Last week my second novel, One True Loves, was released!

I feel so grateful for all the love Lenore and this book are getting. OTL showed up on a lot of anticipated books lists (Seventeen, Buzzfeed, Goodreads, POPSUGAR, and Essence!!). NPR wrote a really kind review, and Apple Books also chose the audiobook as a January Must-Listen!

But my favorite part of release week was getting to meet readers in person for the very first time at Bel Canto Books:

My readers are the very, very best, and I’m so honored that I get to write for you. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

It’s time, friends!! Let’s talk PRE-ORDERS and the super cute gifts I’m going to send you because I love and appreciate you all so much!

If you pre-order a copy of One True Loves or request it from your library, I want to send you this super cute vinyl sticker sheet featuring original cover art by Michelle D’Urbano! To get your stickers, all you need to do is fill out this Google form with proof of purchase. (Note: This form only works if you have a Google account because it requires you to upload a picture of your receipt. But if that doesn’t work for you, no worries! You can also email your proof of purchase and mailing address to hi@elisebryant.com⁣.)

But wait! There’s more!! If you pre-order from an indie bookstore, I’ll also send you a signed bookplate!⁣
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And if you pre-order from MY local indie bookstore, the wonderful Bel Canto Books, I’ll sign and personalize your copy AND you’ll also get an exclusive pin of Lenore’s camera. (And there’s no need to fill out the form if you order from Bel Canto. We got you!)⁣

This pre-order campaign is US only and will run through January 3, 2022, or while supplies last.⁣⁣

I can’t wait for you to meet Lenore!!!

So….I’m much better at updating my instagram with news! If you’re looking for the most up-to-date information on my books, that’s the place to go. But this page is also due for a major update — because I’ve got a lot of new work coming your way!

In July I announced my next two books being published by Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins. The first of those is called Reggie & Delilah’s Year of Falling, and it follows two Black teens as they fall in love through a series of missed connections and chance meetings on holidays over the course of a year. Delilah is the lead singer of a punk band (inspired by my own experiences as a teen!), and Reggie plays Dungeons & Dragons, which I spent months learning about earlier this year. I love these characters, and I can’t wait for you to meet them. You can add Reggie & Delilah’s Year of Falling on Goodreads now!

I also have two short stories in upcoming anthologies! The first one, Serendipity, comes out on January 4th (same day as One True Loves!) and is edited by the wonderful Marissa Meyer. This book is a beautiful collection of love stories celebrating all your favorite tropes! My story, “Zora in the Spotlight,” has dueling grand gestures and a sidekick becoming the leading lady. Serendipity is available to preorder now, and you can also add it on Goodreads!

The second anthology is super exciting too, and I’m so grateful to be included!! Cool. Awkward. Black. (edited by the superhero Karen Strong!) is an anthology celebrating the magic of Black geekhood, and there’s an incredible lineup of authors participating. I can’t tell you too much about my story just yet, except that it’s about a very Blerdy extreme crafter. Look out for this anthology in 2023 –but until then you can add it on Goodreads.

I wake up every morning just so amazed that I get to keep doing this. Thank you, readers, for making it possible!! Your love and support for Happily Ever Afters has given me a career writing stories about Black girls falling in love, and I am forever grateful.

Yesterday I shared the cover for my second novel, One True Loves, on Instagram and Twitter. This companion novel to Happily Ever Afters (which can also be read as a standalone) is coming your way 1/4/22!

Artist: Michelle D’Urbano

Designer: Jessie Gang

Art Director: Alison Donalty

It’s like they plucked Lenore right out of my mind and put her on the page! They got her so right, and I’m in love with this cover.

So what’s One True Loves about?? Well, here’s the full description:

Lenore Bennett has always been a force. A star artist and style icon at her high school, she’s a master in the subtle art of not giving a . . . well, you know what. But now that graduation is here, she’s a little less sure.

She’s heading to NYU in the fall with a scarlet U (for “undeclared”) written across her chest. Her parents always remind her that Black kids don’t have the luxury of figuring it out as they go—they have to be 110 percent prepared. But it’s a lot of pressure to be her ancestors’ wildest dreams when Lenore’s not even sure what her dreams are yet.

When her family embarks on a post–graduation Mediterranean cruise, her friend Tessa is sure Lenore’s in for a whirlwind romance that will take her mind off all her problems. But Lenore knows that doesn’t happen to girls like her.

Then she meets Alex Lee. After their parents bond over the Cupid Shuffle, she ends up stuck with him for the remainder of the cruise. He’s a hopeless romantic and a golden boy with a ten-year plan. In short, he’s irritating as hell.

But as they get to know each other, with the cruise’s picturesque stops across Europe as the backdrop, he may be able to help her find something else she’s been looking for, even if she doesn’t want to admit it to herself: love.

One True Loves is available to preorder now. I hope you love Lenore as much as I do!

Happily Ever Afters was on the Today Show this past Thursday! Though you might already know this because you heard me and my family screaming from wherever you live 😉

Isaac Fitzgerald and Alejandra Ramos shared Valentine’s Day book and food pairings, and they matched HEA with a heart-shaped pizza and raspberry brown butter tiramisu. Sam would be so proud!

You can watch the whole video and see the recipes here! <3