Whether it was the joy of seeing the pen swirl round and round to create a spiral or all the wild choices you and your friends came up with, the game of MASH is one that is simply a part of girlhood now and forever. And there's no better tribute to it than Laura Marie Meyers's new novel that you're going to be absolutely obsessed with.
Cosmopolitan has an exclusive first-look at The MASH Up by Laura Marie Meyers, which is set to be released on July 7, 2026. Ruby Wynne's life seems to be all planned out, until an unexpected break-up causes her to make the ultimate wish that we all would've made when we were younger. Now stuck in what feels to be like the ultimate game of MASH, she must find a way to set things back to where they were again, but with the most unlikely love interest by her side.
"As a millennial, I grew up playing M.A.S.H. with my friends during sleepovers, all of us obsessed with imagining our possible futures," Laura told Cosmopolitan. "In The MASH Up, I wanted to explore what it’s like to remember who you used to be and who you thought you’d become—and how that compares to who you actually are as an adult."
Here's some more info from our friends at G.P. Putnam’s Sons:
"Laura Marie Meyers’ debut novel glows with charm, humor, and heart. An irresistible, page-turning treat from first laugh to last swoon." —Emily Giffin, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Love You More
"Nostalgic, clever, and joyful to the point of effervescence, The Mash Up is the romance I’ve been dying for." —Annabel Monaghan, New York Times bestselling author of It's a Love Story
It’s all fun and games until someone falls in love.
MANSION • APARTMENT • SHACK • HOUSE
Ruby Wynne is a staunch rule-follower who lives by the numbers. So when a surprising breakup – on her thirty-fifth birthday – ruins all her well-laid plans, Ruby makes an unexpected wish . . . Only to wake up inside a M.A.S.H. game from seventh grade.
Settled in a Technicolor mansion, driving a tie-dye Jeep, and running a roller-disco restaurant, Ruby is living out her childhood dreams come true—with one exception. According to the game, Ruby’s “other half” is supposed to be Penn Hayes, her brother’s annoying, and annoyingly handsome, best friend. But there’s zero romance between them. Just like in real life, all they share is sarcasm. With no rules to follow and desperate to return to reality, Ruby makes her best guess at an escape plan: win Penn’s heart so the game comes completely true and she can go home.
It’s unthinkable. On Ruby’s list of dos and don’ts, Penn Hayes is a lifelong don’t. But as Ruby navigates the magical world she dreamed up at thirteen, she wonders if, by finally throwing out her rules, she might just find her way home to the life and love she deserves.
No need to play the game to get your first official look at the book! You can check out the oh, so fun and totally 90s book cover that will no doubt make you grab your own notebook to see what options come up for you this time! As Laura tell us, "I had so much fun writing a magic-filled romantic comedy, and the book’s Technicolor cover perfectly captures the nostalgic spirit of the story."
Ready to see if Ruby's MASH is the dream her younger self had ever imagined? Make sure to pre-order the book below so you can see how it all goes down in The MASH Up.
The MASH Up, by Laura Marie Meyers will be released on June 7, 2026 from G.P. Putnam’s Sons. To preorder the book, click on the retailer of your choice:
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