What a gorgeoussss teen romance story 😭 not too long ago, I finished watching Forever on Netflix and this book reminded of all the things I loved about that show. The insta-love & the innocence of finding love as a teen. The vulnerability and self-discovery. The emotionally mature family members who guide them on how to navigate love/be brave stepping into it even when they might be afraid. Ugh!!! This book was just refreshing.

The discussions in this book were incredibly rich! I loved the different perspectives on identity development outside of cultural expectations/norms. I loved how Deja’s southern roots were thoughtfully centered and Raja’s refusal to let cultural traditions/norms control who he loved. Also, as a first gen college student myself, I loved the realistic portrayal of being a first gen college student trying to find your own way when there isn’t an exact blueprint. This took me back to my summer before college 🥹

I realized that I was like holding tight to my seat thinking that there would be some kind of trauma, especially when they were meeting each other’s families. But thankfully, there was really none of that. Just pure, vulnerable, sweet love and growth. Def recommend!

This book was such a beautiful, emotional ride. I loved the chemistry between Raja and Deja and how real their connection felt. The story did a great job balancing romance with healing and self-growth. There were a few slow moments, but overall, it pulled me in and kept me rooting for their love. I really enjoyed it!

deja has a plan: she’ll study chemistry at the university of maryland and continue selling skincare products made from plants grown on her family’s farm. raja’s got a dream: though his traditional nepali parents want him to study engineering and eventually settle down in an arranged marriage, he wants to open his own tattoo parlor and find love one day. when deja walks into the tattoo parlor raja works at, they both start crushing. over the course of the summer, they fall harder for one another, but soon realize how difficult it can be to be with someone who doesn’t quite fit the expectations their parents had.

love radio is one of my favorite romance books, so i was very excited for another book by ebony ladelle! i loved deja and raja so much. their own passions were so interesting, and i loved how they supported each other. they also took the time to learn each other’s cultures and family dynamics, which i loved to see! overall, this was a sweet romance that i think would make a perfect summer read. i can’t wait for more from ebony ladelle!

Ebony's romances are so sweet and so heartfelt and this one was no different ❤️ i can't relate to finding soulmates in college but Ebony captured young love so well!

I loved Ebony LaDelle's first book Love Radio, and this one has a lot of the same elements that make reading her books so enjoyable: main characters who are interesting, kind, and funny, and a great Romance plot,

In This Could be Forever, Deja is a young Black girl who is leaving her family in North Carolina to go to school in Washington DC. She feels guilty for leaving them behind, but she has goals of studying so that she can grow her brand of skin care products. While touring campus, she meets Raja, a young Nepalese tattoo apprentice. They have chemistry from the very beginning.

You have to be really invested in this couple because their relationship is definitely a slow burn. There are a lot of family issues that have to be resolved, and you learn a lot about Nepalese culture as well as southern Black culture. The one thing that gave me a bit of pause in the book was the stereotypical presentation of the Nepalese family wanting to set up Raja with an arranged marriage. Why are all Asian families portrayed as traditional in this particular way? I did appreciate the nuance that LaDelle eventually gave when a character explained why an arranged marriage might be something someone chooses, but still. I wish Asian families who are progressive would also be portrayed in books.

Overall, I recommend this book because Raja is a really great MMC, and he treats Deja with the respect and sweetness she deserves. The two young people in this book speak realistically, and this book feels like both an escape and a true depiction.

Thank you NetGalley for the free digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

LaDelle's last book Love Radio is one of my favorite
YA romance books and I recommend it to everyone!
So when I saw she had another book coming out, you know I had to get my hands on it!

This Could Be Forever is a YA romance about young love across different cultures. Deja is a Black girl about to enter college and is passionate about her skin care line. She meets Raja, a tattoo apprentice with big dreams of opening his own tattoo shop one day! But his strict Nepali parents have other plans for him that include an arranged marriage.

