I loved this book so much I had to buy a physical copy today so I can enjoy it forever. I was so surprised by this book and loved every second

This was such a fun read! If you love wild stories full of humor this is the book for you. One of my favorite reads of the year!

I didn't know what to expect from this one, so I was kind of surprised when it blew my socks off! Not that surprised though, as this is one of the most anticipated releases of 2022. Set in New York, Lola is out to dinner with her colleagues when she runs into an ex by happenstance. Imagine Lola's surprise when she runs into another ex shortly after... And another ex after that. Meanwhile, Lola is concerned she may be making a mistake by marrying her fiance, and she's running out of reasons to put the wedding off much longer.

Confronting her past failed relationships one by one while examining her current relationship, Lola becomes tangled within a web of coincidences leading her- she feels- toward the answers she needs... And also maybe toward a cult.

I thought this was hilarious. The dry humor and wit Sloane Crosley has brought to her new release just works, and I found myself laughing at the absurdity of it all. Lola frequently gave me vibes of Jim looking at the camera on The Office, which made the book all the better for me. At the same time this book leaves the reader contemplating love and the way we accept or reject it, and asking- is there even such a thing as "closure"? And if so, how can a person ever truly reach it?

With all that said, I really enjoyed this book. It was my introduction to Sloan Crosley's writing and what an introduction it was! Cult Classic will be hitting shelves on June 7th, my shelf especially as I've now got to have a physical copy to keep around.


I want to thank NetGalley and @fsgbooks sincerely for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book! *This review along with a photo has been published under the handle @literary.erica

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Hmm, this was initially an interesting concept for a story. Lola, a middle-aged New Yorker, is teetering on the edge of committing to marry her boyfriend, Boots, when she begins to encounter various ex-boyfriends from her past. Lola is someone who has trouble letting go of the past and accepting that nobody can never be perfect, and her encounters with her exes help her to find closure and decide if she can finally commit for the long term.

The introduction regarding ghosts and the idea of Lola spontaneously running into her various exes all in one two week period in Manhattan seemed like it would be the work of some magical realism or fantastical element. However, this was all played off as a cult-like exercise in the power of suggestion by targeted ads and new-age meditation. I would have preferred there to be some element of magic in this story for sure.

This book just didn't vibe with me overall, and I think it is because I am so far removed from the kind of person who chooses to live in Manhattan that most of the name-dropping, city locations and their associations, and jokes about the different types of New York men Lola dates went right over my head. I found all of the characters extremely vapid and insincere, with the single exception of Lola's current boyfriend, Boots. He was the only character who seemed genuine to me, and Lola spent the whole time basically making fun of him for it. I just refuse to believe that there can be entire circles of people this negative and tedious, even in New York City! Despite the questionable ethics of the events at the end of the story, Boots could do so much better!

Overall, it was paced really well and it was a quick read. Despite not liking any of the characters, I felt compelled to keep reading to find out who Lola would meet and what she would decide to do. Reading this was like a glimpse into the mind of an aging Instagram celebrity, or like watching reality TV. I wouldn't buy this book and it didn't teach me a lot, but it was entertaining. Maybe if you are from New York City or currently live there, you would be able to relate to this story more than I did.

Thanks to NetGalley and MCD for the ARC of this title.

I've previously enjoyed Sloane Crosley's essay collections, and I really loved her essayist's eye for detail throughout this book - she takes what could be kind of a ridiculous premise and makes the world it takes place in believable and real, with lots of funny asides and small details that make the prose crackle. That said, I think the ending here kind of comes out of nowhere and doesn't quite make sense - there are small hints along the way of what's actually happened, so it's not a complete surprise, but the way it happens it sort of feels like the author/editor going "well, time to wrap this up" rather than letting the story get there how it needed to get there.

