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That One #1
That One Night
*Newly edited 12/17/2015*
All it takes is just one moment to change the course of your life. For me, it was one perfect night.
I have always had a thing for my brother’s best friend, Ben. When I found him on my parents’ couch, drowning his sorrows in a whiskey bottle, my attempts to comfort him quickly turned into a night of raw and intense passion.
My foolish heart hoped he might feel the same way I do.
But Ben wasn’t there to stay and I woke up the next morning alone with a broken heart.
I attempted to forget the guy with a smile to die for and a touch that sets me on fire.
I thought I was over him.
I thought he was gone forever.
Until, eighteen months later Ben returns and learns my secret. Now, he is hell-bent on winning me back.
He plays dirty.
And he won’t stop until he gets what he wants—me.
But he has secrets of his own.
Secrets that could destroy everything we might have and everything we are.
Warning: This book contains offensive language, violence, disturbing situations and sexual content. Mature audiences only. 18+
Length: approx. 86,000 words
All it takes is just one moment to change the course of your life. For me, it was one perfect night.
I have always had a thing for my brother’s best friend, Ben. When I found him on my parents’ couch, drowning his sorrows in a whiskey bottle, my attempts to comfort him quickly turned into a night of raw and intense passion.
My foolish heart hoped he might feel the same way I do.
But Ben wasn’t there to stay and I woke up the next morning alone with a broken heart.
I attempted to forget the guy with a smile to die for and a touch that sets me on fire.
I thought I was over him.
I thought he was gone forever.
Until, eighteen months later Ben returns and learns my secret. Now, he is hell-bent on winning me back.
He plays dirty.
And he won’t stop until he gets what he wants—me.
But he has secrets of his own.
Secrets that could destroy everything we might have and everything we are.
Warning: This book contains offensive language, violence, disturbing situations and sexual content. Mature audiences only. 18+
Length: approx. 86,000 words
376 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 23, 2015
151 people are currently reading
778 people want to read
About the author
Josie Wright
7 books133 followersJosie Wright has always been a bookworm, spending every free moment with her nose buried in a book. While others were out partying, she spent her evenings with Heathcliff, Sydney Carton or Snape. Romance, fantasy, thrillers - you name it, she read it.
Thanks to the Kindle, she finally arrived in the 21St century and discovered the Indie literature world. Josie has been lost to it ever since. With her love for the written word and her promiscuous feelings for countless book boyfriends, the next logical step was to start writing. The voices in her head and her imaginary friends wanted out to play and so she wrote her debut novel "That One Night", that's to be released early summer 2015. And the good news is, there are more voices and imaginary friend where Ben and Frankie came from.
Josie is a financial expert by day and a writing junkie by night. The rest of the time she's a bit of a hippie, a bit of a goth and many things in between. Josie loves to spend time with her husband when she can tear herself away from her book boyfriends. She loves video games, movies, good food and even better music. She's addicted to chips, long baths and shoes. Oh, and books of course. Definitely books.
Thanks to the Kindle, she finally arrived in the 21St century and discovered the Indie literature world. Josie has been lost to it ever since. With her love for the written word and her promiscuous feelings for countless book boyfriends, the next logical step was to start writing. The voices in her head and her imaginary friends wanted out to play and so she wrote her debut novel "That One Night", that's to be released early summer 2015. And the good news is, there are more voices and imaginary friend where Ben and Frankie came from.
Josie is a financial expert by day and a writing junkie by night. The rest of the time she's a bit of a hippie, a bit of a goth and many things in between. Josie loves to spend time with her husband when she can tear herself away from her book boyfriends. She loves video games, movies, good food and even better music. She's addicted to chips, long baths and shoes. Oh, and books of course. Definitely books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 144 reviews
January 30, 2016
That One Night is the first book published by Josie Wright.
I won’t lie I needed some time to get my bearings in the story. In the beginning, Frankie had so much anger and frustration bottled up she was hard to love or connect with.
Eighteen months ago, she had a wonderful and steamy night with her lifelong crush, her brother’s best friend and then, he left the morning after never to be seen again. His “sorry” was such a poor excuse, certainly when Frankie realized she was pregnant.
To say her parents reacted badly is a euphemism as they called her a wh@re, suspecting she did not know the father’s child as she was “known” to sleep around. As I don’t like girls selling their charms or jumping from guy to guy (I know, if it’s a man he is a womanizer and is seen with envy and admiration. Unfair? Yes.) my feelings were conflicted for what was the female lead character of the story. Not a good sign, right? But that was before I saw what a good mother she was to her son, Archer. Frankie was very courageous, not relying on her parents and still studying to get her degree and make a future for her son.
Frankie was helped by her chosen family of friends. I loved that family: her best friend Dean with his mate Alex and a tattooed wise woman all living together in a big house. They also got their neighbor’s help. She was an older woman they “abruptly” met for the first time.
”We nearly ran her a** over when she shot out of nowhere on her inline skates in front of the moving truck, forcing us to hit the brakes and hold our breath, hoping we hadn’t killed an old granny. Turned out, it was her second time on inline skates, and she wasn’t quite there yet.”
That’s my kind of old lady!
Now Frankie is back for Thanksgiving as she wants Archer to know his grandparents. Surprise, surprise, Ben the prodigal son and Archer’s father is also back and is sleeping in her house for the holiday.
The last time they interacted was that famous night. He was drinking whiskey, alone in the dark, telling he’s been lied to his whole life. He was shaken and broken. As he left ” after the deed” abandoning Frankie, I did not like him either.
Frankie never told who the father was but the cat is soon out of the bag and Ben is shocked to learn he has a son. Now, he did not turn tail but decided to “man up” and follow Frankie to live in her house and learn to know Archer. He wants to win Frankie back and prove he can be a good father.
” You don’t trust me and that’s okay. Because I’ll fight for you, and I will win back your trust. I will win you back.”
If Frankie got my respect quite quickly once she stopped being angry all the time and showed her nurturing and caring side, Ben was difficult to “grasp” and so,to connect with. He was very helpful as he had “magic hands” and could work on renovating the house. He also took his fair share of Archer’s “duty”, playing with the little boy, watching over him, giving bath, etc. But as he remained closed off, hiding the reason he left eighteen months ago and kept so many secrets, he did not only kept Frankie out, but me too. I did not trust him and never knew what to think of him. Don’t worry, he redeemed himself and ended being a really good guy and a great dad.
If I needed some time adjusting in the beginning, maybe because the author had not yet found her “mojo”, it flowed effortlessly soon enough and I ended immersed in the story.
What will you find in this book?
-a second chance at love story with a single mom (I love that kind of story);
-a wonderful bunch of friends and chosen family members, helping each other and bantering all the time;
-lots of feelings, be it anger, sadness (Anna’s story had me in tears), frustration (why did he leave for God’s sake?), joy (thanks for the banter and sarcastic remarks) and even fear (expect drama at 80-85% of the book).
So, for a first work, it’s a job well done and it shows Josie Wright can tell a story.
I won’t lie I needed some time to get my bearings in the story. In the beginning, Frankie had so much anger and frustration bottled up she was hard to love or connect with.
Eighteen months ago, she had a wonderful and steamy night with her lifelong crush, her brother’s best friend and then, he left the morning after never to be seen again. His “sorry” was such a poor excuse, certainly when Frankie realized she was pregnant.
To say her parents reacted badly is a euphemism as they called her a wh@re, suspecting she did not know the father’s child as she was “known” to sleep around. As I don’t like girls selling their charms or jumping from guy to guy (I know, if it’s a man he is a womanizer and is seen with envy and admiration. Unfair? Yes.) my feelings were conflicted for what was the female lead character of the story. Not a good sign, right? But that was before I saw what a good mother she was to her son, Archer. Frankie was very courageous, not relying on her parents and still studying to get her degree and make a future for her son.
Frankie was helped by her chosen family of friends. I loved that family: her best friend Dean with his mate Alex and a tattooed wise woman all living together in a big house. They also got their neighbor’s help. She was an older woman they “abruptly” met for the first time.
”We nearly ran her a** over when she shot out of nowhere on her inline skates in front of the moving truck, forcing us to hit the brakes and hold our breath, hoping we hadn’t killed an old granny. Turned out, it was her second time on inline skates, and she wasn’t quite there yet.”
That’s my kind of old lady!
Now Frankie is back for Thanksgiving as she wants Archer to know his grandparents. Surprise, surprise, Ben the prodigal son and Archer’s father is also back and is sleeping in her house for the holiday.
The last time they interacted was that famous night. He was drinking whiskey, alone in the dark, telling he’s been lied to his whole life. He was shaken and broken. As he left ” after the deed” abandoning Frankie, I did not like him either.
Frankie never told who the father was but the cat is soon out of the bag and Ben is shocked to learn he has a son. Now, he did not turn tail but decided to “man up” and follow Frankie to live in her house and learn to know Archer. He wants to win Frankie back and prove he can be a good father.
