Would Like to Meet by Rachel Winters

Would Like to Meet by Rachel Winters

Rachel Winters’ "Would Like to Meet" (2019) is a delightful, "meta" romantic comedy that serves as a love letter to the entire rom-com genre. It’s a witty, "high-concept" story that asks: Can real life ever actually be like the movies?

If you’ve ever rolled your eyes at a "meet-cute" in a film while secretly wishing one would happen to you, this book is written for you.

1. The Premise: The Meet-Cute Experiment

The story follows Evie Summers, an assistant at a high-pressure film agency. Her boss gives her a seemingly impossible task: she has to convince their most important (and difficult) screenwriter, Ezra Chester, to finish his rom-com script.

• The Challenge: Ezra doesn't believe in love and thinks rom-coms are unrealistic trash.

• The Bet: Evie proposes a challenge—she will prove that "meet-cutes" (the awkward, adorable ways people meet in movies) can happen in real life.

• The Mission: Evie spends her days attempting to recreate famous movie scenes—spilling orange juice on strangers, tripping in public, and getting stuck in elevators—all to prove to Ezra that romance isn't dead.

2. Key Themes

• Deconstructing the Genre: The book is filled with references to classics like Notting Hill, When Harry Met Sally, and The Holiday. It lovingly pokes fun at the tropes while celebrating why we love them.

• Authenticity vs. Performance: As Evie tries to "force" a cinematic moment, she realizes that real love often happens in the quiet, unscripted moments she wasn't planning for.

• Career Ambition: Beneath the romance, it’s a story about a woman finding her voice in a cutthroat industry and learning to value her own talent.

3. The "Meta" Element

What makes this book unique is how it uses scripts within the story.

• You get to see snippets of Ezra’s writing.

• Evie literally treats her life like a production, planning "scenes" and "costumes."

• It highlights the gap between "Movie Love" (perfect lighting, soaring music) and "Real Love" (messy, complicated, and often ungraceful).

4. Why Readers Love It

• The Humor: Evie’s failed attempts at meet-cutes are genuinely laugh-out-loud funny. There is a specific scene involving a "clumsy" spill that goes horribly wrong.

• The "Slow-Burn" Dynamic: The chemistry between the cynical Ezra and the determined Evie is sharp and full of banter.

• Relatability: Anyone who has ever felt like a supporting character in their own life will root for Evie to become the leading lady.

5. Common "Meet-Cute" Tropes Explored

The book takes several classic tropes and tests them in the "wild" of modern-day London:

The Heart of the Story

"It’s a reminder that while life isn't a movie, that doesn't mean it can't have a happy ending—it just might not look like the one you scripted."