Elsy is the protagonist and narrator of A Novel Love Story. Elsy grew up with a supportive and adventurous mother, whose job as a librarian encouraged her love of reading. In college, Elsy discovered Daffodil Daydreams, the debut novel of Rachel Flowers, and she fell in love with the book and the series that followed. Her love of the Quixotic Falls series influenced Elsy to continue her interest in books by studying library sciences, leading her to get a job teaching literature as an adjunct professor at a local community college.

With a globe-trotting mother and self-assured best friend, Elsy has often felt like a secondary character in her own life. One night, when she was fed up with feeling insignificant, she kissed a bartender named Liam, with whom she began a serious relationship. Throughout Elsy’s relationship with Liam, she let Liam take charge of both their lives and make all decisions about their relationship. Elsy, who was more focused on being likable for Liam and doing whatever he wanted, didn’t notice as her own personality started to slip away, being absorbed into Liam’s life. A week before the wedding that Liam wanted, he ended things with Elsy, telling her that he didn’t really know her beyond a surface level.