Lie #1: I'm not afraid

Lie #2: I'm sure I'm doing the right thing

Lie #3: I don't care what they think of me

It’s 1959. The battle for civil rights is raging. And it’s Sarah’s first day of school as one of the first black students at previously all-white Jefferson High.

No one wants Sarah there. Not the Governor. Not the teachers. And certainly not the students – especially Linda, daughter of the town’s most ardent segregationist.

Sarah and Linda are supposed to despise each other. But the more time they spend together, the less their differences matter. And both girls start to feel something they’ve never felt before. Something they’re determined to ignore.

Because it’s one thing to stand up to an unjust world – but another to be terrified of what’s in your own heart.

The brilliant new romcom from 2020 CILIP Carnegie medal nominee and New York Times bestseller, Robin Talley. ************************************************************* It's easy not to fall in love, right? Melody McIntyre, stage manager extraordinaire, has a plan for everything. What she doesn't have? Success with love. Every time she falls for someone during a school performance, both the romance and the show end in catastrophe. So, Mel swears off love until their upcoming production of Les Mis is over. Of course, Mel didn't count on Odile Rose, rising star in the acting world, auditioning for the spring performance. And she definitely didn't expect Odile to be sweet, and funny and care as much about the play's success as Mel. Which means that Melody McIntyre's only plan now is trying desperately not to fall in love. A hilarious, heartwarming and empowering read, perfect for fans of Pitch Perfect, Love Simon and To All the Boys I've Loved Before. ************************************************************* Praise for Robin Talley's previous novels: 'The main characters are terrific in what is a moving novel. And an important one.' The Telegraph 'absolutely loved it - romantic and funny and gripping and just generally excellent!' Tom Ellen, author of Freshers and All About Us 'touching, clever and absolutely hilarious' The Herald 'I really loved the book... it was just a lovely, refreshing read for me, and I'm so glad there are authors like Robin Talley out there.' Bookseller review 'One of the most interesting and informative LGBT books I've read recently!' Reader review 'I read it in one sitting!' NetGalley reviewer 'a must-read for anyone interested in LGBTQ+ history' NetGalley reviewer 'a very timely novel' NetGalley reviewer

From the award-winning author Robin Talley comes an inspiring new novel about the power of love to fight prejudice and hate.

Two women connected across generations through the power of words.

In 1955 eighteen-year-old Janet Jones must keep the love she shares with her best friend a secret. As in the age of McCarthyism to be gay is to sin. But when Janet discovers a series of books about women falling in love with other women, it awakens something in her. As she juggles a romance she must keep hidden and a new-found ambition to write and publish her own story, she risks exposing herself – and Marie – to a danger all too real.

Sixty-two years later, Abby Cohen can’t stop thinking about her senior project – classic 1950s lesbian pulp fiction. She feels especially connected to one author, ‘Marian Love’, and becomes determined to track her down and discover her true identity. Is Abby prepared for what she will find?

A stunning story of bravery, love, how far we’ve come and how much farther we have to go.

'Talley's newest is sure to satisfy.' - Kirkus Reviews Fifteen-year-old Aki Simon has a theory. And it's mostly about sex. No, it isn't that kind of theory. Aki already knows she's bisexual--even if, until now, it's mostly been in the hypothetical sense. Aki's theory is that she's only got one shot at living an interesting life--and that means she's got to stop sitting around and thinking so much. It's time for her to actually do something. Or at least try. So when Aki and her friend Lori set off on a trip to a small Mexican town for the summer, and Aki meets Christa--slightly-older, far-more-experienced--it seems her theory is prime for the testing. But something tells her its not going to be that easy...

Amnesty Honour winner Robin Talley is back with a Shakespeare-inspired story of revenge and redemption, where fair is foul, and foul is fair.

