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WORK TITLE: Just Another Meet Cute
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WEBSITE: https://www.jennpnguyen.com/
CITY: New Orleans
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COUNTRY: United States
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School Library Journal vol. 71 no. 5 May, 2025. Melissa Palmer, “NGUYEN, Jenn P.: Just Another Meet Cute.”. p. 131.
Kirkus Reviews Apr. 15, 2025, , “Nguyen, Jenn P.: JUST ANOTHER MEET CUTE.”.
Voice of Youth Advocates vol. 42 no. 2 June, 2019. Aasi, Rummanah. , “Nguyen, Jenn P.: Fake It Till You Break It.”. p. 66.
Booklist vol. 115 no. 16 Apr. 15, 2019, Reagan, Maggie. , “Fake It till You Break It.”. p. 50.
School Library Journal vol. 62 no. 5 May, 2016. Piedmont, Joy. , “Nguyen, Jenn P.: The Way To Game the Walk of Shame.”. p. 118.
I’m Jenn P. Nguyen, author of THE WAY TO GAME THE WALK OF SHAME, FAKE IT TILL YOU BREAK IT, and JUST ANOTHER MEET CUTE. I was born in Mississippi, raised in New Orleans, LA (Go Saints!), where I currently live with my husband and high school sweetheart along with our two wonderful although slightly crazy kids.
I fell in love with books in third grade and spent the rest of my school years reading through lunchtime and giving up recess to organize the school library. Partially because the weather in New Orleans was always scorching, but mainly because I loved to be surrounded by books. Now I get to spend my days reading, dreaming up YA romances, and binge watching addicting Korean dramas all in the name of ‘research’.
Short bio
Jenn P Nguyen is the author of young adult novels THE WAY TO GAME THE WALK OF SHAME (her debut) and FAKE IT TILL YOU BREAK IT, which were both published by Macmillan. She has a degree in business administration and still lives in the city with her husband and two kids.
Long bio
Jenn P Nguyen grew up in New Orleans, LA and has always loved books. Even as a kid, she has always wanted to be a writer. Although she ended up studying and getting a degree in business administration, Jenn still couldn’t stay away from creating stories in her mind. Sometimes even writing notes on the back of napkins at her part time job.
Her debut novel, THE WAY TO GAME THE WALK OF SHAME, was a young adult romance published in 2016 by Macmillan. She also wrote FAKE IT TILL YOU BREAK IT. When she isn’t writing, she loves to binge watch Korean dramas and spend time with her family. She currently lives in New Orleans with her husband, two kids, and dog named Noodle.
Jenn is represented by Natascha Morris at Tobias Literary Agency.
Meet the Author: Jenn P. Nguyen
Posted in Contemporary, Meet the Author, Young Adult Authors by victoriajcoe
Jenn P. NguyenJenn P. Nguyen fell in love with books in third grade and spent the rest of her school years reading through lunchtime and giving up recess to organize the school library. She has a degree in business administration from the University of New Orleans and still lives in the city with her husband. Jenn spends her days reading, dreaming up YA romances, and binge watching Korean dramas all in the name of ‘research.’
Jenn’s debut, THE WAY TO GAME THE WALK OF SHAME (Macmillan Swoon Reads, June 2016) is a contemporary Young Adult romance. After getting drunk at a party and waking up next to (a fully clothed) bad boy surfer Evan McKinley, Taylor Simmons needs to salvage her reputation by pretending they’re in a serious romantic relationship. After all, it’s better to be the girl who tames the wild surfer than just another notch on his surfboard.
Fun facts:
Favorite book growing up: She’s sure this is everyone’s favorite, but she loved the Harry Potter series. In particular, the third book PRISONER OF AZKABAN. It’s the book that changed from just an amazing book about a kid wizard into an epic story about family, loyalty, life, and so much more. Plus the marauders’ backstory and the whole storyline with Oliver Wood and his obsession with winning the Quidditch Cup are particular favorites of hers. Oliver and the Weasley twins crack her up every time.
Childhood aspiration: She’s always wanted to be a writer. She loved books and spent all of her free time indoors reading or at the library. She just never really thought it was possible to actually BE a writer. No one she knew actually wrote. Her first short story was a fan fiction about Dudley for school and she loved it.
Favorite time of day/place to write: She’s a night owl. Her peak hours are usually between 9pm-3am. She’s tried waking up early to work but she’s just not a happy camper in the morning. And she never cared for coffee so that never really helps.
Favorite things to do (other than reading): Binge watching shows and dramas. She also loves to try new restaurants and eat.
Favorite sports teams: Since she lives in New Orleans, she’s obliged to say the Saints. Go Black and Gold! Who Dat!
