Only One is a historical fantasy, well written to the point of pulling the reader into the time frame of the novel. The story is a harsh reality of how poorly women were treated, and one woman's struggle to overcome it.
This is a new genre for me and I wasn't sure I would enjoy the book but the cover art drew me in. Being a historical romance, I was surprised to find myself as ease with the characters and dialogue, never being pulled away from the moment in my reading. I think that is the drive of every author, to make the book reader so immersed into the reading, they forget it is a book and it becomes living and breathing. This author manages to carry that off without a hitch and I find myself now expanded in my reading material. Bravo!
I think that categories can be useful since calling this novel a "romance thriller" is helpful when choosing something new. That said, Only One, by Barbar Woster, is wonderful fiction no what what label you place on it. The main character is the remarkable young woman, Lara Esterhaus. It is around 1800 and society has no room for remarkable, intelligent and beautiful young women. This is such the case even at the highest levels, upon which Lara finds herself. But, with the death of her parents, her privilege, even her life, is in danger. Woster has a wonderful slow and steady style. The reader is won over by Lara's charms. In one scene, attempting to fit into her domestic role, she does her best to cross stitch only to repeatedly prick her fingers. At one point, she wonders, in a daydream, if all the lemonade she's been drinking might spurt out her fingertips. But, no, it's not long before trouble and danger are right at her feet. She's is about to inherit a mansion but she must, by law, be a married woman. It is this predicament that triggers a number of less than desirable suitors--and a way in for darkness to settle up Lara's once bright young life. Well, so it goes. This is a great page-turner and well worth seeking out.
This is such a good book! I loved every part of it. This is one of those books that when you start reading it you can’t put it down. I will say the cover of the book kind of throws you because it seems more modern and this book’s plot takes place in the 1800s. Only one is more of a thriller than a romance novel I think. Though the main character is trying to find love the whole book is based on these corrupt men killing people to get her land and money. You have to read this book it is so good. I highly recommend it.
Lara Esterhas is tall beautiful and clever, three things that men in the early 19th century did not view as positive. After the untimely death of her parents she has to find a husband or lose her home. This was an incredible story with romance, murder, greed, and chivalry. I couldn’t put it down!
This was a wonderful story set in the 1800s with well fleshed out characters and an interesting storyline. I liked that, albeit the timeframe, the female main character was strong, opinionated, and very smart. I also liked the fact that her mail-order husband, while initially interested in her wealth, formed a genuine interest in her. With a round of professional editing, this gem would become a true diamond! I would highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a thrilling mystery combined with a clean romantic story.
A fun read right from the start! Lara was easy to relate to as well as a strong and witty character, for sure my favorite part of the book. Her trials and the men trying to manipulate her really frustrated me, and I was eager to see how it turned out. The brothers were also cute and very amusing. I really enjoyed the time period aspect of this book. I don’t usually find good light reading that take place in the early US South.
This book is adventurous, romantic, and has well-developed characters. I loved being transported back in time and getting lost in this suspenseful story. There is a lot going on and this is definitely more than a love story. The intriguing journey of the characters had me unable to put this book down!
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Loved the characters and the story. Plenty of suspense up until the very end. The author did an excellent job of creating a heroine you can't help but root for and antagonists you can't wait to see fail. I often read to escape the day to day and this book did that for me in spades.
First off, I love the cover of this book. It was one of the main reasons I choose to read it. But they say you can't judge a book by its cover, well this one you can. The twists and turns of this book will keep you reading until the end. There are a couple of grammatical errors but they don't take away from the book.
