Description:

After losing her best friend to cancer, Corinne’s life is in flux. She has moved back to Chicago, is considering her next career move while she temps and has absolutely no time to look for love―until a mysterious dating app called Met suddenly appears on her phone, and with it, an invitation for Corinne to reconnect with four missed connections from her past. One of them, Met says, is her soul mate.

Corinne doesn’t believe the app for a second, but when she very quickly finds herself with back-to-back blasts from the past, she’ll have to consider if maybe she’s wrong about it. The thing is, Corinne’s also been introduced to a really great guy outside the app’s influence. As their feelings for each other grow, Corinne has to wonder: With her apparent true love still out there, should she tap yes to the next match?

With help from a new group of friends, her loving if annoying family, and maybe a touch of fate, can Corinne come to terms with the loss she’s still reeling from, take control of her career, and find love along the way? (publisher)

My take:

Looking for a (mostly) light, frothy read this summer? If Chick Lit with inclusivity of all kinds is your thing you’ll want to take a look at Have We Met? Corinne is a charming heroine that’s easy to cheer on as she figures life out – real life and her love life. She has help with the former from her tight group of friends. She has help with the latter in the form of an App that mysteriously appeared on her phone one stormy evening. Imagine the possibilities! It’s an entertaining book that I read in a day.

About the author:

CAMILLE BAKER earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from The Ohio State University. There, she took sign language classes for fun and wrote stories during business classes that didn’t hold her interest. After graduating, she completed the interpreter training program at San Antonio College. Camille now resides, interprets, and writes in South Chicago. For more information visit www.camillebaker.com.

HAVE WE MET? – July 1, 2021; Lake Union Publishing trade paperback original; ISBN 9781542018678; $14.95

A conversation with Camille Baker, author of HAVE WE MET?

Q: How did you fall in love with storytelling?
A: When I was eight years old, my main source of entertainment was making up stories. I wrote them down along with illustrations, acted them out with my toys, and typed them on my grandma’s computer. Now, I’m gathering oral stories from the elders in my family and it’s making me connect with storytelling in an even deeper way.

Q: What inspired this book and your writing in general?
A: I soak up inspiration wherever I can get it! Surefire ways to spur my creativity include relocating to different cities, going on adventures with my friends, and accepting out-of-the-norm gigs as a sign language interpreter. This book in particular was inspired by my move to Chicago, my search for new local friends, and the magical feeling I get whenever I’m in the city.

Q: HAVE WE MET? features a diverse cast. Why was it important to you to include people of different ethnicities, sexualities, and disabilities?
A: My goal with every novel I write is to craft a world as diverse as the one I inhabit. If I didn’t, it wouldn’t be authentic. In my work, I aim to create a space for my
family, friends, and the communities I’m a part of to see themselves in.
Photo credit:

Q: HAVE WE MET? strikes a balance between both romantic and platonic relationships. What message were you hoping to send with this portrayal?
A: The possibility of romance excites me, but my friendships sustain me. With this book, even more than the fun romantic aspect, I wanted to show how life-saving friends are.

Q: For this being a lighthearted book, HAVE WE MET? still attempts to tackle tough inner conflicts, such as grief. Why did you choose to discuss grief in this manner?
A: My first experience with grief happened when I was a young, when I hadn’t yet conceptualized the permanence of death. That influenced my lens on how I view grief. To me, grief is the thread that sews you back together. It changes you, but it also makes it possible for you to laugh again.