For fans of Ashley Poston and Abby Jimenez, a contemporary romance—with a twist—about a media-savvy reality television star and a canceled country singer.Twenty-eight-year-old beauty Emerson Blue is the second most followed celebrity on social media. A self-proclaimed “living piece of art” who rose to fame as a reality star and then parlayed her celebrity into a megabucks career as an influencer, she seems to have everything.
Forty-eight-year-old Grammy winner Renn Walker is a fallen country music star. Years ago, he was canceled following allegations of sexual misconduct, and he has lived in seclusion ever since. Once a beloved figure, he seems to have lost it all.
When Emerson and Renn meet, sparks fly. Against all odds, a star obsessed with popularity and a recluse shunned by the world fall in love. Everyone in the public and media has an opinion and thinks they know Emerson and Renn. But in a world dominated by social media—a world that blurs the lines between what’s public and private, what’s real and what’s illusion—do we ever really know anyone?
As a longtime Hollywood agent, you’ve seen it all, but it’s rare for someone to become as successful as Emerson Blue. What’s her deal?
Leo: She rose to fame on social media, starred in a reality show about her life, and parlayed it into a megabucks career as an influencer. She partners with fashion, cosmetic, and lifestyle brands. She gets paid seven figures just to show up on a red carpet or at a casino or nightclub opening. If she’s there, the place becomes huge. She’s a goddamn marketing genius. She has this shtick about being a living piece of art. People can’t get enough of it. She’s got the secret sauce in spades.
How did she become so famous?
Leo: She amassed a decent following on social media and then started this campaign with a spectacular close-up beauty shot of her face and the caption, ‘Who is Emerson Blue?’ The thing went viral, kids reposting, even some A-list celebrities commenting on it. Suddenly, her name and face were everywhere, a girl no one had ever heard of. She made herself famous out of nothing, like magic, in front of the whole world.
What did you think when Renn Walker decided to pursue a romance with Emerson?
Leo: I told Renn it was a bad idea. He’s a shut-in. Emerson doesn’t go anywhere without an entourage. She would take a film crew to a colonoscopy. But I was wrong. Sometimes opposites attract. I’ve never seen Renn happier.
You’ve stuck with Renn through thick and thin—his massive success in country music and his fall from grace. What would you say about him?
Leo: Renn is my favorite client and my friend. He’s a genius. He’s got more talent than most people can dream of. He’s a good egg no matter what anyone thinks. He’s authentic. He doesn’t give a crap about fame or what’s trending or any of that bs.
Forty minutes later, a seamstress was pinning the hem of Emerson’s dress when her phone rang. She grabbed it off the vanity. “It’s him,” she said to Diba. He rolled his eyes.
Emerson answered the call, “Hello.”
“Renn here.”
“Can you hold on? I’m in my dressing room prepping for a photo shoot, and they’re just finishing pinning my dress. We’re on a time crunch. Last-minute alterations. It’ll just be a couple minutes.”
“Sure thing.”
As soon as the seamstress was done, Emerson handed her the garment and threw on her silk robe. She grabbed her phone. “I’m back. Sorry about that.”
“Don’t be. You’re worth the wait.”
“You’re quite the smooth talker,” she said. “I wasn’t sure you were going to call back.”
“Bullshit. You knew I’d call back.” She giggled and he continued, “I needed time to write you a song.”
“You wrote me a song?” she asked in surprise.
“Yeah. Hang on. I’m going to put you on speaker so I can play it.”
A few seconds later, Renn started strumming his guitar and singing a country ballad in the whiskey-soaked voice that had made him a household name. Soon he was crooning the lyric, “Girl says she’s blue, but she takes away my blues / Emerson Blue, making me feel new.”
When he finished playing, Emerson could hardly speak. After a moment passed, she managed to say, “That was incredible. I can’t believe you wrote that for me.”
“Does that mean you’ll have dinner with me?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“How’s tonight at eight?”
“Kind of last-minute. I have plans.”
“Cancel them,” he said.
She paused for a moment. “Okay. Tonight at eight. Where?”
“My place. Don’t worry, I’ll be a perfect gentleman. I’m just not into the LA scene.”
“Okay,” she said. “Where’s your place?”
“Depends. Where do you live?”
“The Hollywood Hills.”
“Then we can have dinner at my house in Beverly Hills,” he said. “What’s your address? I’ll pick you up.”
“Text me your address. My driver can take me.”
“Okay. See you tonight. Anything I should know before dinner? Like you’re vegan or kosher or only eat purple food?”
She laughed. “No. I eat everything. Surprise me.”
“See you later.”
“Later.”
Emerson put the phone down and looked over at Diba, unable to stop the rosy grin from spreading across her face.
“Well, now you’re fucked,” he muttered.
“Yup. Definitely fucked,” she agreed.
