Published by Ballantine Books on July 7, 2026
Age/Genres: Adult, Fiction
Rating:
Goodreads
A woman is newly engaged to a man she adores when she receives a call from her first love—with news that shatters her carefully ordered world—in this emotional, powerful novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Summer Pact.
Billie has built the perfect life. Her practice as a doctor in New York City is thriving, and she’s finally found the right partner in Dean after years spent trying to move on from her high-school sweetheart, Mick. Their young love had been intense and true, but distance and ambition pulled them apart when she left Wisconsin for medical school.
Then one morning, just after accepting Dean’s romantic marriage proposal, Billie’s phone rings. It’s Mick—calling for the first time in nearly a decade. His news is urgent, and in a moment, everything changes.
As Billie boards a plane back to Wisconsin, the past comes rushing in—her friendships from home, the love she shared with Mick, and the choices that shaped them. What awaits her is a reckoning with what she’s lost, what she’s built, and what she still wants.
Gripping and deeply moving, Love You More is a story about the plot twists life throws at us—and how love, in all its forms, has the power to change everything.
Billie was living her dreams. She had a thriving medical practice and new fiance, but then her first love reached out to her for the first time in over a decade with terrible news that would change her life.
I am trash for stories like this. I loved taking that trip down memory lane and learning all about the past Billie and Mick shared, the tough choices they made, and what tore them apart. I was devastated when Billie got the call about the accident, and I respected that she elected to be there for the family.
Billie had to make many difficult choices in her life as she worked towards college and medical school and her practice. She gave up things that really mattered to her, but she also found a lot of joy in the new world she was building. That tug between her present, her past, and her future was a tough one. It seemed as though there were no easy solutions. I did like how it all wrapped up for her, and I finally felt like Billie had it all and maybe even had it on her own terms.
Overall: I got a lot feels from this one. There was joy and sadness along with tears and laughter.
Published by Harper Perennial on July 7, 2026
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Rating:
Goodreads
When two polar opposites find themselves sharing a cabin for the summer, they lay down some ground rules to keep the peace—only to discover that one of those rules might be impossible to keep in this steamy new novel from the author of The Friendship Fling.
Dylan is the kind of person who is always fifteen minutes early and never leaves things to chance—so she can’t believe she’s about to spend six weeks on a last-minute trip to Wales that she didn’t plan, living in a cabin with a man she’s only met once.
Max always goes with the flow, and after his plus-one drops out of his all-expenses-paid travel influencer trip, he’s happy for his sister’s friend to take the spot. After all, from what he remembers of their brief meeting a year ago, Dylan is the kind of woman he’d be more than happy to spend some alone time with.
Not that anything is going to happen between them, because Dylan knows getting involved with this reckless, irrepressible flirt is the last thing she needs. So she makes a house they are roommates only, and under no circumstances can anything . . . untoward . . . happen between them.
But as the days go by, Max starts to realize how much he enjoys chipping away at the walls Dylan hides herself behind, while Dylan begins to admit to herself that there may be more to Max than she first assumed. And before she knows it, she finds herself wondering if their “roommate rule” might be one rule she actually wants to break…
She sought stability. He was a free spirit. When Dylan agrees to accompany Max on a free six week trip, she finds her world turned upside down and begins to reevaluate her plans.
I am one of those readers who will automatically add a book by an author I have enjoyed to my TBR without knowing much about it. I had no idea this book was set in the world of The Friendship Fling, but you bet I was delighted to be back. It was such a treat to get to know Dylan and Max better while getting a little catch up with Ava and Finn.
A shout out to the setting. Stone took me to the coast of Wales where Dylan and Max enjoyed the great outdoors. They participated in many extreme and challenging activities while forming bonds with each other and some of the other influencers. I have never had the opportunity to visit Wales, but I was captivated by the wild beauty described.
Max and Dylan were a case of opposites attracting. Things were shaky at first, but as they spent more time together, Max's influencer persona waned and more of his true self shined through. He was a very complex character. He was still rather young and had already battled cancer twice. I think that gave him a perspective that many cannot have. He embraced a vagabond lifestyle, taking risks, and living life to its fullest.
Dylan grew up in a rather chaotic home. She was a caregiver to her sister and charged with a lot of responsibility at a young age. She was willing to sacrifice her true desires for stability. I understood where she was coming from, but I was glad she took a chance and got to experience fun and freedom on this trip.
It was lovely the way Dylan and Max opened up to each other. They balanced one another well. It was nice to see Dylan loosen up while Max became more grounded. Together they grew and changed for the better, and I adored seeing the end result.
Overall: This book had so much to love! A+ banter, majestic setting, female friendship, found family -- so many elements I adore and combined in a story that had me smiling, laughing, and rooting for the HEA.
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