This Could Be Forever is such a great read! I love how Ebony LaDelle brings two cultures together—showing the differences, yes—but also shining a light on the similarities. The connection between the FMC and MMC was definitely love at first sight, and it was so sweet watching them grow together. Their chemistry felt so real, and the way their relationship grew had me hooked. I highly recommend this book if you're into romance with heart, culture, and connection. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more from Ebony in the future!

I’ll talk more about this read in my March Read Wrap—@iamerikarenee on Instagram!

Thank you NetGalley and Simon Teen for the ARC! This was a 4 star read for me I enjoyed reading. I've never read a book dealing with interracial relationships and culture differences. This story was such a cute read and made me think about different cultures in a different more respectful light light. Would definitely recommend.

In this "New Adult" romance, we meet Deja and Raja, both coming from large, complicated, and close families. Because of their differing racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds, this romance seems doomed, but through open communication and a solid takedown of the patriarchy, they may have a chance at happily ever after.

This was a sweet and well developed story, maybe a little repetitive, but an enjoyable read. Very much a "clean" romance, rather than a hot and spicy one.

For me this was a 3.5 stars. Thank you netgalley and Simon Teen for the ARC! Definitely a good read if you’re into books that are insta love, interracial relationships and dating, and culture differences. Would definitely recommend to those looking for a good palette cleanser!

Thank you @simonteen for a digital copy to review!

This compelling and complex romance about love across cultures follows a Black girl and Brown boy who find themselves—and each other—while pursuing their passions the summer before college.

^from the publisher!

Okay so I really, really enjoyed this book. The dual POV was perfection and I really loved both of our main characters. Deja was so level headed and had such big dreams with her business and love of natural products, and Raja had the sweet vulnerability with the fear of wanting to be his own person and not completely disappoint his family.

These two characters were so layered and complex that as the story moved forward and you got to know them better, their motivations became so clear. What started as a simple meeting turned into a deep respect and care for each other and their relationship. I loved how vulnerable they were and how they each had complicated family dynamics at play. The growth was amazing!! I also really loved how they each had a supportive sibling to give them guidance and love. 🥹

Fully recommend.

after seeing so many good things about this i was excited to start it, yet im about 30% through and keep having to put it down. i dont feel quite connected to the characters yet (or maybe its the writing making me feel this way) but as of right now im going to dnf it so as not to enter a book slump! much appreciation for the early copy 💫

Ebony LaDelle has done it again! I’m not at all surprised after reading her debut, Love Radio. This book definitely confirms why she’s an auto buy author for me. I’ll be back with more details!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced eARC!

Thank you to the publisher, netgalley, and the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. This Could Be Forever by Ebony LaDelle is my first experience with the author. A solid four star read. I am not an insta-love believer and this book is insta love at it's core. What sold me on this book was the relationship between the FMC and the MMC. Understanding the complex characteristics of an interracial relationship made me enjoy this book. This was extremely enlightening in so many ways and watching how the FMC and the MMC work together to make their relationship work and how much care each person takes with each other and understanding their cultures was beautiful. I know this is an ARC but there was a line in the book that really hit me. I want to say this line could change, though I hope not. "It's hard not to think about that when racism is something you're forced to learn and understand at a young age as a Black person in this country, when the world around you tries to remind you of the box you're supposed to stay put in. Every Black child remembers their first racist encounter, the moment their innocence begins to dim, when the world shows them its true colors. That feeling, no matter how prepared you are to experience it, is soul crushing...".

In Ebony LaDelle's This Could Be Forever, we meet Deja and Raja, two young people navigating that pivotal moment between adolescence and adulthood. Deja carries the meaningful responsibility of being her family's first college student, while Raja pursues his artistic passion against the backdrop of his family's traditional expectations. Their chance summer encounter in Maryland blossoms into a genuine connection that challenges both to reconsider what they want for their futures.

