Chelsea King debuts novel about chosen family and friendship

Chelsea King’s debut novel, Living With Caution Cones, is out now in paperback, hardcover and eBook. Set in mid-2000s Chicago, the book centers on a PR executive whose closest friendships and new romance reshape her adult life.

Why it matters: - Chelsea King’s debut novel puts chosen family and platonic love at the center of a contemporary coming-of-age story. - The book also spotlights LGBTQ friendship and the role close friends can play as life’s priorities shift in adulthood.

What happened: - Living With Caution Cones is now available in paperback, hardcover and eBook formats. - The novel follows Claire Dalton, a boutique public relations executive in mid-2000s Chicago. - Claire’s closest circle includes a group of gay men who become her chosen family. - King says the book began as a personal tribute to friends who shaped her life and grew into a celebration of love that does not always get the spotlight.

The details: - The story blends friendship, ambition, love and reinvention in Chicago’s fast-paced public relations world. - The book leans into the mechanics of media spin, image crafting and crisis management. - Claire’s relationships are shaped through late-night talks, parties and moments of grief. - As Claire approaches her 30s, the novel examines how friendships evolve when priorities change. - An unexpected romance enters Claire’s life, and the story explores how romantic love can coexist with chosen family. - The novel is positioned as a character-driven contemporary fiction title. - Chelsea King writes about friendship, identity and the lives people build with the people who shape them. - King lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and two children.

Between the lines: - The book reads as both a workplace novel and a relationship story, with the PR setting used to sharpen the emotional stakes. - The emphasis on chosen family reflects a broader cultural appetite for stories that center nontraditional support systems. - The LGBTQ friendships in the novel add representation without making the story only about identity.

What's next: - The book’s release gives King a launch point as a new fiction author. - Spines is selling the title across three formats, with ISBNs listed for paperback, hardcover and eBook editions. - Paperback ISBN: 9798902235972. - Hardcover ISBN: 9798902235989. - eBook ISBN: 9798902235996.

The bottom line: - Living With Caution Cones is a debut novel about the friendships that become family, and the challenge of making room for both love and loyalty.