Cherry Baby
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- Pre-Order
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- Expected 16 Apr 2026
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
Brought to you by Penguin.
The big-hearted, grown-up new novel about love and second chances from million-copy international bestselling author Rainbow Rowell
Cherry and Tom had built a quiet, contented life together in Omaha, until Tom’s semi-autobiographical webcomic went viral and turned their marriage into public property.
Now the world knows Baby, the character based on Cherry, better than Cherry knows herself – and Tom and Cherry have been separated for months.
That’s when Russ Sutton shows up. Floppy-haired, blue-eyed Russ Sutton, who Cherry had a crush on in college, and who now seems to have a crush on her.
All that’s left is for Cherry to rewrite her own story. Because if she isn’t Baby, and she isn’t Tom’s wife, then who can she be?
Told with deep tenderness and abundant wit, Cherry Baby is Rainbow Rowell's most affecting, most surprising, sexiest novel yet.
'Extraordinary humour and tenderness'
Curtis Sittenfeld
'Sweet, sexy, wise and nostalgic'
Gabrielle Zevin
‘So hot and delicious, so funny and smart and real. What a gift!’
Catherine Newman
'Rainbow Rowell is a damn genius'
Rufi Thorpe
'As funny and smart as its wonderful characters'
Emma Straub
'Gorgeous . . . I read it in one sitting’
Ella Risbridger
© Rainbow Rowell 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
In this witty, heartfelt story of love and resilience, a relatable heroine learns the hard way what it’s like when the world sees you as a caricature. Cherry is smart, pretty, talented, and a self-described fat person. She’s also in the midst of divorcing her husband Tom, whose hugely popular graphic novel is presently being adapted into a highly anticipated movie—and everyone seems to know that the character of Baby was based on her. Being a fat woman is hard enough without being a pop culture icon of a fat woman, and we loved the natural, painfully realistic way the whole mess complicates Cherry’s journey to love her body. Author Rainbow Rowell really does make Cherry a heroine to root for, from her delightfully bold fashion sense to her search for a love that can give her what her marriage didn’t. Funny, heartbreaking, and grounded in reality, Cherry Baby is the kind of romance we’ve been waiting for.
