Auriane Desombre Books In Order

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Auriane Desombree
Auriane Desombree is a YA and children’s author, embroidery enthusiast, and middle school teacher.

She teaches late elementary school students, so she brings in more middle grade into her classroom than YA. She loves connecting students with books that suit their interests, particularly for students that are looking to see themselves represented in diverse literature. Talking about books with her students is certainly one of her favorite parts of her job.

Auriane was first inspired for “I Think I Love You” because of the hilarious banter in “Much Ado About Nothing”. The enemies-to-lovers trope has always been a favorite of hers, and the fact that Benedick and Beatrice’s rivalry is based largely on who can be the funniest in an argument is absolutely incredible. Attempting to bring all of this drama and humor into a contemporary teen context was a ton of fun. Auriane believes that it is so important to claim space for LGBTQ+ characters in retellings of classic literature, where there’s often so little diversity.

When she writes enemies to lovers, she especially loves the banter stage. It is a ton of fun to push both of the characters’ buttons and attempt to find the funniest of ways to make them engage with one another. The moments where the begin realizing they may not hate each other after all are also delicious to write, since this is often where the characters are at their most vulnerable.

Since she knew “I Think I Love You was going to be a retelling of “Much Ado About Nothing” with a bit of Austen’s “Emma” mixed in, she knew right away the novel would be an enemies to lovers with a bunch of meddling and matchmaking going on. And because of these two elements, she decided she would set Sophia and Emma as being opposite in terms of their views on romance. It gives the couple a ton to disagree about, however it also enables them to find some common ground as the plot unfolds.

Even though they are total opposites, Auriane relates to both Sophia and Emma. She can see herself in Emma’s steadfast belief in romance, and her love of cats, however she also loves Sophia’s worldview that friendship should be valued just as much.

She learned so much about publishing and writing as a Pitch Wars mentee, and made friendships with other authors that she cannot imagine her life without. Having a community of other authors is indispensable when it comes to growing your craft and navigating your way through the publishing industry.

Auriane loves drafting a new project, and holding onto the enjoyment that writing gives her helps her persevere when the other parts of the writing process feel overwhelming or challenging.

“I Think I Love You” is the first stand alone novel and was released in 2021. A funny and sweet debut about falling for somebody when you least expect it, and learning that real life romance is way better than anything on screen.

Emma is a die hard romantic. She loves Lady Catulet (her pet), a meet-cute Netflix film, and dreaming up the Gay Rom Com of her heart for the film festival competition that she and her friends are all entering. If they would just listen to her ideas.

Sophia is pragmatic. She is big on boycotts. Like 1) Emma’s nauseating ideas, 2) relationships, and 3) teen boys and their BO (reason #258774113 that she is a lesbian). Forget starry-eyed romance, she knows what is going to win: an artistic movie with a message.

Cue all the drama. This movie is doomed before they can even start shooting. Until this real life plot twist unfolds behind the camera when Sophia and Emma begin seeing one another through a whole different lens. All of a sudden, their rivalry is beginning to feel like some actual rom-com.

Fans of the novel loved reading about Emma and Sophia’s transformation. Their relationship development and character development were absolutely perfect. They are each flawed in their own way yet that is what makes them each great characters. The novel is filled with humor, heart, and an impressive amount of wit. Auriane perfectly captures the feelings of being a student in New York and the chemistry between Sophia and Emma manages to be sweet and swoony.

“The Sister Split” is the second stand alone novel and was released in 2023. A pair of soon-to-be stepsisters creates this plan which is going to keep their parents from getting married, however they quickly learn that matters of the heart can surprise you. Here is a fresh sister story evocative of “The Parent Trap” with LGBTQ themes for the modern reader.

Linnea still has not gotten over the fact that her dad’s found love after her parents got divorced. But luckily, she can take out all of her feelings on the tennis courts for a winning summer.

Autumn is looking forward to her summer vacation. She and her best friend are planning on going to all of the very best ice cream places that their stomachs can handle, and in NYC, the possibilities couldn’t possibly get any sweeter.

However then they learn the news: their parents will be getting married. Autumn is going to be moving to the suburbs to live with her stepfather and stepsister, which means kissing the fun summer with her best friend goodbye. For Linnea, she knows that her dream of getting her parents back together has officially ended.

Devastated, the pair come up with this idea: if they can split their parents up, their lives can go back to normal. While Linnea and Autumn attempt to sabotage everything from date nights to wedding planning, the two learn that having a sister isn’t the worst thing after all, however are they going to learn about love in a whole new way?

Readers loved the characters in the novel, and seeing the ways they change from start to finish. The lead character feels like a real kid, and the way she views what is happening around her makes sense for her age.