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
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
Now, if that doesn't already sound enticing enough for you, Viv was sweet enough to give me a little teaser for you to read...
...hot, right? I would melt if someone said that to me!
Which sets the tone perfectly for my review. As soon as I finished ONE AND ONLY, I tweeted to Viv (@vivdaniels) asking when the second book might be coming out (the answer's in the spring, BTW). This book was the most perfect kind of romance.
Perfect for me in the fact that it both was and wasn't perfect. Tess' life is messed up. She's got some serious bone-deep trust issues and with her family situation, you can't really blame her. Then she meets a guy. A cute, smart, self-assured, yet not cocky...pretty much perfect guy. Dylan is amazing and she can't handle the prospect of trying to add a relationship into her life.
When she leaves Dylan, she believes that she's leaving that chance for happiness behind forever. Two years later when she has the chance to reconnect, the worst possible thing happens. He's dating her sister. The perfect, rich blonde sister who doesn't even know she exists.
What follows is a delicate dance of two people trying to come together in the worst possible circumstances. This is where the book really flew above a lot of its peers for me. Daniels was unafraid to have both of her main characters be strong, moral, SMART characters that loved and admired those very qualities in each other. Yes, they absolutely had a sweet, hot romance that left me smiling and just on the verge of blushing in a few scenes, but they also dealt with each other like real adults.
While both Tess and Dylan desperately wanted to be together, they each respected each other. When Tess refused to be the "other woman," not only did she stand her ground throughout, but Dylan also took her at her word. Yes, the tension got hot and heavy, Dylan let her know that they were meant to be together, but if Tess said, "No," Dylan said, "Okay." That is a REAL man. A most swoon-worthy love interest.
While both Tess and Dylan desperately wanted to be together, they each respected each other. When Tess refused to be the "other woman," not only did she stand her ground throughout, but Dylan also took her at her word. Yes, the tension got hot and heavy, Dylan let her know that they were meant to be together, but if Tess said, "No," Dylan said, "Okay." That is a REAL man. A most swoon-worthy love interest.
Each of the characters in the book, in fact, were multi-faceted adults who showed range of emotion, grew through their interactions with each other, and dealt with their true, not necessarily "happy" endings. In fact, the next book in the series, SWEET AND WILD (2014) follows Tess' sister, Hannah...a book I cannot wait to get in my hot little hands!
So, now that you know that I absolutely loved this book...I know you'll want to read it! Not only is Viv giving away copies of the book itself, but I also have a great swag pack to giveaway to one of you! Here's the rafflecopters so you can enter both giveaways:
So, now that you know that I absolutely loved this book...I know you'll want to read it! Not only is Viv giving away copies of the book itself, but I also have a great swag pack to giveaway to one of you! Here's the rafflecopters so you can enter both giveaways:
You can visit the following places:
Viv Daniels' Website
Viv Daniels' Facebook
Viv Daniels' Twitter
ONE AND ONLY on Goodreads
Don't forget you can also purchase ONE AND ONLY at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, or Smashwords!
Full disclosure: Review copy received from author for blog tour
Viv Daniels' Facebook
Viv Daniels' Twitter
ONE AND ONLY on Goodreads
Don't forget you can also purchase ONE AND ONLY at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, or Smashwords!
Full disclosure: Review copy received from author for blog tour
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