Mattie Redgrave has no doubt that her isolation in an Auckland quarantine hotel will be the most enjoyable part of her brother's wedding. She won't have to see her terrible family, can catch up on all her freelance work, and can finally dive into her to-be-read pile. But when her neighbor in the adjoining room slides a letter beneath their door, Mattie can't help getting swept up in the romance of starting a correspondence with a handsome stranger.
Raphael Callan is fully aware of the irony of finding escape in a locked room. But New Zealand should be far enough away to sidestep the pressures of his increasingly public acting career and the continued unwanted attention of his ex. When he realizes the intriguing woman he sat beside on the plane is staying in the room next door, he sees an opportunity, at last, to get to know someone without his celebrity getting in the way.
As their letters become more personal, their days in isolation dwindle. Real life presses in, and soon, they'll have to face it. All their scandals, bad choices, bullies, and exes are waiting to test whether the romantic bubble of their courtship can withstand their neglected real-world problems in the swiftly changing world of a global pandemic.
This contemporary queer romance features two bisexual leads and classic romance tropes like forced proximity, secret identity, and celebrity romance. It doesn't shy away from the Covid pandemic, but embraces the idea that someone could still find love when their life--and the world--get turned upside-down.
