Just Want You Here

A Novel

By: Meredith Turits

Narrated by: Megan Tusing, Steve West, Sara Sheckells, Gary Tiedemann

An intimate and deeply moving coming-of-age novel about second chances and the inextricable bonds between lovers and friends.

The only love Ari has known is Morgan. Engaged and planning a life with him in New York, Ari is shocked when Morgan sits her down one rainy afternoon and tells her their decade-long relationship is over. They’ve been over for a long time now, he says—and Ari knows he’s right.

Twenty-eight years old and suddenly alone, Ari throws herself into a new job in Boston, as assistant to a tech CEO. Wells is British, twelve years her senior, a devoted husband and father. He’s also captivated by Ari, in a way neither of them can explain. Ignoring every warning signal from friends and their own instincts, they dive into a fiery affair, which becomes more dangerous as Ari finds herself intricately tangled with his wife, Leah.

Nothing can prepare Ari for the choices she must make as she tries to uncover what’s right for herself, and for the people she can’t let go. As a new path opens—a journey of lies and the twisted calculus of protecting them—Ari’s second chance at happiness forces her to consider who she really is. Can you love someone without dragging them under? What does it take to start over again?

©2025 by Meredith Turits. (P)2025 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Turits deftly explores the ways that grief, trauma, and secrets can manifest in ways big and small…A fresh take on the traditional affair novel.”—Kirkus Reviews

“A riveting, honest, and incisive novel about love, lust, and the complications of youth.”—Daisy Alpert Florin, author of My Last Innocent Year

“A compelling story about chasing true happiness while trying to do no harm. I found myself reading this novel late into the night, thinking about the characters as if they were my own friends.”—Adrienne Celt, author of End of the World House

Great listen

Loved the book and especially the four narrators for all four perspectives. Breezy read. Recommended!