That Summer Dessen Novel Novels & Stories

On our anniversary, Nina Reid took our daughter—and her assistant, Ray Chapman—out for another "family day." Without me. That was it. I filed for divorce. Right after signing the papers and boxing up my stuff, I heard a buzz from the corner. Old phone. Twelve years old. Buried in a drawer. The screen lit up with a number I almost recognized. Hand shaking, I picked up. A voice I hadn't heard in years. Young. Way too familiar. "Hey, Liam. I need to talk to you."

My mom needed heart surgery. There were only three surgeons on the planet capable of performing the operation. My husband, Caleb Rhodes, was one of them. People called him the miracle doctor. Yet on the day of my mother's surgery, he walked out of the operating room and boarded a plane to care for his first love, Olivia Hayes—all because she had caught a cold. At my lowest, my childhood friend Ryan Walker scoured the world for the best surgeon he could find and rushed him in to try to save my mom. Still, it was too late. The delay cost my mother her life; she died on the operating table. Three years later, Ryan proposed to me. I was ready to say yes. Then I overheard him talking to my ex-husband. "Emma's stubborn. If she ever finds out her mother was never actually sick, and that we killed her to save Olivia, she'll lose it." A chill swept through me. Ryan cut him off. "Enough. Olivia's condition kept getting worse after everything that happened. Emma's mother was the only compatible heart donor we found. Was I supposed just to stand there and watch Olivia die? "Besides, I've already given Emma a home and a future to make up for it. She should be satisfied." That was the moment the truth crashed over me. My mother had never been sick. Every detail had been orchestrated. They had murdered her to save another woman.

I overslept by six hours on my wedding day. By the time I got there, my fiancée, Yvonne Burke, had already gone through the entire ceremony with her ex, Tony Cooke. I stood there, drenched in sweat. Yvonne just smiled and came clean. "I was the one who drugged you. Tony wanted a wedding ceremony. It's not a big deal, so I gave him one." Like she was afraid I'd make a scene, she added, "Be good. Next week, I'll get the marriage certification with you. Besides, throwing a fit now won't change anything. Look—even if he takes off the suit, it still won't fit you." My eyes landed on the groom. The suit he was wearing was the one I'd spent nearly six months picking out. Everyone held their breath, waiting for me to lose it. Instead, I felt a wave of relief. She should've told me sooner. I'd already been having second thoughts. My ex once said that if I ever dared get married, she'd show up in a wedding dress and steal me away. Looks like everything worked out perfectly. We both got what we wanted.

She was born to be a Luna… but betrayed by the very man who vowed to love her. Rejected. Hunted. Left to die with her unborn child. When Leila falls into the hands of the Dark Alpha, her world changes forever. Adrian Blackthorn, the cursed Alpha whose touch can kill, whose heart no one dares to claim, saves her life. But his wolf whispers one forbidden word… Mate. Bound by fate, torn by prophecy, and hunted by her past, Leila must choose between the mate who destroyed her… and the dark savior whose love could cost her soul.

The day I found out I was pregnant, they threw me in the cold room. Ninety-nine calls later, Sandro Vaitti finally picked up. "The Family made that call," he said. "It was Genny's birthday. She got a fever because of you. This is your punishment. Just wait—once you're out, I'll marry you." Sandro's favorite line? 'Just wait.' His mafia family hated me. He swore once he gave them their precious heir, he'd cut ties and choose me. I bought it. Waited two years. Waited while he hooked up with Helga Cicili and had a kid—Genny. Then came the kicker: A daughter can't carry the Family name. He had to have a son with Helga. And yeah, I believed him. Again. Waited another year—until Helga got pregnant with his golden boy. I thought, 'Finally. Done waiting.' Then plot twist—I was pregnant too. Day before the wedding. Felt like fate. Didn't even get to tell him. They locked me up. Cold room. I curled up, shaking, barely breathing. When the door creaked open, I knew— I was done. Done waiting. Done begging. I'd leave. And I'd take my baby with me.

Sam Huston, a fresher having crush on Wil Heyworth (Mr.popularity), a basketball player. Later that crush develops into love before she even knows it. On the valentine's day she decided to tell her love to him but she came to know something big. Calix, a sophomore and a member of basketball team. He fell in love with Sam at first sight. He propose Sam eventhough knowing she already like someone. Things get complicated on Sam's journey of love. Will she know with whom did she really in love with?

Janine’s plan was simple: just one night. One night to earn enough money to ease the crushing weight of her mother’s medical bills and secure her brother’s future. She had no intention of staying. This job—this world—was a desperate detour, not a new path.But the moment she stepped into that room and locked eyes with the man sitting like royalty in the shadows, everything shifted.He wasn’t just any client.He was Theo Lucas Guevara III, the man she had only seen from afar—on TV screens, in headlines, in the hushed gossip of women who dreamed beyond their means. Powerful, untouchable, and dangerously magnetic.She thought he would take what he wanted and leave.But to her surprise, the billionaire didn’t just want one night.He wanted her.And he was willing to pay any price to keep her.

Oluchi never thought love would find her this late. She has spent her life following rules, hiding pieces of herself, and convincing the world she was fine. Then comes Amina the soft-spoken lesson teacher with a fire in her eyes, the one who makes Oluchi’s world feel both terrifying and alive. What begins as stolen glances soon becomes a dangerous longing. Desire. Fear. Hope. Everything Oluchi was told to bury begins to rise. But in a world that punishes women for wanting more, for loving differently… Can Oluchi risk it all for love? Or will survival demand her silence once again? The Love That Changed Everything is a tender, messy, and unforgettable story about late-found love, queer longing, and the price of choosing yourself.

At the company team-building event, I got called out by my colleague Samantha Rowler for not removing my price tag—she accused me of being a "freebie chaser." "Oh wow, Carla, you drive a BMW 5 Series. Are you seriously planning to return your clothes within seven days too?" she sneered. I tucked the tag back in and ignored her snide remark. But after the event, as soon as I got home, my phone started blowing up. My chat apps were going insane. A friend had sent me a link: [Luxury-Car Executive Turns Out to Be a Return Addict!] Someone had filmed me leaving the price tag on and posted it to a short-video platform. I opened the comment section and was met with a barrage of insults. [Can't afford to live, huh? Tag warrior.] [Is this car a sugar-daddy gift? Those who know, know.] [OMG, does this woman have some kind of illness? Which brand is this so I can avoid it!] I immediately knew Samantha was behind it. I messaged her to delete the video. Instead, the next second, she blocked me—and pinned a comment to the top of the thread: [You can know a person's face but never their heart!] I was about to post a statement to clarify, my finger hovering over the send button, when I noticed the video's likes had already shot past ten thousand. I laughed. If they wanted a scene, fine—let's make it bigger. I quickly posted a new update: [The outfit is really nice. I'll wear it again next time.] The netizens erupted. The insults doubled, the heat skyrocketed, and the post shot straight to number one trending. I just put my phone down and went to sleep.

I was in San Aria Bay with my mom, enjoying a quiet, sunlit getaway, when my phone suddenly lit up with a string of messages from my husband's ever-arrogant secretary. She sent a photo. The woman in it had been stripped naked, her body covered in blood, the sight almost unbearable. A voice message followed, her tone dripping with disdain. "Jeannie, do people like you always take advantage of others like this? "Mr. Smith just bought this house, and you already had your mother move in for free? As his chief secretary, it's my responsibility to remove anyone living off him."