A Globusz Books discovery
Katie Cotugno · English
Ever fallen hard for someone who’s basically off-limits? Imagine that crush turning into a messy, real-life drama involving a secret, a baby, and a guy who ghosts you right when things get complicated. That’s the kind of young-adult love story Katie Cotugno serves up in "How to Love"—raw, tangled, and far from the usual fairytale.
Globusz original summary
Katie Cotugno’s "How to Love" isn’t your average teenage romance with butterflies and sweet texts. It’s a story that dives headfirst into the messy aftermath of young love gone sideways—unexpected pregnancy, abandonment, and the brutal reality of growing up faster than you planned. The novel centers on Reena Montero, a smart, grounded Florida teen with journalism dreams, who’s been nursing a secret crush on Sawyer LeGrande, her best friend Allie’s stepbrother. Sawyer is the classic bad boy with a troubled past, the kind of guy who’s magnetic but unreliable. Their relationship shifts from innocent friendship to something far more complicated, culminating in Reena’s unexpected pregnancy.
Cotugno doesn’t sugarcoat the fallout. Sawyer’s sudden exit leaves Reena to raise their daughter, Hannah, on her own, forcing her to confront the realities of responsibility, heartbreak, and the social stigma that often shadows young mothers. The story then jumps three years forward, with Sawyer’s return stirring up old wounds and new tensions. He wants back in, but Reena isn’t sure if she can—or should—trust him again.
The narrative’s clever structure alternates between "Before" and "After" chapters, giving readers a dual perspective on how their relationship evolved and how the consequences of their choices play out. This back-and-forth timeline adds emotional depth and lets us see both the hope and the heartbreak from multiple angles.
At its core, "How to Love" is about more than just teenage romance. It’s about the messy, complicated nature of love itself—how it can break you and build you up at the same time. Reena’s journey is a tough, honest look at what happens when life throws a curveball, and how forgiveness—of others and oneself—is rarely neat or easy. Sawyer’s character isn’t a one-dimensional bad boy; his return forces him to reckon with his past mistakes and the kind of man he wants to be, though his path is anything but smooth.
Cotugno’s writing style is straightforward but emotionally resonant, avoiding the usual YA fluff. The prose feels genuine, capturing the confusion, hope, and pain of young adulthood without resorting to clichés. The Florida setting adds a sun-drenched, sometimes stifling atmosphere that mirrors the characters’ emotional heat and isolation.
The novel also digs into family dynamics—how blended families, friendships, and parental expectations shape young people’s choices and identities. Allie’s presence as Reena’s best friend and Sawyer’s stepsister adds an extra layer of tension and loyalty conflicts.
For readers, "How to Love" offers an emotionally charged ride that doesn’t shy away from the hard stuff. It’s a story that asks tough questions about trust, responsibility, and what it really means to love someone when everything’s falling apart. And it does so without preaching or wrapping up neatly, which is a relief in a genre that often opts for sugar-coated endings.
If you’re tired of YA romances that feel like a glossy daydream, this one’s worth your time. Just be ready for some emotional grit and a reminder that love—especially young love—is rarely simple or pretty.
Beyond the summary
Love at any age is messy, but teenage love with real stakes? That’s a whole other level of chaos. "How to Love" doesn’t pretend it’s pretty or easy. It’s a reminder that people grow in fits and starts, that forgiveness takes time, and that sometimes, the hardest love stories are the ones worth telling.
Before you commit
Ever fallen hard for someone who’s basically off-limits? Imagine that crush turning into a messy, real-life drama involving a secret, a baby, and a guy who ghosts you right when things get complicated. That’s the kind of young-adult love story Katie Cotugno serves up in "How to Love"—raw, tangled, and far from the usual fairytale.
Explores how love can break and heal, and how forgiveness is a difficult, ongoing process rather than a quick fix.
Highlights how unexpected challenges force characters to mature and redefine themselves.
Examines the complexities of blended families and how family relationships influence personal choices.
Cotugno strips away the romanticized veneer of teenage crushes and relationships. Love here is complicated, messy, and sometimes downright painful, especially when it involves real-life consequences like pregnancy and abandonment.
