The Things You Kiss Goodbye

Fans of Sarah Dessen will love this heartbreaking story about family, loss, and the joys and disappointments of first love.

Bettina Vasilis can hardly believe it when star basketball player Brady Cullen convinces her strict father to let them date. That summer, Bettina falls in love with Brady and the freedom that comes along with him. But when school starts up again, Brady unexpectedly changes for the worse. Unable to give up on her first love just yet, she finds herself trapped in an abusive relationship.

Then she meets "Cowboy," a smoldering older guy and the last guy her father would approve. Yet he is everything Brady is not—gentle, caring, and interested in getting to know the real Bettina. When tragedy strikes, Bettina must tell her family the truth—and kiss goodbye the things she thought she knew about herself and the men in her life.

Torn between the boy everyone loves and the man she can’t have, what will she risk for a chance at real love?

• A Dangerous First Love: Brady is the town's golden boy and Bettina's first everything. But behind closed doors, his affection twists into control, leaving her bruised and confused.
• A Forbidden Romance: Cowboy is older, quiet, and everything her strict father has forbidden. He sees the real Bettina, offering a gentle kindness she’s never known.
• Strict Parents and Family Secrets: Bettina's Greek heritage comes with iron-clad rules about who she can be and who she can date, forcing her to live a double life to survive.
• A Heartbreaking Coming of Age: When tragedy shatters her world, Bettina must find the strength to confront the truth about love, loss, and the girl she’s meant to become.