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The Only One #1
The One
How well do you really know the one you love? An erotic novel full of obsessive love, dark secrets, and unquenchable lust, Belle Ami’s The One proves that no one is quite who they seem.
Adelia, a rising star in the equestrian world, is still reeling from her parents’ deaths in a tragic car accident when she meets green energy investment banker Miles Bremen and his charming yet inscrutable twin sister, Karolin. With his insatiable lust, Miles ignites a passion within Adelia she never knew existed, and the two quickly find themselves entwined in a torrid affair that knows no bounds. Little does Adelia know, however, that her meeting of the Bremen twins was no accident. Carefully selected as “the one” for her unsettling resemblance to the emotionally and physically damaged Karolin, Adelia is targeted to marry Miles and bear the children that Karolin cannot have.
The One is a razor edge mystery that enfolds on the playgrounds of the super rich, from Trump Tower to the Hamptons and Palm Beach; to the Amalfi Coast aboard Miles’s mega-yacht Green Way, The One is irresistible as the reader is drawn into Adelia’s journey through a suspenseful – and erotic world. An edge-of-your-seat thriller that will leave readers breathless in more ways than one, The One is an irresistible journey through—new territory that fans of romantic fiction are bound to love.
Adelia, a rising star in the equestrian world, is still reeling from her parents’ deaths in a tragic car accident when she meets green energy investment banker Miles Bremen and his charming yet inscrutable twin sister, Karolin. With his insatiable lust, Miles ignites a passion within Adelia she never knew existed, and the two quickly find themselves entwined in a torrid affair that knows no bounds. Little does Adelia know, however, that her meeting of the Bremen twins was no accident. Carefully selected as “the one” for her unsettling resemblance to the emotionally and physically damaged Karolin, Adelia is targeted to marry Miles and bear the children that Karolin cannot have.
The One is a razor edge mystery that enfolds on the playgrounds of the super rich, from Trump Tower to the Hamptons and Palm Beach; to the Amalfi Coast aboard Miles’s mega-yacht Green Way, The One is irresistible as the reader is drawn into Adelia’s journey through a suspenseful – and erotic world. An edge-of-your-seat thriller that will leave readers breathless in more ways than one, The One is an irresistible journey through—new territory that fans of romantic fiction are bound to love.
242 pages, Paperback
First published February 10, 2014
26 people are currently reading
1282 people want to read
About the author
Belle Ami
46 books402 followers #1 Bestselling Amazon author, Belle Ami, knows that “Dreams do come true.” Belle Ami is an author of time travel romantic thrillers, international thrillers, and historical fiction. Her latest #1 historical fiction novel is The Last Daughter, based on the true story of her mother’s survival of the Holocaust. Whether she writes thrillers set in the art world with a supernatural twist or her new Lost in Time series of time-travel historical romances for Dragonblade Publishing, Belle’s books are all meticulously researched with compelling stories that will usher you through breathtaking twists and turns and introduce you to captivating heroes and heroines. Belle’s books have won many awards, including the RONE, the Raven, Readers’ Favorite Award, National Jewish Book Award, and The Book Excellence Award, to name a few.
Belle Ami Book List:
Mona Lisa's Daughter
Lost in Time Series: London Time, Paris Time, & Tuscan Time
The Last Daughter
The Blue Coat Saga: The Rendezvous in Paris, The Lost Legacy of Time, and The Secret Book of Names
Out of Time Series: The Girl Who Knew Da Vinci, The Girl Who Loved Caravaggio, and The Girl Who Adored Rembrandt
Tip of the Spear Series: Escape, Vengeance, Ransom, and Exposed
The Only One Series: The One, The One & More, and One More Time is Not Enough
When Bells isn’t writing, you can find her in the kitchen whipping up a delectable meal for her family to enjoy. In addition to gourmet cooking, Belle is an accomplished pianist, avid skier, and world traveler. She lives in Southern California with her wonderful Giorgio Armani—her regal Chihuahua.
Belle Ami Book List:
Mona Lisa's Daughter
Lost in Time Series: London Time, Paris Time, & Tuscan Time
The Last Daughter
The Blue Coat Saga: The Rendezvous in Paris, The Lost Legacy of Time, and The Secret Book of Names
Out of Time Series: The Girl Who Knew Da Vinci, The Girl Who Loved Caravaggio, and The Girl Who Adored Rembrandt
Tip of the Spear Series: Escape, Vengeance, Ransom, and Exposed
The Only One Series: The One, The One & More, and One More Time is Not Enough
When Bells isn’t writing, you can find her in the kitchen whipping up a delectable meal for her family to enjoy. In addition to gourmet cooking, Belle is an accomplished pianist, avid skier, and world traveler. She lives in Southern California with her wonderful Giorgio Armani—her regal Chihuahua.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 133 reviews
May 6, 2015
1.5 unfortunate stars!
Unfortunately, this was poorly paced and poorly plotted. The One is a story about Adelia who recently lost her parents in a horrible accident, which might not be an accident after all. Miles is a rich investment banker who wants Adelia. The question is does he want her for himself or for other nefarious or far more sinister reasons.
This book has potential. The blurb is great. Unfortunately, the execution was way off. First of all, the prologue was confusing. How does it fit to the entire story? I kept reading hoping to find out but I never did.
Second, the characters in this book had no redeeming qualities. The author could kill them off in the book and I wouldn't shed a tear. The whole incest angle was teased in the blurb but it wasn't expanded in the book. It was just left there. And Miles is probably one of the worst heroes I've ever come across.
Third, the pacing was just off. The transitions awkward to say the least. It spends so much time on minute details like horse training and very little time on the actual plot development. This ends on a cliffhanger, by the way, but I doubt I'll be reading the next book. I can't afford to waste any more time on poorly developed story. It's a shame really since this book had potential to be great.
ARC provided through NetGalley.
Unfortunately, this was poorly paced and poorly plotted. The One is a story about Adelia who recently lost her parents in a horrible accident, which might not be an accident after all. Miles is a rich investment banker who wants Adelia. The question is does he want her for himself or for other nefarious or far more sinister reasons.
This book has potential. The blurb is great. Unfortunately, the execution was way off. First of all, the prologue was confusing. How does it fit to the entire story? I kept reading hoping to find out but I never did.
Second, the characters in this book had no redeeming qualities. The author could kill them off in the book and I wouldn't shed a tear. The whole incest angle was teased in the blurb but it wasn't expanded in the book. It was just left there. And Miles is probably one of the worst heroes I've ever come across.
Third, the pacing was just off. The transitions awkward to say the least. It spends so much time on minute details like horse training and very little time on the actual plot development. This ends on a cliffhanger, by the way, but I doubt I'll be reading the next book. I can't afford to waste any more time on poorly developed story. It's a shame really since this book had potential to be great.
ARC provided through NetGalley.
May 25, 2015
The One by Belle Ami is a romantic suspense story that grabbed my attention at the very beginning and didn't let go until the last page. It is an erotic novel full of obsessive love, dark secrets, and unquenchable lust.
Searching for the truth behind the death of her parents, equestrian Adelia Lindstrom meets investor Miles Bremen. Miles is convinced that Adelia is the woman for him and he quickly sets out to prove it with a whirlwind courtship. As the passion between the two escalates there are many sexy and erotic scenes.
Are his feelings for Adelia genuine? Was there meeting by chance or was Miles conniving twin sister Karolin behind it?
The One is thrilling as the reader is drawn into Adelia's journey through a suspenseful and erotic world.
I look forward to the second book in this series.
Searching for the truth behind the death of her parents, equestrian Adelia Lindstrom meets investor Miles Bremen. Miles is convinced that Adelia is the woman for him and he quickly sets out to prove it with a whirlwind courtship. As the passion between the two escalates there are many sexy and erotic scenes.
Are his feelings for Adelia genuine? Was there meeting by chance or was Miles conniving twin sister Karolin behind it?
The One is thrilling as the reader is drawn into Adelia's journey through a suspenseful and erotic world.
I look forward to the second book in this series.
October 11, 2014
*ARC generously provided by publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
DNF
I hate giving bad reviews, but I just didn't want to continue reading this book.
I can really only review the beginning of the book so it could have gotten better later on. However, the beginning was very confusing as the writing would switch between scenarios with no connecting information. I'm still not sure if the characters in chapter one come back into the story or not but it seemed very random...
It was also done in third person which I'm not usually keen on for using with romance novels.
I did like the idea behind the novel but the execution needed work.
DNF
I hate giving bad reviews, but I just didn't want to continue reading this book.
I can really only review the beginning of the book so it could have gotten better later on. However, the beginning was very confusing as the writing would switch between scenarios with no connecting information. I'm still not sure if the characters in chapter one come back into the story or not but it seemed very random...
It was also done in third person which I'm not usually keen on for using with romance novels.
I did like the idea behind the novel but the execution needed work.
December 30, 2014
*NetGalley book review*
The One... more like the The WRONG One. I got 45% into it and had enough. Not for me.
