This utterly original novel invites you to "eavesdrop" on the electronic correspondence between two people who have just met online: Bev, a tough-minded book editor who has been logging on for years, and Max, a restless advertising copywriter who boldly strikes up a conversation. With each e-mail exchange, two people who are at first faceless come vibrantly alive through their sometimes serious, frequently funny, and always believable messages to each other. As Bev becomes less inhibited, Max becomes more fascinated, and their relationship grows more intense -- until an unforeseen event changes the rules of the game forever. Intimate, compelling, and unpredictable, Chat gives a fresh twist to the thrill of romantic adventure.

"Serve[s] as a primer on how (and how not) to conduct a love affair online. But you won't need a modem to appreciate the charm of this virtual romance...."
   SARA NELSON, GLAMOUR

"Could it be a high-tech version of The Bridges of Madison County? Bev and Max's letters are witty, hilarious, challenging, thoughtful, teasing, and full of tension. This isn't about those sleazy chat rooms.... Chat is a hip look at the Internet cyberculture and how it has changed the dynamic of present-day relationships."
   TINA VELGOS, THE REVIEW ZONE

"Takes a surprising, satisfying turn in a cliff-hanger climax. . . ."
   SAM JEMIELITY, NEW CITY (CHICAGO)

"This may be Silicon Valley's Story of O. McCarthy cleverly pulls off a wicked, Vox-like trick by making the reader feel like an online voyeur, secretly reading other people's private mail...