All the feels.

One True Loves (Happily Ever Afters #2) Elise Bryant ★★★★ + 🌶 'One True Loves' is a true cultural reset 💓 The authentic Blackness it portrays is a sensory experience in and of itself. I came for the prose, knowing that it would have me living, but stayed for the absolute cuteness that accompanied the intermingling of the real and the fictional 💫 🌻 Lenore and Alex make quite a match and are both quite charming. This novel is written as a single narrative and it is enjoyable to enter the mind of Lenore. It is the way she exudes exhilarating energy, which I believe appeals to the tone of this book; the voyage romance, as well as the topics of college, being Black and multiracial, sexuality, and mental health, are all engaging topics encountered. 🐚 During the course of this fast-paced novel, there is a great deal to digest and a lot of Lenore's emotions are portrayed on a deeper level. I can relate to her relationship with her siblings and parents. Undeclared, playing the role of another, the desire to be everyone else but yourself in order to avoid connotations of negativity. As a black woman, there is a lot to consider when it comes to the way we behave in order to not upset anyone. Affiliating with this 'person' that is not who we are can be quite an exhausting endeavor, and this was a truly delightful YA novel to experience that in the context of a college decision, creative arts, and love. 🛩 Her corny parents remind me so much of those of my own family. My parents have never been portrayed in a novel before, but much of what Lenore deals with as a result of her siblings and the pressure to be greater than what your parents have been through is grueling and honest. It is about discovering who you are through love, but it creates a deeper emotional attachment as Lenore represents the anxieties I forgot about when I was a teenager graduating from high school. My Blackness has never felt understood as deeply as it has in 'One True Loves.' 🥰

Such a cute and predictable love story just like her first novel. Loved it! Just what I needed 💘

3.5 💫

I loved this one. At first I found the characters frustrating but only because they’re so damn real. As the story unfolds we see growth in the main character Lenore and it’s really nice to see. Her tough girl act softens up and it is just so relatable. The love story is adorable and I’ll be thinking about it for ages.

When I started this book, I didn’t think I was going to finish it. It just wasn’t it for me. It was a slow start, the main character, Lenore, wasn’t super likable, and I just wasn’t feeling it. But that was until Alex showed up. The romance and the character development is what redeemed this book in the end. Once Alex came onto the scene, I started to really enjoy the book. So at the start I would’ve given it 2 stars max, but after persevering through it, it now is worth 4 stars in my opinion.

Super cute YA romance. Great themes of coming of age and discussion of race throughout.