The One... more like the The WRONG One. I got 45% into it and had enough. Not for me.
January 1, 2015
Oh where do I start on my thoughts on The One (The Only One #1) by Belle Ami, the book is being classified as a romantic suspense; I found it neither suspenseful nor romantic. I have almost two pages of notes I took while reading this book, I’ll just share a few of them in no order of importance.
• The biggest one is what does Chapter one have to do with the rest of the book? Was it meant to show Miles as a kind and caring guy? Or maybe it was to show that Miles likes rough sex and liked to voice his sexual thoughts as well?
• What is the plot of the book? The main mystery seems to be the circumstances surrounding the death of Adilea’s parents... was it truly a car accident or was it murder?
• The author goes into much detail on the equestrian events in the book.
• I found the book to be choppy, fluid and smooth in some parts and then disjointed in other parts. The transitions between sections didn't always make sense either.
• Not sure what the actual time span of this book is – best guess is approximately 3 years give or take a few months ( 9 months for baibies, maybe 3 months for Miles & Adilea’s meet & whirlwind romance, babies 1st birthday, reference to no sex for at least a year after the divorce)
• I found the author was almost clinical in some of the sex scenes and then in other scenes took on the hip and flowery author speak for body parts.
• There was at least one if not more than one sex scene where Adilea said no, or stop to Miles…His reply was you will not deny me what’s mine, and magically the sex scene would be justified by Adilea in her mind as being ok and hot
• There is little character development
• I found very little reason to like the characters. Miles is pushy, dominate, spoiled, uncaring, and unfeeling. Adilea is naïve, too trusting, and goes with the flow, she has no backbone until maybe the last 2% of the book. Karolin is two faced, spoiled, and is not above hurting people to get her way. David is nice, religious, hard working, supportive, and in love.
• There is no chemistry between Miles and Adilea, I never felt the love or romance between them, it is referenced by both Miles and Adelia. Miles only tells Adelia he loves her once in the entire book, and that because she asks him to say it. Even when they get married he never expresses his love for her.
• Adilea become pregnant while on birth control pills, I found this to be questionable – thought that it could have been part of the plot to get her pregnant, that maybe the pills had been tamper with, but Miles says it happened because they just hump like rabbits – so any link to the plan Miles & Karolin have was a lost opportunity, this could have added to the intrigue of the story.
• The sex is not romantic – it lust fueled, male dominated for the most part, rough, and shows little consideration for Adilea. At least one romantic sex scene might have helped to increase the connection, and chemistry between our H/h.
• I think that many people equate the lavish gifts, the trendy get aways, the big homes, and sex as a display of love.
• We learn some of the back story for Miles & Karolin as children, but nothing helps to explain the strange relationship they have, especially from Karolin’s point of view.
• Solarian, a business that Miles has help fund, and that Adilea’s father was going to speak out about has a big part in the “overall” death of the parents, but it’s not integrated into the stoyline well. It doesn’t add to the mystery or the intrigue.
• David, the officer who has helped Adilea throughout the book becomes the third leg of the romance, and here I felt a much better connection and chemistry, even though they have had less page time together
• We have drama, corporate espionage, blackmail (which includes ecstasy& LSD to facilitate a rape), a sister with a plan (what the actual goal of the plan is who knows?), lots of equestrian activity, marital issues, and a potential lover on the sidelines.
I think that if all of this was put together in a better fashion, one could create a truly romantic suspense novel. The main idea being add some suspense, and make the romance between the H/h believable and emotional. I really think there’s just too much going on and it’s not tied together well. I almost feel like the author was trying to keep the reader awake with all the jumping around, non linear timelines, tidbits of intrigue, and erotically written sex scenes.
I received this copy of the book from NetGalley as a free read. Its Published by CreateSpace, and was brought to market between Feb 14-21, 2014
All in all a 2 star read for me
• The biggest one is what does Chapter one have to do with the rest of the book? Was it meant to show Miles as a kind and caring guy? Or maybe it was to show that Miles likes rough sex and liked to voice his sexual thoughts as well?
• What is the plot of the book? The main mystery seems to be the circumstances surrounding the death of Adilea’s parents... was it truly a car accident or was it murder?
• The author goes into much detail on the equestrian events in the book.
• I found the book to be choppy, fluid and smooth in some parts and then disjointed in other parts. The transitions between sections didn't always make sense either.
• Not sure what the actual time span of this book is – best guess is approximately 3 years give or take a few months ( 9 months for baibies, maybe 3 months for Miles & Adilea’s meet & whirlwind romance, babies 1st birthday, reference to no sex for at least a year after the divorce)
• I found the author was almost clinical in some of the sex scenes and then in other scenes took on the hip and flowery author speak for body parts.
• There was at least one if not more than one sex scene where Adilea said no, or stop to Miles…His reply was you will not deny me what’s mine, and magically the sex scene would be justified by Adilea in her mind as being ok and hot
• There is little character development
• I found very little reason to like the characters. Miles is pushy, dominate, spoiled, uncaring, and unfeeling. Adilea is naïve, too trusting, and goes with the flow, she has no backbone until maybe the last 2% of the book. Karolin is two faced, spoiled, and is not above hurting people to get her way. David is nice, religious, hard working, supportive, and in love.
• There is no chemistry between Miles and Adilea, I never felt the love or romance between them, it is referenced by both Miles and Adelia. Miles only tells Adelia he loves her once in the entire book, and that because she asks him to say it. Even when they get married he never expresses his love for her.
• Adilea become pregnant while on birth control pills, I found this to be questionable – thought that it could have been part of the plot to get her pregnant, that maybe the pills had been tamper with, but Miles says it happened because they just hump like rabbits – so any link to the plan Miles & Karolin have was a lost opportunity, this could have added to the intrigue of the story.
• The sex is not romantic – it lust fueled, male dominated for the most part, rough, and shows little consideration for Adilea. At least one romantic sex scene might have helped to increase the connection, and chemistry between our H/h.
• I think that many people equate the lavish gifts, the trendy get aways, the big homes, and sex as a display of love.
• We learn some of the back story for Miles & Karolin as children, but nothing helps to explain the strange relationship they have, especially from Karolin’s point of view.
• Solarian, a business that Miles has help fund, and that Adilea’s father was going to speak out about has a big part in the “overall” death of the parents, but it’s not integrated into the stoyline well. It doesn’t add to the mystery or the intrigue.
• David, the officer who has helped Adilea throughout the book becomes the third leg of the romance, and here I felt a much better connection and chemistry, even though they have had less page time together
• We have drama, corporate espionage, blackmail (which includes ecstasy& LSD to facilitate a rape), a sister with a plan (what the actual goal of the plan is who knows?), lots of equestrian activity, marital issues, and a potential lover on the sidelines.
I think that if all of this was put together in a better fashion, one could create a truly romantic suspense novel. The main idea being add some suspense, and make the romance between the H/h believable and emotional. I really think there’s just too much going on and it’s not tied together well. I almost feel like the author was trying to keep the reader awake with all the jumping around, non linear timelines, tidbits of intrigue, and erotically written sex scenes.
I received this copy of the book from NetGalley as a free read. Its Published by CreateSpace, and was brought to market between Feb 14-21, 2014
All in all a 2 star read for me
November 11, 2014
Distinct...the makings of a bestseller!
If you're like me, who's read almost all the reviews before starting to read this book, you might end up undecided if you should or should just pass it up. I almost did, and a travesty it would be if I passed it up for this is one of the best books I've read.
As uncertain as I was in the beginning , I persevered and made it to the finish line, and what a finish it was. Though I did some skimming, mostly on things that were written at length I thought was unnecessary. Such Adelia's parents courtship, equestrian-equine husbandry, steeplechasing, etc. It was so drawn out it got a little too tedious to read. To me, they're simply fillers and in my opinion, a waste of the writer's time and effort. I admit it is a well balanced combination of a lot of things I like in a book and has all the elements of what makes a story shine, distinct.
Devastated by the loss of her beloved parents, Adelia tried to put her life back together by pursuing her dream to become a number one equestrian and compete in the Olympics. At a party given for the winners, Adelia met the conniving, scheming, devious, cunning woman that ever existed on planet earth, Karolin, who then introduced Adelia to her twin brother, Miles. It didn't take long before this two dated seriously, sex hot and heavy, oodles of steamy sultry sex scenes, married and got pregnant.
I really like that there's a fusion of scheming, black mailing, bitterness, dark secrets that can ultimately destroy the love and fragile bond of Miles and Adelia, trust the deceitful and cunning Karolin to make sure of that. How I love calling her all kinds of names, trust me it's befitting. But thanks to women like Karolin, the devil incarnate, it makes up for an entertaining interesting read.
I'm looking forward to reading the next book, sans the unnecessary fillers, I really think this has a great potential to become a bestseller, I even see it as a blockbuster movie film. It would have been a big loss on my part had I decided to skip this entirely. Ms. Belle Ami is a force to be rockened with, just can't wait to get my greedy hands on the 2nd book. Congratulations Ms.Ami, well done!!! ❤
If you're like me, who's read almost all the reviews before starting to read this book, you might end up undecided if you should or should just pass it up. I almost did, and a travesty it would be if I passed it up for this is one of the best books I've read.
