Soon after reading the ARC of Once and For All, I was able to meet Sarah Dessen and fangirl over her fantastic writing and characters. I have been reading her novels since I was a teen and was not disappointed with this one! Dessen is a star at exploring the experience of growing up and falling in and out of love. Louna's character is flawed but charming in a relatable way. I loved the story from start to finish and would recommend this to my students who love a good teen romance. The story moved a little quickly toward the end, but overall, I think it was still a classic Dessen story that new and old fans will love.

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Initial reaction: I really enjoyed the journey in this latest book from Sarah Dessen. Sweet romance story in places, but it's also a great story surrounding grief and family as well. Louna was a nice protagonist to follow, though I did feel certain moments and revelations felt a bit rushed.

Full review:

I still struggle to try to frame my thoughts around Sarah Dessen's "Once and for All" - because this story has a lot to unpack with being a slice of life romance paired with a overarching story of grief and coming to terms. It follows right in the vein and voice of many of Dessen's other novels, and I thought the experience was heartfelt and identifiable on the whole. I didn't realize how much I'd like this read for the type of story it told until I picked it up and decided to run with what it had to offer. An overarching critique I could give this narrative is that it has bumpy pacing (moves too fast in some points and too slow in others - something I'll reflect upon in this review) and a certain plot point was delayed far too long when it was obvious after a certain point that it was coming.

Louna tells two tales in this overarching narrative. In the past (and told in flashbacks), Louna reflects on a whirlwind romance she shared with her former boyfriend Ethan. It's a bit of instalove considering the terms in which they meet, but somehow I felt I could get behind it because of the intimacy of the character detail and their chemistry. Their relationship is mercilessly cut short, and Louna thinks she's basically one and done - had her ideal romance and another one won't really come along again. Ironic, even as she points out, because she helps her mother in her famous wedding planning business.

Louna's perspective changes with the entrance of Ambrose - spontaneous, good-humored, but reckless and full of flaws. Even from the first time they meet, he's the thorn in a time-sensitive wedding ceremony that she has to haul him into (literally) at the last moment. He is her polar opposite in every way, but he attempts to create a relationship with her every chance he can. It was fun to watch their interactions in the slice of life moments. He isn't aware of Louna's relationship with Ethan and the barriers that keep her cynical and reluctant to be in another relationship. The story eventually has a coming of terms for Louna in both her grief and her ability to know what she wants for the future. I appreciated that this was definitely a coming of age tale for Louna and remained firmly in her viewpoint, with moments of the supporting characters around her to shine and create a nice familial focus to boot. The wedding planning aspect of the novel was fun to watch and felt very realistic, while also being a unique aspect that I haven't seen in a lot of YA novels.

I think the major issue that kept this book from being a higher rating from me personally was the uneven pacing. Part of that was due to the way that the conflict around Ethan was framed. While impactful and horrifying, it wasn't as much of a mystery (though it portrayed itself as such) after it came to a certain point. It felt like the book was dragging its heels just to get to that revelation. Once that revelation came, and Ambrose recognizes the truth behind it, the conflict associated with that revelation moved too quickly to be able to feel Louna's full weighing the balance of it. I understand that the story had to be that way (past interspersed with present) in order to frame the narrative, but maybe it could've came a lot sooner than it did, especially with the impact it had to Louna's relationship with Ambrose and being a part of the "bet" that's developed between them.

It's a good, character driven story, and one that I think teens would enjoy for a sweet coming to terms story showcasing much growth on the part of the protagonist. Yet, I think some pieces of it work against it from having more emotional punch, particularly with the difficult and very relevant backdrop it paints.

Overall score: 3.5/5 stars.

Note: I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley from the publisher.

Once and for all has the feel of a romcom and was a great read right from the start. The two stories - that of Louna’s first love, and her subsequent work in her mother’s wedding planning business are interwoven in an interesting way, and the characters are a good mix of quirky and relatable.

