Lucy Powrie's Blog

I am honoured to share with you the beautiful cover of REAL WHEN I'M WITH YOU, my debut YA romance out on 3rd July with Scholastic UK. Designed by Michelle Brackenborough, it really is the cover of my dreams - and perfectly brings to life my main characters, Effie and Aiden, in my favourite fictional coffee shop, Love You A Latte.

A SUMMER OF FAKE DATING. A CHANCE TO BECOME HER REAL SELF.

Effie wants to become the main character of her life, but she’s a people pleaser stuck in her best friend Chelsea’s shadow.

When she meets Aiden, Love You A Latte’s irresistibly cute barista, who she finally can be herself around, she wonders if there’s an alternative to being an invisible third-wheel. With him, she doesn’t have to hide that she’s autistic or mask to fit in. She can be her best, most authentic self – something she’s longed for.

So when Chelsea makes fun of her and doubts she could ever ask anyone out, Effie decides to stand up for herself: she asks Aiden out on a – fake – date. But as a summer of fake dating ensues, and their fake feelings turn … real, can Effie cast aside what everyone else thinks and follow her heart?

Real When I’m With You has:

🌊 Fake dating gone wrong …
💕 Sunshine heroine x golden retriever boyfriend love interest
🌊 A small seaside English town
💕 Fake dates, first kisses and all the feels

But most importantly – a cast of proudly neurodivergent characters who get to live out their main character moments, who I love with my whole heart, and who I hope you’ll all love, too.