Stories from the Northwoods with heart, humor, and happy ever afters

a stack of three hardcover novels by Sara Biren on the arm of a large wooden chair with a sandy beach and a lake at sunset in the background
Photograph of a hardcover book on a stump with a blurred wooded background. The title reads The Last Thing You Said. The cover includes an image of a teenage girl and boy with their arms around each other facing a lake and trees

photo by Maris Ehlers

The Last Thing You Said

About the Book:

Last summer, Lucy’s and Ben’s lives changed in an instant. One moment, they were shyly flirting on a lake raft, finally about to admit their feelings to each other after years of yearning. In the next, Trixie—Lucy’s best friend and Ben’s sister—was gone, her heart giving out during a routine swim. And just like that, the idyllic world they knew turned upside down, and the would-be couple drifted apart, swallowed up by their grief. Now it’s a year later in their small lake town, and as the anniversary of Trixie’s death looms, Lucy and Ben’s undeniable connection pulls them back together. They can’t change what happened the day they lost Trixie, but the summer might finally bring them closer to healing—and to each other.

Available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook:

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Praise for The Last Thing You Said

Minnesota Book Awards Finalist, Young Adult Literature

  • “A heartwarming story about the indelible marks left by first love and first loss. This book will give you all the feels.”

    Julie Buxbaum, author of Tell Me Three Things

  • "This is a brave debut, a brave look at the raw, messy, confusing bits of young love."

    S.M. Parker, author of The Girl Who Fell

  • "A beautiful, gut-wrenching story about the complexities of grief and the saving grace of family, friendship, and love. Brave, raw, and exquisitely written."

    Marci Curtis, author of The One Thing

  • "Biren's debut novel offers a tender look at a particular moment in the lives of two teens...The best kind of tragic love story."

    Kirkus STARRED REVIEW

  • "Biren’s tender story aches as the teens and their families try to put the pieces of their lives together again and find a way to heal."

    Booklist

a photograph of black hockey skates with white laces in a pile of snow along with a hardcover book with the words Cold Day in the Sun and an image of a male teenager holding up a female teenager on a frozen lake wearing winter gear and ice skates

photo by Amelia Ehlers

Cold Day in the Sun

About the Book:

Holland Delviss wants to be known for her talent as a hockey player, not a hockey player who happens to be a girl. But when her school team is selected to be featured and televised as part of HockeyFest, her status as the only girl on the boys' team makes her the lead story. Not everyone is thrilled with Holland's new fame, but there's one person who fiercely supports her, and it's the last person she expects (and definitely the last person she should be falling for): her bossy team captain, Wes. 

Available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook:


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Praise for Cold Day in the Sun

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

  • "With its tale of girl power, friendship, and a romance so hot it practically melts the pages, Cold Day in the Sun satisfies like a mug brimming with your favorite warm drink on a winter day. I loved it!"

    Robin Constantine, author of The Promise of Amazing

  • "With an unforgettable heroine for every girl who has ever had to work harder to prove her worth, Cold Day in the Sun will pull at your heartstrings and have you rooting for Holland on and off the ice long after you finish the last page."

    Amy Giles, author of That Night and Now is Everything

  • "Biren has created a romance that fans of Jenny Han and Sarah Dessen should love."

    School Library Journal

  • "This book has all the right ingredients—a spunky, multifaceted main character, a love interest who turns out to be a decent individual, and plenty of internal and external conflict . . . A teenage love story steamy enough to melt the ice in the rink."

    Kirkus Reviews

  • "A fun read that simultaneously puts the reader into the hockey world as an insider and an outsider . . . It's a last-act gut punch that really puts a spotlight on what female athletes have to deal with. A must-read for anyone who has had to defy expectations."

    Booklist

photograph of a hardcover book with the words Bend in the Road and Let your heart lead the way along with a female and male teenager standing in a sunlit meadow. The book sits on a wooden platform by a river and trees with orange leaves

Bend in the Road

About the Book:

Seventeen-year-old Gabe’s life is a mess. His debut album—produced by his rock star dad—made him an overnight sensation, but his second album tanked, he just got dumped by his on-again, off-again girlfriend, and he’s desperate to come up with the money he needs to fix a major screwup. The only place he can be free from the paparazzi and rumors is the family farm—the farm that seventeen-year-old Juniper’s family has managed since before she was born. When Juniper learns that Gabe’s about to inherit the farm, she worries that he’ll sell it. She comes up with a plan to get close to him and stop that from happening. At first, Juniper and Gabe couldn’t be more at odds, but the more time they spend with each other, the more they grow to like each other. Can they set aside their differences to do what’s best for the farm—and each other? Or will all the drama and secrets tear them apart?

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook:

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Praise for Bend in the Road

A Just One More Page Recommendation

  • “A beautiful and tenderhearted exploration of the meaning of home, Sara Biren's Bend in the Road will stick with you like a favorite song that instantly transports you to a place and time you always want to remember.”

    Marisa Reichardt, author of Aftershocks and Underwater

  • “A pitch-perfect, slow-burn romance combined with loveably complex characters and the most charming farm setting, Sara Biren’s Bend in the Road made my heart soar.”

    Katy Upperman, author of Kissing Max Holden, Everything I Promised You, and All We Once Had

foreign language book covers of young adult novels written by Sara Biren

Foreign Editions