Then Everything Happens at Once

Baylee has never been kissed but she wants to do way more than that. She’s had a huge crush on her gorgeous best friend and neighbor, Freddie, for years, but since she doesn’t look like his usual type, the judgmental voice in her head tells her he’ll never see her as more than a friend. It feels like she’ll spend the rest of high school fantasizing on the sidelines while everyone else dates and hooks up.

Then Baylee meets Alex online and she starts to fall for this sweet, funny barista who likes her just as she is. It’s new, electric, and all-consuming to be around Alex. But when Freddie makes a move on Baylee and a virus shuts the world down, Baylee finds herself torn.

Everything is happening at once, and she is left navigating the messy waters of love and desire. It helps that she’s observed her friends’ relationship drama so she knows exactly what mistakes not to make . . . right?

This sophomore novel from M-E Girard centers a fat, confident girl going after what she wants and learning to love herself along the way.

• Friends to Lovers: She’s been crushing on her best friend Freddie for years. When he finally makes a move, it’s everything she’s ever wanted—or is it?
• Sapphic Romance: A sweet, funny barista named Alex who she meets online seems perfect. But as Baylee starts to fall for her, she realizes her heart is more complicated than she thought.
• Pandemic Setting: Just as Baylee’s love life gets complicated, a virus shuts down the entire world, trapping her at home and forcing her to figure out her feelings in lockdown.
• A Sex-Positive Heroine: Baylee knows what she wants, and it’s way more than just a first kiss. A funny, heartfelt, and empowering story about a fat girl exploring her desire and learning to love herself.