A Not So Meet Cute

Huxley is the other protagonist and narrator as well as the love interest of Lottie Gardner. He begins the novel defined by his cold, detached, and success-oriented personality. He claims to have an interest only in crafting good business deals, which he feels sentiment and social connection have no place in. His brothers, JP and Breaker, point out how this has impeded Huxley’s attempt to buy property from Dave Toney: Dave is unwilling to sell to someone like Huxley, whom he finds off-putting. To remedy this, Huxley lies about having a pregnant fiancée from the same place that Dave’s partner is from, hoping that relatability will renew his chances of Dave selling him the property.

When Huxley discovers Lottie, whose financial situation makes her the ideal fake fiancée, he sees her as nothing more than a business opportunity. He manipulates her into accepting his arrangement after she initially refuses, and he is as withdrawn and stern with her as he is with everyone else. However, this causes problems, and he slowly realizes that his treatment of her is dehumanizing. He is attracted to her as well, which makes him further consider how he treats her. As they grow closer, he begins to understand The Balance Between Authenticity and Appearances, recognizing that his useful professional façade shouldn’t undermine his sincerity in his personal relationships.

Huxley is a dynamic character whose changes are evident in his shift from berating Lottie following his dinner with Dave at the beginning of the novel to begging for Lottie’s forgiveness at the end. His motivations have reversed: Though he first questions Lottie about exposing their fake engagement, preoccupied with his professional reputation, he soon realizes that his main concern is Lottie, who is deeply wounded by his accusation of betrayal. Dave approves of this character development, saying that he came to respect Huxley as he watched his feelings for Lottie grow, and this earns Huxley the business deal. Like Lottie, his happy ending thus entails both personal fulfillment and material success, the implication being that he is now better poised to appreciate the latter as a result of the former.

Kelsey is Lottie’s sister. She is characterized as supportive, reliable, and determined, as indicated by her dedication to her small business. Kelsey is an organizer who goes to people’s houses and shows them how to organize their pantries and closets using sustainable techniques and products. In a similar vein, Kelsey often advises Lottie on how to make lasting changes in her personal life, helping Lottie clean the metaphorical mess that she’s in at the beginning of the novel. The relationship between Kelsey and Lottie is loving and considerate. Not only does Kelsey instantly come to Lottie’s aid as needed, but Lottie prioritizes helping Kelsey’s business when entering the deal with Huxley.

Kelsey’s passion for what she does is apparent in how excited she is by the business prospects Huxley offers. This results in her only conflict in the novel: accusing Lottie of not appreciating her circumstances. Lottie’s immediate problems have been resolved, as she is employed by Kelsey, has all her bills paid, and is living in luxury. After Lottie supposedly ruins Kelsey’s business meeting, it becomes apparent that Kelsey’s support for Lottie sometimes comes at her own expense. Nonetheless, they quickly make up, as they are both willing to make sacrifices for each other and ardent about each other’s well-being. 

Kelsey’s thoughtfulness also plays a key role in the novel’s denouement, as she urges Lottie to forgive Huxley, sympathizing with his upset regarding his deal with Dave. Ultimately, though, she is more concerned with how forgiving Huxley will emotionally benefit Lottie, not Huxley, solidifying her main narrative function as a confidante, mentor, and support.

Dave is a potential business partner from whom Huxley hopes to buy some high-value property. He is a foil to Huxley, as he is down-to-earth and focused on principles of sincerity and relatability. Huxley’s cool exterior, glamorous lifestyle, and business-centric attitude are therefore off-putting to Dave. Dave’s partner, Ellie, is pregnant, and he is shown to be thoughtful, affectionate, and kind to her. It is his obvious dedication to Ellie that first inspires Huxley to craft the lie about a fake engagement.

However, Dave is shown to be more discerning than Huxley assumes. The two couples bond throughout the narrative and have many comedic moments together, but it eventually emerges that Dave knew about Huxley and Lottie’s ruse the entire time. When confronted, Dave reveals that Huxley’s obvious lack of real affection for Lottie gave away the arrangement and that he and Ellie set up various embarrassing or awkward scenarios (e.g., parenting classes) to tease them. This was all in earnest fun, though, and Dave changes his mind when he realizes that Huxley has developed into a more genuine and caring individual who prioritizes his partner. Once Huxley has fulfilled this desire from Dave, Dave agrees to sell him the property. He thus plays a key role in Huxley’s moral arc, punishing him (if mildly) for his dishonesty and rewarding him for his sincerity in a way that reflects the novel’s overall values.

Angela is Lottie’s childhood best friend and, at the very beginning of the story, her boss. Lottie’s mother and her mother’s boyfriend advised Lottie against accepting the job, as Angela has frequently made Lottie feel inferior: Lottie’s ex-boyfriend Ken left her for Angela, and Angela often lords her superior financial circumstances over Lottie. Angela is a static character and an antagonist throughout the novel, and she contributes heavily to the theme of The Impact of Societal Expectations on Personal Choices.

While Lottie initially seeks a wealthy boyfriend to solve her immediate financial crisis, Lottie also struggles with how inferior Angela made her feel as a person and wants to find success for this reason. A primary goal of Lottie’s throughout the novel is to show up Angela at their upcoming class reunion, hoping to make Angela feel as Lottie did by arriving with a rich, handsome partner. Angela’s influence on Lottie thus embodies Lottie’s broader tendency to act on shallow social expectations rather than on what genuinely makes Lottie secure and happy. Nevertheless, the novel does allow Lottie to live out her revenge fantasy, as by this point, Lottie has overcome her insecurity; thus, the moment acts as pure retribution for Angela’s antagonism.