Cosmic Love at the Multiverse Hair Salon - by Annie Mare (Paperback)

About the Book

"A multiverse novel about two women who fall in love despite living in worlds that are five months apart, as they try to find a timeline that doesn't end in disaster, in this debut novel by Annie Mare. Tressa Fay Robeson has never been shy, which is how she's made a name for herself as an in-demand hairstylist and social media star. So she can admit that spending her days at her hair salon and her nights with her tight-knit group of friends (and one grumpy cat) is not the kind of exciting life she'd hoped for. When a misdirected text from a stranger leads to a flirty exchange, she surprises herself by suggesting an impulsive meetup. But the woman, Meryl, never shows. Tressa Fay brushes it off-until Meryl's sister and friend show up at the salon demanding to know what's going on. Because, you see, there's no way Meryl could have texted her. Meryl has been missing for a month. Tressa Fay and her tight-knit group of friends soon discover they aren't dealing with a catfish, but a temporal paradox. As they come to terms with the idea of parallel universes, they realize how many times their paths have crossed like this before. But even as they understand the multiverse more and more, nothing keeps Meryl from vanishing. As it draws closer to the moment of Meryl's disappearance, there's only one question left: Have they done enough to change the outcome, or have they done so much that none of them will make it past that fateful day in September?"--

Book Synopsis

A multiverse novel about two women who fall in love despite living in worlds that are five months apart, as they try to find a timeline that doesn't end in disaster, in this debut novel by Annie Mare.

Tressa Fay Robeson has never been shy, which is how she's made a name for herself as an in-demand hairstylist and social media star. So she can admit that spending her days at her hair salon and her nights with her tight-knit group of friends (and one grumpy cat) is not the kind of exciting life she'd hoped for.

When a misdirected text from a stranger leads to a flirty exchange, she surprises herself by suggesting an impulsive meetup. But the woman, Meryl, never shows. Tressa Fay brushes it off--until Meryl's sister and friend show up at the salon demanding to know what's going on. Because, you see, there's no way Meryl could have texted her. Meryl has been missing for a month.

Tressa Fay and her tight-knit group of friends soon discover they aren't dealing with a catfish, but a temporal paradox. As they come to terms with the idea of parallel universes, they realize how many times their paths have crossed like this before. But even as they understand the multiverse more and more, nothing keeps Meryl from vanishing.

As it draws closer to the moment of Meryl's disappearance, there's only one question left: Have they done enough to change the outcome, or have they done so much that none of them will make it past that fateful day in September?

Review Quotes

"A funny and romantic romp through time and space, complete with yearning, community, and the idea that love truly wins--everything I love in a queer romance."--Ashley Herring Blake, USA Today bestselling author of Dream On, Ramona Riley

"Cosmic Love at the Multiverse Hair Salon is a wild ride that will have you laughing, crying, and swooning all at once. What starts as a quirky, multiversal meet-cute quickly builds into a poignant exploration of friendship, love, loss, and grief. There's nothing better than a book that makes you really feel something, and Mare has proven herself a master of crafting a moving narrative." -Alexandra Kennington, author of Blood Beneath the Snow

"Cosmic Love at the Multiverse Hair Salon is a heartfelt ode to the queer community, perfectly capturing the comfort and sense of belonging that comes from finding your people. It's also a story about the mysterious wonders of the universe. Tressa Fay and Meryl fight against the complicated web of time and space just to be together, which might make this the most unabashedly romantic sapphic love story of all time. This book is proof that love can absolutely reshape the world."--Bridget Morrissey, author of That Summer Feeling

"A mind-blowing read! Cosmic Love at the Multiverse Hair Salon is a whip-smart, ultra-flirty romp through time and space that is not to be missed. With every twist in the time-space continuum, I fell deeper for Tressa Fay, Meryl, and their unforgettable crew of friends. A must-read for romantics who believe in destiny and delight in interdimensional hijinks!"--Taleen Voskuni, author of Lavash at First Sight

"I fell in love with this book at the speed of light! Tressa Fay and Meryl get all twisted up in the fabric of the universe, and its sheer delight to watch them find themselves, and each other, time after time. Annie Mare infuses their romance with more nerdiness, sexiness, and mystical queer heart than one world can hold. Luckily, there are many!"--Joanna Lowell, author of A Rare Find

"The prose is so sparkling and strong...There's a creative sense of rebellion: If you're already in the worst timeline, why not change as many things as you can and see if you end up somewhere better?"--New York Times

"Mare's outstanding solo debut offers a phenomenal storyline and a stellar performance that will elicit nearly every type of laughter and tears." --Library Journal (STARRED) (audio)

"This gently mindbending read featuring a touching sapphic romance across time and universes is perfect for fans of Casey McQuiston's One Last Stop (2021)." --Booklist

"A heartwarming multiverse tale of fated love, family, and memory."--Publishers Weekly

"Mare ... successfully blends speculative fiction with sapphic romance in this well-written multiverse love story."--Library Journal

"If you're looking for a unique spin on sapphic romance that takes thought experiments about the nature of reality and makes them super queer, this book just might be for you."--Lesbrary

"A fun sapphic romance about falling in love across timelines."--Book Riot

"With lol moments and tender moments, this a perfect love story."--Red Carpet Crash

About the Author

Annie Mare (she/they) writes queer contemporary young adult romance and cowrites queer romance and mysteries with her wife, Ruthie Knox. Mare lives with her wife, two teenagers, two dogs, multiple fish, one cat, four hermit crabs, and a bazillion plants in a very old house with a garden.