Lauren Lipton’s debut novel, IT’S ABOUT YOUR HUSBAND, centers on California girl Iris Hedge, who’s trying to forge a new life for herself in New York while dealing with a divorce and a shaky job situation. When she also finds herself reluctantly spying on a friend’s husband, a funny yet heart-wrenching romantic comedy ensues that has earned praise from such contemporary fiction luminaries as Meg Cabot and Emily Giffin.

Lipton is a freelance journalist specializing in lifestyle and business, with a résumé that includes stints as a staff writer at the Wall Street Journal and deputy editor at Cosmopolitan. Her work has appeared in a number of publications, including InStyle Weddings, Glamour and Marie Claire. Her second novel, MATING RITUALS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN WASP, will be published by Grand Central Publishing in May.

She lives in New York City and Litchfield County, Conn., with her family.