This is a tender YA romance that captures that transitional moment before college when you’re standing on the edge of new beginnings while still carrying the weight of family expectations.

I loved the way Ebony wove in the characters’ passions and interests, which gave them depth and individuality. And the college setting brought back so many memories of my own first year, both the excitement and the nerves.

Where it didn’t land as strongly for me was in the romance itself. Deja and Raja were cute, but I didn’t feel swoon-worthy chemistry. And at times the story felt more focused on their cultural and family pressures than on the kind of sweeping, passionate first love I was hoping for. The pacing also felt a little slow, which kept me from wanting to race through it.

Still, it’s thoughtful, heartfelt, and layered with themes of identity, belonging, and finding your place in the world.

Thank you @simonteen for the ARC! 💜

I loved everything about this book. I started my journey with this author with Love Radio, so my expectations were set pretty high. Ebony did not disappoint at all. This reminded me of the Netflix show "Forever" which I also enjoyed. Overall, I would recommend this book to just about anyone.

Ebony LaDelle has a knack for crafting YA romances that resonate with readers of all ages, steering clear of cheesy clichés while addressing important topics.

Deja is a fierce sunflower girl. She’s driven, focused, and has a clear plan to chase her entrepreneurial dreams, all while holding her family values close. I loved Deja’s memories with her grandmother.

Then there’s Raja, future ink king. This perfect gentleman is passionate about tattoos and determined to defy tradition. He stands firm against family expectations, embodying what it means to truly chase your dreams.

Their meet-cute? So cute! The chemistry between Deja and Raja is electric, bringing back those giddy feelings of a crush.

LaDelle beautifully explores the dynamics of having immigrant parents. The pressure to succeed is palpable, yet the love and support shine through.

I love how this book took me back to the summer before college. This time of change and new beginnings is perfectly captured in Deja and Raja’s journey.

This Could Be Forever isn’t just a romance. It’s a celebration of family, culture, and the power of connection.

This was cute but not my favorite. I felt like it was missing something. My biggest issue was the lack of chemistry between the characters. I just did not blithely liked each other that much.

This Could Be Forever by Ebony LaDelle was such a cute read! This book had everything I love in YA Romance-- a smart, determined FMC, an opposites-attract love trope, and all the feels.

Deja is the main character I could definitely see myself in as a young adult. She was an NC native, pursuing a degree in chemistry to further develop her natural skincare line. She grew up in a large family in North Carolina, much like me, so I found myself rooting for her from the start! She was also in Onward Bound, which sounds much like the Upward Bound program I was in that helped college-bound high school students with admissions. I immediately connected with her tenacity and brave demeanor.

Then Deja met Raja in a tattoo parlor.. They had the nicest little meet-cute, and I felt all the "oohs and ahhs." It felt nostalgic reading on as they became curious about one another and eventually began to date. It was a beautiful thing to see the ways Deja and Raja brought out the best in each other.

And while these two had so many things in common to tether them, they were indeed opposites. Deja is Black and Raja is Nepali, which is no problem with either of them. But Raja's strict parents have already chosen a suitor for him. It was interesting watching Deja and Raja explore their differences and navigate a relationship while wondering if their parents would approve.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. The ups and downs of Deja and Raja's relationship was very realistic. I love how everything worked out, as I found myself cheering for both of them at different times. Fans of YA Romance will really love this one!

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This was a wholesome and enjoyable look at love that intertwines different cultures and families from completely different worlds. I love the college setting and how it relates to being a new student who goes forth to get a tattoo, one of their first tastes of freedom, and gets ways more than she bargains for.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this eARC! This story was sooo adorable y’all 🥹 I loved Deja and Raja so much and felt like their relationship development was 9/10. I also felt like they handled the difficulties that came with their relationship with more grace than *Grown* adults would have, which I really appreciated as I feel people have a tendency to underestimate what young adults are capable of. All in all, this was such a lovely read! I flew through it in a day.

