This is why I can’t have Nice relationships

Mica is a pro at three things: avoiding relationships, dodging her family’s black magic, and changing countries the second life gets complicated.At thirty-five, Mica has carefully built a life entirely free of emotional risk. She’s funny, charming, has a well-stamped passport, and makes her independent lifestyle look completely effortless. To the outside world, she has it all figured out. But to Mica, love is a disaster best avoided.Then, one chaotic night in London leaves her with a massive hangover and an unexpected new 'girlfriend' named Dot.Mica isn’t actually gay-she’s just so useless at relationships and so addicted to the sudden security and new attention that she doesn’t have the guts to say no. Panicking, she does the only sensible thing: she flees to the French Riviera. Pronto!But geography can’t cure emotional avoidance. When the fiercely clingy Dot follows her to the glittering shores of Nice, the relationship completely unravels, leaving behind a trail of South of France angst. Back in Australia, her deeply religious Salvadoran family adds to the chaos-with relatives convinced that every problem can be solved with strict prayers or a bit of folk magic.Caught between the fallout of her girl-romance, overwhelming family expectations, and the terrifying fear of actual vulnerability, Mica is forced to confront the truth about who she is and what she really wants.From the pubs of London to the glittering Côte d’Azur and the chaotic Australian backyard family parties, this funny and heartfelt novel follows one woman’s messy journey through identity, family expectations, emotional self-sabotage, and the terrifying possibility of letting herself be truly known.Because the problem was never men, women, or geography.It was Mica.And if she can’t finally get out of her own way, she’s going to miss her shot at the life-and the love-she actually wants.* * *Note to readers: This story was originally released as Toffee Apple.