The two are instantly attracted to each other and have to go up against the odds and tradition to end up together. I love that Deja and Raja both have big dreams and career aspirations. LaDelle is truly gifted at writing the desperation and big feelings that come with young love. Many young readers will find the two main characters relatable and authentic and recognize the pressures of pleasing and fulfilling familial expectations as well as following their hearts!
I loved the representation and the love.

If you are a fan of forbidden love stories this is a perfect read for you!

this could be forever is a sweet and thoughtful story about two teens (deja + raja) falling in love while trying to stay true to themselves and their families. deja is headed to college and navigating life as the first in her family to do so, while raja is balancing his love for art with his nepali american parents’ traditional expectations— these two are quite the different pairing.

my fave aspect of this book was the tender ways that ladelle weaved in the experiences of immigrant parents and cultural traditions throughout the story. you could feel the pressure both deja and raja faced from wanting to honor their roots to ultimately choosing their own paths. the way the story explored race, culture, family, and identity felt honest and real and it really made this story special. there’s some threads of miscommunication but i honestly think it’s expected given this age group.

this book is about young love + figuring out who you are and standing up for what you want especially when it’s hard.

Loved this realistically fiction complex love story. After reading Love Radio, I was immediately hooked to LaDelle’s writing. I love a realistic love story being displayed within a fiction novel. Although it’s nice to dream about our extreme what ifs, as far as romance (there’s pee in the dating pool). Living in delulu land can be detrimental. At the end of the day love is not perfect. If we want the love we dream about we have to be real with ourselves. That’s exactly what Deja and Raja had to face.

In this instant connection we follow two young adults. Deja a Black American and Raja who is Nepali, born in America. Deja and Raja are both starting their freshman year of college at UMD. Deja is coming from the country of North Carolina. As she is visiting the campus, to decide if UMD will be her school of choice. She walks into a tattoo shop, where she meets Raja. Who is working there as an apprentice. An instant attraction that kicks off their journey of a complex love story.

Early on Deja and Raja have to decide if being together is something they truly want. Due to the complexities of their cultural differences. We see how strong they both have to be to make a big decision to choose each other. The hurt they feel from deeply embedded beliefs that go against their own beliefs. That they should be able to love who they want to love. We see two generations trying to find a common ground in the name of love. Changing old ways and inviting new.

It was very interesting and triggering seeing them navigate these complexities amongst their families. I think the author did a great job showing a glimpse of what one may face when trying to simply love someone outside of their race. I like how the Black and Nepali culture was displayed. I loved the representation of choosing to love someone is an everyday day commitment. The sacrifices and boundaries that may be needed to be sure the relationship is maintained. Love ❤️ won’t always feel like sunflowers 🌻 but the growth is beautiful like cherry blossoms 🌸

I’d like to crown Ebony as queen of writing down-bad MMCs because Raja is down BAD from the first meet cute 😂

I actually love that Raja is Nepali because South Asian rep goes further than just Indian! I loved the alternative career choice because South Asians deserve visibility in more fields than just STEM. So thank you for that, Ebony!

Deja’s character epitomizes early adulthood and I found myself reliving my first college experiences through her eyes which was both re-traumatizing (lol) and nostalgic. Her relationship with her sister and family reflects what I think a lot of young POC women feel in terms of obligation and sacrifice and the growing pains that come from learning to prioritize yourself.

I’m just glad this book is out in the world today so we can continue to celebrate how love always wins!

HAPPY RELEASE DAY, EBONY LADELLE — and thank you, NetGalley, for this absolute gem!

This was my introduction to Ebony LaDelle’s work, and WOW — what a stunning first impression! I don’t usually reach for insta-love stories, but this one completely melted my heart. Ebony’s storytelling is vibrant, romantic, and full of soul. I was hooked from page one and fell head over heels for this sweet, swoon-worthy love story.

We follow Deja Martin, a confident southern girl from North Carolina, as she heads to Maryland to begin her college journey. On her very first day, she visits a tattoo shop with her sister — and that’s where she meets Raja. From the moment they lock eyes, the chemistry is undeniable and tender in all the best ways. And let’s talk about Raja: the way he listens, plans, and shows up? Utterly heart-melting. His gestures are thoughtful and meaningful — YA romance done right.

