This is a preorder of 'The Way We Used to Be' by Amarie Wheeler!

Release date: August 15, 2026 

Estimated Shipping: September 2026 (earlier if possible!)

If you order other items with this book, ALL ITEMS will ship together. If you want the other items earlier, please make a separate purchase. 

Blurb:

After walking away from her soul-sucking corporate job, Amara Singleton is finally chasing the dream she’s held since childhood—opening a boutique dedicated to her own plus-size clothing designs.

There’s just one problem.

The only storefront she can afford is falling apart and is in desperate need of renovations.

When she unfortunately runs into Theo Sinclair, her childhood best friend—and first love—who disappeared from her life without a trace eight years ago, he makes her an offer she can’t afford to refuse. He’ll renovate the boutique for free… if she gives their friendship another chance.

Working side by side forces them back into the easy rhythm they once shared, and the more time Amara spends with Theo, the harder it becomes to ignore the feelings she never truly left behind.

She finds out Theo’s been carrying a life-altering secret for eight years—one that could destroy the fragile second chance they’re building. Now Amara must decide if some wounds are too deep to heal…or if love is worth the risk of breaking her heart all over again.

What to Expect:

• Childhood Friend to Lovers
• She Fell First, He Fell Harder
• Slow Burn
• Mutual Pining
• Forced Proximity
• BIPOC Romance
• Mental Health Rep
• Neurodivergent Reo
• Plus-Sized FMC

Content Warnings: