American Fantasy

by Emma Straub

From New York Times bestselling author of This Time Tomorrow, an irresistible story about what happens when your teenage fantasy comes true after you’re already an adult.

When the American Fantasy cruise ship sets sail for a four-day themed voyage, aboard are all five members of a famous 1990s boyband, and three thousand screaming women who have worshipped them for thirty years.

Newly divorced and with an empty nest, Annie is on board as a lark to appease her sister. Once a diehard fan of the band as a teen, her tastes have matured, and she feels out of place amid the sea of bedazzled, air-brushed t-shirts bearing the singers’ faces. Yet when the lights come up and the idols of her youth begin to sing before her, something is unlocked. “Maybe that was nostalgia after all, the music a direct vein to her childhood, the least complicated part of her life. A short cut to happiness.” Between the slushy alcoholic drinks, the music of her youth, and the thousands of middle-aged women acting like lovesick teenagers, Annie finally reconnects to a long-submerged part of herself. By the time she befriends one of the band members -- not just a celebrity but someone also in need of a friend -- she feels like anything is possible. But a lot can go wrong on a ship ruled by hormones and hope, frustration and fantasy.

Packed with wisdom, heart, and laugh-out-loud reflections on fame, youth, nostalgia, marriage, and middle age, Emma Straub delivers a richly textured, uplifting story about the magic of revisiting youthful feelings, and the even greater magic of starting anew.

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Literary Fiction, Adult, Adult Fiction, Chick Lit

304 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication April 7, 2026

About the author

Emma Straub is the New York Times‒bestselling author of the novels All Adults Here, Modern Lovers, The Vacationers, Laura Lamont's Life in Pictures, and the short story collection Other People We Married. Straub's work has been published in twenty countries, and she and her husband own Books Are Magic, an independent bookstore in Brooklyn, New York.

Reviews

[Kiera · Rating 3 out of 5]

really very sweet and charming. i loved the recurring theme of 'making it last forever' vs letting go and moving on even when you're not sure what that next step is. a lot of small moments will make any former superfan laugh when the absurdity of fandom is on display like this and i can only imagine what it would be like if cruises like this really existed (wait...do they...i need to google after this). my main critique is that some of the chapters/scenes felt awkwardly cut off, ending at moments that felt unnatural or just an odd time to walk away. i think there was a lot of opportunity to go deeper into the highlighted characters, it felt like we only dipped just below the surface (although at the same time for the bandmembers themselves that was kind of nice bc it reinforced this feeling of Well i don't know them. lmao). a lot of events were meant to be those heart-stopping nostalgic moments of being a teen seeing your idol but i just didn't feel that same excitement that the characters were feeling. all said and done i would def say this is a good choice for a quick & entertaining beach read and i will always enjoy reading about an older divorced baddie!!!

thank you edelweiss for the opportunity to read this title!

[Kate Czyzewski · Rating 5 out of 5]

When things seem beyond your control and your anxiousness has kicked up a little…. It’s nice to turn in to books that truly bring you joy🥹❤️
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@emmastraub AMERICAN FANTASY has had me smiling from the start. Nothing would make me happier in this moment than escaping to set sail on a 4 day themed cruise with my favorite boy band, The Backstreet Boys, duh.
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What I always love about Emma’s novels is the way she weaves hilarious antics with heartfelt moments- her novels truly give the best feelings as you read.
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Thank you to Emma and @riverheadbooks for sharing this April release with me early - it was the highlight of my week🚢❤️📕
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[Lyon.Brit.andthebookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Report: American Fantasy by Emma Straub

The Emma Straub fan in me is SCREAMING 🚢🎤✨ This book is everything I never knew I needed. All I knew going in was…a cruise…a ’90s boy band, and a middle aged heroine… say less.

American Fantasy follows Annie…newly divorced…newly fifty and feeling a little adrift who boards a nostalgia packed boy band cruise and finds herself reconnecting with a part of her she thought was long gone. Between slushy drinks…screaming fans and the music of her youth. Annie stumbles into friendship…desire and a spark of possibility she didn’t know she still had💫

The story unfolds day by day on the cruise which makes it feel like you’re right there for four chaotic…emotional…delightfully bonkers days at sea. I adored the cast of characters (each with their own story!) and I truly had no idea where any of it was heading…even at 80%. By the end I was completely charmed and a little emotional.

