Good morning!
I’d like to pitch a first-person culture piece for Stylist: The fake fiancé is the perfect 2026 metaphor.
Everyone’s curating stability. The ridiculously tidy home. The loved-up holiday post. The apparently effortless life update with magazine-photo-quality food. In my new romantic novel, Lisa Doyle Is Absolutely Fine (out 18 June), Lisa does the same thing, only less subtly: four glasses into a bottle of (not great) wine, she announces she’s engaged to a man called Brian. Unfortunately, he doesn’t exist. Even more unfortunately, Brian is also the name of her very married boss.
The piece would use the fake engagement as a funny way into something more recognisable: the pressure on us to look settled, chosen and emotionally under control, especially when friends are getting married, careers are stalling, and everyone else’s life seems to have come with secret instructions.
I’m a gay novelist writing contemporary romantic fiction with a dry, grown-up, British sensibility. Confirmed Pride-month coverage and appearances around the book include BookBrunch, QX, The Bookseller, Writing.ie, Book DNA, PinkNews, Queer the Streets Festival and Hertford Literary Festival.
I can turn around 700–900 words quickly, written in a warm, sharp, personal style, with author photo, cover and preorder links available.
Best wishes,
Mo Fanning