We Took the Long Way

By Ashley Hsu

A nostalgic, summer-soaked novel from debut author Ashley Hsu about friendship, forgiveness, and the kind of love that lingers long after everything else has changed.

Aria, Quinn, and Marielle used to be inseparable: long summer nights, inside jokes, and a list of promises they swore they'd complete together. Until everything fell apart.

Meet Aria: carefully composed, endlessly running, and determined to leave the past where it belongs. She doesn't do second chances, especially not when they come with memories she's spent years trying to forget.

Enter Quinn: sharp-tongued, fiercely loyal, and unwilling to pretend everything is fine. Some things broke for a reason, and she's not sure she believes in putting them back together.

And then there's Marielle: the one who is fighting to make the puzzle pieces fit back together, and the one who is running out of time.

Now, years later, Marielle has one final plan. With a terminal diagnosis and nothing left to lose, she brings Aria and Quinn back into her life to finish the list they started as kids. Long summer nights, reckless promises, and all the moments they thought they'd have forever to complete thrown into one summer before they all graduate for college. Revisiting the past isn't as simple as it sounds. As golden days blur into fleeting nights, Aria is forced to face the memories she's tried to outrun, Quinn struggles to trust what was broken, and Marielle holds them together while quietly falling apart. Between late-night drives, old hiding spots, and the weight of everything left unsaid, old wounds resurface as the girls are forced to confront what really tore them apart.

Told through alternating perspectives, We Took the Long Way is a heartfelt coming-of-age story about the kind of love that lingers, the friendships that shape us, and what it means to hold on when time is slipping away.

A portion of the proceeds from this book will be donated to nonprofit organizations focused on building connection and support, including those dedicated to mental health awareness, empowering young women, and advancing cancer research.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0GWCQDJRJ
• ISBN13: 9798254981398
• Release Date: April 2026
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 312 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.5" x 8.5"