Greatest thing about being a 2016 debut author: She’s finally going to be published and her books will actually be on bookshelves and in the hands of readers is amazing and still feels like a dream. And of course, 2016 is an awesome year to have dreams come true!
Interview: The Way to Game the Walk of Shame by Jenn P. Nguyen
June 3, 2016 Alice @ Arctic Books2 Comments
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Hi everyone! Welcome to my stop on the The Way to Game the Walk of Shame by Jenn P. Nguyen blog tour! I’m super excited to be a part of this, so without further ado, let’s get started!
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The Way to Game the Walk of Shame by Jenn P. Nguyen
Genre: YA Contemporary, Romance
Publication: June 7th 2016 by Macmillan/Swoon Reads
Series: n/a
Length: 336 pages
Format: eARC from publisher
Goodreads
Taylor Simmons is screwed.
Things were hard enough when her single-minded dedication to her studies earned her the reputation of being an Ice Queen, but after getting drunk at a party and waking up next to bad boy surfer Evan McKinley, the entire school seems intent on tearing Taylor down with mockery and gossip.
Desperate to salvage her reputation, Taylor persuades Evan to pretend they’re in a serious romantic relationship. After all, it’s better to be the girl who tames the wild surfer than just another notch on his surfboard.
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Big thanks to Jenn for allowing me to interview her! (My questions are bolded.)
Tell us about your publishing journey.
This would probably take ages so I’ll give you the short version. Eight years ago, I wrote my first book (a YA time travel fantasy) and queried it even though it wasn’t quite ready yet. I was a major newbie and didn’t do my research. But like they say, practice makes perfect so I practiced and practiced and practiced. THE WAY TO GAME THE WALK OF SHAME was actually the fifth book I finished and queried. Luckily, I was able to get an agent with it, but we parted ways about a year later. Two months later, I happened to read A LITTLE SOMETHING DIFFERENT and decided to submit to Swoon Reads even though I thought it would be a long shot. ☺ And here we are!
Was THE WAY TO GAME THE WALK OF SHAME your first choice title or were there any different possibilities? If so, what were they?
I’m not good with coming up with titles. At all. Originally THE WAY TO GAME THE WALK OF SHAME was called THE LOVE CONTRACT. Pretty simple and to the point. After it was chosen by Swoon Reads, the awesome editors, Holly and Lauren, asked me about changing the title to THE WAY TO GAME THE WALK OF SHAME. At first I wasn’t sure, but it soon grew on me. Plus, it really catches your attention so I agreed to change it. Though I’ll have to admit, it is sort of a tongue twister and I’ve actually messed up the title a lot in the beginning whenever I talked about the book.
What was your writing schedule like?
I try to write whenever I can, but most of my most productive work is usually late at night. Like from ten to two in the morning sometimes. But now that I work from home, I’ve been trying to write more during the day. Try to be the operative word. It’s been a hard transition. Especially because there are so many things that can distract you during the day. Not to mention, I get very distracted by the internet and social media. I’m still working on it though!
How did you come up with your characters? Do you see parts of yourself in any of them?
The characters usually come to me along with the plot. I just visualize what characters would fit to make the most interesting story. And while none of my characters are based particularly off of me or anyone I know, there are personality quirks that I give my characters. Like Taylor’s tuna making to elevate her stress was something I used to do. Even Evan’s car, Rudy, was named after my husband’s car.
What advice do you have for aspiring authors?
My advice is to make sure you’re writing what you want to write. Not what’s popular in the market. Not what other people WANT you to write, but what YOU want to write. There was a time when THE WAY TO GAME THE WALK OF SHAME was a much different story. It was more dramatic. More edgy. The issue with slut shaming and drugs were much more dominate because I thought that it would make my book stand out more. That was what teens wanted to read. But I was never fully happy with it. So with each edit round, it became lighter, more fluffy. More my style. And now I love the book that it’s become. Because THIS was the story I wanted to write. That I wanted to tell. This was something I was proud of.
Not to mention, you will be working on this story for ages. Revision after revisions. Edits will feel like they’re going on forever. And if you don’t love your novel, then the road will be very long and painful. I absolutely loved working on THE WAY TO GAME THE WALK OF SHAME, but there were days when I couldn’t even look at a single word of it anymore because I was so sick of it. But it’s all worth it in the end.
Are you planning another novel soon? Is there anything you can tell us about it?