As uncertain as I was in the beginning , I persevered and made it to the finish line, and what a finish it was. Though I did some skimming, mostly on things that were written at length I thought was unnecessary. Such Adelia's parents courtship, equestrian-equine husbandry, steeplechasing, etc. It was so drawn out it got a little too tedious to read. To me, they're simply fillers and in my opinion, a waste of the writer's time and effort. I admit it is a well balanced combination of a lot of things I like in a book and has all the elements of what makes a story shine, distinct.
Devastated by the loss of her beloved parents, Adelia tried to put her life back together by pursuing her dream to become a number one equestrian and compete in the Olympics. At a party given for the winners, Adelia met the conniving, scheming, devious, cunning woman that ever existed on planet earth, Karolin, who then introduced Adelia to her twin brother, Miles. It didn't take long before this two dated seriously, sex hot and heavy, oodles of steamy sultry sex scenes, married and got pregnant.
I really like that there's a fusion of scheming, black mailing, bitterness, dark secrets that can ultimately destroy the love and fragile bond of Miles and Adelia, trust the deceitful and cunning Karolin to make sure of that. How I love calling her all kinds of names, trust me it's befitting. But thanks to women like Karolin, the devil incarnate, it makes up for an entertaining interesting read.
I'm looking forward to reading the next book, sans the unnecessary fillers, I really think this has a great potential to become a bestseller, I even see it as a blockbuster movie film. It would have been a big loss on my part had I decided to skip this entirely. Ms. Belle Ami is a force to be rockened with, just can't wait to get my greedy hands on the 2nd book. Congratulations Ms.Ami, well done!!! ❤
March 4, 2015
**Copy provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**
Adelia Lindstrom, an equestrian champion, falls intensely in love with millionaire Miles Bremen in the aftermath of her parents’ sudden death. As their affair escalates, Adelia becomes more and more skeptical of Miles and his twin sister, Karolin – who are they, truly? What do they want with her? Was her parents’ death an accident after all?
Unfortunately, The One is nowhere near as exciting as the blurb makes it out to be, which in fact lays out the entirety of the book. (Yes, all of it.) Though, there are a few things I enjoyed about this novel, like the twisted atmosphere around the story. I loved that characters had shady, ulterior motives and enjoyed manipulating each other. I liked the few glimpses of wonderful prose scattered throughout the novel.
However the omniscient third person narrative and constant POV shifts utterly killed any suspense that may have existed. Since readers saw all the groundwork for the twins’ creepy plans, Adelia comes off as a fool for not noticing the signs. To add to the fact, she consciously ignores her doubts so she can remain completely ensconced in her honeymoon daydreams. Adelia is a hard woman to root for. Like every character in this book, she has the build of a runway model and the money to look the part, but she is so shallow and gullible it’s embarrassing. At least the villains of the story have more dimensions to dislike.
Miles and Karolin have a flawed and dysfunctional relationship, with a mutual dependency verging on incest. I wish author explored this dynamic and its psychological implications - they are the most abhorrent and intriguing characters in the story and yet even they come off as stale.
Stale. That is the best word to describe reading this book. It is how I felt after the nth irrelevant info-dump, after being told a joke was funny, after Adelia recapped a scene in detail to her confidante that I had literally just read. It describes the tacky name-dropping, the faux-BDSM sex, and the clearly contrived melodrama.
Someone take an axe to the word count, please, and ensure there are more lines like these...
And less like this:
In additional to all the above, there were grammatical/format errors that I hope are addressed in the purchasable edition. With its few fun scenes and an original wicked idea, The One started off as kernel of promise and ended as a lackluster mishmash of pedestrian plots.
In short, not recommended.
Adelia Lindstrom, an equestrian champion, falls intensely in love with millionaire Miles Bremen in the aftermath of her parents’ sudden death. As their affair escalates, Adelia becomes more and more skeptical of Miles and his twin sister, Karolin – who are they, truly? What do they want with her? Was her parents’ death an accident after all?
Unfortunately, The One is nowhere near as exciting as the blurb makes it out to be, which in fact lays out the entirety of the book. (Yes, all of it.) Though, there are a few things I enjoyed about this novel, like the twisted atmosphere around the story. I loved that characters had shady, ulterior motives and enjoyed manipulating each other. I liked the few glimpses of wonderful prose scattered throughout the novel.
However the omniscient third person narrative and constant POV shifts utterly killed any suspense that may have existed. Since readers saw all the groundwork for the twins’ creepy plans, Adelia comes off as a fool for not noticing the signs. To add to the fact, she consciously ignores her doubts so she can remain completely ensconced in her honeymoon daydreams. Adelia is a hard woman to root for. Like every character in this book, she has the build of a runway model and the money to look the part, but she is so shallow and gullible it’s embarrassing. At least the villains of the story have more dimensions to dislike.
Miles and Karolin have a flawed and dysfunctional relationship, with a mutual dependency verging on incest. I wish author explored this dynamic and its psychological implications - they are the most abhorrent and intriguing characters in the story and yet even they come off as stale.
Stale. That is the best word to describe reading this book. It is how I felt after the nth irrelevant info-dump, after being told a joke was funny, after Adelia recapped a scene in detail to her confidante that I had literally just read. It describes the tacky name-dropping, the faux-BDSM sex, and the clearly contrived melodrama.
Someone take an axe to the word count, please, and ensure there are more lines like these...
“He watched her features transpose in ecstasy.”
“…piercing, intelligent hazel eyes that hid more than they revealed.”
And less like this:
“Wow, you look incredible. If I didn’t know any better, I would think you were trying to seduce me, which, come to think of it, sounds very provocative and enticing.”
“Oh, yeah, baby, I can taste your love juices.”
In additional to all the above, there were grammatical/format errors that I hope are addressed in the purchasable edition. With its few fun scenes and an original wicked idea, The One started off as kernel of promise and ended as a lackluster mishmash of pedestrian plots.
In short, not recommended.
March 10, 2014
ARC generously provided by publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book was completely out of my everyday read. A little out of my comfort zone but, I ended up liking it very much.
This book tells the story of Adelie and Miles, and David... Let me explain. The book is about how Miles falls in love with Adelie, but their meeting and later marriage are based on a plan; Miles has a sister, a very fucked up sister, Karoline and she envisioned Adelie as The One due to her resemblance, she wants her to have children with Miles, children she cannot have; in her twisted mind, she want's her brother all to herself, but she never planned for Miles falling in love with Adelie. Miles is not a good guy, by far, he is calculating, harsh, unabashed, shameless; he is also dark, mysterious and kind of twistedly sexy. I would like to know how everything will unravel on the next book, to see if he will be redeemed, or if Adelie will find her HEA with David... the detective...
In order for you to understand the story, you need to read it. This an 100% erotic, suspense story. The writing is deep, sometimes choppy with all the character jumps between pages, and it is matter of fact dirty; bedroom talk, sex talk is strong and maybe not everyone will stomach the way things are said/handled. The characters are complex and the bad, devious machinations of Karoline will make you hate her guts....
The story is not finished, we don't have an HEA yet and it ends in a mild cliffhanger. Things are still complicated and we don't know were poor Adelie will end up!!!
Interesting read, I can see myself diving into another Belle Ami book.
This book was completely out of my everyday read. A little out of my comfort zone but, I ended up liking it very much.
This book tells the story of Adelie and Miles, and David... Let me explain. The book is about how Miles falls in love with Adelie, but their meeting and later marriage are based on a plan; Miles has a sister, a very fucked up sister, Karoline and she envisioned Adelie as The One due to her resemblance, she wants her to have children with Miles, children she cannot have; in her twisted mind, she want's her brother all to herself, but she never planned for Miles falling in love with Adelie. Miles is not a good guy, by far, he is calculating, harsh, unabashed, shameless; he is also dark, mysterious and kind of twistedly sexy. I would like to know how everything will unravel on the next book, to see if he will be redeemed, or if Adelie will find her HEA with David... the detective...
In order for you to understand the story, you need to read it. This an 100% erotic, suspense story. The writing is deep, sometimes choppy with all the character jumps between pages, and it is matter of fact dirty; bedroom talk, sex talk is strong and maybe not everyone will stomach the way things are said/handled. The characters are complex and the bad, devious machinations of Karoline will make you hate her guts....
The story is not finished, we don't have an HEA yet and it ends in a mild cliffhanger. Things are still complicated and we don't know were poor Adelie will end up!!!
Interesting read, I can see myself diving into another Belle Ami book.
dnf
November 17, 2014Oh dear, what did I just read?!?
DNF @16%
I think I got a really bad copy. @4% in, I think I was missing a page. Either that or the paragraph breaks are so off that 2 completely separate scenes merged into one. I don't even know if they were 2 different time frames. I swore I read it 4x to see what just happened. Or were they meant to be chapter breaks? I'm totally confused!!
