From the New York Times bestselling author of The Summer of Broken Rules comes a fun new coming-of-age romance full of dating disasters, powerful firsts, and the importance of family.
A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING
by K. L. Walther
Sourcebooks, May 2025
Madeline has always been extremely close to her family, so she is shocked when her older brother gets engaged without including them (or even giving them a heads up!). Mads has never been the biggest fan of his fiancée, Katie, so in order to remain one happy family, she is determined to bond with Katie before the big day, which includes reluctantly agreeing to be a bridesmaid.
During a late-night bridesmaids-only game of « Truth or Dare » Mads is cornered into revealing she has never been kissed or even been on a date, which spurs the other girls to unite on a quest to find Mads the perfect plus-one for the wedding. Next thing she knows she’s navigating a series of disastrous dates that include some major misunderstandings and mishaps.
All of a sudden Mads finds her heart tugged in different directions: to Connor, the boy next door who knows her best. To Marco Álvarez, the former classmate who knows how to push all her buttons. And to some of the new suitors who surprisingly aren’t all bad.
As the wedding draws nearer, Mads has to figure out who she wants most as a forever dance partner, while also making sure her brother isn’t making the biggest mistake of his life.
K. L. Walther grew up Pennsylvania surrounded by family, dogs, and books. Her childhood was spent playing ice hockey, watching romantic comedies, and singing along to Taylor Swift. She earned a B.A. in English from the University of Virginia, where she fell in love with writing and completed the first version of What Happens After Midnight, her third young adult novel. She is also the author of Maybe Meant To Be and The Summer of Broken Rules.
A divine war shattered the world leaving humanity in ruins. Desperate for hope, they struck a deal with the devious god Kluehnn: He would restore the world to its former glory, but at a price so steep it would keep the mortals indebted to him for eternity. And, as each land was transformed, so too were its people changed into strange new forms
The moon is stuck like a broken clock in the midnight sky, the sun a distant memory. No one in this quiet seaside town can remember how long this unnatural darkness has lasted. No one, that is, except for the curious girl who lives in the graveyard, caring for the dead: twelve-year-old Madeline Tock. In gratitude, the departed whisper their worries to her: beware this endless night and she who causes it.
DON’T PUSH THE BUTTON
On his twelfth birthday, Jackson « Jax » Freeman arrives at Chicago’s Union Station alone, carrying nothing but the baggage of a scandal back in his hometown. He’s been sent away from home to live with relatives he barely knows. But even worse are the strangers who accost him at the train station, including a food vendor who throws dust in his face and a conductor who tries to steal his skin.