Six Morning Kisses

by Diana Elliot Graham

From the beloved (by her family) “bestselling” (not-really) author of When We Were and Queen of Rom-Traum (crowned by the Internet) comes an emotional new novel about the lies we tell ourselves about growing up, and the truths we find in the most unexpected people.

Arden Bancroft always had a plan for her life, but for everything she thought she knew, she’s quickly and repeatedly learning that she doesn’t know much at all. Most importantly, that finding love is sometimes easier than believing in it. But she’s about to learn that happily ever afters aren’t just for romance novels.

This book is the sequel-prequel to the emotional new-adult love story, When We Were

This story begins in the after.
But before we get there...

Arden Bancroft has mastered the art of pretending to have it all together while quietly wondering when the "adult" part of adulthood is supposed to kick in.

When she wanders into a museum and crosses paths with Will Sterling, she doesn't expect a heated debate with the passionate docent to unravel the perfectly constructed safety nets she's been building since her last heartbreak.

Between fighting for recognition in her male-dominated office and keeping her feelings safely filed away, the last thing she’s prepared for is to fall for a man whose powerful family is determined to drag him from his beloved museum halls into their corporate empire. As pressure mounts for Will to take his place at the table, they both discover that passion might be the easy part—it's everything that comes after that tests the limits of what they're willing to sacrifice for each other.

Told across timelines that weave together like threads of memory, Arden and Will's story unfolds through moments of growth, heartbreak, and risk as they navigate family expectations, professional sacrifices, and the weight of their own fears. They learn that sometimes the happily ever after is not just about the ending.

Genres: Romance

Paperback

About the author

Diana Elliot Graham is proof that you don’t need to be an author to be an author. First and foremost she is an avid reader who never read a book she regretted. She calls herself the accidental-author because she wrote her debut novel, When We Were, with some spare time, an interesting concept, and a “just keep writing” mentality. (And a lot of encouragement, okay bullying, from friends and family.) Since then, she has numerous projects that are in varying degrees of semi-finished that may or may not ever see the light of day.
Now, here she is, writing this bio as imposter syndrome ripples through her entire body, still shocked that anyone cares enough about her writing to stumble on this blurb that has been uncomfortably written in third person. So I’m just going to stop. Follow me on social media for updates on future projects. Or don’t.

Reviews

[Sam Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

My wife wrote this book, and I think you should read it.

[Aideen · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Sometime in 2023): Haven’t even read it yet but that’s how confident I am that it’ll be a 5 star book
(Jan 2025): I knew this would be a 5 star book but it was so much more than that. DEG masterfully wove together grief, gratitude, privilege, and LOVE in a way I’ve never read before. It’s an emotional read but a beautiful and important one.

[Katie ᥫ᭡. · Rating 5 out of 5]

♾️ 🪴🪴🪴🪴🪴

𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝑾𝒆 𝑾𝒆𝒓𝒆 by @dianaelliotgraham is my 𝑅𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑛 𝐸𝑚𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑒. 👑 I think about this book constantly—it’s completely taken over my mind and heart. Arden’s story has carved out a space in my soul, and honestly, this book will absolutely wreck you in the most beautiful way. (And no, Diana still doesn’t cover therapy bills, I double-checked. 😅) So grab a bottle of wine 🍷, a box of tissues, and prepare to feel 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈. 😭

If you adore the bittersweet, soul-stirring vibes of 𝑫𝒆𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚, 𝑴𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒆, and 𝑳𝒂 𝑳𝒂 𝑳𝒂𝒏𝒅 this book is calling your name ✨💕

But just when I thought I couldn’t possibly feel more, 𝑺𝒊𝒙 𝑴𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑲𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔 came along and completely shattered me. This sequel is 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔—raw, vulnerable, and impossibly beautiful. Diana didn’t just write a story; she crafted an emotional experience.

𝑺𝑴𝑲 digs even deeper, unraveling the pieces left behind in 𝑾𝑾𝑾 and exploring what it truly means to rebuild. It’s messy, painful, and healing all at once. Arden’s journey feels so real, so personal, and whether you're navigating your twenties, finding comfort in your thirties, or reflecting on past choices, this story will resonate deeply.

This book forced me to confront so many emotions about growth, change, and the expectations we carry. Watching Arden come to terms with being loved 𝒇𝒖𝒍𝒍𝒚—without conditions or expectations—was both heartbreaking and heart-mending. Diana’s writing is brutally honest and achingly tender, making every emotion feel like it’s your own.

