As Long As You Loathe Me: My Queer Sapphic YA Romance
A queer, rivals to lovers story inspired by Mean Girls and my favorite Taylor Swift vibes. It is messy, pining, and unapologetically loud.
The cover reveal for my debut queer YA romance, *As Long As You Loathe Me*. It's pitched as *Mean Girls* meets *Never Have I Ever*, and I'm so excited for you to read it. The cover features Meera in bi flag colors and Lucy in pan flag colors.
An infographic detailing all the tropes and themes in *As Long as You Loathe Me*. Expect everything from friends-to-rivals-to-lovers and a coffee shop setting to anxiety representation and a coming out story.
Unboxing the advance reader copies (ARCs) of my third book, *As Long As You Loathe Me*. It's a queer rivals-to-lovers YA romance, and holding it in my hands feels surreal. The story follows Meera as she tries to get back at her ex-best friend Lucy, with plenty of *Mean Girls* and *Never Have I Ever* vibes.
A happy moment from August, unboxing the ARCs for *As Long as You Loathe Me*. Seeing my book in physical form for the first time is a feeling that never gets old.
A little out-of-context quote from *As Long as You Loathe Me* to give you a taste of the yearning. This is a sapphic rivals-to-lovers story full of angst and pining.
If you're looking for your next Devi from *Never Have I Ever* fix, let me introduce you to Meera Rao-George from *As Long as You Loathe Me*. She's an Indian-American chaos monster and a bi disaster who is desperate to be popular.
I wrote a sapphic version of Taylor Swift's "You Belong With Me" where the dorky girl falls for the cheerleader. My upcoming YA novel *As Long as You Loathe Me* is perfect for fans of *The Summer I Turned Pretty* who want more queer representation.
The basic plot of *As Long as You Loathe Me*: getting revenge on my ex-best friend for stealing my crush, but then accidentally falling in love with her. It's a classic rivals-to-lovers setup.
A look at the dedication page for *As Long as You Loathe Me*. It's for my dear friend Anahita, who loved these messy queer girls before anyone else did.
The official synopsis for *As Long as You Loathe Me*. Meera Rao-George is done being the dorky senior crushing on her neighbor. Her plan? Date his girlfriend, Lucy, to break them up. But as she gets closer to Lucy, she realizes her own heart is at risk.
About As Long as You Loathe Me: A Sapphic YA Romance
If you ever wondered what would happen if the 'You Belong With Me' music video got a queer, desi, Mean Girls twist, this is the book for you. My upcoming novel, As Long As You Loathe Me, follows Meera Rao-George, an Indian-American teen who decides to sabotage her ex-best friend Lucy by dating her boyfriend. Of course, things go exactly how you expect they will not, and feelings get complicated fast. This is not just a story about rivalry. It is about the specific anxiety of figuring out who you are when everyone else expects you to be someone else, all wrapped up in a slowburn romance.
Writing this book felt like exorcising my own teenage demons. I wanted to capture that sharp, desperate desire to be seen and the messy, confusing reality of coming out when you are still trying to figure out if you want to be someone's best friend or their girlfriend.
Why you will love ALAYLM:
- The Tropes: Rivals to lovers, friends to enemies to lovers, fake dating, and the classic 'there was only one bed' anxiety.
- The Vibe: Think Indian-American protagonist Meera Rao-George meets the chaotic energy of Never Have I Ever. It is high school drama without the polished edges.
- The Representation: This is a bi and pan romance. It is about queer joy, messy mistakes, and finding people who love you even when you are being a total chaos monster.
While this book is my pride and joy, I also offer mentorship and coaching for other writers who are stuck in the messy middle of their own drafts. If you are struggling with your own query letter, synopsis, or just need someone to help you unstick your plot, let me know. I have been through the 400 rejection letter trench, and I am here to help you get your story out into the world. Whether you want to talk about my books or your own manuscript, I am all ears.
Swati Hegde
I'm Swati, a Bangalore-based author writing the queer desi stories my 13-year-old self would have killed for. I'm a total chaos monster, a Taylor Swift fan, and I'm here to write books that make you laugh, cry, and feel seen.
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