Some books seem to come to me with a built-in playlist, and FINDERS KEEPERS was definitely one of them.
“505” - Arctic Monkeys
This is what I consider the theme song for the whole book. The returning to a place, to a person, and hoping to find them open to receiving you, but also worried about screwing things up again feels especially Quentin-coded, but it applies to Nina as well. “The middle of adventure, such a perfect place to start” is so apropos that I actually suggested it to my editor as a potential tagline.
“Summer” - Steady Holiday and Jim James
This song really captures the nostalgia of long summer days and nights and mixes it perfectly with the push-pull that Nina and Quentin feel when they reunite in their hometown after seventeen years of estrangement. It even asks “What did you expect?” and answers with “Not silence.” And then it goes on to push them to consider if being together maybe isn’t as complicated as they’ve tried to make it.
“Sofa King” - Royel Otis
I like to imagine this one from Quentin’s perspective. He’s never felt quite good enough for Nina to choose him, and he’s not sure he is now either (“Don't take another chance with me/I'm not the man I'm supposed to be). And yet he can’t help but keep trying anyway because he’s so drawn to her.
“Moon” - Teenage Dads
One of my favorite bits in Finders Keepers is how Nina and Quentin have conversations through their side-by-side bedroom windows, with Quentin often adopting a bad French accent and pretending to be the Moon. I love how this song plays with the idea of the moon being there and then being absent—something Nina often considers in the context of how Quentin was there for her and then not and now has returned again.
“Never Had a Dream Come True” - SClub7
The nostalgia in this book extends to a scene where Nina and Quentin go to an old classmate’s cocktail bar during a 90s and 00s theme night and wind up dancing to this song outside on the patio. And while this is definitely an homage to the music of my (and their) youth, the lyrics are also quite relevant, describing a relationship that didn’t work out but left behind strong feelings that continue to linger long after they’ve “moved on.”
Two estranged best friends find that their long-abandoned treasure hunt might be the key to a fresh start—for both their futures and their feelings, from USA Today bestselling author Sarah Adler.
Last week, Nina Hunnicutt was a professor about to move into a gorgeous new apartment with her long-term boyfriend. Now, she’s single, unemployed, and living with her parents. Even more surprising is the fact that Quentin Bell, her childhood neighbor (and okay, fine, crush), is also back in town—and wants to resume the treasure hunt that ended their friendship almost two decades ago.
Hoping the reward promised to whoever finds the rumored riches left behind by the town’s eccentric turn-of-the-century seltzer magnate will help her get her life back on track, Nina agrees. Granted, last time the search resulted in a broken heart and seventeen years of silence. But Nina’s older and wiser now. Surely things will be different?
Except, Quentin is also older and wiser…not to mention distractingly handsome. As they resume their hunt, Nina and Quentin begin to rediscover all the things they once loved best about each other. But unlike the treasure, the secrets that left them empty-handed the first time refuse to stay buried. If there’s any hope of finding what they’re looking for—and for a future together—Nina and Quentin will have to be brave enough to excavate their past as well.
Romance Comedy | Women's Fiction [Berkley, On Sale: June 24, 2025, Trade Paperback / e-Book , ISBN: 9780593817421 / eISBN: 9780593817438]
Sarah Adler writes romantic comedies about lovable weirdos finding their happily ever afters. She lives in Maryland with her husband and daughter and spends an inordinate amount of her time yelling at her mischievous cat to stop opening the kitchen cabinets.
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