Ruth Marjorie Semple has a past she wishes she could forget. Her life in the present isn't so terrible, and yet, she finds herself struggling to enjoy the person who loves her most and even refuses to take pride in the job she's excelling in. How can she appreciate any of that, when her mind is still stuck on a lover from her college days three years prior? Go back in time as Ruth tries to sort through her feelings, drawing her memory all the way back to the day she, quite literally, ran into Raffo Leflore in good ol' Oklahoma, and explore the life of an Afro-Indigenous woman. He doesn't talk about himself much, but he constantly seems to show up for her anyway and she wants to figure out why. What about the two of them is written in the stars? Or are they even written up there at all? And most of all, how do you know which stars are worth chasing? Follow along as Ruth learns to grapple with her sorrow, learns more about her Choctaw heritage, and experiences a love that maybe only happens once in a lifetime. *Characters are Black and/or Brown casting.* Cover designed by Ren T

**FAIR WARNING: YOU WILL HAVE TO BE PATIENT WITH CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT, BUT IT IS THERE, AND WORTH THE READ. IF YOU ARE OVERLY SENSITIVE, DO NOT READ THIS BOOK* Logan Pierce and Noah Locke are sworn enemies. Both at the top of their class, holding themselves to the highest standards; both captains of their volleyball teams, Logan as the girls captain, Noah as the boys; and both constantly playing seemingly harmless pranks to get back at one another. Or, at least, they're usually harmless... If one thing is true, Noah Locke and Logan Pierce are not friends. But does that mean they could never be friends? Or transcend their title as enemies? Logan might take things too far sometimes, but there's a reason behind the angry front she puts on, and in order to get behind it, someone needs to show her that there's more to life than being the best at everything. Cue Noah Locke. When the two volleyball teams are sent away to a team bonding camp for a week over Fall break, Logan and Noah must learn to get along for the sake of their teams. Partnered up and made to do activities together and bond, the goal is for Noah and Logan to stop this ongoing feud. And when something happens at the bonding camp that brings Logan's vulnerable side up to bat, Noah is the one who has to bring her back. While Logan and Noah explore something other than hatred for one another, there are secrets and people who could be working in toll to bring them apart. But will they be able to transcend those factors and stop fighting for once? Or were they destined to be enemies forever? "Better Than You" challenges the idea that enemies have to stay enemies forever, and proves that if you don't run away from love, you may just find where you were meant to be.