Hot Key Books, an imprint of Bonnier Books UK, has acquired two hilarious, contemporary teen novels: Glow Up, Lara Bloom and its sequel by debut author, Dee Benson.
Senior Commissioning Editor, Ruth Bennett, acquired world English language rights from Hannah Sheppard at D H H Literary Agency.
Funny and heartwarming, Glow up, Lara Bloom follows teenage catastrophe, Lara, sharing her innermost thoughts in her secret online journal. From bad hair days to ultra-embarrassing moments, there’s never a normal day in Lara’s life. How will she ever convince her super-cute crush, Caiden, to like her back? Lara thinks it’s time to give herself a glow up, but should you ever glow up for a boy?
Dee Benson commented on the acquisition: “Glow Up, Lara Bloom is a love letter to adolescence and all the joyful, messy craziness of that transitional phase. I’m immensely grateful to Ruth and the exceptional team at Hot Key Books for making my dreams come true. I know my book is in the right hands and I can’t wait for readers young and old to meet Lara Bloom and her friends.”
Ruth Bennett added: “Dee captures both the agony and the hilarity of teen friendship and crushes in a way that is a delight to read. She celebrates the coming-of-age experience in a way that we think will be truly empowering for young readers, allowing them to see themselves in Lara and laugh along with her. Step aside, Georgia Nicholson! Lara Bloom is the new icon for teens today.”
Dee Benson has loved books since childhood. Exploring Narnia, adventuring with the Famous Five, and indulging in all things girly with the Sweet Valley Twins sparked her love for reading. She finds it surreal that she now gets to create her own worlds and characters in books of her own. At university, she studied Molecular Biology with Genetics and only survived it by writing fiction during lectures. When she isn’t writing, Dee enjoys long walks, good food, and music that makes her wish she could sing. She lives in Liverpool with her husband and two daughters.
Glow up, Lara Bloom will publish in paperback, eBook and audio in February 2023 with the second title publishing in February 2024.
