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ell_jay_em7's review
4.0
I wasn't a fan of the gender stereotyping, but I really enjoyed the book's take on marriage and what it takes to make a relationship last. It was really heartfelt, I cared a lot about the main character, and I had fun reading it.
stephxsu's review
2.0
This is the first Kristan Higgins book that barely moved me throughout. I simply ended up not being a fan of Harper and Nick's romance. Oh, their romance back during their college and post-grad years was gloriously both swoony and heart-breakingly realistic. More than a decade down the road, however, Nick's jabs at his ex just felt childish, while Harper's obsessive need to control every element of her life seemed fully engrained, to the point that when she and Nick were in the process of reconnecting, the gradual dissolution of her Type A personality just didn't work for me.
steph01924's review
3.0
The book was fairly enjoyable. It wasn't as original as I expected it to be, after reading some reviews on it. I got really frustrated with the main character right around the time she and Nick got to his apartment, and once she accepted the ex-boyfriend's proposal I started skimming pages until she made her 'revelation' that she had a selfish bitch for a Mom and all her issues stemmed from that.
I know stupid stuff happens in real life, but geez, are there really people who would act that way? "It's embarrassing so yeah, I'll say yes to your proposal just to save face!" That whole part made me roll my eyes. Actually, the more I think about it, the more I get annoyed with this book.
So let's leave it at that...readable but not without its flaws.
I know stupid stuff happens in real life, but geez, are there really people who would act that way? "It's embarrassing so yeah, I'll say yes to your proposal just to save face!" That whole part made me roll my eyes. Actually, the more I think about it, the more I get annoyed with this book.
So let's leave it at that...readable but not without its flaws.
donyaschott's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
gpittfield's review
4.0
Another great book from Kristan Higgins. Her real life fiction and description of our everyday relationships is a great escape as well as a realization things can always get better :)
rebroxannape's review against another edition
5.0
***Re-reading 09/2022. On audible.***
09/26/2022 Still 5 stars. I still consider this one one of her best. Complex characters, very romantic, very emotional, very funny. I do have a slightly different take from my January of 2017 thoughts below. Nick more than met Harper halfway all through the book. She was the love of his life and he was upfront about that from the beginning. But because of her abandonment by her mother on her 13th birthday, she was "emotionally constipated" and unable to give herself freely and wholeheartedly to a relationship. As much as she loved Nick, she had a fear of commitment that kept her one foot in, and one foot out of their marriage. So this time, I was glad that she desperately ran after him and got the ferry stopped in the most dramatic way possible. Nick deserved to be run after for a change. It restored some balance to the romance which, this time, I thought was sorely needed.***
One of Kristan's funniest and most moving. The scene with the bear and the napping old horse was a scream. As usual her dialogue is sharp and witty, despite the irritating habit of making up a signature expletive for her heroines (Oh Crotch!). The encounter with her mother brought tears to my eyes as did the scene with her stepmother, Beverlee.
***re-read 1/29/2017***I believe this is her best book. It has some of the most comedic scenes and the wittiest, snappiest dialogue. It is insightful and one of the most moving. The relationship between the two protagonists, in fact, all of the relationships, were very well developed. You could see both of their sides, though I, at least, felt that our heroine was more justified and Nick was more at fault in their initial breakup. I like that he stepped up at last and shouldered his share of the blame. I just wish My heart was in my mouth at her meeting And I was sobbing during her Her reconciliation with her Dad was so well done. Not only one of Kristan's best so far (top 3) but one of the best I have read of this sort ever.
https://rebekahsreadingsandwatchings.com/
09/26/2022 Still 5 stars. I still consider this one one of her best. Complex characters, very romantic, very emotional, very funny. I do have a slightly different take from my January of 2017 thoughts below. Nick more than met Harper halfway all through the book. She was the love of his life and he was upfront about that from the beginning. But because of her abandonment by her mother on her 13th birthday, she was "emotionally constipated" and unable to give herself freely and wholeheartedly to a relationship. As much as she loved Nick, she had a fear of commitment that kept her one foot in, and one foot out of their marriage. So this time, I was glad that she desperately ran after him and got the ferry stopped in the most dramatic way possible. Nick deserved to be run after for a change. It restored some balance to the romance which, this time, I thought was sorely needed.***
One of Kristan's funniest and most moving. The scene with the bear and the napping old horse was a scream. As usual her dialogue is sharp and witty, despite the irritating habit of making up a signature expletive for her heroines (Oh Crotch!). The encounter with her mother brought tears to my eyes as did the scene with her stepmother, Beverlee.