But I kept reading. Then I started feeling like I was reading a feature article in some science magazine. By the time the H&h met, I'm skimming. Not a good sign:( And with the stilted dialogues as cherry on top? Really sorry, but that's it, I'm done...
Ayah!!!
*Complimentary copy received via Netgalley*
DNF @16%
I think I got a really bad copy. @4% in, I think I was missing a page. Either that or the paragraph breaks are so off that 2 completely separate scenes merged into one. I don't even know if they were 2 different time frames. I swore I read it 4x to see what just happened. Or were they meant to be chapter breaks? I'm totally confused!!
But I kept reading. Then I started feeling like I was reading a feature article in some science magazine. By the time the H&h met, I'm skimming. Not a good sign:( And with the stilted dialogues as cherry on top? Really sorry, but that's it, I'm done...
Ayah!!!
*Complimentary copy received via Netgalley*
November 13, 2014
Yay, my first honest book review for a book I got of NetGalley (nifty little site). This book is what I would call a “hot mess”. I haven’t given such a low rating to a book before but I have to be honest here, never before have I had such a problem getting through a book. And this book wasn’t even that long. It just dragged, because the plot moved at a very slow pace and did not leave me on the edge of my seat.
And did the synopsis say this book is a thriller? I’m wondering what they based that assumption on. In my opinion, this book has no characteristics of a thriller. For one, there was nothing very huge or surprising that happened anywhere in this book. I think the most surprising thing that happened was Adelia snooping in Miles’ office but even when he caught her, nothing really happened whatsoever. Perhaps if the writing was more in the moment, we would have felt in the midst of everything but the writing was distant and confusing at times. And what was the first chapter for? I don’t understand the significance of it because it seemed completely useless to the whole book.
The writing surely didn’t flow at all and for this reason I was fully aware exactly what page of the book I was on and how much of it was still left. And Adelia, don’t even get me started with her. Never has a main character annoyed me more. Who in their right mind would marry someone in about a week? I get the whole in love thing, I really do and I have personal experience with that but come on. Really? I rolled my eyes like 50 times during the whole book.
And apart from Adelia, Miles was just as annoying if not more. Was it just me or did the characters seem extremely two-dimensional? I mean, there weren’t any quirks about either of them and they just seemed so flat and not memorable in any way.
I think this is the first book that I’ve ever read that I had such a big problem getting through. I’ve just been having so much luck with all my books previously and this was a huge letdown, especially because the cover of the book was pretty and I really wanted to like this book.
And then we move on to the plot, which in my opinion left a lot to be desired. I mean, most of the book is Adelia and Miles having smutty sex. And don’t get me wrong, I love smut but in this book it just seemed pointless and very redundant. Plus, the variety of words used during the smut was very limited and didn’t take my breath away in any way. I think the point where I started liking the book more than previously was when Miles forced Adelia to leave his farm and to go back to her own place. At least at this point things got a little more interesting than they were before and not so “happy, happy” and fairytale like. I wish Ami would have wrote that event sooner into the book because it would have saved the book for me by far.
With that being said, this book is probably the worst that I have read this year and many years previously as well. The plot could have used some work, the writing didn’t flow smoothly and I just wasn’t feeling it at all. Safe to say, I will not be picking up the next book in this series nor will I recommend this book to anyone. I hope my next book will be much more satisfying and more quality as well.
And did the synopsis say this book is a thriller? I’m wondering what they based that assumption on. In my opinion, this book has no characteristics of a thriller. For one, there was nothing very huge or surprising that happened anywhere in this book. I think the most surprising thing that happened was Adelia snooping in Miles’ office but even when he caught her, nothing really happened whatsoever. Perhaps if the writing was more in the moment, we would have felt in the midst of everything but the writing was distant and confusing at times. And what was the first chapter for? I don’t understand the significance of it because it seemed completely useless to the whole book.
The writing surely didn’t flow at all and for this reason I was fully aware exactly what page of the book I was on and how much of it was still left. And Adelia, don’t even get me started with her. Never has a main character annoyed me more. Who in their right mind would marry someone in about a week? I get the whole in love thing, I really do and I have personal experience with that but come on. Really? I rolled my eyes like 50 times during the whole book.
And apart from Adelia, Miles was just as annoying if not more. Was it just me or did the characters seem extremely two-dimensional? I mean, there weren’t any quirks about either of them and they just seemed so flat and not memorable in any way.
I think this is the first book that I’ve ever read that I had such a big problem getting through. I’ve just been having so much luck with all my books previously and this was a huge letdown, especially because the cover of the book was pretty and I really wanted to like this book.
And then we move on to the plot, which in my opinion left a lot to be desired. I mean, most of the book is Adelia and Miles having smutty sex. And don’t get me wrong, I love smut but in this book it just seemed pointless and very redundant. Plus, the variety of words used during the smut was very limited and didn’t take my breath away in any way. I think the point where I started liking the book more than previously was when Miles forced Adelia to leave his farm and to go back to her own place. At least at this point things got a little more interesting than they were before and not so “happy, happy” and fairytale like. I wish Ami would have wrote that event sooner into the book because it would have saved the book for me by far.
With that being said, this book is probably the worst that I have read this year and many years previously as well. The plot could have used some work, the writing didn’t flow smoothly and I just wasn’t feeling it at all. Safe to say, I will not be picking up the next book in this series nor will I recommend this book to anyone. I hope my next book will be much more satisfying and more quality as well.
October 23, 2014
ARC Provided by NetGalley
3 Jerry Springer Would be Proud Stars
I'll admit I was immediately intrigued by the blurb for this book. A few of the reviews were not too promising but I love a good dramatic read so I figured why not..
Well, to say I was impressed would be a bit of an exaggeration. The first 25% of the book consists of too much being shoved in the reader's face. Nothing is shown but just told in a boring and "WTF" way.
After this point the story picked up in speed and the train-wreck started. Almost all these characters are ridiculous and over the top with their inner demons. So many secrets and lies that I was filled with tons of residual anger with nowhere to lash out. Sadly the blurb gives away some information I think should have been delivered in a way the readers could sleuth it out for themselves, nonetheless this story is jam packed with evil characters.
Understandably this was an ARC so I can't argue that this is the final copy, but my version was so torn up it was hard to follow along with chunks of paragraphs missing, not to mention the hard to follow scene jumps (by paragraph) from character to character. This was very distracting and could have easily been altered by addition of a few ellipses. (After reading the second one, I noticed though ellipses are added, there are still paragraphs that jump and it's not an enjoyable editing style.)
As for the storyline, I think it needs to be worked on. There is so much information thrown at us and most of it is irrelevant. It is clear the author is a fan of horses or at least well versed in the process of riding and competing. However, though this was a big part of Adelia's life, I don't think all the additional and often over killed information was necessary. Aside from the sex scenes, the horse riding was another I often skimmed.
Overall I enjoyed the premise of the story. It has a very promising plot that is both riveting and interesting, however I think the execution needs a lot of work. As much as Adelia is painted the saintly one, she was not too likable at least from my eyes. Her naivete and denseness should have made her a blonde. This was a story of insta-love interspersed with enough drama the US government should be wary. I warn you that the story is hard to get into and will surely not be for all. It was a struggle to finish but I really wanted to see how and if things panned out. Not to mention I wanted to see Miles and Karoline pay there dues. Sad thing is, even after the second book, the story is not done, but I am.
3 Jerry Springer Would be Proud Stars
I'll admit I was immediately intrigued by the blurb for this book. A few of the reviews were not too promising but I love a good dramatic read so I figured why not..
Well, to say I was impressed would be a bit of an exaggeration. The first 25% of the book consists of too much being shoved in the reader's face. Nothing is shown but just told in a boring and "WTF" way.
After this point the story picked up in speed and the train-wreck started. Almost all these characters are ridiculous and over the top with their inner demons. So many secrets and lies that I was filled with tons of residual anger with nowhere to lash out. Sadly the blurb gives away some information I think should have been delivered in a way the readers could sleuth it out for themselves, nonetheless this story is jam packed with evil characters.
Understandably this was an ARC so I can't argue that this is the final copy, but my version was so torn up it was hard to follow along with chunks of paragraphs missing, not to mention the hard to follow scene jumps (by paragraph) from character to character. This was very distracting and could have easily been altered by addition of a few ellipses. (After reading the second one, I noticed though ellipses are added, there are still paragraphs that jump and it's not an enjoyable editing style.)
As for the storyline, I think it needs to be worked on. There is so much information thrown at us and most of it is irrelevant. It is clear the author is a fan of horses or at least well versed in the process of riding and competing. However, though this was a big part of Adelia's life, I don't think all the additional and often over killed information was necessary. Aside from the sex scenes, the horse riding was another I often skimmed.
