Rosewater

THE HOTTEST DEBUT NOVEL OF 2023

"Frank, sexy, and so tender. Little's pen shines" Bolu Babalola, author of Love in Colour

"A beautifully rendered story about love's possibilities and its limits. I laughed, I cried, couldn't put it down" Monica Heisey, author of Really Good, Actually

"An effervescent and irresistible new voice" Coco Mellors, author of Cleopatra and Frankenstein

"A wonderfully fresh, zesty and sexy debut novelist who is putting black queer lives, loves and longings centre stage, where they belong" Bernardine Evaristo, author of Girl, Woman, Other

"Full of energy, wit and excitement, this is a book to watch" Stylist

"Bold debut novel . . . free-spirited . . . amazing" Cosmopolitan

"A paeon to a queer love affair that's sexy, complex and romantic. Effortlessly capturing our uncertain zeitgeist" Evening Standard

Elsie is a sexy, funny, and fiercely independent woman living in South London. But, at just 28, she is also tired. Though she spends her days writing tender poetry in her journal, her nights are spent working long hours for minimum wage at a neighbourhood gay bar.

The difficulty of being estranged from her family, struggle of being continually rejected from jobs, and fear of never making money doing what she loves, is too great. But Elsie is determined to keep the faith, for a little longer at least. Things will surely turn around. They have to.

As she tries to breathe through the panic attacks, sleeping with her hot and spirited co-worker Bea isn't exactly straightforward and offers Elsie just another place to hide.

As Elsie tries to reconnect with her best friend Juliet, her fragile world spirals out of control. Can Elsie steady herself and not fall through the cracks?




Genre: Gay Romance

"Rosewater is sexy, alive, and modern-a perfectly-formed romance . . . this book is a must-read and a captivating delight." - Jayne Allen

"A thrilling book." - Fatimah Asghar

"Frank, sexy, and so tender. Little's pen shines." - Bolu Babalola

"Rosewater feels like a song for the dreamers who are trying to find their way. It is a wonderful, messy, heart-filled novel." - Jendella Benson

"An unapologetically bold and heartfelt love story with a timeless message about living your authentic self at its core." - Lizzie Damilola Blackburn

"Rosewater is funny, witty, messy, and beautifully queer . . . a story that seeps into you the way warm sunshine does at the final edges of winter." - Nicole Dennis-Benn

"I consumed it in breathless gulps." - Sareeta Domingo

"A wonderfully fresh, zesty and sexy debut novelist who is putting black queer lives, loves and longings centre stage, where they belong." - Bernardine Evaristo

"Rosewater is sensuous, urgent and pulsating with youth -- embracing all of its messiness, discovery and boundless capacity for love." - Xochitl Gonzalez

"A beautifully rendered story about love's possibilities and its limits. I laughed, I cried, couldn't put it down." - Monica Heisey

"Sharply observed yet tender at the same time, Rosewater explores the meaning of home, exposing its fragility and its tenacity as Little's characters fight to find their place in the world." - Gwen E Kirby

"A gritty, heartfelt, no holds barred look at life and love in present-day London." - Andrea Lee

"An effervescent and irresistible new voice." - Coco Mellors

"Rosewater is a confident debut, brimming with ideas and bursting with heart . . . I am in awe." - Nikesh Shukla