Exes and O's


 
 
 
 PRAISE FOR Set on You
 “Just the right dose of delicious steam. Amy Lea has crafted an ode to all of us who struggle with self-acceptance while remaining determined to love ourselves.”
 —Ali Hazelwood, New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis
 “Fresh, fun, and extremely sexy. Set on You is a romance of unexpected depth.”
 —Helen Hoang, New York Times bestselling author of The Heart Principle
 “Set on You is energetic, steamy, bubbly, and so, so fun. But more than that, it’s also a hugely important book that celebrates body positivity in the most joyous way possible.”
 —Jesse Q. Sutanto, author of Dial A for Aunties
 “Set on You is an incredibly fun and sexy slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers rom-com that had me invested from the first page. And in between all the steamy and swoony scenes, there’s also a thoughtful exploration of body positivity and the true meaning of loving yourself.”
 —Kerry Winfrey, author of Very Sincerely Yours
 “Set on You is the best kind of workout: one that ups your heart rate with its swoony hero, makes you sweat with its slow-burn tension, and leaves you satisfied with its themes of empowerment and self-acceptance. With a fresh, hilarious voice and a deeply relatable protagonist, this romantic comedy is enemies-to-lovers gold.”
 —Rachel Lynn Solomon, national bestselling author of The Ex Talk
 “Authentic and full of heart, this book is a must-read for fans of Helen Hoang and Sally Thorne.”
 —Lynn Painter, author of Mr. Wrong Number
 “The gym has never seemed such a sexy and romantic place as in this book!”
 —Denise Williams, author of How to Fail at Flirting
 “Amy Lea’s debut, Set on You, is a swoony, feel-good rom-com in its finest form. The prose is comforting as a hug, and the main character, Crystal, is a certified badass.”
 —Sarah Echavarre Smith, author of On Location
 “A fantastic debut! You’ll want to spend lots of time with Crystal and Scott (and their scorching chemistry!).”
 —Jackie Lau, author of Donut Fall in Love
 “This book’s appealing characters and gym-bound setting will resonate with anyone who’s ever mentally cursed a fellow gym-goer for failing to wipe down the machine post-use.”
 —USA Today
 “Set on You by Amy Lea is a fun, flirty, and hot AF romance.”
 —Culturess
 “Lea’s steamy debut romance features well-developed, likable characters with slow-build chemistry. . . . Hand this one to fans of Helen Hoang and Talia Hibbert.”
 —Library Journal
 “Lea’s prose is clear, witty, and powerful, delivering an ode to all those who struggle with self-acceptance.”
 —Publishers Weekly
 “Lea’s debut romance is a terrific rom-com that offers an essential message about accepting oneself, and it is a pleasure to read.”
 —Booklist
 
 
 TITLES BY AMY LEA
 
 Set on You
 Exes and O’s
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 BERKLEY ROMANCE
 Published by Berkley
 An imprint of Penguin Random House LLC
 penguinrandomhouse.com
 
 Copyright © 2023 by Amy Lea
 Readers Guide copyright © 2023 by Amy Lea
 Excerpt from The Catch copyright © 2023 by Amy Lea
 Penguin Random House supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin Random House to continue to publish books for every reader.
 BERKLEY and the BERKLEY and B colophon are registered trademarks of Penguin Random House LLC.
 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
 Names: Lea, Amy, author.
 Title: Exes and o’s / Amy Lea.
 Description: First edition. | New York: Berkley Romance, 2023.
 Identifiers: LCCN 2022017318 (print) | LCCN 2022017319 (ebook) | ISBN 9780593336595 (trade paperback) | ISBN 9780593336601 (ebook)
 Subjects: LCGFT: Romance fiction. | Humorous fiction. | Novels.
 Classification: LCC PR9199.4.L425 E94 2023 (print) | LCC PR9199.4.L425 (ebook) | DDC 813/.6—dc23/eng/20220414
 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022017318
 LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022017319
 First Edition: January 2023
 Cover design and art by Victoria Chu
 Book design by Daniel Brount, adapted for ebook by Maggie Hunt
 This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
 pid_prh_6.0_142226813_c0_r0
 
 
 
 To all the “crazy” ex-girlfriends
 
 
 
 
 Got a long list of ex-lovers
 They’ll tell you I’m insane.
 —TAYLOR SWIFT, “BLANK SPACE”
 
 
 
 author’s note
 Dear Reader,
 Thank you so much for choosing my romantic comedy Exes and O’s as your next read. While this story is generally light and humorous, I would be remiss if I did not include the following content warnings: emotionally abusive ex, on-page gaslighting, portrayal of child with illness, mentions of deaths of loved ones, and deliberate use of the word crazy throughout.
 Note: this last one is vehemently condemned by me and the main characters. Please take care while reading.
 With love, Amy Lea
 
 
 chapter one
 YOU KNOW YOUR day is going swimmingly when you’ve been projectile vomited on and someone stole your Greek yogurt from the staff room refrigerator. And it’s only seven in the morning.
 Eager to leave the memory of my hellish night shift behind, I’m in formation at the edge of the platform, stance wide, pointy elbows out, among hundreds of tired morning commuters primed to battle for a rare open seat on the subway.
 I’ve learned a thing or two about navigating a crowd from witnessing five-foot-tall Grandma Flo barrel her way through the grocery store, whacking innocents with her faux-crocodile purse with no apologies.
 Boston subway commuters may not be as ferocious as grocery store grannies, but they’ll trample you for an open seat all the same. I have a grotesque scar on my left shin to prove it.
 Thankfully, no blood is drawn in today’s