I cannot stress this enough: 𝒅𝒐 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒑𝒊𝒄𝒌 𝒖𝒑 Six Morning Kisses 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 When We Were. Trust me, the emotional payoff is worth it.

These books didn’t just break me—they rebuilt me, piece by piece, and I’ll be carrying them with me for the rest of my life. 💔😭

𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒂 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚! 💕

[Bentley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was… amazing, beautiful, heartbreaking, lovely.. I could go on and on.

DEG is able to take us on a journey through happy ever after & before. She’s able to confuse you, to leave you wanting more, to leave just enough questions, and to (most importantly) completely and totally destroy your emotional sanity.

This was perfectly written. The imagery, the realness, the dialogue, everything was done so unbelievably well.

I spent so much of this book covering up an eye because I was so anxious and stress to see how we get to where we started and my god when we get there.. you can think you’re prepared but you’re not. The crumbs, the Easter eggs, the love that we get over these pages transcends all.

I will be crying for the next 48-72 hours. Please respect my privacy at this time.

[Amber Harms (Fox) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I walked into this knowing what would happen by the end. I knew I wouldn’t be able to handle it. I knew I wasn’t prepared, no amount of knowledge or time or Kleenex would have gotten me there.

And I was right. This rocked me. It throttled me. It made me it’s snotty, sobbing, cry baby biotch.

My favorite author. My favorite book. My favorite reason to cry. This was everything I needed and didn’t want and more after WWW. It lived up to the hype that I saw in others and also the hype I created for it in my own head—I’m nowhere near surprised though. This is everything. It’s beautiful and it’s raw and it’s real and it’s relatable and it’s exquisitely magical.

Again… I KNEW what was going to go down and yet it still had me sobbing and gasping for breath, it was written so wonderfully.

I’m so impressed by you DEG. Your compassion and empathy and honesty and realness. You are magic—I’ve said that from day one, and I’ll say it until the very end.

Six stars. I love you.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Just tell me what you want, and I’ll build it. If you want to run away to Paris? To Mars, I’m right behind you."

Six Morning Kisses has my heart—shattered pieces and all. This book was so much more than I ever expected—it was overwhelming, painful, beautiful, inspiring, and just an all-around piece of perfection.

Six Morning Kisses is not for anyone afraid of feeling all the emotions. It will break you and heal you, repeatedly. A word of caution: do not dive into this without first reading When We Were - just trust the process.

What makes Six Morning Kisses the emotional ride that it was (at least for me) was its ability to force me to examine my own life. Whether you're in your early twenties trying to find yourself, happily married to the love of your life in your thirties, or even beyond, so much of this story will resonate. It speaks to anyone who has ever felt lost after big life changes, outgrown the life they thought they were meant to live, or struggled with the expectations of who they were told they should be.

Arden’s journey is achingly relatable, especially for those who have finally discovered what it means to be deeply adored and loved. To have someone love you, for YOU. The emotions in this book are raw, unfiltered, and beautifully real. Even as it tore my heart out repeatedly, it managed to mend it in ways I didn’t know I needed.

This story will stay with me for a long time..and is easily one of the most impactful stories I have had the chance to experience.

[Callum Hadley · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I finished this yesterday and needed 24 hours to think about how to articulate the book. The way it’s written is masterful, it’s a prequel/sequel to When We Were with the chapters interlinking into the timeline of the previous book while also being a completely separate story. The best summary I can come up with is beautifully and unequivocally tragic (so tragic I cried on the train at the ending) m. HEA fans out there, beware and have the tissues ready…

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t know how I got through those last chapters… through my big fat chunky tears!!! I quickly went from confusion to gut wrenching heartbreak. This story takes a turn I did not see coming and it wrecked me completely.

This book was the sequel to a story I didn’t know I needed. I love that Diana gave Will and Arden’s relationship the space to unfold in their own story. It felt like a behind-the-scenes look at a love that deserved to be told. One I honestly didn’t think I cared to be privy to. But of course Diana’s writing pulls you in and has you feeling all the emotions. Her writing is effortlessly poetic and so easy to get lost in. I was a big fan of Reid in book 1, but man falling head over heels for Will was inevitable. His sincerity and out loud love for Arden made it impossible not to be completely drawn in. Ugh what a tear jerker, I fear it may take me a few days to recover from this one x



"So we leave pieces of it behind, don't we? We pass it on to Banks, this love that's too big for one life to hold. We leave it tucked between the pages of books she'll read someday, hung on walls in photographs she'll show her children. And when I have to leave this world before you, I'll build our new house, wherever I end up. I'll fill it with all the love that couldn't fit here, because this one world, this one lifetime was never going to be enough to contain it all."

