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One Way or Another
Getting close to Adam Bayne, the director of the local men's rehab center, Atlanta reporter Toni Shields, who will do anything to get a good story, finds their relationship, future and faith threatened by her family secret and Adam's devastating past. Original.
323 pages, Paperback
First published February 28, 2012
3 people are currently reading
128 people want to read
About the author
Rhonda Bowen
12 books59 followersRhonda Bowen is a twenty-something writer and event planner living in Toronto. She enjoys spending time with her family, trying on shoes she can’t afford, and enjoying life’s unexpected twists and turns. You can reach her at: rhonda.bowen@yahoo.com.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
March 6, 2012
Toni Shields has had more than her share of heart ache and pain. She now has a daring career as an Atlanta News Reporter, and from some of her stunts ends up in jail, and in trouble with her Boss!
Adam Bayne is the director of a boys home, Jacob's House. His path starts crossing with Toni, and it ends up that her brother Trey and Sister-In-Law both volunteer at the House. When one of the occupants of the House is caught in a Political controversy, that effectively means he will be in double jeopardy.
Jerome has just about completed his time at the Home, and now legal system in Atlanta wants him to go to jail serve time. How unfair!! Toni starts helping and in doing so she find out information that she really doesn't want to know.
Love the twists and turns in this story, and how we judge people, and end up basically doing the same things to others. Enjoyed how Rhonda was able to show that the character's were not following God's Will, but their own, and how asking for His help proves the right answers.
Enjoy this very quick enjoyable read.
I received this book from the Publisher Dafina, and was not required to give a positive review.
Adam Bayne is the director of a boys home, Jacob's House. His path starts crossing with Toni, and it ends up that her brother Trey and Sister-In-Law both volunteer at the House. When one of the occupants of the House is caught in a Political controversy, that effectively means he will be in double jeopardy.
Jerome has just about completed his time at the Home, and now legal system in Atlanta wants him to go to jail serve time. How unfair!! Toni starts helping and in doing so she find out information that she really doesn't want to know.
Love the twists and turns in this story, and how we judge people, and end up basically doing the same things to others. Enjoyed how Rhonda was able to show that the character's were not following God's Will, but their own, and how asking for His help proves the right answers.
Enjoy this very quick enjoyable read.
I received this book from the Publisher Dafina, and was not required to give a positive review.
April 16, 2012
This was a great read! I want to read more by Rhonda Bowen! The characters and plot were very developed. The reader really gets to know the characters. I loved the way the book ended! I felt good after reading this book. I definitely recommend it!
March 6, 2012
My favorite type of romances start out with the two main characters disliking each other, I think that is because that’s how my marriage started and it just seems more genuine and realistic. We have Toni Shields, who is a bossy, controlling news reporter that seems to find herself in jail a few times due to the tough stories she tries to capture. Then we have Adam Bayne, a Christian man that is the director of a boy’s home. When Toni and Adam first meet there is this sudden attraction but then there is also there is conflict. Then Toni starts showing up at the boy’s home, where her brother Trey also works, to try to get a story from Adam.
One of my favorite things about this book is that the romance is not forced. They don’t just suddenly meet and fall in love, their relationship develops over time with some serious bumps along the way. However there is passion and flirting! Another great aspect of the book is that you have two people with very difficult pasts. Neither character is perfect and both are struggling to move forward in their lives. They are also struggling to follow God’s will versus what they believe is right for themselves! There is a lot about this book that gets you thinking and prompts you to be a better person.
The characters are both genuine and entertaining. I have to admit though that Toni drove me crazy in the beginning. She was so sassy and independent that it bugged me, but then she grew on me just like she grew on Adam. Adam is the best character of all; he has such a passion to make a difference and to love those kids he works with, yet he struggles with his own shady past and guilt!!
I received this book from the Publisher Dafina in exchange for a personal and honest review. All opinions are my own.
One of my favorite things about this book is that the romance is not forced. They don’t just suddenly meet and fall in love, their relationship develops over time with some serious bumps along the way. However there is passion and flirting! Another great aspect of the book is that you have two people with very difficult pasts. Neither character is perfect and both are struggling to move forward in their lives. They are also struggling to follow God’s will versus what they believe is right for themselves! There is a lot about this book that gets you thinking and prompts you to be a better person.
