Review: One & Only by Viv Daniels

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.

This book was received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I loved For Darkness Shows the Stars and when I found out that Diana Peterfreund was writing a NA book under a different name, Viv Daniels, I knew I had to have it! And let me tell you, it didn’t disappoint.

Tess was a strong heroine. She knew what her mother had gone through with her father and she couldn’t let that happen to her, despite being in love with Dylan. She was so ambitious and hardworking. When she knew what she wanted, she went for it. She was a nice girl and she is a heroine I’d actually wanna be friends with, which never happens to me!

My absolute favorite thing about Dylan was he was not a clichéd bad boy! Hallelujah! I mean, I love my bad boys so much but it is so refreshing to finally have a good boy! He was a smart, driven, sweetie pie who I absolutely loved. He was so kind and attentive and hotttt. He made me swoooooonnnnn.

I liked Tess’s mom, even though I didn’t agree with some of the choices she makes. I know she made the decisions that she thought were best for her. I didn’t like Tess’s father though. Sleazeeee ball. Tess’s support system of great friends were pretty sweet but I wish I knew more about them. The biggest surprise of all was Hannah, her secret sister. Yeah, I thought she was a spoiled brat at the beginning but I can’t wait for her story!

This was definitely a unique storyline and I thought Viv executed it perfectly. The writing was great, just like Diana’s young adult book. The romance was really cute and sweet. I’m glad we got the backstory from when Tess and Dylan met. Their romantic moments were nice and swoony and oh-so-good. Just read it to see!

So when does Hannah’s story come out? Soon I hope! It’s got a bad boy in it and I am stoked!

Favorite Swoon-worthy Quote: He tasted like white wine and pine needles. He tasted like two years of waiting. I wanted to breathe for him, I wanted to swallow him whole. I ached with a sudden, pulsing need, an overwhelming desire I’d never felt before. His hands slipped to my waist, holding me firmly against him as I wrapped my arms around his neck. I needed him closer, closer.

Quote is from an Advanced Reader Copy and is subjected to change.

Rating: 4/5 Tar Heels!