The most shocking part of reading this book was realizing that this is only Sloane Crosley’s second novel. I feel like she’s been around forever, I loved her debut novel, The Clasp. In this novel, Lola is thirty something, living in New York City and working as a magazine editor. Engaged, but unhappy, she begins to experience a series of coincidences that involve running into ex boyfriends. As it turns out, this has all been a manipulation orchestrated by a cult run by Lola’s previous boss. Cults, memories, nostalgia, regret and the consequences of the life choices one makes all swirl in this fascinating, at-times uncomfortable and layered novel. Thank you to Farrar, Straus and Giroux for the advanced review copy.

Lola is poised to marry her current boyfriend when she begins running into her exes in the streets of New York like she's Ebenezer Scrooge. Eventually she finds out her old boss, now the leader of a cult-like, New Agey startup is behind these encounters, which force her to confront her past relationships while contemplating her current one.

Funny and acerbic and very NYC, Cult Classic is easy, entertaining reading even if I didn't fully connect with it in quite the way I'd hoped.

I was not able to fully get through this. I made it to about 30%, skimming more and more as I went, then finally just skipped to about 94% just to see what the ending was like.

The plot of this book is that a woman “coincidentally” runs into all of her exes one by one, so perhaps I should have expected quite a bit of pondering. I was thinking it would be more zany or something. But it was just really meandering and navel-gazing. I give it 2 stars because 1-star ratings are for books I want to throw across the room, and it didn’t make me mad, I just couldn’t get into it.

(Side note, I don’t think it helped that all the exes and the current boyfriend were described in ways that made them sound vaguely disgusting. I am not sure if this was intentional but it did make it hard for me to align myself with the narrator.)

This book is funny in its witty yet poignant observations about dating and exes and love. Without the humor, it might feel as dating often feels -- in the words of an early 2000s teen rom-com, "useless and disappointing." But every page contains fragments of universality despite the limited nature of our main character, Lola's dating history, and the singularity of her exes. While her exes might not resemble the reader's, her feelings of dissatisfaction, questioning, and wondering "is this it?" are all universe feelings that accompany dating.

I found myself laughing, tearing up, and nodding along to this novel, which reads more like a memoir than a novel. I think anyone who has dated in a big city will find this relatable, and I think there is a comfort in how benign yet shaking it is to go on date after date and wonder where it's going, only to find it at its end before it ever really got started.

Highly recommend.

This was my first book by Sloane Crosley and she definitely lived up to her hype as a clever and witty author. Cult Classic has some excellent one-liners and a handful of very insightful passages on the nature of modern relationships. That's where the novel really shines - when it's focused on the hilarity of heterosexual relationship tropes.

Including the word "cult" in the title is a dead giveaway that one appears in the novel. (That's about all I feel I can mention without giving anything away.) I loved the premise of someone having to revisit what are essentially the ghosts of boyfriends past before settling down for marriage. Brilliant! But when it came to the actual cult, the content was disappointingly real. I was hoping for a bit of magical realism or creepiness - or both! Alas, this novel was ultimately not creepy or magical.

I enjoyed Crosley's authorial voice, so I'd love to check out more of her work! Sadly, though, I don't think I'll be recommending Cult Classic to anyone I know.

Lola is engaged to Boots but is she ready to get married? She's asked herself that multiple times but then while Boots is out of town, she runs into an ex. And then another one, And another. What's going on? Turns out her former boss Clive has a weird setup which allows people to revisit their exes. Every time she meets one of them, Lola goes back for a debrief. It's an odd conceit but there's also a big twist. The exes are a hoot, the NY atmospherics terrific. No spoilers from me. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

It was difficult for me to connect with the characters in this story. It was slow paced and I could not follow the storyline. Will try a reread in a few months.

I was intrigued by the cover and storyline of this book, but it wasn't for me. The writing was drawn out and confusing. It was difficult to connect with the characters.

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past meets 2022 Manhattan startups in Cult Classic. Is it satire? Is a not-so-far-off reality? Unclear, but Sloane Crosley's latest is an interesting analysis of modern relationships, and the idea that everyone in your life may serve a purpose on your own personal journey. Over written in some parts but poignant in many others, I enjoyed the novel and it certainly is an interesting thought experiment or perhaps post-mortem for past relationships.

