If You Were Here
A charming and emotional standalone grumpy/sunshine romance set during a Nantucket summer. Lili needs Wren’s help to complete her father’s research and save her family’s reputation–but working together leads to more discoveries than either of them bargained for.
Lili Gardner hasn’t been back to Nantucket, her dad’s favorite place, since her parents divorced six years ago. But Dad passed away recently, leaving her a house on the island and an unsolved mystery about a maligned Gardner ancestor. Lili is determined to finish his life’s work, and convinces her mom and sister to spend the summer in Nantucket with her while she looks for answers, and for a connection to her dad.
Wren McCleave has a passion for history, but his father refuses to showcase anything real in their tourist trap of a “museum.” So when Lili asks Wren for help with her research, Wren can’t resist the opportunity to throw himself into something real, even if he dislikes tourists on principle.
Lili and Wren only have a summer to find out the truth about Lili’s ancestor. But the most surprising truths they uncover aren’t about the distant past, but about themselves right here in the present, and about what they want out of the future.
2026 Junior Library Guild Selection
“Reminiscent of the Netflix television series Outer Banks, this is a mystery shrouded in history, wrapped up with a love story.”
–School Library Journal (Starred Review)
“[O]ffers both summertime romance and a historical mystery in this sensorial grumpy-sunshine love story set on Nantucket.”
– Publisher’s Weekly
“Lili’s and Wren’s alternating first-person perspectives grapple thoughtfully with grief and romantic dilemmas…Sweet and insightful.”
– Kirkus Reviews
“This light, tame summer romance is a fun read for those who want a strong plot to go along with the smooching.”
– Booklist
“A perfect summer romance! A mystery, a grumpy but loveable hero, and some falling in love? What more could you want? As with everything Johnson writes, I adored this one.” – Kasie West, author of Better Than Revenge
“Part mystery, part love story, all heart—Abigail Johnson has mined an absolute gem of a book. If You Were Here reminded me why I fell in love with YA romance in the first place.” – Emiko Jean, New York Times bestselling author of Tokyo Ever After
“A summer vacation, a history lesson and above all an absolutely charming romance, If You Were Here had us savoring every page and never wanting to leave Lili and Wren’s Nantucket. With a warm, inimitable voice, Johnson weaves a little mystery and an abundance of heart into an original, perfectly joyful summer love story.” – Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka, authors of Heiress Takes All
“Summertime fun meets idyllic Nantucket meets a centuries-old mystery in If You Were Here. Abigail Johnson skillfully crafts a fun, romantic story that gets at the tough and tender questions of life: how to honor our past, how to let go, how to apologize, and when to open your heart to love again.” – Claire Forrest, award-winning author of Where You See Yourself
Genre: Young Adult Romance
Age Range: 13 and up
Publisher: Storytide/HarperCollins
Release Date: April 28, 2026
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook
Cover Illustration: Allie Runnion
Art Direction: Jenna Stempel-Lobell
Design: Julia Feingold
Format: Hardcover
Retail Price: $19.99 (USD)
ISBN-13: 9781335014108
Pages: 384
Format: eBook
Retail Price: $11.99 (USD)
ISBN-13: 9780369761569
Pages: 384
Format: Audiobook
Narrated by: Alexandra Hunter, André Santana
Retail Price: $25.99
Length: 8 hours and 24 minutes
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