Susie Dumond

Queerly Beloved: A Novel Susie Dumond

A people-pleasing bridesmaid-for-hire meets her polar opposite in this delightfully heartwarming debut. Will she find her happily ever after?

At her day job in a Christian bakery and with her conservative family, Amy plays the role of a straight, church-going young woman--exactly what's expected in mid-2010s Tulsa, Oklahoma, the "Buckle of the Bible Belt." But at night, she tends bar at the only place in town that truly feels like home: Ruby Red's, a lovably grungy queer bar with a group of regulars who have become her chosen family. Amy's spent a lifetime learning how to walk this fine line, so focused on making others feel comforable that she doesn't even realize she's lost touch with her own needs and desires.

Still, everything seems fine, especially when Amy falls into a whirlwind romance with Charley, a charming newcomer to Tulsa. But then Amy is suddenly fired from her bakery job. When a friend begs her to fill in for one of the bridesmaids at her wedding--and offers to pay Amy more than she makes in a single night at Ruby Red's--she can't afford to turn it down. As her relationship with Charley heats up, this one-off opportunity turns into a full-time business, thanks to Amy's baking talents, crafting skills, and deep desire to please.

Between weddings, bachelorette parties, bridal showers, and dress fittings, Amy's in her element, her years of watching rom-coms and Say Yes to the Dress finally paying off. But at what cost? Gay marriage is not legal, yet she's playing the role of a straight girl, working hard to facilitate strangers' special days even while she's secretly dreaming of her own potential wedding day with Charley. When Amy's precarious balancing act strains her relationships to a breaking point, she must decide what it looks like to be true to herself--and if she has the courage to try.

"Queerly Beloved is like a great cake: warm, light but still richly layered, and bursting with sweetness. A delightful debut, perfect for any person who's ever created their own place to belong."
--Casey McQuiston, bestselling author of Red, White and Royal Blue and One Last Stop