The lineup for an American Fantasy style author cruise? The possibilities are ENDLESS. 📚🛳️
Emma Straub continues her streak of books that deserve adaptations and this one would make my millennial heart burst💖

“What an indignity, to give your entire life to something and to always be the last choice.”

Thank you @riverhead for making my 2026 ARC dreams come true!

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Lyon.brit.A...

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Newly divorced Annie sets sail on a four day themed cruise aboard The American Fantasy. The cruise is designed for super fans of the 90s boy band, Boy Talk, the 2000 fans are called Talkers, and Annie is swept up in the fandom, despite being a bit skeptical to start. In these four days, filled with parties, drinking, and very little sleep, Annie rediscovers her love of the music and her ability to re-open herself to life, including an unexpected friendship with a member of the band. Fun from beginning to end, I could not put it down.

[Jackie Murrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Annie, 50 and recently divorced, ends up going alone on a 4 day cruise for the 90s boy band sensation Boy Talk after her sister breaks her leg. Reluctant at first, she finds herself enjoying the rather bizarre experience more than she expected. The band, meanwhile, themselves middle-aged, are not totally united in their feelings about the way their lives have developed and their hopes for the future. With a light touch but a perceptive eye, Straub portrays a boy band not dissimilar to Take That with a touch of Boyzone thrown in, with each of the members having their own quirks and flaws, who may not always enjoy attempting to relive the glories of their younger days but still find it hard to give up the thrills of performing and being idolised for it. They have had their tribulations- failed marriages, affairs, rehab, dodgy business investments- but the pull of being part of a successful group, making music together and being adored for it is well illustrated. It is such big business now for bands who had their hits decades ago to reunite and go on tour, playing to audiences who were largely their original fans from back then, and again Straub portrays this beautifully. Annie and the “Talkers” reconnect with their younger selves, forget their cares and responsibilities and give themselves up to fun for a short while, dressing up in costume, dancing, getting drunk and hanging out with like-minded friends. The cruise itself sounds awful- cramped accomodation, bad food and staged photo opportunities, while the ship does a short circuit from Miami and back with no sights to see, but as one Talker says, it is the best four days of her life. This sense of joy will stay with you.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so good. The concept and the execution were fantastic. I really felt for Keith and his messy feelings and threw pressure that surrounded him. This was such a beautifully written book that will stick with me.
I was provided an advanced copy of this book which has not affected my review.

[Maddie Marriott · Rating 3 out of 5]

i think for this to work you have to believe that there can ever be an equal footing relationship between a celebrity and a longtime fan. unfortunately, i do not.

[Jessica O'Brien · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this low stakes take on people on the precipice of major life changes. All of the drama takes place during a boy band cruise, so the reader gets a glimpse into the lives of a cruise employee, a fan, and a boy band member. Each is forced to reckon with their changing circumstances, all while middle aged women cat call the boy band members.

This Emma Straub book doesn’t have the emotional depth of This Time Tomorrow that I loved, but it was a fun cruise of a read.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Welcome aboard the American Fantasy, a luxury cruise ship hosting a five-day boy band expedition-- only now the boys are middle-aged men, and most of the passengers are women of the same age. A juicy, extravagant party of a novel observed from three very different perspectives: freshly divorced attendee Annie, cruise manager Sarah, and one of the starring heartthrobs, Keith. American Fantasy is the perfect vacation (or staycation) read!

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a perfect beach read, an utter delight, a beguiling mix of hilariously unhinged behavior and surprisingly deep self reflection. It's so satisfying and great fun. I only wished for more rom from this romcom I was promised.

Side note: I was having trouble picturing what a hot and depressed 50 year old man would look like in the role of Keith, but now I know: Pedro Pascal and only Pedro Pascal.

[alicebme · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edit: I just read in Publishers Weekly that Emma Straub went on the New Kids on the Block cruise, and that is what inspired this book. I too was a huge Joey Joe fan, and I thought the fact that we were both Capricorns was definitely a sign we were meant to be.

I found myself frustrated at a certain point that nothing was happening, before I remembered that Emma Straub is a small world builder more than a plot zoomer. The characters are not that interesting or likable, but the relatable humanity is there. The messy human mess of being a person set on an aging boy band cruise isn’t good television, but I couldn’t look away.



eArc from NetGalley

[Katy Wheatley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Annie is on a cruise. She only agreed to go on it as a favour to her sister and now her sister's broken leg means that she is alone. Alone except for thousands of women like her who are here to relive their youth in close proximity to their favourite boy band who are of course, no longer boys, although nobody on this cruise is admitting their age. At first Annie finds herself wanting to leave. Newly divorced, worried about her job and dealing with empty nest syndrome, does she really need to get this up close and personal with not only her teen idols but also the fandom that keep them going? Weirdly, the answer to that is yes. This is sharp, funny and clever. It acknowledges and explores the gap between fantasy and reality and asks how far are you willing to blur those lines and how in control of that do you think you are?

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

"When the American Fantasy cruise sets sail for a four-day voyage, aboard are five members of a famous 1990's boyband and Annie, newly divorced and with an empty nest, on board to appease her sister. Yet when the lights come up and the idols of her youth sing before her, Annie reconnects to a long-submerged part of herself. By the time she comes in contact with Keith, the band's depressed, fifty-something lead singer, she feels like anything is possible. But a lot can go wrong on a ship ruled by hormones and hope, frustration and fantasy."

Note: I did not write the above review but included it here because it perfectly sums up this book.
(I read this review in a local bookstore's newsletter.)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as I do most of Emma Straub's books, and the insane fun, crazy costumes and hundreds of middle-aged women screaming their hearts out for their former crushes is contagious.

Most of the women are all-in and travel in groups, but this is Annie's first time and she's a bit overwhelmed by it all. Fortunately, her new roommate (assigned by the cruise) shares all the tea with Annie.

I'm probably a little like Annie and hang back on the screaming, but I could watch and dance.

Th best part of this book is Annie rediscovering herself and how she wants to just move forward. Also, lots of wisdom by our fab author, Emma Straub.


Thanks Edelweiss and Riverhead.

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a fan of Emma Straub’s other works, especially This Time Tomorrow, I was elated to get an ARC of American Fantasy from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. From the get go, I was amused by the premise of a New Kids on the Block-esque cruise setting, but the story didn’t really go anywhere from here. The characters in this novel were really one note for me, disappointed with how their lives had turned out so far, simply boiling with unspoken resentment for at least one person or choice in their lives. Perhaps this will read more clearly and resonantly with folks who are also in their fifties? As a late 30s reader, the plot didn’t go anywhere, the fandom, invented, wasn’t interesting to read about, and I felt no drive to continue the novel. Truly, I only finished this one because I trust Emma Straub as a novelist and I wanted to see if she pulled it all together at the end, but really I’m just left with a feeling that I could have spent my time reading a better book.

Pub. Date: April 7, 2026

[Vix S · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very sweet, easy breezy way to kick off the year’s reading. Never before have I had any interest in going on a cruise, but this made me (like Annie) understand the appeal. It perfectly captured the fizzy adolescent joy we’ve all felt in relation to one band or another at some stage of our lives. It did feel like there was a bit of a missed opportunity to delve a bit deeper into the backstory of some of the band, which would have helped to flesh them out a bit more in my brain, but ultimately, I enjoyed!

[Michelle San Antonio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Annie is recently divorced, entering midlife, and on the verge of being replaced at work by a young influencer when she embarks on a themed four-day cruise - The American Fantasy - for super fans of the 90s boy band Boy Talk. Her sister, who planned the excursion, is unable to go due to a broken leg, so Annie attends solo. Despite feeling somewhat jaded and very skeptical of the entire concept, Annie quickly finds herself swept up in the fun, rediscovering a part of herself she thought was lost for good, and making an unexpected connection with one of the band members in the process. Super fun, with great characters and a nice pace, with a few little surprises thrown in, too.

[Kelsey Pelzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the mix of nostalgia, self-evaluation, and hope for the future ❤️

[Charley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for early access!