” You don’t trust me and that’s okay. Because I’ll fight for you, and I will win back your trust. I will win you back.”
If Frankie got my respect quite quickly once she stopped being angry all the time and showed her nurturing and caring side, Ben was difficult to “grasp” and so,to connect with. He was very helpful as he had “magic hands” and could work on renovating the house. He also took his fair share of Archer’s “duty”, playing with the little boy, watching over him, giving bath, etc. But as he remained closed off, hiding the reason he left eighteen months ago and kept so many secrets, he did not only kept Frankie out, but me too. I did not trust him and never knew what to think of him. Don’t worry, he redeemed himself and ended being a really good guy and a great dad.
If I needed some time adjusting in the beginning, maybe because the author had not yet found her “mojo”, it flowed effortlessly soon enough and I ended immersed in the story.
What will you find in this book?
-a second chance at love story with a single mom (I love that kind of story);
-a wonderful bunch of friends and chosen family members, helping each other and bantering all the time;
-lots of feelings, be it anger, sadness (Anna’s story had me in tears), frustration (why did he leave for God’s sake?), joy (thanks for the banter and sarcastic remarks) and even fear (expect drama at 80-85% of the book).
So, for a first work, it’s a job well done and it shows Josie Wright can tell a story.
August 25, 2016
I enjoyed the heck out of this story. I felt deep sympathy for Frankie, with all the awful treatment she endured from her a-hole parents, and I felt proud at how maturely she handled her situation that she was stuck in, even without the help from her family. Frankie was perfect. Her self esteem had taken a real hit, but she never let that stop her, and when Ben finally came into the picture, these two made the perfect couple, I also loved all the side characters who became Frankie's real family so she wasn't alone. The big secret of why Ben left in the first place was a smidgen anti-climatic, but that didn't take anything away from this story for me. I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a sweet love story.
June 4, 2015
4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ well deserved stars for this debut book by Josie Wright.
From the start we are introduced to Frankie, she is returning home on a visit to her parents with baby son Archer. As she is only expecting to see her parents and brother Dave it comes as a shock to find the last person she thought would be there, Ben her brothers best friend who turned Frankie's world upside down after one night of passion then disappeared for 18 months with no contact.
I really enjoyed this well written and beautifully told story. Even the secondary characters that Frankie lives with are fun to read about from Vince the cranky pensioner living in a local elderly rest home to Viv, a Darla that helped deliver baby Archer. Dean and Alex her two gay friends and the riotous Mrs Walsh that lives next door, all adding humour to the more somber part of the story that is slowly revealed.
A very enjoyable character driven book told from Frankie's point of view.
An arc was kindly given me for a review.
From the start we are introduced to Frankie, she is returning home on a visit to her parents with baby son Archer. As she is only expecting to see her parents and brother Dave it comes as a shock to find the last person she thought would be there, Ben her brothers best friend who turned Frankie's world upside down after one night of passion then disappeared for 18 months with no contact.
I really enjoyed this well written and beautifully told story. Even the secondary characters that Frankie lives with are fun to read about from Vince the cranky pensioner living in a local elderly rest home to Viv, a Darla that helped deliver baby Archer. Dean and Alex her two gay friends and the riotous Mrs Walsh that lives next door, all adding humour to the more somber part of the story that is slowly revealed.
A very enjoyable character driven book told from Frankie's point of view.
An arc was kindly given me for a review.
June 23, 2015
Arc from Author, for more visit Literary-ly Obsessed
This book was nothing like what I was expecting, in fact this book starts many months after this ‘one night’. I was a little gutted that I wasn’t able to read the build up to this moment however you are soon caught up to speed, also it was your typical one night stand but Wright spares no details, it will no doubt leave you more than a little hot around the collar.
Frankie the MC, has never gotten on with her family to say there was a slight ‘rift’ would be an understatement. She is clearly the black sheep of the family and is treated horribly by her parents, so she is dreading spending the Thanksgiving weekend with her family. The last person she expects to see is Ben her brother’s best friend. The last time she seen or spoken to Ben was 18 months ago after having slept together and she woke up naked, alone with nothing but a note saying ‘sorry’. I think it’s safe to safe Frankie is more than right to hold on to some deep rooted anger towards him
I can’t say too much about the plot of the book as I would give away a major spoiler and there’s simply no way to talk around it but rest assured you are clued up at the beginning. Ben gives no explanation to Frankie or her family as to why he disappeared for 2 years but Frankie pretends not to notice or care, she just wants to make it through Thanksgiving and get home to her friends. Freedom is finally in sight but when Ben is determined to follow Frankie back home and fight for a chance at redemption and to win her back, what is she to do?
I really enjoyed the story and the relationship between Frankie & Ben. Ben was an amazing MC and his willingness to take whatever Frankie throws at him and still fight for her is commendable. Frankie on the other hand did start to irritate me a little. The book was a little too predictable for my tastes but the dark twist 3/4 of the way through had my heart hammering!! I would really recommend for lovers of romance and fans of HEA’s. All in all a wonderful debut for Wright and I look forward to her future work.
This book was nothing like what I was expecting, in fact this book starts many months after this ‘one night’. I was a little gutted that I wasn’t able to read the build up to this moment however you are soon caught up to speed, also it was your typical one night stand but Wright spares no details, it will no doubt leave you more than a little hot around the collar.
Frankie the MC, has never gotten on with her family to say there was a slight ‘rift’ would be an understatement. She is clearly the black sheep of the family and is treated horribly by her parents, so she is dreading spending the Thanksgiving weekend with her family. The last person she expects to see is Ben her brother’s best friend. The last time she seen or spoken to Ben was 18 months ago after having slept together and she woke up naked, alone with nothing but a note saying ‘sorry’. I think it’s safe to safe Frankie is more than right to hold on to some deep rooted anger towards him
I can’t say too much about the plot of the book as I would give away a major spoiler and there’s simply no way to talk around it but rest assured you are clued up at the beginning. Ben gives no explanation to Frankie or her family as to why he disappeared for 2 years but Frankie pretends not to notice or care, she just wants to make it through Thanksgiving and get home to her friends. Freedom is finally in sight but when Ben is determined to follow Frankie back home and fight for a chance at redemption and to win her back, what is she to do?
I really enjoyed the story and the relationship between Frankie & Ben. Ben was an amazing MC and his willingness to take whatever Frankie throws at him and still fight for her is commendable. Frankie on the other hand did start to irritate me a little. The book was a little too predictable for my tastes but the dark twist 3/4 of the way through had my heart hammering!! I would really recommend for lovers of romance and fans of HEA’s. All in all a wonderful debut for Wright and I look forward to her future work.
June 19, 2015
**arc received for honest review**
3.5 Stars
That One Night starts with a bang. We see Frankie making the dreaded drive to her family's house, only to be blindsided with seeing Ben again. It had been several years since that fated night, and Ben had been MIA from everyone. I was immediately drawn into the characters and Frankies discomfort with him. I could only imagine that happening to me and how awkward it would feel.
Although Frankie has a hard time trusting Ben, she gives him a second chance. We see them get closer and bond, mainly because Ben doesn't give up. Frankie makes him work, but while doing it, they reestablish their friendship. And although Frankie was a bit neurotic, I can understand why.
In the end, I felt that some situations were a little too contrived and some emotions a little overdone, but it worked for the story. And the best part is that you aren't disappointed with a HEA (I can't resist)!
A great debut for Josie Wright and I'm looking forward to her other books!
3.5 Stars
That One Night starts with a bang. We see Frankie making the dreaded drive to her family's house, only to be blindsided with seeing Ben again. It had been several years since that fated night, and Ben had been MIA from everyone. I was immediately drawn into the characters and Frankies discomfort with him. I could only imagine that happening to me and how awkward it would feel.
Although Frankie has a hard time trusting Ben, she gives him a second chance. We see them get closer and bond, mainly because Ben doesn't give up. Frankie makes him work, but while doing it, they reestablish their friendship. And although Frankie was a bit neurotic, I can understand why.
In the end, I felt that some situations were a little too contrived and some emotions a little overdone, but it worked for the story. And the best part is that you aren't disappointed with a HEA (I can't resist)!
A great debut for Josie Wright and I'm looking forward to her other books!
September 2, 2015
4.5 stars! ****
This type of books is my favourite - the one where brother's best friend is in love with his little sister and little sister is in love with big brother's BFF. And there is also disappearing AND little munchkin when he returns - also one of my favourite motives. I had high expectation about this book and I wasn't dissapointed.
Frankie had a crush on Ben for what seems like forever and had her chance to be with him. She finds him at her home drunk and looking lost. While consonling him, she also fullfilles her wish. They had a night of amazing, mind-blowing, sweaty sex and even though she knew it wasn't about hearts and roses, she didn't expect note with only 'sorry' on it and she definitely didn't expect him to dissapear for the next eighteen months. But the note wasn't the only thing he left.