While this is a YA novel, there was plenty to interest older readers (it would make a great film!). I also appreciated the fact that while there is plenty of romance there isn’t any explicit action, so I will be able to recommend this to some of my younger students.

As a huge Sarah Dessen fan, I knew going in that I would love this book. However, I didn't know how much I would love it.
Once and for All is a perfect summer read that makes your insides feel all warm and fuzzy. I am a wedding fanatic so I loved the wedding planning aspect of it. The romance itself of the book, to me, rates about a 3 out of 5 because I liked it, but didn't absolutely love it like I usually do with Sarah's books.
I would definitely recommend this book and rank this in one of my top 5 Sarah Dessen books.

Super annoyed by this book. The only part of the story that I cared about was with Ethan. Everything else was dull and uninteresting. I used to LOVE Dessen's books, but they just don't do it for me anymore.

This is a feel good book- reminds me of a Hallmark show!

You can always count on Sarah Dessen for a great summer read. Once and For All did not disappoint. It had a great friend and mom. What stood out the most was the quirky guy and all the weddings! At first, I wasn’t a big fan of the bet that was involved, because bets always seem to cause problems. It ended up being ok, though. When I was done with the book, I was disappointed that Ambrose was such a strong character and Louna was annoyed with him most of the time. She fell flat compared to him. Other than that, it was good and I’m glad that I got to read it.

This makes me so sad, but this just wasn't for me. I adore Sarah Dessen and I'm grateful for everything she'd done for YA literature, but this was not her best. Chock full of telling, not showing, and all the backstory at the beginning--it didn't make me want to read more and it did nothing to endear the characters to me. I'll stick with her earlier work.

Sarah Dessen's latest title does not disappoint! I can't wait to share this title with my YA students-sweet, funny, and very real!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

With her mom as a famed wedding planner, Louna lives amidst many teen girls’ dreams, taking a ringside seat working at lavish weddings. Being part of the planning and execution, however, is not as glamorous as one may think. Though they make their livelihood on love, Louna’s mother Natalie and her mother’s business partner William don’t believe in it. In fact, their post-wedding celebration includes a bet on how long (or not) each marriage will last. Their cynicism is starting to rub off on Louna; she can feel it. With her own first love ending tragically last year, Louna feels like she missed out on her one and only. It takes meeting Ambrose, an impossible and annoying son-of-the-bride (and later brother-of-the-bride) to bring Louna out of her shell. With the support and distractions of her best friend Jilly, who is constantly taxiing her siblings around while her food truck parents work, Louna enjoys one last memorable summer of wedding planning.

THOUGHTS: Fans of Sarah Dessen’s sweet teenaged romance novels will swoon over this newest book. Set amongst a beautiful summer wedding season, it successfully looks at love and loss. Descriptions of sex and teen drinking may not be suitable for younger readers.

I haven't ready many Dessen books, but have always heard great things. I can see why with this book. I really enjoyed the story and all of the wedding stuff. I really enjoy books about wedding planners for some reason so this was right up my alley. Can't wait to recommend this to my students when school starts again.

My 1st Sarah Dessen and I LIKED it! Definitely a story about 1st and young love. I'm not sensing forever love, but if it's ok with the heroine, it's ok with me. Was concerned the tragedy would be done very heavily or quite sensationalized for effect, but it was mild and tasteful (as someone with family in Littleton, I definitely hesitated to pick this up).

Louna is preparing for her senior year of high school and is looking forward to getting a real job. She helps her mother with her wedding planning business and has experienced every type of wedding. Since she has grown up around weddings and knows that many people have more than one, she is very cynical about love and everything that goes with it. It doesn't help that her one experience with love ended in a tragic way. In walks Ambrose and he is not willing to take no for an answer. Will Louna find love again?

