99 Days

Molly Barlow has a complicated history with the Donnelly siblings: Patrick was her first love, but then she hooked up with his brother, Gabe, enraging sister Julia, Molly’s onetime friend. Making matters worse, her mother wrote a thinly veiled bestselling novel about Molly’s love triangle with the brothers, which resulted in Molly skipping town to attend boarding school. Now she’s back in Star Lake and taking abuse from all sides—except from Gabe and Tess, Patrick’s current girlfriend. Soon, Molly and Gabe’s romance has reignited, even as she’s getting dirty looks from his family, hanging out with Tess, and going running with Patrick. Setting her novel over the “99 days” of summer before Molly starts college, Cotugno (How to Love) explores the powerful bonds that arise between childhood friends who grow up to discover romance, as well as the intense rivalry between brothers. Societal double standards that label girls as promiscuous while boys get off scot-free are front and center in a thought-provoking story that will leave readers thinking about the guilt and shame that are often unfairly attached to sex. Ages 13–up. Agency: Alloy Entertainment. (Apr.)