What makes this novel stand out is how LaDelle crafts a story about love in all its forms. The romance between Deja and Raja feels refreshingly real - her confidence and his thoughtful resistance to convention create a chemistry that's impossible not to root for. The book tackles interracial and intercultural relationship dynamics with honesty, celebrating both the joy of shared differences and acknowledging the real challenges that come with them.

LaDelle's writing transports you to the warmth of a Maryland summer, creating moments that range from laugh-out-loud funny to genuinely touching. While some story elements follow familiar patterns, the emotional journey feels fresh, especially through the authentic voices of these compelling characters. Their story beautifully illustrates how finding your own path can coexist with honoring your roots.

This Could Be Forever is a thoroughly enjoyable romance that offers cultural richness, emotional depth, and characters you'll miss when the final page turns. It's a wonderful read for anyone who appreciates contemporary young adult fiction with heart and substance.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing | Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers for the advance review copy!

such a beautiful and sweet love story. it took me a second to get into it, but once I didn't I couldn't put it down. i think this is one of the best adaptations of the insta-love trope becuase both of the characters know that it is kinda ridiculous that they feel this strongly this quickly. such a cute read and also dives deep into the intermix of different cultures and young love

Ebony LaDelle proves once again that she is a powerhouse in young adult romance with This Could Be Forever, a heartfelt story about love, loss, and honoring one's own path outside of societal, familial, and cultural pressures. 'This Could Be Forever' really captures the tender, electric feeling of first love while transparently exploring themes of cultural identity and family expectations in the context of interracial and intercultural dating.

Deja, a Black American girl with dreams of studying chemistry and launching her own natural skincare line, is spending the summer before college at the Onward Bound program at the University of Maryland. Raja, a Nepali American tattoo artist with a passion for ink and design, is apprenticing at a local shop, all while trying to balance his family's traditional expectations with his creative aspirations. When Deja and Raja meet, their chemistry is undeniable, but navigating an interracial relationship—especially one that challenges their families’ visions for their futures—is going to take work.

LaDelle excels at crafting characters who feel real, full of love, dreams, and doubts. The novel treats cultural differences with respect and care, highlighting both the joys and tensions that come with bridging traditions while carving out a new space for oneself. Deja’s grief over the one year anniversary of her grandmother’s passing adds connective tissue to the story- as does Raja’s struggle to honor his late grandfather whose memory still inspires him while he follows his own path.

With rich, atmospheric writing and a romance that is as swoon-worthy as it is thought-provoking, This Could Be Forever is a read that will make the most pessimistic among us believe in true love. LaDelle reminds us that love, at its best, pushes us to grow, rethink our biases, and challenge expectations—not just those set by others but also the ones we set for ourselves.

Raja and Prince (from Love Radio Ebone LaDelle’s debut novel) wrote the book on curating the cutest , most genuine date ideas/experiences!

This story follows Deja and Raja the summer before their freshman year at University of Maryland. Deja is a passionate about making natural products that can heal and improve the skin. Raja is an artist and works at a tattoo shop. When they meet they are immediately attracted to each other but soon they start to worry if their family will be accepting of the relationship or will tradition block their love.

There were multiple scenes that made me chuckle. Through this novel the characters were experiencing serious situations but I enjoyed how it was juxtaposed with humor. I loved hearing about Queen and I loved how driven and focused Deja was in her goals to be a cosmetic chemist.

This book explores the realities of navigating meeting the parents, family tradition, arranged marriage, and dating someone from a different race and culture than yours. I Ioved how the book captured the family dynamics and cultural aspects.

I thought the start of college was the perfect backdrop for this storyline because whether you’re in an interracial relationship or not we can all relate to parents that try to control or make decisions for you when it’s time for them to let go and let their young adults make their own decisions.

I love how the writing shows that there were more things that they had in common when it came to family dynamics, cultural aspects, and what they valued than most people would expect.

eboney does it again. I have been waiting for this book for quite some time. The way she writes stories are just incredible. I cannot wait to have my students read this.. She writes stories in a way that are true. YA books.