Once and for All is the newest stand-alone novel by Sarah Dessen. The story is slow to take off, but if readers hang on for a few pages, the overall story is worth it. Louna has a secret that isn't completely explained until the end and readers will try and pull it out alongside Ambrose. The flashback storyline took some getting used to, but overall it wasn't a complete distraction. Once and for All is a good escape into a romance.

I dove into Sarah Dessen’s back list last year, and I have enjoyed some of her books. Most of them have been middle of the road for me, however, and Once and for All was more of the same. There were plenty of things to like about this book - I thought Louna and her mother had a wonderful relationship, as did Louna with her mother’s friend, William. Louna was responsible and someone her friends and family could count on, and I enjoyed her character. Her friend, Jilly, and Jilly’s family were a wonderful addition to the story, and I like that they had so much in common as far as working with their families and shouldering a lot of responsibility went. But this book just felt disjointed and abrupt, and the use of flashbacks here didn’t work for me. While I did enjoy the scenes and Ethan’s character very much, I don’t feel like it added anything to the book. That was due, in part, to the fact that his ‘story’ fell flat. Sarah Dessen has never pushed the envelope, in my opinion, and that’s never bothered me until now. But I feel like her attempt to cover a very serious subject was lame; it was something she flirted with instead of fully committing to, and it showed in the lack of depth to what could have been a stellar storyline.
Present day was a problem for me in that for the first half of the book, Ambrose’s character felt more like a caricature of a young man than a real young man, but then, once the book hit 50%, he did an about face and toned down, with no explanation. I loved him when he was toned down, but it was such a jarring change of character that I wasn’t quite able to buy into it. I also liked Ambrose’s dog, Ira, and how he acquired him, and that Ambrose was so honest and open. It was such a nice change from the game playing I sometimes read in YA. But I didn’t really feel as though anyone changed throughout this story, and that was a problem for me.
Overall, while Once and for All was an OK read for me, it was lacking in character development and consistency, and I’d only recommend this book if you’re a long-time Sarah Dessen fan.

Sarah Dessen offers another feel good young adult romance. While somewhat predictable, the book still leaves the reader hoping for the expected and ultimate outcome through the difficulties placed in the path of romance.

I can't really review this because I couldn't finish it. The story just didn't grab my attention.

I Was Provided A ARC Through NetGalley
(Possible Spoilers)

Once And For All is a beautiful book about second chances, the many forms of love, and life. Louna Barrett & Ambrose Little are characters that I instantly want to revisit.

Louna Barrett is looking forward to a easy summer. She's preparing for college in the fall, and spending the last summer working for her mother and godfather at where they run a sucessful wedding planing bussiness. But the summer might not be so easy when she has her best friend, pushing her to make it a epic one, before they head to college. Her best friend, Jilly, wants her to embrace the dating life and get back out there. But Louna isn't so sure she's ready for that. She's still dealing with a past relationship, one she finds hard to talk about.

One thing that is sure making her summer interesting, and she can't decided if its in a good or bad way yet, is the tall, handsome, a little unique, and just a lot to take in, Ambrose Little. He's a loud, says what he wants, pain in her side. And now he'll be working next to her all summer. But Louna finds her self fascinated, with the way Ambrose lives. He just lives his life, does not care what anyone thinks, and does everything with a smile. Maybe the epic summer of memories isn't such a far off idea for Louna. If only the past, didn't make her so nervous of the future.

Amazing characters. Silly, loving, strong and real. While reading Louna & Ambrose's story, I felt like I've know them forever. Louna is a sweet and simple, girl. She grew, healed, and found something special in her epic summer before college. Ambrose was a very different, but total lovable, goofy, sweet character. I couldn't get enough of him. Not only did I love Louna and Ambrose, like with all Sarah Dessen's Novels, I was fascinated by each one of the side characters in this book. Each one brings something special to this fantastic story.