Maria Lyon and Lily Boiten are their school’s ultimate power couple—but one thing stands between them and their perfect future: campus superstar Delilah Dufrey. Golden child Delilah is a legend at exclusive Acheron Academy, and the presumptive winner of the distinguished Cawdor Kingsley Prize. But Delilah doesn’t know that Lily and Maria are willing to do anything—absolutely anything—to unseat Delilah for the scholarship. After all, it would lock in Maria’s attendance at Stanford—and assure her and Lily four more years in a shared dorm room.

Together, Maria and Lily harness the dark power long rumored to be present on the former plantation that houses their school. But when feuds turn to fatalities, and madness begins to blur the distinction between what’s real and what’s imagined, the girls must attempt to put a stop to the chilling series of events they’ve accidentally set in motion.

What if discovering who you really are means letting go of who you've been?

Toni and Gretchen are the couple everyone envied in high school. They've been together forever. They never fight. They're hopelessly in love.

When they separate for their first year at college they're sure their relationship will stay rock solid.

The reality of being apart, however, is very different. Toni's discovering a new world – and a new gender identity – but Gretchen struggles to remember who she is outside of their relationship.

While Toni worries that Gretchen won’t understand Toni's shifting identity, Gretchen begins to wonder where she fits in this puzzle. Now they must decide if their love is strong enough to last.

A powerful new novel from the acclaimed author of Lies We Tell Ourselves.

'An utter joy to read' NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars The brand-new novel from the 2020 CILIP Carnegie medal nominee and New York Times bestseller, Robin Talley. ************************************************************* 'I'm just so sick of blending in...' It's 1977, and the USA is tearing itself apart. And so is Tammy Larson. Seventeen and scared, Tammy has a secret that her strict community and conservative family must never find out; one that she's only ever shared in unposted letters to her hero, Harvey Milk. She's gay. Hundreds of miles away, Tammy's new pen pal is dealing with a few secrets of her own. Sharon Hawkins lives in foggy San Francisco, an exciting city full of protests and punk music. But as the letters pile up in her desk drawer, Sharon begins to realise that her world might not be that different to Tammy's after all... Set to a soundtrack of Bowie, Blondie and a whole lot of Patti Smith, the girls' worlds converge in ways they could never have imagined. With a fierce sense of rebellion and a feminist attitude to boot, Tammy and Sharon soon discover what it means to be their true selves, and one thing's for sure: they're both sick of blending in. The perfect empowering and life-affirming read for fans of Caitlin Moran, Becky Albertalli and Meredith Russo. ************************************************************* Praise for Music from Another World: 'Difficult to put down... an empowering read with a powerful message' Paper Lanterns 'Absolutely LOVED it! So funny and romantic and incredibly tense' Tom Ellen Praise for Robin Talley's previous novels: 'The main characters are terrific in what is a moving novel. And an important one.' The Telegraph 'absolutely loved it - romantic and funny and gripping and just generally excellent!' Tom Ellen, author of Freshers 'touching, clever and absolutely hilarious' The Herald 'I really loved the book... it was just a lovely, refreshing read for me, and I'm so glad there are authors like Robin Talley out there.' Bookseller 'One of the most interesting and informative LGBT books I've read recently!' Reader 'a must-read for anyone interested in LGBTQ+ history' NetGalley reviewer

From the critically acclaimed author of Lies We Tell Ourselves comes an emotional, empowering story of what happens when love may not be enough to conquer all

Toni and Gretchen are the couple everyone envied in high school. When they separate for their first year at college—Toni to Harvard and Gretchen to NYU—they're sure they'll be fine. Where other long-distance relationships have fallen apart, theirs is bound to stay rock-solid.

The reality of being apart, though, is very different than they expected. Toni, who identifies as genderqueer, meets a group of transgender upperclassmen and immediately finds a sense of belonging that has always been missing, but Gretchen struggles to remember who she is outside their relationship.

As distance and Toni's shifting gender identity begin to wear on their relationship, the couple must decide—have they grown apart for good, or is love enough to keep them together?