Eighteen months later Ben returns and he's hellbent on winning Frankie back. He knew it will be difficult, he knew that she'll want to know why and where he went (which he's not ready to explain), he knew that he'll have to put out the big guns. What he didn't know was that Frankie's not alone anymore. She's got someone to care about, she's got someone to love.
I really liked Frankie. She's funny, sarcastic and can be mean (like me). She's brave and into healthy stuff. She's caring and can turn from sweet to mama bear in nanosecond.
I connected with her practicaly immediately and that made the book even more enjoyable. She also has to deal with hairy toes! I thought I was the only one. Plus she's got taste in music.
And Ben. I wanted to smack him sometimes like "wake up, dude!" and in the end he grew some balls. But most of the time I wanted to cuddle him up (I don't know why but I always imagine someone named Ben as a huge man with beard, muscles and soft heart). He's hot, determined and just as funny-slash-sarcastic like Frankie.
What I had a problem with is that there were way too many names starting with 'N'. But one time I didn't remember the main character's name only a day after I read it so.. I guess that's my issue and I'll have to deal with it.
The whole book was realistic and quite gripping. I couldn't go to bed and had to finish it - sleep? what is that. I've never heard of it.
Oh, and I need Ben's POV right this minute! Fifty nine. Fifty eight. Fifty seven..
For more reviews visit: http://do-notdiewondering.blogspot.com
*ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review*
This type of books is my favourite - the one where brother's best friend is in love with his little sister and little sister is in love with big brother's BFF. And there is also disappearing AND little munchkin when he returns - also one of my favourite motives. I had high expectation about this book and I wasn't dissapointed.
Frankie had a crush on Ben for what seems like forever and had her chance to be with him. She finds him at her home drunk and looking lost. While consonling him, she also fullfilles her wish. They had a night of amazing, mind-blowing, sweaty sex and even though she knew it wasn't about hearts and roses, she didn't expect note with only 'sorry' on it and she definitely didn't expect him to dissapear for the next eighteen months. But the note wasn't the only thing he left.
Eighteen months later Ben returns and he's hellbent on winning Frankie back. He knew it will be difficult, he knew that she'll want to know why and where he went (which he's not ready to explain), he knew that he'll have to put out the big guns. What he didn't know was that Frankie's not alone anymore. She's got someone to care about, she's got someone to love.
I really liked Frankie. She's funny, sarcastic and can be mean (like me). She's brave and into healthy stuff. She's caring and can turn from sweet to mama bear in nanosecond.
"My father pipes up and makes me want to stab myself in the eye with the fork. Or him. I'm not that picky."
"This is reckless, wishful thinking that will only get me hurt. Go away weird, girly emotions."
I connected with her practicaly immediately and that made the book even more enjoyable. She also has to deal with hairy toes! I thought I was the only one. Plus she's got taste in music.
And Ben. I wanted to smack him sometimes like "wake up, dude!" and in the end he grew some balls. But most of the time I wanted to cuddle him up (I don't know why but I always imagine someone named Ben as a huge man with beard, muscles and soft heart). He's hot, determined and just as funny-slash-sarcastic like Frankie.
What I had a problem with is that there were way too many names starting with 'N'. But one time I didn't remember the main character's name only a day after I read it so.. I guess that's my issue and I'll have to deal with it.
The whole book was realistic and quite gripping. I couldn't go to bed and had to finish it - sleep? what is that. I've never heard of it.
Oh, and I need Ben's POV right this minute! Fifty nine. Fifty eight. Fifty seven..
For more reviews visit: http://do-notdiewondering.blogspot.com
*ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review*
July 20, 2015
Loved this #secondchanceromance http://amzn.to/1Ly9iv2
This blurb grabbed me a few weeks ago when I added this one to my to read list..I want to start by saying reading the blurb will have most thinking they know how this one on folds and on some level yes, you do, but the secrets are layered in this one making for a wonderful read.
Having said that I am going to try to keep the review to only what is revealed in the blurb, which is that Francine (Frankie) is the mom to a young son from “That One Night” with her brother’s best friend, Ben.
I am going to pause here and say I loved Ben, I know I know… a man who had sex and ran, a man who leaves a childhood friend alone and pregnant should have me pissed but there are reasons and there were so many times my heart hurt for Ben.
Speaking of things I loved, I adored watching Ben learn to become a Daddy and his easy way with Archer his son, captured my heart. I also loved Ben’s mom and in the end the use of her spoke volumes to this author's ability to weave a story together.
The connection Ben and Frankie share is tangible to reader and as they reconnect it was so enjoyable to see them create a family before they jumped back into bed, oh and when they do yes, this book gets hot!
That One Night did an amazing job with the theme of mental illness and the fear that surrounds it. Those who know me know this theme is close to my heart. Ms. Wright did this theme justice and then some. How it was handled and the "why" truly allows the reader to feel that Ben, Frankie and Archer will be happy together (nope not explaining).
If you love second chance romance or friends to lovers stories, I highly recommend this one!
This blurb grabbed me a few weeks ago when I added this one to my to read list..I want to start by saying reading the blurb will have most thinking they know how this one on folds and on some level yes, you do, but the secrets are layered in this one making for a wonderful read.
Having said that I am going to try to keep the review to only what is revealed in the blurb, which is that Francine (Frankie) is the mom to a young son from “That One Night” with her brother’s best friend, Ben.
I am going to pause here and say I loved Ben, I know I know… a man who had sex and ran, a man who leaves a childhood friend alone and pregnant should have me pissed but there are reasons and there were so many times my heart hurt for Ben.
Speaking of things I loved, I adored watching Ben learn to become a Daddy and his easy way with Archer his son, captured my heart. I also loved Ben’s mom and in the end the use of her spoke volumes to this author's ability to weave a story together.
The connection Ben and Frankie share is tangible to reader and as they reconnect it was so enjoyable to see them create a family before they jumped back into bed, oh and when they do yes, this book gets hot!
That One Night did an amazing job with the theme of mental illness and the fear that surrounds it. Those who know me know this theme is close to my heart. Ms. Wright did this theme justice and then some. How it was handled and the "why" truly allows the reader to feel that Ben, Frankie and Archer will be happy together (nope not explaining).
If you love second chance romance or friends to lovers stories, I highly recommend this one!
June 25, 2015
One night is all it took to alter Frankie's life, yet she would never change it because that meant she has a piece of him with her forever. For as long as she can remember, she's had a crush on Ben but he wanted nothing to do with her because he viewed her as his little sister.
Ben's life has been a lie and that sends him on a spiral of destruction, wanting to have nothing to do with anyone, especially his mother. When he comes back, he tries his best to let Frankie know what's been going on, to earn her trust again and prove to her that he's back for good...but only time will tell if it’ll work.
Now, the chemistry between Ben and Frankie was sizzling and tempting! Reading on how Ben was really trying to be there for Frankie was sweet yet I could tell Ben was still keeping secrets from her and due to that, their relationship could only move forward so far. There were some twist and turns I did not expect that had me mouthing, ‘WTH?’
This was an enjoyable story that, once I started reading it, I couldn't put down because I wanted to see how it ended. ~ Kara, 4 stars
Ben's life has been a lie and that sends him on a spiral of destruction, wanting to have nothing to do with anyone, especially his mother. When he comes back, he tries his best to let Frankie know what's been going on, to earn her trust again and prove to her that he's back for good...but only time will tell if it’ll work.
Now, the chemistry between Ben and Frankie was sizzling and tempting! Reading on how Ben was really trying to be there for Frankie was sweet yet I could tell Ben was still keeping secrets from her and due to that, their relationship could only move forward so far. There were some twist and turns I did not expect that had me mouthing, ‘WTH?’
This was an enjoyable story that, once I started reading it, I couldn't put down because I wanted to see how it ended. ~ Kara, 4 stars
June 3, 2015
4.5 Fantastic Stars!
Review by Jen Hagen
This story held my interest from the first page all the way to the very last page, in fact it left me wanting more Ben and Frankie. They are the most adorable couple, and Ben is one of the most likable guys you will come across – at least once you get past the huge judgement mistake 18 months ago with him leaving a one-word note saying “Sorry.” Nobody knew where Ben went to and what he has been doing since that night when Frankie found him drowning in whiskey on her family’s couch ranting about his life being a lie. Ben was Frankie’s brother’s best friend and Frankie has had a crush on Ben forever. It is now present day and on Frankie’s return visit home, she is in for a huge surprise, but probably not as big as the surprise that awaits Ben who has finally returned.
I recognize the moment when he finally puts two and two together and the truth hits him square in the face. He closes his eyes for a moment before looking straight at me. His face a mask of confusion, pain, anger, and what looks like hope.
