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Single Girls #1
Single-Handed
Alex single-handedly takes down a bully. A safer school has its perks, but what else did the years of martial arts training get her? Not a prom date, that’s for sure. With only a few weeks left before the big day, can she stop the tough act long enough for the boy of her dreams to see she’s still just a girl?
25 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 9, 2012
14 people are currently reading
192 people want to read
About the author
Veronica Blade
63 books412 followersBrain candy. Cleansing your reading palate one book at a time.
Veronica Blade lives in Southern California with her husband and children. By day she runs the family business, but each night she slips away to spin her tales. She writes stories about young adults to relive her own childhood and to live vicariously through her characters. Except her heroes and heroines lead far more interesting lives — and they are always way hotter.
Veronica Blade lives in Southern California with her husband and children. By day she runs the family business, but each night she slips away to spin her tales. She writes stories about young adults to relive her own childhood and to live vicariously through her characters. Except her heroes and heroines lead far more interesting lives — and they are always way hotter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
April 10, 2012
Alex is different than most girls in her school. She has a brown belt in jujitsu and she pinned the school bully to the pavement for picking on another student. A safer school has its perks, but now the boys at school are afraid of her. So much that she hasn't been asked to the prom.
New hottie in town, Tommy, has been friendly but shows no sign he's feeling the same sparks for her that she feels for him. When Alex's friends step in and finagle a coffee date between Tommy and her, can Alex show Tommy that tough girls want love, too?
Short and sweet, this was a cute contemporary Young Adult story. I'm looking forward to the next two stories in Veronica Blade's Single Girls micro-trilogy! :)
New hottie in town, Tommy, has been friendly but shows no sign he's feeling the same sparks for her that she feels for him. When Alex's friends step in and finagle a coffee date between Tommy and her, can Alex show Tommy that tough girls want love, too?
Short and sweet, this was a cute contemporary Young Adult story. I'm looking forward to the next two stories in Veronica Blade's Single Girls micro-trilogy! :)
April 30, 2012
Such a cute story! A quick unique young adult read that left me wanting more. Alex is not your typical 18 year old girl. She has a special set of skills!Tommy is a yummy guy! I would have liked a little more about him and his skills. I want to read about Alex's two friends Laynie and Brittany. Ms. Blade will you be writing those soon? One can only hope! This contains no sex and a few swear words.
April 23, 2012
Alex is a strong and independent woman who knows how to handle herself. She is the kind of person you have to strive to be. I love how even though she has strong beliefs of standing up for herself, she gave into what Tommy meant by needing a man. Not for muscles, but for a different kind of protection. To be catered by someone who can love you for you. This story was super sweet, and I tend to read more in the Single Girls series.
July 2, 2012
Single-handed (Single Girls, book 1) by Veronica Blade is a very short story.
Alex has trained in martial arts since she was five. Last year she had single-handedly saved a guy from a bully. There is only a few weeks until the prom and Alex doesn't have a date...is there a nice guy out there who can see that she's just a girl?
April 12, 2012
This story was fantastic and very well written! I know it was a short story, but I would have loved to have read more about Tommy and Alex. Veronica Blade is a phenomenal writer and I am looking forward to reading more of her works!
June 15, 2012
Charming young adult romance short story with a nice build-up of events, and appealing characters. The bullying sub-plot is well-handled and placed in a proper, and understandable context by the author, by tying it to the main character.
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April 7, 2012I must read this!
April 19, 2012
This is a very fun story and a must read. its a short story and i fell in love with the character and wanted more :) and i cant wait for the other 2 in the series to come out
April 11, 2019
Very very very short story. I wish i could have gotten more because i wasn't really able to connect with the characters. I did like how confident Alex was because of her karate knowledge.
September 18, 2014
{ Full review originally posted on my blog, PidginPea's Book Nook. }
This is a really quick read, but it's a nice little story with a good message. Alex has set a sort of reputation for herself by standing up for those who are bullied at school. She's put her jujitsu skills into action and stepped in when other kids are being picked on. Guys might be a little intimidated by a smaller girl taking down big brawny bullies, because she hasn't had any guys show an interest in her. But she doesn't want to pretend to be "frail;" she refuses to change who she is or put on an act just so guys will like her. Which is great because Tommy, the cute guy at school, seems to like her just the way she is.
I love Blade's writing style. She writes great dialogue and she gives her characters very realistic voices. Reading Alex's conversations with her two friends Brittany and Laynie, I felt like I was right back in high school, chatting at lunch with my little circle. This is the second work I've read by Veronica Blade and I wouldn't hesitate to read another.
