The One

Blurb:

Ethan Phillips is a successful hedge fund manager with the perfect wife. He's convinced she is the only woman meant for him. However, his faith in her proves unfounded as he discovers her treachery has no limits. Inconsolable from his pain, he abandons love and relationships and believes he has become impervious to love's reach. Ethan discovers though, that a higher power and two extraordinary men would not allow him to abandon love so easily. He is then led on a journey of true connection, raw and unbridled passion, and a love beyond measure. But can Ethan trust this new path and is it too good to be true? Will this relationship disappear just like the first?

Review: 4.5 Stars

The one by Russ Underwood is a great contemporary romance read. I really enjoyed Ethan and Summer's story. I would have given it 5 stars but I didn't like how a couple of the situations that came up were handled. I do hope this author writes more books because his story was believable and his characters were likable. They were well rounded and easy to identify with. Ethan has the perfect life, or at least that is what he thinks. He has a great job, beautiful wife, a nice home and he is content. Everything in his life is about to change. He decides to surprise his wife on their anniversary and comes home to his friend and co-worker in bed with her. He is outraged and tells the both of them they better be gone by the time he returns. In that moment he decides he will never fall in love again. He doesn't want to be that vulnerable again. He also doesn't want to be let down or have his heart broken again either. He makes a new life for himself and strikes up a new friendship as well. Eventually his new friend convinces him to take a vacation and encourages him to find love again. During his vacation he meets Summer and he is intrigued by her right away. He is drawn to her too. The more time he spends with her the more he realizes he is in love with her. Can he get over his past to have a future with her? Or will he continue to wallow in the past and deny himself love and happiness? Summer's life isn't perfect but she is happy. She loves her son Jake and isn't looking for love. She has to deal with her ex and that is no fun. She will do anything for her son. When she sees a man across the road she is instantly aware of her attraction to him. She hoped he would come and talk to her but it didn't happen. Then fate steps in and the two of them end up at the same table in a restaurant she eats at a lot. By the end of the night she knows she wants to know more about him and wants to spend time together. Their relationship progresses and Jake likes him too. Things are going good...but then something comes up that might ruin what they have found. Will things work out? Or will she regret everything? I would recommend The One to anyone who enjoys contemporary romances. It is well written, the story is real, and the plot moves at a steady pace. There was a lot that I liked about the story and only a couple of things that I really didn't. It's a solid 4.5 star read. I think some of the drama was unnecessary, but I also think that it needed to happen for the characters to grow. It wasn't drama for dramas sake. It was just something I really didn't care for. Overall though the story was quite enjoyable.