Romantic Friction

Romantic Friction by Lori Gold focuses on Sofie Wilde, whose bestselling fantasy romance series has been breaking bestseller records and capturing readers’ hearts for years. Having declined all film and TV adaptation offers until the series' end, Sofie is poised to become a global phenomenon as the tenth and final book is set to debut following the annual romance readers' convention in Chicago next week. As buzz continues to build towards the book’s release, Sofie is invited to headline the event for the first time. It’s a career milestone, one she is determined not to let anyone take from her, especially not ‘the next Sofie Wilde.’

This is how they refer to Hartley West, a self-published debut author who writes in a style reminiscent of Sofie Wilde. However, Hartley doesn’t actually 'write' anything. After admitting to using AI to create her novel, using Sofie’s name as the prompt, Sofie is ready to see Hartley be criticised on social media. Yet, in a surprising turn of events, Hartley is instead celebrated for being innovative, praised as a skilled editor for transforming AI's output into a story as compelling as Sofie’s—perhaps even more so.

When Sofie’s impassioned rant unintentionally goes viral, she loses her keynote slot and begins losing the support of her peers. Meanwhile, Hartley's popularity soars—her book sales spike, and she is given the headliner spot. Sofie is furious, and she's not alone. As the convention kicks off, Sofie is surrounded by fellow authors who fear for their futures, their livelihoods, and their art being eroded, one AI prompt at a time. Action must be taken. This cannot continue. With the clock ticking down to Hartley’s keynote, Sofie rallies her fellow authors in a plan to thwart Hartley, resolutely declaring, “The next Sofie Wilde—over my dead body. Or hers.”