The characters are both genuine and entertaining. I have to admit though that Toni drove me crazy in the beginning. She was so sassy and independent that it bugged me, but then she grew on me just like she grew on Adam. Adam is the best character of all; he has such a passion to make a difference and to love those kids he works with, yet he struggles with his own shady past and guilt!!
I received this book from the Publisher Dafina in exchange for a personal and honest review. All opinions are my own.
October 8, 2018
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
So like um, erm...you know what? I'll just list out what I didn't like (don't mind what I did like).
-THERE WERE NO CONSEQUENCES!!!
This was my biggest complaint with this book that came up like nearly 2/3 of the way through. Everything was going well until I got to that part.(I'm not really going to give away spoilers so...suck it). But seriously, nothing bad ever happened for Adam when he returned to Baltimore. He got a cheat card on the situation and I felt that was wrong. I agreed with Tarik (I think that was the one) near the end of the book. Toni also got out a few situations that definitely deserved consequences. It was like everything ended up in a nice neat, unrealistic bow.
-The book could have been a lot shorter
Bowen's books usually have a very loose plot that kind of resolves itself 1/3 or half into the book then she focuses mainly on the romance aspect being the MC and the love interest. I always felt like she should just market the book as a romance if that's really what she wants to write, why have a non-existent plot or an easy to resolve plot? The book definitely didn't need half the things that were added, especially near the end. It's weird, though, because at the same time that the book was too long, the time skips she made were annoying because I wanted to see more of what happened and what panned out with certain situations but she would cut that all out.
-Toni's character flip was a little jarring
It wasn't like she made a complete 180 in her character, but it's like Bowen didn't fully connect the Toni we read at the end with the Toni we first began with. I mean, she made character growth but it was just...I don't know. For example, what made her stop wearing the kind of clothing she wore at the beginning of the book by the end? It's mentioned like it was addressed when it really wasn't. We just knew Adam didn't like it but we never saw when he brought it up with her. Also, her returning to church and Christianity no problem was a little weird.Also, throwing in the Camilla part because that bothered me a little too.
-Adam flippin' about the shirt
Why the FLIPPIN' FRACK did Adam flip out to Toni about her buying him a shirt? Maybe I didn't understand that scene fully, but it was so weird and out-of-character and then never addressed again. I mean, just the other day my friend brought me a shirt for my birthday and I didn't flip the way Adam did, I just accepted it like a normal person.(At least Toni got him a shirt that fit, can't say the same about mine).
-The amount of times "brother" or "brotha" was written -_-
This was just annoying. I don't care how "black" you are, nobody says brother or brotha the amount of times Bowen writes it in this book. It felt unnatural and cringe-worthy. She has a habit of writing it in other works too, but this time it really stuck out to me.
Overall, for the most part I did like this book. I think I'm done reading Bowen for this year, but I'll try to get back to her next year. Onto the next book!
So like um, erm...you know what? I'll just list out what I didn't like (don't mind what I did like).
-THERE WERE NO CONSEQUENCES!!!
This was my biggest complaint with this book that came up like nearly 2/3 of the way through. Everything was going well until I got to that part.
-The book could have been a lot shorter
Bowen's books usually have a very loose plot that kind of resolves itself 1/3 or half into the book then she focuses mainly on the romance aspect being the MC and the love interest. I always felt like she should just market the book as a romance if that's really what she wants to write, why have a non-existent plot or an easy to resolve plot? The book definitely didn't need half the things that were added, especially near the end. It's weird, though, because at the same time that the book was too long, the time skips she made were annoying because I wanted to see more of what happened and what panned out with certain situations but she would cut that all out.
-Toni's character flip was a little jarring
It wasn't like she made a complete 180 in her character, but it's like Bowen didn't fully connect the Toni we read at the end with the Toni we first began with. I mean, she made character growth but it was just...I don't know. For example, what made her stop wearing the kind of clothing she wore at the beginning of the book by the end? It's mentioned like it was addressed when it really wasn't. We just knew Adam didn't like it but we never saw when he brought it up with her. Also, her returning to church and Christianity no problem was a little weird.
