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Fancy Meeting You
A middle-aged woman’s unlikely and hilarious tardy coming-of-age.
Laura Harrigan, the snarky protagonist of Fancy Meeting You is a middle-aged, involuntarily unmarried woman—given to big lies, profanity, and a deeply wicked sense of humor. To quote “I’ve been called an alcoholic, dishonest, crazy, a narcissist, shallow, irresponsible, a slut, and once—my favorite—‘too smart.’’’ Laura has a snotty sister she occasionally abhors and a best friend and partner in crime, Javier, who regularly hangs out with her at the Chicken Box, where the bartender knows when to call her an Uber. She is a graduate of Harvard who works a job far beneath her capabilities, though it is daily enlivened by the mood swings of her hapless boss.
The story follows Laura in her home in Baltimore and elsewhere through her fiftieth year. Each chapter marks her encounter with a new character—a family member or two, a potential lover, complete strangers–each offering their own brand of wisdom or judgement or wacky opinion. Somehow, through these entanglements, Laura begins to gather bits and pieces of the self-knowledge she is lacking. Most, if not all, coming-of-age stories are about young people, but this is a middle-aged coming-of-age.
Laura Harrigan, the snarky protagonist of Fancy Meeting You is a middle-aged, involuntarily unmarried woman—given to big lies, profanity, and a deeply wicked sense of humor. To quote “I’ve been called an alcoholic, dishonest, crazy, a narcissist, shallow, irresponsible, a slut, and once—my favorite—‘too smart.’’’ Laura has a snotty sister she occasionally abhors and a best friend and partner in crime, Javier, who regularly hangs out with her at the Chicken Box, where the bartender knows when to call her an Uber. She is a graduate of Harvard who works a job far beneath her capabilities, though it is daily enlivened by the mood swings of her hapless boss.
The story follows Laura in her home in Baltimore and elsewhere through her fiftieth year. Each chapter marks her encounter with a new character—a family member or two, a potential lover, complete strangers–each offering their own brand of wisdom or judgement or wacky opinion. Somehow, through these entanglements, Laura begins to gather bits and pieces of the self-knowledge she is lacking. Most, if not all, coming-of-age stories are about young people, but this is a middle-aged coming-of-age.
- GenresFiction
212 pages, Hardcover
Published June 2, 2026
About the author
Louise Marburg
7 books22 followersLouise Marburg is the author of a collection of stories, The Truth About Me (WTAW Press, 2017), which was named by the San Francisco Chronicle and Entropy as a best book of 2017. Winner of the Independent Press Book Award for the short story, The Truth About Me was also shortlisted for the William Saroyan International Prize for Writing. Her stories have appeared in Narrative, The Pinch, Carolina Quarterly, Ploughshares, The Chicago Quarterly Review, and elsewhere. Her latest collection of stories, No Diving Allowed, is forthcoming on October 6th, 2021. She lives in New York City with her husband, the artist Charles Marburg.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
November 19, 2025
I loved the novel Fancy Meeting You so much, I gave the author a blurb:
Sharply funny, brutally honest, and surprising in the best possible ways, Louise Marburg’s novel, Fancy Meeting You, entertains as it enlightens. Her portrait of a woman stuck is among the truest, and readers will relish following Laura Harrigan’s turbulent journey, even as they identify with her struggles to grow. When it comes to laughs per page, no one has Marburg beat, but it’s the novel’s insights that will win readers’ hearts.
