A review by fortressofbooks
The One Real Thing by Samantha Young

4.0

Rating~ 3.5- 4 stars

“If you’re destined for true love, you’ll find it on the boardwalk…” ~Hartwell legend.

Dr. Jessica Huntington while working on her shift as a prison doctor finds letters love letters addressed to the man of the writer’s affections, she feels a connection to the writer. Her heartbreak and story bring out a flood of emotion in Jessica.With her upcoming vacation and her best friend unavailability, she decides to go to Hartwell the town which was once home to the writer of the letters.

Cooper Lawson, bar owner and according to some panty melter extraordinaire. After his divorce and the betrayal of two people he loved and thought he could always trust, Cooper has stayed far away from forming relationships. He is instead focusing on his bar and his family. All of this of course changes when he meets a tourist he finds completely fascinating.

Jessica was a very empathic and caring person not just because she was a doctor but it was more of a innate quality of hers. Jessica is used to keeping everyone from getting too close which has never been a problem before until she meets Cooper and the citizens of Hartwell. Jessica’s vacation brings her not only peace but also makes her realise how empty her life had been until now. Cooper is extremely intrigued by not only Jessica’s personality but her intelligence and her self confidence. I really enjoyed how he went around trying to convince Jessica to give them a shot.

The moment I met Cooper Lawson felt exactly like that hot shower after a very long, cold storm. ~ Jessica

Jessica and Cooper were cute together. Attracted to each other from the first moment the met, their relationship progressed slowly. They felt a connection to each other from the moment they laid eyes on each other on a rainy evening. Their relationship was at times sweet and other times passionate. The only point of contention between the two was Jessica’s inability to confide in Cooper about her family and her past. Drawn to Cooper as she is, Jessica has to decided whether or not to take a chance to open up to him, this guy who has effortlessly stolen her heart.

It felt like like fate had bought me there in the guise of Sarah’s letters.
And I’d fallen in love on the boardwalk. ~Jessica.


Quibbles: I just thought jessica’s past/her secret could have been done better.

The writing was engaging as was the plot and the various threads coming together. I think it was a pretty good start to the new series and I’ll definitely be coming back for more.

I have a love/hate realtionship with the town and it’s people in small town romances but Hartwell as with Jessica won me over. I loved the town, and to quote Jessica it was idyllic. I loved all the characters that we got introduced to, the secondary characters who I hope will get their own books had such great personalities. I really want Emery to get a book, she was one of the characters that intrigued me the most with her shyness and love for books. I can’t wait to read Vaughan and Bailey’s story which comes out next year. Anyone who likes small town romances and likes Jill Shalvis series’s would really enjoy this one!

ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.