I have been purposefully vague with the element of surprise just in case you don’t want to know, but this is your one and only warning…I am going to let it out of the bag, but I’m certain that you have been able to guess from the book blurb just like I was.
“I know I hurt you, Frankie. I f*cked up and I can’t change that. I know you don’t trust me and that’s okay. Because I’ll fight for you, and I will back your trust. I will win you back.”
I challenge you not to fall in love with Ben. He is very proud to be a father and is extremely willing to learn everything he can to be a hands-on dad. His actions and love for Archer will melt you alone with speaking volumes as to the kind of man that he is and wants Frankie to see. However, it is very obvious that he is holding back something from the night that he and Frankie were together to the time that he was away. Frankie always knew Ben to be very sure of himself and downright cocky, but the person he is now is insecure and obviously scared of something.
“I wish I could promise you to never leave, but there might come a day when it’ll be better for Archer and you to not have me in your life and that is when I will leave, but never because I want to.”
Ben’s life is a pendulum between lies and truth and back to lies again. I feel so sorry for this broken beautiful man. He is so scared the truth will define him that he holds back from telling Frankie how he really feels about her. There is no way that Ben can distinguish the lies from the truth when it all blends together and the lies seem plausible. He will forever be haunted by the truth.
When I finally hold him, he just breaks down, collapsing, to the floor and taking me with him. He hold on to me like he’s drowning and I’m his only hope for survival. Violent sobs are wrecking his body.
This was a fantastic debut story. The character depth was well defined and every emotion the author portrayed through Frankie’s POV was felt. This is told strictly in Frankie’s words. I really can find no fault in it, other than I have to wait until December for Ben’s POV!!! I can’t wait to hear his side of the story!
Review by Jen Hagen
This story held my interest from the first page all the way to the very last page, in fact it left me wanting more Ben and Frankie. They are the most adorable couple, and Ben is one of the most likable guys you will come across – at least once you get past the huge judgement mistake 18 months ago with him leaving a one-word note saying “Sorry.” Nobody knew where Ben went to and what he has been doing since that night when Frankie found him drowning in whiskey on her family’s couch ranting about his life being a lie. Ben was Frankie’s brother’s best friend and Frankie has had a crush on Ben forever. It is now present day and on Frankie’s return visit home, she is in for a huge surprise, but probably not as big as the surprise that awaits Ben who has finally returned.
I recognize the moment when he finally puts two and two together and the truth hits him square in the face. He closes his eyes for a moment before looking straight at me. His face a mask of confusion, pain, anger, and what looks like hope.
I have been purposefully vague with the element of surprise just in case you don’t want to know, but this is your one and only warning…I am going to let it out of the bag, but I’m certain that you have been able to guess from the book blurb just like I was.
“I know I hurt you, Frankie. I f*cked up and I can’t change that. I know you don’t trust me and that’s okay. Because I’ll fight for you, and I will back your trust. I will win you back.”
I challenge you not to fall in love with Ben. He is very proud to be a father and is extremely willing to learn everything he can to be a hands-on dad. His actions and love for Archer will melt you alone with speaking volumes as to the kind of man that he is and wants Frankie to see. However, it is very obvious that he is holding back something from the night that he and Frankie were together to the time that he was away. Frankie always knew Ben to be very sure of himself and downright cocky, but the person he is now is insecure and obviously scared of something.
“I wish I could promise you to never leave, but there might come a day when it’ll be better for Archer and you to not have me in your life and that is when I will leave, but never because I want to.”
Ben’s life is a pendulum between lies and truth and back to lies again. I feel so sorry for this broken beautiful man. He is so scared the truth will define him that he holds back from telling Frankie how he really feels about her. There is no way that Ben can distinguish the lies from the truth when it all blends together and the lies seem plausible. He will forever be haunted by the truth.
When I finally hold him, he just breaks down, collapsing, to the floor and taking me with him. He hold on to me like he’s drowning and I’m his only hope for survival. Violent sobs are wrecking his body.
This was a fantastic debut story. The character depth was well defined and every emotion the author portrayed through Frankie’s POV was felt. This is told strictly in Frankie’s words. I really can find no fault in it, other than I have to wait until December for Ben’s POV!!! I can’t wait to hear his side of the story!
July 5, 2015
This story took my by surprise. Just when I thought it was simply a sweet second chance love story, I got hit with a twisty psychological mystery that made me gasp. That One Night is Josie Wright's debut novel and centers on the life of college co-ed Frankie and her infant son Archer.
It’s a bittersweet story of a family at odds with each other; Frankie and her parents, and Frankie and Archer's father Ben.
When we first meet Frankie, she is home visiting her parents after a very long estrangement brought on by Frankie’s pregnancy and her unwillingness to name the father of her son Archer. But this trip home is going to change the course of her and Archers lives. We get the entire story from Frankie’s point of view and we explore her psyche as she comes to terms with how her parents treat her and of Bens’ place in her and Archers lives.
As the story unfolds, we see the depth of Frankie’s character and her maturity, which seemed lacking at first. Initially she seemed like a pushover, her parents treat her as though she is a petulant child, when in fact she’s a very strong young women. She’s off at college while raising a small child. She’s a part of a community, one consisting of her friends and neighbors. When Ben, her brothers best friend, discovers that he’s Archer's father he’s determined to make amends with Frankie and to be there for his son. However, when it comes to Ben, Frankie’s built a wall around her heart - it’s apparent that Ben is gonna have to work hard to gain her trust. Ben man’s up in a way that while predictable, was written by Wright to spotlight the sincerity of his character and his long standing affection for Frankie. Ben is completely endearing, its both his tragedy and his genuineness that made him a fantastic character that was so easy to cheer on.
That One Night is a thoughtful story that explores the impact of mental illness, the fear of abandonment and how family secrets so easily lead to estrangement and confusion. Ms. Wright’s announced that her next book, a standalone, will be from Ben’s point of view. I really can’t wait to be in his head and heart.
4. 5 Stars and recommendation
It’s a bittersweet story of a family at odds with each other; Frankie and her parents, and Frankie and Archer's father Ben.
When we first meet Frankie, she is home visiting her parents after a very long estrangement brought on by Frankie’s pregnancy and her unwillingness to name the father of her son Archer. But this trip home is going to change the course of her and Archers lives. We get the entire story from Frankie’s point of view and we explore her psyche as she comes to terms with how her parents treat her and of Bens’ place in her and Archers lives.
As the story unfolds, we see the depth of Frankie’s character and her maturity, which seemed lacking at first. Initially she seemed like a pushover, her parents treat her as though she is a petulant child, when in fact she’s a very strong young women. She’s off at college while raising a small child. She’s a part of a community, one consisting of her friends and neighbors. When Ben, her brothers best friend, discovers that he’s Archer's father he’s determined to make amends with Frankie and to be there for his son. However, when it comes to Ben, Frankie’s built a wall around her heart - it’s apparent that Ben is gonna have to work hard to gain her trust. Ben man’s up in a way that while predictable, was written by Wright to spotlight the sincerity of his character and his long standing affection for Frankie. Ben is completely endearing, its both his tragedy and his genuineness that made him a fantastic character that was so easy to cheer on.
That One Night is a thoughtful story that explores the impact of mental illness, the fear of abandonment and how family secrets so easily lead to estrangement and confusion. Ms. Wright’s announced that her next book, a standalone, will be from Ben’s point of view. I really can’t wait to be in his head and heart.
4. 5 Stars and recommendation
February 17, 2016
This wasn't bad I just had a hard time connecting to the characters as much as I wanted to. Some of the book was rapped up a little too easily but on the other hand some nice twists were added in the book, and thank goodness the heroine stood up for herself with the two people who treated her like garbage, I was sure that wouldn't play out the way it did and I was so happy it did.
After one amazing night with her brothers best friend Ben, Frankie wakes up alone and soon finds out she is pregnant but Ben is long gone. Taking the criticism from her family Frankie leaves, now months later Frankie is home for thanksgiving only to find that Ben is also finally home after all these months. Angry Frankie can't believe she is seeing him after all these months. It doesn't take long for Ben to figure out who Frankie's son Travis belongs to and with that knowledge Ben has every intention of getting Frankie back and making a family. But Frankie is hurt and isn't sure if she can forgive Ben. Ben has secrets of his own ones that he isn't too quick to share and they are the reason he has been gone so long and they might be the thing that tears them all apart.
All in all this was a nice book Frankie's family was horrible with the exception of her brother and I was so glad she stood up to them. When the reason for Ben's absence is revealed it made perfect sense to me why he was gone and I couldn't blame him because he also had no idea about his son, and it is also very easy to see the love Ben has always had for Frankie. Overall a nice read.