I have a couple projects I’m working on right now. The first is one that I’m still working on revisions for. It’s about a basketball player who pretends to be gay to help his cousin hook up with the girl of his dreams. Another one I’m drafting is a fairy tale cruise ship romance between a slightly dorky lounge singer and the ship captain’s daughter. While they’re not sequels to THE WAY TO GAME THE WALK OF SHAME, they are in the same universe as the basketball player’s story takes place at Fort Worth where Evan is while Brian and his family are on the cruise ship. But I still haven’t decided if either of these will even be my next novel. It could end up being something entirely different!
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Jenn Nguyen fell in love with books in third grade and spent the rest of her school years reading through lunchtime and giving up recess to organize the school library. She has a degree in business administration from the University of New Orleans and still lives in the city with her husband. Jenn spends her days reading, dreaming up YA romances, and binge watching Korean dramas all in the name of ‘research’. The Way to Game the Walk of Shame is her debut novel.
Blog Tour Author Interview with Giveaway: Just Another Meet Cute by Jenn P. Nguyen
Posted May 14, 2025 by Lisa Mandina in author interview, Blog Tour, giveaway / 6 Comments
Just Another Meet Cute
Jenn P. Nguyen
Publication date: May 20th 2025
Genres: Comedy, Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Boy saves girl stuck on a disastrous hike. What could go wrong? So. Much.
Just Another Meet Cute is the joyful and funny story about what happens when you realize you’re dating the wrong twin.
When seventeen-year-old Nina Riley gets saved by a super cute Knight-in-Faded-Khakis just as she lands in an embarrassingly ‘ahem’ sticky situation during the most disastrous hike known to man, she wasn’t exactly looking for a meet cute. She really just needed some peace and quiet from her complicated family. Unfortunately, he disappears before she can properly thank him or get his number. All she has is his name (Ian Nguyen) and a navy jacket with a dog keychain, a gym card, and laundromat receipt. But a meet cute is a meet cute. And armed with years of watching Veronica Mars and a techy cousin, it should be simple enough for Nina to find the boy of her dreams, right? But when she finally tracks him down, he’s different than she thought ―right down to his name. Ryan is just as cute as she remembers, but the chemistry isn’t there like it was before. After a few dates, she meets Ryan’s family: his sweet grandma, his enthusiastic sisters, and his twin brother ――Ian.
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks
Author Interview
1. What does your writing process look like? Do you know the whole story when you start? Or do you just start writing and go with it (seat of the pants writing)? If you plan it out, how do you do that? Outline, notecards, post-it-notes, etc.?
I’ve always been an extreme plotter. It’s extremely difficult for me to know where I’m going without a road map. Once I have a general idea for a story though, I start working on the characters. Names, family histories, personalities, etc. My absolute favorite part of plotting is looking for the perfect character photos. I usually get inspiration from Korean or Chinese dramas that I’ve watched. Then I flesh out the storyline with specific scenes that I arrange into chapters. All done on my laptop. I’m not a fan of handwriting things. This process can take a while as I add subplots. Sometimes it gets to the point where I actually have to force myself to stop outlining and dive into the first draft.
2. Do you edit as you go, or wait till you’re finished before you edit? How many times would you say you go over it yourself before having another set of eyes look it over?
When I first started writing, I was able to write first and save my editing for later. Unless it’s something big that I know needs to be changed before I could continue like a plot twist or the main character’s personality is completely different. But I used to be much more flexible with writing. Now, however, I have to edit as I go. I’ve tried to make a note and move on, but it’s like an irritating itch that I just have to scratch. Sometimes it’s because the main character’s motivation isn’t working or the conversation doesn’t sound right.
But this helps later on as there’s less work to do when I need to edit. I’d probably go through one or two edits and readthroughs before I pass it along to my writing friends.
3. Are you part of a writers group that gets together and helps each other with their writing?
I don’t have a specific writing group, but I do have a lot of author friends in different stages of their career. Some are traditionally published with a few books and others are indie authors with a handful to a dozen. They also write in various genres that I don’t write which has been extremely helpful. Sometimes they see things in different ways that I never would have noticed before.
4. How do you come up with your ideas for your stories?
Sometimes I get specific ideas from something I read online or something I watched. For JUST ANOTHER MEET CUTE, I read a random tweet or a blog post about someone who had an embarrassing accident on a hike and her friend saved her. And that got me thinking what if she was alone? What if it was a random stranger who saved her? And the ideas just started flowing.
Usually though, I like to skim lists about tropes and find a way to make it interesting and new. Some people hate tropes, but I love them. Especially if they’re done right.
5. What are your favorite:
Books/authors/genres
My favorite books to read are romances (shocking, I know!) I do like to read other genres from time to time, but it has to have some sort of romantic aspect in it. My all-time favorite young adult author is Stephanie Perkins. I was able to meet her at a convention years ago and she’s such a sweetheart! As for adult romances, I’ve been reading historical romances since I was a teen. One of my favorite authors is Lisa Kleypas.
