Dramas & Plays
![Susie Dumond - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B09H9PMMWC.jpg)
Queerly Beloved: A Novel
A people-pleasing bridesmaid-for-hire falls for the crushable new lesbian in town. Will she finally find her happily ever after-and her own voice?
ONE OF BUZZFEED'S MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF 2022 • "A delightful debut, perfect for any person who's ever created their own place to belong."-Casey McQuiston, bestselling author of Red, White & Royal Blue and One Last Stop
Amy, a semicloseted queer baker and bartender in mid-2010s Oklahoma, has spent a lifetime putting other people's needs before her own. Until, that is, she hits it off with Charley, a brilliant, attractive engineer who's just moved to Tulsa. Suddenly, Amy's found something-someone-she actually wants. Her tight-knit group of chosen family is thrilled she's finally moving on from her ex. Mostly, though, they want Amy to find a way to show up for love-and life-as her authentic self.
But when a one-off gig subbing in for a bridesmaid turns into a full-time business-thanks to Amy's baking talents, crafting skills, and years watching rom-coms and Say Yes to the Dress-her deep desire to please kicks into overdrive, at her own expense. It's not until Amy's precarious balancing act strains her relationships to the breaking point that she must decide what it looks like to be true to herself-and if she has the courage to try.
ONE OF BUZZFEED'S MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF 2022 • "A delightful debut, perfect for any person who's ever created their own place to belong."-Casey McQuiston, bestselling author of Red, White & Royal Blue and One Last Stop
Amy, a semicloseted queer baker and bartender in mid-2010s Oklahoma, has spent a lifetime putting other people's needs before her own. Until, that is, she hits it off with Charley, a brilliant, attractive engineer who's just moved to Tulsa. Suddenly, Amy's found something-someone-she actually wants. Her tight-knit group of chosen family is thrilled she's finally moving on from her ex. Mostly, though, they want Amy to find a way to show up for love-and life-as her authentic self.
But when a one-off gig subbing in for a bridesmaid turns into a full-time business-thanks to Amy's baking talents, crafting skills, and years watching rom-coms and Say Yes to the Dress-her deep desire to please kicks into overdrive, at her own expense. It's not until Amy's precarious balancing act strains her relationships to the breaking point that she must decide what it looks like to be true to herself-and if she has the courage to try.
Editorial Reviews
"Heartwarming."-PopSugar
"Susie Dumond's Queerly Beloved is like a great cake: warm, light but still richly layered, and bursting with sweetness."-Casey McQuiston, bestselling author of Red, White & Royal Blue and One Last Stop
"Heartwarming and sparkling with originality."-Sophie Cousens, bestselling author of This Time Next Year
"Heartfelt and inviting, Queerly Beloved is a joyful celebration of queer love and finding strength in vulnerability. . . . Impossible to put down!"-Alexandria Bellefleur, author of Written in the Stars and Hang the Moon
"A love letter to Tulsa and the beauty and resilience of queer communities everywhere."-Alison Cochrun, author of The Charm Offensive
"Dumond uses the inner and interpersonal conflicts of her heroine to meaningfully prod queer rights issues in her funny and moving debut rom-com. . . . [A] seamless blend of serious issues, humor, and love."-Publishers Weekly
"Susie Dumond's Queerly Beloved is like a great cake: warm, light but still richly layered, and bursting with sweetness."-Casey McQuiston, bestselling author of Red, White & Royal Blue and One Last Stop
"Heartwarming and sparkling with originality."-Sophie Cousens, bestselling author of This Time Next Year
"Heartfelt and inviting, Queerly Beloved is a joyful celebration of queer love and finding strength in vulnerability. . . . Impossible to put down!"-Alexandria Bellefleur, author of Written in the Stars and Hang the Moon
"A love letter to Tulsa and the beauty and resilience of queer communities everywhere."-Alison Cochrun, author of The Charm Offensive
"Dumond uses the inner and interpersonal conflicts of her heroine to meaningfully prod queer rights issues in her funny and moving debut rom-com. . . . [A] seamless blend of serious issues, humor, and love."-Publishers Weekly
Short Excerpt Teaser
1
Amy breathed a hefty sigh of relief, briefly dropping the customer-is-always-right smile she'd had pasted on her face for the past eight hours. The digital clock on the bakery wall had finally hit noon, marking the end of her shift at Daily Bread, which meant she was only a five-minute drive from collapsing into the worn flannel sheets on her bed.