Sharply funny, brutally honest, and surprising in the best possible ways, Louise Marburg’s novel, Fancy Meeting You, entertains as it enlightens. Her portrait of a woman stuck is among the truest, and readers will relish following Laura Harrigan’s turbulent journey, even as they identify with her struggles to grow. When it comes to laughs per page, no one has Marburg beat, but it’s the novel’s insights that will win readers’ hearts.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
📱📖 Read on Kindle | 📃 212 pages
⏱ Duration: ~3 hours
ARC copy by Edelweiss | 🏷️ Publisher: Blair
📅 Release date: June 2, 2026
When we talk about coming-of-age stories, we almost always picture teenagers or twenty-somethings fumbling their way toward adulthood. Fancy Meeting You flips that expectation by giving us a protagonist who is fifty and still figuring herself out, and honestly, that’s its strongest hook. A fifty-year-old woman with a bar tab and a Harvard degree she’s not using is exactly what makes Fancy Meeting You such an intriguing read. Louise Marburg spins a series of vignettes around Laura Harrigan, whose messy imperfections feel painfully and hilariously real. Laura’s voice, equal parts sarcasm and vulnerability, is the glue that holds these episodic encounters together.
Laura herself is acerbic, self-aware, and often entertaining. Her interactions with friends, strangers, and potential love interests are where the book shines most, offering moments of humor and insight in quick bursts. It’s an easy, fast-paced read, structured in a way that makes it ideal for short reading sessions. I found myself curious about where each chapter would take her next, even when I wasn’t emotionally invested in the outcome. Each chapter brings a new connection: a sister she resents, a flirtation that fizzles, a stranger who says far too much. And somewhere between the cheap wine and emotional misfires, Laura starts to evolve. It’s not a neat transformation, but that’s the point. It’s life, in all its blurry, midlife glory.
That said, while the journey is engaging, it doesn’t quite linger. Once finished, the story slips away without leaving a strong emotional or thematic mark. The ideas are interesting, the execution competent, but nothing quite lands with enough weight to feel memorable. It’s enjoyable in the moment, but not a book that follows you around afterward.
Would I recommend it?
Enjoyable, smart, and zippy enough to finish in one sitting, but not the kind of story that stays with you once you close the cover. If you’re looking for a quick, character-driven contemporary read with a slightly unconventional angle, Fancy Meeting You is worth a look. It’s smart, readable, and occasionally sharp, even if it doesn’t dig as deeply as it could. I enjoyed the ride, appreciated the perspective, and then… moved on. Still, for readers who love flawed, funny female protagonists and snapshots of life’s midlife messiness, it’s worth picking up. A solid pick for a palate cleanser between heavier reads, especially if midlife narratives intrigue you.
⏱ Duration: ~3 hours
ARC copy by Edelweiss | 🏷️ Publisher: Blair
📅 Release date: June 2, 2026
When we talk about coming-of-age stories, we almost always picture teenagers or twenty-somethings fumbling their way toward adulthood. Fancy Meeting You flips that expectation by giving us a protagonist who is fifty and still figuring herself out, and honestly, that’s its strongest hook. A fifty-year-old woman with a bar tab and a Harvard degree she’s not using is exactly what makes Fancy Meeting You such an intriguing read. Louise Marburg spins a series of vignettes around Laura Harrigan, whose messy imperfections feel painfully and hilariously real. Laura’s voice, equal parts sarcasm and vulnerability, is the glue that holds these episodic encounters together.
Laura herself is acerbic, self-aware, and often entertaining. Her interactions with friends, strangers, and potential love interests are where the book shines most, offering moments of humor and insight in quick bursts. It’s an easy, fast-paced read, structured in a way that makes it ideal for short reading sessions. I found myself curious about where each chapter would take her next, even when I wasn’t emotionally invested in the outcome. Each chapter brings a new connection: a sister she resents, a flirtation that fizzles, a stranger who says far too much. And somewhere between the cheap wine and emotional misfires, Laura starts to evolve. It’s not a neat transformation, but that’s the point. It’s life, in all its blurry, midlife glory.
That said, while the journey is engaging, it doesn’t quite linger. Once finished, the story slips away without leaving a strong emotional or thematic mark. The ideas are interesting, the execution competent, but nothing quite lands with enough weight to feel memorable. It’s enjoyable in the moment, but not a book that follows you around afterward.
Would I recommend it?