After one amazing night with her brothers best friend Ben, Frankie wakes up alone and soon finds out she is pregnant but Ben is long gone. Taking the criticism from her family Frankie leaves, now months later Frankie is home for thanksgiving only to find that Ben is also finally home after all these months. Angry Frankie can't believe she is seeing him after all these months. It doesn't take long for Ben to figure out who Frankie's son Travis belongs to and with that knowledge Ben has every intention of getting Frankie back and making a family. But Frankie is hurt and isn't sure if she can forgive Ben. Ben has secrets of his own ones that he isn't too quick to share and they are the reason he has been gone so long and they might be the thing that tears them all apart.
All in all this was a nice book Frankie's family was horrible with the exception of her brother and I was so glad she stood up to them. When the reason for Ben's absence is revealed it made perfect sense to me why he was gone and I couldn't blame him because he also had no idea about his son, and it is also very easy to see the love Ben has always had for Frankie. Overall a nice read.
April 13, 2025
4.5 Cupcakes
Great debut book, I really enjoyed reading this story. I was hooked right from the beginning and could barely put it down.
I liked the main characters especially Frankie, she has been through a lot but stays strong and doesn't give up and does what she needs to do to survive. Her heart is broken since Ben disappeared 18 months ago and suddenly returns without any explanation.
Ben has a lot of emotional issues he has to deal with but doesn't want Frankie to know what is wrong but she has a surprise of her own.
Can they be together or has too much happened that they can't get passed it.
I also loved the secondary characters and would like to see them get their own book in the future. All in all this was a great read.
Till next time - Sweets Books
(Written by Sandi - SBAH)
Great debut book, I really enjoyed reading this story. I was hooked right from the beginning and could barely put it down.
I liked the main characters especially Frankie, she has been through a lot but stays strong and doesn't give up and does what she needs to do to survive. Her heart is broken since Ben disappeared 18 months ago and suddenly returns without any explanation.
Ben has a lot of emotional issues he has to deal with but doesn't want Frankie to know what is wrong but she has a surprise of her own.
Can they be together or has too much happened that they can't get passed it.
I also loved the secondary characters and would like to see them get their own book in the future. All in all this was a great read.
Till next time - Sweets Books
(Written by Sandi - SBAH)
July 26, 2015
3.5 STARSHIP
Great Debut book!! Ben and Frankie were perfect together. I loved how they worked as a couple to overcome their past. I also loved all of their friends! I would read more by this author
Great Debut book!! Ben and Frankie were perfect together. I loved how they worked as a couple to overcome their past. I also loved all of their friends! I would read more by this author
August 6, 2015
Debut novel
This is a debut novel that read like exactly that: a debut. Everyone has to start somewhere and there's the rest of your writing career to improve. And I think that the author tried to do everything right, but fell short in several areas.
The single most problematic area for me was by far the editing. Had it not been clearly indicated on the sales page that this book did in fact have a separate editor, I would have assumed that the author threw this into spell check, then uploaded a rough draft. And if she had done this, given this being her introduction to publishing, I would have forgiven her for her excitement. But clearly she had an editor, and beta readers, who all missed significant problems with this manuscript. Paragraph structure, missing words, incorrect punctuation, redundancies, improper verb tenses - all of these issues are seen throughout. I know mistakes happen and I don't expect perfection, but this was the most unpolished book I have read in recent memory. And I read a lot of books.
The story idea itself was not particularly original, which in and of itself is not an issue. But I want to feel the author's unique spin on things, and it wasn't here for me. I felt like I had read something like this before, and it just didn't captivate me like I wanted it to.
For all the references to Michigan, I felt like the only takeaway from this was that the state is extremely cold. If a couple slight mentions of Detroit had not been made, this could have easily been Wisconsin or Minnesota, because they are cold up there too. If an author is so prone to mention location time and again, I want an aside that shows me why. Not just proof that you can name one professional sports team there. How about talking about the People Mover, or The Joe, or one of their casinos? I know about all these and I've only been to Detroit twice.
Also heavy handed were the musical references. I know it's a thing to include a playlist for your book. But wow. Maybe I am really old, but half of the bands and songs I have never even heard of. It did make me happy that she apparently requested permission to use the song lyrics quoted. I worried about copyright issues until I got to the back matter of the book, where this was addressed.
The one thing she did overwhelmingly well was establish a fan base prior to release. It's impressive for a debut to do that well in sales rank, have that many reviews on release, and have that much blog coverage. And she has supporters in spades, which is quite the accomplishment.
The caveat to burning so brightly at the beginning is that it's easy to rest on your laurels and not improve. And there is plenty of room for improvement here. This author has potential, but she hasn't won me over yet. And I don't see myself continuing on with this series because I'm not convinced I will see growth in future works.
I'm just one person, and she'll do fine without me.
This is a debut novel that read like exactly that: a debut. Everyone has to start somewhere and there's the rest of your writing career to improve. And I think that the author tried to do everything right, but fell short in several areas.
The single most problematic area for me was by far the editing. Had it not been clearly indicated on the sales page that this book did in fact have a separate editor, I would have assumed that the author threw this into spell check, then uploaded a rough draft. And if she had done this, given this being her introduction to publishing, I would have forgiven her for her excitement. But clearly she had an editor, and beta readers, who all missed significant problems with this manuscript. Paragraph structure, missing words, incorrect punctuation, redundancies, improper verb tenses - all of these issues are seen throughout. I know mistakes happen and I don't expect perfection, but this was the most unpolished book I have read in recent memory. And I read a lot of books.
The story idea itself was not particularly original, which in and of itself is not an issue. But I want to feel the author's unique spin on things, and it wasn't here for me. I felt like I had read something like this before, and it just didn't captivate me like I wanted it to.
For all the references to Michigan, I felt like the only takeaway from this was that the state is extremely cold. If a couple slight mentions of Detroit had not been made, this could have easily been Wisconsin or Minnesota, because they are cold up there too. If an author is so prone to mention location time and again, I want an aside that shows me why. Not just proof that you can name one professional sports team there. How about talking about the People Mover, or The Joe, or one of their casinos? I know about all these and I've only been to Detroit twice.
Also heavy handed were the musical references. I know it's a thing to include a playlist for your book. But wow. Maybe I am really old, but half of the bands and songs I have never even heard of. It did make me happy that she apparently requested permission to use the song lyrics quoted. I worried about copyright issues until I got to the back matter of the book, where this was addressed.
The one thing she did overwhelmingly well was establish a fan base prior to release. It's impressive for a debut to do that well in sales rank, have that many reviews on release, and have that much blog coverage. And she has supporters in spades, which is quite the accomplishment.
The caveat to burning so brightly at the beginning is that it's easy to rest on your laurels and not improve. And there is plenty of room for improvement here. This author has potential, but she hasn't won me over yet. And I don't see myself continuing on with this series because I'm not convinced I will see growth in future works.
I'm just one person, and she'll do fine without me.
July 21, 2015
That One Night, was a troublesome book to review. For the most part, I found this to be a boring read with more things against it than for, but around the 80% mark things started to change and instead of not liking, I actually had something that held my attention. So now I find myself saying this is somewhere in the middle, I neither loved or hated it.
At the start, it showed a lot of promise, but I quickly lost interest when I couldn't connect to the characters. With the exception of the parents, no one was unlikeable, but I did find them a little immature and lacking in originality. A large part of this problem came from the interactions between the characters. I think the dialogue was supposed to be witty and emotional,but for me it just seemed flat and a little bit forced for the sake of drama or humour.
Now the second problem I had with the story was the hero's reason for disappearing for 18months. A lot of time was spent building up the event that changed his life, resulting in his melt down. I've got to say I did guess what it was, but I had hoped that I was wrong and that there was something more to justify the hero's brooding absence and secretive return, but alas I was right. For me, his reasons for going off the rails, felt like a complete over kill. Yes I can understand his shock, but an adult man abandoning his whole life not only seemed unrealistic but a little contrived for the sole purpose of angst.
Now I know I'm all "Miss Negative", but as I've already mentioned things did improve for me, so I have got some nice things to say.
I think this book is a great example of finishing what you begin, because it was nearing the finish line when things started to get good and juicy.
Something happens to this newly reunited family that scares them to the core and drama junky that I am, welcomed this little twist, as I was finally interested in seeing how this story was going to end. There was some genuine tense moments in this later part of the book and it was great to finally see the characters shine and come to life at last.
Its pretty clear this hasn't been a complete success for me but it did have some good moments so it wasn't a complete reading upset. All said and done this was an okay read for me but it maybe something good for others.
At the start, it showed a lot of promise, but I quickly lost interest when I couldn't connect to the characters. With the exception of the parents, no one was unlikeable, but I did find them a little immature and lacking in originality. A large part of this problem came from the interactions between the characters. I think the dialogue was supposed to be witty and emotional,but for me it just seemed flat and a little bit forced for the sake of drama or humour.