The only thing that's keeping me from giving this a higher rating is that I didn't really understand the confrontation between Alex and Wes, the bully, which is kind of the major event in the story. Alex already beat him once (literally: she had him on the ground with a knee in his back), which is how she got her reputation...but now suddenly a year later, Wes wants to face her again? Otherwise, it's a great story. The romance blossoming between Tommy and Alex is sweet and simple, making for a warm and fuzzy read. It's short, but it's the perfect length for a little bedtime reading or to go along with a cup of coffee.
This is a really quick read, but it's a nice little story with a good message. Alex has set a sort of reputation for herself by standing up for those who are bullied at school. She's put her jujitsu skills into action and stepped in when other kids are being picked on. Guys might be a little intimidated by a smaller girl taking down big brawny bullies, because she hasn't had any guys show an interest in her. But she doesn't want to pretend to be "frail;" she refuses to change who she is or put on an act just so guys will like her. Which is great because Tommy, the cute guy at school, seems to like her just the way she is.
I love Blade's writing style. She writes great dialogue and she gives her characters very realistic voices. Reading Alex's conversations with her two friends Brittany and Laynie, I felt like I was right back in high school, chatting at lunch with my little circle. This is the second work I've read by Veronica Blade and I wouldn't hesitate to read another.
The only thing that's keeping me from giving this a higher rating is that I didn't really understand the confrontation between Alex and Wes, the bully, which is kind of the major event in the story. Alex already beat him once (literally: she had him on the ground with a knee in his back), which is how she got her reputation...but now suddenly a year later, Wes wants to face her again? Otherwise, it's a great story. The romance blossoming between Tommy and Alex is sweet and simple, making for a warm and fuzzy read. It's short, but it's the perfect length for a little bedtime reading or to go along with a cup of coffee.
February 6, 2018
Alex is different than the other girls in her school and feared by everyone because she single-handedly stopped a bully from picking on a fellow student all thanks to her martial arts skills.
Alex's school might now be safe from bullies as they are scared that Alex will get them back but all the boys are too scared to ask her out and this bothers her, she doesn't want to go to prom alone.
Alex's best friend decides to take matters into her own hands and sets her up on a coffee date with the cute new boy at school Tommy, while they are on their date it seems to go well although Alex isn't sure Tommy likes her enough to want to date her.
Alex's school might now be safe from bullies as they are scared that Alex will get them back but all the boys are too scared to ask her out and this bothers her, she doesn't want to go to prom alone.
Alex's best friend decides to take matters into her own hands and sets her up on a coffee date with the cute new boy at school Tommy, while they are on their date it seems to go well although Alex isn't sure Tommy likes her enough to want to date her.
March 7, 2014
"Tough girls want love to!"
In the book "Single-Handed," By Veronica Blade the author really knows how to grab your attention right away. The story begins with a girl named Alex who attends high school and is very strong minded. Alex is a very materialistic girl and has always been an amazing student. The author really wanted to express the hatred Alex had towards bullies. Alex was actually really in to karate and was a huge master at it, she was actually a black belt! When one day Alex seen a random student being picked on and pushed around she pinned the school bully to the pavement leaving tons of students at shock. Every guy now was afraid of Alex and even worse the school prom was coming up who was going to ask her to prom if they we're all afraid of her and stereotype her has to tough to date.
Blade did an amazing job at making us step inside of a tough girls shoes. Although Alex scared tons of guys away we were left with the message of "There's someone for everybody." Alex began to fall for one of the hottest guys in school named Tommy. Tommy was able to accept her toughness and understand her roughness and love her for who and what she was. I believe the theme had a bit of a reflection towards self reliance.Alex was so tired of seeing that innocent student being bullied that something inside of her told her to stand up to the school bully once and for all. "Self trust matters the most, stay true to what you think and feel from within."
I rated this book 4 stars because I believe it was very captivating and strongly written it had me stuck the whole way threw.
In the book "Single-Handed," By Veronica Blade the author really knows how to grab your attention right away. The story begins with a girl named Alex who attends high school and is very strong minded. Alex is a very materialistic girl and has always been an amazing student. The author really wanted to express the hatred Alex had towards bullies. Alex was actually really in to karate and was a huge master at it, she was actually a black belt! When one day Alex seen a random student being picked on and pushed around she pinned the school bully to the pavement leaving tons of students at shock. Every guy now was afraid of Alex and even worse the school prom was coming up who was going to ask her to prom if they we're all afraid of her and stereotype her has to tough to date.
