Good Luck, Babe! - by Erin Baldwin (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Fake dating isn't just complicated--it's competitive.

Reality TV enthusiasts Noelle and Yumi spent ten years attached at the hip--until the summer after junior year. One ill-fated night (and one awkward kiss) ended their friendship, and after a year of no contact, fate throws the girls back together when they're offered a last-minute spot on their favorite show--an Amazing Race analog called The Adventureverse.

It's a chance to put their superfan status to the test, a dream come true. Except for a few snags: It's an all-couples season, filming starts in two days, and Noelle hasn't spoken to her "girlfriend" in a year. But Noelle already has plans to use the prize money on her ailing father's medical expenses. She would do anything for him--including fake date her ex-bestie on national television.

Can Noelle walk a tightrope between reality and TV while juggling a pretend relationship and true feelings? Or will she get sent home empty-handed and brokenhearted?

Review Quotes

Praise for Good Luck, Babe! by Erin Baldwin:

"This gently steamy, steadily budding, ex-best-friends-to-lovers story offers readers a lighthearted, fluffy read... competition reality TV fans will be drawn in by the adventure but will stay for the sapphic slow burn."--The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"A delightful, swoony, Sapphic romp that will have readers racing to the finish line."--Kirkus Reviews

"This LGBTQIA+ love story is easily accessible to any reader who enjoys fake dating romance tropes like in Jenn P. Nguyen's Fake It Till You Break It or David Yoon's Frankly in Love."--School Library Journal

"I'm incoherently in love with this fiercely beautiful book. Baldwin is a masterful storyteller, and her writing glows with sincerity, humor, and heart. I'm not kidding when I say I'd go to the ends of the earth for Noelle and Yumi. This is YA at its absolute finest--quite frankly, it's one of the best books I've ever read." --Becky Albertalli, award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of Imogen, Obviously and Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda (film: Love, Simon)

"From the title to the story itself, Good Luck, Babe! is nothing short of iconic. With fast-paced and thrilling reality TV adventures paired with peak sapphic yearning and family storylines that are sure to grab your heart, this book is fun and honest and relatable in the best way. In her sophomore novel, Erin Baldwin proves she's writing some of the best YA today." --Rachael Lippincott, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Five Feet Apart and She Gets the Girl

"A delightful, heartfelt romance with a fun, competitive twist! Come for the fake-dating and stay for the yearning." --Ann Liang, New York Times bestselling author of I Hope This Doesn't Find You

"Baldwin has done it again! I was delighted to follow these complex characters on a whirlwind adventure around the world and watch them fall in love along the way. If you're looking for behind-the-scenes reality TV, beautiful prose, and the sweetest sapphic romance in the world, you'll find it in this excellent sophomore novel." --Jessica Lewis, author of Nav's Foolproof Guide to Falling in Love

"Erin Baldwin flawlessly captures all the angst, hilarity, and hope of young adulthood. This book creates the most delicious nostalgia for those world-shaking, heartbreaking, terrifyingly giddy feelings of a teenage crush, and Noelle and Yumi had my heart fluttering and stomach swooping as they tiptoed around their feelings and (ex) friendship. Well deserving of its titular reference, Good Luck, Babe! reads like a Chappell Roan song in book form, hitting every sapphic note with utter perfection." --Mazey Eddings, bestselling author of Late Bloomer

"Good Luck, Babe! is a rare gem of a book--with a vibrant voice, a sweet love story, and beautiful international settings, it's at turns, a swoon-worthy queer romance, a frothy piece of reality TV escapism, and an emotional coming-of-age drama. I laughed, I cried, I absolutely devoured it. This book made me fall in love with reading again." --Alison Cochrun, author of The Charm Offensive

About the Author

Erin Baldwin is a Filipino American author who writes vivid diverse stories that will leave you in happy tears. She lives in New Jersey with her partner and their two wonderful cats who've transcended the need for names. Her debut, Wish You Weren't Here, was released in 2024. Good Luck, Babe! is her sophomore novel. You can visit Erin Baldwin at ErinBWrites.com.