Telling Lies Online

Scientist Jamie Richards wants to approach love more sensibly after repeated heartbreak. A dating-app error undermines that intention by presenting her as a man to Claire Flores, a woman across the country who believes she has finally found the right person. Instead of correcting the mistake, Jamie lets their connection grow. When Claire travels from Portland to Boston to meet “Jay,” Jamie introduces herself as his colleague and improvises explanations for his absence. Being together creates feelings Claire did not expect, while Jamie’s stories become increasingly difficult to sustain. Their romantic possibilities depend on confronting two kinds of deception: the identity Jamie has invented and the assumptions Claire has made about the life she wants.