This was a really cute book. I enjoy learning about other cultures. This love story between Deja and and Raja would beautiful, complex and layered. It was refreshing to read about two young people who discovered strong feelings for each other early in the book. Watching their love story unfold as they navigate familial expectations had intrigued wondering if it would work out for them. This was a perfect YA romance that felt like young love. Ebony Ladelle did an amazing job at telling the story of these young people and showing all the complexities of their families. I enjoyed every moment of the book from the the traditions of the Deja's southern family to Raja's Nepali family.

This was a beautifully written lighthearted read. I have been reading a ton of darker books so picking this up was the reprieve I truly needed. I loved reading about a relationship where 2 different cultures had to come together and the struggles that dynamic can bring. I think it was handled perfectly. The story had a depth to it that I wasn't really expecting.

In This Could Be Forever by Ebony LaDelle, seventeen-year-old Deja is a rising freshman at University of Maryland whose dreams are to become a cosmetic chemist. Just before starting her classes, she has a chance meeting with eighteen-year-old Raja, a tattoo artist at a local tattoo parlor.

It’s insta-love for these two, but their backgrounds and families couldn’t be more different: Deja is a Black girl from North Carolina and Raja is Nepali American whose family expects him to find a nice Nepali girl to marry. 

Told from each of the main characters’ viewpoints in alternating chapters, readers see inside each of their minds how they struggle with both wanting to be together and the pull to please their families. 

I adored this sweet and empowering love story, and look forward to more from this author!

This one had me in my feels. It was such a sweet and touching YA romance, coming of age love story. A family oriented and culture driven narrative that I thoroughly enjoyed. I like the thoughtful way the author tackled the mmc's culture and interracial relationships. I learned SO MUCH about Nepali culture. The way the two main characters navigated their family dynamics Deja a first generation college student moving away from home and Raja dealing with the pressures of his immigrant families expectations felt so real. These two brought out the best in each other. This book had me smiling and giggling. I was rooting for all of these characters not just Deja and Raja. Ebony LaDelle is an auto read author for me. This book was just a nice warm hug. Would have loved an epilogue IJS! Thank you to Simon Teens and NetGalley for the eARC.

I loved this sweet story!! Deja and Raja together were so wholesome. They were so magnetic and completely a fit for the other. I know many will identify with their love and the cultural differences. The racism and the courage to stand up for those you love. This was a great story and I’m so glad I got the opportunity to read it.

4.5 stars! Thank you to Simon Teen for the eARC in exchange for a review. ⁠

This was a beautiful and heartwarming story. We meet Raja and Deja, who are two young adults trying to find their own path in the overwhelming transition to adulthood. I was instantly drawn in to these characters and their lives. Deja has a huge role being a first generation college student, business owner, and a huge family girl. Raja is an artist who is struggling to pursue his dream of owning his own tattoo shop while trying to balance exceptions from his parent’s traditional expectations being the son of two first generation immigrants. This story was rooted in realistic challenges that kept me engrossed and cheering for these characters.

The romance is SO CUTE but it was so real at the same time. Their connection was quick and they hit it off instantly, but there was a lot of obstacles these two had to face. They had to fight for their love in the face of cultural and racial differences between Deja and Raja. Deja’s confidence and unshakeable beliefs met Raja’s strength to stand up for himself and others and created chemistry from their first interaction. This blossomed into a beautiful relationship and they learned to fight for, together, despite the odds.

LaDelle wrote a wonderful story that encompasses many different topics from sexism, racism, cultural differences, and privilege, but still contains amazing emotional depth, characters you will instantly love, and a romance to swoon for. This is an amazing summer read and I cannot wait to check out Ebony LaDelle’s other books. I loved this one!

This was a lovely story about two college-aged young people who happen to run into each other and stay on each other's minds. Only when they run into each other again a few months later do they realize the impact they'd had on each other and begin to explore their feelings. I enjoyed how their relationship started as very sincere friends who truly want only the best for each other. Even when their families are not supportive due to racism, each ultimately wants the other to do what's best for them and their family. That kind of level-headed love that isn't trying to burn down everything around it -- family be damned -- is a welcomed anomaly in how romance is often written.

