"The rare kind of book I can't believe doesn't already exist . . . [a] clear, clever voice and incisive social commentary elevate the book's irresistible will-they-won't-they romance to a once-in-a-lifetime read about truth, art, vulnerability, and all the sticky places they intersect. BAD WORDS LEFT ME BUZZING." - EMILY HENRY, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Great Big Beautiful Life
A sharp and deeply felt debut about art, ambition, and the connections that both inspire and undo us.
Parker Navarro's debut novel was meant to define his career - until critic Selina Chan's blistering review made it the flop of the decade. Four years later, his new book is his shot at redemption; for Selina, reviewing him again is a professional risk she can't refuse. When her second takedown ignites a viral feud, both their fortunes shift overnight. But as the literary world feeds on their public sparring, a quieter dialogue begins - one that challenges everything they thought they knew about success, sincerity, and each other.
Both incisive and tender, Bad Words lays bare the costs of creation - the pull between ambition and integrity, the vulnerability of being seen, and the unexpected closeness that can grow in the space between critique and care.
When words can make or break us, how do you stay true to what matters most? RIOGHNACH (pronounced ree-uh-nock) ROBINSON is the author of six YA novels published under the pen name Riley Redgate, most recently Come Home to My Heart. Her books have been published on four continents, optioned for film and TV, and named to best-of-the-year lists by the American Library Association, Kirkus Reviews, and the New York Public Library. She is also the writer of the WEBTOON Originals series Angel of Death and has written for The Onion. Bad Words is her adult debut. You can find her on Instagram at @rileyredgate and @rioghnachrobinson.
"I was two percent into Bad Words when I realized I was reading something special, the rare kind of book that not only treads new, fresh territory but does so in a way that feels startlingly inevitable. The kind of book I can't believe doesn't already exist, because it is just so right, so the thing I've been waiting for. It's also a book that could only ever have been written by Rioghnach Robinson, whose clear, clever voice and incisive social commentary elevate the book's punchy premise and irresistible will-they-won't-they romance to a once-in-a-lifetime read about truth, art, vulnerability and all the sticky places they intersect. Bad Words left me buzzing." - Emily Henry, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Great Big Beautiful Life
"Robinson's wit cuts deep, her characters burn bright, and every page crackles with tension. A dazzling, razor-edged love story." - Louise O'Neill, international bestselling author of Idol and Asking For It