Movies/TV Shows
I’ve been a sucker for Korean dramas ever since I was a kid. There’s romance, humor, action, and suspense. Sometimes all in one drama! And my current favorite obsession is Lovely Runner. It’s amazing.
Music
My music taste is slightly random. I like to listen to older songs I listened to growing up so it can range from Backstreet Boys to Adele or Ed Sheeran. As an Army, I have to have my BTS playlist. But when I write, I like to listen to Chinese or Korean soundtracks because I can’t sing along to it. Sometimes I try, but most of the time I don’t.
Food/Writing snack
I don’t generally snack when I write, but I would happily eat ramen every day for the rest of my life if I could.
About the Author
Jenn Nguyen fell in love with books in third grade and spent the rest of her school years reading through lunchtime and giving up recess to organize the school library. She has a degree in business administration from the University of New Orleans and still lives in the city with her husband. Jenn spends her days reading, dreaming up YA romances, and binge watching Korean dramas all in the name of ‘research’.
NGUYEN, Jenn P. Just Another Meet Cute. 336p. Scholastic. May 2025. pap. $12.99. ISBN 9781339010205.
Gr 7 Up--An engaging romantic comedy/ coming-of-age book that tweens and teens will enjoy. Nina meets a boy, Ian, on a hiking path, but doesn't get his contact info. She meets him again a few weeks later, but he does not seem to recognize her. This time, Nina pushes him to safety, out of the way of incoming traffic. He introduces himself as Ryan, then asks her to go for ice cream and the two begin seeing each other. Nina feels tom about whether to tell him that they actually met on the hiking path, and things become even more complicated when she joins him for a family Sunday lunch. There are surprising twists and turns that will keep readers hooked into the story as they wait to see how it all works out. It is a tangled mess but enjoyable to read, and the book flows well. The characters are well-developed and realistic, as they have emotional depth and good points and minor flaws. The plot is a good blend of romance, humor, and coming-of-age drama. It hits on topics like friendship, honesty, and non-traditional families and is rich with cultural diversity. Ryan is Vietnamese; Nina's mother is Vietnamese, but her father is not. VERDICT Tweens and teens will gravitate towards this book, especially fans of Sarah Dessen, Katherine Center, and Ann Liang. It's a good purchase for classroom and school libraries.--Melissa Palmer
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2025 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
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Palmer, Melissa. "NGUYEN, Jenn P.: Just Another Meet Cute." School Library Journal, vol. 71, no. 5, May 2025, p. 131. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A846210268/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=dd242791. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
Nguyen, Jenn P. JUST ANOTHER MEET CUTE Scholastic (Teen None) $12.99 5, 20 ISBN: 9781339010205
One misplaced jacket sparks an unexpected journey of love and reconnection.
Seventeen-year-old Nina Riley is excited to spend the summer back in Austin, Texas; she and her mom moved to Houston a year ago. She's less thrilled about the return of her long-absent father, who's cued white, and the tension it stirs within her Vietnamese American mother's side of the family. Desperate for a break, Nina takes a solo walk along a trail, only to stumble into a cute, dimpled stranger named Ian Nguyen. Their awkward yet electric encounter is cut short when he gets an urgent phone call and takes off, leaving behind his jacket. Determined to find him, Nina enlists Linh, her quick-witted cousin, for a lighthearted detective mission, which leads to comedic missteps, surprising revelations, and a whirlwind romance with undeniable chemistry. This breezy, feel-good novel brimming with charm, mishaps, and heart thoughtfully weaves in themes of family expectations, identity, and belonging. The humor is sharp, the dialogue snappy, and the romance charming; the heavier topics are treated with a light touch. Nina is a relatable protagonist, navigating the messy realities of adolescence, family dynamics, and the bittersweet process of growing up. The novel's vibrant cast adds rich cultural authenticity, enhancing the family drama and romantic tension.
A laugh-out-loud romp that blends heart, humor, and hijinks--ideal for anyone who has ever felt caught between worlds.(Romance. 12-18)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2025 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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"Nguyen, Jenn P.: JUST ANOTHER MEET CUTE." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Apr. 2025. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A835106445/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=980975b6. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
Nguyen, Jenn P. Fake It Till You Break It. Swoon Reads, May 2019. 304p. $17.99. 978-1250308016.