As a LOVER of "Love Radio" this was most definitely a must read just because of the author and the way "Love Radio" made me feel. She did not disappoint in this beautiful "young love" romance. Coming from different cultural backgrounds as an adult falling in love is hard as a whole but finding love in young adulthood with multicultural backgrounds could be have easily been grounds for failure in the past, but the youth in this day and age are resilient and make ways to overcome. This story was beautifully written story.

Once again Ebony LaDelle wrote a story that made me feel a part of the plot while I also adored the MCs!

I love that Deja and Raja were able to gain personal insight and exposure to each other's culture during their journey of love. They were able to see the similarities and the contrasts which gave way into conversations. For me being one who believes in asking questions without judging others because it's not what you're used to, I adored the way Ebony LaDelle included this into their story! Lastly, by the end of the story, I truly shouted out "the title is correct, this could be forever and Ebony LaDelle has a forever reader in me".

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for a copy of this book via Netgalley. All opinions are my own. As a high school educator, I often turn to YA reads to recommend to my students and mentoring group. This book is at the top of the list. This book reads like a movie. I believe that it should be adapted into a Netflix show. I get multicultural Forever vibes from this novel. The ebb and flow of the relationship between the leads is just so pure, and has you reminiscing on your first love. The pressure to live up to the expectations that your family places on you is something that a lot of young people can today can relate to. Overall, just a fun, lighthearted read with the right comedic touch.

4.5 stars. What a cute YA story!

Alexa play Sunflower by Post Malone and Swae Lee

Deja and Raja were fun to read about, from their meet-cute (which was so adorable) to their happy ending.
As a first generation myself, Raja's story was so relatable to me. I felt his struggles with his family like they were my own. I enjoyed reading about Deja and her relationship with her many siblings and her parents, and how it paralleled with Raja's relationship with his sister and sister-cousins, and his parents.

I learned SO MUCH about Nepali culture, and the Bollywood-esque ending played like a movie scene in my mind (Netflix, cue Mismatched).
It was cute reading their young love story, and I'm glad the conflicts weren't super drawn out and had clear resolutions.

Didn't see why there was an epilogue when it was set only a semester after. Could have just been another chapter.

Overall, I love it when a black girl gets her love story!

Thank you net galley and Simon Teens for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was NOT ready for this book! Raja and Deja are now two lovers I will hold close in my heart when it comes to meet-cutes and book couples!

I’ve been feeling a lot like a hopeless romantic lately but This Could Be Forever left me with the feelings of more romcoms. Author LaDelle was very conscientious about the cultural differences that can impact an interracial romance and navigating these when you experience a first love.

I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to feel all squishy and bubbly with some hard feelings in between.

This Could Be Forever by Ebony LaDelle, 384 pages. Simon & Schuster, 2025. $20. CENTERING ME, lgbt
Language: R (129 swears, 7 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: G
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
APPEALS TO: SEVERAL
Needing to see her future college campus before she can accept, Deja (17yo) goes to the University of Maryland over spring break. After she falls in love with the city and the campus, she celebrates her college decision with a tattoo—and feels the first sparks of love with her tattoo artist, Raja (18yo). They come from wildly different family cultures and expectations, but, if their love could be forever, then it’s worth every battle.
LaDelle’s characters are not only dealing with the pressures of staying home versus moving out and decisions about college majors that will impact their future dream careers, they also have to choose whether their relationship is worth clashing with their loved ones over traditions and biases. As readers watch these characters navigate all these difficult decisions, they will see examples of self care and reprioritizing activities, including letting some go until a later time, and the importance of support systems and honesty. Maybe the decisions readers are facing aren’t exactly the same, but we have all felt the chaos of having to make difficult choices now all at once, and Deja’s and Raja’s stories illustrate hope for a happy ending for each of us.
Deja and her family are Black, Raja and his family are Nepali, and there are characters whose families are from Sri Lanka and the Dominican Republic. A couple side characters are mentioned as being part of the LGBT community. The mature content rating is for alcohol use (including underage drinking), kissing, mild innuendo, and mentions of drugs, menstruation, and sex.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen