e-Audio, 09:58:02
Narrated by: Mirai
Release Date: May 5, 2026
Published by: Simon & Schuster Audio
Read from: April 21-23, 2026
Stand-alone (Companion to previous novels)
Source: Libro FM (I received this ALC free from the publisher and Libro FM. This did nothing to influence my review!)
Content Warning: Cancer, Abandonment, Alcohol, Infidelity, Grief, Medical Content, Death of a Parent, Panic attacks/disorders
For Readers of: Audio, Coming of Age, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Family Diversity (Divorced Parents, Dad remarried, mom had cancer), Libro FM, Most Anticipated, Realistic Fiction, Romance, Series/Companion, YAFrom acclaimed and #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah Dessen comes a “sweet, nuanced, and reflective coming-of-age love story” ( Kirkus Reviews, starred review) about an unassuming girl who learns to stand on her own while falling in love during a life-changing summer.
Finley has always felt most comfortable in someone else’s shadow. Fortunately, she’s got Colin, her magnetic boyfriend, who sweeps her along for activities, friendships, and future plans. Then she goes on a last-minute trip with her distant mom to a family vacation house that Finley didn’t know existed and is now about to be sold.
Her mom was estranged from her own parents and siblings since leaving home for college, and it’s a novelty for Finley to see her aunts and cousins. There’s also the handful of teens who work at the Egg, her aunt’s diner, and make up a found family of their own—including undeniably handsome guitarist Ben.
Then her relationship with Colin goes into freefall, and Finley’s roadmap for life after high school is gone. She has no choice but to live, for the first time, without plans. The longer Finley stays, the closer she gets to the truth about why her mother stayed away—and why she’s brought Finley here now.
And the closer she grows to new friends at the Egg, the more she starts to fall for charmingly awkward, soulful Ben and to realize how much of herself she’s been missing. By the end of the summer, nothing will be the same—for this community or for Finley herself.
*MY THOUGHTS*
When I saw that Sarah Dessen had another book coming out I was so excited! And just in time for summer! And if you’ve read anything by her before, you’ll be pleased to know this book had the comfort of her stories, but it still felt completly new as well.
Ok so the thing I loved most about this was how comfortable it felt. I felt like I was reading her old work. It was summery and fun, there was a lake, and there was romance and some hard hitting topics. All things that she always had. But this time there’s a plot twist early on in the story and things are so different than her other books as well. It felt like I was inside the book and watching from close up. Her books always immerse you into the story and this one is not different.
The pacing was crazy good too. Like I couldn’t stop reading it. I remember thinking I had work the next day so I wanted to go to sleep but I couldn’t. I just wanted to sit and read! But it was so like real, it didn’t even feel like a story. Sarah Dessen is a master class at this and I can always trust that her books will be good.
Something else that’s always part of her books is some characters that feel like they could be your bestie. And again, this time, Finley was no different. My favorites were her new found family members from the Egg and the family that she didn’t know before. I loved watching her find herself and get to know who her mother was despite all the things she thought she knew before.
The romance was adorable. I can’t lie tho, there was a lot of time where I spent being mad at her. Because wtf do you mean you hurt Ben in the process of figuring things out? What do you mean you kind of used him to help make you feel better? But Ben still took it all in stride. I loved that he let her make her own decisions and didn’t try to influence her or anything of that nature. And I’m glad they finally got it together because Ben was the sweetest and it was evident that he really liked her.
I say this a lot, but this was so much fun! When I read a Sarah Dessen book I know it’s summer and that’s exactly what it felt like. Summer in a book. I hope y’all pick this up and fall back in love with Sarah Dessen like I did!
Overall, I give this
