Comedian Brooke Averick sees the humor in modern romance. But instead of being the butt of the joke about dating-app doldrums and messy relationship dynamics, she makes herself the punchline—and has developed a devout following doing so.
Much to the excitement of her 1 million TikTok fans, and the listeners who tune into "Brooke and Connor Make a Podcast" every week, Averick is bringing her signature wit to a new format. On May 26th, the rising star will publish her debut novel, Phoebe Berman's Gonna Lose It. Just as candid as her stand-up, the romance novel follows a soon-to-be-30-year-old with crippling intimacy anxiety who is determined to find the right man to lose her virginity to. The charming read is sure to be on every rom-com fan's TBR list—and one of the most highly anticipated books of the spring.
Below, read an advanced excerpt of Phoebe Berman's Gonna Lose It, when Phoebe meets her crush, Finn.
Article continues belowLove at first sight.
I’ve read about it. I’ve dreamed about it. I’ve watched it happen in countless movies. I’ve always known it was out there, but I had started to give up on it ever happening to me.
Until now.
I stand so quickly that small spots begin to dance around the edges of my vision. My heart plummets to the base of my stomach as I shuffle toward the door, dropping so far down that I worry it’s going to fall out of my athletic skort and onto the alphabet-themed rug. I clench as a precaution.
“Hi,” I say, my voice sounding distant. I curl my fingers in a wave, though I’m not sure it does any good with my hand at my side.
According to the attendance sheet, we’re still waiting on one more kid to arrive, but there’s no way this is his dad. He’s too young and dressed too casually. The few dads that do morning drop-offs are always in suits and fall somewhere in the forty-to-sixty age range. The guy in front of me is wearing a checkered button-down over a white T-shirt, navy blue pants, and Vans. There’s no sign of gray in his sandy brown hair. He can’t be a day older than me. Maybe he’s a hot nanny?
He sticks out his hand.
I stare at the veins in his outstretched arm for a beat too long before I finally shake it.
“I’m Finn, the new fourth-grade teacher. You must be Phoebe?”
I nod.
“I was told this is the place to go for some colored pencils. Do you mind if I borrow some, for the day? I promise I’ll bring them back.” He smirks, and I feel my face warm.
“I’m Phoebe.”
I hear Cheryl’s footsteps coming up behind me just in time to save me from myself.
“Here you go.” She hands him a box labeled ext r a col or ed pencils, courtesy of my label maker.
“Thanks!” He reaches his arm out to shake Cheryl’s hand. I stay mesmerized by his veins while he introduces himself to her. “I just started over there.” He points out the window toward the Stone Building.
“Oh, that’s amazing!” Cheryl says, and while she talks to Finn, I will my gaze away from his arms and begin fixating on the small sliver of ankle that’s visible below his cuffed pant leg. I keep my eyes down while Cheryl introduces herself.
Get it together.
“Well, I’m Cheryl, and you’ve met Phoebe. We were all so sad when Becky retired, but I have to say, I’m glad we’ve got some more young blood around here. Poor Phoebe’s always been the youngest here by at least twenty years.” She chuckles and pats my back, which anyone watching would assume is an innocuous gesture. But I know Cheryl, and I know it’s her subtle way of encouraging me to say something.
“And if you need anything else, don’t be shy,” she adds while looking at me expectantly.
“I have a label maker if you need it,” I chime in.
He smiles. “I’m good with the colored pencils for now, thanks.”
I nod, knowing that at some point in the future, he’ll come back for the label maker. Everyone always comes back for the label maker.
“It was great meeting you both. I’m sure I’ll see you around.”
He ducks to avoid hitting his head on the doorframe on the way out, and I realize I’ve been holding my breath this entire time. Just as I’m about to exhale, he doubles back, peeking his head through the open door.
“By the way, Phoebe, I love your shirt,” he says with a wink.
I beam, my smile extending from ear to ear. “Thank you!”
I watch him leave through our windows, and only when he finally enters the Stone Building does my heart find its way back to its normal resting place. I finally unclench.
As if she can sense it, Cheryl shakes her head and lets out a laugh.
“You and that damn label maker.”
It feels too much like fate to ignore, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned from all my romance consumption over the years, it’s that when the universe gives you a sign, you take it.
The kids line up behind the line leader of the day, a sweaty and smiling Charlie, yelling and pushing each other happily as they make their way outside for recess. Cheryl follows closely behind them, and I split off from the group to take my first, and probably only, bathroom break of the day.
The second I lock the bathroom door behind me, I reach into the depths of my skort for my phone and pull up the “no backing out” group chat. My hands are shaking with excitement.
I check my unread texts to see if he’s responded. Usually by this time of day, Matthew would have already sent me his Wordle score, but still, there’s nothing from him. This is good, I convince myself. This is a sign. What are the odds that I make a detailed plan on how to lose my virginity, and the very next day, a gorgeous fourth-grade teacher with perfect ankles and strong, healthy arm veins comes knocking at my classroom door? It feels too much like fate to ignore, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned from all my romance consumption over the years, it’s that when the universe gives you a sign, you take it. And this is my sign that Finn is the one.
Excerpted from PHOEBE BERMAN’S GONNA LOSE IT by Brooke Averick. Copyright © 2026 by Brooke Averick. Published in the United States by Crown, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.