Elizabeth Eulberg Books In Order

Publication Order of The Lonely Hearts Club Books

Publication Order of Girl Detective Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Anthologies

Elizabeth Eulberg is an American author of Mystery, Young Adult and Children’s books. She was born and spent her childhood in Wisconsin, but moved to New York City to start a career in the publishing industry where she worked with some prolific authors. She is the author of the internationally bestselling young adult novels, Better Off Friends, and The Lonely Hearts Club.

Her first book in The Lonely Hearts Club series is a story about a young girl named Penny Lane who gets heartbroken by a childhood crush. The book is inspired by Elizabeth’s real-life experience- one night when she went out to party with her friend.

The Lonely Hearts Club

The first in the series by the same name is a boy meets and breaks girl’s story. While this trend a common way of writing for most teen fiction authors, Elizabeth Eulberg hooks you in the right from the first page.

Imagine a scenario where a high school girl swears off the boy for the rest of her school life. And in doing so, she becomes the head of a movement aimed at liberating students from the pressures of teen sex, dating, and relationships. Elizabeth’s series debut novel gives us an intriguing twist on a popular theme in the teen genre.

We meet Penny Lane Boom ready to commit both emotionally and physically in a relationship with Nate Taylor. But on the night she intends to lose her virginity, she finds Nate cheating on her with another girl. Angry, heartbroken and embarrassed, she’s forced to begin her junior year without her boyfriend. Even though Penny is supported in grieving moments by her friends, there are several other boys interested in her, but she decides not to date until she graduates from high school. She knows that all the boys in her school are immature and liars. And inspired by the Beatles band and the song she’s named after, Penny forms a Lonely Hearts Club.

At first, Penny is the only member of the club. But as she shares her idea with her friends, they all become interested. They soon realize that Saturday nights and dances together than with cheating and unpredictable boys. Soon, there are some set rules to the club and in a matter of weeks; Petty’s basement is full of lonely girls every Saturday. But as the girls gain confidence and build trust, their fellow students begin to harass them. The idea that the Lonely Hearts Club members are not into teenage relationships seems impossible.

Soon, the club members find themselves in a dilemma and are forced to re-think their relationship status as handsome, kind, and loyal boys stand out from the crowd of the hooligans.

Penny’s challenge Ryan Bauer is a sweet and cute “gentleman” and more complicated than she imagined. He seems a great guy who likes her. He is also Penny’s old best friend, ex-boyfriend. The situation appears complicated than she might think, and she feels that he already knows that she’s not interested in dating. But going for Beatles tribute concerts looks like a date, and Penny isn’t sure whether she’s ready to start all over again. She’s also worried about what other club members will have to say about her “date” when they find out.

Elizabeth Eulberg’s story is a sweet and gentle read that conveys powerful ideas such as solidarity, empowerment, and friendship. Some of the teenagers in the story are social drinkers, some are sexually active, and none of them is judged for their choices in life. Instead, the characters are supported and taken care of each other. The girls in Lonely Hearts Clubs are strong, powerful, and support each other even in moments of grief and tribulation. Overall, The Lonely Hearts Club is a beautifully crafted, tender, and bittersweet story.

Better Off Friends

Published in 2014, Better Off Friends is the fourth standalone novel by the internationally bestselling author Elizabeth Eulberg. It’s a sweet and cheery contemporary with fresh romantic elements and one that bridges between middle grade and young adult.

We meet Levi, who starts as an unhappy California transplant battling with harsh Wisconsin’s climate and trying to fit in with other bad boys in his new school. There is Macallan a responsible and hard-nosed Midwesterner, whose mother died in a car crash. Levi and Macallan’s unlikely friendship begin when they share a liking for a British comedy.

Better Off Friends is narrated from dual point of views, alternating between Levi and Macallan. Each chapter in the story ends with what seems to be the current dialogue between the two main characters. The conversation helps soften the already low tension storytelling and it’s also a unique way to augment the storytelling. The author’s prose well readable, she adds British and Irish terms to the story, therefore adding a fresh burst of flavor, something you’ll rarely find in this genre.

As a reader, you’ll already guess from the blurb and title that the novel does nothing to counter the modern perception that boys and girls can’t be just friends. The story seems to be more geared to the best friend’s status.

Macallan and Levi are best friends, but other people always wonder why the two aren’t more than just friends. In some occasions, their friendship affects their actual relationships. As the reader, there are several instances when you feel like locking the two in a room until they figure it out. The experiences these two characters have are realistic and don’t feel like they’re forced. Both Levi and Macallan are well crafted and easily relatable. Also, there’s plenty of banter as they try to figure out what they want to be for each other. Elizabeth Eulberg has woven a captivating contemporary book with richly detailed characters that are smart and funny.

Overall Better off Friends can be said to be a modern take of the 1989 drama romance comedy When Harry Met Sally, and it’s sure to be one of the best books for lovers of contemporary.