This Won’t End Well

An ingeniously witty novel about the risks – and rewards – of opening your life to new people.

This Won't End Well, a novel by Camille Pagán

Who is she to mind her own business?

No new people: that’s Annie Mercer’s vow. It’s bad enough that her boss sabotaged her chemistry career and her best friend tried to cure her with crystals. But after her fiancé, Jon, asks for space while he’s gallivanting around Paris, Annie decides she needs space, too—from everyone.

Yet when Harper moves in next door, Annie can’t help but train a watchful eye on the glamorous but fragile young woman. And if keeping Harper safe requires teaming up with Mo, a maddeningly optimistic amateur detective, who is she to mind her own business?

Soon Annie has let not one but two new people into her life. Then Jon reappears – and he wants her to join him in France. She’s pretty sure letting anyone get close won’t end well. So she must decide: Is another shot at happiness worth the risk?

This Won’t End Well is out now. Click here to get a copy.

This Won't End Well, a novel by Camille Pagán

Praise for This Won't End Well:

“I’ve had the pleasure of reading several of Camille’s books, and they have a few important things in common: they’re all about love, loss, and navigating life’s curve balls with humor and style. They go down like light-hearted, escapist reads, but they address issues that matter to us all. They get into heavy territory, but they’re fun. In her latest, a chemist named Annie who got forced out of the job she loved has her life turned upside down. Her fiancé wants to go find himself— alone—in Paris, her mysterious new neighbor needs her help, and a new detective friend has her sneaking around minding other people’s relationships, while causing her to question her own. I loved watching Annie make her own path and take charge of her life.”

—Modern Mrs. Darcy (Summer Reading Guide Pick) 

This Won’t End Well is a wry, dryly delightful novel about a woman who has been emotionally burned just a few too many times.

 - Midwest Book Review 

I was utterly hooked on the story and lost in the classic Pagán cast of irresistible characters page by page … Whether it’s a laugh you crave or a story with true heart and transformation, This Won’t End Well does in fact end brilliantly for the reader.

—BookTrib

“I loved this book. Author Camille Pagán has written a heart-warming story.”

— Red Carpet Crash

“A funny and heartfelt book about taking charge of your life and relationships.”

The Parkersburg News and Sentinel

“Witty, wise, and of the moment, This Won’t End Well is a story of unlikely friendships, calculated risks, and taking a stand—even when it’s easier to maintain the status quo. Charmingly flawed and endearingly real characters combine with a unique format to make Camille Pagán’s latest page-turner her best book yet.”

—Kristy Woodson Harvey

Bestselling author of Slightly South of Simple

“Never has a quirky lead character been so lovable or well drawn as Annie, the lovelorn chemist who carries This Won’t End Well. Though she pretends to be closed off to the world, in fact she can’t stop caring—and that push-pull of who to let into her life, and under what terms, is something we all understand at a soul-deep level. Annie’s journey from oblivious in love to aware and empowered had me cheering and turning the pages madly, unable to tear myself away. If you want to laugh and lose yourself in a great read, this is the one for you.”

—Kelly Harms

Bestselling author of The Overdue Life of Amy Byler

“Camille Pagán writes with deep compassion for her characters and for all of us who try so hard to do the right thing by the people we love. Annie, the protagonist at the center of her latest novel, is no exception. Quirky and occasionally clueless, charming and vulnerable, Annie’s so real that you’ll want to make her your best friend by the time you’ve reached the last page. This Won’t End Well is Pagán at her finest—capturing readers with warmth, honesty, and keen observations about keeping love simple in a complicated world.”

—Ann Garvin

Founder of the Tall Poppy Writers and USA TODAY bestselling author of I Like You Just Fine When You’re Not Around

It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of quirky characters and this book delivers with some laugh-out-loud moments … This was such a sweet story and had so many funny moments that I found myself reading portions out loud to my husband.”

MomAdvice

“Quirky and lovable. Buy this one for all your friends!”

—Frolic

“The book’s format includes diary entries, texts, and emails, giving the reader a glimpse of Annie’s robust inner life—she may seem standoffish and distant, but there’s a lot going on behind the scenes … [Annie’s] journey takes unexpected, poignant turns, delving into deeper issues while maintaining a positive tone and peppy pace. Fans of Sarah Haywood and Gail Honeyman will appreciate the quirky, yet thoughtfully presented, characters.”

Booklist

SheReads calls This Won’t End Well one of the most-anticipated women’s fiction novels of 2020.

POPSUGAR names This Won’t End Well one of the best books of February 2020.

This latest witty and delightful tale from Pagán (I’m Fine and Neither Are You) is about Annie, a brilliant chemist whose life seems to be crumbling before her eyes. After being wrongly let go from her job and deserted by her beloved fiancé Jon, who runs away to Paris to chase his dreams, Annie is forced to move in with her mother. Desperate to avoid people, she takes up cleaning houses. But soon she becomes fascinated with Harper, the classy, exuberant woman who moves in next door, and befriends Mo, a private detective who is watching Harper. Then Jon returns from Paris and begs her to return with him to the City of Light. Readers will easily relate to Annie in this novel told in emails and diary entries. VERDICT A touching story that is perfect for fans of Maria Semple’s Where’d You Go, Bernadette and the humor of Jennifer Weiner’s novels, this book is for those who understand the difficulties of tackling life, work, and love as a millennial.

Library Journal, starred review

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