Vicky Skinner crafts engaging young adult romances that often explore the heart of first love and the journey of growing up. Her narrative style is celebrated for its direct and relatable approach to themes, making her stories resonate deeply with adolescent readers. Skinner excels at creating characters readers can connect with, delving into the complexities of relationships and personal discovery. Her works celebrate the exhilarating feeling of first crushes and the path toward self-understanding.
The story revolves around Kate, who finds herself captivated by the boy living across the hall after her recent move. However, the budding romance is complicated by the fact that he is already in a relationship. This situation sets the stage for emotional tension and the exploration of feelings as Kate navigates her attraction while grappling with the complexities of love and loyalty.
When Amy, on her way to becoming valedictorian of her graduating class and getting accepted to her dream school, gets dumped by her long-term boyfriend, she takes a job at a record store to ease the pain. She needs a distraction, badly. Oliver, Amy’s record store co-worker, isn’t so sure about Amy—his complete opposite—but what he is sure of is his decision not to go to college. He just can’t figure out how to tell his mother. As they work late-night shifts at the record store, Amy and Oliver become friends and then confidantes and then something more, but when Amy has a hard time letting go of what she thought was her perfect future with her ex, she risks losing the future she didn’t even know she wanted with Oliver.
When Ellie's estranged brother, Luke, dies in a car accident, she's not sure whether to be devastated that she lost the person who was once her best friend or enraged, still, that he left without a word a year ago. Now, the only people who seem to understand what she's going through are Luke's best friend and his ex-girlfriend, who she bonds with over their desire to figure out where Luke went when he walked out of their lives. As she gets closer to them, and closer to Cade, a boy who seems determined to get to know her better, she realizes that she’s not the only one with reasons to be angry at Luke. And when Ellie makes a discovery that changes everything, she and her new friends hit the road, hoping that following Luke's trail will bring them answers about the life Luke was living away from them.