First published 2026
Audrey returns to her high school reunion knowing this will be her last chance to reconnect with her former best friends. Twenty-five years ago, she and three other girls called themselves the Core Four. Micah was the beautiful one, Jasmine the smart one, Beck the sporty one, and Audrey the lucky one. They swore they'd be friends forever. Then came graduation night and a devastating accident that destroyed their bond completely. Now the four women gather again, each carrying scars and secrets from the decades that followed. None of them ended up where they dreamed they would. For Audrey, an early-onset dementia diagnosis makes this reunion feel urgent. Over one weekend, they must confront what really happened that terrible night after graduation. They'll face the gap between their youthful dreams and adult realities. The question remains whether anything survives of their once-unbreakable friendship, and whether forgiveness can bridge twenty-five years of silence.
Genres: literary-fiction, friendship, contemporary, contemporary-romance, family-drama
Vibes: emotional-atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: friends-to-lovers, second-chance-romance
Period: Graduation Night, Twenty-Five Years Ago
347 pages · Hardcover · Lake Union Publishing
Content warnings: mental-illness