This book is like a tight spring waiting to uncoil and, when it does, it comes at you fast. At first, the pacing is a little slow but it makes the eventual pay off worth it. An exploration of ageing, fan-culture and the inevitability of looking for something bigger than yourself. This book is about how easy it is to forget people around you have lives - but how intertwined we are because of that.

Great for my first Straub!

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to NetGalley and Riverhead Books for an advance copy of this novel about fandom, growing old, the joys and tribulations of taking a cruise full of people riding a nostalgia wave, the power of music, and that the world is full of things that can help us when we are at our lowest, we only have to listen, to see, and just to be.

Working retail I get a lot of people asking for things with the proviso that "I know I know, its a guilty pleasure but I like it". I hear that a lot, which I always say, if you like it why should it be guilty. I really never got this. This world works on beating on down, and in our new social media way of being everyone has to comment about everything. The color blue, what makes real music, what's wrong with movies, television, comics, games, and more. Much of this is based on nostalgia, which I think is the worse problem, and explains why the world is the way it is. The past was not that great, we just didn't notice. That said if one wants to enjoy music from thirty years ago, well go right ahead. If one wants to sail the seas on a cruise with other fans of said music, and the boys, now old men who produced it, have a good time. Maybe it will make your feel good for a short period of time, maybe it might even change your life, or the lives of others. American Fantasy is a novel by best-selling author Emma Straub and tells the story of a band, a cruise, a reluctant participant in both the band and on the cruise, and how listening to something new even if it is old, might make life a little less guilty, and a little more brighter.

The American Fantasy is a cruise ship that is known for its themed journeys, featuring nostalgia acts, movie nights and on this trip the boy band that was an MTV TRL mainstay Boy Talk. Three thousand fans can't be wrong, and the ship is rocking and rolling on the seas with fans, known as Talkers singing, dancing, buying merch and reliving a past that to them was wonderful. To a member of the band, this is not something he wants, or wants to continue with. And the longer the cruise goes, the more he wants out. Also on board is Sarah, a woman whose life is not where she wants it to be, with a shattered relationship costing her both a girlfriend and a cat. Sarah is in charge of keeping the band and the Talker fans apart, and the pressure is getting to her. Annie is not a fan, though her sister is a huge Talker. They had planned a huge vacation, until a broken leg kept her sister home. Annie feels like an out of touch older sibling on this ship of fools for the band. Life also is not going as planned, but slowly, be it the drinks, the party attitude, and the people she meets, Annie feels that she is going through some changes, maybe even a landslide or two in her life.

Emma Straub continues to surprise with her novels, none really the same plot wise, and with characters that not only seem real, but seem like people readers know, or want to know. This is the perfect book for Straub who started in media working for the lead singer Stephin Meritt of the band Magnetic Fields, a popular band in the alternative field. Straub understands music, being in a band, and the people that follow bands, the fanaticism that makes a fan, and how that effects the listener and the band itself. Straub also knows people, something that is reflected in the writing. Straub's characters are all unique, all different, yet with problems that are relatable, and not clichéd. Straub has a nice writing style, and even with the narrative jumps one does not get lost in who is speaking or what is going on. Once started it is very hard to stop reading so be warned.

An excellent mix of music, nostalgia, getting old, and finding out that getting old doesn't mean that life can't change. And change for the better. A very strong story, and one that went to places I didn't expect. Both humorous and very heartwarming. A good starting point for new writers, and a fine addition for fans. Here's hoping we get a Straub cruise at some point.

[Sara Planz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Riverhead Books for an advance reader copy of this book that hits shelves 4/7/2026.

SYNOPSIS
When the American Fantasy cruise ship sets sail for a four-day themed voyage, aboard are all five members of a famous 1990s boy band, and three thousand screaming women who have worshipped them for thirty years. Newly divorced and with an empty nest, Annie is on board as a lark to appease her sister. Once a diehard fan of the band as a teen, her tastes have matured, and she feels out of place amid the sea of bedazzled, air-brushed t-shirts bearing the singers' faces. Yet when the lights come up, and the idols of her youth begin to sing before her, something is unlocked. "Maybe that was nostalgia after all, the music a direct vein to her childhood, the least complicated part of her life. A shortcut to happiness." Between the slushy alcoholic drinks, the music of her youth, and the thousands of middle-aged women acting like lovesick teenagers, Annie finally reconnects to a long-submerged part of herself. By the time she befriends one of the band members -- not just a celebrity but someone also in need of a friend -- she feels like anything is possible, but a lot can go wrong on a ship ruled by hormones and hope, frustration and fantasy.

