Hundred Dollar Tip

Hundred Dollar Tip is a sharp, unfiltered exploration of young adulthood, disillusionment, and the slow crawl toward self-discovery. Set against the backdrop of New York City, the novel follows Marley, a former music student turned jaded waitress, as she drifts through the motions of daily life working dead-end jobs, navigating toxic relationships, and chasing the ever-elusive $100 tip that she and her roommate have turned into a drunken prophecy.

Haunted by the trauma of her past and stuck in a cycle of avoidance, Marley moves through the city with a mix of dark humor and quiet desperation. She's skeptical of love, indifferent to ambition, and increasingly detached from the dreams she once had. But when a chance encounter with an old flame dredges up painful memories and an unexpected new connection challenges her defenses Marley is forced to confront what she's been running from.

Told in a biting, introspective voice that oscillates between sharp wit and raw vulnerability, Hundred Dollar Tip is a novel about the weight of the past, the exhaustion of survival, and the small, unpredictable moments that might just pull us out of inertia. Perfect for readers who appreciate gritty realism, complex female protagonists, and stories that don't shy away from the messy, unglamorous truths of being young and lost.