ONE WAY OR ANOTHER

A sharp, funny, authentic, and deliciously swoon-worthy debut novel -- and a brilliant ode to classic, defining rom-coms. Kara McDowell's portrayal of first love is remarkably raw and real. This is a love story that is never too perfect, and certainly never too easy.

Paige Collins' undiagnosed anxiety means that she lives in constant, debilitating fear of making the wrong decision. To her, every choice has the potential to fling her life out of its natural orbit into a universe of flaming disappointment. That's how it's worked in the past, at least. Bad decisions have had the power to change everything. So when Paige is presented with two last-minute options for her Christmas vacation--New York City with her mom or a snowy cabin with Fitz, her best friend and likely love her life (even if he doesn't know it yet)--she boycotts the decision in favor of trusting the "Magic 8" app on her phone. A foolproof plan that absolves her of any consequences.
Two possible answers. Two different life choices. Just as the app reveals the decision, Paige slips on a freshly washed grocery store floor--and life splits into two very different parallel fates.
Fate One: Paige follows her wanderlust to New York, where she is determined to reinvent herself into a braver, more adventurous person--but her anxiety keeps her clinging to the app for every decision. When the app fails her and she finds herself lost in Brooklyn, she turns to pretentious family friend Harrison for help. Together, they check off the items on her New York City bucket list, and as Paige is falling for the city, Harrison is falling for Paige. He might be the adventure she is looking for...if only Paige can forget about Fitz long enough to give Harrison an actual chance.
Fate Two: Paige follows her heart to an idyllic mountain cabin with Fitz to see her first snowfall. But just as the two of them get caught under the mistletoe, Fitz's ex-girlfriend shows up unannounced, desperate for a rom-com perfect holiday reunion. On the eve of a blizzard, no less, meaning the three of them are stuck together--no electricity, no phones, no distractions, and way too many unspoken feelings.
Will Paige have her happy ending in both fates--or in neither? Before she can find what she's looking for, she needs to overcome her fear and decide. Without the help of an app.
Born in the mountains and raised in the desert, Kara McDowell spent her childhood swimming, boating, and making up stories in her head. As the middle of five children, Kara entertained her family on long road trips by reading short mystery stories out loud and forcing everyone to guess the conclusion. After graduating from Arizona State University with a BA in English Literature, Kara worked as a freelance writer. Now she writes young adult novels from her home in Arizona, where she lives with her husband and three young sons.