Featured on Bookstr “3 Remarkable Romance Reads for Your Beach Bag”
2026 American Fiction Awards Winner in Romantic Suspense
2026 Literary Titan Book Awards Gold Winner
“Sugar Sand Land by Patricia Leavy is a love story for the ages . . . It begs the question: what is real and what is illusory? This is first and foremost a beautiful love story, though, and it is one I thoroughly enjoyed. I highly recommend this book.”—Readers’ Favorite, 5-star review
“What begins as a glamorous, high-heat romance opens into something heavier and more tender . . . the meaning of Sugar Sand Land itself, gave the book a deeper emotional center than I expected at the start. It gives the title a softness and ache that the early Hollywood scenes only hint at . . . this is a romance for readers who want both swoon and reflection.”—Literary Titan, 5-star review
“If you are looking for a compelling romantic read this fall, check out Patricia Leavy’s Sugar Sand Land. This is a novel filled with unexpected twists and timely themes . . . the author captures the zeitgeist of our modern age . . . I would recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys celebrity romances, stories exploring social media culture, or character-driven contemporary fiction.”—Read Unwritten
“A tour de force! I’ve never read a novel that better captures appearance versus reality in contemporary culture. Gorgeous writing, a super smart story, and a sweet and sexy romance. I can’t get the ending out of my mind. Leavy gets to the essence of art, illusion, and love like no other. Sugar Sand Land is a modern masterpiece.”—Laurel Richardson, author of Lone Twin
“You will be surprised by how much you end up loving the characters. Just when you think you’re reading a book about Emerson Blue and Renn Walker, you realize you’re really reading about all of us in the age of social media. Sugar Sand Land is a brilliant romance novel with twists, turns, and timely messages. Leavy’s smartest novel to date and a must-read as a personal escape or with your book club.”—U. Melissa Anyiwo, editor of Gender Warriors
“Still waters run deep in this tale of whirlwind romance that conceals deeper currents of torment and transformation. Readers seeking jubilant love stories will find plenty here—and themselves pulled beneath the surface of private pain underlying public performance. A sweet escape with a wrenching twist, haunting in the negative space left behind. Sugar Sand Land poignantly crystallizes how intentional choices make the difference between love conquering all and all conquering love.”—Alexandra “Xan” Nowakowski, coauthor of Other People’s Oysters
“Sugar Sand Land is a delicious romance that follows two celebrities embroiled in social media fervor. The biggest reality star in the world. A canceled country singer. How can these two fall in love with the whole world watching? This love story rings so true it could have been pulled from the headlines and it’s impossible to put down. A smart take on life, art, and social media.”—Jessica Smartt Gullion, author of October Birds
“This book is about that space between appearances and reality, love and hurt, social media and illusion, and how a couple in love can navigate that space while remaining true to their art and themselves. I found myself rooting for Renn and Emerson and felt like I had a backstage pass to their hit movie about love as a balm for the hurt places we don’t know how to heal. An amazing novel.”—Sandra L. Faulkner, author of Poetic Inquiry: Craft, Method and Practice
“Sugar Sand Land is full of romantic magic that will leave readers captivated and utterly spellbound with each passing page. Leavy writes with heart and wit. This is such a fun book to read and think about.”—J. E. Sumerau, 2021 George Garrett Fiction Prize–winning author of Transmission
“Page-turning, sexy, smart, and full of love. Leavy brilliantly weaves a beautiful romance with questions about identity in contemporary culture. There are layers of depth in a read that feels effortless. Sugar Sand Land is the new great American novel. An absolute must-read.”—Jessie Voigts, Ph.D., founder of Wandering Educators
“Sugar Sand Land is about what happens when romantic love inspires art and art inspires hope and social change in the world. Timely and wonderfully written. Love it!”—Mary E. Weems, author of Fall and Response
Patricia Leavy, PhD, is an award-winning, best-selling author. She is also the publisher and CEO of Paper Stars Press. She was formerly Associate Professor of Sociology, Chairperson of Sociology & Criminology, and Founding Director of Gender Studies at Stonehill College. She has published more than fifty books; her work has been translated into many languages, and she has received more than one hundred book awards. Her novel Shooting Stars Above was featured on People “10 Romance Books to Read After Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry” and was the 2025 Firebird Book Award First Place Winner in Contemporary Novel, Romance, and Summer Beach Read. Patricia has also received career awards from the New England Sociological Association, the American Creativity Association, the American Educational Research Association, the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, and the National Art Education Association. In 2018, she was honored by the National Women’s Hall of Fame and SUNY-New Paltz established the “Patricia Leavy Award for Art and Social Justice.” In 2024 the London Arts-Based Research Centre established “The Patricia Leavy Award for Arts-Based Research.” Patricia lives in Maine. In addition to writing, she enjoys art, reading, and travel.
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