Ooooh, this book hit perfectly for the time of life I am in right now, but it also resonated with me because of where I live - Las Vegas, which has become the boy band residency capital of the world. I see women come from thousands of miles away to relive their youth one more time, screaming for the band member who once held their heart. In all honesty, I didn't get it, even though I was a huge fan of these groups back in the day. I am 50; they are in their 50s. It seemed odd that grown women would still lose their minds over these men. But in my line of work, I have had the opportunity to meet a few of these men, and while reading this novel, I completely understand the feelings Annie had in this book. These groups mark a time in our lives that many of us remember fondly, before the struggles and worries of adulthood. The music, the "boy" we idolized, the culture of that time was a spot of nostalgia many of us still want to escape to, even decades later. However, we have gotten older and so have they, and time has a funny way of affecting all of us. Annie sees this so clearly, and I felt the same way when I met one of my boy band idols. In fact, in my conversation with them, it was mainly about being in our 50s yet still feeling young, looking and feeling good after all this time, that shared experience, and being Gen X, still feeling like we can take on the world. Mutual reflection like this with someone whose face was on my bedroom wall at one time was both surreal and grounding, but one I will remember fondly. That may be the best part of getting older and looking back - you see where you have been, how far you've come, and how much more you want.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was really Katherine's fantasy cruise and big sister Annie was going along for the ride. Of course they both liked BoyTalk, the famous 90's boy band, but Katherine was a true-blue fan, especially for Keith, Annie liked his brother Shawn. They were the only two that were related, with the other three guys rounding out the group. The band dynamics were set when they were teens-Shawn was the party guy and eldest, Keith and Corey could actually sing, Scotty was the snappy dresser, and Terrance was, well, Terrance. But it was now thirty years later, and Keith wanted to stop pretending that he hadn't grown up, though breaking up the band would lose them their livelihood. Unfortunately, Katherine broke her leg and couldn't make the trip. Annie wanted to bow out, but her sister pleaded with her to go and report back on the fun, with lots of pictures. Annie’s life certainly wasn't any fun-her husband divorced her, her magazine job promoted her young intern over her, and she just turned fifty. Things couldn't possibly be worse. But when she boarded the ship in Miami, she found that they could. Every other passenger on the cruise was a female "Talker,” and their mission was to recreate their girlhood around the guys in the band. Thank goodness her roommate knew the ropes and included Annie in the best seating and the most drinking. If Annie could stay plastered for the four-day cruise, maybe it wouldn't be so bad.
Keith is not ok. Everything about this cruise is wrong-from Shawn's manic behavior and his favoring Corey to score points, to his wife's indifference, and to his general feeling of depression.  He and the others have a job to do, they must reach back to their celebrity days and give their fans their money's worth. At one of the many meet and greets, Keith and Annie actually "see" each other and share a moment of reality.... will this lead to anything more?
As anyone who has taken a cruise knows, one steps on the ship all primed to have the best time of one’s life. Usually there is a moment of disillusionment. Too many people, corny entertainment, and bad behavior can unmask the fantasy of a perfect vacation. Straub’s characters have much to deal with, but while Keith hovers on the brink of despair, Annie is starting to realize that her life, up until now, has been lacking in pure unadulterated fun, and she begins to find a path to bringing herself back.  The novel is hopeful and uplifting and it hints at a way forward for both of them.

