The following version of this novel was used to create the guide: Howrey, Meg. They're Going to Love You. Anchor Books, 2023.

Meg Howrey's novel They're Going to Love You is written from the first person point of view of the main character Carlisle, and in the present tense. Although the narrative vacillates between the past and present throughout, the following summary abides by a linear mode of explanation for the sake of clarity.

Shortly after Carlisle's parents Isabel and Robert meet through the ballet world in New York City, they get married and have Carlisle. Not long later, Robert reveals to Isabel that he has feelings for his student James. Robert wants to maintain their marriage and family, but Isabel moves back to her home city in Cincinnati, Ohio, taking Carlisle with her.

Robert and James move in together in Robert's Bank Street apartment in Greenwich Village. They start a life here together, both deeply involved in the New York dance scene. As Carlisle grows up, she starts to spend regular intervals in the city with her father and his partner. Although she loves Robert, she has a closer connection with James. James is more talkative and open. Carlisle loves listening to his stories and playing music together.

Although Carlisle has relationships with Isabel, Isabel's second husband Ben, and her half brother Yuto, she often feels displaced in her life in Ohio. She therefore becomes desperate to make it as a ballerina and to move in with Robert and James permanently. Carlisle quickly proves herself to be a skilled dancer. However, because she is uncommonly tall, she receives no offers from the dance companies to which she applies. She briefly pursues a career in acting, but does not discover the belonging or success for which she hoped.

When Carlisle is 24, she travels to New York to spend time with James before she, James, and Robert take a trip to France together. When Carlisle arrives, Robert is working upstate with a dance company and James is alone at Bank Street. He tells Carlisle that Robert is angry with him. James developed a connection with his student Alex and Robert became convinced that James was cheating. Alex is now working in Mexico and James cannot contact him again for fear of further upsetting Robert. Carlisle immediately agrees to travel to Mexico to meet with Alex on James's behalf.

Carlisle and Alex fall in love not long after meeting. They start sleeping together. Carlisle finally feels the sort of connection she always wanted with James, with Robert, or with Isabel. She has the sense that she belongs with Alex and that they can create a future together in spite of the complications.

When Carlisle returns to New York, she learns that James attempted suicide. Robert found him. Robert accuses Carlisle of driving James to attempt suicide when she betrayed him by sleeping with Alex. Carlisle is mortified and furious. Robert refuses to see or talk to her until she acknowledges what she did to him and to James.

Carlisle returns to California where she has been living. Not long later, Alex learns that Carlisle has been hiding things from him and ends their relationship.

For the next 19 years, Carlisle pursues a choreography career. She eventually makes a place for herself in this world.

When she is 43, James contacts her to say that Robert is dying. He asks her to come to New York to say goodbye. Because of all that happened between them years prior, Carlisle is overcome by emotion and confusion. In spite of her hurt, she returns to New York, makes amends with James, agrees to accept Robert's Bank Street inheritance, and says goodbye to her father.