But Like Maybe Don't?

Book excerpt: The creator of the Instagram sensation But Like Maybe takes us on an illustrated journey through her worst dating mistakes—a hilarious, hopeful guide to what you need to get wrong in love before you get it right. Arianna Margulis’s pen was set aflame when a boyfriend took her for a walk in Central Park. She was sneak-attack dumped because she “interfered with his meditation schedule.” After a few sobs, she found her way to a Sharpie, doodled the hilarity and the heartbreak, and But Like Maybe was born. As her cartoons became an Instagram cult hit, Arianna chronicled her misadventures through modern love via a crop-topped doppelganger, equal parts optimistic and anxious, who holds tight to the belief that bae is out there. Now, with 70 never-before-seen toons, her first book is a witty and winning primer on what not to do when dating. Inspired by all the ways Arianna’s gone wrong in her search for love, from planning matching outfits with her high school boyfriend without his knowledge to deplaning an aircraft because her crush texted, this charming and off-kilter anti-guide gently leads you to what matters: realizing that you’re already pretty awesome. With plenty of advice for recognizing and moving on when he’s just not that into you, Arianna shows how to not let a read receipt ruin your night, what to do when the slow fade commences, and how to flip the busy script on a guy. Dating can make the best of us a bit crazy. Keep this guide by your side so that the next time tequila urges you to text your ex, you can instead tell yourself . . . but like maybe don’t.