This is the first Sarah Dessen book I have every read. My niece has read all of her books and loves them. When I saw this title, I thought I'd check out what all the fuss was about. It was a light read about a girl who has just graduated high school but is very mature and has her share of sadness in her life. Will she every be able to find true love? How does one get over a sad and tragic heartbreak.
This is the perfect summer read for teen girls and maybe for some of their aunts too!

I really like Sarah Dessen's books, but this book was a bit of a disappointment to me. There is a good story there, but the pacing is a little too slow, the lead up takes a long time and the resolution happens to quickly. I liked a lot of the ideas that went into the story, I just felt like the book wasn't the best it could be.

****This book was provided by netgalley for an ARC
I have been reading Sarah Dessen books for about 10 years now. I look forward to their release every year. She wrote an amazing story this time about heartbreak, friendship, and families. Natalie Barrett Weddings is a company run by Natalie Barrett and her friend William. Natalie's daughter Louna works for them in the summer. They have been in this wedding game so long that they have all lost hope in the love department. Poor Louna has had more tragedy than any 17 year old should have. She has over come some major heartache only to meet Ambrose. Ambrose is the son of a bride to be and the brother of another bride. He ends up working with them in the wedding business. This story relates to so many young adults, those of heart ache, divorce and loss.

So I’m not a huge fan of Sarah Dessen’s books. Back in the day, after I finished reading “Along For The Ride” I pretty much lost interest in reading any other book from this author. I felt they were too predictable and Dessen’s writing just didn’t work for me.
However, the moment I started reading “Once and For All” I felt completely in love with it, which was a huge surprise, since I wasn’t expecting to like this book at all. Now I’m thinking about reading all her other novels, just to feel this way again (because this book was that good).
“Once and For All” was such a beautiful young adult novel. I loved the plot and the characters. Ambrose was my favorited male protagonist of all times, he had a great sense of humor and every dialog between him and Louna were just perfect.
Louna is also a great and strong female protagonist; I could definitely see myself in her, since her way of thinking was very similar to mine. I loved to see how she dealt with everything that went through her life. Reading about her relationship with Ethan was really heartbreaking and emotional.
Natalie and William were also really fun characters to read about and I couldn’t stop myself from comparing Louna and Natalie’s relationship with Rory and Lorelai from Gilmore Girl’s (have no idea why, though).
By the end of this book I was laughing, crying and wishing it had more pages (I just needed more). It was definitely a heartwarming book and everyone should read it.

I've been a fan of Dessen's work for many years and her latest does not disappoint. The main character, Louna is very jaded and the way the story weaves flashbacks of her past is flawless. I've not met a book of Dessen's I do not love and this one is no different.

I enjoyed the book overall, and it was very much a Sarah Dessen book. The doomed romance of Louna and Ethan seemed more genuine than the romance between Louna and Ambrose. I wish more time had been spent developing the that relationship.

An absolutely fun and good read that I needed right now! This is my first book by this author and I will definitely be coming back to her for more.

Louna doesn't believe in happily ever after. Her first love ended tragically and she's witnessed countless weddings thanks to her mom's wedding planning business, and most of those don't last either. But, a charmer named Ambrose may change her mind once and for all.

Super sweet, and so Sarah Dessen. A perfect novel for a breezy June day.

I can always count on a Sarah Dessen book. Great characters, wonderful setting. Heartbreaking at times, hilarious at others. You'll just want to hug Ambrose once he's driven you completely crazy (in a good way!).

This was another fantastic book by Sarah Dessen. She treats teen relationships with respect and maturity that reader appreciate. Her even-keeled and calm writing about young adult relationships is refreshing.

I loved this book. I think Dessen gets better with every book. I will purchase book and its audiobook for my library and expect they will have high circulation numbers.

I was so SO excited to read this book, as I am a huge fan of Sarah Dessen, and have been reading her books since I was in junior high. I didn’t think anything was ever going to top Just Listen for me, but Once and for All just blew that theory out of the water.

Once and for All tells the story of Louna, who helps her mom run her successful wedding planning business, who is stuck putting up with Ambrose, the brother to one of her mom’s high profile brides. Ambrose is one of my favourite Sarah Dessen characters ever. Yes he is annoying, but he knows he is annoying, and he just works so well with the story. He is such an endearing and charming character that you can’t help but like him. He is the perfect counterpart for serious, guarded, and cynical Louna. Their chemistry literally sizzles off of the page, as cheesy as that sounds.

