Thanks NetGalley for the preview!

I liked this book. I didn’t read the first one but don’t know if I needed to. The cruise idea was exciting and seemed fresh. I liked that there were a few characters and you could really get a feel for them. Lenore was a little hot headed and that got annoying at times. It was interesting to see her grow over the story.

Love is in the air and on a cruise in Lenore’s case. Companion to Happily Ever Afters, Lenore is spending her summer before college away on a family cruise. When she meets Alex Lee her world is flipped, it is this just a summer fling or something more? I will add the discussion on the pressures of Black Excellence really hit home and was so beautifully done.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read an advanced copy of this book. However with my request of this being over three years old, I missed the window to download it before it archived and my tastes in romance novels have vastly changed since then.

Bryant is a lovely author and from what I've read of her previous book Happily Ever Afters, both of those novels have a wonderful mix of joy and reality which make for an easy read. But at this time in my life, I can't get through the first part of the story without realizing that I am no longer in this age range and it makes me feel old now despite just being in the new adult range. So I made the call to dnf this around the 10% mark, also don't enjoy cruise ships, I'm unsure why I thought that would change.

Such a wonderful, fun YA! Who doesn't love romance on a cruise!?

Summary below:
Lenore Bennett has always been a force. A star artist and style icon at her high school, she’s a master in the subtle art of not giving a . . . well, you know what. But now that graduation is here, she’s a little less sure.

She’s heading to NYU in the fall with a scarlet U (for “undeclared”) written across her chest. Her parents always remind her that Black kids don’t have the luxury of figuring it out as they go—they have to be 110 percent prepared. But it’s a lot of pressure to be her ancestors’ wildest dreams when Lenore’s not even sure what her dreams are yet.

When her family embarks on a post-graduation Mediterranean cruise, her friend Tessa is sure Lenore’s in for a whirlwind romance. But Lenore knows that doesn’t happen to girls like her.

Then she meets Alex Lee. After their parents bond over the Cupid Shuffle, she ends up stuck with him for the remainder of the cruise. He’s a hopeless romantic and a golden boy with a ten-year plan. In short, he’s irritating as hell.

But as they get to know each other during the picturesque stops across Europe, Alex may be able to help Lenore find something else she’s been looking for, even if she doesn’t want to admit it to herself: love.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for giving me a free eARC of this book to read in exchange for my review!

Very very cute but sadly not as good as the one before. I didn't like the main character very much and didn't find the story as relatable as the first in the series.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book! The title and this beautiful cover drew me in and i was excited to read this book! I will be recommending this book to others for readers advisory.

Elise Bryant can do no wrong in my opinion! And out of her three novels. OTL is the one I feel like pushed the most boundaries and forced uncomfortable conversations not just between the characters, but with the reader and the subtext of the plot.

It’s a great conversation piece and I’ll read anything Bryant writes.

Really lovely book from Bryant with emotional heart! This book was very enjoyable and explores relationships -- not only romantically but how the main character sees herself.

One True Loves Ingredients: Black girl magic, a spicy Cancer/Virgo enemies-to-lovers pairing, "how to find a Summer Fling" to-do-list, a boy who nurses you back from seasickness, crazy parents, crazy yoga teachers in the sea, and the most fabulous, and witty report of one (1) fan favorite from Happily Ever Afters – Lenore.

[I devoured this book in three days.
That's right, three days.

Lenore's voice is spunky, unique, and tells us a story that desperately needs to be said. Ever since HEA #1, Lenore stood out as a character bigger than life but approachable still. She very well could have stayed as the cool girl with the magical fashion touch, the creative jack-of-all-trades that was meant to give witty remarks to her friends and serve as a soundboard... right? No. Lenore needed her own story because hers gets overlooked in real-life. The weight of performing a character that isn't you just because it makes people around you comfortable hits close to home. But the reasoning behind it? Black excellence pushed on by your parents? The way Lenore isn't allowed to make mistakes? While I am mixed myself, I'm not Black, the pressure I have on my shoulders from a Latino-European family is very different. I needed to hear Lenore's story. I needed to walk in her shoes for three days.

