Once and For All by Sarah Dessen - Restarting August 7th 2017

[C.P.]

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.

[Jackie]

I think Dessen is one of those authors I just can't miss.

[C.P.]

She has quickly become a favorite for me. :)

[Jackie]

If I'm not mistaken, she was the author that got me into contemporary.

[C.P.]

Me too, probably. I mean, I've read some contemporary for a long time, but I didn't read as much until I started reading her and Morgan Matson.

[Hallie]

I look forward to reading another Dessen book, I think her Contemporaries are great. Would anyone like to buddy read this with me? I am new to this group and am a little unsure of how this works.

[C.P.]

Jackie and I will be starting on release day, if you want to join us. That's what the date in the thread name is for. :)

[Jackie]

Feel free in joining us. :)

[C.P.]

Through chapter 11. (view spoiler)[I don't like Ambrose's serial dating. Really, he's just a jerk with some nice qualities. I don't know what to think about him.

And I feel bad for Louna with the Ethan thing (still waiting for a few more details there), but that instalove was a little intense. (hide spoiler)]

[C.P.]

Through chapter 16. (view spoiler)[How can thid wrap up? There doesn't seem to be enough time. I guess Ambrose likes Louna...maybe? There's really not much there.

And that instalove! Seriously. I don't care if it really does happen, I like to think that even people who fall in love on first meeting aren't this extreme.

Despite these thoughts, I am enjoying this. Just not in the ways or as much as I had hoped. (hide spoiler)]

[C.P.]

Through chapter 23. (view spoiler)[Obviously he was going to find out. You should have just told him earlier! I get it, in a lot of ways, but still.

And I am not really a fan of this bet. I mean, what was the deal with Lauren? It's a jerk move to be so commited (I mean, somewhat) to her and then want to tell Louna how he felt about her right when they split...I guess I'm just not feeling the games involved here. (hide spoiler)]

[C.P.]

Just finished. Not sure what to think of this one, honestly. (view spoiler)[I really don't like how Louna and Ambrose handled relationships with other people. And the end felt really rushed to me. There are things I like, but this definitely isn't my favorite Dessen. (hide spoiler)]

[Berit☀️✨]

Going to try to get to this tomorrow :-)

[Berit☀️✨]

And I have started! Curious to see where this goes and curious to see what the bad break up was from her previous relationship....

[C.P.]

I hope you enjoy it, Berit. I was a little disappointed, unfortunately. But it has some fun moments.

[Berit☀️✨]

Up to chapter 7 I have a theory(view spoiler)[ at first I was thinking that Ethan guy was perhaps shot in a school shooting? now I'm thinking was he the shooter? Also how long could've they known each other? I mean I do understand first love teenage love and all that.... Ambrose, a guy you would want to be friends with, but I'm not sure about romantically involved, but that's just me (hide spoiler)]

[Berit☀️✨]

OK after 11(view spoiler)[OK Ethan clearly was not the shooter in the school shooting, he is way too incredibly normal for that and well-adjusted, curious to see how this bet goes, she is currently on the date with the anagram guys, 😂 (hide spoiler)]

[C.P.]

Berit☀️✨ wrote: "Up to chapter 7 I have a theory[spoilers removed]"

Yes! I had a lot of these thoughts as well.

[Berit☀️✨]

I finished, also CP A little more on your comments on my review :-)(view spoiler)[ I completely do not condone the behavior they had towards the people they were dating, however I think it is really unfortunately fairly normal especially with boys and even more now with girls..... but I don't have a problem with people dating multiple people, I have a problem with them not being honest with the people they are dating, but I think these kids were having a problem being honest with themselves as well, does that make sense? I was never angry at the characters, but if I were younger perhaps I would be,.... I guess as a mother I never want my child to be trapped or felt like they needed to stay in a relationship they didn't want to be in, in order to do the right thing, having said that I have a daughter who is 19 and has been with her boyfriend since she was 15, and my boys really aren't big on dating as of yet, so I haven't come across a situation really, Now having said that my daughter probably would be angry with the characters in this book, so I completely understand :-) (hide spoiler)]

[Abi]

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Reading from the 9th of July 2017

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[Leah]

Is it all right if I read this today instead of the 9th? My copy is due back to the library before the 9th.

[Eesh]

Chapter 5
(view spoiler)[My God, I love Ambrose. He's already one of my favourite.
Also, I figured Ethan had died when the shooting was mentioned. No wonder she's still having difficulty coping. (hide spoiler)]

[Dr. Andy]

I'll be starting this sometime this week.