[Sara M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book! I've never read an Emma Straub book before, so I think this was a good introduction! I didn't really know what to expect, yet it was different than what I was expecting. I was expecting more romance between the two love-interests and was a bit dissatisfied with the lack of spice and final resolution to the romance part of the book.
I really liked the main characters, Annie and Sarah:
Annie is a recently divorced and middle-aged woman who is unexpectedly taking a cruise featuring a world famous boy band, Boy Talk, alone. She isn't really a big fan of the band anymore, but she was in her teenage years. She was supposed to go with her sister (an avid "Talker"), but her sister broke her leg at the last minute and didn't go. I liked Annie's perspective of being a little removed from the events happening on the cruise, just an observer, like at a zoo. I liked that as the weekend went on though, she found herself actually enjoying everything, loosening up, and feeling more hopeful about her future as a middle aged woman in NYC.
Sarah is the manager of the company that puts on the cruise, so she is in charge of making sure everything goes off without a hitch. Of course there are plenty of "hitches" that happen like seasickness and fights (between the band and between Talkers). Sarah is a millennial and I identified with her perspective more whereas Annie is firmly middle aged and has middle aged people problems. Sarah and Annie only interact briefly, but their two differing perspectives of the cruise were a positive inclusion in the novel. Sarah seems like a "take no shit" kinda girl, and I like that in a character.
Of course, there is the Boy Talk perspective in Keith, one of the members of the band. I would be a Keith Girl. Keith is Depressed Spice. Keith kind of hates everything, but feels like he has to do it for the other members of the band/his demanding brother. He has a good arc and a satisfying ending to his story, in my opinion.
I would never voluntarily go on a celebrity cruise, so this was a fun read for me. Honestly, it all sounds exhausting!! I foresee this book being a popular "Summer Beach Read" in 2026!! In the three main characters; Sara, Annie, and Keith - most every person who reads this book can relate to at least one of them in some way. Overall - light, fun, hopeful, and enjoyable read!

[Mike S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read a digital ARC of the new Emma Straub novel "American Fantasy" in exchange for an honest review.

A few years ago, I picked up "This Time Tomorrow" on a whim based on 90s reference points and positive reviews, and was absolutely floored by how much I loved and connected to Straub's writing. A long time novelist and indie bookstore owner, Emma writes with a big heart, empathetic and nerdy and cool, not exactly the stereotypical New Yorker. From there, I think I read the remainder of her bibliography over the next several months whenever I needed a palate cleanser or something that was going to sympathetically analyze the human condition and the complexity of relationships.

Unlike "This Time Tomorrow," which was obviously an expression of her deep love and admiration for her writer father while he was still alive that boomeranged back to her teenage years, "American Fantasy" explores middle age and some of its turning points, hallmarks, and pitfalls. Anyone that follows Emma or that reads her newsletter knows of her abiding love of boybands, and so a boyband cruise-as-setting definitely felt both appropriate but also like, "Damn, is this going to be a book I can't connect with at all?"

The book is written from three perspectives: the 30-year-old lesbian cruise employee/point person, a 50-year-old recent divorcee who was supposed to be going on the cruise with her sister but ended up solo, and one of the 50-something boyband members. The intersecting point is failing or recently failed relationships, but the more interesting meat (to me) was the exploration of a steadfast desire to provide fan service and/or nostalgia at all costs vs the need to grow, change, evolve, and shed the things weighing one down or no longer serving them. The book was light, read quickly, and I remained entertained. While Boy Talk was fictional, they members felt absurd enough to be real and their fandom devoted (and devolved) enough to pass the sniff test. I've never wanted to go on a cruise less than I do after finishing this book, but it was a fun read with some relatable themes and situations familiar to those of us born in the '70s (or early '80s). I'll definitely recommend this to library patrons looking for a book that explores some vulnerabilities while also painting some funny (but believable) situations in an over-the-top setting.

[Leila · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Penguin Michael Joseph and NetGalley for the ARC!

I was drawn to the premise of this book because as an OG “Directioner” - that’s a One Direction fan 🤣 - I could totally relate to the fangirls. I’d love to be stuck on a boat with those lads in 20 years time!

The book opens with our female main character Annie. She’s supposed to board the American Fantasy for a weekend cruise with her sister, all themed around Boy Talk - their favourite 80s boyband. Unfortunately, her sister can no longer go, but Annie is spurred to go anyway, as a distraction from her recent divorce and things happening at work.

