Emma Tourtelot’s Novel No One You Know Explores Motherhood and Grief in the Digital Age

RHINEBECK, N.Y., Oct. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Emma Tourtelot spent nearly two decades as a renowned sex advice columnist, earning recognition from Time magazine for her “smarter, funnier, and raunchier” approach to dating and relating. Now a middle school librarian in New York’s Hudson Valley, she has channeled that intimate understanding of human connection into her fiction debut, No One You Know (January 2026, She Writes Press, distributed by Simon & Schuster).The dual-narrative novel follows Kate Campbell, a Hudson Valley realtor and “momfluencer,” and her teenage daughter, Indie, as they navigate the aftermath of a tragic loss that shatters their seemingly perfect small-town life. Set against the backdrop of the Hudson Valley’s evolving cultural landscape, No One You Know brilliantly captures the tension between city expats and long-time locals. Tourtelot’s unique background brings authenticity to her exploration of contemporary family dynamics. Protagonist Kate’s struggle to balance her online persona with private parenting challenges reflects the author’s understanding of modern relationship complexities, while her teenage daughter, Indie,’s voice emerges from Tourtelot’s daily interactions with young people navigating their own digital-era coming of age.

“It’s certainly an interesting time to be a librarian,” says Tourtelot. “I couldn’t have predicted that sex advice writing would turn out to be the second most controversial career on my resume. But the truth is, I’ve always loved figuring out what makes people tick—whether that’s solving someone’s relationship crisis, matching them with a perfect book, or making a fictional character feel real.”

Emma Tourtelot is the author of eight books about sex and relationships, as one half of the advice duo Em & Lo. She is also the co-creator of Nerve Personals. After hanging up her hat as an advice columnist, she moved from New York City to the Hudson Valley, where she can be found browsing the stacks at Oblong Books in Rhinebeck or Rough Draft in Kingston. No One You Know is perfect for book clubs, mother-daughter discussions, and anyone who’s experienced the joys of parenthood and the grief and wonder of just being in this world. Kirkus Reviews calls the debut novel “An emotionally honest and captivating story about grief, family, and the stories we tell in this digital age.” It’s the next book you’ll recommend to everyone you know.

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. Connect with the author on Instagram or EmmaTourtelot.com.

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