The Night We Said Yes by Lauren Gibaldi

The Night We Said Yes

by Lauren Gibaldi

Unexpectedly falling in love with Matt during a wild and reckless night after resolving to put a painful breakup behind her and focus on graduating from high school, Ella is heartbroken when Matt leaves town and wonders what to do when he returns a year later wanting to relive the night that brought them together.

Reviewed by kimbacaffeinate on

4 of 5 stars

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Five reasons to grab The Night We Said Yes and head to the beach

  • The Night We Said Yes is a second chance romance that includes fleshed out secondary characters, and a summer night reliving the night, they said yes. The tale is realistic but be warned it portrays underage drinking and is filled with dorky, sweet moments and friendship.

  • I loved how the tale unfolded using alternate chapters of then and now. The “then” tells the story of the first night Matt and Ella or "El" met. Gibaldi shows us those first moments of a budding romance, of the getting to know that special someone. She gives us all a glimpse at the chemistry, that awkwardness and adorableness as it unfolds. We also met El’s best friend Meg and her volatile relationship with Jake. The “now” chapters take place almost a year later. Matt moved away six months early without any closure and has returned hoping for a second chance not just with El but their friends too. He tries to recapture that first night. It was sweet and had me shaking my head, feeling for both of them and laughing aloud.

  • While I certainly cannot condone some of their behavior from trespassing to underage drinking, Gibaldi kept it realistic and still managed to impart common sense such as not drinking and driving or vandalism. It evoked memories of high school years.

  • Matt and El’s romance is adorkable and reminded me of first love. I became caught up in wondering whether El would forgive Matt and take chance. Surprisingly mature and low on angst the “now” chapters filled us in on everything that happen between “then” and “now”. We get a secondary romance between Jake and Meg. It is volatile and exposes their rocky relationship.

  • The friendship between Meg and El was perhaps my favorite part of the story from memory bracelets to having each other’s back it truly captured those magical friendships that are a part of our childhood.


Copy provided by publisher. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 26 May, 2015: Finished reading
  • 26 May, 2015: Reviewed