Each of the band members has their own thing going on. Shawn is the leader, hoping the cruise will lead to a world tour. Terrence only cares about his new (younger) wife, and Scotty is the life of the party. Cory is egotistical, riding the high of his solo career. Then we have Keith - kind, reserved and unsure why he’s going along with the cruise once again, just to make his brother Shawn happy.

Whilst Annie was a fan, she’s not a full Talker - the name given to the obsessive fans on board: the ones with the men’s faces tattooed, and a constant Sharpie in their hand - begging for an autograph on various body parts. So her perspective feels satirical and sharp as she describes the women.

We follow Annie through the cruise’s hectic itinerary, as she observes both the Talkers and the band themselves, noting that things aren’t as rosy as they might seem. We also get the band’s perspective.

Onto the love story.

The book is slow to set the meeting between Annie and Keith, one of the band members. There’s a few fleeting moments - a shared smile during a frenzied meet and greet, a cigarette at an after party. Ultimately, Annie and Keith’s coming together doesn’t happen until the final day of the cruise, and as a result, their time together seems rushed and shallow, despite their obvious connection.

I loved the premise of this book - a peek behind the curtain of an aging boyband - but ultimately it felt like the love story was more of an afterthought.

As an aside, I’d love to see a TV adaptation - I think the cruise ship setting would be so fun!

[Hayley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A welcome addition to the middle-aged-woman-finds-new-direction-in-her-disintegrating-life genre (see also Alison Espach’s The Wedding People)

For four days, the cruise ship, American Fantasy, will host 90’s boy band BoyTalk and 3000 middle-aged and highly emotional Talkers, as their fans are known.

After Annie’s divorce, her sister thought it would be fun for them to relieve their youth on the cruise, but now her sister has dropped out and Annie, who was really only going along for the ride, is rooming with a complete stranger, Maira - a veteran of these cruises who knows all the tricks. Under Maira’s wing, Annie drinks more Sexy Sunrises than she thought possible and goes to all the themed events, finding that letting go, being vulnerable, and accessing your inner teen girl is liberating.

Keith is a second protagonist. He’s tired of being part of BoyTalk but always goes along with what his brother, Shawn, wants and Shawn wants to be in the spotlight. Over the course of the cruise, it becomes increasingly obvious to Keith that he’s wasted his life because he’s scared to venture away from the safety of the known.

When Keith and Annie meet at the day two photoshoot, they are both surprised that, under the cattle herd-like conditions, is a genuine human connection.

Of course this is a whole lot of fan-tastic fun as well as some vague thought-provoking about what an American fantasy really is. To say there’s a dark side would be overstating it, but there is a third protagonist, Sarah the event manager, who shows us all the hard backstage work that goes into creating this glossy four-day fantasy, as well as giving us the reality of behind-the-scenes in the now middle-aged BoyTalk.

I have enjoyed the author’s previous books which combine warm humor with more complex examinations of the middle-class middle-aged condition. I found American Fantasy to be on the lighter side but still most appealing and entertaining. Recommended if you like your perimenopausal angst with a good scoop of froth.

Thanks to Riverhead and Netgalley for the digital review copy.

[Matt Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are a lot of things to like about American Fantasy. The premise—a cruise ship getaway with a boy band long past their prime entertaining their rabid fans looking to recapture glory days and nostalgia. A story packed with drama from both sides of the stage. Straub’s writing is consistently insightful and relatable, and the novel’s length makes sure it doesn’t overstay its welcome.

But many times while I was reading, it kept occurring to me that, sometimes, when you ask a person if they liked a book, and they say, ‘Yeah, but nothing much happened’, they could be talking about a book a lot like this one.

There is a lot going on in American Fantasy, but the large majority of it happens internally. It reminds me in that way of the recent Clutch from Emily Nemens. Characters really do spend a lot of time sitting around thinking in quite long paragraphs. Straub overcomes that by having them thinking about very relatable and interesting things, and she accomplishes something that Clutch could not—there are several characters in American Fantasy you’re really rooting for.

Still, if the writing weren’t of the quality that it is, the momentum would be a big problem. And even with its quality, there are periods where the action—not necessarily the story—is really stagnant. Even when there’s action, there’s limited interaction.