Lenore has been pushing herself to be an extrovert, serve fashion look after fashion look, and be more extra than she feels inside to be accepted. She's good at many things because she has a fear of committing to one, of not living up to anyone's expectations if she makes a choice. She chooses not to choose, and then she meets this annoying know-it-all on the cruise ship. A guy that is too reminiscent of all the douchebags that "kind of" date her, read: date her on the side as if Lenore isn't good enough to be shown, to be admired, to be loved by said men's parents.

OTL follows Lenore's journey to peeling away her layers and laying her soul bare. What does she want? Who does she want to date? And more importantly - who does she want to become?

To all the Lenores in my life and those out there, you deserve that big, epic love, that iconic career, and that life path that only you should get to choose. Don't give up. You're amazing. Thanks, Elise, for this book.

Last year, I really enjoyed the first book, so I was looking forward to this one. It was even better than the first one! It's a fun YA book with lovable characters, great friendships, and lots of self-discovery! It also brought up a lot of important topics that made sense in the story.

The main character, Lenore, is amazing and so relatable. While she excelled in school, she's unsure what she wants to do after graduation and is feeling the effects of so much pressure. It was awesome to see her unapologetically figure out who she is and what she wants.

Alex. You're exquisite! Can someone you meet on a cruise and know less than a week really make a big difference in your life? Heck yeah.

I also really liked how the author brought up anxiety/panic attacks, which is something that isn't usually discussed but especially not by men.

I really wish I had of read Happily Ever After's first. I enjoyed it, but I feel I would have enjoyed it even more if I had of read the series in order. I don't necessarily think you HAVE to, but that's a personal preference.

This was a cute read! I enjoyed the story and the way things progressed. I thought it was a good representation of the struggles that come with graduating from high school and facing your unknown future.

A story with black representation is what I love to see! It was a refreshing read.

I could see myself in this story especially when it came to the discussion of being black and dating non black individuals.

3.5*

Thank you Hcc Frenzy & Netgalley for this ARC!
release date: jan 4th

This was beyond cute! An all round feel good, YA romance, with POC & LGBTQIA+ rep!

The plot itself was such a unique idea, I’ve never read a cruise romance and I was beyond intrigued by the idea! While it was rather fast paced, and I would have preferred it to be a bit longer, I enjoyed it nonetheless!

The characters were equally as interesting. Our MC Lenore was both passionate but also lacked the confidence in herself that she faked in front of others. While this comes to be a problem eventually, her character development was great! I loved Alex! He was sweet, charming and funny <3 But i have to say i’m particularly intrigued with Etta’s character, the young genius !! I’d love to read more about her

All this to say, if you’re looking for a quick, short & cute YA romance, you should definitely pick this up!

xx

I love an international trip YA. It was great to see another character in this series get a moment to shine. Kinda forgettable plot, but it was still fun.

I really enjoyed this book, and I don't doubt that a significant part of that was the international, warm-weather cruise setting (that I read during the winter during a pandemic that limits travel).

I really liked Lenore as a character, even though I hadn't read Bryant's previous book or been exposed to her before. I was rooting for her through the whole book even though she was definitely a flawed character and made a number of pretty bad choices. I could feel the pressure that she and her older brother found themselves living under. Working with teens, I think a lot of them will really relate to this component of the story, in addition to the way that Lenore felt confused about the direction of her future. I also loved Lenore's artistic side and passion for fashion.

The romance was pretty satisfying here too. It had a predictable arc, but the details made it feel distinct from other YA romance stories. So many young people have those same critical voices in their heads, so I loved to see Lenore meet someone so supportive of her, just as she was.

I will definitely be adding this book to my library and I know that my students will love it!

This book was cute! It's my first reading by the author. I enjoyed the journey we went on as a reader.

I spotlighted One True Loves as book of the day and included it in my weekly and monthly roundups of new releases on my Black Fiction Addiction platforms.