Anna Todd’s Brightest Stars trilogy tells the contemporary love story of Karina, a young woman who “grew up military” and is living and working for the first time on her own, and Kael, a 21-year-old soldier now home after two life-altering deployments in Afghanistan. The Burning picks up from the sudden and shocking disruption of Karina and Kael’s developing romance at the end of The Falling: the attraction to one another is undeniable, yet the trust they’ve placed in each other has been broken by a concealed truth. To resolve what may be difficult, or impossible, to repair, Kael’s closed-off past — a past that unknowingly links him to Karina’s family — must be opened and reconciled. And Karina must decide whether loving someone she doesn’t want to live without is worth the pain and risk of it all.
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THE MANY DATES OF INDIGO
Hair done. Nails too. Make-up flawless. Indigo knows she looks good . . . now if she could only find someone who could see her as she saw herself: fearless, strong, sexy
Standing on the sidelines of her sister’s third baby shower, Indigo hears the whispers all around her: “Still no ring,” her cousin Tracy says. “Indigo just loves the single life,” her Aunt Maureen whispers. It doesn’t matter that she’s actually got it all—a thriving business and a terrific group of friends, plus her huge, loving-but-sometimes-a-pain, extended family.
Tired of being the only singleton in her group, she decides to approach her love life like she does everything: thoughtfully, thoroughly, and with an eye to finally finding “the one.” Basically, she’s going to get out there and begin to “unstranger” people (as her brother tells her to do). Soon her social calendar’s as busy as her shoe store, and while she’s met some wonderful men she’s yet to find her Frog Prince.
The Falling
A new love story from Anna Todd begins with The Falling, the first novel in a new trilogy (Brightest Stars) from the #1 internationally best-selling author of the After series.
Twenty-year old Karina is proud of the independent life she is trying to create for herself in Ft. Benning, Georgia. A dutiful officer’s daughter, supportive sister to a troubled twin brother, and caring friend to her roommate, Elodie, she always puts the needs of others ahead of her own, and prides herself on being a fixer of broken things—whether it’s the house she’s just bought or the fragmented family she works hard to keep intact.
Like anyone who has grown up around an army base, Karina also knows the background noise that follows men and women home from war. And when she meets Kael, a handsome soldier on the cusp of discharge, she’s immediately intrigued by his brooding presence and enigmatic silence. As their uncertain and unexpected friendship starts to turn into something more, Karina tries to piece together Kael’s story: he is emotionally closed off, recovering from wounds and other trauma in the aftermath of two tours in Afghanistan. In her practice as a physical therapist, Karina has a strong desire to help him heal, and though it challenges her many insecurities and anxieties, she has an equally strong desire to trust him. But that trust is fragile, like the preciousness of a soldier’s life. It can be gone in an instant. Ultimately facing a crossroads, their relationship will be tested by the one thing that Karina cannot accept, forgive, or understand.
Night, Forgotten
A dramatic and undeniably addictive psychological thriller about a young woman whose life changes in an instant, and nothing is ever the same.
Before…Life is idyllic for Julie Dolan and her husband Owen. They’ve bought their dream house in the Berkshires; their careers are on the upswing; and they have the world at their fingertips. They’ve never been so in love. They’ve never been happier. The only thing that’s missing is a baby—but Julie’s got a plan, and they’re right on schedule.
Until Owen falls ill with food poisoning, leaving Julie to attend a neighborhood holiday party alone. When she wakes up, half-naked in her neighbor’s bathtub, Julie doesn’t know how to tell Owen, the police, her friends—anyone—that she has been sexually assaulted. So she keeps it secret until she realizes that she’s pregnant with her assailant’s baby.
After…Life is unmanageable for Julie. She can’t function in the world with a newborn, and she’s unable to be present for her husband, her family, her friends. Desperate to solve the mystery of what happened to her, Julie’s driven to more and more erratic behavior, until the truth about that night is revealed. Afterward, no one will be the same ever again. Not Owen. Not the baby. And especially not Julie.
Until We Break
Dance like everyone’s watching. Because they are.
As the only Black student at her ballet academy, Naomi Morgan knows her feelings of isolation and artistic sacrifice are the price she has to pay in order to win the Youth American Grand Prix, the country’s most prestigious dance competition. Winning means access to a spot in a top ballet school and, ultimately, a place with The New York City Ballet. Nothing else matters.
