Hearts, Strings, and Other Breakable Things

In this charming debut about first love and second chances, a young girl gets caught between the boy next door and a playboy. Perfect for fans of To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before.

Mansfield, Massachusetts, is the last place seventeen-year-old Edie Price wants to spend her final summer before college. It’s the home of wealthy suburban mothers and prima donnas like Edie’s cousins, who are determined to distract her from her mother’s death with cute boys and Cinderella-style makeovers. She’s got her own plans, and they don’t include any prince charming.

But as she dives into schoolwork and getting a scholarship for college, Edie finds herself drawn to two Mansfield boys strumming for her attention: First, there’s Sebastian, Edie’s childhood friend and first love, who’s sweet and smart and . . . already has a girlfriend. Then there’s Henry, the local bad boy and all-around player who’s totally off limits—even if his kisses are chemically addictive.

Both boys are trouble. Edie can’t help herself from being caught between them. Now, she just has to make sure it isn’t her heart that breaks in the process.

• A Bittersweet First Love: She and Sebastian share a history, but her childhood friend and first love already has a girlfriend. Is a second chance worth the risk?
• An Irresistible Bad Boy: Henry is a notorious player who is completely off-limits, but his chemically addictive kisses make him impossible to ignore.
• A Moving Coming-of-Age Story: While grieving the loss of her mother, Edie must navigate a new town, a new school, and her own plans for the future—which don’t include falling in love.
• A Talented Musician Heroine: Holding tight to her mother’s guitar, Edie pours her heart into her music, writing songs about love, loss, and the messy process of growing up.

"[This retelling of Mansfield Park] winningly upholds the spirit of its source material. A well-fleshed-out secondary cast keeps this debut fresh."—Booklist   "[Jane Austen] would no doubt approve of this retelling's dreamy romance and sly social commentary. A sweet, gentle modernization of Jane Austen that packs a little subversive punch."—Kirkus  "The author shows skill in accurately portraying the conflicting needs and desires of a girl turning into a woman, both sexually and intellectually." —School Library Journal