***re-read 1/29/2017***I believe this is her best book. It has some of the most comedic scenes and the wittiest, snappiest dialogue. It is insightful and one of the most moving. The relationship between the two protagonists, in fact, all of the relationships, were very well developed. You could see both of their sides, though I, at least, felt that our heroine was more justified and Nick was more at fault in their initial breakup. I like that he stepped up at last and shouldered his share of the blame. I just wish
Spoiler
Harper had not run after him like she did. I would have liked it better if he had not gotten on the ferry and been heading back to her. It would have been more right.Spoiler
with Linda and when she got the letter.Spoiler
final scene with Beverlee.https://rebekahsreadingsandwatchings.com/
amym84's review
5.0
I really enjoyed this book. There wasn't anything too surprising about the storyling it was just a fun, sweet, quick read with a nice happy ending. Sometimes you need to read books like that.
Harper is a divorce attorney on Martha's Vineyard. She's only ever too happy to help people out of their collapsing relationships since she was divorced herself twelve years before. She's pretty content with her life until her stepsister calls to inform her that she's marrying the half brother of Harper's ex-husband. From there, Harper's content world is thrown upside down as she begins to figure out what she really wants.
I've only read one other Kristan Higgins book, and in that book we got the POV's of both our hero and heroine. I know that was not a typical structure for her writing. My One and Only is told from Harper's point of view. While I liked Harper as a narrator, there were times that I wish we could have seen things from Nick's perspective. But I thought that Higgins was completely fair in regards to Nick. The book didn't ever really venture into the territory of Nick being the only one to blame for mistakes of the past. Harper acknowledged her fair share of mess-ups.
Regardless, I thought the book was a good light read that was good at balancing the serious moments with light-heartedness. I can definitely see myself re-reading this again at some point. Until Then!
Harper is a divorce attorney on Martha's Vineyard. She's only ever too happy to help people out of their collapsing relationships since she was divorced herself twelve years before. She's pretty content with her life until her stepsister calls to inform her that she's marrying the half brother of Harper's ex-husband. From there, Harper's content world is thrown upside down as she begins to figure out what she really wants.
I've only read one other Kristan Higgins book, and in that book we got the POV's of both our hero and heroine. I know that was not a typical structure for her writing. My One and Only is told from Harper's point of view. While I liked Harper as a narrator, there were times that I wish we could have seen things from Nick's perspective. But I thought that Higgins was completely fair in regards to Nick. The book didn't ever really venture into the territory of Nick being the only one to blame for mistakes of the past. Harper acknowledged her fair share of mess-ups.
Regardless, I thought the book was a good light read that was good at balancing the serious moments with light-heartedness. I can definitely see myself re-reading this again at some point. Until Then!
nina_rod's review against another edition
5.0
Man, I love Kristan Higgins. This book was probably my favorite of hers, like today since I just finished it. The MC, Harper. I love her. At first, I hated her. Then I wanted to hug her and eat Ben & Jerry's with her. Was such an ice bitch, a real flawed character that grew once she admited that she needed others.
Her ex-husband, Nick. I just loved him. I wanted to hug him for his unfortunate act of meeting and then marrying the ice bitch. Then I wanted to call him an idiot for not fullilling Harper's needs and divorced him from my thoughts too.
The pacing was wonderful... giving me revelations when I needed them.
Normally I cry during Kristan Higgins books. I really thought I dodged a bullet, by not crying when Nick and Harper had their emotional fistacuffs. I was proud of myself. But what did me in later was Harper's relationships with her mother and stepmother. I was a babbling idiot.
What am I going to do now that I read all of her books currently in print? It's a sad day. I may have to re-read "The Next Best Thing" or "Too Good To Be True" until the author's next book is in print.
Her ex-husband, Nick. I just loved him. I wanted to hug him for his unfortunate act of meeting and then marrying the ice bitch. Then I wanted to call him an idiot for not fullilling Harper's needs and divorced him from my thoughts too.
The pacing was wonderful... giving me revelations when I needed them.
Normally I cry during Kristan Higgins books. I really thought I dodged a bullet, by not crying when Nick and Harper had their emotional fistacuffs. I was proud of myself. But what did me in later was Harper's relationships with her mother and stepmother. I was a babbling idiot.
What am I going to do now that I read all of her books currently in print? It's a sad day. I may have to re-read "The Next Best Thing" or "Too Good To Be True" until the author's next book is in print.