Was the book fun to read? Yes. Was the quality of the writing quite good? Yes. Were there interesting characters with interesting things to say (or at least think)? Yes. Did a lot happen in this story? I mean, yes, but you could also say no. So that’s how you might approach this voyage. If that menu sounds good, pull up a deck chair.

Recommended for general fiction readers and those who enjoy human characters in the midst of life change. Doubly so if you’re the type who wouldn’t feel out of place digging into a book while the rest of the ship parties hard.

Thank you to Riverhead for providing an uncorrected DRC via NetGalley.

[Barb Fecteau · Rating 5 out of 5]

When my sister and I were in middle school, we used to go for walks and I would tell her dome stories. These were stories of a future when we were old, like in our 20s, and the earth had become basically uninhabitable so we lived in domed cities, but the upside was that we were in the dome with cute boys from school and our celebrity crushes. What can I say, I was deeply influenced by Logan's Run.

American Fantasy has that kind of lure for me. It is part fan-fic about meeting your childhood crush and sparks flying and part moving nostalgia-fest about the power of fandoms to build connection even as your life is kind of going off the rails. And it's Emma Straub, so it is beautifully and seemingly effortlessly written.

I loved mid-menopausal Annie - convinced by her Boy Talk super-fan sister to come on this cruise and then left alone when said sister gets an injury and can't attend, conflicted singer Keith who is rethinking his role in the group, Sarah - the event coordinator who is amazing at her job no matter what the men of Boy Talk throw at her, and even "crazy" Maira a notorious Talker who is assigned as Annie's roommate and takes Annie under her wing and feeds her Sexy Sunset drinks and show her the joy of revisiting childhood passions through music and moderate stalking.

The cruise ship setting is a little overwhelming, as I assume a cruise like this would be, but it works. And the romance is so slow burn that it barely happens. But it is fueled by kindness and concern and that is lovely.

The three perspectives - the half-hearted fan, the worker bee, and the third-tier celebrity - make for a nice, full view of all the events of the cruise. The fact that it just kind of goes along and naturally ends at the end of the cruise worked for me. I didn't fall in love - I don't think anyone really does in this book - but I had a great little vacation reading it. I would give it four and a half stars, if given the option but you know me - I round up!

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[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC for review. To be published April 7, 2026.

4 stars

This isn’t the type of book I would normally gravitate toward, but maybe I need to expand my horizons, especially where Emma Straub is concerned because this was really cute, light and fun.

Annie, 50ish, is humoring her sister who is five years younger when she agrees to go on one of those celebrity experience cruises, this one features a five man boy band from the ladies’ youth, Boy Talk (this truly sounds like the nineteenth circle of hell to me unless it was Oprah, and then only because I could be sure it would be the fanciest cruise in the world. Oh, never mind. Forgot for a moment that on my Alaska cruise this summer I was the seasickest person you ever saw for every single day of it. Jesus could have a cruise, I’m not going.)

But I digress. Just before the cruise Annie’s sister breaks her leg and Annie can’t get a refund so she heads off on her own (this after her divorce.) The book also follows Sarah, a thirty year old promotion company employee who is in charge of the various personalities in the band and Keith, one of the members of Boy Talk.

I really needed this book. Not taxing but completely enjoyable. Again, not my usual but it was perfect for right now; my brain needed this nice little break.

[Asher · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book seems to be being marketed as a romance (Goodreads tag and all), and I don't know why. It's not a romance, and marketing it as such really does it a disservice. It is doing the sort of internal emotional analysis I would expect of literary fiction, though the prose isn't really what I would describe as literary.

More than anything, it's a reflection on the experiences of aging and of relationships falling apart, on the nature of fandom and fame, on nostalgia and looking forwards. It's meditative, devoting a lot of time to internal monologue and exploration of feeling, and it does a good job of painting pictures of characters as fully realised people.

It's a good book, though I don't think it was exactly the book I wanted it to be. It wasn't the fun, wish fulfillment romance fantasy that I suspected it might be, certainly, and at the same time it wasn't plotted like a more literary novel might be. I think it would actually benefit from being longer: I would have liked to see how characters' lives were changed by the revelations of the events of the book; this kinda feels like only half the story. I might not be the right audience, though, and it certainly had plenty to say.