Description

"Brydie Lee-Kennedy's writing is sharp and funny and humane. A passionate chronicler of the ridiculous—in people, in society, in sex—Brydie skewers everyone equally, but always with empathy, warmth and wit." —Monica Heisey, author of Really Good, Actually

For readers of Dolly Alderton and Candice Carty-Williams, a spiky bisexual love story that introduces the unforgettable Ada—a free-spirited Holly Golightly for the age of DMs who follows the whimsies of her heart wherever they lead.

Ada is a seeker, a perpetually moving ball of excess. A twenty-six-year-old Australian living in London, she ekes out a living as a cabaret performer and part-time temp. Yet Ada can't imagine wanting to be any other age or any other place. Every night is an opportunity to be thrilled and every morning a chance to recount her escapades to friends.

So when Ada falls for Sadie and Stuart at the same time, she sees no reason not to pursue them both. But as the responsibilities of adult life begin to encroach—bills, family, more bills—and Sadie and Stuart find out about one another, the people around Ada increasingly insist it’s time for her to settle down. Can she resist the inevitable?

Effortlessly hilarious and painfully relatable, Go Lightly is a love letter to girls who are the life of the party; girls who say yes without fear. In smartly observed and endlessly warm prose, Brydie Lee-Kennedy contemplates the great freedoms and greater uncertainties of modern love and friendship, introducing an utterly flawed yet charming character who revels in her youth and sexuality while reckoning with a serious case of main character syndrome.

About the Author

Brydie Lee-Kennedy is an Australian screenwriter and author who splits her time between London and Sydney. She has written on shows for Netflix, Apple TV, and Disney. In a former life she was a cabaret performer, kids party entertainer, and sex columnist for SBS Australia. Go Lightly is her first novel.

Praise For…

"Captures twentysomething chaos. A sharp wit . . . often very funny." — The Times (London)

"Debut novelist Lee-Kennedy deftly presents Ada’s misconceptions over how she is received in this throwback novel of female recklessness, like Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote or The Dud Avocado by Elaine Dundy, only now with lives further muddied by texting and social media. Ada is sometimes carefree, other times has a blustery optimism contrary to her circumstances; the book highlights the hilarity and melancholy of living life to the fullest and yet not feeling fulfilled." — Booklist

"Sharp, witty and . . . astute." — The Herald

"Brydie Lee-Kennedy's writing is sharp and funny and humane. A passionate chronicler of the ridiculous—in people, in society, in sex—Brydie skewers everyone equally, but always with empathy, warmth and wit." — Monica Heisey, bestselling author of Really Good, Actually

"Ada is a unique heroine, and she'll stay with me for a long time. It's vivid, raw, and hopeful—a novel that really nails the chaos, panic, and joy of being young and trying to find your way in love and in life." — Daisy Buchanan, author of Insatiable

"A truly fabulous bisexual book . . . It’s so well written, and so smart, and tender and silly and made me laugh out loud." — Ella Risbridger, author of Midnight Chicken (& Other Recipes Worth Living For)

"Go Lightly is brimming with wit and wisdom. This novel is an ode to love in all its forms: sexual, platonic, familial, and above all self-love." — PJ Ellis, author of Love and Other Scams

"Packed with lovable characters, mouth-watering food and just the right amount of chaos, Go Lightly has everything I look for in a funny, romantic novel." — Lizzie Huxley-Jones, author of Vivi Conway and the Sword of Legend

"Funny, perceptive and effortlessly engaging . . . I loved this novel." — Lily Lindon, author of Double Booked