Her fourth cup of coffee had hardly made a dent in her exhaustion. Even the cool November air rushing through the door as customers entered and exited couldn't keep her alert. She'd been at Daily Bread since 4:00 a.m. with the rest of the kitchen shift, but unlike her fellow bakers, Amy hadn't gone to bed early the night before. She'd hardly had a moment to shower between her start time at the bakery and her closing shift at Ruby Red's. And that shower had been crucial. The smell inside Daily Bread was Amy's favorite in the world: a combination of freshly baked bread, warm vanilla, caramelized sugar, and a touch of cinnamon. She usually arrived home with the scent absorbed deep into her clothes and hair. But Amy couldn't rely on the bakery's thick, sweet air to cover up the equally strong odor of beer and cigarette smoke that lingered whenever she left Ruby Red's. She didn't love the idea of her co-workers judging her for being out late at a bar (which, here, they definitely would). But the main reason she needed to wash away any lingering smell was to make sure they never had a reason to wonder where exactly Amy had been.
When a co-worker appeared to take over Amy's position at the cash register, she gratefully stepped aside and returned to the kitchen to consult her pre-clock-out checklist. Amy headed toward the chalkboard that hung on one of the only wall spaces not covered by cabinets, above the time clock and several framed pictures of the bakery owner's family. There were posed photos of a perfectly coiffed husband, wife, teenage son, teenage daughter, and golden retriever-always forcibly reminding Amy of what she'd find if she googled "stock family photo"-and a few candid shots of the kids playing various sports. Next to her name on the chalkboard, Amy found a note reminding her to frost and rebox a couple of cupcake orders before she left for the day. She sighed and wiped a sheen of sweat from her forehead with the crook of her elbow. At least it was a fun and relatively easy task. She could practically frost cupcakes in her sleep-something she'd often claimed but might now have to prove, since she was all but sleepwalking after back-to-back shifts.
Amy located the two boxes of cupcakes assigned to her tucked among the shelves of unfinished special orders for birthdays, baptisms, baby showers, and Bible studies. Daily Bread was beloved among Tulsa's Christians and especially among members of Tulsa's biggest megachurch, where the bakery owner was a deacon. He was also a successful businessman and city council member known for loudly and publicly endorsing far-right political candidates, and for his favorite catchphrase, "Jesus would have open carried."
The store manager, Donna Young, was his wife. In true Oklahoma tradition, Donna was just as tough as her husband, but her meticulously applied layers of red lipstick and hairspray and her "bless your heart"–isms often caused people to underestimate her. A former employee with a particular gift for sourdough had been shown the door after some good-natured ribbing about Donna's Methodist church choir placing third at a regional choir competition. All it had taken was one joke, one snide comment, and she had been out of a job. Amy, who loved a little friendly teasing, trod carefully around Donna after that.
So maybe Daily Bread didn't have a float in Tulsa's tiny annual Pride parade, but it was undeniably the best bakery in town. Everyone with a sweet tooth or a love of fresh pastries knew that Daily Bread was the place to go, and they were exactly the clientele Amy wanted to woo with her culinary magic, especially if she hoped to attract them to her own bakery someday.
Amy filled a piping bag with raspberry buttercream frosting and got to work. The bag felt like a natural extension of her arm as she swirled pink dollops atop the naked cupcakes. Ever since childhood, Amy had turned to baking when things got tough. She was fairly convinced baked goods could tell if she wasn't giving them her full attention, so having a whisk and spatula in hand always seemed to clear her worried mind. Her mother's cramped kitchen had had no room for bullies or money troubles or existential dread. And as an added bonus, it's hard to hate someone who is always handing out ...
