, by the end of this wedding, the whole castle might come crumbling down"--

Book Synopsis

The unbreakable bonds of family and love are explored in this brilliant and tender story from the author of Guy's Girl.

On the day she arrives in Canada for her older brother's wedding, Eliot Beck hasn't seen her family in three years. Eliot adores her big, wacky, dysfunctional collection of siblings and in-laws, but there's a reason she fled to Manhattan and buried herself in her work--and she's not ready to share it with anyone. Not when speaking it aloud could send her back into the never-ending cycle of the obsessive-compulsive disorder that consumed her for years.

Eliot thinks she's prepared to survive the four-day-long wedding extravaganza--until she sees her best friend, Manuel, waiting for her at the marina and looking as handsome as ever. He was the person who, when they met as children, felt like finding the missing half of her soul. The person she tried so hard not to fall in love with... but did anyway.

Manuel's presence at the wedding threatens to undo the walls Eliot has built around herself. The fortress that keeps her okay. If she isn't careful, by the end of this wedding, the whole castle might come crumbling down.

Review Quotes

"I simply could not put this book down. Beyond the brilliance of the writing itself, Emma nailed the realities of OCD, a very misunderstood condition that so rarely gets accurate media representation. I laughed, I cried, and I healed through these pages."--Alegra Kastens, founder of the Center for OCD, Anxiety and Eating Disorders

"How to Hide in Plain Sight is a raw and emotionally profound read. Eliot's strength is inspiring, and the smart and lyrical writing makes this book difficult to put down. Combining themes of family trauma, grief, and self-acceptance, this story is a tear-jerker in the best way possible."--Raquel Vasquez Gilliland, USA Today bestselling author

"An honest, unflinching, and at times, heartbreaking exploration of how the walls we build to protect ourselves can block out the love we need to thrive. Noyes's prose crackles with feeling and fervent, relatable yearning. Readers will revel in the triumph of this beautifully affirming story of self-acceptance, as they race toward the hope-filled happily ever after."--Rebekah Faubion, author of The Lovers

"Once again, Noyes (Guy's Girl, 2023) sensitively portrays a heroine who is coming to terms with a mental illness and finally opening herself up to love. Flashbacks depict the onset of Eliot's OCD and the masking techniques she used to keep the peace. Add this new-adult novel to the growing list of romances that explore neurodiversity."--Booklist

Praise for Guy's Girl

"Emma Noyes' stunning adult debut is raw, real, and an emotional page-turner that will stay with you long after the last page. This love story is a must read."--Krista & Becca Ritchie, New York Times bestselling authors

"Heartbreaking and romantic, Guy's Girl is a beautifully written and authentically raw story about the human journey through trauma, self-exploration and self-love."--Samantha Young, New York Times bestselling author

"Emma Noyes completely captivated me with her spectacular debut! Guy's Girl is an honest, no-holds-barred look at life as a twenty something struggling to find love and find herself. Noyes deftly handles incredibly tough topics with care and sincerity, culminating in a sparkling work of fiction that I could not stop thinking about. This one stuck with me long after I finished the final page!"--Falon Ballard, author of Just My Type

About the Author

Emma Noyes told her mother she wanted to be an author when she was six. She grew up in a suburb outside Chicago and attended Harvard University, where shestudied history and literature. She started her career at a beer company, but left because she wanted to write about mermaids and witches--eventually publishing her first YA fantasy series, the Sunken City. She now lives in Chicago with her Swedish boyfriend and miniature Pomeranian.