ONE TRUE LOVES

A Black girl’s coming-of-age and summer of romance.

Seventeen-year-old Lenore Bennett from Long Beach, California, is experiencing many firsts and lasts before she heads off to NYU, a source of anxiety as she is undecided about her major and future career path. One of her firsts is a European cruise with her family. Unlike her romance-focused friend, Tessa, who is bent on Lenore’s having a rom-com–worthy summer, Lenore herself has long given up on the idea of having the type of love she secretly dreams about. Enter Alex Lee, a 17-year-old Black and Korean boy, also from Southern California, who has a detailed life plan that includes studying medicine. But not only is Alex fresh off a breakup and not exactly looking for love again, his ex-girlfriend is on the same cruise ship. Lenore and Alex initially get off on the wrong foot, but forced proximity, thanks to their parents’ bonding, leads to their falling for each other as they grow closer. In this companion novel to 2021’s Happily Ever Afters, Bryant maintains her contemporary yet timeless authorial style that is a breath of fresh air for the genre. The dynamic characters and relationships and authentic tone make for an engaging read. Charm and humor balance the portions of the novel that delve into more serious topics like race, the pressures of familial and societal expectations, and mental health.

A sweet love story for the realistic romantics of the world.