Reena’s journey shows that personal growth often arises from unexpected, difficult circumstances. She’s forced to mature quickly, balancing dreams with harsh realities—a story many can relate to beyond the teen years.
The novel doesn’t hand out easy forgiveness or redemption. Sawyer’s return challenges both characters to confront their pasts honestly, highlighting that healing relationships require time and effort, not instant fixes.
Through blended families and friendships, the story explores how family ties can complicate loyalty and identity, showing that ‘family’ is often messy and layered rather than straightforward.
The alternating timelines between 'Before' and 'After' give readers a fuller understanding of the characters’ motivations and emotional states, making the story’s impact more nuanced and real.
Reading "How to Love" encourages you to question the typical ‘teen romance’ narrative and appreciate stories that show love’s complexity and consequences without glossing over the hard parts.
The slow, imperfect process of forgiveness in the story invites readers to think about how they handle hurt and whether they expect too much too soon from others—or themselves.
The tangled family ties in the novel can prompt you to examine how your own family relationships influence your decisions, loyalties, and sense of self.
Pay attention to how the dual timeline affects your understanding of characters and events; it’s a reminder that the way a story is told can be just as important as what’s told.
Reena’s experience underscores that resilience isn’t about never breaking down, but about facing life’s curveballs head-on and finding a way forward.
Love at any age is messy, but teenage love with real stakes? That’s a whole other level of chaos. "How to Love" doesn’t pretend it’s pretty or easy. It’s a reminder that people grow in fits and starts, that forgiveness takes time, and that sometimes, the hardest love stories are the ones worth telling.
Where to go next
These recommendations serve different purposes: stay with the author, follow the closest idea, find an easier entry, go deeper, or deliberately change perspective.
Strong overlap in themes, life-impact signals, mood, or the questions the books raise.
Ever tried to fake a relationship and had it spiral into something way messier—and way more real—than planned? Welcome to New York City, where screenwriter Elle Leon’s writer’s block meets Parker Warren’s billionaire charm, and suddenly pretending gets complicated. If you think fake dating is just a tired trope, this one might surprise you.Read this summary →Deeper diveKing LearWilliam ShakespeareA thematically related book with a more demanding difficulty rating when you want to push beyond the current read.
A proud king divides his kingdom based on his daughters' declarations of love, setting off a chain of betrayal, madness, and political intrigue that challenges family bonds and questions what loyalty truly means.Read this summary →Different perspectiveMemories of a Catholic GirlhoodMary McCarthyShares part of the subject, but differs more in mood or practical emphasis—a useful way to avoid reading only books that echo one another.
Ever had your childhood feel like a messy tug-of-war between faith, family, and identity? Mary McCarthy’s 'Memories of a Catholic Girlhood' is like peeling back the layers of a complicated family tree tangled with religion, loss, and a stubborn search for self. Spoiler: It’s nowhere near the saccharine nostalgia you might expect.Read this summary →Also worth exploringThe TurningTim WintonRelated through the themes, questions, or life-impact signals surrounding this book.
Ever watched a family unravel in slow motion? Tim Winton’s "The Turning" doesn’t just show you the cracks—it drags you right into the mess. It’s a collection of stories where people stumble through life’s potholes, trying to figure out if they’re stuck or just turning a corner.Read this summary →Also worth exploringThe Worst Best ManMia SosaRelated through the themes, questions, or life-impact signals surrounding this book.
Ever been stuck working with someone you’d rather avoid—someone who’s basically your personal worst-case scenario? Now imagine that person is your ex-fiancé’s brother, and you’re planning weddings together. Welcome to the mess of 'The Worst Best Man.' It’s a romance that gets its hands dirty in family drama, cultural pride, and the kind of professional chaos only wedding planners know.Read this summary →Continue the journey
The full novel gives you the emotional texture and nuance that summaries can’t capture—the small moments of hope, the raw heartbreak, and the complicated push-and-pull between Reena and Sawyer. Katie Cotugno’s writing draws you in with its authenticity, making you feel like you’re living through the highs and lows alongside the characters. Beyond the plot, it’s the way the story is told—the alternating timelines, the layers of family tension, the careful pacing—that makes the experience richer and more rewarding. If you want to see how young love can be both devastating and redemptive without falling into clichés, the full book delivers that gritty, heartfelt truth.