Attachments

In the late 1990s, Lincoln O'Neill lands a decidedly unglamorous job as an "internet security officer" at a newspaper, a role that primarily involves reading other people's emails flagged for inappropriate content. He envisions himself fighting hackers, but instead finds himself sifting through mundane office gossip and the occasional dirty joke. His routine takes an unexpected turn when he begins to monitor the email exchanges between Beth Fremont, a film reviewer, and Jennifer Scribner-Snyder, a sports reporter. Unbeknownst to them, their hilarious, honest, and increasingly intimate conversations about their jobs, personal lives, relationships, and frustrations become the highlight of Lincoln's day. He finds himself captivated by Beth's wit and charm, falling for a woman he's never met, based solely on her emails. As his feelings deepen, Lincoln faces a moral dilemma: he's privy to their most private thoughts, and his job requires him to report them. The longer he reads, the more he realizes he can't simply introduce himself; how could he explain that he knows everything about her without revealing his ethically dubious role in their unwitting 'relationship'? This heartwarming and humorous novel explores the boundaries of privacy, the serendipity of connection, and the unique ways love can blossom in the most unexpected circumstances.