Loved One

'THE FUNNIEST BOOK YOU'LL EVER READ ABOUT GRIEF' MAGGIE SHIPSTEAD 'PERFECTLY CAPTURES THE MESSINESS, HEARTACHE AND BEAUTY OF GRIEF' RED MAGAZINE ‘For years I'd known exactly who I was to Gabe. It was a long story but I could tell it confidently, like a bartender sharing a recipe for her signature cocktail. Now things were so jumbled, I didn't know where to begin…’ When Julia’s first-love-turned-close-friend Gabe, a successful indie musician, dies unexpectedly aged 29, Julia is launched into an intercontinental quest to recover the possessions he left with friends and acquaintances across the world. The search for these items leads Julia to Elizabeth, the last woman Gabe loved, in an interaction that leaves Julia with more questions than answers. Both women, it turns out, have something to hide, and soon find themselves engaged in a complex dance of withholding and revelation. Together, the two must reconcile their conflicting memories of Gabe and who he was to each of them…and who they now are to each other. From the Emmy Award-winning writer behind Hacks and Parks and Recreation , Loved One is a wise, witty and profoundly moving coming-of-age story with a powerful love at its heart, set to become an instant classic.

'THE FUNNIEST BOOK YOU'LL EVER READ ABOUT GRIEF' MAGGIE SHIPSTEAD 'PERFECTLY CAPTURES THE MESSINESS, HEARTACHE AND BEAUTY OF GRIEF' RED MAGAZINE ‘For years I'd known exactly who I was to Gabe. It was a long story but I could tell it confidently, like a bartender sharing a recipe for her signature cocktail. Now things were so jumbled, I didn't know where to begin…’ When Julia’s first-love-turned-close-friend Gabe, a successful indie musician, dies unexpectedly aged 29, Julia is launched into an intercontinental quest to recover the possessions he left with friends and acquaintances across the world. The search for these items leads Julia to Elizabeth, the last woman Gabe loved, in an interaction that leaves Julia with more questions than answers. Both women, it turns out, have something to hide, and soon find themselves engaged in a complex dance of withholding and revelation. Together, the two must reconcile their conflicting memories of Gabe and who he was to each of them…and who they now are to each other. From the Emmy Award-winning writer behind Hacks and Parks and Recreation , Loved One is a wise, witty and profoundly moving coming-of-age story with a powerful love at its heart, set to become an instant classic.

'THE FUNNIEST BOOK YOU'LL EVER READ ABOUT GRIEF' MAGGIE SHIPSTEAD 'PERFECTLY CAPTURES THE MESSINESS, HEARTACHE AND BEAUTY OF GRIEF' RED MAGAZINE ‘For years I'd known exactly who I was to Gabe. It was a long story but I could tell it confidently, like a bartender sharing a recipe for her signature cocktail. Now things were so jumbled, I didn't know where to begin…’ When Julia’s first-love-turned-close-friend Gabe, a successful indie musician, dies unexpectedly aged 29, Julia is launched into an intercontinental quest to recover the possessions he left with friends and acquaintances across the world. The search for these items leads Julia to Elizabeth, the last woman Gabe loved, in an interaction that leaves Julia with more questions than answers. Both women, it turns out, have something to hide, and soon find themselves engaged in a complex dance of withholding and revelation. Together, the two must reconcile their conflicting memories of Gabe and who he was to each of them…and who they now are to each other. From the Emmy Award-winning writer behind Hacks and Parks and Recreation , Loved One is a wise, witty and profoundly moving coming-of-age story with a powerful love at its heart, set to become an instant classic.

'THE FUNNIEST BOOK YOU'LL EVER READ ABOUT GRIEF' MAGGIE SHIPSTEAD 'PERFECTLY CAPTURES THE MESSINESS, HEARTACHE AND BEAUTY OF GRIEF' RED MAGAZINE ‘For years I'd known exactly who I was to Gabe. It was a long story but I could tell it confidently, like a bartender sharing a recipe for her signature cocktail. Now things were so jumbled, I didn't know where to begin…’ When Julia’s first-love-turned-close-friend Gabe, a successful indie musician, dies unexpectedly aged 29, Julia is launched into an intercontinental quest to recover the possessions he left with friends and acquaintances across the world. The search for these items leads Julia to Elizabeth, the last woman Gabe loved, in an interaction that leaves Julia with more questions than answers. Both women, it turns out, have something to hide, and soon find themselves engaged in a complex dance of withholding and revelation. Together, the two must reconcile their conflicting memories of Gabe and who he was to each of them…and who they now are to each other. From the Emmy Award-winning writer behind Hacks and Parks and Recreation , Loved One is a wise, witty and profoundly moving coming-of-age story with a powerful love at its heart, set to become an instant classic.

