HOLIDAY HAPPINESS: Book Review: The Night We Said Yes by Lauren Gibaldi

Title: The Night We Said Yes

Author: Lauren Gibaldi

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release Date: June 16, 2015

Format Read: ARC

Description 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.

THE NIGHT WE SAID YES was such a fun read. With each chapter, more and more of Matt and Ella's story is revealed-- the first chapter leaves you with questions, and those questions get answers as the story unfurls. The uniqueness of this story was one of the things that I loved most about it, as well as the friendship between Ella and her best friend. Another thing I enjoyed was reading about the past, while experiencing it in the present as Ella and Matt re-created that night. 

The only negative I found for this story was Matt's reason for leaving. I kept waiting for more-- for him to be lying and then have a completely different excuse. But he didn't and I'm okay with how it turned out, I just find that to be the only low point for the book.

I would give THE NIGHT WE SAID YES four stars, and recommend it to contemporary fans,a s well as lovers of timid romance and out-of-the-box high school fun.

Happily,

Stephanie