Mari and her step-sister are headed to Lollapalooza, the music festival in Chicago. Mariβs excited to also see her father, but it took a lot for Mari to get away for the weekend. Her mom is bitter about the divorce and is abusive when Mari brings up her father. Her mother wouldnβt even give Mari a ride to the airport. Mariβs not sure how much longer she can live with her mom, but sheβs happy sheβll be headed to college next year.
Mari and Sierra take a rideshare to the festival where they meet TJ and his brother. Both boys are attractive, but Mari and TJ immediately hit it off. They decide to spend some time together at the festival. A mosh-pit separates them. Since they didnβt exchange last names or phone numbers, theyβre unlikely to meet up again.
Luckily Sierra snuck a picture of the two of them and uses social media to bring them back together. Mari and TJ make plans for breakfast the next morning.Β After breakfast, they head for the beach. They spend time talking about their lives: Mari tells him about her family life and TJ talks about his desire not to go to business school but to pursue his art instead. Their time together is only supposed to last for the weekend, but could their relationship be something real?
THE PICK-UPΒ by Miranda Kenneally takes place over the course of three days. While on the surface this is a super cute teen romance, thereβs a lot going on in the book. Mariβs family drama plays a significant role, once she tells her father the truth about her life. TJ is dealing with discovering his identity and struggling with the creative juices bursting inside him. Of course, itβs not a Miranda Kenneally book unless thereβs lots of kissing. This sex-positive YA romance hits all the right notes.
When Mari hails a Ryde to a music festival, the last thing she expects is for the car to pick up a gorgeous guy along the way. Mari doesn't believe in dating—it can only end with a broken heart. Besides, she's only staying at her dad's house in Chicago for the weekend. How close can you get to a guy in three days?
TJ wants to study art in college, but his family's expectations cast a long shadow over his dreams. When he meets Mari in the back of a rideshare, he feels alive for the first time in a long time.
Mari and TJ enter the festival together and share an electric moment but get separated in a crowd with seemingly no way to find each other. When fate reunites them (with a little help from a viral hashtag), they'll have to decide: was it love at first sight, or the start of nothing more than a weekend fling?
No excerpt available.
© 2003-2026