Enjoyable, smart, and zippy enough to finish in one sitting, but not the kind of story that stays with you once you close the cover. If you’re looking for a quick, character-driven contemporary read with a slightly unconventional angle, Fancy Meeting You is worth a look. It’s smart, readable, and occasionally sharp, even if it doesn’t dig as deeply as it could. I enjoyed the ride, appreciated the perspective, and then… moved on. Still, for readers who love flawed, funny female protagonists and snapshots of life’s midlife messiness, it’s worth picking up. A solid pick for a palate cleanser between heavier reads, especially if midlife narratives intrigue you.
June 22, 2026
Comedy is decidedly one of the trickiest genres for an author to master and pull off effectively. However, if asked to select a single title from Louise Marburg’s extensive, award-winning short story collections to describe 'Fancy Meeting You', her first full-length novel, it would be
'You Have Reached Your Destination'. For indeed, she has !
The main character is a sharp-tongued, "involuntarily unmarried" 50-year-old named Laura Harrigan. She acts as her own worst influence, navigating midlife reinvention with biting humor, questionable choices, and a knack for attracting absolute chaos.
I easily give this brilliant book 5 stars. Marburg masterfully avoids wrapping up her flawed heroine’s life with a tidy bow, which is perfectly evidenced by the book's final line. In fact, the ending left me desperately hoping for a sequel! Laura is such a refreshing, relatable, and remarkably complex character that this novel would make an incredible television series, well worth watching.
'You Have Reached Your Destination'. For indeed, she has !
The main character is a sharp-tongued, "involuntarily unmarried" 50-year-old named Laura Harrigan. She acts as her own worst influence, navigating midlife reinvention with biting humor, questionable choices, and a knack for attracting absolute chaos.
I easily give this brilliant book 5 stars. Marburg masterfully avoids wrapping up her flawed heroine’s life with a tidy bow, which is perfectly evidenced by the book's final line. In fact, the ending left me desperately hoping for a sequel! Laura is such a refreshing, relatable, and remarkably complex character that this novel would make an incredible television series, well worth watching.
June 13, 2026
Louise Marburg is the funniest writer working today. Humor on the page is difficult to pull off and even more difficult to sustain through an entire novel. Marburg is relentlessly funny. The humor is wry, witty, dark, irreverent and inventive. The laughs may be plentiful but this is not an unserious book. The author has created in Laura Harrigan, a relatable, endearing character of contradictions: she’s a liar yet genuine, snide, yet compassionate, underachieving, yet brilliant. I dare you to read FANCY MEETING YOU and not have a sore belly from laughing. You can’t help but root for Laura, the novel’s capricious, hilarious, loveable protagonist.
June 19, 2026
Louise Marburg is one of the funniest writers I've read, and Fancy Meeting You is one of her funniest and best books. Laura is such a great protagonist, such a beautiful mess. She's charismatic and opinionated and self-destructive and authentic, and even though she is a compulsive liar, we can't help but wish she would be our best friend. The novel, like Laura, is constantly inventing itself, and we are entertained but also deeply moved, because we grow to love Laura. A delight from beginning to end!
June 22, 2026
Starting out, I found part of this book to be hilarious and funny but as The Book went on, I just didn’t really like the character. I have known people like this and I just do not have the time or energy to deal with alcoholics. It’s not funny or cute especially at that age. I really didn’t like the fact that she thought it was OK to drink and drive. I found her to be immature and I would not like to talk or hang out with this woman. I am a single woman who is 50 and thought I would like this Book, but there was no common ground here.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
A 50-year-old alcoholic liar makes questionable choices and has implausible interactions with people. I'm sorry-- I really hate to dunk on an ARC, butI enjoyed nothing about this. The protagonist has no redeeming qualities and I don't understand how she has any relationships in her life. I can generally get behind a plotless / unhinged women novel but I didn't see the point here. I would have DNF'd if it wasn't so short but maybe I should have; it took me a whole week to slog through 200 pages.
June 19, 2026
A cynical rom-com about a woman in her fiftieth year who, after a lively, vivid, devil-may-care life up until this point, begins to be tempted to settle down, after her own fashion. She drinks copiously, thinks very highly of her own intellect, has few inhibitions or ideals of any kind, and really doesn’t want to want to get married and grow up. At least, not like other people do. Its wit and charm balance the cynicism, making this romp of a novel funny, light-hearted, and smart.
Review of advance copy
I enjoyed this book a lot, and laughed out loud more than a few times. The main character does makes some questionable choices - but she is likeable, perhaps because you spend the book inside her head. She narrates her thoughts and I often found her observations hilarious and very human. I will be looking for more books by this author.
June 11, 2026
I won this book on Goodreads. Thank you to Blair/Carolina Wren Press for the book.
“A coming of age novel at age 50”. I was hard pressed to believe that but then I read the book. The main character, Laura, seems to be a reflection of today’s women. Selfish, low self esteem masked by humor, and with a tendency to lie about big or small things to seem important.
She is 50 years old and lives in an unkept rental. Is really an alcoholic though no one mentions it. She breezes through her life looking for men “to marry” but sleeps with them right away and wonders why she isn’t married. Yet, she says she likes her freedom. She’s lying to herself and everyone she encounters. But why?
Throughout the book the hints are there. Her facade cracks. She actually starts to think deeply about her life. She may find some happiness as I see redeeming qualities start to blossom.
I started out being entertained by Laura’s adventures. They didn’t end. Just one mistake after another. One lie after another and another. I started to not like the book but I finished it. By the end, I was hopeful she was going to turn things around.
This is me not liking the fast and loose lifestyle in the book. There is clever dialogue and some interesting characters. It is witty and a quick read. Overall it isn’t a book I’d buy but I’m sure others will.
“A coming of age novel at age 50”. I was hard pressed to believe that but then I read the book. The main character, Laura, seems to be a reflection of today’s women. Selfish, low self esteem masked by humor, and with a tendency to lie about big or small things to seem important.
She is 50 years old and lives in an unkept rental. Is really an alcoholic though no one mentions it. She breezes through her life looking for men “to marry” but sleeps with them right away and wonders why she isn’t married. Yet, she says she likes her freedom. She’s lying to herself and everyone she encounters. But why?
Throughout the book the hints are there. Her facade cracks. She actually starts to think deeply about her life. She may find some happiness as I see redeeming qualities start to blossom.
I started out being entertained by Laura’s adventures. They didn’t end. Just one mistake after another. One lie after another and another. I started to not like the book but I finished it. By the end, I was hopeful she was going to turn things around.
This is me not liking the fast and loose lifestyle in the book. There is clever dialogue and some interesting characters. It is witty and a quick read. Overall it isn’t a book I’d buy but I’m sure others will.
July 8, 2026
The protagonist Laura of this always hilarious and often touching comic novel is a 50 year old never-married alcoholic in a dead end job. Laura is the best literary misanthrope I’ve ever encountered, and her acid wit frequently had me laughing out loud.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Acerbic, sharp, and incredibly witty in all the right ways. I could only hope to be a fraction as glamorous as Laura is once I'm fifty.
tbr-arc
January 9, 2026a middle-aged coming-of-age story? i hope i could have that opportunity when i hit that age.
*thank you to Blair for the ARC*
*thank you to Blair for the ARC*
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Honestly, this book was not for me. It was a very quick read which I think is the only reason I got through it, but I just didn’t understand. It felt like there was no story line.
June 19, 2026
I loved this book!
Funny, poignant, and super charming. there are passages I think about and chuckle to myself still.
Wonderful summer read and house gift. I am sending it to all of my friends.
Funny, poignant, and super charming. there are passages I think about and chuckle to myself still.
Wonderful summer read and house gift. I am sending it to all of my friends.
June 20, 2026
This is a well-written, funny book that is hard to put down. I highly recommend it for anyone who likes clever read.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews