I loved everything about this book. My favorite thing that this book covers is the way that the author describes the pressure of living up to "black excellence:" you see it in Lenore's inner monologue of never being enough for her parents; Wally's anxiety. I was kind of triggered, honestly. Aside from that, the love story was adorable and I loved it too. Alex was a perfect love interest. 5 ⭐️

Happily Ever Afters was one of my favorite books this year, so when I got approved for this one from NetGalley I was totally freaking out 😍😂.

I loved this book so much. I loved Lenore, and her struggles with picking the one thing she loves to major in for college and do the rest of her life is something so many people can connect to. When you think about it, how are we at 18 supposed to know what we want to do for our entire life? College is so expensive, and you’re just supposed to figure everything out before you’ve even had a chance to be an adult.

It’s tough being the middle kid who takes a different path, when your parents/family have such high expectations.

I loved that Alex helps Lenore realize she can do whatever makes her happy and take the time to figure it all out. Their relationship is ADORABLE. That ending 😍😍🥺🥺.

I really loved so much about this book, the author did not disappoint with her second novel. And we get some snippets of Tessa and Sam from HEA. This book is YA, but there is so much here that even adults can connect with, I had so many feelings while reading 😂❤️.

I really enjoyed this one! Technically this is young adult, but adults will find it cute as well. It was mostly a light read, set on a cruise ship.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarpreCollins for an advanced copy of this to review! I really enjoyed Happily Ever Afters when I read it last year, and a romance was just what I needed! Honestly, I almost think I enjoyed this one even more. Full of adventure and romance, it's sure to be a great escape when it comes out in January.

One of the things I really liked about this one was Lenore's journey. Her parents believe that because she's Black, she has to have her future 100% figured out before she goes to college. Which comes from their own past experiences. But 18 is such a young age to have that all figured out! I loved the way Lenore and Alex interacted, they really brought out the best in each other. Not only were they falling for each other, they were figuring out where they wanted their futures to go. Yes, they fall victim to some of the traditional romance tropes, but overall, they were lovely as a couple.

Outside of the romance, there's also some good discussion about mental health, especially as it intersects with parental expectations. Lenore's brother struggles with panic attacks, partly because of the pressures he put on himself. Normalizing having these conversations is so important, and I'm glad they were included in this story.

You can see Bryant's writing grow in this book. I honestly can't wait to see what she does next. Her love stories aren't afraid to go where they need to in order to tell the story.

This was a decent follow up to Ms Bryant’s previous book (happily ever afters)- it was a decent follow up. It i felt like something was missing. I can’t put my finger on it.

I just couldn't connect with the protagonist, Lenore. I started out enjoying the book and Alex is a sweetheart, but I just kept coming back to Lenore and not enjoying her viewpoint. I understand that she needed to be a little rough around the edges but she was a little too rough for me. I never felt a gentler side, even at the end. I have come to realize I like my heroines a little more soft, and romantic. Tessa seems more my cup of tea and I am planning on reading her story next.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Elise Bryant, and HarperTeen for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Elise Bryant does it again! I loved "Happily Ever Afters" and One True Loves did not disappoint and I loved it just as much as the first book if not more.
Lenore is an artist from a family of intelligent people. While she did well in school, she is not sure what she wants to go with her life and her major. Her parents become concerned and told her she is expected to make a choice on her major by the end of their two week European cruise. When she meets a cute boy on the cruise, her whole world is about to change.

What I loved about this book was how real Lenore was. Once she opened up, she was very open with her parents on what she wants in life and what will make her happy. I think it will inspire other girls to go for what they want after high school.

The more of her work I read, the more I think Elise Bryant may be becoming one of my favorite contemporary romance authors. Just like Happily Ever Afters, this was such a fun read that I sped through quickly and enjoyed thoroughly.

In Happily Ever Afters, Lenore Bennett, despite being a side character, was one of my favorites in the story. When I found out that she was getting her own companion novel, it's needless to say that I was excited. One True Loves had fairly high expectations to live up to, but it certainly met them!

I really liked getting to see Lenore become a more fully-fleshed character, and simply getting to know her more in general. I especially liked reading her inner monologue versus how Tessa had described her. While she was described as being very extroverted in Happily Ever Afters, she's actually very much an introverted extrovert whose social battery isn't actually never-ending, which I found pretty relatable. I also really liked our love interest, Alex! The dynamic between the two was wonderful to read.