[Eesh]

Chapter 11
(view spoiler)[Oh this bet should be interesting. And I can't help but wonder if Louna will be the girl he chooses. (hide spoiler)]

[Eesh]

Chapter 18
(view spoiler)[So I skimmed this chapter very quickly (took a minute or two). I can't stand flashbacks as it is, and these are boring. I really hope we're done with them. (hide spoiler)]

[Eesh]

Chapter 23
(view spoiler)[Seriously! So close and then she basically told him that he will never be good enough. That's horrible! I'm so not liking her right now. (hide spoiler)]

[[deleted user]]

Ch 2 (view spoiler)[ i like how seriously Louna takes her job. I also think her and ambrose are really cute together. I like their bickering. She actually might take her job a little too seriously. (hide spoiler)]

[[deleted user]]

Ch 10 (view spoiler)[ Ambrose is like surprisingly good at his job and i like that! Ethan and Louna are so cute together. I am really bummed that he ends up dying. Im not sure i caught the cause yet but i think its a shooting? (hide spoiler)]

[[deleted user]]

Ch 18. (view spoiler)[ oh no i was right about ethan. Now im super bummed. I wonder if Louna will get jealous of ambrose and lauren? Im not super impressed with the plot but i really like all of the wedding planning details (hide spoiler)]

[Eesh]

Julianne wrote: "Ch 18. [spoilers removed]"

The wedding planning was fun.

[Dr. Andy]

Ch. 5 (view spoiler)[ I don't really like Ambrose that much. He has too much disregard for other people's feelings and he is SO annoying. He reminds me too much of my younger brother, no thanks. I want to know what exactly happened between Ethan and Louna. (hide spoiler)]

[Dr. Andy]

Ch. 10 (view spoiler)[ The chapters about Ethan are so adorable and sad, if only he didn't die. I love how Sarah sneaks in cameos for her other characters in her book. I'm so glad it was Auden, Along for the Ride was one of my favorites. (hide spoiler)]

[Dr. Andy]

Ch. 15 (view spoiler)[ Lauren seems like an interesting girl. I like her, hopefully she can become friends with Louna. And I wonder if William's prediction will come true. (hide spoiler)]

[Dr. Andy]

Ch. 20 (view spoiler)[ Will there be anymore flashbacks? I feel like we know the whole story now. When is Louna going to tell Ambrose that Ethan is dead though? And this small wedding for Maya is so nice. (hide spoiler)]

[Dr. Andy]

Finished! (view spoiler)[ I was so upset that she went out with Ben after that disaster with Ambrose at the wedding. She shouldn't have run away and I don't understand how "Just Fine" was okay with her. That was such a weird description of a relationship to me. But everything worked out in the end! I enjoyed it, not my favorite though. (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah Elizabeth]

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Date Changed. Restarting August 7th 2017. Happy Reading ☺

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[Emily]

Hello. I see we are both a bit busier than we had planned, Susan. Oh, well, as long as we get it done, I suppose. :)

[Emily]

Chapter 2 (view spoiler)[ That moment when you know you're about to meet the male MC in the romance. As soon as they told Louna to fetch the bride's son, I knew it would be him. It's too obvious in books. I mean, why else would they mention that particular wedding at that point in the story? The first chapter was all about introducing us to the MC and her normal life, and the following chapters go straight into the plot. (hide spoiler)]

[Emily]

Chapter 6 (view spoiler)[ This guy MC is really annoying. Aside from that, I can't really picture him as an attractive adult. He's like an overactive kid with boundless energy, no concern for the future, and no idea how annoying he is. Or does he know how badly he annoys people but chooses to brush it off? I can't tell yet. But I can't take him seriously right now, not as a love interest. (hide spoiler)]

[Emily]

Chapter 10 (view spoiler)[ So, the bet. It's entertaining. Louna has to go out with a bunch of different guys to see what it's like and get out more. I can see how it can be fun, but I would still want direction, myself. Like, if she finds a guy she likes, does she have to give him up for the sake of the bet? And Ambrose? If he's hoping to go out with Louna at the end, does that mean he has to ditch whatever girl he's been steady-dating for seven weeks just because the bet is over? That's hardly fair to her. (hide spoiler)]

[Emily]

Chapter 20 (view spoiler)[ All of these flashbacks to Louna's lost love are making me sad. It did seem perfect, and then she lost him. No wonder it hurts to start dating again. It's not so perfect and the past is always there to come back to the forefront of her mind. (hide spoiler)]