Now the second problem I had with the story was the hero's reason for disappearing for 18months. A lot of time was spent building up the event that changed his life, resulting in his melt down. I've got to say I did guess what it was, but I had hoped that I was wrong and that there was something more to justify the hero's brooding absence and secretive return, but alas I was right. For me, his reasons for going off the rails, felt like a complete over kill. Yes I can understand his shock, but an adult man abandoning his whole life not only seemed unrealistic but a little contrived for the sole purpose of angst.
Now I know I'm all "Miss Negative", but as I've already mentioned things did improve for me, so I have got some nice things to say.
I think this book is a great example of finishing what you begin, because it was nearing the finish line when things started to get good and juicy.
Something happens to this newly reunited family that scares them to the core and drama junky that I am, welcomed this little twist, as I was finally interested in seeing how this story was going to end. There was some genuine tense moments in this later part of the book and it was great to finally see the characters shine and come to life at last.
Its pretty clear this hasn't been a complete success for me but it did have some good moments so it wasn't a complete reading upset. All said and done this was an okay read for me but it maybe something good for others.
July 12, 2015
I received an arc of this book for an honest review. I'm not sure where to start, I did enjoy this story but there were a few issues with it. I liked how the book started with Frankie heading home to visit her family for Thanksgiving and we get glimpses of that one night through flashbacks during her long drive home. I thought it was a nice touch because you're just not sure exactly how it came to pass or even who the guy is to her. All that gets revealed fairly quickly and somewhat dramatically. All that made me want to keep reading to find out exactly who Ben was, how Ben would figure out who Archer was? If Ben would handle it gracefully and would he be able to redeem himself? The writer did a good job in unveiling all of that. I would say there were a few aspects that I found were a little drawn out and maybe unnecessary drama. Such as why Ben disappeared for 18 months than his secrecy about it and the mysterious calls. Not wanting to talk to his mom, it bugged me that he kept asking Frankie to trust him. But he didn't trust her enough to be forthcoming. I did get past that to finish the story, now I'm gonna go into my biggest pet peeve of the book and why I rated it 3 stars. I understand that I was reading an arc and that there would be some mistakes. I can generally overlook them or my brain just automatically corrects them. But with this it was throughout the book and to me should have been caught immediately. When writing a flashback it's done in the past tense not the present tense, considering it's a flashback of something that has already happened. Yet this author wrote it in the present tense. She kept using has instead of had. I could go through the book and pick out more. But thought I'd just use that one example as it was done repeatedly throughout the book. That isn't the main reason I rated it a 3, I didn't 100% connect with the characters and there were some repetitive aspects to something's that were said or described in the book as well. All in all it was a decent read but not a wow oh my god I've got to tell my friends about it read.
July 7, 2015
What a fabulous first book from this amazing author! The was a story that I had to read and finish in one sitting and I was pretty well gripped from the first page.
That One Night pretty well sums up the story - its based on the events of one night that sets into motion a path for the two main characters. Frankie is left with a permanent reminder of that night and hasn't set eyes on Ben, the other half of the love equation. It is a case of acting on the infatuation she has had with her brothers best friend, and believing that he felt the sme. Reality check comes the morning after when she is abandoned with just a simple one word note.
The journey of the two main characters hasn't been easy in the intervening year or so and you can tell pretty well straight away that the feelings they both had are still very much there. The only thing is Ben's actions need explanation and justification before Frankie will let down the defences she worked hard to erect.
And boy do we get a few surprises and twists to the tale. In their own ways both Frankie and Ben have reasons for their actions and much as both of their actions frustrated me to the point in wanted to lock them in the same room and talk! But it does lead to a story line that you need to read just to find out what happens and what mysterious burden Ben has carried.
There is the spark between the two almost from the moment they lay eyes on each other again and Ben is definitely a man on a mission. I loved his focus on getting back into Frankie's good books and this leads to some real awwwww moments as well as some pretty hot ones too! Frankie was the one who left me mildly exasperated but she has her reasons and comes good in the end.
The full cast of supporting characters were also endearing and I really did love Viv too - her abrasive comments and straight to the point attitude was refreshing!
I eagerly await the next book in this series and I so need Ben's point of view!
Four fantastic stars!
That One Night pretty well sums up the story - its based on the events of one night that sets into motion a path for the two main characters. Frankie is left with a permanent reminder of that night and hasn't set eyes on Ben, the other half of the love equation. It is a case of acting on the infatuation she has had with her brothers best friend, and believing that he felt the sme. Reality check comes the morning after when she is abandoned with just a simple one word note.
The journey of the two main characters hasn't been easy in the intervening year or so and you can tell pretty well straight away that the feelings they both had are still very much there. The only thing is Ben's actions need explanation and justification before Frankie will let down the defences she worked hard to erect.
And boy do we get a few surprises and twists to the tale. In their own ways both Frankie and Ben have reasons for their actions and much as both of their actions frustrated me to the point in wanted to lock them in the same room and talk! But it does lead to a story line that you need to read just to find out what happens and what mysterious burden Ben has carried.
There is the spark between the two almost from the moment they lay eyes on each other again and Ben is definitely a man on a mission. I loved his focus on getting back into Frankie's good books and this leads to some real awwwww moments as well as some pretty hot ones too! Frankie was the one who left me mildly exasperated but she has her reasons and comes good in the end.
The full cast of supporting characters were also endearing and I really did love Viv too - her abrasive comments and straight to the point attitude was refreshing!
I eagerly await the next book in this series and I so need Ben's point of view!
Four fantastic stars!
July 23, 2015
*Review copy received from the author for an honest review*
4 “Sorry” stars!
That One Night is a sweet romance about making mistakes, learning from them, and trying your hardest to make them right. Frankie and Ben’s relationship, or lack of at times, is not the norm. But yet I found myself rooting for them to be together the whole time. I was rooting for them before I even thought they should be together. How did the author do it?
“Why did he leave? Why didn’t he at least say goodbye? Why didn’t that night mean anything to him?”
One heartbreaking but amazing night is what brought them together, and the consequences of that night is what ultimately keeps them together. But there are issues…isn’t there always issues!?! LOL! What would keep us readers entertained if there wasn’t issues, right?!? Ben has a secret. Well duh!! He’s been gone for 18 months but doesn’t want to discuss it…oh, hell no!! Frankie was so much more patient than me. If he wanted in my pants, or even my life, he would have had to give up the info…just sayin’.
“I hate and love the effect he has on me, knowing full well that if I don’t guard my heart and body against it, it’ll be my undoing.”
And then Frankie’s family, she had a true family that supported her and helped her, and then she had parents. It’s sad how that all played out. But she did have a hilarious brother who even though he gave her a hard time, he loved her and had her back.
“You’re comparing my love life to stew?”
This story is FILLED with hilarious moments! I would say I was laughing at least 50% of the time. But, as you can see above, there are some emotional moments too. It is definitely a great mix of both.
That One Night is an easy and quick read that would be great for a beach or pool day this summer. Or even a rainy day snuggled on the couch. You are not going to get all emotional, but you will enjoy Ben and Frankie’s road to HEA :)
4 “Sorry” stars!
That One Night is a sweet romance about making mistakes, learning from them, and trying your hardest to make them right. Frankie and Ben’s relationship, or lack of at times, is not the norm. But yet I found myself rooting for them to be together the whole time. I was rooting for them before I even thought they should be together. How did the author do it?
“Why did he leave? Why didn’t he at least say goodbye? Why didn’t that night mean anything to him?”
One heartbreaking but amazing night is what brought them together, and the consequences of that night is what ultimately keeps them together. But there are issues…isn’t there always issues!?! LOL! What would keep us readers entertained if there wasn’t issues, right?!? Ben has a secret. Well duh!! He’s been gone for 18 months but doesn’t want to discuss it…oh, hell no!! Frankie was so much more patient than me. If he wanted in my pants, or even my life, he would have had to give up the info…just sayin’.
“I hate and love the effect he has on me, knowing full well that if I don’t guard my heart and body against it, it’ll be my undoing.”
And then Frankie’s family, she had a true family that supported her and helped her, and then she had parents. It’s sad how that all played out. But she did have a hilarious brother who even though he gave her a hard time, he loved her and had her back.
“You’re comparing my love life to stew?”
This story is FILLED with hilarious moments! I would say I was laughing at least 50% of the time. But, as you can see above, there are some emotional moments too. It is definitely a great mix of both.
That One Night is an easy and quick read that would be great for a beach or pool day this summer. Or even a rainy day snuggled on the couch. You are not going to get all emotional, but you will enjoy Ben and Frankie’s road to HEA :)
June 25, 2015
4.5 Stars!
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
Strength of character and conviction, even through diversity. Hello, meet Frankie. Lust put her in a pickle, but love taught her what was important. Josie Wright throws us into the middle of such emotional turmoil from the first line. Frankie is a paradox; she’s a bit of a glutton for punishment but an incredibly amazing mother. Initially, I couldn’t figure out if I thought she was strong or stupid. This duality will drive you a bit mad at times.
