"Bright, bold, and smart, this beautiful and intelligent relationship story sits within the literary world as a critic spears the second novel of an author and their feud goes viral."
Loved, loved, loved this smart and witty relationship tale that’s also a love story of the written word. Literary critic Selina Chan sends author Parker Navarro into a spiral of despair when she accuses his second novel of: “subjecting the reader to hundreds of pages of shapeless musings”, worse still, she declared his debut as a: “stupefying misfire”. What follows is a feud that goes viral, however a snowed in Christmas leads to each reconsidering their original feelings.
This is the debut adult novel from author Rioghnach Robinson, she writes with a beautiful freedom that immediately captured my attention and held it throughout. It feels as though she ignored any thought of sitting within a genre and consequently has written a novel that is fresh and modern yet knowing, wise and witty yet compassionate.
I loved getting to know Selina and Parker, each individually head chapters so their inner thoughts and being can be clearly heard and felt. They recognisably have flaws, which helps to make them feel authentic and relatable. It feels as though the author actively cares about her characters, she knows them, and their words spark as she sends them into battle. Their New York sings, the literary world fascinates, and news of their feud somehow resonates as it spreads.
This will be one of my favourite novels of the year and so has been chosen as both a LoveReading Star Book and Liz Pick of the Month. I can highly recommend Bad Words, it’s bight and bold and entertaining as heck as it pursues a relationship story with refreshing and endearing attitude.
When Selina Chan, New York's fiercest literary critic, slams Parker Navarro's latest novel, he is pushed to breaking point.
| Primary Genre | Modern and Contemporary Fiction |
| Other Genres: | |
| Recommendations: |
This rivalry is setting the literary world on fire - but who will survive the flames? When Selina Chan, New York's fiercest literary critic, slams Parker Navarro's latest novel, he is pushed to breaking point.
Bad Words features in the following genres: Book Club Recommendations, Liz Robinson's Picks of the Month, Recommendations, Star Books, Modern and Contemporary Fiction, Romance / Relationship Stories, Narrative theme: Social issues, Modern and Contemporary romance, Modern and Contemporary Fiction, Modern and Contemporary Fiction, Modern and Contemporary romance, Narrative theme: Identity / belonging, Narrative theme: Love and relationships, Narrative theme: Social issues, Narrative theme: Sense of place
Paperback, Hardback. £8.99, down from the £9.99 cover price. Pre-order. 6th May 2027.
Bad Words was written by Rioghnach Robinson and published by HarperCollinsPublishers an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
Bad Words has 384 pages
£8.99, reduced from £9.99. Pre-order. 6th May 2027.
