The Ex-Perimento

A woman enlists the help of her favorite musician to win her ex-boyfriend back in this sparkling romantic comedy set in Venezuela by debut author Maria J. Morillo.

Maria “Marianto” Camacho is a planner. At twenty-seven, she has her life perfectly mapped out. Her long-term boyfriend, Alejandro, is perfect on paper, and she's expecting a proposal any day now. She has a stable job as a lifestyle columnist at Ellas, one of Latin America's biggest digital magazines. Her future is set; she's sure of it.

Until everything falls apart overnight: Marianto loses her boyfriend and her job. But she's determined to get them both back with an idea that is either delusional or ingenious—a juicy new article for Ellas that documents a series of romantic experiments to get her ex back. Thus begins The Ex-Perimento. With her bank account dwindling, however, Marianto lands a temporary gig on Venezuela's hottest new singing competition show. Her job? Personal assistant to Simón Arreaza, the lead singer of her favorite indie band.

It's only her second day on the job when Simón discovers Marianto's list of romantic experiments, striking her ideas and replacing them with his own better ones. Out of desperation, she offers a proposition: Help her win back Alejandro, and she'll give Simón's band a profile in the magazine once she returns to Ellas. But between the close quarters on set and the blurred lines of a budding friendship, Marianto and Simón find themselves irresistibly drawn to each other, caught in a whirlwind of unexpected romance.
"I will go to war for this book. The Ex-Perimento is fantastic. It's funny, swoony, and made me feel so nostalgic with its incredible sense of place in Caracas. Simón is kind, considerate, capable, and so so hot, and Marianto is relatable, driven, and perfectly flawed. Their chemistry is delicious and the turns of events of how they get together make this book unputdownable. Maria J. Morillo had me rooting for them from the very first meet-cute! I devoured my early copy in a few days."—Gabriela Romero Lacruz, #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of The Sun and the Void

"A full-hearted love letter to type-A women and the men who fall for them, María J Morillo’s delightful debut is laugh-out-loud funny and sweetly sexy. The Ex-Perimento is a must-read for Abby Jimenez fans. You’ll swoon for this perfecto second chance at first love."—Jessica Parra, author of The Quince Project

“The Ex-Perimento is a fresh, fun twist on a celebrity romcom! Marianto’s journey perfectly captures all the ways fighting for what you think you want can go wrong—and how opening up your heart to something new can go so right. Deliciously swoony and full of humor, Morillo’s sparkly and romantic debut is sure to be adored by fans of Elissa Sussman and How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days.”—Jessica James, author of For One Night Only

“Full of corazón, chaos, and delightfully bad decisions, The Ex-Perimento is a romcom that proves the best-laid plans are made to unravel. With a questionable scheme to win back an ex, a one too-charming singer along for the ride, and way more feelings than anyone signed up for, María J. Morillo’s debut is laugh-out-loud funny, irresistibly romantic, and a reminder that the heart has a habit of going off script.”—Carolina Flórez-Cerchiaro, author of Bochica
Maria J. Morillo is a born and raised Venezuelan ESL teacher, translator, and author of love stories featuring Venezuelan women getting absolutely everything they've always wanted. When she's not writing, you can find her leading the choir at her local church. She currently lives in Maturin, Venezuela, with her family. View titles by Maria J. Morillo

About

A woman enlists the help of her favorite musician to win her ex-boyfriend back in this sparkling romantic comedy set in Venezuela by debut author Maria J. Morillo.

Maria “Marianto” Camacho is a planner. At twenty-seven, she has her life perfectly mapped out. Her long-term boyfriend, Alejandro, is perfect on paper, and she's expecting a proposal any day now. She has a stable job as a lifestyle columnist at Ellas, one of Latin America's biggest digital magazines. Her future is set; she's sure of it.

Until everything falls apart overnight: Marianto loses her boyfriend and her job. But she's determined to get them both back with an idea that is either delusional or ingenious—a juicy new article for Ellas that documents a series of romantic experiments to get her ex back. Thus begins The Ex-Perimento. With her bank account dwindling, however, Marianto lands a temporary gig on Venezuela's hottest new singing competition show. Her job? Personal assistant to Simón Arreaza, the lead singer of her favorite indie band.

It's only her second day on the job when Simón discovers Marianto's list of romantic experiments, striking her ideas and replacing them with his own better ones. Out of desperation, she offers a proposition: Help her win back Alejandro, and she'll give Simón's band a profile in the magazine once she returns to Ellas. But between the close quarters on set and the blurred lines of a budding friendship, Marianto and Simón find themselves irresistibly drawn to each other, caught in a whirlwind of unexpected romance.

Reviews

"I will go to war for this book. The Ex-Perimento is fantastic. It's funny, swoony, and made me feel so nostalgic with its incredible sense of place in Caracas. Simón is kind, considerate, capable, and so so hot, and Marianto is relatable, driven, and perfectly flawed. Their chemistry is delicious and the turns of events of how they get together make this book unputdownable. Maria J. Morillo had me rooting for them from the very first meet-cute! I devoured my early copy in a few days."—Gabriela Romero Lacruz, #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of The Sun and the Void

"A full-hearted love letter to type-A women and the men who fall for them, María J Morillo’s delightful debut is laugh-out-loud funny and sweetly sexy. The Ex-Perimento is a must-read for Abby Jimenez fans. You’ll swoon for this perfecto second chance at first love."—Jessica Parra, author of The Quince Project

“The Ex-Perimento is a fresh, fun twist on a celebrity romcom! Marianto’s journey perfectly captures all the ways fighting for what you think you want can go wrong—and how opening up your heart to something new can go so right. Deliciously swoony and full of humor, Morillo’s sparkly and romantic debut is sure to be adored by fans of Elissa Sussman and How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days.”—Jessica James, author of For One Night Only

“Full of corazón, chaos, and delightfully bad decisions, The Ex-Perimento is a romcom that proves the best-laid plans are made to unravel. With a questionable scheme to win back an ex, a one too-charming singer along for the ride, and way more feelings than anyone signed up for, María J. Morillo’s debut is laugh-out-loud funny, irresistibly romantic, and a reminder that the heart has a habit of going off script.”—Carolina Flórez-Cerchiaro, author of Bochica

Author

Maria J. Morillo is a born and raised Venezuelan ESL teacher, translator, and author of love stories featuring Venezuelan women getting absolutely everything they've always wanted. When she's not writing, you can find her leading the choir at her local church. She currently lives in Maturin, Venezuela, with her family. View titles by Maria J. Morillo
  • More Websites from
    Penguin Random House
  • Common Reads
  • Library Marketing