Sweet Ben is such a lost soul. You can see him constantly fighting himself. But, I will give it to him, he sure does roll with the punches really well. He’s the sweet boy next door whose life unraveled, and not he’s trying to sort the pieces back into a semblance of life.
The ups and downs of the story drove me to frustration, forcing me to put the book down at times. I pondered as to why Josie would do this to us when I was hit by an epiphany at the conclusion of the story. She pushes us to the brink of writing off the characters so that when we dig deeper into Ben and Frankie, the reaction is that much more visceral. You cheeky schemer! The twist really gets you.
You’re going to LOVE Frankie’s brother, Dave. HE IS AWESOME! Here’s to fingers crossed for his own book. I bet that man has a great story to tell. Frankie’s housemates are pretty awesome, as well. They’re a wonderful collection of eclectic and you can feel the warmth of the friendship leap off of the pages.
I enjoyed this debut novel and look forward to reading more by Wright. Her plot twists and writing are definitely worth the read.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
Strength of character and conviction, even through diversity. Hello, meet Frankie. Lust put her in a pickle, but love taught her what was important. Josie Wright throws us into the middle of such emotional turmoil from the first line. Frankie is a paradox; she’s a bit of a glutton for punishment but an incredibly amazing mother. Initially, I couldn’t figure out if I thought she was strong or stupid. This duality will drive you a bit mad at times.
Sweet Ben is such a lost soul. You can see him constantly fighting himself. But, I will give it to him, he sure does roll with the punches really well. He’s the sweet boy next door whose life unraveled, and not he’s trying to sort the pieces back into a semblance of life.
The ups and downs of the story drove me to frustration, forcing me to put the book down at times. I pondered as to why Josie would do this to us when I was hit by an epiphany at the conclusion of the story. She pushes us to the brink of writing off the characters so that when we dig deeper into Ben and Frankie, the reaction is that much more visceral. You cheeky schemer! The twist really gets you.
You’re going to LOVE Frankie’s brother, Dave. HE IS AWESOME! Here’s to fingers crossed for his own book. I bet that man has a great story to tell. Frankie’s housemates are pretty awesome, as well. They’re a wonderful collection of eclectic and you can feel the warmth of the friendship leap off of the pages.
I enjoyed this debut novel and look forward to reading more by Wright. Her plot twists and writing are definitely worth the read.
July 19, 2015
Can I give this zero star? Terrible writing style in the second half. The 1st half was tell not showing, no feelings..the 2nd half was written like a diary.
Bad plot. SPOILERS: reason why hero left: RIDICULOUS. A grown up man who can't communicate with his parents (portrayed as loving and caring ones) when he finds out his father is not his biological father. Instead he left for 2 years to find his biological father and worse he believed in everything this father told him , even if this father was in a mental institution.. Jeez!! What a moron!! WHY he didn't ask his mother first?? Why didn't he listen to her and after that he woul go find the biological ass his side of the story. LAME. Then, here comes the cliches: heroine has bad relationship with parents and in the end she cut the ties completely with them. The gay bff and his partner. The tattooed, purple haired, take no prisioner girlfriend. Everybody living together helping her taking care of her baby. No forgetting the good old lad neighbor who acts like everybody's mother and is always there to help. When the hero comes back he also moves into this house and becomes the fix upper, handyman. AAANNDDDD for me, the worst of all: I hate preaching in books, unless is part of the plot and I got the book knowing about it. Your lifestyle is yours and I respect it. Don't try to push it down my throat. Everybody was into health food, eco friendly objects, organic this and that, and meditation and yoga, and blah blah blah. Good for you. Live like this and be happy. don't waste lines in pages obsessing about it, because it's annoying.
Bad plot. SPOILERS: reason why hero left: RIDICULOUS. A grown up man who can't communicate with his parents (portrayed as loving and caring ones) when he finds out his father is not his biological father. Instead he left for 2 years to find his biological father and worse he believed in everything this father told him , even if this father was in a mental institution.. Jeez!! What a moron!! WHY he didn't ask his mother first?? Why didn't he listen to her and after that he woul go find the biological ass his side of the story. LAME. Then, here comes the cliches: heroine has bad relationship with parents and in the end she cut the ties completely with them. The gay bff and his partner. The tattooed, purple haired, take no prisioner girlfriend. Everybody living together helping her taking care of her baby. No forgetting the good old lad neighbor who acts like everybody's mother and is always there to help. When the hero comes back he also moves into this house and becomes the fix upper, handyman. AAANNDDDD for me, the worst of all: I hate preaching in books, unless is part of the plot and I got the book knowing about it. Your lifestyle is yours and I respect it. Don't try to push it down my throat. Everybody was into health food, eco friendly objects, organic this and that, and meditation and yoga, and blah blah blah. Good for you. Live like this and be happy. don't waste lines in pages obsessing about it, because it's annoying.
June 25, 2015
4.5 stars!!!
I’m super stoked for my sweet friend Josie Wright and her brilliant debut novel, This One Night. What a way to get your feet wet in the world of books, and in my opinion, this is an absolutely amazing first time out, and I’m beyond excited for y’all to read this one!
Frankie is a single mom, returning home with her baby son Archer. Needless to say, she has the type of parents who are more than disappointed with how her life has turned out. The only positive thing they have on their side is the love they have for their grandson.
Upon returning home, she comes face to face with her brother Dave’s best friend Ben, who also happens to be the love of her life who up and walked away from everyone 18 months ago, and left her heartbroken and betrayed. Secrets are revealed that will turn all their lives upside down and sideways. Needless to say, they have a lot to talk about, work through, and decisions to make on their future lives, whether it be together or apart.
I can’t say enough how much I adore the secondary characters in this story; they are the epitome of awesome! Frankie has the best support team a girl could ask for, and they are there for her through thick and thin, and bring spice, sass, and the most hilarious comedic situations. My faves are most definitely Dean and Alex, the coolest gay couple in the history of cool! I seriously want to adopt them as my own!
I’m super stoked for my sweet friend Josie Wright and her brilliant debut novel, This One Night. What a way to get your feet wet in the world of books, and in my opinion, this is an absolutely amazing first time out, and I’m beyond excited for y’all to read this one!
Frankie is a single mom, returning home with her baby son Archer. Needless to say, she has the type of parents who are more than disappointed with how her life has turned out. The only positive thing they have on their side is the love they have for their grandson.
Upon returning home, she comes face to face with her brother Dave’s best friend Ben, who also happens to be the love of her life who up and walked away from everyone 18 months ago, and left her heartbroken and betrayed. Secrets are revealed that will turn all their lives upside down and sideways. Needless to say, they have a lot to talk about, work through, and decisions to make on their future lives, whether it be together or apart.
I can’t say enough how much I adore the secondary characters in this story; they are the epitome of awesome! Frankie has the best support team a girl could ask for, and they are there for her through thick and thin, and bring spice, sass, and the most hilarious comedic situations. My faves are most definitely Dean and Alex, the coolest gay couple in the history of cool! I seriously want to adopt them as my own!
June 25, 2015
That One Night is LIVE!!!
It's $2.99 or FREE with KindleUnlimited!
http://www.amazon.com/That-One-Night-...
It's $2.99 or FREE with KindleUnlimited!
http://www.amazon.com/That-One-Night-...
August 8, 2015
Great and gripping story. I couldn't put it down. It had enough light hearted bits to make it palatable instead of drowning in an emotional journey. Really liked the characters and hope Dave and Viv get a story. Recommend.
June 17, 2016
A pretty okay read. I felt there were too many holes in the story for my liking, but I did enjoy Ben & Frankie's story! I love second chance romances, add that with an accident baby, and I'm basically in love. (:
June 26, 2015
Loved this! Cannot wait for Ben's POV ❤
Read
July 10, 2015It's a dnf for me. I tried. Really I did, but while she saying she angry she caves too easily.
March 24, 2022
This one started out good for me but then just kind of fizzled. I started to lose my interest about half way through but forced myself to skim through because I wanted to know what Ben's secret was. I wasn't really surprised by it but was a bit surprised by the conflict. The book was a little bit too telling instead of watching them reconnect and fall in love again. I would have liked to seen their interactions a bit more than being told about them. Also wished that Ben's POV was in this one, not sure that I want to read the whole story again from his POV. Wasn't terrible but didn't wow me.
December 29, 2017
I really enjoyed reading this story. I was hooked right from the beginning and could barely put it down !
September 19, 2015
“He’s always been in my life somehow, until he disappeared one night. That one night.”
I really enjoyed this book which is the authors debut book! It also got me out of my dreaded book funk so yay! extra points!! So onto a bit about the book. Frankie has had a crush on her brother’s best friend for as long as she can remember but she’s sure he dislikes her that is until one night and they share a night together which meant something to her and what she thought meant something to Ben too, until she wakes up alone with just a note left by Ben and then he disappears. Eighteen months later and they come face to face and are confronted with past and present issues to be resolved. This time around it’s not only the secret of their past keeping them tied to eachother.
