Bad Words

'A once-in-a-lifetime read' Emily Henry

'One of the best love stories I have ever read' Beth O'Leary

'A page-turning, heart-pounding modern love story' Rosie Walsh

All's fair in love and literature in this sharp, sizzling love story between a feuding author and a critic.

When Selina Chan, New York’s fiercest literary critic, slams Parker Navarro’s latest novel, he is pushed to breaking point.

Once was painful enough. But this time, it’s personal.

What begins as a private feud quickly erupts into a viral online spectacle, captivating an audience of book lovers who are eager to fan the flames.

But away from the spotlight, each unexpected encounter has them second-guessing everything they thought they knew about each other.

And, in the end, it’s the words left unsaid that could change everything…

This rivalry is setting the literary world on fire – but who will survive the flames?

*** Everyone is talking about Bad Words ***

'Easily one of my favourites of the year. If not the decade' Carley Fortune

'Smart, deep, and heartfelt' Gillian McAllister

'Full of wit, warmth, and deliciously sharp observations' Stacey Yu

'Full of blistering barbs, incisive takedowns and searing gazes' Mary H.K. Choi

‘Robinson has written one of the best romance novels I’ve read in a very long time’ Red (Book of the Month)

‘It reminded me why I love books, and reading and reviewing’ Prima (Book of the Month)

Reviews

'A dazzling, razor-edged love story' LOUISE O'NEILL

‘A beautifully written, emotionally poignant romance’ IMAN HARIRI-KIA

‘Ríoghnach Robinson is a writer with serious chops showing us what is possible within the bounds of romance’ HOLLY BRICKLEY

‘A triumph for anyone who cares about art and all that goes into the creation and consumption of it’ TARAH DEWITT

‘A page-turning, heart-pounding modern love story […] If you only read one book this year, may it be this’ ROSIE WALSH

‘Emotional, poignant, and deeply romantic’ JORDAN STEPHANIE GRAY

About the author

Ríoghnach (pronounced ree-uh-nock) Robinson grew up in North Carolina, studied economics at Kenyon College, and now lives in New York City. She is also the author of several YA novels, most recently the Lambda Award winner Come Home to My Heart. Bad Words is her debut novel for adults, which she drafted predominantly whilst visiting her parents in Ireland.