The debut novel, If I Should Lose You, by Craig MackIntosh

Release date June 12, 2026

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Scott MacIntyre is an artist and aspiring journalist who has never been aligned with the values of contemporary society. He’s a jaded, reclusive workaholic. Denyse Kersey is shrewd, quippy, and disciplined. She recently transplanted to Portland after a hard upbringing in the South Bronx. Together, they discover a perfect connection and unveil irresistible bliss.

James Severen is a naive kid from the country whose life experience has been hard work, poverty, abuse, and neglect. He witnesses a violent flashpoint at work and immediately escapes to seek a new life.

Scott, ever the champion for corporal mercy, finds James and gives him guidance. Their encounter alters the lives of everyone in the periphery.

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Advance reader consensus is that this novel is profoundly emotional and devastating.

What advance readers are saying:

— “I was begging for mercy. No book has ever had me cry for more than a moment. This had me weeping for the last third.”

— “Devastating. Brutal. Beautiful. I haven’t felt this much in a long time. It really resonates. I have to rest now.”

— “Often hilarious. Then, goosebumps. Then, more goosebumps.”

— ”It’s been years since I came across a new album I wanted to listen to twice in a day. Or two days in a row. I’ve never gotten through a novel in a day. I’ve never wanted to read a book the very next day. But this is sitting with me so hard I want to read it again immediately and get back into that world. I’ve never read a story that made me feel like I was in love, and made me hurt to tears….for hours! For me, this is a perfect book.”

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5×8 paperback

352 pages

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1st paperback ed: published 2026 by Parvenu Pressworks

Copyright © 2026 by Craig McIntosh

all rights reserved

Author / Craig McIntosh

Cover design by Craig McIntosh

Cover painting / oil on canvas / “Sum of All Parts” / By Raùl Pizarro

Editor / Shayan Kashani