How to Love

A standout debut romance with intelligence, charm, and poignancy. Perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen and Stephanie Perkins. Tightly wound Reena and laidback Sawyer have convincing chemistry and a compelling history together. The tension between them is evident (as is Reena’s dry humor) from the opening chapter, in which Reena runs into Sawyer: “We stand there. We breathe. I can hear the hum and clatter of the market all around us, everything chilly and refrigerator-bright. There’s a huge, garish poster of pretzel dogs over his left shoulder. I have pictured this going differently.” The novel alternates between “Before” and “After” sections, telling both Reena and Sawyer’s tumultuous backstory and what happens when Sawyer returns and tries to get Reena back—and persuade her he can help take care of their child. Katie Cotugno skillfully weaves the two plots together, creating moments of emotional resonance and surprising revelations, including Reena’s discovery of what really happened the day Sawyer left. Cotugno’s ear for dialogue is finely tuned, capturing contemporary-sounding phrasing and character nuances. For example, Reena’s caring but candid best friend, Shelby, explains to Reena: “I’m mad at you because Sawyer got back here and you like, forgot that you’re kickass . . . I just feel like you’re forgetting yourself over a dude.” To which Reena, quick to anger, responds: “What am I forgetting, exactly? That I live at home with my father who can’t even look at me most days because he legit thinks I’m the whore of Babylon?” Reena and Sawyer have a rocky past and present, but their story concludes on an uplifting, gratifying note. Readers will eagerly await the author’s next novel.