Penguin Random House SEA is thrilled to announce the acquisition and publication of its most anticipated fiction book read of the year, The American Boyfriend, a domestic psychological romantic suspense-thriller by London-based and award-winning author and editor, Ivy Ngeow.

This gripping novel takes readers on a thrilling journey through the risks and rewards of online dating, interlaced with themes of cross-cultural relationships and the dynamics of race relations in the West.

From the imprint, Penguin Books, this book is scheduled to hit the shelves across Asia on 25 July 2023 and is currently available for pre-ordering on several bookstores and e-commerce websites like Kinokuniya Singapore and Malaysia, Amazon Singapore, Amazon India, ChapterOne Books, and Bookish Santa.

Perfect for the fans of Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, Things We Do In The Dark by Jennifer Hillier, and Verity by Colleen Hoover, The American Boyfriend introduces readers to Phoebe Wong, a Malaysian-Chinese single mother living in London.

Tired of her dead-end job and aching to escape the British winter, Phoebe eagerly accepts an invitation from her long-distance titular ‘American’ boyfriend to meet him in sunny Key West, Florida.

Accompanied by her teething toddler, Phoebe arrives ahead of her boyfriend and experiences a nightmarish turn of events when she is robbed on her first night.

Stranded in Key West without money, cards, or passports, Phoebe finds solace in the support of friendly locals. However, when a British ex-pat she meets is mysteriously shot dead, Phoebe realizes she is trapped in a dangerous situation as things continue to go grow out of hand.

As suspicions surrounding her boyfriend’s delayed arrival grow, Phoebe becomes determined to extricate herself and her daughter from the escalating danger.

Through the pages of this novel, Ngeow also sheds light on the nuanced dynamics of race relations and gun violence in the subtext. The story delves into the complexities of identity, love, and survival in a world fraught with danger as the readers go on this journey which is full of unexpected twists and turns and a shocking finale for the protagonist.

Talking about the publication of her book, author, Ivy Ngeow said, “I wrote a book that I wanted to read. I was frustrated that there was a serious lack of commercial fiction with strong female Asian protagonists. Much of Asian literature for the Western market falls into the literary fiction or historical category with romanticised tropes of the empire, WWII, and “Malaya” nostalgia. But so much has happened since 1957. I write to challenge those tiring stereotypes and cliches.”

“The story I want to give the world is what it means to be a modern Asian woman. She is confident, open-minded, and independent, both financially and emotionally. (But it did take us thousands of years and about 40 minutes to get here). The book is like the woman: The American Boyfriend is a smart, snappy read, set in a fast-paced narrative using simple, clear, and plain language. With the rise of sensations like RF Kuang’s Yellowface and Vanessa Chan’s The Storm We Made, the publishing world is changing. As such, this moment is so much bigger than me.”

Ngeow is currently preparing for her Southeast Asia Book Tour starting August 13 with the Singapore book launch at Epigram Books followed by a series of events at major bookstores in Singapore – SingLit Station, KinoKuniya, WHS Smith at Changi airport, and school workshops.

Following this, she would also be heading for her Malaysian book launch at Eslite Bookstore in Kuala Lumpur on August 20 among other events scheduled at Gerakbudaya Bookstore Penang, and Riwayat Books. All events are open to the public and are free to attend.

Ivy Ngeow’s The American Boyfriend is set to hit shelves on 25 July 2023. Pre-order your copy here.

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Cover image sourced from Ivy Ngeow / Instagram.