The Night We Said Yes

There’s something magical about the books that happen during one night and all the possibilities they are filled with.

There’s something magical about first loves: the spark of a first touch, the uncertainty of a first kiss, the blush on the lover’s cheeks.

And there’s so much magic in a night when you would only say ‘yes’ – yes to new beginnings, yes to love, yes to forgiveness, yes to the crazy fun that can bring people together over and over again.

… There’s something magical about “The Night We Said Yes”.

What I liked:

I love to read books about friendship, books that show one that love can take many-many forms and that it can shape a person into something beautiful. I love books about self-discovery, books that take the characters on a journey that can change them forever. And I have a thing for books that happen during one night, filled with cute romances that flourish and friendships that get stronger with each page.. So many things can happen during such little time, and there’s so much beauty in that alone.

THE NIGHT WE SAID YES is a story about all that and more.

When it all starts (in the past, one year before) Ella is dealing with a breakup, her friend Meg wants to cheer her up by all means, their friend Jake (also Meg’s on and off boyfriend) has a new member in the band (Matt) and the four of them happily decide to fool around saying “yes” to all sort of silly things, just for the fun of it.

It’s a night of new beginnings, one without worries, one that brings them all together in different ways. It’s a night full of hope and love and smiles and (mostly) happiness.

But all great things come to an end and the present finds them in such a different place, filling some of them with regrets and unspoken apologies & unforgivable actions and, as a reader, I was intrigued and I wanted to find out what in the world happened during that year and how (or if) will they be able to make things right again.

Now…
I think that no review in this world can be completely objective, but this time around I was probably more attached to the story than usual. You see, I kept finding pieces of myself or my old friends in it and, at times, this story reminded me of my teen years so much it actually hurt. In a good way 🙂 Because THE NIGHT WE SAID YES made me miss so badly being this young again and I kept wondering “why didn’t we do crazy stuff like that”?

I really, but really-really, want to enjoy a night of saying yes. Who’s with me in this?

Back to the point…
One thing that I loved to pieces is the friendship between Ella and Meg. It is honest and relatable and I would love to see many more relationships like this one in YA books.  In a way, I think that Ella was a better friend than I was at that age, supporting her friend through everything, even when she disagreed or had her doubts. I think Meg was a great friend too, as she was always looking out for Ella and her well-being.

Unofficially she may be in charge of protecting me from bullies, but I’m in charge of protecting her from herself.

In fact, all characters in this story are amazing and complex and well developed (and not only the four of them, but also Gabby & Barker) and you can easily find yourself rooting for them, for all their happy endings. I loved following them both in the present and the past, enjoying both nights and spending many lovely moments with them.

But because this is a romance I must also confess that I fell in love with Ella and Matt. Not only on the first night, but the second time around just as much. They were cute, a tiny bit shy, but sweet and fun. They were perfect for each other and I deeply enjoyed watching their romance bloom, not to mention that I was eager to see them find a way back together. Even their struggle was cute and they made me smile too many times to count.

I’ve spent my life on the road, trying to find home, when really, you were always home to me.

What didn’t quite ring true:
The motivation behind Matt’s disappearance. show

But the thing is, I didn’t actually mind it. The story was so sweet and beautiful, I just didn’t need an actual reason. I only wanted them to fix their broken relationship and to be that perfect couple all over again.

I wanted all of them to be happy again.. Together.

Conclusion:

A lovely summer story that might steal your heart a bit. Keep an eye on it when it comes out if you are in a mood for a sweet romance and for a reason to smile 😉

…To be honest, I can’t wait to get my hands on a printed copy too!

Happy midnight reading!

Early review: Advance copy provided by the publisher for review. Thank you!
Expected publication: June 16th 2015 by Harper Teen

Music of choice:

Passenger – Let Her Go