Most Anticipated Book of the Summer: New York Times Book Review, W Magazine, Oprah Daily, Conde Nast Traveler, Hollywood Reporter, the Boston Globe, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and The Millions Best Book of 2025 So Far: Real Simple , Debutiful , Literary Hub "[ Loved One ] is special . . . full of wildly astute, delectably thorny questions about love and loss and possession." --Maggie Shipstead, New York Times bestselling author of Great Circle From an Emmy Award-winning writer comes a funny, wise, heartbreaking story about a woman journeying into the unknown in the wake of sudden loss When her first-love-turned-close-friend, Gabe, dies unexpectedly at twenty-nine, thirty-year-old Julia is launched into an intercontinental quest to recover his lost possessions. Her journey takes her from Los Angeles to London and into the murky realm of the past. It also sets Julia on a collision course with the last woman he loved, a guarded, self-possessed florist and restaurateur named Elizabeth, who insists on withholding Gabe's beloved guitar--one of the departed indie rock musician's dearest belongings--for reasons Julia can't understand. Both women, it turns out, have something to hide, and soon find themselves engaged in a complex dance of withholding and revelation. An emotional mystery spanning years, continents, and relationship statuses, Loved One introduces Aisha Muharrar as a novelist intimately attuned to the intricacies of love, memory, and ambiguous loss. What happens when we admit that the deepest feelings never die? How do we reconcile various--and sometimes contradictory--truths about those closest to us? An engrossing and profoundly moving coming-of-age story with a powerful love at its heart, Loved One is poised to become an instant classic.

Most Anticipated Book of the Summer: New York Times Book Review, W Magazine, Oprah Daily, Conde Nast Traveler, Hollywood Reporter, the Boston Globe, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and The Millions Best Book of 2025 So Far: Real Simple , Debutiful , Literary Hub "[ Loved One ] is special . . . full of wildly astute, delectably thorny questions about love and loss and possession." --Maggie Shipstead, New York Times bestselling author of Great Circle From an Emmy Award-winning writer comes a funny, wise, heartbreaking story about a woman journeying into the unknown in the wake of sudden loss When her first-love-turned-close-friend, Gabe, dies unexpectedly at twenty-nine, thirty-year-old Julia is launched into an intercontinental quest to recover his lost possessions. Her journey takes her from Los Angeles to London and into the murky realm of the past. It also sets Julia on a collision course with the last woman he loved, a guarded, self-possessed florist and restaurateur named Elizabeth, who insists on withholding Gabe's beloved guitar--one of the departed indie rock musician's dearest belongings--for reasons Julia can't understand. Both women, it turns out, have something to hide, and soon find themselves engaged in a complex dance of withholding and revelation. An emotional mystery spanning years, continents, and relationship statuses, Loved One introduces Aisha Muharrar as a novelist intimately attuned to the intricacies of love, memory, and ambiguous loss. What happens when we admit that the deepest feelings never die? How do we reconcile various--and sometimes contradictory--truths about those closest to us? An engrossing and profoundly moving coming-of-age story with a powerful love at its heart, Loved One is poised to become an instant classic.

"[ Loved One ] is special...full of wildly astute, delectably thorny questions about love and loss and possession." --Maggie Shipstead, author of Great Circle , via Instagram A warm, witty, and wise novel about a woman who goes looking for answers after her first love turned best friend dies unexpectedly, and winds up finding herself When her first love and friend of more than a decade, Gabe, dies suddenly at twenty-nine, thirty-year-old Julia is launched onto an intercontinental quest to recover his lost possessions. Her journey takes her from Los Angeles to London to Barcelona, and into the murky realm of the past, a kaleidoscope that seems to offer more questions than answers about who Gabe really was, and who they were to each other. It also sets Julia on a collision course with the last woman he loved, an effortlessly beautiful and impossibly cool restaurateur named Elizabeth, who insists on withholding Gabe's beloved guitar--one of the departed indie rock musician's dearest belongings--for reasons Julia can't understand. Both women, it turns out, have something to hide. Are Julia and Elizabeth friends, are they competitors, or are they bound by something deeper than their love of the same man? An engrossing, transformative journey and a tender coming-of-age story with a complex and powerful love at its heart, Loved One is poised to become an instant classic. Written with crackling wit and deep compassion, it asks profound, resonant questions about life, love, and loss. What happens when we admit that the deepest feelings never die? And just how little do we know about love--if it is, at the end of the day, all we really have? Full of revelations and emotional twists that keep the pages turning, Loved One is an unforgettable novel that introduces Aisha Muharrar as a novelist deeply attuned to the sense of self and of home we find in our closest relationships.

"[ Loved One ] is special...full of wildly astute, delectably thorny questions about love and loss and possession." --Maggie Shipstead, author of Great Circle , via Instagram A warm, witty, and wise novel about a woman who goes looking for answers after her first love turned best friend dies unexpectedly, and winds up finding herself When her first love and friend of more than a decade, Gabe, dies suddenly at twenty-nine, thirty-year-old Julia is launched onto an intercontinental quest to recover his lost possessions. Her journey takes her from Los Angeles to London to Barcelona, and into the murky realm of the past, a kaleidoscope that seems to offer more questions than answers about who Gabe really was, and who they were to each other. It also sets Julia on a collision course with the last woman he loved, an effortlessly beautiful and impossibly cool restaurateur named Elizabeth, who insists on withholding Gabe's beloved guitar--one of the departed indie rock musician's dearest belongings--for reasons Julia can't understand. Both women, it turns out, have something to hide. Are Julia and Elizabeth friends, are they competitors, or are they bound by something deeper than their love of the same man? An engrossing, transformative journey and a tender coming-of-age story with a complex and powerful love at its heart, Loved One is poised to become an instant classic. Written with crackling wit and deep compassion, it asks profound, resonant questions about life, love, and loss. What happens when we admit that the deepest feelings never die? And just how little do we know about love--if it is, at the end of the day, all we really have? Full of revelations and emotional twists that keep the pages turning, Loved One is an unforgettable novel that introduces Aisha Muharrar as a novelist deeply attuned to the sense of self and of home we find in our closest relationships.