Author event! Nora Zelevansky x Emily Barth Isler

Zibby's Bookshop is excited to welcome Nora Dahlia and Emily Barth Isler to celebrate Dahlia's PICK-UP!

About the book:

Harkening to the witty and swoon-worthy rom-coms of Christina Lauren and Kate Clayborn, a new enemies-to-lovers romp whisking us from the stress of city life to lush Caribbean beaches.

Sasha Rubinstein is not on her game. Parenting with an absent (and objectively douchey) ex has never been easy, but, lately, the judgmental side-eye from people at school pick-up feels extra. It doesn’t help that some entitled dad—with his perfect t-shirts and perfectly punchable (yet adorable) face—keeps stealing the last after-school spots and school hoodies out from under her.

Ethan Jones is not trying to trip Sasha up… at school or otherwise. In fact, ever since they met (which she promptly forgot), he’s been hoping for the exact opposite…or at least to stop thinking about her.

When a game-changing job lands them trapped together on an exclusive private island, they resolve to stop sniping at each other and keep things professional. But with tension building between them and the permeating intoxication of island time, temptation blows in on every tropical breeze.

About the authors:

Nora Dahlia is a style writer whose work has appeared in The New York Times, Elle, The Wall Street Journal, Vanity Fair, among others. Nora is also a branded content expert, book doctor, ghostwriter, collaborator, and writing coach. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, two kids, and enormous cat, Waldo. Pick-Up is her first romance novel.

Emily Barth Isler is the award-winning author of middle grade novels AfterMath and The Color of Sound, and forthcoming picture book, Always Enough Love (Nancy Paulsen Books, Spring 2026).

Emily is a passionate advocate for gun control in America, and has written extensively on the topic for publications like Publisher's Weekly, Today.com and Kveller.com. She also writes regularly about sustainability and organic/eco-friendly skincare products for Oprah Daily, Allure, Organic Spa, etc.

Born and raised in Columbia, Maryland, Emily earned a B.A. in Film Studies from Wesleyan University, lived in New York City for almost 20 years, and now lives in Los Angeles, California, with her husband and their two kids.

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