One True Loves audiobook

4 stars! High school graduate Lenore is bound for NYU as an art history major, but when her parents overhear her say she wasn’t sure about the choice, they put pressure on her to be more decisive. That and a bad breakup with the boy she’s been seeing at her prom, Lenore is bound for a Mediterranean cruise with her family feeling less than celebratory. While on the cruise she meets Alex, and does not click with him. But then the two of them are together more often than not, and sparks begin to fly.I really thoroughly enjoyed this book. I didn’t read the companion first novel but was able to read this one just fine as a standalone. And for what looked like a fluffy young adult romance, this book packed in a lot of important issues like anxiety in young black men, expectations of black excellence, sibling rivalry, racism in dating. What I loved most about this book was Lenore herself, I remember what it was like to graduate high school and not know exactly what I wanted to do. And for her there were even more levels of pressure. Plus I was super jealous of her artistic abilities because I have none. The romance was a bit rushed for me, but it worked overall in this book. Also the younger sister Etta gives main character energy and I would love a time jump and for her to get her own book. Just putting that last part out in the universe and hoping it manifests. I need to go back and read Happily Ever Afters and I am genuinely excited to read more by Elise Bryant.

Companion novel to Happily Ever Afters, a touching YA contemporary romance that claimed my heart earlier this year. In this book, we are following an artist named Lenore who hails from a family of geniuses. Unlike her family, she has no answers for what she wants from the future, but a European cruise and a handsome boy changes all of that.Loved: Anxiety rep/how it can manifest in Black boys and what it may look like for Black masculine folkThe conversations about the crushing expectations of Black excellence Conversations of being Black and dating non Black folks and always being fetishized or sidelined\kept a secret until someone lighter comes along. The expectations for Black folk to be funny, entertaining, and not emotional or “difficult”Bryant is a talented, beautiful author with stories that touch to the very core of me. I will always be grateful for her books. Thank you to the publisher for sending this copy in exchange for honest review. It truly lived up to my high expectations after Happily Ever Afters STOLE my heart in January.

“So that’s how I end up with pictures of me in a pink boa, with smudged mascara and the fakest smile there ever was. My two best friends, their one true loves, and me. Alone.”Lenore Bennett is a talented artist with plans to go to NYU in the fall. The only problem is, she is becoming less and less sure that that’s what she wants, despite her parents reminding her that Black kids don’t have the luxury of not having a plan. Then, on a family cruise through Europe, she meets Alex Lee, who seems determined to give her everything she didn’t know she was looking for.I often don’t connect with YA contemporary (anymore) because what they provide to readers who are still the same age as the characters isn’t something I need (anymore). That is NOT what happened here. The fear about the future and feeling guilty about “wasting” sensible opportunities that are presented to you in favour of pursuing happiness really resonated with me.Also, I have been on a cruise ship and can confirm that Sea-Bands™️ are a gift from God.Lenore is a gorgeous main character whose heart has been broken and who is overwhelmed in the face of the world’s expectations. Her and Alex’s whirlwind love story could’ve seemed shallow and childish, but their relationship was very genuinely achy in the heart region despite the 12 day timeline (a testament to Elise Bryant’s writing).The non-central characters in this book were also great and had their own independent and compelling storylines. Wally is the love of my life fr.Finally, a reminder from Lenore and I: sometimes you have to risk heartbreak and discomfort and uncertainty in order to have something wonderful 🥰One True Playlist:- Another Love // Tom Odell- I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend // Ezra Furman- Wait a Minute! // WILLOWA quote that makes me love love 🥰:“His head falls back in laughter. I want to snap a picture of that too, but I resist. I only have so much film left, and if I try to capture everything that I like about him, I’ll run out before the end of the day.”

After really enjoying Happily Ever Afters, this was again so fun, and so full of heart. I loved the discussions on what the pressure of the expectation of Black excellence did with Lenore, and I loved seeing how she felt like she had to perform around pretty much everyone ever, except for around the love interest. I do have to say I found the third-act breakup to be very forced and overly dramatic, but other than that, this was really great!

4.25 starsrep: Black protagonist, biracial (Black, Korean) love interest, Black side characters, gay Black side character, biracial (Black, white) side character; (Black author)cw: vomiting (seasickness)omggggg this was so cute, I really liked it!!

4 ⭐️ Oh my gooodddd!!!! I absolutely devoured this book in one sitting!! It was so cute, I couldn’t help myself from binging 😳 I’ll write a review when it isn’t so late, but I just wanted to share that it was a good book!!

3.5⭐️I liked this one a little more than Happily Ever Afters and I thought it was a solid, good read overall!

Full Review on The Candid CoverOne True Loves by Elise Bryant is a charming contemporary about self-discovery. As a fan of any book about travel, I adored the cruise ship setting, and the main character and her doubts about the future are relatable. With earnest discussions about expectations of Black excellence and picturesque descriptions of Europe, this is a great read for those looking for a heartfelt story about travel. In her family of geniuses, Lenore feels pressured to have her entire life figured out before she heads off to college in the fall. However, as she doubts her plans of majoring in art history, Lenore’s parents whisk her away on a family cruise through the Mediterranean, after which Lenore is expected to decide on a major. While her best friend is convinced that Lenore will find true love on the cruise, Lenore is not convinced, especially after getting off on the wrong foot with Alex, a fellow passenger. However, as their parents quickly become friends and travel companions, Lenore starts to realize that Alex isn’t so bad, and that he may even be able to help her in her search for her identity. ❀ RELATABLE MAIN CHARACTERLenore is a relatable main character, and I really enjoyed her voice. She is still figuring out what she wants to do after high school, and while she has indicated an interest in art history, she is hesitant to fully commit, as she would rather spend her life creating art than studying it. I especially felt for Lenore as she struggles to live up for her parents’ high expectations for her, and I appreciated the way this ties into discussions about standards for Black excellence. As the book progresses, Lenore starts to figure out who she is, and I enjoyed watching her gain confidence in herself and for the future she wants. ❀ EXCITING SETTINGAs a fan of any book about travel, I found that the travel elements in this book are well executed. The cruise ship setting in particular brings so much excitement to the story, and I enjoyed the descriptions of the different activities on board. Beyond the cruise ship, there are also descriptions of each stop the characters make, from Italy to Greece, and the vivid descriptions made me feel like I was right there alongside them. ❀ QUIRKY AND HEARTFELTOne True Loves by Elise Bryant is a quirky and heartfelt story of self-discovery. The main character and the pressures she faces are realistic, and the cruise ship setting makes the story feel even more dreamy. This is a great read for those looking for a sweet romance with a picturesque setting.

After enjoying the first book last year, I was so excited when this book came out and it did not disappoint. I loved this one so much, even more than the first! This YA book full of lovable characters, great friendships and lots of self discovery was so fun and well written! It also brought up so many important topics which blended into the story perfectly. Lenore is an amazing and truly relatable main character. After excelling in school, she is unsure of what she wants to do post graduation and is feeling the effects of so much pressure placed on her throughout her life. I loved watching her unapologetically figure out who she is and what she truly wants in life. Alex. Ohhhh Alex, you perfect boy you. Can someone you meet on a cruise and have known less than a week really make a huge impact on you and your life? Well, YES. I also really appreciated how the author brought up anxiety/panic attacks, which is something not usually talked about it but especially not a man experiencing it. " '𝑫𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒆𝒊𝒓𝒅'. 𝑾𝒉𝒚 𝒊𝒔 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒔𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒆𝒊𝒓𝒅? 𝑨𝒔 𝒊𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒆 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒐𝒐 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉."4.5⭐

i read this since i’m going on a cruise later this summer and that was absolutely the best decision. not only did it bring in the most immaculate summer vacation feelings but it was also such a fun story to read. i really loved reading from lenore’s perspective and seeing her growth. her voice was so fun to read from and seeing her relationships with her family and friends and her blossoming relationship with alex were highlights of the book. i think seeing more closure between her and her parents by the end of the book would have made me enjoy the book even more than i did. i also think what was happening with her brother was a bit rushed so just fleshing that out more would’ve made this book perfect. lenore and alex’s relationship was the cutest thing ever and i loved seeing their friendship grow into something more. it was by far the most fun i had in the book and honestly it’s a disgrace that we didn’t get an epilogue with more of them. overall, this was a cute book perfect for a summer read on the beach or at home

This was so cute and I will definitely be romanticizing my life severely now if I ever go on a cruise!

I was sent a copy via the publisher because I will be interviewing the author on Feb 9th at 7pm EST over on Indigo's Instagram! This did not affect my review in any way. I am reading this series backwards. This was my first Bryant book and while I was wary at first (I honestly don't know why), I ended up really enjoying this. I love the commentary surrounding the topic of race, and the topic of parental pressures. I think this book does a really good job of approaching these topics in a way where readers might be able to relate to the MC and her struggles. While I first felt awful for the MC and her romantic troubles (I may have related to that feeling of never really being someone's first choice), I took a star off because of how the MC handles the situation with her love interest when crap hits the fan. My favourite part, however, was when the MC allowed herself the levity of taking a break to figure out just what she wants. I think that, while meant for her own good, it is quite troubling to expect an eighteen year old teenager to know what they're going to do for the rest of their lives. I think it's doubly troubling when you appear to compare one child to their siblings when it comes to accomplishments. In this, I saw a clear case of middle child syndrome. But I did like how everything was handled in the end (even if there's one bit that I was still raising my eyebrows at during the final few pages.)I'd recommend this one if you're someone who wants a light and summery read about a character who just wants to find herself, love, and maybe some form of familial acceptance. I will hopefully be reading the first book sometime this month or next month!Happy reading!

This was such a cute YA summer vacation romance! Elise Bryant has improved so much in such a short time and I definitely believe that this book is miles ahead of her debut novel. Lenore was such a relatable main character and I found myself connecting to her when she describes putting on a front even with close friends and building such walls that the people around you don’t even know the real you. I loved watching her grow and realize that she can’t keep living like this. LENORE AND ALEX WERE SO CUTE! Alex was such a swoon worthy male love interest. He just felt so sincere and I loved how he made Lenore feel like the only girl in the world. I enjoyed the sibling relationships highlighted in this novel because as a middle child myself it’s hard getting compared to your siblings and it’s easy to feel as though your feelings are ignored. I loved how so many issues were touched on but I do feel the shortness of the novel gave us very cookie cutter solutions. BUT this story made me feel so warm inside and getting this inside look of this Black family’s vacation made me feel at home. So close to being a 5 star read.