[Lauren Kotrys · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5

—What did you do today on your day off? Oh, just finished this book and sobbed like a baby

This is the sequel-prequel to When We Were. We are still following our same female lead but now later in life and love. Like its predecessor, this is still a bit verbose but it is a beautiful story about the journey of love vs the happily ever after. Keep tissues handy.

[Kath · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't expecting a bittersweet ending and me finishing this book at almost 3am. DEG wrote what life actually is and I don't even know what to say about that. It feels so real and raw because at some point I see myself in Arden. Well, in happily ever before, mostly. I just know that I will never forget about this book.

[Cass Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been an absolute honor to have DEG absolutely wreck my emotional health with her writing once again.💛

I don't have enough words yet, because my kindle is covered in tears still.

5/5 ⭐️

[Paige | bookmark.thispaige · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW

Six Morning Kisses by Diana Elliot Graham
Rating: ♾️ Mars

Diana Elliot Graham has done it again. After an almost two-year recovery since reading her debut novel—I wasn’t even over it yet—she tore open those wounds & completely ripped me apart. Even my Kindle was done after the last page. No, really. It died after I read the Acknowledgements & I feel like that was foreshadowing a book hangover/slump.

I have to admit I was a bit nervous to read this, thinking there was no way she can top When We Were. I’ve read so many amazing books since I read WWW in 2023, but that book has remained my favorite of all time—that is, until I read Six Morning Kisses. 😭

Let’s see… You know when people say, “DEG doesn’t give you what you want, she gives you what you need?” Wait, that’s not how the saying goes? 🤔 Oops. Well, you know what I mean & that’s exactly what she does. She truly works in very mysterious—very twisty—ways. 🤭

Listen, there is just absolutely no way for me to write an overview without spoiling both SMK & WWW. These books are life-changing. If you want realistic & relatable HEAs, pick these up. I highly suggest reading them in order & going in blind for the greatest impact.

Thank you, @dianaelliotgraham for the surprise eARC! I’m so honored to have been chosen as one of the firsts to read this masterpiece. 🥹

[Allyson K · Rating 5 out of 5]

After loudly and proudly shoving When We Were at any reader that would listen, I was beyond thrilled to see this baby finally coming out. It was so good to be back with Arden and see what she got up to after the rollercoaster that was WWW. I cannot quite put into words Graham's writing style. Well, I can give it words but I fear I don't do it justice. The writing can be so poetic, filled with powerful hitting quotes and phrases. DEG is the queen of easter eggs and hidden messages within her writing and it just makes for such an experience. To anyone wanting to read either of these books, I highly recommend talking to DEG herself or one of her passionate readers so you can catch all the little bits too. It really heightens it. This story made me feel so many things, but by the end, it had me in ugly tears. I should have known after WWW that Graham was going to take me by complete surprise with this plot but I did not at all catch on until she completely took me by surprise again. You evil genius you. I adore this book, I adore these characters, and I adore Diana.

[Emily Keesee · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s taken some thought, but the only thing I can say about this book is that it was not at all what I was expecting.

I knew I was going to be in trouble from the moment I found out the author was crying over her own writing. And I will say that during the time I spent reading this book, I cried for 85% of it. But it was a masterpiece in its own right. It was something that I easily was enraptured in, and I can’t think of a better way to sum this book up. I enjoyed it very much, despite the tears I cried during it completely took me by surprise, and I am honored that I got to read this book early. The style of DEG’s writing will never fail to amaze me, and this story, told through dual timelines is much like the first book 'When We Were'

I loved both of these, and the anticipation of getting this second one was very much worth it.
It was a powerhouse and a beautiful memory.

A story I will read for many years to come.

DEG, I am so proud of you. Thank you for writing something so beautiful, even if it did hurt like hell.


You did it again, and I can’t wait to read what you do next.

[Tiffany M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I also needed a good 24ish hours to articulate this book. I don’t usually give book reviews, but this turned my world inside out. It took me a couple of hours to get through the last 12% of this book because I was sobbing. So much I texted my husband that I wasn’t okay and he knew I sort of went through it in When We Were, but he called me while I was at work to pull me back to my real life. Diana Elliot Graham is my Bronwyn.

