Written In Us

by Liv Rowan

A Note from the Author:
Written in Us was my first novel, inspired by my own personal story. Of all the stories I could have started with, this was the one that chose me. You’ll find elements here that carry through all my books: extensive playlists, emotional depth, and an immersive atmosphere. But Written in Us occupies a different lane from the rest of my work. It’s a low-spice romance, while my other books are high spice. Its roots in my own life also shaped the story I needed to tell and the way I needed to tell it. I’ve grown as a writer since these pages, but this book will always hold a special place in my heart. Writing it showed me that storytelling is both my passion and my purpose. I hope you find a piece of yourself in Rae’s journey and leave these pages feeling a little less alone in your own. Thank you for spending time with the story that started it all.
---
Fate was taunting Rae Sheridan.

Desperate to escape her painfully unexceptional small-town life, Rae was certain the universe owed her something bigger—preferably sooner rather than later. When Bayhaven's resident skater god finally asked her out, she took it as proof that fate had finally clocked in and started doing its job. But on the night of her sixteenth birthday, she waves off a group of boys trying to crash her party, never realizing the moment will quietly shape her life.

Years later, heartbreak and spectacularly bad decisions have pulled Rae far from the girl who once demanded more. Now she's torn between two futures: one offers stability and a life that looks perfect on paper; the other carries a connection she can't explain—or ignore—no matter how hard she tries. But Rae's greatest challenge isn't choosing between two men. It's breaking the pattern that's followed her for disappearing inside the men she loves and mistaking intensity for destiny.

When past and present collide, Rae must decide whether she'll keep choosing fear—or finally claim the love fate set in motion long before she was ready.

Set in the 1990s alternative music era, Written In Us is an emotionally layered coming-of-age love story about fate, free will, and the people who change us forever.

424 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 12, 2026

Reviews

[Jennifer Wiehe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, Written in Us absolutely wrecked me in the best way. Liv Rowan drops you straight into the 1990s alt era and follows Rae Sheridan from a painfully small-town teenager falling for Brian Stanton (that panty-melting skater smirk, iykyk) through years of heartbreak, rebounds, questionable decisions, and slow, quiet self-evolution, and every era of Rae's life feels so vivid and specific it's like flipping through someone's real journal. What got me most is the tension between the two futures pulling at her: one that's safe and sensible on paper, and one that's messy, magnetic, and impossible to shake. The banter is razor-sharp, the nostalgia hits hard (that playlist!), and the emotional layering between past and present had me putting the book down just to breathe. It's a coming-of-age love story about fate, choice, and figuring out who you actually are when the version of yourself you built for someone else stops fitting, and by the final chapters I was fully convinced Rae and her person were, yes, written in the stars. If you love achingly romantic, character-driven 90s-set love stories with real chemistry and real growth, cancel your plans and pick this one up.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

REVIEW FROM AN ADVANCED COPY READER

This book brought me back to highschool. The nostalgia I felt in it lit me up and the memories that came flooding back. This book is about a girl growing into womanhood. You will go through the teen angst where you thought he broke you indefinitely, the tragic love story of highschool sweethearts. To the rebound guy who was meh….to your first adulthood epic mistake in the love department to finally finding Him…the answer to all you tears and questions that never seemed to be answered as you were searching. This book was reading my life and I’m sure it will touch so many other women. Also Liv Rowan makes you yearn for your 90s childhood of MTV and no cell phones…Wendy’s frostees when they cost 1.29. She reminds you that a Boones Farm wine is a right of passage in highschool….to the point I could taste the poison and the hangover the next day. Thank you for the nostalgia and the adventure….i guess everything is written in the stars!

[Stephanie Jimenez · Rating 4 out of 5]

review from an advanced copy reader

Even though I was born in the ’90s and wasn’t a teenager during that time like Rae, this book gave me ALL the nostalgia, especially with the music from the era beautifully woven throughout the story.

Rae’s story took me right back to my first love the childish mistakes, the first heartbreak, and the way you think you know exactly what your life is supposed to look like. Making “big girl” decisions based on what you think is right, only to realize later that they were some of the biggest mistakes you could make. And somehow, life has a way of bringing you right back to where you were always meant to be.

I loved this book because Rae’s story is, quite literally, almost my story.

There are books you read and enjoy, and then there are books that become a little piece of you. This will always be one of those books for me. I’ll carry Rae’s story and this book with me for a very long time. 🤍

[Haylee Weslowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! The author’s descriptions were so vivid that I felt completely immersed in every scene—I could practically hear, smell, and taste everything alongside the characters. The story kept me on edge from beginning to end, and I never knew where it was going to take me next.

It was deeply emotional while still feeling incredibly relatable. The journey of personal growth, healing, and learning to love yourself before loving someone else was beautifully written and left a lasting impact on me. If I could give this book more than 5 stars, I would. An incredibly impressive debut novel that I won’t be forgetting anytime soon.

