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THE CALCULATION OF YOU AND ME

Serena Kaylor

A calculus nerd enlists her surly classmate's help to win back her ex-boyfriend, but when sparks start to fly, she realizes there's no algorithm for falling in love.
Marlowe Meadows understands a lot of things. She understands that calculus isn't overwhelmingly beautiful to everyone, and that it typically kills the mood when you try to talk Python coding over beer pong. She understands that people were surprised when golden boy Josh asked her out and she went from weird, math-obsessed Marlowe to half of their school's couple goals. Unfortunately, Marlowe was the one surprised when Josh dumped her because he'd prefer a girlfriend who's more romantic. One with emotional depth.

But Marlowe has never failed anything in her life, and she isn't about to start now. When she's paired with Ashton Hayes for an English project, his black clothing and moody eyeliner cause a bit of a systems overload, and the dissonant sounds of his rock band make her brain itch. But when she discovers Ash's hidden stash of love songs, Marlowe makes a desperate deal to unleash her inner romantic heroine: if Ash will agree to help her write some love letters to win back Josh, she'll calculate the perfect data analytics formula to make Ash's band go viral.

As the semester heats up with yearning love notes, a syllabus of romance novels, and late nights spent with a boy who escapes any box her brain tries to put him in, Marlowe starts to question if there's really a set solution to love. Could a girl who's never met a problem she can't solve have gotten the math so massively wrong?

Serena Kaylor is a neurodiverse, romcom super-fan, who is always moments away from cornering you and outlining all her favorite ships. Her books are stuffed with awkward moments, angsty kisses, and jokes that at least she finds funny. She is the author of Long Story Short and The Calculation of You and Me.
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Published 2024-06-18 by Wednesday Books

Comments

I loved this book to pieces.

Like the best of the Bard himself, LONG STORY SHORT combines dazzling repartee with iconic, nuanced characters and the kind of charged, perfectly paced romance fit for the world stage.

Kaylor thoughtfully portrays Marlowe's nuanced character growth and weaves a moving subplot about how Marlowe believes autism has affected her relationship with her seemingly perfect mother and younger sister... The story includes authentically described neurodiverse and LGBTQ+ characters... A delightful, richly characterized slow-burn romance about figuring out what you want.

A celebration of embracing differences, trusting the process, and demanding better for oneself, Kaylor's sophomore novel shines as a delightfully fun romance filled with an abundance of humor and hope... A one-sit read rom-com with lots of heart and plenty of sarcasm, perfect for Jenny Han or Emma Lord aficionados.

An unmissable debut from a voice to watch in the YA romantic comedy sphere!

Kaylor, whose first novel, Long Story Short (2022), was also a romance featuring a neurodivergent main character, creates a wholly believable story with three well-drawn characters in Marlowe, Josh, and Ash, who works part-time in a romance bookshop-café. Immediately engaging, Kaylor's lively first-person narrative seems likely to please rom-com fans with its plausible story and satisfying ending.