The Ones Who Stay

By Kristen Barenthaler

When Kristen arrives at Harvard, she's not chasing prestige - she's chasing survival. With two young daughters back home in California and a past she's still learning to live with, she's determined to build a future that feels like her own. But healing isn't linear, and neither is love.

Jenny, her best friend and emotional anchor, is unraveling under the weight of a secret she can't carry alone. Greg, steady and kind, offers Kristen a glimpse of the life she never thought she deserved. And Austin, tangled in Jenny's story, forces them all to confront what it means to stay - for each other, for themselves, and for the futures they're still afraid to want.

Spanning four years of friendship, heartbreak, and quiet triumphs, The Ones Who Stay is a deeply intimate portrait of young adulthood, chosen family, and the slow, brave work of becoming. With lyrical prose and unforgettable emotional depth, Kristen Barenthaler delivers a debut novel that will stay with you long after the final page.

Perfect for fans of Colleen Hoover, Taylor Jenkins Reid, and anyone who's ever rebuilt their life from the inside out.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0GKFS8V3F
• ISBN13: 9798246051443
• Release Date: January 2026
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 254 Pages
• Weight: 0.76 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 9.0"