WE GOT THE BEAT

For fans of Beckly Albertalli and Kelly Quindlen, We Got the Beat is the perfect queer friends-to-enemies-to-lovers story. When Jordan Elliot is assigned a cover story on her arch nemesis Mackenzie West, she sees it as the perfect opportunity to write a slam piece to get back at Mack for a past hurt that's still simmering... but that's not quite how the story unfolds.

Jordan Elliott is proud to be three things: gay, fat, and the first junior to ever be Editor-in-Chief of her school newspaper. Did that last thing actually happen - no, not yet, but it will. It's positive thinking that has gotten Jordan this far. Ever since having to completely rebuild her image after her best friend-turned-enemy Mackenzie West told everyone that Jordan was a clingy, obsessive stalker when Jordan came out to her the summer before freshman year, Jordan operates in a constant state of "never let them see you sweat."

So of course it's a total blow when Jordan finds out that she not only didn't get the editor-in-chief spot, but she's instead assigned the lowly sports beat, covering girls' volleyball all season. And who is the star of the volleyball team? Her arch nemesis Mackenzie West. If the pen is mightier than the sword, then Jordan has some ideas about how to exact a long-time-coming revenge on her former bestie. Things get murky, however, when forced time together has Mack and Jordan falling back into their friendship, and Mack confesses the real reason she turned on Jordan freshman year. But how can Jordan trust Mack again after all this time?

On the surface, it's a page-turning will-they?/won't they? romance filled with delicious tension, but beneath the layers, Jenna dives into the cycle of pain that homophobia can have on not only closeted people, but those closest to them, while exploring the reasons why we as queer people hide, lie, and hurt in an ages-long effort to survive.

Jenna Miller's debut novel Out Of Character just published in Spring 2023, and has already been met with early praise from New York Times bestsellers Ashley Poston, Jason June, and Rachael Lippincott.