We Ship It: A Young Adult Rom-Com About Grief, Family Secrets, and Summer Cruise Romance

We Ship It: A Young Adult Rom-Com About Grief, Family Secrets, and Summer Cruise Romance

This rom-com debut has the fierce girl energy of the movie Booksmart, blended with the awkwardness of Kelly Quindlen’s Late to the Party, topped with a thrilling international meet-cute a la Love and Gelato. Olivia Schwartz has a plan. It’s even color-coded. And the plan is this: a perfect SAT score, a prestigious college, and a straight path towards her dream of becoming a doctor. The last thing she wants to do―the summer before her senior year of high school, no less―is go on a cruise. Especially with her parents, younger brothers, and all the unspoken things between them since her older brother’s death so many years ago. Then Olivia meets Sebastian. He’s everything she’s not: charming, exciting, willing to take risks and run with them. For the first time, Olivia feels like she can have fun... But there’s a lot bubbling up under the surface on this cruise, and when past secrets begin to come to light, Olivia must face all the truths that she’s ignored for so long: about herself, Sebastian, her brother, the past she thought understood, and the future she’s always planned. What happens when Olivia’s color-coded plans collide with an unpredictable boy and the secrets her family has kept for years? Opposites Attract: She’s a meticulous planner with a color-coded future. He’s a charming risk-taker who pulls her out of her shell. - Forced Proximity: Stuck on a cruise ship in the middle of the Caribbean, there’s nowhere to run from her family, her feelings for Sebastian, or the past she’s tried so hard to ignore. - A Coming-of-Age Story: A heartfelt and witty story about discovering who you are when all your carefully-made plans fall apart. - Healing from Grief: As Olivia gets closer to the truth about her brother Logan’s death, she must confront the grief her family has refused to talk about for years. “A fresh and emotional story about first love and loss. Kay perfectly crafts a heartfelt romance, one infused with moments of warmth and bittersweetness.” - Dustin Thao, author of You've Reached Sam "I laughed out loud  and cried reading Lauren Kay's deep and moving debut. We Ship It has all the electricity and awkwardness of new romance, and offers a vital lesson in letting go and enjoying the present—all while shedding light on a pressing public health crisis." - Jordyn Taylor, award-winning author of The Paper Girl of Paris and Don't Breathe a Word "Lauren Kay's writing beautifully balances the joy of first love with the ache of long-held grief.  We Ship It  is a poignant and powerful debut that will capture your heart and refuse to let go." - Kristy Boyce, author of Hot British Boyfriend and Hot Dutch Daydream Lauren Kay lives in Brooklyn with her cat, Sneezy, her husband, and her daughter. She graduated from Brown with a degree in American civilization and a focus in love and relationships (seriously).  We Ship It  is her debut novel, and you can find Lauren at laurenkaywrites.com.