Escape Into Adventure, Romance, Suspense, and Magic This July

Find Your Perfect July Escape

G.P. Putnam's Sons
March 2026
On Sale: March 10, 2026
Featuring: Vanessa Cordero; Jason Torres
336 pages
ISBN: B0FCRGTPF8
EAN: 9798217044320
Kindle: B0FCRMLVJQ
Trade Paperback / e-Book
Add to Wish List

Amazon

Kindle

Read Kindle Preview

THE STARTER EX

Mia Sosa

Mia Sosa
Author Book List

An Amazon Editor’s Best Book of the Month Pick

The best worst girlfriend finally meets her match . . .

Vanessa Cordero used to run a profitable side gig: For a reasonable fee, she’d date your crush . . . and make his life miserable. Too clingy? Check. Jealous? Check. A parent's worst nightmare? Triple check. By the time Vanessa was done with him, your guy was practically begging for you.

Enter Jason Torres, a certified commitment-phobe who doesn't plan on getting married anytime soon, much to his mother’s dismay. What he needs is a temporary girlfriend. A totally inappropriate girlfriend. Someone his mother will hate, so she'll finally abandon her dream of getting him to the altar.

Vanessa's younger sister, Lisa, has her eye on Jason, and convinces Vanessa to come out of retirement for one last starter ex engagement. The rules are simple: no touching, no fooling around, and definitely no falling in love. But nothing's going according to plan. Because Vanessa can't ditch Jason no matter how hard she tries to scare him away. And the longer they're around each other, the more neither of them wants to be apart.