The Almost Wife

Sourcebooks Landmark – May 2027

In the spirit of The Book Club for Troublesome Women, The Almost Wife follows a Jersey girl whose abruptly canceled wedding ushers her into an unexpected arrangement in the heart of 1950s New York City.

Newly single Angela Sabatini is finally in New York City, forging her own path after a last-minute breakup with her hometown fiancé. An aspiring photographer, she reconnects with an old friend from school who needs a fiancée — and fast. But just for an hour or two. And he’s not the only one.

Based on the experiences of Jennifer Coburn’s mother, who posed as a fiancée and girlfriend for gay men in the 1950s, The Almost Wife draws a lush, evocative portrait of Greenwich Village at the height of bohemia. A sheltered suburban girl discovers the city―and herself―by pretending to be someone she’s not, in a time when exposure could cost some people everything.

“Vivid and thought-provoking…immersive, powerful, and brimming with stunning details of 1950’s Greenwich Village life. The Almost Wife is a provocative story of one young woman’s evolution from narrow-mindedness to compassion and acceptance.” ― Lynda Cohen Loigman, USA Today Bestselling Author of The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern and The Matchmaker’s Gift

“The skillful and brilliant Jennifer Coburn writes a story of hope for humanity. When Angela Sabatini calls off her wedding in New Jersey, she chooses reinvention. She moves to Greenwich Village in New York City and finds her true purpose. This is a story of love lost and found and the chosen family we make along the way. A beautiful rendering of the challenges of being who we are in a world that isn’t always ready for us. Brava!” ― Adriana Trigiani, New York Times bestselling author of The View from Lake Como