Norah Cook knows nothing about love, about romance, about affection. Nor does she understand it. But after a few teenager years without it all, she meets Mio Reed, the woman who unintentionally changes everything. The woman who is also her best friend's mother. All of her classmates and friends are experiencing teenage affection and relationships, all while Norah has always found she's had no interest. But in an unlikely turn, her first feelings end up being pointed towards a woman who's married and far older. But over time, something begins to change in that woman too and both their lives are changed forever.

A stranger to her own existence, Kayla moves to a small town with the hope of finding comfort in a fresh start. But as she steps inside the unfamiliar classroom on the first day, standing in front of the class is a mysteriously familiar face, one that rouses memories of a time she believed had gone by. With past baggage catching up in the most intrusive ways, she stumbles upon unexpected comfort of friendship, unconditional love of found family, and a beautiful yet complicated bond between two hesitant souls. "This book was like a warm hug, and I might believe in love again." "I would give everything, especially my soul, to have the opportunity to read this book for the first time again." ────── CW: Substance abuse, harsh language, sexual content, mention of self-harm and suicide. ────── Started in January 2018. Re-published in November 2022. First draft finished in April 2023. ────── Copyright 2018 © Renee Steinberg All rights reserved. This work may not be reproduced, copied, translated, or republished in any form without the author's permission, except for brief quotations or reviews with proper credit.

||WATTY'S SHORTLIST 2023|| [LGBTQ+ New Adult Fiction] When Mia Cunningham leaves her hometown in coastal Maine at 11 years old after her mother's death, her best friend, Leila Sutherland, gifts Mia a seashell "so she can hear the ocean and remember her home." Over a decade later, the two young women are beginning to navigate their post-grad lives. Leila has remained in Maine, afraid to branch out of her comfort zone, and Mia, after spending her college years in New York and unsure of her future, returns to the only place she ever felt home--Kenneburk, Maine. After a fateful meeting between the young women, Leila and Mia slowly begin to rekindle the friendship that had once been long forgotten. Their friendship is immediately tested, however, as Leila begins to develops familiar feelings and Mia, unsure of where she belongs, cannot help but wonder the direction her life is calling her towards. Will their friendship survive these new trials of adulthood, or should it have ended permanently the day that Mia left 12 years prior? Find out in "Can You Hear the Ocean?" (Published: 2021)

||AMBY'S FAVORITE 2024|| (Editor's Choice July 2022) [LGBTQ+ Teen Fiction] High school junior, Callie Washington, is currently in a dilemma. Attending an all-girls, Catholic high school means most of her peers are focused on college, SATs, and the nearby boys at their brother school, Holy Spirit. But since the start of the school year, Callie can't forget the silky hair and gleaming brown eyes of her former Chemistry partner, Isabella Sandoval. After escaping from her Homecoming date one October evening, Callie runs into Aurora Gray, a smart, charismatic senior, who seems to be having as rough of an evening as Callie. After realizing they are in the same Calculus class, Aurora begins to shift Callie's life in ways she cannot comprehend. Deep down, Callie knows she must confront the thing inside her that is troubling her deeply, but what hurdles will she have to face to get there? (Published: 2020)

In which the popular boy attempts to use an exchange student to make his ex girlfriend jealous, but his ex ends up (fake) dating the exchange student instead. - After nearly three years of breaking and making up with her ex-boyfriend, all that Silena Valentine wants is some peace and quiet. Instead, she gets Mena Skelin- a handful of a temporary roommate, whose otherwise extensive vocabulary doesn't seem to include either of those words. Soon enough, Silena finds herself volunteering to do things she never would have even imagined: like kissing someone in front of the entire school, and catching very real feelings for her very fake girlfriend. And the latter kind of sucks, since she's pretty certain that Mena is only doing this in order to get revenge at the boy she actually likes. But then again, everything isn't always what it looks like.

Cara Lee is cold, awkward, highly OCD and she is defininly not a people person. She spends most of her days in her luxury apartment away from any social interaction. After having two successful stories published, she has hit a writing block. Not only that, but she's losing money and the only way to keep her apartment is to get a roommate. Hannah Bailey has traveled the world and has never found a place to call home. Tired of living at her agency's model apartments, she decides to settle down in one place. She finds a beautiful apartment and the only issue with it is an unhappy roommate. Cara and Hannah come from two different worlds. Hannah represents everything Cara disliked about people. Hannah who is used to being well liked can't help, but become intrigued by Cara's indifference to her. Can she melt her new roommate's cold exterior and show her that maybe she can like at least one person?

A Catholic school, a best friend with two boyfriends, and a new girl who wore inappropriate clothing. Maverick Bridge only wanted to concentrate on her studies, but was forced to resolve conflicts that she did not start. In the process of resolving, Maverick questions her role in life, her beliefs, and questions herself as an individual.

[Formerly known as 'Trinkets'] Mahika and Amoli can't stand each other, but that's not the only thing they have in common. Mahika treats Amoli like she's childish. Amoli thinks Mahika is a stuck-up prude. But Mahika's best friend and Amoli's brother are getting married, so they can't ignore each other forever. If that wasn't the case, they wouldn't even acknowledge each other's existence. Right? Wrong. What meets the eye isn't all there is, is it? Throw a big fat Indian wedding, some alcohol, and a dimly lit hotel room together, and you'll find out, too. Because Mahika and Amoli certainly do.

TFOL SERIES 2 Chastity cannot abide the idea of being indebted to someone. Starting to be troubled by the fact that she is concurrently getting one after another from her psychology professor compels her to breach the border of her own meticulously guarded teacher-student relationship. Status: On-going + On-hold