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Title: The Only OneGenre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: New Adult
Publication Date: October 10th, 2013
Synopsis:
Sweet and sexy!! Loved it! This is the type of story you read again and again- #1 New York Times best selling author Rachel Van Dyken
Honor student, manager at the campus coffee shop, owner of an impressive sweater collection – Melanie Wilder has it all together. Then John “John Boy” Walden strolls into her life wearing nothing more than an impish grin and all-too-revealing loin cloth.
Soon, make-out sessions replace homework, lust triumphs over work. And to further crumble her perfect world, an unexpected phone call threatens to take away everything she’s worked for.
Now, as Melanie struggles to pick up the pieces, she realizes that John may be the only one to put her life back together…unless he shatters it first.
**This is not a sequel to The Only Exception. It's a companion novel with two characters from the first book. You don't need to read The Only Exception to understand this book.**
My Review:
**I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.**
The Only One is a companion novel to Magan's NA book, The Only Exception. It focuses on Monica's friend Melanie and Trey's fraternity big brother, John Boy. Melanie is studious, driven, and pretty reserved. John Boy, on the other hand, is the life of the party and the perfect person to bring Mel out of her shell a bit. But there's also a lot more to John Boy than meets the eye. He might be fun and flirty and be mistaken for a typical jock/frat boy, but he's incredibly smart and surprisingly sensitive. These two made for a really good match, I think!
John and Melanie first run into each other (literally) at a Halloween party and sparks fly. There is instant attraction on both ends and Melanie finds herself wondering if it's worth it to get a little wild with John Boy, if only for a night. Of course Monica is concerned for her friend and tells her to stay clear of John Boy, that he'll only break her heart. Does she listen? Of course not. And I loved her for it! Now, John Boy tries to show a little restraint, but it doesn't get him very far. After a lot of fun, flirty encounters, Melanie and John give in to their attraction and fall for each other. Hard. Clearly John doesn't give up that easily.
"Relationships are tough, but if they're real, then they're worth fighting for."
One thing I love about Magan's books, and one reason why she has become one of my favorite New Adult authors, is that she can mix flirty and steamy and fun with some pretty serious life issues. There was a major one in The Only Exception and there was a pretty big shocker in this book as well. I think this complication caught me off guard just as much as it did Melanie. Luckily for Mel, John Boy was there for her every step of the way. And, although she believed herself to be on her own, in the little bubble she placed around herself, she realized that she had both family and friends to care for her and support her.
The supporting characters in this book were also very important to the story. I loved Mel's mom, and especially her sister, Valerie. I would absolutely love to see more from Val! And of course I could hardly contain my excitement when my (er...Monica's) Trey made an appearance! I love Monica as well, but I found her to be a bit pushy early on in the story. Thankfully, she went back to being a loving, supportive friend to Mel and all was right again.
Magan sure knows how to write a swoon-worthy male lead! John Boy is a hot piece of man with a heart of gold. I'm in love. He was funny and charming, sexy and intelligent. And he only had eyes for Melanie.
"Some things may distract us, but I'll always come back to you."
Another thing this author delivers: strong female characters! Whether they're tough and opinionated or strong in the sense that they can overcome the most heartbreaking of situations, these ladies are admirable and definitely girls that deserve their HEAs.
I was definitely a fan of this book and cannot wait to read more from this author. This was a very sweet, often sexy NA read and I couldn't put it down. Four stars for this one!
I was definitely a fan of this book and cannot wait to read more from this author. This was a very sweet, often sexy NA read and I couldn't put it down. Four stars for this one!
An EXCERPT from The Only One...
He leaned against the back of the couch before he peeled off his shirt, leaving only his bronzed chest for me to stare at. On his right pec was a Celtic cross that looked like it was carved out of a tree, complete with gnarled roots at the bottom. He ran his fingers along the circle where a few leaves branched out from the cross. “This is to show that I’m firmly rooted in my family’s heritage.”
Slowly he slid closer, turning toward me so that I had a full view of his broad chest and the second tattoo on his left pec of a tribal bull.
“What is this one for?” I whispered, staring at the dozens of lines that made the running bull.
He took my hand in his and brought my fingers up to the tail of the bull. My fingertips lingered over the details. I thought it would feel different than regular skin. If anything it was a little smoother, but I didn’t know if that was the tattoo or just how John’s body felt under my fingertips. “It was my nickname when I played hockey in high school. The guys used to say I was like a bull in a china shop, but I took more out of it than that.”
He moved my fingers up from the bull’s tail to its snout. “Bulls are misunderstood creatures. Everyone thinks they’re just these big things that are out to attack everyone they meet. I think they’re just provoked and have to do something to defend themselves.”
“And you think you’re like the bull?” I moved my head up and saw that John wasn’t looking down at the tattoo; his eyes were directly focused on me.
“Yeah, I know it’s cheesy and not something guys usually say, but definitely. Everyone thinks I’m just some big guy that wants to either fuck or fight. Maybe I don’t want that.”
“Then what do you want?”
He leaned in even closer so his face was barely an inch from mine. The flicker of vulnerability I saw was gone and replaced by a very sexy smile. “Right now, I want to see if you have any tattoos hidden under that sweater.”
Slowly he slid closer, turning toward me so that I had a full view of his broad chest and the second tattoo on his left pec of a tribal bull.
“What is this one for?” I whispered, staring at the dozens of lines that made the running bull.
He took my hand in his and brought my fingers up to the tail of the bull. My fingertips lingered over the details. I thought it would feel different than regular skin. If anything it was a little smoother, but I didn’t know if that was the tattoo or just how John’s body felt under my fingertips. “It was my nickname when I played hockey in high school. The guys used to say I was like a bull in a china shop, but I took more out of it than that.”
He moved my fingers up from the bull’s tail to its snout. “Bulls are misunderstood creatures. Everyone thinks they’re just these big things that are out to attack everyone they meet. I think they’re just provoked and have to do something to defend themselves.”
“And you think you’re like the bull?” I moved my head up and saw that John wasn’t looking down at the tattoo; his eyes were directly focused on me.
“Yeah, I know it’s cheesy and not something guys usually say, but definitely. Everyone thinks I’m just some big guy that wants to either fuck or fight. Maybe I don’t want that.”
“Then what do you want?”
He leaned in even closer so his face was barely an inch from mine. The flicker of vulnerability I saw was gone and replaced by a very sexy smile. “Right now, I want to see if you have any tattoos hidden under that sweater.”
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About the Author:Magan Vernon is a Young Adult and New Adult writer who lives with her family in the insurance capital of the world. When not writing she spends her time fighting over fake boyfriends via social media. You can find her online on:
Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads / Website
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