THIS COULD BE FOREVER

Two college freshmen face the challenges of dating across many differences in background and identity.

Seventeen-year-old Deja Martin wants to explore life beyond small-town North Carolina, and college is the perfect opportunity. Nature lover Deja has a full scholarship to her first-choice school, the University of Maryland; she plans to become a cosmetic chemist. Before fall semester starts, she visits College Park to dispel any lingering fears—and, empowered by her first taste of autonomy, she goes to get a tattoo and meets Raja Sharma. The 18-year-old Nepali American boy’s good looks are as mesmerizing as his artistic talents. Their connection is electrifying, but their delicate romance is threatened by external pressures. Raja’s parents expect him to become an engineer and marry an upper-caste Nepali girl; courting a Black American Christian would be an act of rebellion. The men in Deja’s family have concerns about her being with a city boy who isn’t Christian or Black—will he understand what it’s like for Black women in America? The pair must decide: When you’re from different worlds, is love truly enough? Told in alternating first-person narration, the novel features rich characterization wrapped in vulnerability and the whirlwind magic of young love. Grounding her story in relatability and realism, LaDelle carefully depicts how cultures shape personal identities. The teens’ relationship is endearing, and they push each other to become better people.

In this sweet romance, a serendipitous moment paves the way for radical growth and transformation.