Of course, love doesn’t come without complications. Deja’s family is deeply protective, especially considering the realities faced by young Black women, while Raja’s parents hold traditional views and have different expectations for his future. But what really resonated with me was the way Deja and Raja chose each other — their connection strong enough to challenge those outside pressures.

I found Deja’s inner journey especially powerful. The balance between honoring family and stepping into your own identity was written with care and authenticity. And the inclusion of Raja’s Nepali background added so much richness and depth — beautifully integrated and respectfully portrayed.

Deja herself is a force — confident, self-aware, and unapologetically herself. It was inspiring to see a young Black girl who knows her worth and stands in it proudly. Her character was a light throughout the story.

This book is full of affirmations for young Black girls — a reminder that they are seen, worthy, and deserving of love.

Do yourself a favor and pick this up immediately — add it to your shelves, your TBR, your wishlist — you won’t regret it!

This Could Be Forever is the first novel I've read by Ebony LaDelle. Deja and Raja are both looking forward to college. A chance meeting and an instant connection that does not waver pulls the two college-bound young adults together. I appreciated the author's ability to tackle cultural differences threaded with racism, colorism and bias through this story. Despite their cultural differences I liked that there was a balance to show how the main characters were struggling with similar issues with their families. Both characters were rather mature, alluding to past experiences and guidance from elders that helped them along the way. Deja and Raja were thoughtful, reflective and understanding in a way that models healthy emotional intelligence for readers. The pacing was a little slow, like a nice stroll in the park, and I did enjoy the journey. The characters were relatable and fun. I enjoyed looking at the situation the characters faced from a fresh point of view. Young adults would benefit from reading this book. 3.5 stars

Thank you Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Publishing for the free arc. My review is my own opinion given freely.

Thank you Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Books for the ARC.

This story follows two teenagers from different cultures that find love while making the transition into adulthood and college life.
Deja is the wild flower that has always dreamed of leaving home and decides she’s gonna go to college to study Chemistry and Soil Science so her natural skin care brand can continue to thrive. A summer program at the University of Maryland leads to her crossing paths with her first college crush.

Raja is an artist that dreams of opening his own tattoo shop. His traditional Nepali parents have other goals for him and being an artist is not one of them. He’s supposed to be an engineer, focus on his grades, stay at home, and eventually settle into an arranged marriage. His dad’s word is law.

This story was so cute!! It had me giggling and kicking my feet at times. The crush was strong with these two; there was an immediate connection. It was so cute to get both POVs and see how nervous Raja was. Their connection was refreshing at times and made me reminisce about simpler times. I loved how both of them took the time to learn about each other’s cultures and be respectful every step of the way. I wish we were able to get more of their lives as college students, but I can imagine they’ll be ready to face whatever issues they encounter together!

I enjoyed this story so much and was invested in Deja and Raja's story from the moment they met. Watching these two navigate the summer before their freshman year together and as individuals served as a reminder that though our walks of life may be different, they are also similar. For young adults they both navigate the peaks and valleys with grace. Watching them fall for each other just made my heart melt as young love should.
Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC.

The quick cut: Two teens that struggle with high familial expectations meet and fall in love the summer before college begins.

A real review:
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Books for providing the arc for an honest review.

Family may always be there for you, but that lasting connection can come with strings. The expectations of who they want you to be and what your future looks like can be too much to bear at times. This is true for both Deja and Raja.

Deja is the first of her family to go to college and she's got a plan. Studying chemistry and soil science, she wants to start her own natural skin care company and make products like she already does at her family's farm. Raja is struggling to be the person his parents want him to be. His parents want him to major in engineering and settle into an arranged marriage while he wants to own a tattoo shop. These two have big dreams and inescapable expectations when they meet and fall hard. Can they overcome the barriers?

I think most people can relate to family expectations and the weight they come with. If this is something you've experienced on some level, this book will likely be a hit for you. If not though, you're unlikely to connect with the plot or characters at the core of this romance.