Each time I open the pages to a new Sarah Dessen novel, I find myself instantly hooked. Captivated by the flawless storytelling, each unique and lovable character, and a story that is sure to stay with me. Sarah Dessen's writing has held my attention for years. I have been reading her work since I was fourteen, and twelve years later, I still get so excited to dive into her books. I am drawn into her stories and I don't want to leave. I fall in love with each book. Every time.

After reading and falling in love with this book, and shedding a few tears, I will hands down recommend everyone read this book. All Sarah Dessen books. She is a great voice for all generations. She makes you reminisce about first crush's and love. See the dynamics of all kinds of families, friendships and relationships. Touches on real, scary and sad things that happen in our world. And shows the hope everyone has, for love, life, happiness and second chances.

*I read this in March 2017. I wrote this review in March. Book is out in June. I read it as an arc. As always, this is my completely honest opinion.

Once I heard the summary of this novel, I knew I had to read it.

Here’s the thing. My parents work the wedding industry-they’re wedding photographers (and children’s photographers, but in this case, I’m focusing on weddings). It’s the family business. This means, I assist a lot (especially in the children’s photography). Working the wedding industry is being part of a special community. Immediately, I knew I would love Louna.

I especially love how cynical she is about love (being kind of cynical myself), but I love even more how Sarah Dessen weaves a story that’s both happy and sad and everything in between.

This book touched me and made me feel all the things. It reminded me why Dessen is the queen of YA and why her readers love everything she writes. Her books have a depth to them that sometimes you don’t notice until you’re halfway into the book. I cried while reading this book, but I also laughed. It was hopeful, it said that new beginnings do happen.

I think what I love most about this book is that it’s real. Louna’s feelings, Ambrose’s feelings, even Louna’s mother and William’s feelings are genuine. These characters are developed. I vividly imagined them to the extent that I could see myself engaging with all of them in real life. I know people in the wedding industry here that are a lot like Natalie and William.

Just for kicks, I started Once and for All while working at a bridal fair. Day 2 started really slow, so I sat down on the couch and read to my heart’s content. It was hilarious seeing wedding antics while observing wedding antics.

My parent’s wedding studio is Hidden Kiss Studio if you want to check them out. They travel. 😉

This book definitely made me want to read more Sarah Dessen. I’ve read (in this order): Someone Like You, Saint Anything, Along for the Ride, Just Listen, and Once and for All. Which one should I read next?

I have only recently discovered Sarah Dessen’s books, but I have enjoyed each one that I have picked up. I had high hopes for this one, and I can safely say that I was not let down. This book tells the story of a wedding planner’s daughter and contains a main character who is a real thinker. There are many flashbacks throughout the book, which add a lot of anticipation. Once and for All is a cutesy yet serious book that I am sure will appeal to everyone.

One of the main things that drew me to this book is the originality. The main character is the daughter of a wedding planner, but doesn’t believe in true love herself. I found all the behind-the-scenes wedding aspects to be so fascinating, and I learned that I would never be able to handle the stress of a job like this. The plot thickens as an arrogant rich boy is recruited to work for the wedding company, and I loved the comedic conversations he and the main character have. The way that the staff always predict how long the newlyweds’ marriage will last was also very entertaining. This book is cute and amusing, perfect for the beach.

Louna is a character with such a complex backstory that I wasn’t expecting when the book first began. She is so developed, and I really enjoyed how she is always up for a challenge. Louna is respectful, hardworking, and a great problem-solver, which comes in handy when brides freak out. I found her character to be the perfect narrator for a book like this, and she brought a lot of heart to the book.

I really enjoyed the use of flashbacks in this book. It’s kind of hard to describe without spoiling, but the bit of suspense added to the story really gripped me. This book is a bit slow-paced, so it takes a while to get to the big reveal, so it does kind of lose its thunder. However, I still liked being transported back to Louna’s past for an explanation of her actions.

Once and for All is an adorable contemporary with wedding planning aspects and a logical main character. I loved the use of flashbacks and the suspense that came with them. Whether you are a new or longtime Dessen fan, this book will not disappoint!