Music has played such a big role in the writing of this book, probably more than any other book I’ve worked on. The idea of narrowing it down to a list of five feels nearly impossible, but here are some that were on repeat as I got to know the characters and their story!
Bad Reputation by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
This song is Thea. The Best I Never Had is dedicated to my short fuse girlies, the ones who were always told to calm down and that they didn’t need to be so angry and aggressive all the time. These are the women who watched 10 Things I Hate About You and felt viscerally seen by Kat Stratford. Those who want to be loved because of their fire and passion, not in spite of it. Y’all are badasses, and so is Thea.
Nervous by Shawn Mendes
I like to do interviews where I ask the ‘characters’ questions to get to know them before I start drafting, and as I got to know Owen, this song just felt so right. He’s this gorgeous, competent, kind man, but when he looks at Thea, he can barely string two words together. He’s so precious and amazing, and I loved taking him from this to the guy who tells Thea to put her hands behind her back (iykyk).
I Feel a Sin Comin’ On by Pistol Annies
For anyone who has read the book already, this is the song that Thea and Addy sing in the bar scene. It’s actually the whole reason the bar scene exists. When I heard it for the first time, it felt intrinsically linked to Thea and Owen, who are fighting an unwinnable battle against their attraction, and I couldn’t help but imagine Owen being brought to his knees when he heard her sing it. It also led to one of my favorite lines, “It would take God himself appearing in this bar to get me to stop watching her.”
Delicate by Taylor Swift
This whole book is very Reputation coded, and choosing just one song from that album was so hard. But this one does feel right. Thea’s spent her whole life hearing she’s too much, too wild, and too unlovable to keep around. She’s heard it so much that the lies feel like an absolute truth, until Owen challenges it and helps her see what she’s worth. There’s this beautiful hesitancy, both in the song and in Thea when she starts to consider that maybe they could be something real to each other.
Behind by Myles Smith
This song was on repeat in the most joyful moments of the book! Thea and Owen have both been put through it by life. She spent the majority of her childhood in the foster system, tossed around from home to home, and he had to take on too much responsibility at a young age after his father died. This song captures their happily ever after perfectly! It’s about seeing all those past hurts and being willing to both sit in them with the person you love while also choosing to build something new and beautiful beyond the pain.
THE BEST I NEVER HAD by Amy Buchanan
They staged a romance, faked a breakup, and this time around, anything can happen—even something real.
Thea Pappas has always been the storm in her own life—fiery and unpredictable—traits that led her and her younger sister, Addy, through a series of foster homes. But with Addy’s whirlwind engagement, Thea is determined to be the perfect maid of honor, even if she finds it odd that she hadn’t heard of the fiancé until the ring was on Addy’s finger. She believes she can survive a week in the Blue Ridge Mountains with a group of strangers without causing any trouble.
But upon arrival, Thea realizes these aren’t strangers. Among the familiar faces is Owen Hayes—the man who, three years ago, paid her to pretend to be his girlfriend at a family wedding. Now, he’s looking at her with the same panicked expression.
Owen’s life has always been about control—managing his mother’s matchmaking schemes, his family’s expectations, and the career path he never truly chose. Thea was his one rebellion, a beautiful lie that ended with a “heart-destroying” fake breakup. Now, with his younger brother’s wedding underway and his mother on the prowl, Owen begs Thea to reprise their roles. One week. Same fake breakup. No feelings.
But as old sparks reignite and the lines between pretense and reality blur, Thea and Owen will have to choose: carry on their greatest performance yet or admit the truth—that it was never fake at all.
Romance Contemporary [ St. Martin’s Griffin, On Sale: August 18, 2026, Trade Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9781250341587 / ]
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About Amy Buchanan
Amy Buchanan’s affair with romance and books started at three, when she watched Beauty and the Beast and couldn’t decide if she was more obsessed with the prince or the library (The library. Definitely the library). After decades of devouring love stories written by others, she finally decided to share the ones pinging around in her brain. She writes fun and spicy contemporary romances with relatable heroines, swoonworthy heroes, and loving found families.
She lives in Central Florida with her three littles, two pups, and one husband. On top of writing, she uses her Masters in Higher Education Administration to run a scholarship foundation for first-generation college students. When not working, she trolls travel sites for luxury rentals outside of her travel budget and–poorly–trains for half-marathons. She loves sharing the stories that shaped who she is with her kids, but it will be a while before she’ll let her kids read anything she writes herself.
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