The Nerd Daily contributor Mimi recently had the chance to sit down with Auriane Desombre, debut author of the upcoming YA novel I Think I Love You, a Shakespeare retelling that is tropey goodness galore and will make you rethink your stance on romance with every POV change. We got to ask Auriane all our burning questions on her favorite romcoms, the importance of LGBTQIAP+ representation in media, and much more!
Hi, Auriane! Thank you for joining us today! Why don’t you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Thank you so much for having me! I’m a middle school teacher and YA author, so I spend all my time working with and for teens. I live in Los Angeles with my dog Sammy, who is extremely badly behaved, and my plants, most of whom are pretty well behaved.
Lightning round: If you could only watch one movie, read one book and listen to one album for the entirety of 2021, what would be your choices?
I could watch Gone Girl all day every day. I know it might not fit in with my romance-writing vibe, but as Anne Hathaway once wisely said, it’s my favorite romcom. I’d spend the year listening to the Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 musical soundtrack and reading Les Miserables, since I think it would take me the whole year to finish the book anyway.
Now onto I Think I Love You! What can readers expect when picking up this sweet story?
I Think I Love You is an f/f enemies-to-lovers romcom following Emma, a die-hard romantic, and Sophia, who’s grown more cynical after her parents’ divorce, as they compete in a summer film competition. They clash on everything from their artistic visions to Emma’s matchmaking plans for their mutual friends, but as the competition (and some meddling from their friends) forces them to spend more time together, their rivalry starts turning into a romance.
Readers can expect over-the-top matchmaking schemes, banter, lots of love for big friend groups, and getting to see that one kid who studied abroad and won’t stop talking about how they studied abroad taken down a peg.
Are you a huge Shakespeare fan? What inspired you to make I Think I Love You a Shakespeare retelling?
Much Ado About Nothing is my favorite Shakespeare play, and I thought all of the fun drama, meddling, and romantic twists in the play could fit right into the contemporary YA world. I love exploring the connections between what we think of as “classic” literature and modern books for teens, since there’s often more overlap than we might think. As a queer writer, I also love finding opportunities to claim space for LGBTQ+ representation in retellings of classic work!
You address the bi-erasure, not only in the movie industry, but in society at large. What do you think are still the biggest hurdles we have to overcome in terms of LGBTQIAP+ exclusion?
I think one of the biggest hurdles in terms of our storytelling is seeing more representation in books and movies. The LGBTQ+ experience is so far-reaching that it can’t be captured in just a few stories—the queer community is extremely diverse both in terms of the individuals that make it up and the experiences they each live. The only way to celebrate and honor that diversity is by making sure that there are enough stories out there to convey those varied experiences.
I loved the juxtaposition between Emma (total romantic at heart) and Sophia (romantic cynic). Despite their perceived incompatibility, the girls find common ground. Where do you see yourself on the scale of Emma to Sophia when it comes to romance?
I am somehow both at once! I love romance and I’m a big believer in love, like Emma. I’m also a lot like Sophia in that I value friendship just as much as romance, and I’m not easily won over by grand gestures or swoony lines. My favorite rom com moments are the matter-of-fact ones like the straightforward proposal scene in My Big Fat Greek Wedding or Knightley’s declaration that “If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more” in Jane Austen’s Emma. Emma and her obsession with classic romcom grand gestures would definitely fight me on this, but I think there’s something so romantic about love so strong it can only be declared in a simple, matter-of-fact way.
And speaking of being a romantic, what are your favorite romcoms? Any including LGBTQIAP+ representation you could recommend?
I have been living for all the fabulous YA romcoms with f/f couples that have come out recently! Some of my favorites last year were You Should See Me in a Crown, The Henna Wars, Late to the Party, and The Falling in Love Montage. This year, I’m especially looking forward to Cool for the Summer, Honey Girl, and She Drives Me Crazy.
With this entire book focusing on film studies, I couldn’t help but imagine I Think I Love You being turned into a movie at some point (hopefully). If your debut got the movie treatment, who would you love to see as Sophie and Emma?
I think Hailee Steinfeld would make a great Emma, and Sophie Simnett would be wonderful as Sophia! I’m still working to find the perfect casting choice for Lady Catulet, Emma’s cat, but if any of the cast of CATS is available, I’m down to recreate that CGI fur suit magic.
With I Think I Love You releasing soon, are you already working on future projects? If so, can you share a tidbit about it with our readers?
I’m currently working on another YA romcom, and trying out new genres with a middle grade and an adult project. Hopefully I can bring f/f feels to all age groups!
Last but not least, do you have any bookish recommendations for our readers?
In addition to all the YA romcoms I’ve read this year, I’ve been reading a lot of adult romcoms since I’ve been drafting my first one (truly the best kind of research there is)! I highly recommend The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon, Heartbreak for Hire by Sonia Hartl, The Rehearsals by Annette Christie, and Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur.
