A five-year college reunion. A chance to go back in time. A chance to get it right. Charlotte Thorne does not want to go back to Hein University. Her life postcollege isn’t what she expected—her career in media is stalled, and she’s done a terrible job keeping in touch with her queer chosen family. Not to mention she hasn’t spoken to Reece Krueger, the hockey player she rebounded with after a traumatic breakup, since she ghosted him on graduation day…
But when her demanding boss is invited to give the commencement address at this year’s graduation—which falls on the same weekend as her five-year reunion—Charlotte has no choice but to return to campus.
The minute she steps foot on Hein property, the past comes crawling back in its glory and millennial cringe: disco parties at the LGBTQIA+ program house, sleeping in a twin XL bed, and stockpiling snacks from the dining hall. And then there’s a glowed-up Reece and his irresistible offer to pick up where they left off.
Suddenly the weekend Charlotte has dreaded for months feels like an opportunity to go back in time. Determined to have fun with Reece, Charlotte dodges her best friend’s questions about her mental health, ignores her boss’s constant Slack messages, and tries to avoid thinking about the toxic relationship that almost ruined everything about college. But can she really outrun her past and get her life together in seventy-two hours?
"Sex and culture critic Ella Dawson's But How Are You, Really, about a burned-out bisexual young woman who attends her five-year college reunion and confronts her estranged chosen family, old demons, and the ex she maybe shouldn't have walked away from. But How Are You, Really is equal parts sexy second chance romance, a powerful reckoning with toxic workplace culture and burnout, and an exploration of surviving emotional abuse and what it means to get unstuck, in both love and in life, with the help of your community. Charlotte Thorne does not want to go back to Hein University. Her life post college is hardly what she dreamed--her career in media is stalled, her passion for drawing has fallen by the wayside, and she wishes she was better at keeping in touch with her college friends, including her best friend and former roommate, Jackie. Willingly spend a full weekend with her incredibly successful classmates? Hard pass. But when her toxic, controlling boss, tech journalist Roger Ludermore, is invited to give the commencement address at this year's graduation--which also happens to fall on the same weekend as her five year reunion--Charlotte has no choice but to return to campus. The minute she steps foot on Hein property, the past comes crawling back in its glory and cringe: her chemistry with Reece Kreuger, the hockey player she rebounded with after a traumatic breakup, sleeping in a twin bed, and the thrill of getting ready to go out dancing with your best friends. Suddenly the weekend Charlotte has dreaded for months feels like an opportunity to go back in time. Determined to have some fun, Charlotte dodges Jackie's questions about her mental health, tries to avoid confronting the truth about why she ghosted Reece on graduation day five years ago, and ignores her boss's constant Slack messages as his arrival on campus looms large. But can she really outrun her past and reckon with a hopeful version of herself in seventy-two hours?"--
