As bubbly as champagne and delectable as wedding cake, Once and for All, Sarah Dessen’s thirteenth novel, is set in the world of wedding planning, where crises are routine.
Louna, daughter of famed wedding planner Natalie Barrett, has seen every sort of wedding: on the beach, at historic mansions, in fancy hotels and clubs. Perhaps that’s why she’s cynical about happily-ever-after endings, especially since her own first love ended tragically. When Louna meets charming, happy-go-lucky serial dater Ambrose, she holds him at arm’s length. But Ambrose isn’t about to be discouraged, now that he’s met the one girl he really wants.
Sarah Dessen’s many, many fans will adore her latest, a richly satisfying, enormously entertaining story that has everything—humor, romance, and an ending both happy and imperfect, just like life itself.
Louna had her happy beginning and not so happy ending. She doesn’t believe in getting the same magic twice, until she meets Ambrose. Ambrose is funny, entitled, self-aware and a hopeless romantic in his own wacky way. After an unfortunate mishap leaves Louna spending more time with Ambrose than she wants, she learns that maybe love and Ambrose aren’t that bad after all.
I have only read a two other Sarah Dessen books before, and each one keeps getting better and better. Louna is rough around the edges and Ambrose is this whirlwind of a person who only wants to make other people happy.
At first, I couldn’t understand why Louna was so bothered by love. She works for her moms wedding planning business, love is her job. I love love and weddings, I have been to so many weddings. My friends and I sit together talking about our weddings, discussing the details of our friends upcoming weddings or the ones we had just attended.
But then we learn about Louna and her history, how her last relationship ended tragically. And it all makes sense.
Louna, her mom and William (the only employe at her moms wedding planning business for the first bit of the book) are their own small world. They all are jaded and have their views on life and love that are, well, pretty cynical and negative.
When Louna meets Ambrose (whom I adore. I think he is fantastic and he is exactly what Louna needed) she finds him annoying but she slowly learns from him.
The character development in this book is amazing and very apparent. Natalie (Louna’s mom) and William go through a lot while raising Louna, but they finally get their happily ever after that they deserve too. They go from these cynical, love hating people to becoming more starry eyed and in love with love. Louna puts herself back out there only to realize that what she really wants has been in front of her this whole time.
I loved this book so much. I plan on reading the rest of Sarah Dessen’s books too. This will not disappoint.
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