This book was just so well written, and I will gladly sing the praises of Sarah Dessen again, as this was just such a well written story. Told in both the present and flashbacks, Dessen did an amazing job of drawing readers in and keeping them hooked. I literally could not stop reading this book. I have already gone and pre-ordered multiple copies of this book for my library's collection.

I love how Dessen immerses her main characters in a chosen realm. In "The Truth About Forever," for example, the details surrounding the main character's role in Wish Catering are very compelling. "Once and For All" is no exception. Louna is immersed in the world of wedding planning, and the details of that contribute to every aspect of the story. Another well-done love story by Dessen!

'Once and for All' is a book about the loss of the beloved one, love and new beginnings. I simply loved this book, it made feel all the feels! I adore when before there is spark there's some sort of antagonism between two main characters, and here I wasn't disappointed - what happens between Louna and Ambrose is full of humour and laugh out loud situations. Dessen mixes it all with artistry - serious issues thogether with wit. I feel encouraged to read other books written by Sarah.

I've always loved Sarah Dessen books, and this one did not disappoint. It tells the story of Louna, a recent high school graduate who works at her mother's wedding planning business. As she works to overcome a tragedy in her life, she meets Ambrose, an annoying ladies man who she is forced to work with. Sparks fly as a bet pits them against one another.

I wasn't expecting this book to be as deep as it was. It was extremely relevant to our society today, which made it all the more heartbreaking. There were many moments where I couldn't put the book down. There were moments when the male characters in the book seemed a little too perfect to be real, but otherwise, I was drawn in by the characters and their struggles. I'd definitely recommend it to my students.

Sarah Dessen does it again. Modern day fairy tale in which a teenage girl works for mom, girl meets boy, few sparks fly, friend interference...

After a devastating end to a relationship and years of helping with her mother's wedding planning business Louna is a bit jaded when it comes to marriage and everlasting love. This makes her seem like a much older woman than the 18-year-old, recent high school graduate she is. Parties, alcohol consumption, while realistic for many, are not legal for kids of this age. I do feel her character would have been a little bit more believable if she had been a bit older.

This is another winner for Dressen fans. Her fans will love it and it is an appropriate read for even middle school aged readers. Alcohol consumption and a few implied sexual situations are hinted at, but tastefully approached. It is a predictable and easy read with enough detail to make it realistic.

Thank you to Penguin Group and Netgalley for this Advanced Reading Copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

I always like reading Dessen's books and this was yet another excellent entry in her long list of enjoyable YA romance. Dessen's fans will love it, and anyone who likes romantic YA will as well. Dessen tends to bring up tough subjects in her novels and this one is no exception; while that might make some readers leery, it can also be a good way to engage with young adults in discussions about these topics.

I love Sarah Dessen's books, and when I heard about this book I couldn't wait to read it. Louna and Ambrose had a hysterical dynamic that made for fun reading. Louna's progression while she got over her trauma felt real and authentic. I couldn't help but dislike the mystery and little peeks behind the curtain of what actually happened to Ethan., and while I like the idea of love at first sight it didn't ring as true as I was hoping it would. I felt for Louna while she struggled, but since we spent the first half of the book kinda clueless and only getting tiny glimpses into her past relationships it felt a little forced and I didn't feel invested in that relationship. I loved spending time with Ambrose and in the world of wedding planning. As always, I loved the nods to past Dessen books and characters. Overall, I liked this story, but I hoped for epic and while the circumstances surrounding Ethan's death were tragic it painted a incomplete picture that I struggled to piece together.

A Sarah Dessen novel is always highly anticipated, and Once and for All doesn't disappoint. I wonder about the reality of Ambrose actually doing a 180 from player to dedicated boyfriend all due to the love of that one perfect-for-him girl, but I love the way Dessen handled the Ethan flashbacks and the wedding planner aspects of the story. Compulsively readable, as always.

Sarah Dessen just keeps getting better. The Edwards Award-winner shows that she hasn't lost her touch in describing how older teens deal with family, friends, work, and love.