The Night We Said Yes

Received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Cover image and synopsis from 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 was one of my book club picks, and it was a fun summer read. I really liked the format of this story, jumping between two different nights in Ella’s life. I was really interested in finding out why Matt disappeared, and why he was suddenly back, and I found out what happened sooner than I expected to.

This was just a really nice summer read, and I liked it more than I thought I would. The idea of saying ‘yes’ to everything stresses me out in real life, but it was fun to read about Ella and her friends doing it.

Recommended for readers looking for a good, quick YA contemporary.