Romantic Friction: A Humorous Caper of Writer Rivalry and AI Shenanigans at a Romance Readers' Convention

“Relatable characters, sharp writing, and emotional turbulence will make you laugh and cry.” —Sally Hepworth, New York Times bestselling author of Darling Girls

Sofie Wilde’s bestselling fantasy romance series has been breaking bestseller records and readers’ hearts for years. She’s primed to become a worldwide phenomenon as the tenth and final book is set to debut after the annual romance readers convention takes place in Chicago next week. As buzz continues to build toward the book’s release, Sofie is asked to headline the event for the first time, a career milestone. One she won’t let anyone take from her, especially “the next Sofie Wilde.”

That’s what they’re calling her—Hartley West, the self-published debut author who writes in the style of Sofie Wilde. Except she doesn’t actually “write” anything. After Hartley admits to using AI to create her novel, Sofie’s ready to watch Hartley be skewered on social media. Except in this unpredictable world, Hartley is instead lauded for being innovative, for being such a skilled editor to take what the AI churned out and massage it into a story that’s just as compelling as Sofie’s—maybe even more so.

After her unhinged rant unintentionally goes viral, Sofie loses her keynote, and she’s starting to lose all her support. That loss is Hartley’s gain—as her book sales start soaring, she’s given the headliner spot. Sofie is livid. And she’s not the only one. As the convention begins, Sofie is surrounded by fellow authors who also fear for their futures, their livelihoods, their art being stripped away, one AI prompt at a time. Something must be done. This has to be stopped. Now. With the clock ticking down to the keynote, Sofie enlists her fellow authors in a plan to stop Hartley, vowing, “‘The next Sofie Wilde’—over my dead body. Or hers.”

Lori Gold has crafted a raucous romp through the world of publishing, asking what it really means to be a writer in the time of AI, perfect for fans of Finlay Donovan is Killing It and Emily Henry.

Don't miss Lori Gold's next novel, KISS, MARRY, KILL, where three best friends and founders of an up-and-coming health and wellness app, play a spin on the game of "kiss, marry, kill" at their company's summer outing and wake up the next morning in an alternate universe where they’ve each done just that...

Lori Gold is the author of ROMANTIC FRICTION, one of Zibby Media's "Most Anticipated Books of 2025." She is also the author of an adult historical and four novels for young adults (all under Lori Goldstein). She currently lives outside of Boston, where she fosters a writing community through her creative writing classes, book coaching, and writing retreats. She can be found online at