Amy breathed a hefty sigh of relief, briefly dropping the customer-is-always-right smile she'd had pasted on her face for the past eight hours. The digital clock on the bakery wall had finally hit noon, marking the end of her shift at Daily Bread, which meant she was only a five-minute drive from collapsing into the worn flannel sheets on her bed.
Her fourth cup of coffee had hardly made a dent in her exhaustion. Even the cool November air rushing through the door as customers entered and exited couldn't keep her alert. She'd been at Daily Bread since 4:00 a.m. with the rest of the kitchen shift, but unlike her fellow bakers, Amy hadn't gone to bed early the night before. She'd hardly had a moment to shower between her start time at the bakery and her closing shift at Ruby Red's. And that shower had been crucial. The smell inside Daily Bread was Amy's favorite in the world: a combination of freshly baked bread, warm vanilla, caramelized sugar, and a touch of cinnamon. She usually arrived home with the scent absorbed deep into her clothes and hair. But Amy couldn't rely on the bakery's thick, sweet air to cover up the equally strong odor of beer and cigarette smoke that lingered whenever she left Ruby Red's. She didn't love the idea of her co-workers judging her for being out late at a bar (which, here, they definitely would). But the main reason she needed to wash away any lingering smell was to make sure they never had a reason to wonder where exactly Amy had been.
When a co-worker appeared to take over Amy's position at the cash register, she gratefully stepped aside and returned to the kitchen to consult her pre-clock-out checklist. Amy headed toward the chalkboard that hung on one of the only wall spaces not covered by cabinets, above the time clock and several framed pictures of the bakery owner's family. There were posed photos of a perfectly coiffed husband, wife, teenage son, teenage daughter, and golden retriever-always forcibly reminding Amy of what she'd find if she googled "stock family photo"-and a few candid shots of the kids playing various sports. Next to her name on the chalkboard, Amy found a note reminding her to frost and rebox a couple of cupcake orders before she left for the day. She sighed and wiped a sheen of sweat from her forehead with the crook of her elbow. At least it was a fun and relatively easy task. She could practically frost cupcakes in her sleep-something she'd often claimed but might now have to prove, since she was all but sleepwalking after back-to-back shifts.
Amy located the two boxes of cupcakes assigned to her tucked among the shelves of unfinished special orders for birthdays, baptisms, baby showers, and Bible studies. Daily Bread was beloved among Tulsa's Christians and especially among members of Tulsa's biggest megachurch, where the bakery owner was a deacon. He was also a successful businessman and city council member known for loudly and publicly endorsing far-right political candidates, and for his favorite catchphrase, "Jesus would have open carried."
The store manager, Donna Young, was his wife. In true Oklahoma tradition, Donna was just as tough as her husband, but her meticulously applied layers of red lipstick and hairspray and her "bless your heart"–isms often caused people to underestimate her. A former employee with a particular gift for sourdough had been shown the door after some good-natured ribbing about Donna's Methodist church choir placing third at a regional choir competition. All it had taken was one joke, one snide comment, and she had been out of a job. Amy, who loved a little friendly teasing, trod carefully around Donna after that.
So maybe Daily Bread didn't have a float in Tulsa's tiny annual Pride parade, but it was undeniably the best bakery in town. Everyone with a sweet tooth or a love of fresh pastries knew that Daily Bread was the place to go, and they were exactly the clientele Amy wanted to woo with her culinary magic, especially if she hoped to attract them to her own bakery someday.
Amy filled a piping bag with raspberry buttercream frosting and got to work. The bag felt like a natural extension of her arm as she swirled pink dollops atop the naked cupcakes. Ever since childhood, Amy had turned to baking when things got tough. She was fairly convinced baked goods could tell if she wasn't giving them her full attention, so having a whisk and spatula in hand always seemed to clear her worried mind. Her mother's cramped kitchen had had no room for bullies or money troubles or existential dread. And as an added bonus, it's hard to hate someone who is always handing out ...
