Sophie Lark is entangled in a big controversy after portions of her upcoming novel Sparrow and Vine were deemed racially offensive and inappropriate.
The controversy led to her novel, originally set for release in April under Bloom Books, being pulled out by the publisher. Read on to know everything about this controversy.
Sophie Lark, a bestselling romance author, is facing backlash after portions of her upcoming novel, Sparrow and Vine, which praised Elon Musk and also contained several racially insensitive remarks, provoked huge outrage, with netizens venting their ire on social media platforms.
The book was all set to be released by Bloom Books in April. It was revealed that the book contained passages that praised Elon Musk and included remarks that were deemed racially insensitive.
Bloom Books has now confirmed to media outlet The Independent that both the book and the entire series have been taken down.
are authors seriously writing this stuff in 2025? This is from Sophie Lark’s new book. It’s disgusting pic.twitter.com/KA8r67yOo4
— Andy 🍉 (@andysbookshelf) March 2, 2025
An excerpt from the book stated:
“I was inspired by Elon Musk. I use his five-step design process.”
It was a reference to the impact that the Tesla Chief had on the author.
Another excerpt from the book seems to reinforce the stereotypical image of immigrant labor, which further infuriated netizens.
The excerpt read:
“I don’t want to sound ignorant… But shouldn’t there be a crew of people with questionable work visas picking these grapes for us?”
Social media users were quick to condemn the book, with one TikTok user labeling it as “MAGA-coded.”
Another user further stated that such lines should not have a place in a romance book.
The backlash intensified, leading Lark to issue an apology on her Instagram handle. She stated that certain portions of her book were hurtful.
She acknowledged that the publisher had earlier asked her to remove the deemed offensive portions from her book, but she had declined at the time.
Lark further admitted that this was a mistake and stated that she would rewrite the book to ensure it is not offensive to anyone. She also promised to be more mindful of readers’ sensitivities in the future.
Sophie Lark is a popular romance author who has carved a niche for her gripping love stories, which depict high-stakes relationships and striking characters.
She has written many bestselling books, and in many of them, she has tackled complex themes such as arranged marriages, power struggles, and family rivalries.