Sarah Dessen is the YA romance queen producing unforgettable stories for decades. A true master at capturing the gritty yet heartwarming stories of teenagers and young women. So, to celebrate the romance star herself, we have gathered our favorite Sarah Dessen books to read and reread all summer long!

Change of Plans by Sarah Dessen

Finley has always been reserved, preferring safe corners over the center stage, which works well for her outgoing and extroverted boyfriend Colin, a boy happy to steer both their social life and future plans. When her absent mother resurfaces and extends an invitation to the family cabin, Finley finds herself in unchartered waters.  She begins working in a diner and as she develops new friendships, her relationship with Colin disintegrates.  Then enters an intriguing guitarist named Ben. Now reacquainted with family, Finley starts to get to know herself and realizes that the place she went for vacation might just be her new home.

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The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen

Emma Saylor grew up with her mom’s rosy memories of North Lake and after she dies, it is how Emma clings to her memory. North Lake connects to her mother and her father, so when she is sent off to spend the summer with her mother’s family and gets to explore the Lake Resort that her father’s family enjoyed, she is divided between two versions of herself. Struggling to reconcile the two sides of herself: Emma in  working-class North Lake and Saylor in the North Lake Resort. She struggles to reconcile her love for both sides of the town, and both versions of herself. With her best friend Roo, Saylor feels like the world is at her fingertips, but what side of Emma Saylor is the real one?

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Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

Auden sleeplessly wanders the night to make insomnia tolerable. Happily, Auden meets a fellow insomniac Eli, who also happens to delight in night adventures to cope. The two spend a summer of nights exploring while the world sleeps, and in the quiet, Auden has an awakening to all the possibilities life has to offer.

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Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen

Ever the girl with an iron will, Scarlett has been the rock in her friendship with Halley. That all changes when a series of events shatters her steel resolve. Tragically, Scarlett’s boyfriend dies and shortly after she discovers that she is pregnant with his child. Halley must learn to hold strong for Scarlett as she navigates a terrifying time to ensure that this friendship does not falter in the face of hardship.

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The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

Macy has been through a lot, and grieving has been no easy task. So, to manage the control she plans the entire summer to a T, but an impromptu job presents itself, and Macy’s whole summer is flipped upside down. Working at Wish Catering ends up being more chaotic than she is prepared for; she is even less prepared for Wes, a boy she meets while working.  Macy must decide if she can loosen her grip on control to allow a connection to flourish.

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Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

Ruby is fiercely independent; she has always taken care of herself both out of habit and pure will. Living with her sister has re-centered her life with a new room of her own, school to attend, and a future to plan, she is feeling confident and a relationship has no place in this budding life. But Ruby can’t shake her feelings for the boy living next door, so she must decide whether to build her walls higher or let someone in.

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Dreamland by Sarah Dessen

Caitlin’s life fell to pieces when her sister ran away. In the wake of loss, Caitlin meets troubled Rogerson, a drug dealer, and a potent, yet dangerous distraction. As the relationship between Caitlin and Rogerson devolves, so too does her grasp on a normal life. The relationship goes from the initial spark to a blazing fire that just might burn everything down.

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Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

Annabel aims to be picture perfect—literally—as a model. Life outside of modeling is far from perfection with family feuds, hidden traumas and boyfriend, Owen, who almost makes up for all that she deals with. Owen is passionate, loves music, and is honest—sometimes painfully so; In other words, a person who cares about her is just what Annabel needs to resolve the traumas that simmer beneath her cool exterior.

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