Emma Barry is the author of the new novel Bad Reputation. Her other novels include Chick Magnet. She lives in Virginia.
Q: What inspired you to write Bad Reputation, and how did you create your characters Maggie and Cole?
A: Bad Reputation is a complete reimagining of a draft I wrote in 2015. I was reflecting on the pop culture of the early 2000s. The tabloids, the toxic beauty standards, the increasingly obsessive fan culture: it was not a great moment. I wanted to write about an actor who came of age in that atmosphere and resolved to fix his bad reputation.
In the final version of the book, Maggie became a teacher who’s dealing with her own (unwanted) notoriety. She was inspired by a story I heard on NPR about high school plays being canceled due to concerns about content. The book originally took place during a film festival, but my editor suggested it might work as an on-set story.
She and I were both fascinated by the rise of intimacy coordinators, as we’d both read about how Outlander and Bridgerton use them. All these pieces came together organically as I rewrote the book for the better.
Q: The writer Ali Rosen said of the book, “Stories about growing from past mistakes don't always give its characters so much grace, but Barry's tender handling of this Hollywood tale makes it impossible not to root for Maggie and Cole completely.” What do you think of that description?
A: Oh my gosh, I hope that’s true. What I love about both Maggie and Cole is that they’re trying so hard to do the right thing. They’ve either messed up in the past (Cole) or people think they’ve messed up (Maggie), and so they’re utterly committed to being the best and most professional folks they can be.
They’re distressed to be attracted to someone at work. Love doesn’t solve their problems; it causes them. I root for Maggie and Cole to find a way to be together, but I also want them to stick to their ethical code. The conflict is real!
Q: Did you need to do any research to write the novel, and if so, did you learn anything that especially surprised you?
A: I made a syllabus of more than 16 books (plus articles!) for research. I don't normally go in for celebrity memoirs, but I devoured them, plus oral histories of several movies, criticism about contemporary Hollywood, books about entertainment journalism, and every single interview I could find with an intimacy coordinator.
Then I tracked down a beta reader who’d done behind the scenes stuff in Hollywood to check the finished book.
All of the details about how they film steamy scenes were so interesting to me. Just imagining serious conversations with dozens of people where they’re planning the use of strapless thongs and exercise balls to ensure that there’s no genital-to-genital contact—I mean, I wanted to know everything.
Q: How was the book’s title chosen, and what does it signify for you?
A: The working title for the book was Comeback Kid, but my publisher thought that it might confuse readers. I understand; the book is an adult romance, not YA. And besides, Bad Reputation might be an even better fit.
People look at both Maggie and Cole and think they know who they are because of what they’ve read about them, but my protagonists look at each other and see the real person, not the bad reputation. They know what’s true, what’s real, because they love each other.
Plus, there are some shades of Taylor Swift with the new title, which is never a bad thing.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I just finished the first round of edits for my next contemporary romance, which should be out in summer 2025.
It’s a second-chance romance between former high school sweethearts: she’s the bad girl of the chess world, and he’s the writer-director who’s adapting her memoir for the screen. It’s about what it means to tell the truth—and what doing so can cost you. It’s a messy, sexy, nerdy book. I hope everyone will love it.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: I got a little carried away while planning Waverley (the show that Maggie and Cole are making), and in the back of Bad Reputation, there’s an episode by episode summary of this season of Waverley. I cannot tell you how much I wish it were real. I would binge it so hard.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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