-Adam flippin' about the shirt
Why the FLIPPIN' FRACK did Adam flip out to Toni about her buying him a shirt? Maybe I didn't understand that scene fully, but it was so weird and out-of-character and then never addressed again. I mean, just the other day my friend brought me a shirt for my birthday and I didn't flip the way Adam did, I just accepted it like a normal person.
-The amount of times "brother" or "brotha" was written -_-
This was just annoying. I don't care how "black" you are, nobody says brother or brotha the amount of times Bowen writes it in this book. It felt unnatural and cringe-worthy. She has a habit of writing it in other works too, but this time it really stuck out to me.
Overall, for the most part I did like this book. I think I'm done reading Bowen for this year, but I'll try to get back to her next year. Onto the next book!
December 12, 2019
This is the first modern romance I have read in years and wanted something different. The characters are well-written and the dialogue is good. It's easy to read large chunks at a time. The negative for me was the mid-book record scratch of Toni's dramatic backstory and repercussions quickly followed by Adam's dramatic backstory. That was too much drama. I plan on reading another from Rhonda Bowen.
August 27, 2021
I love the main characters and how the faces their past and truly let God use them. My favorite statement from the book was everything of God is not from God....it was one of those I hear you God moments for me.
May 13, 2019
Phew! it took me forever to finish this book. It was nice, cute.
March 11, 2012
Having Faith
Toni Shields and Adam Bayne both have pasts they're running from instead of dealing with them. They initially meet at a jail, out of all places. Both were intrigued with the other for different reasons. Will these two cross paths again?
This was my first time reading anything by Rhonda Bowen and I must say I was impressed. She does a great job demonstrating forgiveness, faith and redemption in “One Way or Another.” They're not always easy and require a little work by the individual.
The characters felt so real. I enjoyed how well the characters meshed together. They all seemed to have a secret from their past. At different points, everyone received some kind of encouragement to work out their issues. Just because you see a person smiling doesn't necessarily mean they're happy. We all have a secret we haven't shared. I highly recommend Rhonda Bowen’s “One Way or Another.” You wouldn't be disappointed.
Reviewed by: Jas
Toni Shields and Adam Bayne both have pasts they're running from instead of dealing with them. They initially meet at a jail, out of all places. Both were intrigued with the other for different reasons. Will these two cross paths again?
This was my first time reading anything by Rhonda Bowen and I must say I was impressed. She does a great job demonstrating forgiveness, faith and redemption in “One Way or Another.” They're not always easy and require a little work by the individual.
The characters felt so real. I enjoyed how well the characters meshed together. They all seemed to have a secret from their past. At different points, everyone received some kind of encouragement to work out their issues. Just because you see a person smiling doesn't necessarily mean they're happy. We all have a secret we haven't shared. I highly recommend Rhonda Bowen’s “One Way or Another.” You wouldn't be disappointed.
Reviewed by: Jas
March 7, 2012
Nothing really surprising or unique, but still an enjoyable read. Experiencing the growing romance between the sassy Toni and the stubborn Adam was a lot of fun. All of the characters were well-developed and several could be protagonists in their own right. The plot was pretty predictable, but most romances are and that's what makes them comfortable reads. The faith elements were compelling and not too preachy. For the most part, the Christian components fell together naturally. Only occasionally did they seem forced. It wasn't a rip-roaring page-turner, but it was a nice read.
June 28, 2012
This book was just okay. Toni Shields is a no-nonsense, career-driven woman who has no time for a man in her life. However, she can't fight the attraction she feels to Adam Bayne, a friend of her brother's who runs a group home for wayward boys.
I really liked all the characters, but would have liked to read more about the romance between and Adam and Toni, and less about the boys' home and Adam's past troubles. This was definitely more of a contemporary Christian fiction book, than a contemporary Christian romance.
I really liked all the characters, but would have liked to read more about the romance between and Adam and Toni, and less about the boys' home and Adam's past troubles. This was definitely more of a contemporary Christian fiction book, than a contemporary Christian romance.
April 29, 2012
Its probably an okay book but by the 10th chapter I still wasn't into it.
July 5, 2012
Tried so hard to get into the book... by about the fifth/sixth chapter I forced myself to atleast get to the end...
August 13, 2012
Loved it
May 10, 2013
May have to revisit this one, I couldn't seem to focus on the story. It didn't initially grab me so I kind of pushed through even when I wasn't really engaged.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews