Puck - by Samantha Allen (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

In this A Midsummer Night's Dream-inspired romcom, Puck is a reality show producer and agent of chaos with a talent for bringing people together . . . and tearing them apart.

Meet Puck: the nonbinary, thirty-year-old mastermind behind Homewreckers, a dating show that puts troubled couples through hell--with a little help from their exes. Used to being the one pulling the strings, it shocks Puck when their life undergoes a plot twist of its own and their college roommate Mia announces her engagement to her ex's best friend, Damon. Having only recently broken up with longtime-boyfriend Zander, and never having had much in common with Damon (who lovesick Lena has always pined after), Mia's news leaves her friend group reeling--and Puck's mind whirling.

When they arrive for a week of wedding festivities at an upscale resort in the Appalachian forest, Puck immediately sees that Mia's marriage will lead to misery, and takes it upon themself to save their friends by rearranging the couples--without anyone finding out. But as Puck comes up against a type-A maid of honor hell-bent on making this wedding happen, it becomes clear that they will have to deliver the greatest stunt of their career. If only they can take their eyes off the bridesmaid. After all, the course of true love never did run smooth...

Written with Samantha Allen's signature charm, wit, and an irresistible dose of Shakespearian mischief, Puck is the ultimate romcom for our chaotic era, and a celebration of the friendships that carry us through it all.

Review Quotes

"A madcap speedrun that pushes the boundaries of the rom-com genre in the best way. An insanely funny read, perfect for gender neutral goblins and the people who love them." --TJ Alexander, USA Today bestselling author of A Gentleman's Gentleman

"Allen uses Puck as an agent of chaos to highlight the manicured production of wedding culture and how heteronormativity is performed and policed . . . Bursting with humor, interpersonal drama, and badly timed desire, this equally smart and playful narrative has a point to make: that control is antithetical to intimacy and the course of true love, whether queer or straight, resists both scripting and stage management. It's a delight." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"A masterful adaptation of the bard's most riotous play with the perfect combination of humor, heart, and wit. This book is a must read for Shakespeare nerds everywhere." --Nisha Sharma, award-winning author of the If Shakespeare Were an Auntie series

"Full of frothy fun, the story is also earnest and emotionally grounded when it needs to be. An excellent romantic comedy with both style and substance." --Library Journal (starred review)

"Full of mischief and romance, this book is everything you'd want in a Shakespearean retelling. A joyful, riotous romp!" --Ashley Herring Blake, award-winning author of Delilah Green Doesn't Care

"Delightful chaos, sizzling spice, and the best personal growth readers can ask for . . . a superb example of a classics-inspired reimagining . . . Allen has masterfully pulled the strings of the romance genre to engineer this lightning-fast, laugh-out-loud romance that all can enjoy." --Booklist (starred review)

"So much fun! Unique and heartfelt, Puck by Samantha Allen balances humor and swoony spice with a thought-provoking story." --Farah Heron, author of Accidentally Engaged

"[A] fun and appropriately chaotic Shakespeare-inspired rom-com." --Book Riot

"Hilariously messy and charmingly honest." --Natasha Bishop, author of Only for the Week

About the Author