Overall I enjoyed the premise of the story. It has a very promising plot that is both riveting and interesting, however I think the execution needs a lot of work. As much as Adelia is painted the saintly one, she was not too likable at least from my eyes. Her naivete and denseness should have made her a blonde. This was a story of insta-love interspersed with enough drama the US government should be wary. I warn you that the story is hard to get into and will surely not be for all. It was a struggle to finish but I really wanted to see how and if things panned out. Not to mention I wanted to see Miles and Karoline pay there dues. Sad thing is, even after the second book, the story is not done, but I am.
October 12, 2014
"The One," by Belle Ami was very disappointing and full of unromantic menace. It starts out really erotic but changes course. The main characters supposedly have chemistry but the writing never supports that. The relationships and situations throughout feel forced and contrived. The story is to be continued in another book and this one ends abruptly without tying up loose ends.
February 7, 2016
Miles was one sexy man. Anyone who had a libido would have fallen for him. My heart went out to Adelia, there is nothing more horrific than the loss of the parents. I did a dumb thing and read book two before this one, so I already know the answers to all the dark secrets. But I have to say I really dig this authors writing style and cannot wait to read more from her.
September 28, 2018
The One by Belle Ami was actually my first foray into erotica. Ami does character well and has just the right amount of description to keep things steamy but not get in the way. I usually prefer more left to the imagination than erotica allows, but Ami was able to weave in a deeper (probably shouldn’t use that word when talking erotica) plot that kept me interested.
March 23, 2016
***I received the ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review***
Based on the blurb, which lays out the entire plot, this book had potential to be a good read, but it fell short of it’s mark. The writing was choppy and many times I felt as if I was missing paragraphs or pages because of it jumped around. In many ways I felt like I was given an outline of the story, not a manuscript about to be published. And while I am forgiving of minor inconsistencies, there was one major one in the beginning of the book that I couldn’t excuse and felt should have been caught and corrected.
I had a difficult time getting into the story and kept having to force myself to continue reading it. I felt no connection in any way to Adelia, Miles or Karolin, None of them elicited an emotional response from me. Their interactions were, like much of the writing was, choppy. Adelia had no personality of her own to make me care about her. She did whatever Miles wanted, even if her gut told her something wasn’t right, because he paid attention to her and gave her orgasms. Miles, while dominate in a very pushy, manipulative way, I didn’t find all that charming or sexy. And Karolin, despite being the evil mastermind behind Miles going after Adelia and the fallout that ensues, was just kind of bland. Towards the end, things did pick up a bit with the characters, but by then I couldn’t care either way.
This book is supposed to be an erotic thriller filled with mystery and suspense and there was very little of it. There is a whisper of it in the beginning, but it isn’t until almost the end that that part starts to get going.
This book had potential, but it never came to fruition.
Based on the blurb, which lays out the entire plot, this book had potential to be a good read, but it fell short of it’s mark. The writing was choppy and many times I felt as if I was missing paragraphs or pages because of it jumped around. In many ways I felt like I was given an outline of the story, not a manuscript about to be published. And while I am forgiving of minor inconsistencies, there was one major one in the beginning of the book that I couldn’t excuse and felt should have been caught and corrected.
I had a difficult time getting into the story and kept having to force myself to continue reading it. I felt no connection in any way to Adelia, Miles or Karolin, None of them elicited an emotional response from me. Their interactions were, like much of the writing was, choppy. Adelia had no personality of her own to make me care about her. She did whatever Miles wanted, even if her gut told her something wasn’t right, because he paid attention to her and gave her orgasms. Miles, while dominate in a very pushy, manipulative way, I didn’t find all that charming or sexy. And Karolin, despite being the evil mastermind behind Miles going after Adelia and the fallout that ensues, was just kind of bland. Towards the end, things did pick up a bit with the characters, but by then I couldn’t care either way.
This book is supposed to be an erotic thriller filled with mystery and suspense and there was very little of it. There is a whisper of it in the beginning, but it isn’t until almost the end that that part starts to get going.
This book had potential, but it never came to fruition.
March 7, 2014
ARC generously provided by publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Adelia has lead a rather sheltered life surrounded by her two loving parents, her life has always surrounded horses. Her world is rocked when her parents are killed in a car accident. What is even more disturbing is that it may not have been an accident.
After her parents death Adelia is determined to make them proud and continue her equestrian goals and continue on with her competitions. After winning a competition the last thing Adelia expects is to meet the man that will become her world. Adelia is introduced to Miles by his sister Karolin. From that point on it is a world wind romance for Adelia and Miles. What Adelia doesn't know is that it is all part of a plan set by Miles and his sister.
I would have to say to read the blurb on the back of the book to fill in a few more details but this book is full of twist and turns. There is mystery and suspense, along with lots of romance. There is also a disturbing brother sister relationship.
Adelia is a bit nieve but she loves Miles and falls for him hook, line, and sinker. She excuses some behavior that is not acceptable but she is still determined to be with him. Miles is a control freak who is not a good guy, but despite his best intentions can't help but to fall in love with his wife. Karolin is messed up. She is just evil and it is obvious that her feelings for Miles are not brotherly.
This story had everything, Adelia learns to be a strong character and even though Miles is a bad guy he does tug at some heart strings I cannot wait to read the next book in this series, I just hope Karolin gets what she deserves after the stunts she pulls, which are unforgivable.
My only issue with this story was that at times the writing seemed a little choppy, jumping from character to character and jumping from time and place to another. But outside of that I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more in the series.
Adelia has lead a rather sheltered life surrounded by her two loving parents, her life has always surrounded horses. Her world is rocked when her parents are killed in a car accident. What is even more disturbing is that it may not have been an accident.
After her parents death Adelia is determined to make them proud and continue her equestrian goals and continue on with her competitions. After winning a competition the last thing Adelia expects is to meet the man that will become her world. Adelia is introduced to Miles by his sister Karolin. From that point on it is a world wind romance for Adelia and Miles. What Adelia doesn't know is that it is all part of a plan set by Miles and his sister.
I would have to say to read the blurb on the back of the book to fill in a few more details but this book is full of twist and turns. There is mystery and suspense, along with lots of romance. There is also a disturbing brother sister relationship.
Adelia is a bit nieve but she loves Miles and falls for him hook, line, and sinker. She excuses some behavior that is not acceptable but she is still determined to be with him. Miles is a control freak who is not a good guy, but despite his best intentions can't help but to fall in love with his wife. Karolin is messed up. She is just evil and it is obvious that her feelings for Miles are not brotherly.
This story had everything, Adelia learns to be a strong character and even though Miles is a bad guy he does tug at some heart strings I cannot wait to read the next book in this series, I just hope Karolin gets what she deserves after the stunts she pulls, which are unforgivable.
My only issue with this story was that at times the writing seemed a little choppy, jumping from character to character and jumping from time and place to another. But outside of that I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more in the series.
March 30, 2014
Leigh‘s review posted on Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
4 STARS
Review copy provided for an honest review
The One is truly an erotic thriller. Searching for the truth behind the death of her parents, equestrian Adelia Lindstrom is thrown in to the path of investor Miles Bremen. As soon as Miles meets Adelia, he is convinced that she is the one woman for him, and as a man who is used to getting what he sets his mind to, he seeks to prove to Adelia that she was meant to be his. With a whirlwind courtship taking place from the valleys of California, to the horse farms of rural Pennsylvania, to the panoramic coast of Italy, their romance is intense and…odd. Why is his sister on their honeymoon with them???
I have to say that I’m not entirely sure that I liked Miles. From the beginning, his actions seemed suspect to me, and the attraction between him and Adelia did not appear to be genuine; it seemed rushed and forced. As the story progressed, I did grow to appreciate both Miles and Adelia and their feelings for one another, but I’m a sucker for an HEA, so I suppose I wanted them to immediately be giving off vibes that each other was indeed “the one”.
My feelings for the main characters aside, The One was truly a page-turner. The story was well written and suspenseful. The scenes between Miles and Adelia were sexy and erotic, and as their relationship grew, you could feel the passion between the two of them escalating.
The only complaint I have about the story itself is that I thought this would be a complete novel rather than just “part one”. However, it was substantial enough of a read in length that I didn’t feel as if I just bought one chapter of a larger book. Instead, it was merely the first act and now I have reached intermission. I enjoyed this book immensely and I am actively waiting for the next installment to be released so I can find out the truth behind the murder of Adelia’s parents, and what the future holds for Miles and Adelia.
4 STARS
Review copy provided for an honest review
The One is truly an erotic thriller. Searching for the truth behind the death of her parents, equestrian Adelia Lindstrom is thrown in to the path of investor Miles Bremen. As soon as Miles meets Adelia, he is convinced that she is the one woman for him, and as a man who is used to getting what he sets his mind to, he seeks to prove to Adelia that she was meant to be his. With a whirlwind courtship taking place from the valleys of California, to the horse farms of rural Pennsylvania, to the panoramic coast of Italy, their romance is intense and…odd. Why is his sister on their honeymoon with them???
