Dear reader,
We’re Ali Brady—the BFF writing duo behind The Beach Trap , featured as one of the best books of summer 2022 by The Wall Street Journal , The Washington Post , The Chicago Tribune , Parade , and Katie Couric Media, among others. We are so excited to share our sophomore novel, The Comeback Summer , with you! Just like with our debut, we set out to write the kind of book we love to read: full of sisterhood, summer vibes, personal growth, quirky side characters, and two steamy romances.
The idea for The Comeback Summer began with a conversation about our relationships with our own sisters—who, coincidentally, are both named Elizabeth. We know firsthand how beautiful and complicated sisterhood can be, and we used those experiences as we created the characters Libby and Hannah, two sisters who are best friends and run their late grandmother’s PR company together.
As the sisters attempt to save their company by wooing a big client, they are forced to step outside their comfort zones, professionally and personally. Along the way, each sister finds herself swept into a summer romance: Hannah with her first love, the man who broke her heart years ago and has now returned to town, and Libby with a guy she’s supposed to be setting up with Hannah.
When we decided to set this story in Chicago, we wanted to infuse it with everything we love about this city in the summertime, including the beaches and beautiful Lake Michigan. We both love books that straddle the line between women’s fiction and romance, and wanted to deliver the relationships and characters that lovers of both genres enjoy.
As readers go on this journey with Libby and Hannah, we hope they laugh, cry, swoon, and cheer as they confront their insecurities, navigate their roles as sisters, find their soulmates—and maybe even decide to crush a comfort zone of their own!
xo!
ALISON & BRADEIGH,
aka Ali BradyDiscussion Questions
1. As the older sister, Libby feels a lot of responsibility for Hannah, and Hannah doesn’t want to disappoint her big sister. Where in your family’s birth order do you fall, and does it have an impact on your life and your relationships?
2. Lou’s Crush Your Comfort Zone program is all about pushing boundaries and getting out of your comfort zone. What challenge do you think Lou would give you? Would you ever do a challenge like that?
3. The book takes place in Chicago—what role does the city and its history play in the story?
4. Libby hates second-chance love stories because she thinks that whatever ended the relationship the first time has not changed or gone away. Do you think Hannah and Josh have resolved their issues? Will their relationship stand the test of time?
5. What do you think about Adam’s reaction when he found out what Libby did, posing as Hannah? Would you be able to forgive someone who did that to you?
6. Hannah likes to prepare for the worst; Libby wants to hope for the best. Which sister are you more like? How does that impact the way you interact with the world?
7. How did Libby’s relationship with her body change over the course of the book? What lessons did she learn?
8. Josh is reluctant to tell Hannah about his ADHD and Hannah rarely talks about her anxiety because they both worry people might judge them. How do you think we can continue to normalize medication and therapy for these types of issues?
9. What do you think GiGi would think of where Libby and Hannah ended up? Would she be disappointed or proud?
10. Is Mr. Darcy a devil or a delight?