Aside from the characterization, the best part of this story for me was probably the descriptions. Not only was it so fun to read about all the places Lenore and Alex's families stopped on their cruise, but it was also fun to read about all the outfits Lenore designed and try to picture them in my head. I definitely see this being the perfect novel to read on the beach next summer!

I know I mentioned this earlier in the review, but I do think it's worth stating more clearly: this is a companion novel to Happily Ever Afters. While it can be read as a standalone story, I personally enjoyed it more having read the first story, and knowing more about both Lenore and some of the side characters.

Overall, this was such a fun read that I think lovers of romcoms will definitely appreciate. I can't wait to read more of Bryant's writing!

Another fun, well-written read from Elise Bryant. I really appreciated the way the text acknowledged tropes and worked both within and around them, and getting into Lenore's point of view, especially in terms of her worries that the life she wants to lead might not live up the standards of Black Excellence that are expected of her, was very strongly done. I don't know that I quite felt the spark for the romance, and I thought the ending was somewhat rushed in wrapping up the plotlines, but overall a great contemporary.

This book made me smile the whole time. I loved getting to know the depths of Lenore and getting past her obvious public persona from Happily Ever Afters. Alex was so charming and everything a person who doesn’t feel seen needs. I cannot wait to hand this book to every teen that comes into my workplace!

5 stars

Elise Bryant is becoming one of my true loves in the wonderful world of YA romance. After reading and loving her debut novel last year, I was thrilled to dive into this one and was not disappointed.

Readers meet Lenore, Bryant's m.c., during the final weeks of her senior year of high school, and while we only get to follow her for a few weeks, we get to know her well because of the volume of pivotal moments and realizations she's having during this short window. While Lenore faces what I'll refer to with intentional vagueness as romantic challenges, she comes upon some unexpected opportunities when she heads on a graduation/birthday European cruise with her family. However, just as romance is not Lenore's only goal, it's certainly not Bryant's only focus. The titular concept misdirects readers - who are used to some simplification in many YA romances - into thinking that this novel is going to be about *the one*. Instead, it's very much about finding who we really are and what we actually love. That can be tough to do at any age or stage, but for a recent high school grad with a very specific college acceptance in hand, brilliant siblings on the sides, and involved parents hovering near, the challenge is especially harrowing.

Unintentionally, in the writing of this review, I'm already noticing that I've barely mentioned the actual central romance, and I think that's a testament to Bryant's skill. The romance is sweet and layered and engaging, but it is also not the only thing that matters...to Lenore or apparently to this reader.

I continue to be a mega fan of Bryant's work and am already excited to see what comes next! Recommended, obviously!

One True Loves was such a fun romance set on a Mediterranean cruise! When I read Elise's debut, Happily Ever Afters, I loved Lenore and was totally hoping she'd get her own book. Now I have to admit that I liked One True Loves even more.

It follows Lenore as she falls in love while on a cruise with her family following her high school graduation. Lenore is also struggling with deciding on a career path as she prepares to start school at NYU--a school she's not quite sure she actually wants to go to. Her parents are putting a lot of pressure on her to figure things out and commit to a path. I loved that this book tackles complex themes like familial expectations while also being a swoon-worthy romance.

One True Loves is definitely an enemies to friends to lovers book, which was so fun! I adored Alex and loved watching him and Lenore fall for each other while exploring along their cruise. In the meantime, Lenore is also learning to let her true self shine and to stop performing who she *thinks* she's supposed to be. Her brother Wally is also struggling and Lenore is trying to figure out how to help him.

In terms of rep, Lenore and her family are Black; her brother Wally is gay. Alex is half-Black and half-Korean.

I'll definitely be recommending this one a lot at my library! It can be enjoyed as a standalone or alongside Happily Ever Afters.

Thank you to HarperCollins and Netgalley for an eARC.

This is a YA romance book about two recent high school graduates who meet on a summer vacation. Even though Lenore hates Alex from the beginning, she agrees to start fake dating to make his ex jealous.

I don't think i'll ever get tired of the fake dating trope. So many books use it, and it can be so cliche, but I can't get enough of it.

My favorite romances are always ones with layers, and this is the perfect example of it. One true Loves starts a really important conversation about stereotypes people of color are forced to deal with. As I''m white, I've never experienced this and I loved getting an insight about it. I will definitely be thinking about this book for a long time.

It was a little cringy at times, but it also had a lot of moments that made me laugh out loud. It was so fluffy, and exactly what I wanted. And I may just be emotional, but I almost cried tears of joy at the end.

Overall, 4.5/5

4.5 stars!

This book is an adorable YA romance set on a Mediterranean cruise. Lenore and Alex are two recent high school graduates, on a summer vacation with their parents. It's hate at first sight for Lenore when Alex asks her to pretend to be his girlfriend to make his ex jealous. Then, when their families are seated together at dinner, the parents become fast friends. The two teens are thrown together, they too become friends, and then much more.

And, yet, it is so much more than "just" a romance. Lenore is the daughter of successful Black parents with high expectations for their three offspring. Alex is the only child of a similarly successful Black mother and Korean father. For me, as a white woman, it was an insight into the microaggressions and stereotypes that people of color live with every day. As a white woman and a high school teacher, it made me so much more aware of my own biases.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in return for an honest review.

Elise Bryant may have just converted me into YA fiction! I first fell in love with her work on HAPPILY EVER AFTERS, so I was very excited to hear that this was on its way. Like its predecessor, ONE TRUE LOVES is very of-the-moment, with snappy cultural references and just the right amount of snark that will make you laugh (or cringe!) in recognition. For me one of the strengths of this novel is in the development of not just the protagonist. Bryant also treats readers to the personalities of the other members of the Bennett family; even characters who appear only briefly feel like they've been fully-fleshed out. The portrayal of both parental expectations and societal expectations for BIPOC hit a little too close to home, but it's exactly this relatability that makes Bryant's work so appealing.

Thanks to NetGalley, et al. for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book so much, probably even more than I loved Happily Ever Afters (and I really did love that book). Maybe it’s because I related to Lenore and her relationship issues a little too much? This book was an absolute fluffy, adorable, brilliant ride and that ending practically had me in happy tears (I might be a little emotional today, though? YMMV.)

One True Loves is a very sweet story! I loved getting to know Lenore (from Happily Ever Afters) better. I think this is a book my students will really connect with as Lenore struggles to figure out what she wants for her future versus what her parents expect of her. The European cruise was a fun setting and I was rooting for Alex and Lenore the whole time!

I love Elise Bryant and I love these books! The book follows Lenore, friend of our fave Tessa, from Happily Ever Afters, and LENORE IS ICONIC. She is a character I know my students will be able to relate to because she's not perfect, but she is a FORCE OF NATURE. The book is also set on a cruise, so there are some lovely scenic descriptions on top of a beautiful love story. My favorite part of the book, however, was the depiction of anxiety and mental health through the lens of teenagers. This book gives license for teenagers to be completely and wholeheartedly themselves and I'm so excited for my students to get their hands on Bryant's newest love story.

I adored this book. I was expecting something sweet after reading Elise Bryant's first book, and although this book is a romcom, and has sweet moments, this one has more depth than the first one. Lenore is struggling to live up to her parents' very high expectations, and the way that Bryant writes about the particular expectations that parents of color have for their children in the United States really rings true (as an Asian child of immigrants). Bryant always writes young voices with ease and natural-sounding dialogue, and the conversations all the characters have about race in America, and in their lives, are engaging. The love interest, Alex, is sweet, and also portrays a character with a different approach to life than Lenore's. I like that they can respect each other's different journeys (this takes Lenore a bit). Finally, Lenore is smart, artsy, and speaks her mind. That's the female protagonists we should all be cheering for. Highly recommend this book.

After devouring Elise Bryant’s Happily Ever Afters, I was instantly so stoked to learn that she was writing a follow-up to Tessa’s story about her bestie Lenore. Oh, and it takes place while traveling the world. Um, yes, please! Lenore's family is set for a high-seas adventure on a Mediterranean cruise to celebrate her high school graduation which gave me all the wanderlust feels, and as they do, they met their dining companions: fellow high school graduate Alex and his parents. Alex and Lenore couldn't be more different and yet, they find themselves drawn to one another in this absolutely adorable YA rom-com. The language is so witty and relatable that I was drawn into the story from the get-go and couldn't put this quick read down. Absolutely precious and that HEA and conclusion left me grinning from ear to ear.