Thank you to @simonteen for the chance to read this ARC.

I just want to first start off by saying I absolutely loved this book. It was such a sweet insta love romance which normally isn’t my go to trope,but Ebony did such a fantastic job writing this story that I don’t mind it.

Okay now let’s get into the story. We are following our FMC, Deja Martin a southern girl from North Carolina preparing to go up north to Maryland to attend college. On her first day in Maryland, she and her sister decide to visit a tattoo shop where she and Raja our MMC meet. From the moment they meet the chemistry between them is palpable and so tender which I absolutely adore to read in YA. I didn’t think Ebony could top the date Prince did for Dani in Love Radio, but somehow she did. The date Raja plans for Deja is too cute and shows how much he listens to her.

Everything between them is great expect for their parents have reservations about them being together. Deja’s family is really protective of her especially given how this world treats Black girls while Raja’s parents are very traditional and want to choose the woman he’s supposed to be marry. But I loved how their desire to be together was greater than what their parents wanted.

As someone who was born to Black American parents I really enjoyed reading the experience of a first gen child through Ebony’s writing and the struggles they face trying to make their family happy while also craving out their own identity and happiness. I also really enjoyed learning about the Nepali culture through Raja. Deja’s confidence was such a joy to read it warmed my heart that she knew her worth something that most girls her age struggle with, but Deja knows she’s that girl! This book was filled with so many gems for young Black girls reminding them how worthy and deserving of love they are.

I can’t recommend this book please added it to your TBR, your Amazon wishlist, and pre-order it now. You won’t regret it!!!

This book was kind of slow getting into the story. I think the build up was a bit too long, but I appreciated the story line. I live in the DMV so I really liked the fusion of cultures because that represents the “melting pot” of the DMV. I really appreciated Deja and her confidence but also her care for Raja and her family. I liked that to the outside looking in, she had it all together because she knew what she wanted to major in and what she wanted to do with her life, but really, she was still insecure and scared to leave her family. I liked how the book dealt with grief and being a darkskin woman in society and how people view you. I liked Raja and how he was going against the grain with being a tattoo artist. I enjoyed learning about Nepali culture and the fusion of Black and Nepali culture. Ebony definitely knows how to write a cute coming of age story

I was so hyped to get my hands on this early (thanks to the publisher and Netgalley!) because I read and adored Love Radio last year, but this one ultimately fell flat for me. I did like this, but not as much as I was hoping to. For one, I didn't vibe with the insta love, but I decided to keep reading since I was curious to see how Deja (Black American) and Raja's (Nepali American) relationship would deepen over time. At times, I found the pace to be rather slow, and I skimmed a little to get to any action. I liked seeing Deja and Raja work through the complexities and complications of an interracial and intercultural relationship. Raja pushes back against his parents' expectation of an arranged marriage with a Nepali woman of a similar class (caste). Deja's father also isn't pleased that she's dating outside of her race, arguing that a Black man will better understand her. But they both want to make their relationship work. Deja experiences colorism when interacting with some members of Raja's family, and Raja similarly experiences racism (misidentifying him as Mexican, or mistaking him as Muslim instead of Hindu being some examples) when interacting with some members of Deja's family. There are also nuanced discussions of arranged marriage (which I liked!).

I also thought this wasn't as well written as Love Radio, I think because this book has long internal monologues that started to feel repetitive.

I won't speak to the representation of Nepali culture, as I am a white reader. I encourage everyone to seek out Nepali and South Asian reviewers, if possible, for a sense of how Nepali people are represented. The author is Black, but she writes that this book is based off her own interracial relationship.

i loved this book. not as much as LOVE RADIO but i did love it.
I think it was a tad heavy handed with the cultural difference things and sometimes i felt it overshadowed their relationship; however, i think it was believable and enjoyable.

definitely sweet

I read this book in just a few hours. Couldn't put it down. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Will be recommending around pub Date.