Adam Sass’s The 99 Boyfriends of Micah Summers hits shelves THIS MONTH! Get ready to meet Micah Summers. He runs a popular Instagram full of drawings of his numerous imaginary boyfriends (ninety-nine so far)—though he’s never had a real boyfriend before. But when a meet-cute with Boy 100 goes wrong, Micah embarks on a Prince Charming-like quest throughout Chicago to find true love—for real this time.

We asked Adam to share some of this favorite things about Micah’s story. So, if you aren’t convinced yet, scroll down!

I’m Adam Sass, former barista darling and current author of the upcoming YA romcom, The 99 Boyfriends of Micah Summers, out September 20th from Viking. Micah also features a dreamy, darling barista, so this will be a full circle experience for me!

Micah Summers is a wannabe Prince Charming who lives in a Chicago penthouse and daydreams of what it would be like to finally ask out a boy. Until that day comes, he draws his crushes for an anonymous Instagram account (so far, ninety-nine of them have come and gone). Will Boy 100 be the one? He makes a promise to ask out whoever his 100^th crush is, but after a meet cute on the L train goes wrong, Micah and Boy 100 are separated without knowing each other’s names or how to find each other. So, Micah enlists his best friends—adventurous Instagrammer Hannah, and darling barista Elliot—to help. Together, they will embark on a quest throughout Chicago to find the mysterious boy of Micah’s dreams. But dream boys have a way of becoming real boys, and Micah must ask himself if he’s ready for a relationship that exists outside his head.

Still not convinced Micah Summers is the romcom for you? I’ve got five reasons to change your mind!

• The 99 Boyfriends of Micah Summers is like if warm caramel apple cider turned into a book!

Fans of coffee shop AU will be drooling every time Micah heads to his favorite local haunt, Audrey’s Café, to see his barista friend, Elliot, and drink his signature dirty chai under the warm café lights and soothing bossa nova music. When I wrote Micah, it was during COVID lockdown, and this book was an escape from that era of anxiety and isolation. Every time I had Micah join his sister and best friends in Audrey’s Café, huddled around the shop’s fireplace, plotting how to find this dreamy, mysterious Boy 100, I could forget all about how scared I was in real life. Micah has a frequent saying, “A weary world deserves a little dreaming.” And while lockdown may be over—and our relationship with COVID changes every day—our world is still weary, and I want Micah to be your escape the way he was mine.

• Does this story sound familiar? It should!

A Prince Charming finally meets the person of his dreams but gets separated without learning their name? A grand chase ensues throughout the kingdom to find them and win true love? It could only be Cinderella. While Micah Summers was conceived as the famous fairy tale from the prince’s point of view, this isn’t an ordinary retelling. In this book, Happily Ever After isn’t the end, it’s the beginning of a new, unpredictable journey. Micah knows fairy tales like the back of his hand, so when his own story starts deviating from what he believes is destiny, he’s terrified. Real love isn’t like the movies.

• Barista Realness!

What would a Cinderella retelling be without its Cinderella? Well, in Micah Summers, we have two contenders for the role: Boy 100, the captivating mystery boy who leaves behind his hand-stitched jacket instead of a glass slipper; and best friend, Elliot, the kind, put-upon barista. As a former barista, I could think of no better modern equivalent to the “Cinderelly, do the dishes, do the laundry” archetype than a minimum wage service worker. Over-tasked and under-valued, Elliot absorbs insults, canceled breaks, and filthy mop water—but never loses the song in his heart. Everything he goes through at Audrey’s Café was pulled from my real barista past (minus the song in his heart stuff)!

• It’s a magical story, but its world couldn’t be more real!

Micah struggles with asking out a boy for the first time and wrestling with expectations of fantasy versus reality. That’s universal, but this book digs deep into how queer people in particular have to deal with that. If we choose to date, it’s usually later in life, often way behind our straight peers. That can make us feel envious, left behind, and sometimes, even childish. Not exactly a great recipe for relationship maturity, but it’s part of our journey. Micah Summers is my salute to this brave pursuit of queer joy—and why it’s always worth a try.

• You’ve read every copy of Heartstopper, Season 2 isn’t out yet, and your itch must be scratched!

It’s not just the swoony m/m first love story. Micah is an artist, so we decided to include illustrated Instagram posts throughout that feature his sketches of various boys. Our brilliant cover artist, Anne Pomel, brought these to life, so you can fall even more in love with Micah’s world.

Somebody stop me before I give away all the goodies and secrets within this book! I’m very excited to share Micah’s magic with you all. Thank for your reading, and I hope you’ll preorder The 99 Boyfriends of Micah Summers before it hits shelves September 20^th!

Get your copy here!