The Night We Said Yes by Lauren Gibaldi
Genres: Contemporary (YA), Romance (YA)
Pages: 304
Goodreads

A fun, romantic read, perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen and Susane Colasanti!
Before Matt, Ella had a plan. Get over a no-good ex-boyfriend. Graduate from high school without any more distractions. Move away from Orlando, Florida, where she’s lived her entire life.
But Matt—the cute, shy, bespectacled bass player who just moved to town—was never part of that plan.
And neither was attending a party that was crashed by the cops just minutes after they arrived. Or spending an entire night saying “yes” to every crazy, fun thing they could think of.
Then Matt abruptly left town, and he broke not only Ella’s heart but those of their best friends, too. So when he shows up a year later with a plan of his own—to relive the night that brought them together—Ella isn’t sure whether Matt’s worth a second chance. Or if re-creating the past can help them create a different future.
In alternating then and now chapters, debut author Lauren Gibaldi crafts a charming, romantic story of first loves, lifelong friendships, uncovered secrets, and, ultimately, finding out how to be brave.

This book is 300 pages of warm and fuzzy feelings! It’s an amazing story about friendship, love and finding yourself.

It follows two people, Matt and Ella, one 2 different nights exactly one year apart. I touch on the way this is done below in the Writing & Pacing category. The way this is done is a really interesting twist on the typical high school love story. It is also unique because instead of a “falling in love” story, it’s about a heartbreak after falling in love and whether or not that hurt can be healed.

Ella is a girl most of us can relate to. She’s kind of shy, wants to be a writer and is more comfortable in jeans and a tank top… but she still wants to have fun. She takes risks but doesn’t go too far past what she’s comfortable with. And she learns the hard way to trust herself, to do what is right for her and to cherish the people she has around her. Ella is a character that most young girls can relate to.

Ella’s friends were all unique, their personalities really stood out and they served a purpose to the story. First there’s Meg, Ella’s best friend. She’s beautiful, confident and a risk-taker. The friendship between her and Ella is admirable and makes you a little envious because they have such a strong connection.

Meg’s boyfriend, Jake, is someone you love and you hate. He’s cocky and smug and says all the wrong things, but it’s obvious he cares about Meg and all of his friends.

Then there’s Matt. He’s awkward, yet charming, and doesn’t know how to communicate well. He’s someone that you want to root for because he’s always genuine and kind to Ella. The four of them together create a wonderful story about more than just young love, but about friendship, bonds, forgiveness and taking charge of your own life.

The whole story takes place on two nights – exactly one year apart – in a Then and Now style. The Then chapters are about the night Ella meets Matt while the Now chapters are about Matt’s sudden return. I really enjoyed this method, it made the changes to the characters over that year that much more noticeable. Since Then was a happier time for Ella, when the book went into the Now chapters, her outlook on life was noticeably different. That immediate contrast every other chapter had a huge impact on the mood of the story – especially your own mood (note the warm and fuzzy feelings ?).

Overall, this is a fun read that, when you put it down, will get you thinking about your own friendships and realizing who’s most important to you – who brings out the best in you, who’s been there for you and who challenges you to strive for more.

The only thing I had an issue with is the reason Matt left town. It’s something that I don’t think warranted that behavior BUT Matt’s Story comes out on August 4th! So hopefully his actions are more understandable 🙂

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Rating Report
Plot
Characters
Writing
World Building
Romance
Overall:	5 / 5