[Angela LaBue · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Recieved as ARC from author.* Wow!!! Liv Rowan has such a talent for writing. I enjoyed every minute of this book. The 90s nostalgia was limitless. I even caught myself wishing I had been born a few years earlier so I could have been a teenager in that era rather than a child. I couldn't help but to feel like I was there beside Rae as she grew into the woman she was meant to become. Rae discovers that true happiness is worth the wait despite all the heartache life throws your way. I will definitly be on the lookout for Liv Rowan's next book.

[Brandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm almost positive that anyone who reads Written In Us can relate to Rae in one way or another. From teenage heartbreak, to losing yourself, to struggling to keep your head above water, making decisions because they are the safe ones but not the right ones, and fighting to find yourself again.

There are times I was reading this story and felt like it was personally written by me. The things Rae felt and the way she thought are similar to personal experiences. I could feel her heartache and anxiety.

I'm so happy Rae got the ending she deserved but I know she fought so hard to get there.

[Marissa Montano]

Alt romance

90s era

Coming of age

Single POV

Fated romance

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I did enjoy reading the story, there were time where I felt like it went a little slow but other than that there were messages in the book that multiple people could relate to!

This being Liv Rowan’s debut novel, I see how much thought she put into it, I can’t wait to see her grow as a writer! I hope we can revisit Rae one day 💕

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Stephanie Moreno · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got a advanced review copy from the author and am not required to leave a review but I will because it was very well written the description of the characters was amazing and I could see them in my head. I absolutely loved this book and it may have taken me a little longer to read being so busy with cheer and kids but once I got time I really couldn't put it down. There were scenes that I didnt guess what would happen next and thats my favorite kind of book one that keeps you on your toes.

[Hope Norberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I made this review on my own and I was able to read an advanced copy....This book had me looking up and listening to songs I haven't heard in years and all the 90s vibes I loved it. Rae had me in my feelings thinking of times I'd gone through similar times and self reflecting on my own growth as Rae did in the story. Really our life stories are wrote we just have to stop fighting fate.

[Kristin Burns · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rae had me reliving my High School days. Written with such a grasp on every teenage girls angst. I could hear the music play in the background of my mind as I read, like my very own Playlist had been stolen.

A beautiful telling of how it is ok it you don't get it right the first time. What is meant to be, will be. 💚

[Helaine Lummus · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Nostalgic Read! Like going back to my youth. All the references to the 90s. The music. The Bonfire Parties. The teenage heartbreak. I enjoyed this book so much. It brought back so many memories and feelings I hadn’t thought about in years. Thank you for that trip down memory lane.

[Shanna Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have so many emotions towards this book and it's all good. Liv truly brought me back to my high school days and I could see myself in some of the same situations as the FMC. Navigating high school and young adulthood had it's challenges but Liv was able to capture that and much more. From all the music references, this book was such a nostalgic read. Was life easy for the FMC ... heck no but I think that in the end she was able to have her happily ever after. Bonus for all the 90's music references and the glossary at the end.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the hardest books I’ve ever had to review because my feelings about it are so conflicted.

I always leave honest reviews, and I genuinely wanted to give this book five stars and rave about it. Liv Rowen’s writing is beautiful and incredibly immersive. She transported me right back to high school, and I wasn’t just reading Rea’s story—I was feeling every emotion alongside her. Every heartbreak, every awkward moment, every hope, and every disappointment felt real.

And that’s exactly why I struggled.

For a large portion of the book, I hated how Rea felt. Not because the story was poorly written—in fact, it was the opposite. The writing was so effective that I couldn’t separate my own frustration and heartbreak from the reading experience. I found myself carrying those emotions with me long after I put the book down.

Rea is a typical teenage girl. She falls hard, laughs even harder, makes mistakes, and grows through every experience. This story follows her journey as she navigates first love, heartbreak, friendships, relationships, and the life-changing decisions that shape who she becomes. It’s emotional, raw, and painfully authentic.

If you’ve ever been a teenager who’s loved someone more than they deserved, questioned your worth, or had to figure out who you are after your heart has been broken, this book will probably hit you just as hard as it hit me.

While it wasn’t an easy read emotionally, it was an incredibly well-written one. Sometimes the books that make us the most uncomfortable are the ones that stay with us the longest—and Written in Us is definitely one of those books.

[Marla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of advance copy received from the Author

This book was a brought back so many memories of the late teen through early 20s years in the 90s. So many references that those of us growing up then would get, Boone’s Farms, a white Cabrio, concert tees, Christian Slater, and so many more. Liv Rowan even gave us a playlist to bring back even more memories

The main character Rae reminded me so much of myself when I was in high school. I could have probably pulled her story from my own history. After high school is where we would split since I went away to college while she juggled working life. I have friends who lived through similar situations as her and I was their shoulder to cry on when things turned tough and ended.

The author did a fantastic job on debut novel. While I overall enjoyed the book, but there were parts that did drag. Kind of like days did back then.

I’d really like to know the thoughts of one character now that Eddie Bauer is out of business.