Why We Love You’ve Found Oliver By Dustin Thao

If this next book isn’t one of the most anticipated books of 2025, then we don’t know what is! Allow us to introduce Dustin Thao‘s You’ve Found Oliver. It is a companion novel to You’ve Reached Sam, Dustin Thao’s debut novel that took BookTok by storm. The books can be read together or as stand-alone novels.

You’ve Found Oliver follows the story of Sam’s best friend, who was a fan favorite among many readers of the first book. One year after Sam dies, Oliver still finds himself texting Sam’s old number. He accidentally calls the number one day, and someone picks up.

We finished reading this book in record timing, and we have a feeling you all will, too. Here are three things we love about Dustin Thao’s You’ve Found Oliver, a story of grief, romance, and magical realism.

Book Overview: You’ve Found Oliver

Content warnings: death of a loved one, themes of grief and loss, mentions of cheating, domestic violence, and verbal abuse

Summary: It’s been a year since his best friend, Sam, died. Even though Oliver knows he won’t get a response, he can’t stop texting Sam’s number, especially as the anniversary of his death approaches.

Then one day he accidentally hits the call button, and someone picks up.

The voice on the other end isn’t Sam. Sam’s number was reassigned and a stranger has been receiving Oliver’s private and vulnerable messages for months. But Ben, a college student in Seattle, won’t remain a stranger for long. When they finally meet in person, their spark is undeniable. Everything seems perfect until Oliver discovers something strange might be keeping them apart.

Ties To You’ve Reached Sam

Although You’ve Found Oliver is a companion novel, it gives us plenty of context and references to You’ve Reached Sam we need to properly understand and appreciate the story. Julie, the main character of book one, has become best friends with Oliver. Her presence in this novel is comforting to both Oliver and readers alike. We see her start to pursue her dreams and move forward after a love lost. And the story even starts with a series of memories that Oliver has of his time spent with his best friend Sam, up until the day Sam dies.

Oliver’s Character Development

Oliver and Julie are in their spring quarter of freshman year at the beginning of You’ve Found Oliver. While Julie has a study abroad program in Copenhagen this quarter, Oliver is left behind at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington. He feels aimless about what he wants to study, shopping classes and not feeling inspired by most of them. Until he meets Ben, who soon makes him want more from his life and helps him find the things he cares about. The epilogue connects everything beautifully, and we don’t doubt that Oliver will continue to grow from here.

The Fluffy Yet Angsty Romance

Another thing we love about You’ve Found Oliver is Oliver and Ben’s romance. The two of them get to know each other under strange circumstances, with Ben having Sam’s old phone number. But they hit it off from the beginning, texting every day and doing whatever they can to spend time together, often traveling long distances by bus or car to see each other. Even when bizarre things keep happening to our main couple, Oliver and Ben’s faith in each other remains strong. We honestly couldn’t have asked for a more hopeful ending!

Exclusive Excerpt

If you can’t wait to get your hands on You’ve Found Oliver by Dustin Thao, then you’re in luck! We have an exclusive excerpt to share with you. You can read a first chapter excerpt of You’ve Found Oliver right here:

You’ve Found Oliver by Dustin Thao comes out September 30th, and you can preorder a copy of it here!

So, what did you think about Dustin Thao’s new romance, You’ve Found Oliver? Did you cry as much as you did after reading You’ve Reached Sam? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!

Want to hear some of our audiobook recommendations? Here’s the latest!

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