American Fantasy

Set aboard a cruise ship called the American Fantasy during a four-day fan cruise for the fictional boy band Boy Talk, the novel weaves together three perspectives: Keith Fiore, a reluctant member of the aging group; Annie, a 50-year-old divorced woman attending the cruise alone; and Sarah, the 30-year-old production manager keeping the weekend running smoothly.

On turnaround day, Sarah surveys the ship as her crew prepares for the next voyage. She works for JackRabbit Productions, which organizes themed entertainment cruises, and has stayed aboard rather than return to the empty Queens apartment her ex-girlfriend Lexie recently vacated. She briefs her new assistant Tyler, her boss's nephew and a recent NYU dropout, on the basics: Boy Talk is a five-member group from the late 1980s whose devoted fans, known as Talkers, are mostly middle-aged women. The members are brothers Shawn and Keith Fiore, Corey West, Scotty Sanchez, and Terrence Campbell.

Keith and Shawn board through the gangway. Keith, who sees a therapist and attends AA meetings, dreads the cruise, comparing it to donating blood: He gives energy, selfies, and hugs until he is depleted, then spends a week in bed recovering. After Corey broke up the band and launched a solo career in film and television, there was a 15-year hiatus. The group reunited in 2009, now operating part-time with annual cruises and private shows. Keith agreed to return only because Shawn pressured him relentlessly.

Annie arrives at the terminal alone. The trip was supposed to be a sister vacation with Katherine, her younger sister and a lifelong Talker, but Katherine broke her leg. Annie is navigating a recent divorce from her husband Chris, her daughter Claudia's departure from the nest, and a sense that nothing lies ahead. In her cabin, she meets her assigned roommate Maira, a veteran Talker who has attended every cruise. She then discovers a devastating email from her boss Geoff at Opera Weekly, the magazine where she works: The company is restructuring, and their intern Kayla, barely older than Annie's daughter, has been promoted to Annie's supervisor.

In the Sanctuary, the private suite reserved for the band on Deck 7, tensions surface. Bobby, the band's longtime manager, notices an unfamiliar name on the room list. When Shawn arrives, he introduces Jonathan Schenk, a bearded man who calls himself an "executive coach" and "holistic adviser." Jonathan distributes business cards for his company, Wolf Management, and speaks about "alpha wolves." Bobby accepts the newcomer with visible unease, and Keith senses Shawn is positioning Jonathan to replace Bobby.

The cruise launches with a sail-away party. When Boy Talk appears on the balcony, Annie bursts into tears, overwhelmed by seeing these men from her childhood in person. She observes the women around her, all shapes and sizes, and feels weightless and free of judgment for the first time in years.

The days follow a packed schedule: a quiz show, themed deck parties, a photo session, a full-band concert, a beach day, Corey's solo show of Broadway standards, and nightly after-hours parties. Photo Day proves the most grueling, with every guest filing through for six hours of hugging and photographs. When Annie reaches Keith, she instinctively asks, "Are you okay?" He shrugs, then asks her the same. "It's hard to say, isn't it," she replies. Shortly afterward, Keith escapes to a bathroom, overcome by a panic attack. Sarah finds him weeping and helps him recover.

Keith's marriage to Steffani is quietly disintegrating: He sleeps in the guest room, and Steffani has told him she never wants to have sex with him again. He doesn't want a divorce but wants more than what they have. Annie's experience deepens in parallel. During MTV Night, she and Keith exchange a look across the crowd, and later, on the smoking deck, they share a quiet conversation, their first real exchange beyond the photo line. Annie also encounters Greg, a repeat male cruiser who exploits the romantic atmosphere to seduce Talkers. On Pajama Night, she brings Greg to her cabin, where Maira walks in on them. Annie is embarrassed but defiant; during the encounter, she had been fantasizing about Keith.

Shawn and Jonathan corner Keith to pitch a Boy Talk world tour covering Japan, Germany, Brazil, and the Philippines. Keith realizes the plan would cut Bobby out as manager and flatly refuses. After they leave, he lies face-down on the carpet and screams. Bobby later acknowledges his own impending departure: "We've had a solid run."

Before Prom Night, the final evening, Corey reveals to Sarah that his wife is sending him to rehab after the cruise, then propositions her. She tells him to put his shirt on and leaves. On Prom Night, the band dresses in color-coded tuxedos. In the elevator, Keith warns Corey to "watch it." Corey taunts: "Can't blame me for your own failures." When the doors open on Deck 10, in full view of Talkers with cameras, Keith tackles Corey and punches him in the face. Shawn pulls Keith off; Keith turns on him: "You always defend him!" Keith declares he is never getting on this ship again.

In the chaos, Maira's nemesis Theresa confronts her, and Maira throws Theresa to the ground. A JackRabbit employee locks Maira in her cabin for the night, leaving Annie without a room. Sarah sends the remaining members to perform without Keith and suggests Annie stay in the Sanctuary's spare cabin at Keith's invitation. Left alone for the first time, Keith and Annie talk. She tells him about her divorce and her decision to quit her job. Their knees touch on the couch, and Keith sings the opening of Stephen Sondheim's "Send in the Clowns." Annie responds with the next line.

When the group gathers, Jonathan leads an exercise in which everyone envisions their fantasy. Scotty imagines performing for an audience of men. Corey imagines public redemption. Shawn imagines dancing with Talkers at a hundred years old. Sarah imagines running a music venue on land. Keith imagines walking through a city where no one recognizes him and resolves never to board this ship again. Annie watches him, recognizing the change taking hold.

Keith walks Annie to the spare cabin. At the doorway, she opens her arms and kisses him. Keith hasn't kissed someone like this in decades. Annie calls it her best first kiss: "It's nice to know that there's still potential for bests and firsts, isn't it?" Keith returns to his room and reaches for a pen, already turning their encounter into song lyrics.

That night, Sarah discovers Jonathan and Tyler together in the ship's arcade. On debarkation morning, she fires Tyler and learns from social media that Lexie and her new partner have broken up. Keith leaves the ship first, hugging Talkers on his way to the bridge, where Sarah waits. Annie returns to her cabin and finds Maira packing around a stolen decal of Shawn's face. Maira asks if Annie will do another cruise. Annie says no but calls the experience "perfectly satisfying. Sort of beyond my wildest dreams."

In the debarkation line, Annie skips the final photo opportunity. She wants her brain to do the work of remembering: Keith's mouth, his heartbeat under her hand. She pictures herself back in New York, weaving through crowds on the sidewalk, encountering someone coming toward her. There is still time.