Blade did an amazing job at making us step inside of a tough girls shoes. Although Alex scared tons of guys away we were left with the message of "There's someone for everybody." Alex began to fall for one of the hottest guys in school named Tommy. Tommy was able to accept her toughness and understand her roughness and love her for who and what she was. I believe the theme had a bit of a reflection towards self reliance.Alex was so tired of seeing that innocent student being bullied that something inside of her told her to stand up to the school bully once and for all. "Self trust matters the most, stay true to what you think and feel from within."
I rated this book 4 stars because I believe it was very captivating and strongly written it had me stuck the whole way threw.
May 24, 2013
Never point out a girl's manliness. Treat her as a lady and she will respond as a lady.
Alex is not your average girl. She has a brown belt in jujitsu and she single-handedly kicked the school bully's ass for picking on another student. To add another blow to the bully's badly bruised ego, Alex is just 5 ft tall and not bulky at all.
And just like that, potential prom dates avoid her. Well, except for Tommy, the new hottie in town that got this scholarly kind of deliciousness about him.
Can their potential of a relationship blossom into the real deal? And how will Tommy react now that the resident bully plans to put Alex on her place?
I like this book even though if it's more of a chapter than an actual book. :))))
Over all, SINGLED-HANDED is cute, as clean as a whistle, and has about enough positive message I approve of (except for the whole prom thing -- it's just a dance, get over yourself! Hahaha!) but... I can't help it. I want more. To be fair to Ms. Blade, nothing felt rushed. It just felt incomplete. Maybe I should consider it a cliffhanger?
Nonetheless, I'm looking forward to the next two stories!
Alex is not your average girl. She has a brown belt in jujitsu and she single-handedly kicked the school bully's ass for picking on another student. To add another blow to the bully's badly bruised ego, Alex is just 5 ft tall and not bulky at all.
And just like that, potential prom dates avoid her. Well, except for Tommy, the new hottie in town that got this scholarly kind of deliciousness about him.
Can their potential of a relationship blossom into the real deal? And how will Tommy react now that the resident bully plans to put Alex on her place?
I like this book even though if it's more of a chapter than an actual book. :))))
Over all, SINGLED-HANDED is cute, as clean as a whistle, and has about enough positive message I approve of (except for the whole prom thing -- it's just a dance, get over yourself! Hahaha!) but... I can't help it. I want more. To be fair to Ms. Blade, nothing felt rushed. It just felt incomplete. Maybe I should consider it a cliffhanger?
Nonetheless, I'm looking forward to the next two stories!
August 13, 2016
When the synopsis says "very short story", what it really means is that it's a very very short story. In any case, I liked that Alex isn't like most other female characters. She isn't weak or helpless, and most definitely doesn't need a man to save her. But that doesn't at all mean she doesn't want a prom date. After pinning down a bully, all the guys in school avoid her, with the exception of one: Tommy. Will he see Alex as not "one of the guys" but a girl?
Single-Handed was a cute story for the most part. I found it weird that the bully she took down once came back to her again looking for a fight. The writing is very simple, and the span of time too short (one day?). In the beginning, the dialogue between Alex and her friends sounded awkward, but I guess that's just how some people talk? There is a lack of character development but considering this is a short story, I didn't expect there to be any. I would have enjoyed this more, however, if the story was longer. Overall, a sweet story worth the read.
Single-Handed was a cute story for the most part. I found it weird that the bully she took down once came back to her again looking for a fight. The writing is very simple, and the span of time too short (one day?). In the beginning, the dialogue between Alex and her friends sounded awkward, but I guess that's just how some people talk? There is a lack of character development but considering this is a short story, I didn't expect there to be any. I would have enjoyed this more, however, if the story was longer. Overall, a sweet story worth the read.
January 29, 2013
I knew when I started reading this book it was a short story so I was prepared for that. I liked Alex and Tommy, and I think it does have a good storyline. That said, I did find myself looking for more conflict; more meat to the story would be a better way to put it.
I certainly wouldn't hold that against the author, though, and I do still give it four stars because I like that Alex was able to take care of herself. Veronica portrayed her as being independent and fully capable of protecting herself without being too over the top.
All in all, a good short story with a positive message.
I certainly wouldn't hold that against the author, though, and I do still give it four stars because I like that Alex was able to take care of herself. Veronica portrayed her as being independent and fully capable of protecting herself without being too over the top.
All in all, a good short story with a positive message.
August 24, 2012
A short story by an extremely talented author.
