In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.Īutumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart their mothers are still best friends. Lord successfully adapts classic elements of adult romance novels into a love story gentle enough for younger readers. Even without adult supervision, Reagan and Matt’s physical relationship is passionate but, refreshingly, restrained.

Lord also deserves credit for plausibly explaining the lack of adult supervision: Their chaperone, Delilah’s 26-year-old aunt, is distracted by her involvement with a new tour boyfriend. These characters are predictable, and the happily-ever-after ending is really never in doubt, but romance fans will undoubtedly still enjoy the developing relationships. Luckily, both have the classic supportive friend in Delilah, who shores them up emotionally and encourages their romance-even as she struggles with the pressures of her increasing fame. Matt is reeling from his mother’s death and struggling to define himself as a person and artist after the demise of his famous band. A victim of dating violence (described dramatically but not graphically in flashback), Reagan finds curbing her reckless impulses surprisingly difficult. Reagan and Matt are both good-hearted characters suffering from emotional wounds. When Reagan finds herself attracted to soulful musician Matt, romance seems inevitable-but the record company has hired him to pose as Delilah’s wholesome boyfriend. Reagan joins her best friend Delilah’s summer concert tour to escape some poor decisions and break some bad habits, finding romance and complication instead.

Open Road Summer by Emery Lord