Event Description
PSB: Boston Edition and GrubStreet are excited to welcome Lori Gold to celebrate the release of her book Romantic Friction! Victoria Lavine will join Gold in conversation. This event will take place on Tuesday, May 6 at 7pm at PSB: Boston Edition (50 Liberty Drive, Boston, MA 02210).
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ABOUT Romantic Friction
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.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Lori Gold is the author of Romantic Friction, her book club fiction debut, named as one of the “Most Anticipated Books of 2025” by Zibby Media and called “Smart, funny, and unpredictable” by Amy Tintera, author of Listen for the Lie; "Sharply written and impossible to put down!" by Jesse Q. Sutanto, author of Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers; and “Witty, heartfelt, and delightful,” by Sally Hepworth, author of Darling Girls. Under Lori Goldstein, Lori authored the adult historical, Love, Theodosia, and four YA novels (Sources Say, Screen Queens, and the Becoming Jinn series). She is also a book coach, creative writing instructor, and leader of writing retreats. She lives in the Boston area.
After many years and bookshelves crammed with romance novels, Victoria Lavine has finally taken things to the next level by writing her own. Any Trope But You releases April 1 from Atria Books. When she’s not reading, writing, or enjoying the great state of Maine with her family, you can find her coming up with excellent reasons to make the next pot of coffee. She can be found at https://www.victorialavine.com.
This class will take place in-person at our Center for Creative Writing in Boston's Seaport neighborhood.
Covid-19 Update:
GrubStreet's space will be mask-optional when Boston's Covid-19 Community Level is low or medium. When the Covid-19 Community Level is high, our space will require masks. Please check GrubStreet's Covid-19 page for the latest info on masking and Community Levels before visiting in person.
Space Accessibility:
Our space is ADA accessible with automatic door openers, ADA-compliant restrooms, desk and table spacing, braille signage, and elevator. Our classrooms can be equipped with ALS for hard of hearing individuals. We cannot guarantee a scent-free environment. For more accessibility requests, please contact our Operations team at [email protected] or (617) 695-0075.