But when Naomi’s dance instructor assigns her Odette’s variation from Swan Lake, Naomi’s world begins to fall apart. She doesn’t think she can dance the part—and her doubts become the loudest voice in her head. Her best friend, Jessica, used to be her sounding board, her support, her co-star—and even though Jessica died in a freak car accident, Naomi still sees and hears her everywhere.
She’s been burying her grief by focusing on her dancing. But when an injury steals that refuge, Naomi’s mental health deteriorates and she starts to seek answers outside of her carefully constructed reality. Then one night, she meets Saint, a street artist, and he opens up an entirely new world for her. A world that’s not connected to dance.
Saint spends his nights creating brilliant and beautiful messages of social change that the world needs to hear. In their sleepy California town, he wants to mix it up—to force the world to see him as he is—he’s got a voice and isn’t afraid to use it. Even if his family life is tough. Even if the same avenues that are open to Naomi are not open to him.
Together they both learn that there’s no one right way to be in the world. For Naomi, this means that maybe dance isn’t the only choice for her. Maybe her voice can be louder off stage, and she can shine in a different kind of spotlight. Maybe she and Saint will shine together and everything will be different in the best possible way.
Stiletto Sisterhood
When they first met, best friends Priya, Isobel, Caitlin, Eshe, and Shayne swore a vow: Chase dreams not drama. Now, years later . . .Priya Seth is determined to win the coveted one-year mentorship with her idol at New York’s hottest law firm. Her rival? Last night’s hookup, Hadrian Marek. Despite having a privileged upper hand, Hadrian is willing to form an alliance. Priya’s only condition? No sex.
Isobel Morgan is planning the perfect wedding, fighting to get the promotion she deserves, and caring for her dependent father. But when a video of her cheating fiancé goes viral, her world comes crashing down until she gets an offer that merges her passion for news and activism. The caveat? Long hours and travel away from her father.
As these young women discover that achieving dreams is often erratic, and drama is as inevitable as adulting, the foundation of their friendship begins to crack, putting their sisterhood to the test.
How To Be The Best Third Wheel
It’s the last year of high school, and everything has changed . . .After a summer spent in the Philippines with her family, Lara de la Cruz is eager to start her senior year and, most importantly, reunite with her three besties, Carol, Jasmine, and Kiera. Of course summer is the season of change, and Lara knew she’d have to get caught up on the major updates, hot gossip, and other shenanigans she may have missed. But what she did not expect was to show up on the first day of school to all three of her friends now in relationships. The mushy public displays of affection and lunches spent gushing about their new “boyfries” has Lara quickly realizing her last year of high school is nothing like she imagined. Since she’s been back, Lara’s long time frenemy, James, has become impossibly annoying. Sure, they are now both third wheels, but why is he asking her to tutor him in classes? And why, after they start spending more time together, does she begin to notice how cute he looks when he smiles . . . uh oh.
Fighting for the attention of her best friends, catching some pretty new and confusing feelings for James, and wading through the pressures post-high-school plans all have Lara reeling. And to make matters worse, Lara’s beautiful and untrustworthy cousin conveniently appears and wiggles her way right between her and James’ budding relationship. Feeling like a third wheel in more ways than one, Lara must learn to accept that change is inevitable, love is complicated, and being the odd one out is sometimes where inner power is found.
Lockdown on London Lane
Lockdown on London Lane tells the stories of an apartment block in sudden lockdown, and a week its residents won’t soon forget. From make-ups and break-ups to one-night stands and imperfect proposals, the characters in Lockdown on London Lane discover the highs and lows of love during quarantine.
The Last She
A plague has swept over the Earth, killing the majority of the population and every female. Except one. Ara witnessed the horror and destruction, but for the last three years she has survived. Now, desperation and hunger force her out of the mountains and onto a dangerous path; across the flooded downtown and through the gangs of survivors is hope. Ara’s father spoke of a clue that could save not just her, but humanity. Then she is captured by a group of men. Despite the seeming kindness of one of the young men her own age, Ara doesn’t know if she can trust them. Then again, there’s no way she can cross the plague-ridden city on her own. Men. Monsters. Is there a difference?
Big Boned
Big Boned follows Lori Palmer, who, post her parent’s divorce is plucked from her wonderful art school to Bay Water High, where students prize glossy hair, beach bodies, and school spirit above all else. And Lori’s not quite built the same way. More than your average teen romance, Big Boned takes on tough topics such as mental health, strained family relationships, body positivity, and self-esteem. It is utterly real and will break your heart in the best possible way.