I have to say that I’m not entirely sure that I liked Miles. From the beginning, his actions seemed suspect to me, and the attraction between him and Adelia did not appear to be genuine; it seemed rushed and forced. As the story progressed, I did grow to appreciate both Miles and Adelia and their feelings for one another, but I’m a sucker for an HEA, so I suppose I wanted them to immediately be giving off vibes that each other was indeed “the one”.
My feelings for the main characters aside, The One was truly a page-turner. The story was well written and suspenseful. The scenes between Miles and Adelia were sexy and erotic, and as their relationship grew, you could feel the passion between the two of them escalating.
The only complaint I have about the story itself is that I thought this would be a complete novel rather than just “part one”. However, it was substantial enough of a read in length that I didn’t feel as if I just bought one chapter of a larger book. Instead, it was merely the first act and now I have reached intermission. I enjoyed this book immensely and I am actively waiting for the next installment to be released so I can find out the truth behind the murder of Adelia’s parents, and what the future holds for Miles and Adelia.
October 20, 2014
OMG, this book was amazing! The drama, the suspense, the betrayal. Holly hell I just wanted to grab Karolin and punch her in the face! Ha-ha
The story starts out as twins Karolin and Miles Bremen agree to a cruel and unbelievable plan. Karolin cannot conceive children so she wants her brother to marry, impregnate the wife and have a baby, then divorce said wife, get full custody and raise the baby with her. Miles being the loving big brother can deny his sister nothing so he agrees. Karolin finds the perfect woman, Adelia Lindstrom because she strongly resembles both twins.
With this devious plan in play, Karolin meets Adelia and invites her a party. Adelia is grieving from the loss of her parents who both died in a car accident but she goes to the party anyway just to be polite and she meets Miles and quickly falls hard for him. Things quickly progress and they get married. On their honeymoon Adelia finds out she is pregnant.
But the story is quickly changing, Miles is also falling in love with Adelia. He is getting everything he ever wanted. A real family, the woman he loves, and children. But Karolin is not having it.
My, my, my…how the story is spinning!!
OMG I cannot wait to get my hands on book 2!!
I’m telling you it’s like watching a soap opera in full swing. It was so damn good!! I know it started out wrong but I’m so cheering for Adelia and Miles!!!
The story starts out as twins Karolin and Miles Bremen agree to a cruel and unbelievable plan. Karolin cannot conceive children so she wants her brother to marry, impregnate the wife and have a baby, then divorce said wife, get full custody and raise the baby with her. Miles being the loving big brother can deny his sister nothing so he agrees. Karolin finds the perfect woman, Adelia Lindstrom because she strongly resembles both twins.
With this devious plan in play, Karolin meets Adelia and invites her a party. Adelia is grieving from the loss of her parents who both died in a car accident but she goes to the party anyway just to be polite and she meets Miles and quickly falls hard for him. Things quickly progress and they get married. On their honeymoon Adelia finds out she is pregnant.
But the story is quickly changing, Miles is also falling in love with Adelia. He is getting everything he ever wanted. A real family, the woman he loves, and children. But Karolin is not having it.
My, my, my…how the story is spinning!!
OMG I cannot wait to get my hands on book 2!!
I’m telling you it’s like watching a soap opera in full swing. It was so damn good!! I know it started out wrong but I’m so cheering for Adelia and Miles!!!
May 31, 2014
I received this book in exchange for an honest review, for BDSM Read2Review
I love the billionaire stories.. this one is one, but not … well yeah anyways..I'd say amazing, dark and possessive.
I liked the book, it was busy with a lot of different things going on, a decent enough length with the amount of detail to balance everything out. I set out not liking Miles, hell still not sure if I like him or not. As with men with serious money they develop me god complex, Miles isnt much different.
Love is such a strong emotion, one that will have you doing things out of your normal character, for Miles when he fell in love and being around Adelia, made him more human.
You cant help but adore Adelia... the sorrow she has went through, then meeting and falling hopelessly in love with Miles.
All kind of intrigue, suspense... things that make you stop and re read the paragraph... Not only were the star charactes worth the read, but the secondary characters as well, filled out and made the flow of the book run well. Id have loved to have the second book in my possession. (sad panda), though its not a cliff hanger.. its not really a stand alone either... its worth the read, grab it, read it.. enjoy it
I love the billionaire stories.. this one is one, but not … well yeah anyways..I'd say amazing, dark and possessive.
I liked the book, it was busy with a lot of different things going on, a decent enough length with the amount of detail to balance everything out. I set out not liking Miles, hell still not sure if I like him or not. As with men with serious money they develop me god complex, Miles isnt much different.
Love is such a strong emotion, one that will have you doing things out of your normal character, for Miles when he fell in love and being around Adelia, made him more human.
You cant help but adore Adelia... the sorrow she has went through, then meeting and falling hopelessly in love with Miles.
All kind of intrigue, suspense... things that make you stop and re read the paragraph... Not only were the star charactes worth the read, but the secondary characters as well, filled out and made the flow of the book run well. Id have loved to have the second book in my possession. (sad panda), though its not a cliff hanger.. its not really a stand alone either... its worth the read, grab it, read it.. enjoy it
June 10, 2014
I feel very mixed by this book....I've been left hanging. I enjoyed it in some ways. There were bits that left me very confused...not sure what the first chapter was about and why it's relevant. I'm left with lots of questions. There is definitely going to be another book, but I would have felt better if I wasn't left with so much unsaid....why do they look so much alike?, what is karolin's problem? Apart from being sexually abused by her uncle?.
This book seemed to gallop from death, marriage and birth in seconds..I was out of breath!!.... The sex was just out of this world, and the non consent was also on the button. I felt for every character, and did enjoy the book. The suspense and tone of the book was on the nail...I just couldn't understand why it swept me along so fast. Like I say I'm mixed, but can say I did enjoy the book, and look forward to the next and hopefully a lot of answers and maybe a HEA...mind I wouldn't put anything past this writer!!!
Great first book from this author and i look forward to more...i was given this book for an honest review from the TPE Bar xx
This book seemed to gallop from death, marriage and birth in seconds..I was out of breath!!.... The sex was just out of this world, and the non consent was also on the button. I felt for every character, and did enjoy the book. The suspense and tone of the book was on the nail...I just couldn't understand why it swept me along so fast. Like I say I'm mixed, but can say I did enjoy the book, and look forward to the next and hopefully a lot of answers and maybe a HEA...mind I wouldn't put anything past this writer!!!
Great first book from this author and i look forward to more...i was given this book for an honest review from the TPE Bar xx
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 1, 2017
The One - a review by Rosemary Kenny
It starts with the deaths, in a mysterious car crash, of Adelia's parents leaving her orphaned and vulnerable, though well-off enough to continue her passion for competitive equestrianism at the highest levels.
After winning one such competition, she encounters her own 'doppelganger', Karolin, in the event's grounds. they connect straightaway and Karolin then introduces Adelia to her twin brother Miles, who soon seduces her, leading to fairly graphic, if slightly comically-phrased, sex scenes, some of which turn violent.
All orphans, [though nouveau-riche rather than 'old' money like Adelia], the threesome becomes ever-more involved in each others lives, though it is not clear [for some time], what the peculiar bond is between the twins, nor what their aim is in homing in on Adelia.
Thanks to Miles' hard work and wisdom in green energy investment banking, they are rich in their own right - so their motives cannot be financial.
Like the twins, this book is not as straightforward as one might suppose - read it and unravel the truth - if you dare!
It starts with the deaths, in a mysterious car crash, of Adelia's parents leaving her orphaned and vulnerable, though well-off enough to continue her passion for competitive equestrianism at the highest levels.
After winning one such competition, she encounters her own 'doppelganger', Karolin, in the event's grounds. they connect straightaway and Karolin then introduces Adelia to her twin brother Miles, who soon seduces her, leading to fairly graphic, if slightly comically-phrased, sex scenes, some of which turn violent.
All orphans, [though nouveau-riche rather than 'old' money like Adelia], the threesome becomes ever-more involved in each others lives, though it is not clear [for some time], what the peculiar bond is between the twins, nor what their aim is in homing in on Adelia.
Thanks to Miles' hard work and wisdom in green energy investment banking, they are rich in their own right - so their motives cannot be financial.
Like the twins, this book is not as straightforward as one might suppose - read it and unravel the truth - if you dare!
October 28, 2014
ARC provided by NetGalley
miles and adelia coming together was so quick that i never felt it emotionally...only physically. that's why mile's proposal and adelia's willingness to get married so quick never felt natural and so the whole time i was reading about the two's relationship, i never felt the connection...just a faraway detachment. mile's twin sister was an interesting twist to the story and it will be interesting to see what comes out about her in the next book..
the mystery was okay, the sex scenes pretty hot, but too much sex conversation that would at times make the scene pretty cheesy. both rape scenes were an odd feeling for me...while the scenes were sometimes violent and violating, the concept of a rape happening yet partners feeling orgasmic was odd...and sad. obviously, there were drugs involved in one scene and an emotional bond in another but still...not fully believable.
miles and adelia coming together was so quick that i never felt it emotionally...only physically. that's why mile's proposal and adelia's willingness to get married so quick never felt natural and so the whole time i was reading about the two's relationship, i never felt the connection...just a faraway detachment. mile's twin sister was an interesting twist to the story and it will be interesting to see what comes out about her in the next book..
the mystery was okay, the sex scenes pretty hot, but too much sex conversation that would at times make the scene pretty cheesy. both rape scenes were an odd feeling for me...while the scenes were sometimes violent and violating, the concept of a rape happening yet partners feeling orgasmic was odd...and sad. obviously, there were drugs involved in one scene and an emotional bond in another but still...not fully believable.
