Without Merit

Not every mistake deserves a consequence. Sometimes only forgiveness can fix a mistake. The Fosse family is anything but normal. They live in a church that's been repurposed as a home. The cancer-stricken mother lives in the basement, while the father remarried to the mother's former nurse. The younger half-brother isn't allowed to do or eat anything fun, and the older siblings are annoyingly perfect. And then... there's Merritt. Merritt Fosse collects the cups she never earned and the secrets her family forces her to keep. While wandering around the local antique store looking for her next cup, she meets Sagan. His intelligence and idealism spark her into life again, until she discovers their relationship is just an impossible dream. Merritt withdraws further into herself, watching her family from afar when she discovers a secret no amount of alcohol can fix. Fed up with the lies, Merritt decides to shatter the illusion of a happy family she was never a part of before leaving them behind forever. When her plan to escape goes awry, Merritt is forced to deal with the staggering consequences of telling the truth and losing the only boy she's ever loved. Touching and powerful, Without Merritt explores the layers of lies that bind a family together, and the power of love and truth. - Colleen Hoover, #1 New York Times bestselling author of *A Loud Close*, *The Turning Point*, *This Girl*, *Hopeless*, *Giving Up Hope*, *Finding Cinderella*, and *Maybe Someday*. She lives in Texas with her husband and their three children.