This Could Be Forever - by Ebony Ladelle (Hardcover)

About the Book

Told in alternating voices, this novel follows African American Deja and Nepali American Raja, who fall in love the summer before Deja starts college and diverge from their parents' expectations for their futures.

Book Synopsis

This compelling and complex romance about love across cultures follows a Black girl and Brown boy who find themselves--and each other--while pursuing their passions the summer before college.

Deja's got a plan. The first in her large family to go to college, she wants to study chemistry and sell natural skin care products, like the ones she already creates from plants grown on her family's North Carolina farm. It all starts with the Onward Bound summer program at the University of Maryland, the summer before school officially starts.

Raja's got a dream. His traditional Nepali parents want him to study engineering and settle down in an arranged marriage, but his passion is art, and he wants to open his own tattoo parlor one day. In the meantime, he's apprenticing at a tattoo shop in College Park, Maryland.

When Deja walks into the shop where Raja's working, they both start crushing hard--over the course of the summer, they fall more and more deeply for one another. But the closer they get and the more their lives entwine, the more they find that dating someone who doesn't match your parents' expectations is harder than they ever imagined.

Can they bridge the divide between the vision their families have for their futures and the lives--and love--that are starting to feel like destiny?

Review Quotes

"Hand this book to readers looking for a nuanced summer romance."--BCCB

"In this sweet romance, a serendipitous moment paves the way for radical growth and transformation."--Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW

"Sparkling character personalities make cast interactions leap off the page in a richly rendered romance that probes themes of self-reflection, cultural identity, and the connective and healing power of love."--Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW

"Whether readers personally resonate with Deja's or Raja's experiences or are just interested in YA romance, LaDelle's book provides a beautifully sweet reading ­experience."--School Library Journal

About the Author

Ebony LaDelle is the author of Love Radio--which was People magazine's best book of the summer, a 2023 Audie Award Finalist, a 2023 Michigan Notable Book, and was featured on the Today show--and is the editor of the forthcoming romance anthology, You've Got a Place Here, Too. Prior to being an author, Ebony was a brand marketing director in book publishing and worked at Penguin Random House and HarperCollins, among others. You can visit her online at EbonyLaDelle.com and follow her on social at @EbonyLaDelle.