"Choice of Elle Ukraine"
"BBC Book of the Year Finalist—the breakout hit everyone's talking about"
"Not Approved For EXes" by Halyna Tarasenko
Shortlisted for the BBC Ukraine Book of the Year 2024 and the first Ukrainian chick lit ever to crack the Top 3 national bestseller list, “Not approved for EXes” is a sparkling autofiction debut that blends sharp irony with heartfelt emotion.
The story opens in a sleepy provincial town, back when no one had heard of “decommunisation,” Crimea was not yet occupied, and young Halia believed she had married the man of her dreams. One unexpected encounter shatters that illusion—and nothing, from love to geopolitics, will ever be the same again.
Stuffed with movie references, nostalgic callbacks to Ukraine in its early 2010s, and a full spectrum of feelings, Halyna’s unfiltered confessional invites readers to escape reality for an afternoon and remember that second chances matter.
Why It Sells
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Star power: National award finalist with proven sales track record in Ukraine
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Fresh hook: Autofiction + romcom = “Fleabag” meets Emily Henry
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Cross-media potential: the novel’s structure ideal for streaming adaptation
Similar Titles:
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Normal People by Sally Rooney (intimate relationship study)
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Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid (love and betrayal)
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Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb
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Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton
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Fleabag (TV series, autofiction with dark humor)