Vesper — IndieReader Review (March 2026, 4 out of 5 stars)
A celebration of independence, being true to oneself, and navigating the dating pool—even if it comes at the expense of game-changing and life-altering love.
Vesper Elsegood has been in a very committed relationship for years…with being single. With a list of one-night-worthy acquaintances and “maybe” men she’d find palatable for a longer-term arrangement, she never has to worry about having a date for the next big event while also never having to face the possibility of being “taken.”
Written by Evan Marks, VESPER serves as a unique glimpse into the New York City dating scene. It walks the edges of contemporary fiction and women’s fiction without submitting to the allure of the romance genre or its popular tropes. Instead, VESPER is a celebration of the modern woman and a shifting world of priorities—putting first her independence, passions, career, friendships, and the peace found in living alone (which few romantic pursuits will live up to). But Vesper Elsegood loves to watch men compete for that space.
The novel opens with an all-too-clear glimpse into Vesper’s life, as she leaves one man reeling from a first date, certain that there’s more to come (where there most certainly is not). She then immediately breaks up with one of her “maybe” men when he confesses he can see their arrangement going somewhere. Instead of swooning like most women at the prospect of a long-term relationship with a funny, smart, handsome, well-accomplished, and well-off man, the offer sends Vesper spiraling in the opposite direction.
While she’d normally find another date within 24 hours to feed her ego, this breakup makes Vesper question whether she’s the common denominator in what might be a problematic dating life. While trying to get back to normal, Vesper meets Caspian, an ambitious entrepreneur who immediately catches her interest. But when their feelings deepen, and fast, Vesper finds herself reexamining everything she wants in life.
Reminiscent of Sex and the City and Kristen Lobe’s Paris Hangover, VESPER’s anti-hero of the romance genre prioritizes self-love, personal space, and her interests over the promise of love in the Big City—unless of course that love can offer something better than what she could achieve alone. With a poignant, smart, sassy, and often hilarious voice, the novel and its big personality raise the question: when a woman lives in a world of financial stability, passion, and self-made success, would she trade all of that in for a world of compromise if it promised a happily ever after? Better yet, should she?
Written by Evan Marks, VESPER is a celebration of independence, being true to oneself, and navigating the dating pool—even if it comes at the expense of game-changing and life-altering love.
~ McKenzie Lynn Tozan for IndieReader