"The shadow ... was a reminder to appreciate whatever lies beyond our way of thinking, the order of a world made no less logical by our lack of understanding and no less valid by our skepticism."

Cult Classic has proven itself to be a truly unique reading experience with so much good food for thought. Sloane Crosley's brilliant writing kept me engaged throughout even when I felt utterly confused. At the core of the story, Lola finds herself confronting the ghosts of her dating past on the streets of Manhattan, reflecting on her past relationships as she questions the viability of her current engagement.

"Love is agreeing to live in someone else’s narrative."

With an obsession with the emotions of the past and the help of the power of suggestion, Lola explores the depths of her romantic consciousness and the possibility of coincidence to determine if she can finally let go of the past. Each encounter with her former relationships adds something statement making to her journey through her memory pathways revealing something special every time.

"Lola ... sometimes people just need to be told what they want."

Perhaps this book tried too hard to incorporate a vast array of genres cohesively, lending itself to a slower pace. Yet the way everything came together for a spectacular denouement only solidified how incredible this story was. I don't think this book will be for everyone but I strongly suggest reading it while keeping a completely open mind. I've been wanting to read this author's work for years and I would not hesitate to read more.

** Special thanks to Farrar, Straus and Giroux and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. Quotes subject to change at time of publication. Available June 7, 2022. **

At times it feels like everything FSG decides to print - automatically becomes my favorite. And no, it’s not out of some blind faith or ignorant following. This publisher tends to partner with authors and works so aligned with the core of the publishing house that publications come out easy, balanced, and give off the vibes of a hole-in-one.

Cult Classic is weird, hilarious, and feels like The Newsroom without the constant misogyny and a more age-appropriate and likable MC.

Witty and imaginative. The cast of characters was gripping and made the story easy to be invested in. I loved the setup of having Lola running into her Ex-boyfriends all at the same restaurant three nights in a row and it being a serendipitous coincidence, but it turns out to be something more. Lola is used as an experiment test subject by a former boss for a service that helps you find closure by helping individuals run into exes. Clive's new age "cult" having using meditation as a guise for algorithmic influence felt cheeky and fun. Doing autopsies on past relationships in order to discover Lola's own flaws with commitment and her own desire for free will in relationships really comes together for a fulfilling ending.

I first heard of Sloane Crosley several years ago when there was a lot of hype for her books of essays. They’ve been on my TBR ever since. I did finally read her first novel, The Clasp, and loved it. I love Crosley’s writing style. I was excited to see she had another novel to be published.

I finished Cult Classic in a day. It’s short, the suspense never stops, and it’s funny! I laughed out loud more than with any other book I can remember. The observations about the world and the people in it are so accurate.
This book is a “ghosts of boyfriends past” story. The boyfriends are not actually ghosts, but there are some mystical powers at work that bring them back into the life of Lola, the protagonist. I love that this book is set in New York and provides some fun little details about the city.

The reason I removed one star is that the writing at the beginning was quite dense, and I had to struggle a bit to put myself in the story. But once I was in, it was a breeze. This novel is so much fun!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital review copy of this book.

I requested an ARC of this book after seeing that it was named most anticipated book of 2022 by Glamour. It didn’t disappoint on the humor side - full of sarcastic snark and witt. 💁‍♀️ It didn’t get a higher rating because I did have trouble connecting with the main character, Lola, emotionally. I can’t tell if it’s because the emotional depth wasn’t there in this book (maybe it wasn’t intended to be) or I just personally had a hard time connecting with it?? It may be a me problem! If you’re looking for a quick hilarious read I would definitely check it out. Pub Date is this Tuesday, June 7th!

I went into this book with as little information as possible and, overall, I really liked it. I really enjoyed Sloane Crosley’s writing style that made this book seem shorter than its 300 pages. It’s a fun book to pick up if you’re looking for something that kind of reminds you of the movie Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. Thank you to Farrar, Straus and Giroux via NetGalley for the ARC.