December 26, 2014
The only reason I finished this is because I skimmed the hell out of it. 1. Who the hell edited this thing? Paragraphs ran into one another making no sense whatsoever. 2. The dialogue was bad - I mean really bad. You want an example? Ok - "Spreading her thighs apart his cock pressed against her fountainhead, prodding her with his staff." The character is jewish but was it necessary to make him sound like Moses??
3. Unfortunate imagery - "then, like a knife cutting through butter, he slid into the velvety, wet hole of her vagina..." - that's hot! Don't we all want it to feel like a knife cutting through butter?!
Somewhere, there was a decent mystery story, but the review copy I received was incomplete, hadn't been checked and was a waste of my time. I would've been pissed had I spent money on this.
3. Unfortunate imagery - "then, like a knife cutting through butter, he slid into the velvety, wet hole of her vagina..." - that's hot! Don't we all want it to feel like a knife cutting through butter?!
Somewhere, there was a decent mystery story, but the review copy I received was incomplete, hadn't been checked and was a waste of my time. I would've been pissed had I spent money on this.
dnf
January 27, 2015
The One
The Characters
Miles, Helene, Lars Lindstrom, Faye Lindstrom, Adelia Lindstrom, Lucas Jackson, Detective David Weiss
The Story
Another one bites the dust.
Too many characters with no connection, I have no idea how these people affect each others lives. Much too much description into things that didn’t seem important to the story (like the horses). Little to no interaction with our whole cast (which brings it back to no connection). I think Adelia and the Detective might have something going on but I don’t have the patience to wait around and find out. I need the characters to come together and share some page time.
So in the end I guess this one is not for me.
The Random Thoughts
*DNF so no rating
The Characters
Miles, Helene, Lars Lindstrom, Faye Lindstrom, Adelia Lindstrom, Lucas Jackson, Detective David Weiss
The Story
Another one bites the dust.
Too many characters with no connection, I have no idea how these people affect each others lives. Much too much description into things that didn’t seem important to the story (like the horses). Little to no interaction with our whole cast (which brings it back to no connection). I think Adelia and the Detective might have something going on but I don’t have the patience to wait around and find out. I need the characters to come together and share some page time.
So in the end I guess this one is not for me.
The Random Thoughts
*DNF so no rating
August 9, 2016
Thanks netgalley for a free read in exchange for a review.
Lovely dark erotic read,and well written too. I was captured by the beginning and catapulted through to the end. Highly engrossing read which had me guessing the whole way. I guess I was in the mood for a dark intense love story. It ended on a cliffhanger and I definitely will read the next in this series. It reminded me of books by Aleatha Romig, a gentler dark read fantasy though, and I couldn't put it down. This is my first by this author, and I can't wait for more. Overall entertainment was five stars because I love intense books. Thanks so much for a great book.
Lovely dark erotic read,and well written too. I was captured by the beginning and catapulted through to the end. Highly engrossing read which had me guessing the whole way. I guess I was in the mood for a dark intense love story. It ended on a cliffhanger and I definitely will read the next in this series. It reminded me of books by Aleatha Romig, a gentler dark read fantasy though, and I couldn't put it down. This is my first by this author, and I can't wait for more. Overall entertainment was five stars because I love intense books. Thanks so much for a great book.
June 21, 2014
This book was provided by the author through the bdsm group on goodreads in exchange for an honest review.
I found this book to be very hard to follow. It took me quite awhile to get through it. I was expecting a little more bdsm. I'm not sure I would even call this book a bdsm book. Don't get me wrong the sex scenes were hot, but not as kinky as I'm used to. It seemed to bounce around a lot leaving me with more questions than answers. I think the book did improve as it went on, but the ending seemed sudden and left a lot of loose ends. I didn't realize that this was the first in a series and it definitely shouldn't be read as a stand alone.
I found this book to be very hard to follow. It took me quite awhile to get through it. I was expecting a little more bdsm. I'm not sure I would even call this book a bdsm book. Don't get me wrong the sex scenes were hot, but not as kinky as I'm used to. It seemed to bounce around a lot leaving me with more questions than answers. I think the book did improve as it went on, but the ending seemed sudden and left a lot of loose ends. I didn't realize that this was the first in a series and it definitely shouldn't be read as a stand alone.
November 19, 2014
DNF at 15%
I'm really not sure what to say. The blurb sounded so great!
The story is choppy and I'm not sure if the formatting was off or what, but I could not follow the timeline or figure out who these characters were as they were being introduced.
There were parts of it that were written so well with great flow and fantastic descriptions of scenery and the story. I really hate giving negative reviews, but this is honest.
I like the premise of the story and would love to give it another try after some more editing or something.
*ARC provided by publisher through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.*
I'm really not sure what to say. The blurb sounded so great!
The story is choppy and I'm not sure if the formatting was off or what, but I could not follow the timeline or figure out who these characters were as they were being introduced.
There were parts of it that were written so well with great flow and fantastic descriptions of scenery and the story. I really hate giving negative reviews, but this is honest.
I like the premise of the story and would love to give it another try after some more editing or something.
*ARC provided by publisher through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.*
dnf
September 17, 2015*ARR (Advance Reader Review) - copy provided as a gift in exchange for an honest review...
I can't rate this book because I could not finish it, it wasn't for me :(
I can't rate this book because I could not finish it, it wasn't for me :(
February 15, 2015
It takes a lot for an author to pull one over on me. I am a detailed reader. I suspect clues are everywhere waiting to be called into evidence. This book had lots of such hints or fleeting moments that I filed away for use further into the story. But our author got me. And for that alone she gets one more star than I would normally give. Unless you are me and come from my background and experiences, I assume it becomes an interesting tidbit and nothing else. For me, it was personal. However, there is a position that I will take that our author has caused universal confusion. The very first scene with Miles. What does this have to do with the story? Who is Helene? If this is something that will only be revealed in the second book? Why put it at the very front of the first book?
If you have read my reviews you will know that I firmly believe that what happens between consensual adults in the privacy of their sexual relationship is private business. It is not my place to color the situation with my opinions so that readers of my reviews see things tainted by my personal feelings. I certainly don't want anybody passing judgement on what happens in my bedroom. Because I feel so strongly about this, my critique of books with detailed sexual encounters do not include a criticism of the act itself. I don't advertise my feelings about this, except for when a book with a theme appropriate for this statement passes into my hands. There are few exceptions to this rule that I have set for myself. I will fight for anybodies right to love the person that they choose. I don’t presume to know everything that there is to know about expressions of love in a sexual atmosphere. But there is nothing borderline about rape. Rape is, without exception, a crime. There are two rape scenes in this book and information about past rape of another character. It angers me that Miles is the point that rape pivots around. He is intimately involved in all three instances and instead of the past making him more sensitive it makes him feel more entitled to use force against a woman to express himself? I won’t buy that excuse and I won’t forgive it. Yes, I am talking as if he is a real life person. Because if I am going to go on to read book two, I want to bring this anger with me into the future when he reappears in the story of Adelia.
There were some strange editing errors in this book. As I am reading this 1 year after initial publication, I am surprised that nobody has felt it important enough to go back in and fix the errors. There are two specific examples that I can site. One is every time the letter “f”; lower case, or capital, is used in a word. It is as if the manuscript was typed on a standard typewriter with a glitch. There were jumps; blank spaces, in every word with an “f”. The second really poor editing job was when the beginning of a new thought was at least a page past the middle of where it continues. All of a sudden, reading along, there was a new topic, starting mid sentence. I read on and then, just as suddenly, came the introduction to the statement. It ruins the flow of reading and if you are a reviewer, it stands out as something to write about. I don’t claim that I write without errors. I think and type very fast but sometimes my fingers and my mind are in different places. I would hope that if I wrote a book and had a first reader and an editor, that some of these errors would be found and corrected. By the end of the book, I almost felt that the author had given up. She started using the same word multiple times in a short span; like amazed and amazing, sweet used twice in quick succession. And can I please let the author know that if a man and a woman shake hands, it is with right hands. Which would mean that an engagement ring on her left hand would not come to be included in that greeting.
I applauded in that beginning but random opening scene because Miles used a condom. I believe that authors can write hot and steamy, sexy and erotic scenes but still show responsible approach to the act, mostly by including condom use. Unfortunately, this was short lived. When Miles and Adelia begin their sexual relationship, there are no condoms, no discussions about anything other than getting naked. It is irresponsible to not include safe sexual practices, even in erotica.
