Heartstrings by Ali Novak

Heartstrings

Ali Novak

Sourcebooks · Paperback · October 7, 2025

From Ali Novak, author of My Life with the Walter Boys, comes the third book in The Heartbreak Chronicles series, perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Kasie West!

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Who it’s for
A backstage romance about being seen, finding your voice, and stepping out of someone else’s shadow.
Genres
Contemporary YA Romance, Music Stories for Teens, Coming of Age
Published
Sourcebooks, October 7, 2025

About this book

From Ali Novak, author of My Life with the Walter Boys, comes the third book in The Heartbreak Chronicles series, perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Kasie West! Who cares about being a fan favorite when you've found someone who's there just for you? Indigo, AKA "Indie" loves the art of special effects makeup and sometimes wonders if making monsters and zombies could be more than a hobby.

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But her sister, Violet, is a TV actress whose career has blown up big and become its own kind of monster. It's affected everything: their parents have split, their dad's too busy being Violet's manager, and Indie's on her own as she agonizes over her music school application. Even worse, she's just been drafted into being her sister's personal assistant for a weekend. Talk about being overshadowed. But Indie is about to meet someone who can relate: Xander Jones, the boyishly sweet guitarist of the world famous band the Heartbreakers, who constantly plays second fiddle to the band's bigger personalities. At a hectic comic con where she's fetching bottled water for her sister, Indie and Xander meet behind the scenes and hit it off. Indie knows Xander deserves to step out of the shadows. What if she could find the courage to do the same, by defying others' expectations of her and making a new path for herself? And what if she and Xander could become more than friends?

Finding Your Own Note

A backstage romance about being seen, finding your voice, and stepping out of someone else’s shadow.

Come here for

  • Music-world romance with a sweet guitarist and a special-effects makeup enthusiast
  • Sibling tension, fan culture, and a young woman choosing her own direction

Expect

  • A contemporary coming-of-age story with romantic sparks
  • Questions of ambition, family expectations, and visibility

Where it sits

Contemporary YA Romance90%
Music Stories for Teens71%
Coming of Age37%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • Music Stories for Teens
  • TV & Radio for Teens
  • Contemporary YA Romance
Authors
Ali Novak
Publisher
Sourcebooks
Published
October 7, 2025
Format
Paperback
Reading lane
Music Stories for Teens