3Q * 3P * M * J * S
Mia and Jake are next-door neighbors and have known each other their whole lives. Their single mothers are best friends and are convinced that Mia and Jake would be the perfect couple if the teens would only give it a chance. Mia and Jake, however, are quite clear that they will never be a couple because they cannot stand each other and have vocalized their displeasure repeatedly. The moms are persistent and find ways to get Mia and Jake together. Fed up with their parents when they push too far, Mia and Jake decide to fake date for two weeks and then stage a big breakup in order to get their moms permanently off their backs. During their two-week "relationship," Mia and Jake's attitudes toward each other change, and they might not hate each other as much as they first thought.
Fake It Till You Break It is a quick, light, and diverse romance read that is perfect for the summer. It is filled with classic romance tropes such as fake dating, enemies to lovers, and first love. The story is told from Mia and Jake's perspectives in alternating short chapters. Though this interracial romance is refreshing (Mia is Vietnamese American and Jake is white), the character arcs are underdeveloped. Mia has expressed her passion for theater and acting, but it is not shown in the book. Jake has a bit more depth, as his unique family structure and his music talent are revealed, but it is more telling than showing. Mia and Jake's romance is sweet and develops at a nice pace. The main conflict that separates the pair before their happily-ever-after is rushed. Avid romance readers will not mind the book's flaws and will be fully entertained. Recommend this book to readers who enjoyed Jenny Han's To All the Boys I've Loved Before series, Kasie West's The Fill-In Boyfriend (HarperTeen, 2015), and Melissa De La Cruz's 29 Dates (Inkyard, 2018).--Rummanah Aasi.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 E L Kurdyla Publishing LLC
http://www.voya.com
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Aasi, Rummanah. "Nguyen, Jenn P.: Fake It Till You Break It." Voice of Youth Advocates, vol. 42, no. 2, June 2019, p. 66. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A594663324/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=730bcca2. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
Fake It till You Break It.
By Jenn P. Nguyen.
May 2019. 304p. Feiwel and Friends/Swoon Reads, $17.99 (9781250308016). Gr. 7-10.
Mia and Jake have been neighbors forever. Their two single moms are super close, and according to them, Mia and Jake are destined to end up together. But as far as Mia and Jake are concerned? Not so much. Meaning, literally anyone else on the planet would be a better option. They've both made their opinions on the subject clear to their respective mothers, but they keep getting shoved together for things. Finally, in a desperate attempt to stop this madness once and for all, Jake and Mia come up with the plan they should have thought of a long time ago: they'll pretend to date and then have a spectacularly terrible breakup so their moms can never bug them again. Everything is going perfectly until--whoops--they're not actually developing feelings for each other, are they? Light, frothy, and packed with plenty of genre tropes, this alternates between Mia and Jake, giving them both character arcs beyond their budding romance. For genre fans who can't resist a hate-to-love romance, this is just the ticket.--Maggie Reagan
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
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Reagan, Maggie. "Fake It till You Break It." Booklist, vol. 115, no. 16, 15 Apr. 2019, p. 50. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A585719058/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=07e54b89. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
NGUYEN, Jenn P. The Way To Game the Walk of Shame. 304p. ebook available. Feiwel & Friends/Swoon. Jun. 2016. pap. $9.99. ISBN 9781250084071.
Gr 8 Up--Ambition and perfectionism have kept Taylor more focused on her GPA than on her social life. The only student with better grades is Brian, her close friend whom she thinks she could like, but in her opinion, relationships can wait until she's got everything else that she wants, specifically, admission to the college of her dreams. Of course, her plans go off the rails when she's wait-listed at Yale. Evan has no plans. He's a typical bad boy (typical in that he's not really "bad" at all, just misunderstood) who has a reputation for treating girls like they're disposable. After Taylor and Evan wake up in bed together--with no memory of how they got there from the party they left--Taylor decides that the only way to save her reputation is for Evan to pretend to be her boyfriend, whom she will "reform." Readers familiar with the tropes of an opposites-attract romance won't be surprised when the two begin to fall for each other. Nguyen is adept at creating romantic tension and writing love scenes, which teens will appreciate. She writes from both perspectives, giving readers some insight into character motivation, yet it's still not enough to explain why the characters don't seem to recognize their feelings for each other until the last chapters of the book. Other inconsistencies in character development, some messy descriptive writing, and loose plot threads may distract readers from Taylor and Evan's relationship. VERDICT Teens looking for an easy escape into romance should be satisfied with this low-stakes quick read.--Joy Piedmont, LREI, New York City
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
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Piedmont, Joy. "Nguyen, Jenn P.: The Way To Game the Walk of Shame." School Library Journal, vol. 62, no. 5, May 2016, p. 118. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A451409951/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=21128a26. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.