Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Change of Plans by Sarah Dessen is a summer romance/coming of age sort of story. Finley and her boyfriend Colin just finished their senior year of high school. Finley was going to go with him and his family on a cruise, but her mother has a trip planned for the two of them so she cannot go. Finley’s mom, Cat, ends up taking Finley to Cat’s childhood home, The Woods, where Finley gets to spend time with her aunts and family she never really knew before. Also Colin breaks up with her right when he gets on the cruise, and Finley has the opportunity to figure out what she wants from life instead of just tagging along with Colin’s plans.

The first half of this book I really enjoyed. Finley’s world kind of opens up and she’s there for figuring out how to help out at the Egg (her aunt’s breakfast diner), meeting new friends, and learning more about her mom and her aunts. However, the 3rd act conflicts get resolved so quickly that it was disappointing. There is a point where Colin randomly shows up, and instead of getting to see their conversation of how Finley stands up for what she wants and needs, you get a line of Finley saying “We need to talk” and then the next chapter starts with her watching his tail lights go down the drive. How unsatisfactory! Also her summer romance with a new guy is cute and very 17-18 year old appropriate but there was also some tension that gets resolved super fast as well. In the latter half of the book there is a lot of chaotic dialogue with multiple people in the same room having 3 different conversations, and reading all of that on page. I think it could work in a tv show or something, but on page it felt very whiplashy and chaotic (which I’m sure is the point, but it also didn’t drive the plot or characters forward). I would have rated the first part of this book a solid 4 stars, but based on the ending, I’m dropping the whole thing down to 3. It’s cute and definitely a kissing-only romance that is also about figuring out yourself and your family.

There are some dynamics with Finley’s mom that felt realistic and honestly I felt sorry for Cat towards the end of the book. I think this also shows how important it is to talk things through instead of holding onto them. Trigger warnings: cancer, divorced parents, cheating

Change of Plans by Sarah Dessen releases May 5, 2026.