If anyone ever wants a couple of books with BITTERsweet endings, this is for you. Or if you’re into emotionally torturing yourself. Never has a book hit me in so many ways so hard. Also while bringing fears of mine to the front. I’m not okay, but that’s okay.

[ruthsbooked · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book absolutely gutted me. I honestly cried once halfway through the book and thought that was it, I can handle that…no problem at all. Nope. Wrong. Incorrect. I was not prepared for it to come full circle. 😭 I knew in my heart that it was going to be heartbreaking in some way because When We Were broke me in ways I didn’t think I could break, but Six Morning Kisses finished me. I’m going to be thinking about Will and Arden’s love story my whole life. 🥺

While it is undeniably a challenging read (please look at trigger warnings beforehand), it’s just so profoundly moving. It doesn’t shy away from the ugly and heavy parts of life, but it also celebrates the resilience of love, life, and happily ever before, during, and after. Readers, like me, are obviously still left grappling with their own emotions long after the final page.

This is not a book for everyone—it demands much of its readers, emotionally and intellectually—but for those willing to endure its heartbreak, it can be an unforgettable experience. It is devastating, yes, but it is also a masterpiece of empathy and storytelling.

[Cecily Milligan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cried so hard I baby barfed reading this

The notorious DEG delivered another heart wrenching, insightful, genre shifting story, elevating the romance game and shining a light on what love looks like from every angle.

Honored, thankful, and inspired by her always 🩷

[Angelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sew this book into the tapestry of my being.

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Traumatic in the best way possible

[heaven · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love when books chew me up and swallow me whole. I love when they make me feel and cry and grieve and fall in love and raise my standards a bit more.

This book did exactly all of those things. And I’ll never get over this feeling of reading it—I hope to eventually come back and read it again.

Will Sterling is everything I hope for in a man. Arden Bancroft, the woman you are, I will always want to be you. This is one that just made so much sense to me.

I was so thankful for their unusual type of love. I love when people have things that are theirs and find someone who loves them enough to make it theirs, as well. You’ll understand when you read it.

I want this type of love. I want to be a part of the same team with someone someday, I want six morning kisses and museum bench meets. I want to find the person who holds the spot for “voted most likely to run away with you.”

Oh gosh, I’m letting my emotions get the best of me. Please read this if you love books like One True Loves and authors like Emily Henry. Please read her book When We Were that ties into this one. You will not be disappointed.

[Lys · Rating 5 out of 5]

„My most anticipated read ever, can‘t wait for DEG to break my heart again.“—With this I started reading Six Morning Kisses. Oh my, was I right. Nothing could have prepared me for the death of my favourite book character. There were so carefully placed hints throughout the story, but the revelation left me reeling. DEG once again suprised me with her unique approach to structuring a story and the most beautiful writing style. With SMK she has not only deep-dived into a great love story, but also into the subject of grieving in the most heart-wrenching way. DEG is too real for all of us.

[Patrice · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved When We Were, the prequel/sequel. This book felt taxing to read, the writing felt choppy. I just couldn’t connect with Will and Arden and I didn’t like the same concept of When We Were being applied to this book as well.

[Elle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t even begin to explain how beautiful and perfect this book is cover to cover. I laughed, I cried and it will forever be a favourite.
Thank you Diana Elliot Graham, it’s the book I didn’t know I needed.

[Allie]

staring blankly at a wall…

[Melinda Jackman · Rating 5 out of 5]

No words ….

[Madi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful. Tragic. Beautifully tragic. I cried through the last 50 pages.

[Holly Nguyen Berger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Took everything I had not to cry. 😭 I didn’t love the first book so I wasn’t expecting much from this book, but powered through anyway because I had heard good things and omg I’m glad I did.

[Elizabeth Beaume · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had no idea how this was going to end and now that it has, my heart feels so so heavy

[Shaztwirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Kind of Love We Dream Of.

If ever a palpable love was written, this is it. So, so beautifully written. I will admit to not finding it the sob fest I expected (possibly more my mood and disjointed reading habits, possibly the ambiguous timelines and timeline hopping) but most same people in a "normalish" mental state will need copious amounts of tissues. My biggest hope is more from DEG, sooner :)

[Shelby Merwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Diane Elliot Graham can warm my heart, rip out, & patch it back up with her story telling.
I laughed. I BAWLED & the ugly bawling with snot & a tear soaked shirt.
I’m still processing the whole book, but thank you DEG for this masterpiece.