Love Ruins Everything by Karen X. Tulchinsky

When Nomi Rabinovitch's femme girlfriend leaves her for a man, Nomi seeks solace in watching schmaltzy videos at a friend's place, working her shift as a bartender at a neighborhood pub in San Francisco, and trying to talk her way out of wearing a dress at her mother's second wedding. But going to Mom's marriage in Toronto is just the ticket for this Canadian expatriate. Back home, Nomi runs into former crush Julie and sparks ensue. Then Nomi learns that her cousin Henry has been beaten up. It's not just a horrific case of fag bashing, but a specific hit to keep Henry from breaking a news story about the origins of HIV. Love Ruins Everything, Tulchinsky's first novel, shifts seamlessly from comic romance to political thriller and remains a page-turner throughout.