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One & Only by Viv Daniels

ebook, 264 pages
Published November 8th 2013
Source: Copy provided by author for my honest review

“One night they can’t forget…

Tess McMann lives her life according to the secrets she’s sworn to keep: the father who won’t acknowledge her, the sister who doesn’t know she exists, and the mother who’s content playing mistress to a prominent businessman. When she meets the distractingly cute Dylan Kingsley at a prestigious summer program and falls in love, Tess allows herself to imagine a life beyond these secrets. But when summer ends, so does their relationship — Dylan heads off to Canton College while Tess enrolls at the state university.

One love they can’t ignore…

Two years later, a scholarship brings Tess to Canton and back into Dylan’s life. Their attraction is as strong as ever, but Dylan has a girlfriend…who also happens to be Tess’s legitimate half-sister. Tess refuses to follow in her mother’s footsteps, which leaves her only one choice: break the rules she’s always followed, or allow Dylan to slip away for a second time.

…And only one chance to get things right.“

One & Only is the debut NA contemporary novel from Viv Daniels (aka Diana Peterfreund of For Darkness Shows the Stars) and I’ll come right out and say it, I adored this book. I’ve been wading deeper into the contemporary romance genre ever since I read Wicked Thing by Angeline Kace (which was awesome!), and I am SO glad I took a chance on One & Only. Daniels has written an amazing story about secrets, lies, love, betrayal and reconciliation. This book was FLAWLESS.

The main characters, Tess and Dylan, were both wonderful. They were so real and deep and complex. The whole time I was reading I felt like I was a secondary character watching it all unfold. Tess was amazing. All her life, she (and her mother) have had to live by her dad’s rules. Just the idea of having a dad, but not being able to claim him (and vice versa) is just SO sad to me. To grow up thinking they must not be good enough since her dad didn’t chose them would really do a number on a kid. I was very proud of Tess when she decided to buck the rules and take control of her life. I totally understand why she walked away from Dylan after their time at Cornell, and really, I applauded her. Trying to break a family ‘curse’ like that is serious stuff. What I love about Tess is that throughout the whole book, she had the strength of character to stop, to say no, to live in the moment, to care about someone when most people would have said ‘good riddance’. That’s not to say any of it was easy. Dylan is the freaking MAN, as far as I’m concerned. Sure, he did a few things he shouldn’t have, but you have to start somewhere to grow, to change. Dylan surprised me, and that hasn’t happened to me in a very long time. I thought I had a handle on where a particular situation was going, but nope. I was wrong, and happily so. There are so many things I want to say about these two, but I don’t want to give anything away. Discussion group, anyone?

As far as world building goes, Viv Daniels may as well have transported me to college with Tess and Dylan. Classes, a frat party, labs Even the world Tess and her mother lived in was perfectly done. The ‘rules’, One & Only is the perfect example of what (I think) a New Adult book should be. The intimate scenes are very tastefully done, but it was NOT the center of the story. There was this sense of teasing and tension with every part of the story. It was wonderful, and the ending made me tear up a little. Daniels told this story in such a compelling way. It is the first that I’ve read of hers, but she’s got me hooked. I’ll definitely be coming back for more, and am even more eager to finally check out her YA books. I will absolutely, 110% recommend this to everyone. There is no doubt in my mind that One & Only will be hugely successful, and I can’t wait for the next book, Sweet & Wild.

Find out more about Viv Daniels by checking out her Facebook and chatting her up on Twitter!

Kindle Edition, 337 pages
Published May 22nd 2012
by Feiwel & Friends
ASINB00779MWBM

“Galen, a Syrena prince, searches land for a girl he’s heard can communicate with fish. It’s while Emma is on vacation at the beach that she meets Galen. 
Although their connection is immediate and powerful, Galen’s not fully convinced that Emma’s the one he’s been  looking for. That is, until a deadly encounter with a shark proves  that Emma and her Gift may be the only thing that can save his kingdom. 
He needs her help–no matter what the risk.”

Of Poseidon had been lingering around on my Kindle for a few months. Needing a break from my recent literary fare, I decided to crack it open and get my mermaid on. The story had a great base plot line, but I did have several problems. I’m really hoping they are resolved or at least improve some in the second book because despite my issues, I want to keep reading.

The Iron Traitor (Call of the Forgotten, #2) by Julie Kagawa
ebook, 304 pages

by Harlequin Teen
Source: Publisher via NetGalley for my honest review

“In the real world, when you vanish into thin air for a week, people tend to notice. 

“I grew up wishing on stars.

My father taught me to believe…in destiny, in magic, in happily ever after. Dreams were my scripture and the starry night sky was my temple. Then Mom stopped believing, left him, and took us with her. At the age of sixteen, I cashed in my dreams to pay the rent, pawned my destiny to keep my sisters together. 

Now, seven years later, I’m returning home, grieving the death of my mother, and settling my sisters back into the life Mom threw away. I never intended to stay. I don’t want to deal with my father, who is so invested in the spiritual world he forgets the physical. I don’t want to face William Bailey, whose eyes remind me of the girl I was, the things I’ve done, and the future I lost.

This would all be easier if Will hated me. As it is, I have to hold my secrets close so they won’t hurt him more than they’ve already hurt me. But he wants to be in my life. He wants what I can’t bring myself to confess I sold. He wants me. I find myself looking to my stars again…wondering if I dare one more wish.”