Deja and Raja connect over having plans for their lives that don't align to their families. They have different faiths and futures imagined for themselves. So how do they make a relationship work? Through mutual respect and understanding. That's some high emotional intelligence for two people who are barely out of high school and that's the biggest part I struggled to believe.

It did seem like they fell hard fast and just sort of fell on step relationship wise. Do they have struggles? Yes, but mostly from outside forces and not one another. Maybe I'm cynical, but that sort of effortless connection doesn't happen in real life.

A cute romance about defying expectations.

My rating: 4 out of 5

My girl Ebony LaDelle has done it again! My love for her first book “Love Radio” is very widely known at this point and “This Could Be Forever” pretty much solidified that I’ll read anything she writes. In this YA romance we meet Deja (a Black American girl from the south) and Raja (a Brown boy whose parents are from Nepal). They cross paths the summer before they start at University of Maryland, College Park (UMD) at the tattoo parlor Raja works at. From that moment it’s pretty much love at first sight. I love that we get to see these two teens navigate not only their romance but the difficulties of what being from two different backgrounds means for their relationship. This book had me laughing but also wanting to protect the characters I had gotten to know and love. I absolutely recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I loved Ebony LaDelle’s debut Love Radio and have been anxiously waiting for her next release. This Could Be Forever follows Deja and Raja in the summer leading up to their first year of college. This Could be Forever does a great job of showing two teens navigating a new sense of freedom and conversations about young love and dating, and how culture and familial expectations impact that.

It was clear how much family plays an important role to each of them, and so when the time came that Deja and Raja had to stand up for themselves and each other to their respective families, it was done so with that in mind. They were both so willing to learn about each other's families and how respect is shown to them, and I really enjoyed that.

I do think that their relationship progressed too quickly for my liking and wish the timeline of the book spanned more than just the summer before college, but I still enjoyed my time reading this book.

I could not waaait to get my little hands on Ebony LaDelle's newest book! Thank you to Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for the e-arc. This book follows Deja, a recent high school graduate who is taking the giant leap into adulthood by leaving her ancestral home in North Carolina to go to college in Maryland and pursue her dream of creating her own natural beauty products line for people of color. Her first weekend visiting the campus, she meets Raja, the young artist who does her celebratory "I'm going to college" sunflower tattoo; he is also starting college with her in the fall.

The main story follows Deja and Raja as they learn each other and follow the sparks from their meetcute. It also follows the very real conflict that is dating interracially in America. Deja's Black culture and Raja's Nepali culture are depicted in such detail and beauty in this story. Along with that though was seeing their families' journey of acceptance of their blooming love story.

I loved this story so much. It felt like a slice of home in so many ways. Deja and Raja being SO mature and considerate of one another and standing on business about their choices was so refreshing to see. The family dynamic on the sides of both main characters was enlightening as well. I understood the good and the bad and I was happy with the way the book wrapped up. It didn't feel unrealistic at all. it felt hopeful and loving. I can't wait to add the physical copy to my shelves on release day, May 20th!

A wonderful love story about two young adults navigating two different cultures. I would recommend this to someone who wants some meat to their love stories. A perfect book club pick!

Audiobook Review 🎧
4 stars ⭐️
Publication Date: 5/20/25

😍 Thank you @simon.audio @netgalley and @ebonyladelle for the my ALC & ARC.

This was my first book by the author, and after immediately finishing this one I went & found love radio on my bookshelf. It has definitely moved its way up to my must read list for this year. The story of Deja and Raja is one that I personally have experienced. While in medical school, I was dating & briefly engaged to someone from an Indian background.
With me being African-American and The cultural differences were tough to say the least. I love how the author took such sensitive topics and she was able to weave such a beautiful love story. The chemistry between the two main characters made it so hard not to root for them. The book tackles interracial and intercultural relationships. Just the family dynamics alone would make a person want to throw in the towel. This book really felt authentic and it was a reminder that love can coexist between two people that society does not want to see together. I highly recommend this Read.

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First and foremost, thank you to the publisher and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I loved this story and it was definitely worth the read!