FINALIST FOR THE FRANK O’CONNOR SHORT STORY AWARD NOW WITH AN ADDITIONAL STORY. Heralding the arrival of a stunning new voice in American fiction, If I Loved You, I Would Tell You This takes readers into the minds and hearts of people navigating the unsettling transitions that life presents to us all: A father struggles to forge an independent identity as his blind daughter prepares for college. A mother comes to terms with her adult daughter’s infidelity. An artist mourns the end of a romance while painting the portrait of a dying man. Brilliant, hopeful, and fearlessly honest, If I Loved You, I Would Tell You This illuminates the truths of human relationships, truths we come to recognize in these characters and in ourselves. BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from Robin Black's Life Drawing. Look for the If I Loved You, I Would Tell You This discussion guide inside. Praise for If I Loved You, I Would Tell You This “I want to shout about how just when you thought no one could write a story with any tinge of freshness let alone originality about childhood. . . about marriage . . . about old age, Black has done it. . . . Black delivers real emotion, the kind that gives you pause. . . . Will Robin Black win [the Pen/Hemingway Prize] for this book? If I were a judge, she would.”—Alan Cheuse, Chicago Tribune “Pitch-perfect . . . so deft, so understated, and so compelling that you have to slow down to savor each vignette. . . . Fans of Mary Gaitskill, Amy Bloom, and Miranda July will feel like they’ve found gold in a river when they discover Robin Black. . . . [A] writer to watch.”—O: The Oprah Magazine “Each story reads like a mini-novel . . . worlds are contained in a single page. And the writing . . . oh, the writing . . . There’s no narrative cohesion, no point. Rather, If I Loved You is a ‘Fantastic Voyage’ into the bloodstream of the human species. . . . Maybe it’s midlife maturity, maybe it’s raw talent, but If I Loved You leaves you longing for more."—San Francisco Chronicle “Incisive . . . peopled with characters so fully imagined you’ll feel they’re in the room.”—People "Exquisitely distilled tales of loss and reckoning . . . [Black] evokes a Sparkian blend of skepticism and grace."—Vogue

Sara Williams wasn't always Sara Williams. Twelve years ago, she was Liz Jennings-small-town nobody and best friend of Ian Hart. The only future she could imagine included him, but after one tragic night, she's forced to flee her home and leave behind the best friend she secretly loves.Ian Hart was sure of two things. He was in love with his best friend, and he'd do anything to protect her. As teenagers, they made a pact to run away together, but when she left town without him, Ian spiraled into a storm of anger.Now she's back with a new name and a dozen secrets. When they're forced to work together, the things they don't say threaten to shatter any hope that they could regain their lost trust. Meanwhile, a town of busybodies are stirring up trouble, and Sara is a sitting duck while her biggest threat is on the move. What if the monster she's running from steals their happily ever after?A homecoming story about forgiveness that's sure to touch your heart.

Jonas Blackburn is content with his life...until he discovers he must marry for the advancement of his career. Unable to strike out on his own professionally, Jonas proposes to the only person he could envision spending his life with: his close friend Nora. When Nora Paget learns the brother she keeps house for is ready to marry, she finds herself at a crossroads: live with her brother and his new wife or set a different course for herself? Jonas’s proposal offers a potential solution for them both. She can have a home of her own with a man she’s fond of, and solve his employment problem simultaneously. But Nora harbors an old family secret that could ruin both of them, just as they begin their new life together. Can they take the risk knowing the potential devastation that awaits them? Or will Jonas and Nora be forced to part ways to save their reputations? Previously published in the anthology Regency Summer - Secrets and Soirees

"Even before they joined forces, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II had written dozens of Broadway shows, but together they pioneered a new art form: the serious musical play. Their songs and dance numbers served to advance the drama and reveal character, a sharp break from the past and the template on which all future musicals would be built. [This is a portrait of that creative partnership]"--Amazon.com

Tom Spanbauer’s first novel in seven years is a love story triangle akin to The Marriage Plot and Freedom, only with a gay main character who charms gays and straights alike. I Loved You More is a rich, expansive tale of love, sex, and heartbreak, covering twenty-five years in the life of a striving, emotionally wounded writer. In New York, Ben forms a bond of love with his macho friend and foil, Hank. Years later in Portland, a now ill Ben falls for Ruth, who provides the care and devotion he needs, though they cannot find true happiness together. Then Hank reappears and meets Ruth, and real trouble starts. Set against a world of struggling artists, the underground sex scene of New York in the 1980s, the drab, confining Idaho of Ben’s youth, and many places in between, I Loved You More is the author’s most complex and wise novel to date.

Matchmaking? Check. Surfing? Check. Falling in love? As if. Sunny, striking, and satisfied with her life in paradise, Theodosia Sullivan sees no need for marriage. She does, however, relish serving as matchmaker for everyone who crosses her path. As the manager of her family's surf shop in Hanalei Bay, that includes locals and tourists alike. One person she won't be playing Cupid for is the equally happy bachelorette down the street. Baker Kini 'Opunui has been the owner of Queen's Sweet Shop since her parents passed away and her younger brother married Theo's older sister and moved to Oahu. Kini's ready smile, haupia shortbread, and lilikoi malasadas are staples of Hanalei's main street. However, Theo's matchmaking machinations and social scheming soon become less charming-even hazardous-to everyone involved. And when she fails to heed Kini's warnings about her meddling, she may be more successful than she ever intended. Theo has to face the prospect of Kini ending up with someone else, just as she realizes she's loved Kini all along.