I liked Frankie! I thought she was pretty strong considering. She was pretty much in love with Ben and he crushed her heart and disappeared without a word, well except for the one word he left on his note. Now eighteen months later and she is forced to come to face to face with him unexpectedly and along with that it’s back at the place where she has no doubt where she will be relentlessly ridiculed – her parents aren’t exactly a warm and friendly pair. She was also 100% selfless and I loved that. I loved what she was willing to let herself be put through for the sole benefit of someone else. I think she will be a very relatable character for a lot of people for sure!
Ben! I loved him. I’m a weak person when it comes to Book Boyfriends, I forgive them way too easily! He hadn’t even explained himself and I was kind of in love with him already… um, oops? lol! And when he did finally get around to it I loved him so much more! I loved his cockiness and cheekiness. He did also had a vulnerable side and I am a complete sucker for a vulnerability to a character, if I didn’t love him already I definitely would have now! I wanted to hit him at a certain point but thing about him was that from the start he was more than willing to admit he messed up big time and even more so determined to fight for what he left behind so I could never really stay mad at him!
“I’ll get that trust back, Frankie. I’ll get you back.”
I really did enjoy this book! At the start it was harder to connect with Frankie but not long after there are more characters added and more elements to the story and it really started to flow then! Oh I loved all the supporting characters and I took an extra liking to Frankie’s brother! I really hope Dave gets his own book! Another thing I really loved in this book was the take on family, the fact that family is what you make it. The difference between ‘blood’ family and the family you CHOOSE and boy did I love the family that Frankie chose.
“It’s family – not by blood, but by choice. And that is worth so much more.”
So, I was kind of expecting for this book to just consist of lots of hot sex and some dramatics. What I wasn’t expecting was the emotion and depth to it! There’s definitely sexy times! but the sexual tension? *WHEW!* And the emotional depth is something I seriously wasn’t expecting but I loved. There is build up and development in this story, I’m not going to lie sometimes I wanted to shout for them to jump eachother!! but the sexual tension and funny moments get you through it and honestly I think if they did have sex any sooner it would have ruined the story a little and when they do finally get to the sexy times it was so worth it, the build up was so much fun and you really get to know the characters. I thought I had it all figured out but there was a twist thrown in that caught me off guard and I definitely wasn’t expecting at all. All in all it was a really good book and I think there’s a little of everything in it and I’ll be definitely keeping an eye out for Dave’s possible book!
4 smooches from me!
– Jade x
I really enjoyed this book which is the authors debut book! It also got me out of my dreaded book funk so yay! extra points!! So onto a bit about the book. Frankie has had a crush on her brother’s best friend for as long as she can remember but she’s sure he dislikes her that is until one night and they share a night together which meant something to her and what she thought meant something to Ben too, until she wakes up alone with just a note left by Ben and then he disappears. Eighteen months later and they come face to face and are confronted with past and present issues to be resolved. This time around it’s not only the secret of their past keeping them tied to eachother.
I liked Frankie! I thought she was pretty strong considering. She was pretty much in love with Ben and he crushed her heart and disappeared without a word, well except for the one word he left on his note. Now eighteen months later and she is forced to come to face to face with him unexpectedly and along with that it’s back at the place where she has no doubt where she will be relentlessly ridiculed – her parents aren’t exactly a warm and friendly pair. She was also 100% selfless and I loved that. I loved what she was willing to let herself be put through for the sole benefit of someone else. I think she will be a very relatable character for a lot of people for sure!
Ben! I loved him. I’m a weak person when it comes to Book Boyfriends, I forgive them way too easily! He hadn’t even explained himself and I was kind of in love with him already… um, oops? lol! And when he did finally get around to it I loved him so much more! I loved his cockiness and cheekiness. He did also had a vulnerable side and I am a complete sucker for a vulnerability to a character, if I didn’t love him already I definitely would have now! I wanted to hit him at a certain point but thing about him was that from the start he was more than willing to admit he messed up big time and even more so determined to fight for what he left behind so I could never really stay mad at him!
“I’ll get that trust back, Frankie. I’ll get you back.”
I really did enjoy this book! At the start it was harder to connect with Frankie but not long after there are more characters added and more elements to the story and it really started to flow then! Oh I loved all the supporting characters and I took an extra liking to Frankie’s brother! I really hope Dave gets his own book! Another thing I really loved in this book was the take on family, the fact that family is what you make it. The difference between ‘blood’ family and the family you CHOOSE and boy did I love the family that Frankie chose.
“It’s family – not by blood, but by choice. And that is worth so much more.”
So, I was kind of expecting for this book to just consist of lots of hot sex and some dramatics. What I wasn’t expecting was the emotion and depth to it! There’s definitely sexy times! but the sexual tension? *WHEW!* And the emotional depth is something I seriously wasn’t expecting but I loved. There is build up and development in this story, I’m not going to lie sometimes I wanted to shout for them to jump eachother!! but the sexual tension and funny moments get you through it and honestly I think if they did have sex any sooner it would have ruined the story a little and when they do finally get to the sexy times it was so worth it, the build up was so much fun and you really get to know the characters. I thought I had it all figured out but there was a twist thrown in that caught me off guard and I definitely wasn’t expecting at all. All in all it was a really good book and I think there’s a little of everything in it and I’ll be definitely keeping an eye out for Dave’s possible book!
4 smooches from me!
– Jade x
May 28, 2016
Read the full review on Bookaholics Not-So-Anonymous.
Note: This ebook was provided by Give Me Books Promotions in exchange for an honest review.
This was a good read, one that had angst and drama but it was balanced out with lighthearted humor and sigh-worthy moments. Frankie is probably one of my recent favorite female main characters. She was courageous and forthright, and didn't allow the hurdles thrown her way to get her down. She was independent but she also didn't shy away from leaning on her brother or her best friends and those she considered family when everything got to be too much. I was glad she didn't simply allow herself to swoon and give into what I felt were Ben's dubious attempts at being charming. Her cussing up a storm and flipping people off on a regular basis clinched her badass heroine status for me because I do the same things. But that's just a small part of what makes her a great lead character. She strove to continue with her studies while still providing the best possible life for Archer, and while was still very much in love with Ben, she wanted him to work for the right to be someone in her life again and rightly so! She was fabulous.
Then there's Ben. Ah, Ben. It took me much longer to see Ben as more than the cocky guy that he was. Considering he left Frankie the way he did a year and a half prior and that he just found out he was the father to a nine-month-old, Ben seemed to be more than ready to flirt and let Frankie know that she was going to want to sleep with him again. Seriously? But yes, he did make up for all that jackassery (feel free to add that to your dictionary). The reason for his disappearance remains a secret for more than half the book and then there's an additional twist that's thrown into the mix. All in all, the story was good, but goodness, it was longer than I felt it should have been. There were a lot of mundane things going on and while it was good in the beginning because you feel as if you're part of the daily routine, that's what it ended up feeling like--routine. The highlights were exactly that--highlights--but I could have done without all the fillers because it ended up taking away from the overall experience. That One Night gets four stars. ♥
Note: This ebook was provided by Give Me Books Promotions in exchange for an honest review.
This was a good read, one that had angst and drama but it was balanced out with lighthearted humor and sigh-worthy moments. Frankie is probably one of my recent favorite female main characters. She was courageous and forthright, and didn't allow the hurdles thrown her way to get her down. She was independent but she also didn't shy away from leaning on her brother or her best friends and those she considered family when everything got to be too much. I was glad she didn't simply allow herself to swoon and give into what I felt were Ben's dubious attempts at being charming. Her cussing up a storm and flipping people off on a regular basis clinched her badass heroine status for me because I do the same things. But that's just a small part of what makes her a great lead character. She strove to continue with her studies while still providing the best possible life for Archer, and while was still very much in love with Ben, she wanted him to work for the right to be someone in her life again and rightly so! She was fabulous.
Then there's Ben. Ah, Ben. It took me much longer to see Ben as more than the cocky guy that he was. Considering he left Frankie the way he did a year and a half prior and that he just found out he was the father to a nine-month-old, Ben seemed to be more than ready to flirt and let Frankie know that she was going to want to sleep with him again. Seriously? But yes, he did make up for all that jackassery (feel free to add that to your dictionary). The reason for his disappearance remains a secret for more than half the book and then there's an additional twist that's thrown into the mix. All in all, the story was good, but goodness, it was longer than I felt it should have been. There were a lot of mundane things going on and while it was good in the beginning because you feel as if you're part of the daily routine, that's what it ended up feeling like--routine. The highlights were exactly that--highlights--but I could have done without all the fillers because it ended up taking away from the overall experience. That One Night gets four stars. ♥
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