Picking Daisies on Sundays, published in 2023, is a contemporary second-chance, friends-to-lovers, young-adult romance novel by self-published author Liana Cincotti, who authored the novel while still in college. The novel, set in New York City, focuses on Dani’s quests of Overcoming Fear to Embrace Love, Listening to One’s Instincts as a Path to Self-Discovery, and Growing Up by Letting Go of Expectations. Cincotti writes character-focused fiction that explores themes of love, grief, and personal transformation, centered on young adults undergoing major life transitions. Her other books are Don’t Be in Love (2024) and A Summer of Stars (2026).

This guide refers to the 2023 Hachette Book e-book edition.

Content Warning: The source material and guide feature depictions of illness, death, sexual harassment, bullying, and substance use.

Plot Summary

Daniela “Dani” Maria is a fashion-design student in New York City whose life is unexpectedly disrupted when she reunites with her former best friend, Levi Coldwell, after four years of separation. In high school, Dani and Levi bonded over the loss of their fathers, forming a deep friendship that Dani secretly hoped would become something more. On prom night, Dani attempted to confess her feelings, but a misunderstanding, compounded by alcohol and miscommunication, led both to believe that they had been rejected. The fallout ended their friendship completely.

Years later, Dani encounters Levi by chance at a bar in New York. Levi asks Dani to pretend to be his girlfriend for his sister’s upcoming wedding, hoping to prove to his ex-girlfriend Bella’s influential mother that he’s capable of commitment. Despite her lingering feelings and hesitation, Dani agrees, drawn both to Levi and to the chance to reconnect with him and his family. As they fall into the rhythm of their fake relationship, Dani reconnects with his younger sisters, attends family events, and becomes increasingly entangled in his life again. At the same time, she struggles with her own future, working to complete her senior design project while applying to competitive graduate programs. Her first choice is a prestigious design school in New York, but she also receives an acceptance to a program in Paris, forcing her to consider leaving everything familiar behind.

Throughout this period, Dani and Levi’s interactions blur the line between pretense and reality. Through shared memories, physical closeness, and heightened emotional intimacy, Dani questions whether Levi’s feelings are genuine. However, Levi’s past relationship with Bella and Dani’s own insecurities make it difficult for her to trust what she sees. Complicating matters further is Ethan, Dani’s academic advisor, whose guidance becomes increasingly manipulative and inappropriate as he pressures her to depend on his approval.

The tension between Dani and Levi reaches a breaking point at a formal ball. Their performance as a couple becomes emotionally real, culminating in a passionate kiss that seems to confirm Dani’s hopes. However, overwhelmed and unable to reconcile the heat of the moment with the premise of their arrangement, Dani runs away before she can fully confront her feelings. Emotionally overwhelmed, she mentally revisits prom night and realizes that the original fracture in their relationship stemmed from a misunderstanding. Both she and Levi had misinterpreted each other’s actions, allowing years of silence and pain to grow from a single moment.

Dani channels her emotions into completing her graduate application and senior project. At the same time, her situation with Ethan escalates, ultimately leading to a confrontation that exposes his misconduct and reinforces Dani’s need to trust her own instincts. As the wedding approaches, Dani and Levi continue to grow closer emotionally. Their connection deepens through shared time with his family, late-night conversations, and small acts of care. Yet Dani struggles to believe that Levi could truly love her, convinced that she’s misreading his intentions. Her self-doubt persists even as evidence mounts that Levi’s feelings are real.

Dani is rejected from her top-choice design school, reinforcing her long-held fear that she’s not good enough and pushing her toward a decision that she’s been avoiding. She chooses to accept the opportunity in Paris, committing to a path that prioritizes her growth and independence. Although Levi is shaken by the news, he supports her decision. Before leaving, Dani finally confronts the truth about her past and present. She writes a letter to Levi, expressing her love for him. He confronts her, and they clear up the prom-night misunderstanding that kept them apart. Levi shares that his feelings for her never disappeared and that his writing has always been about her. Dani, in turn, admits that she has loved him all along.

They choose to be together, even with the impending challenge of Dani living in Paris. At the wedding, Levi announces his decision to follow Dani to Paris, choosing a teaching position there over a career opportunity in New York. Together, they prepare to begin a new chapter abroad. Dani also finds closure in her grief, visiting her father’s grave and moving away from the coping mechanisms that she has relied on for years. The novel concludes with Dani and Levi building a life together in Paris, balancing their individual ambitions with their relationship. They enter this new phase with a stronger sense of self and a shared commitment to their future.