I enjoyed this light hearted rom-com follow up to Happily Ever Afters about Tessa's friend Lenore. She doesn't believe in happily ever after or love and is surprised to find herself falling for someone unlikely on a summer vacation.

I think a lot of teens will resonate with the feeling of uncertainty that Lenore is having as she is about to head off to college but isn't 100% sure what she really want to be doing or the direction she is headed. She feels like the odd one out in her high achieving family and I know a lot of kids will feel connected to her.

I loved Happily Ever Afters so I was excited to read One True Loves. It did not disappoint! I found Lenore's character a little harder to relate to than Tessa's but loved both her personal story and her romance. I will definitely recommend this to our teen romance fans!

This book is an absolute delight. Not only is this the book I would have loved when in high school, this is still the book I love now!

Lenore’s love life is struggling back home and se feels like a fifth wheel with her friends. She’s set to go to college, but isn’t as excited as she should be. Her family is headed in a European Cruise and sets up the potential for a summer fling abroad?

I loved this book! It made me so happy to see such positive and joyful representation of Black girls. There are conversations about the pressures children can face when their parents are always striving for Black excellence, but a lot of love, travel, and art in this book. Will be adding it to my classroom library and recommending to anyone who loves travel! It’s the perfect spring break book (or summer vacay book).

Minor spoilers ahead!

Elise Bryant had me hooked when I read Happily Ever Afters a couple months ago– something very bubbly and feel good about the way she writes the world, and love, and it just made me feel so warm and fuzzy so I knew she would immediately become a summer read auto-buy for me!

Which is why when I was approved for an ARC on Netgalley for this spin-off with Lenore I squealed a lot!

Oh Lenore, such a mix of realism and optimism and romanticism in her character that I just enjoyed so much. I loved seeing her arc with her brother especially (Wally, angel, I love you so much) and I loved watching her build her confidence to know what she wanted and deserved and, in the end, how she stood up for her vision of her future. Also the way anxiety and mental health were handled was, in my opinion, really really nice to see! Lenore was just so easy to root for and she was funny and I enjoyed her voice a ton! I loved the way this book wrapped up, it was so romantic and satisfying and I genuinely can't wait to read more by Elise and put these into my summer rotation!

Also i full on snorted soda out of my nose when Lenore threw up all over Alex on the boat, like i was DYING lol!

One True Loves is a fantastic follow up to Elise Bryant's Happily Ever Afters, handling heavy topics with the same deftness and light touch as the first in the series.

Lenore is a different kind of character than Tessa -- she is pragmatic where Tessa is romantic, cautious where Tessa leaps in with both feat. Her relationships are different because of this, and this is where the strength of the novel lies -- in the ways that Lenore interacts with her family, especially her brother and her parents, as she navigates living up to her parents expectations while truly being herself. The themes are universal, while at the same time deeply personal and specific to Lenore as a young Black woman from Long Beach, California.

There is also a sweet love story, although it did not grip me as tightly as the family dynamics. There are also a few genuinely laugh out loud funny moments (and some great little tidbits for those of us who know the Long Beach area well -- shoutout to the Seal Beach bathrooms!).

A fun, fast read that will make you feel some feelings -- and make you long for your own European vacation.

Thank you to NetGalley and Balzer + Bray for the ARC!

What a classic YA romcom 💗

I enjoyed HAPPILY EVER AFTERS last year, and was glad to see the series continue with Lenore, who I felt was most interesting. The book follows her immediately after her high school graduation as her family takes a Mediterranean cruise.

The stakes were low, but I actually really liked that. This reminded me of the YA books I loved as a teen: realistic characters encountering realistic problems. And two leads were so cute together 🥰

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an eARC in exchange for this review.

ONE TRUE LOVES by
@elisembryant
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How dare Elise write the cutest stories ever?! I love Lenore so fricking much and I just want more fluff with her and Alex ASAP!!

Black and brown girls everywhere deserve tear-filled, swoony, jump-from-your-seat w/ excitement love stories like One True Loves. I L-O-V-E-D Happily Ever Afters, Elise Bryant's debut novel, but I think it's safe to say that I loved One True Loves even more! For those who haven't read Happily Ever Afters, don't worry! You can jump into One True Loves, without missing a beat!

I devoured the book in just under a week, sneaking away to read between edits and staying up way past my bedtime to do so! I cried, smiled, and laughed the entire time! I mean, there were fart jokes that had me laughing out loud and the sweetest moments between Lenore and her love interest that had me smiling from ear to ear!

One True Loves is a swoony cruise ship romance that pulls its reader around Europe to witness a budding romance between Lenore and a boy as beautiful as the places they explore together! Bryant wrote unapologetically, tackling serious issues such as mental health, uncertainty about the future, and what it feels like to be a black girl who doesn't have it all together quite yet. Again, this book was perfect and such an enjoyable read. Having the opportunity to read a story with a black girl at the center being seen, known, and loved by a boy who is beautiful both on the inside and outside is a breath of fresh air. We are no longer just the best friend! We have our own love stories too! Ah! I love it!

Don't walk, but run to buy this book as soon as it releases!! You won't regret it!

✨Book Review✨
One True Loves by Elise Bryant
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I love love loved this book. I think I might have even liked it more than Happily Ever Afters, but I truly can't decide. The fact that parts of it took place in my two favorite cities on the planet (Long Beach and Rome) sealed the deal for me. I also LOVED the cruise ship setting.
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This book follows Lenore, one of Tessa's best friends from Happily Ever Afters. Lenore is such a gem of a character. Bryant did such a wonderful job writing her as a deep, flawed, yet beautiful human. I love all the layers of her that this book uncovered. I LOVED that this book talked about mental health, anxiety, race, family dynamics, and the pressure that young people sometimes feel to live up to their parents' expectations.
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If you love YA romance, and even if you don't, I highly recommend this book. It had me feeling all of the feels. <3

Perfect for fans of Talia Hibbert, S.K. Ali, Jenny Han, and Farrah Rochan! THIS BOOK WAS A MASTERPIECE! I loved Happily Ever Afters and I knew I needed to read this ASAP as soon as I got this. Lenore and Alex are adorable and their chemistry is undeniable. Elise Bryant is my new favorite author and if there's even the slightest chance that there's a spot available for me to interview Elise for pop-culturalist.com I would love that!!!!