A quick read that follows Alex, a strong girl who is trained in martial arts and isn't afraid to stand up for herself and others - unfortunately though now all the boys at school stay well clear of her.
Tommy wasn't at her school the previous year when she took down the school bully, and doesn't seem to be put off by her reputation but is she Alex able to let him take care of her?
Well written, and will make you feel all warm inside.
A quick read that follows Alex, a strong girl who is trained in martial arts and isn't afraid to stand up for herself and others - unfortunately though now all the boys at school stay well clear of her.
Tommy wasn't at her school the previous year when she took down the school bully, and doesn't seem to be put off by her reputation but is she Alex able to let him take care of her?
Well written, and will make you feel all warm inside.
October 25, 2012
What a lovely YA love short story. I am so going to have my daughter read this. It has so many endearing qualities. Like the purity of young love, championing good over evil, sticking up for the underdog & friendship. Most of all about being a young woman who can be powerful in her own right strong enough to beat up the boys but soft enough to remember she still a girl & can have feelings & emotions of a true woman & allow a man to be a man also. Give & take a couple.
November 13, 2012
Ok, I was warned in the blurb...it's a very short story and usually that's my biggest problem with stories I like, if they are too short and leave me wanting more. Oh wait, that would be a good thing than!
Well anyway, I like Alex..I remember times I was kinda like her, a tomboy I mean:) This is a very cute (though super short) young adult story and I will most likely be reading the other 2 in the Single Girls trilogy.
Well anyway, I like Alex..I remember times I was kinda like her, a tomboy I mean:) This is a very cute (though super short) young adult story and I will most likely be reading the other 2 in the Single Girls trilogy.
September 27, 2013
2 Just a little strange for me stars
Um... I have no idea what to say. Alex beats up a guy, everyone is scared of her. She goes on a date... The guy tries to protect her from fighting the guy again. She beats the guy. Moral of the story do not mess with Alex. This was entirely too short for me to get into it. There was actually no character development except for that Alex is a little tiny beast of a girl and has martial arts training
Um... I have no idea what to say. Alex beats up a guy, everyone is scared of her. She goes on a date... The guy tries to protect her from fighting the guy again. She beats the guy. Moral of the story do not mess with Alex. This was entirely too short for me to get into it. There was actually no character development except for that Alex is a little tiny beast of a girl and has martial arts training
March 30, 2015
Ini bisa masuk dalam kategori cerpen karena singkat sekali. Biar singkat inti cerita bisa tersampaikan dengan pas. Alex, gadis berperawakan mungil tapi jago bela diri merasa susah cari cowok yang lebih kuat darinya. Dia naksir Tommy si anak baru yang mungkin belum tahu reputasinya. Mungkinkah Tommy adalah cowok yang selama ini dia cari?
Baca ini rasanya seperti baca cerpen sisipan di majalah remaja. Singkat dan menarik. Enak buat mengisi waktu kosong ketika menunggu sesuatu.
Baca ini rasanya seperti baca cerpen sisipan di majalah remaja. Singkat dan menarik. Enak buat mengisi waktu kosong ketika menunggu sesuatu.
April 14, 2012
Incredibly short and sweet love story about a very unique girl. As a trained fighter guys look at her as anything , but girlfriend material. When the new Guy Tommy steps outside the norm, and treats her like a fragile woman she will find what she never knew was missing. This story is twenty pages of innocent love.
August 18, 2012
This is a very short story that was OK.
This wasn't a bad story or poorly written, but was just "eh". It started off well, but I just felt that the resolution of the story was weak.
Given that I got it for free, it was technically well written, and it's so short I would say it's worth a read.
This wasn't a bad story or poorly written, but was just "eh". It started off well, but I just felt that the resolution of the story was weak.
Given that I got it for free, it was technically well written, and it's so short I would say it's worth a read.
August 5, 2014
I understand that this is meant to be a short story, and I do like the content, but I think that this is a little too short of a story. I liked the style of the story but I think it lacked a few things. The story was ok but not really for me, I prefer longer stories with a little more substance.
January 2, 2016
While there are so few pages in this short story, each page comes with great volume and is very well written. Characters include a sexy guy, a bully, a love-sick girl and her friends. Will true love win out?
August 12, 2012
Cute, quick teen romance...I'll have to get the other two of the series
January 1, 2015
veeerry short and sweet
November 18, 2012
quick read but enjoyable x
December 13, 2012
Really good read.Short and sweet.Too short but its okay:)
January 11, 2013
A sweet little read that made me smile, which I suppose is the best you can hope for from a short story.
January 9, 2013
Short and sweet with real substance
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews