Music means more than anything to high school student Cate Reese; it’s also what unites her with Cal Woods. Devoted classical guitar players, Cate and Cal are childhood friends newly smitten by love—until a devastating accident rips Cal out of Cate’s life forever. Blaming herself for the horrific tragedy and struggling to surface from her despair, Cate spirals downhill in a desperate attempt to ease her pain.
Fellow student David Bennet might look like the school’s golden boy, but underneath the surface the popular athlete battles demons of his own. Racked with survivor’s guilt after his brother’s suicide, things get worse when tragedy darkens his world again—but connecting with Cate, his sister’s longtime babysitter, starts bringing the light back in.
As Cate and David grow closer, the two shattered teenagers learn to examine the pieces of their lives…and, together, find a way to be whole again.
Published by Skyscape. Available at your local bookstore or online at Amazon, IndieBound, and other retailers.
"A book to set your heart aflutter.”
—The Toronto Star
"The perfect mix of love, life...The complex nature of the novel allows the reader to connect with the different sides of each dynamic character."
—South Florida Arts Review
"Author Mimi Cross has crafted an engaging and important story that considers not only how adolescents, themselves, deal with tragedy but also how the adults around them aren't always the supportive emotional rocks they're expected to be. The complex, yet honest, nature of the novel allows readers to connect with the characters and builds a natural empathy for their tribulations. Highly recommended."
—The Manitoba Library Association
“Desperate and real. Stunningly beautiful!”
—Night Owl Reviews Top Pick, 5 stars
RWA RITA Award Finalist, Best First Book!
Fellow student David Bennet might look like the school’s golden boy, but underneath the surface the popular athlete battles demons of his own. Racked with survivor’s guilt after his brother’s suicide, things get worse when tragedy darkens his world again—but connecting with Cate, his sister’s longtime babysitter, starts bringing the light back in.
As Cate and David grow closer, the two shattered teenagers learn to examine the pieces of their lives…and, together, find a way to be whole again.
Published by Skyscape. Available at your local bookstore or online at Amazon, IndieBound, and other retailers.
"A book to set your heart aflutter.”
—The Toronto Star
"The perfect mix of love, life...The complex nature of the novel allows the reader to connect with the different sides of each dynamic character."
—South Florida Arts Review
"Author Mimi Cross has crafted an engaging and important story that considers not only how adolescents, themselves, deal with tragedy but also how the adults around them aren't always the supportive emotional rocks they're expected to be. The complex, yet honest, nature of the novel allows readers to connect with the characters and builds a natural empathy for their tribulations. Highly recommended."
—The Manitoba Library Association
“Desperate and real. Stunningly beautiful!”
—Night Owl Reviews Top Pick, 5 stars
RWA RITA Award Finalist, Best First Book!
Seventeen-year-old Arion Rush has always played the obedient sidekick to her flashy older sister—until a mysterious boating accident leaves Lilah a silent, traumatized stranger. As her sister awaits medical treatment with their mother, Arion and their father head to his hometown in Maine to prepare a new life for them all. Surrounded by the vast Atlantic, songwriting is Arion’s only solace, her solid ground.
Unexpectedly, Arion blossoms in the tiny coastal town. Friends flock to her, and Logan Delaine, a volatile heartthrob, seems downright smitten. But it’s Bo Summers—a solitary surfer, as alluring as he is aloof—that Arion can’t shake.
Meanwhile, Lilah’s worsening condition, a string of local fatalities, and Arion’s own recent brushes with death seem ominously linked…to Bo’s otherworldly family.
As Arion’s feelings for Bo intensify and his affections turn possessive, she must make a choice. How will Arion learn to listen to her own voice when Bo’s siren song won’t stop ringing in her ears?
Published by Skyscape. Available at your local bookstore or online at Amazon, IndieBound, and other retailers.
Audiobook version published by Brilliance Audio and read by award-winning narrator Khristine Hvam.
Featuring the song "1st Kiss" written by Mimi.
"A lyrical and leisurely writer, Cross, dips into the young adult world with a novel that weaves mythology, teen angst and family drama. Arion is a singer, songwriter and guitar player like Cross and the moments when the girl pours her soul into her music feel authentic. As someone who loves classical mythology it's fascinating to see someone bring it gracefully to modern times. Kudos to Mimi Cross for surprising readers."
—Newark Star-Ledger
“Cross's songwriting experience comes across in the poetic language and descriptive passages.”
—Publishers Weekly
“A compelling contemporary with dark, twisted roots and swoony romance.”
—YA Books Central
Unexpectedly, Arion blossoms in the tiny coastal town. Friends flock to her, and Logan Delaine, a volatile heartthrob, seems downright smitten. But it’s Bo Summers—a solitary surfer, as alluring as he is aloof—that Arion can’t shake.
Meanwhile, Lilah’s worsening condition, a string of local fatalities, and Arion’s own recent brushes with death seem ominously linked…to Bo’s otherworldly family.
As Arion’s feelings for Bo intensify and his affections turn possessive, she must make a choice. How will Arion learn to listen to her own voice when Bo’s siren song won’t stop ringing in her ears?
Published by Skyscape. Available at your local bookstore or online at Amazon, IndieBound, and other retailers.
Audiobook version published by Brilliance Audio and read by award-winning narrator Khristine Hvam.
Featuring the song "1st Kiss" written by Mimi.
"A lyrical and leisurely writer, Cross, dips into the young adult world with a novel that weaves mythology, teen angst and family drama. Arion is a singer, songwriter and guitar player like Cross and the moments when the girl pours her soul into her music feel authentic. As someone who loves classical mythology it's fascinating to see someone bring it gracefully to modern times. Kudos to Mimi Cross for surprising readers."
—Newark Star-Ledger
“Cross's songwriting experience comes across in the poetic language and descriptive passages.”
—Publishers Weekly
“A compelling contemporary with dark, twisted roots and swoony romance.”
—YA Books Central