Miles, Karolin, Adelia, Lucas, David, Fallyn, Liam and the brief encounter with Lars and Faye make up for a very interesting cast of characters. The storyline is interesting and the mystery woven into the love story attracts a diverse readership. You can learn a little about horsemanship and running of horse farms. It is also a story about how isolating an intense relationship can be when one is at the whim or another. It is a story about loving fully. It is about incest in the past and perhaps more current.
The author writes well about the world or horsemanship and about green energy and the scientific, business and government overlap in it. With so many details well written on these topics it makes the missing details become more obvious. We get a great deal of Miles thoughts in bedroom scenes. A great deal about his thoughts about dominating Adelia and steamrolling over her, both in the bedroom and out. He is a bully. He is the bully that pushed you on the playground, who made fun of you for something that hit with a piercing arrow into ones most sensitive self consciousness. He is the one who swore as a child to take on the world and to not follow the rules. And he doesn’t. David, couldn’t be more unlike Miles. In my mind, when I painted my personal image of both men, it never occurred to me that they would be equal in stature. Somehow Miles’ bullish behavior made him larger than our dedicated detective. However, when the author brings them face to face, she makes clear that David is as broad, tall, strong and is a serious threat to Miles in the fact that he won’t cower. Bullies get their strength from the fear of their victims. David shows none.
I will read the second book. I have questions about Miles and Karolin. I have some serious questions about the stalworth Lucas, I wonder how Adelia and David with reconcile their friendship. I wonder if the wounded twins of Miles and Karolin with continue and become a wounded twinship between Fallyn and Liam. I wonder if the mystery of the death of Lars and Faye will be resolved; accident or murder. I wonder if in book two if our author can take her talent for writing what she obviously knows a great deal about; whether through experience or research - horsemanship, green energy and business, sexual energy…, I would like to see our author answer some questions even if as the author she chooses to keep some secrets loyal to herself as a way of keeping open the opportunity for future stories.
Disclaimer: ARC, in exchange for my honest review. Book Two is not in my possession at this time.
If you have read my reviews you will know that I firmly believe that what happens between consensual adults in the privacy of their sexual relationship is private business. It is not my place to color the situation with my opinions so that readers of my reviews see things tainted by my personal feelings. I certainly don't want anybody passing judgement on what happens in my bedroom. Because I feel so strongly about this, my critique of books with detailed sexual encounters do not include a criticism of the act itself. I don't advertise my feelings about this, except for when a book with a theme appropriate for this statement passes into my hands. There are few exceptions to this rule that I have set for myself. I will fight for anybodies right to love the person that they choose. I don’t presume to know everything that there is to know about expressions of love in a sexual atmosphere. But there is nothing borderline about rape. Rape is, without exception, a crime. There are two rape scenes in this book and information about past rape of another character. It angers me that Miles is the point that rape pivots around. He is intimately involved in all three instances and instead of the past making him more sensitive it makes him feel more entitled to use force against a woman to express himself? I won’t buy that excuse and I won’t forgive it. Yes, I am talking as if he is a real life person. Because if I am going to go on to read book two, I want to bring this anger with me into the future when he reappears in the story of Adelia.
There were some strange editing errors in this book. As I am reading this 1 year after initial publication, I am surprised that nobody has felt it important enough to go back in and fix the errors. There are two specific examples that I can site. One is every time the letter “f”; lower case, or capital, is used in a word. It is as if the manuscript was typed on a standard typewriter with a glitch. There were jumps; blank spaces, in every word with an “f”. The second really poor editing job was when the beginning of a new thought was at least a page past the middle of where it continues. All of a sudden, reading along, there was a new topic, starting mid sentence. I read on and then, just as suddenly, came the introduction to the statement. It ruins the flow of reading and if you are a reviewer, it stands out as something to write about. I don’t claim that I write without errors. I think and type very fast but sometimes my fingers and my mind are in different places. I would hope that if I wrote a book and had a first reader and an editor, that some of these errors would be found and corrected. By the end of the book, I almost felt that the author had given up. She started using the same word multiple times in a short span; like amazed and amazing, sweet used twice in quick succession. And can I please let the author know that if a man and a woman shake hands, it is with right hands. Which would mean that an engagement ring on her left hand would not come to be included in that greeting.
I applauded in that beginning but random opening scene because Miles used a condom. I believe that authors can write hot and steamy, sexy and erotic scenes but still show responsible approach to the act, mostly by including condom use. Unfortunately, this was short lived. When Miles and Adelia begin their sexual relationship, there are no condoms, no discussions about anything other than getting naked. It is irresponsible to not include safe sexual practices, even in erotica.
Miles, Karolin, Adelia, Lucas, David, Fallyn, Liam and the brief encounter with Lars and Faye make up for a very interesting cast of characters. The storyline is interesting and the mystery woven into the love story attracts a diverse readership. You can learn a little about horsemanship and running of horse farms. It is also a story about how isolating an intense relationship can be when one is at the whim or another. It is a story about loving fully. It is about incest in the past and perhaps more current.
The author writes well about the world or horsemanship and about green energy and the scientific, business and government overlap in it. With so many details well written on these topics it makes the missing details become more obvious. We get a great deal of Miles thoughts in bedroom scenes. A great deal about his thoughts about dominating Adelia and steamrolling over her, both in the bedroom and out. He is a bully. He is the bully that pushed you on the playground, who made fun of you for something that hit with a piercing arrow into ones most sensitive self consciousness. He is the one who swore as a child to take on the world and to not follow the rules. And he doesn’t. David, couldn’t be more unlike Miles. In my mind, when I painted my personal image of both men, it never occurred to me that they would be equal in stature. Somehow Miles’ bullish behavior made him larger than our dedicated detective. However, when the author brings them face to face, she makes clear that David is as broad, tall, strong and is a serious threat to Miles in the fact that he won’t cower. Bullies get their strength from the fear of their victims. David shows none.
I will read the second book. I have questions about Miles and Karolin. I have some serious questions about the stalworth Lucas, I wonder how Adelia and David with reconcile their friendship. I wonder if the wounded twins of Miles and Karolin with continue and become a wounded twinship between Fallyn and Liam. I wonder if the mystery of the death of Lars and Faye will be resolved; accident or murder. I wonder if in book two if our author can take her talent for writing what she obviously knows a great deal about; whether through experience or research - horsemanship, green energy and business, sexual energy…, I would like to see our author answer some questions even if as the author she chooses to keep some secrets loyal to herself as a way of keeping open the opportunity for future stories.
Disclaimer: ARC, in exchange for my honest review. Book Two is not in my possession at this time.
January 25, 2018
The One is the first in an erotic thriller series and is suitable for adults only due to the erotic content.
Adelia’s world is shattered when both of her parents are killed in a car crash. As she deals with her grief she meets Miles, an eco investment banker, and Karolin, his twin sister, who go about trying to help Adelia get her life back on track. Miles is very intense and has told Adelia in no uncertain terms that she is his for life. Even though Adelia found this a little quick, she soon warms up to him and realises she is madly in love with him. Adelia is drawn into his world of sex and money, completely unaware that she is being played. Will she get her heart broken or be able to turn the story around to her favour? And what is it about her parents’ death that just doesn’t seem right?
As I read the book I completely forgot that it was the first of a series and was very annoyed that it got to the end only to find out it didn’t finish. That goes to show how much you want to see what happens next. The erotic parts of the book are very steamy so definitely be cautious when deciding whether to read it or not. As you read further and further, you get so frustrated with Miles and so angry with Karolin you just want to yell and tell them what is really happening. I felt so sorry for Adelia being played like she was. I’m glad she found some measure of happiness but that fact that she couldn’t accept it was harsh. Not being a lover of horseriding, I found the equestrian descriptions too much and tended to gloss over them. A great start to a series with good character descriptions, back story and action.
Adelia’s world is shattered when both of her parents are killed in a car crash. As she deals with her grief she meets Miles, an eco investment banker, and Karolin, his twin sister, who go about trying to help Adelia get her life back on track. Miles is very intense and has told Adelia in no uncertain terms that she is his for life. Even though Adelia found this a little quick, she soon warms up to him and realises she is madly in love with him. Adelia is drawn into his world of sex and money, completely unaware that she is being played. Will she get her heart broken or be able to turn the story around to her favour? And what is it about her parents’ death that just doesn’t seem right?
As I read the book I completely forgot that it was the first of a series and was very annoyed that it got to the end only to find out it didn’t finish. That goes to show how much you want to see what happens next. The erotic parts of the book are very steamy so definitely be cautious when deciding whether to read it or not. As you read further and further, you get so frustrated with Miles and so angry with Karolin you just want to yell and tell them what is really happening. I felt so sorry for Adelia being played like she was. I’m glad she found some measure of happiness but that fact that she couldn’t accept it was harsh. Not being a lover of horseriding, I found the equestrian descriptions too much and tended to gloss over them. A great start to a series with good character descriptions, back story and action.
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