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One Night Only
The romantic vs the cynic
Chemistry is all they have in common!
New York lawyer Ash has moved to London to escape his demons—and one red-hot night with gorgeous stranger Essie is the perfect distraction! He’s ready to forget about her entirely…until she walks into his office for her first day at work. She’s a romantic, seeking her happily-ever-after—he’s a distrustful cynic who can’t commit… Could a sexy fling be the best mistake of their lives?
- GenresRomance
225 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 21, 2018
12 people are currently reading
63 people want to read
About the author
J.C. Harroway
175 books66 followersLifelong romance addict J.C. Harroway lives in New Zealand. Writing feeds her very real obsession with happy endings and the endorphin rush they create. You can follow her at www.jcharroway.com
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
June 1, 2018
One Night Only by J.C. Harroway is a sexy romance that combines a couple of favorite tropes (workplace romance, best friend’s sibling) in an enjoyable and entertaining story.
When Essie Newbold encounters Ash Jacob in a London City park, what starts out as a friendly meeting quickly morphs into a sexy one night stand. Essie doesn’t correct Ash’s assumption that she’s a tourist in the city since they don’t plan to see each other again. So imagine her surprise when she shows up at her brother Ben’s new London club to take on the position of his new bar manager to find his silent partner is none other than Ash. Awkward! While they can pretend they’re meeting for the first time to avoid explaining things to Ben, when Ben leaves the two of them to handle things while he deals with his New York club issues, things get a little complicated.
Ash is in London due to a paparazzi fueled nightmare involving his reprobate father and ex-girlfriend. He wants nothing to do with relationships, or the press, and is lying low. He never goes for more than one night with a woman but being around Essie is too much temptation, even though he’s angry over her deception. He’s not sure he trusts her to be in charge while Ben’s gone, so he plans to keep a close eye on her.
As for Essie, her family life is complicated to say the least, and her chance to prove her worth to her brother by helping him when he needs her is vitally important to her. She’s certainly not going to let a bit of sexual attraction hinder her. She’s just gotten a PhD in psychology and is job hunting in her field while she helps her brother out. She runs a popular relationship blog in her spare time, and detailing her one night stand with the mystery stranger and subsequent shock meeting the next day (she keep’s Ash’s identity anonymous) gives her blog a boost. As Ash and Essie spend time together, they find themselves unable to resist their attraction. But with Ash’s aversion to gossip and the paparazzi, when he finds out he’s the star of Essie’s blog will it ruin what they’ve been building between them?
For more of this review please visit Harlequin Junkie: http://harlequinjunkie.com/review-one...
A copy of this story was provided by the publisher for review.
When Essie Newbold encounters Ash Jacob in a London City park, what starts out as a friendly meeting quickly morphs into a sexy one night stand. Essie doesn’t correct Ash’s assumption that she’s a tourist in the city since they don’t plan to see each other again. So imagine her surprise when she shows up at her brother Ben’s new London club to take on the position of his new bar manager to find his silent partner is none other than Ash. Awkward! While they can pretend they’re meeting for the first time to avoid explaining things to Ben, when Ben leaves the two of them to handle things while he deals with his New York club issues, things get a little complicated.
Ash is in London due to a paparazzi fueled nightmare involving his reprobate father and ex-girlfriend. He wants nothing to do with relationships, or the press, and is lying low. He never goes for more than one night with a woman but being around Essie is too much temptation, even though he’s angry over her deception. He’s not sure he trusts her to be in charge while Ben’s gone, so he plans to keep a close eye on her.
As for Essie, her family life is complicated to say the least, and her chance to prove her worth to her brother by helping him when he needs her is vitally important to her. She’s certainly not going to let a bit of sexual attraction hinder her. She’s just gotten a PhD in psychology and is job hunting in her field while she helps her brother out. She runs a popular relationship blog in her spare time, and detailing her one night stand with the mystery stranger and subsequent shock meeting the next day (she keep’s Ash’s identity anonymous) gives her blog a boost. As Ash and Essie spend time together, they find themselves unable to resist their attraction. But with Ash’s aversion to gossip and the paparazzi, when he finds out he’s the star of Essie’s blog will it ruin what they’ve been building between them?
For more of this review please visit Harlequin Junkie: http://harlequinjunkie.com/review-one...
A copy of this story was provided by the publisher for review.
May 19, 2018
Hot, sexy read with enough attitude to keep you turning the pages. Superb romance.
May 26, 2018
Ash and Essie are a mass of kinetic energy. They share more than chemistry. The danger for them lies in allowing themselves to be vulnerable. He's running from the pain of a recent curveball in his life. She's running toward a better future for herself. It's the fear that keeps them moving, but the heart that holds them back. The contradictions are what make them a perfect match. She pushes him to look beyond the past and into the future. He challenges her to face the past without drowning in the heartache. Harroway tackles romance with a realism that is temptingly gritty, but never skips out on heart.
June 7, 2018
The meet cute in this is slightly awkward/forced, but after that, the book really hums. I love the conflict in the heroine - trying to prove herself, while also caring for everyone around her. The hero enters the book having already been humbled, so he's already done the alpha-hole journey and can simply be a hero.
Very enjoyable.
Very enjoyable.
April 15, 2025
DNF
About 2/3 in, I gave up on this book. Neither of the MCs is likeable. She's flaky, he's angry. Essie picks up New Yorker Ash, thinking he's a tourist she'll never see again, in a London park for a ONS. She's come from a lousy relationship & wants to expand her sexual horizons. He's escaping scandal & heartache & is, of course, filthy rich. He thinks she's not a Londoner. Neither wants a relationship.
Next day, surprise surprise, they learn that they'll be working together in the club Ash owns with Essie's half-brother Ben. Now they find that they don't like each other but still feel red-hot lust. Both have trust issues & cheating fathers. We're supposed to believe that this shared background will bring them together.
Essie has just completed a Ph.D in Psychology. She has an anonymous blog on relationships. Until now it's been somewhat academic but now she discusses her interactions with Ash (giving him the pseudonym 'Irrestibly Hot') & attracts lots more followers. For a would-be relationship therapist, she lacks sensitivity towards the feelings of others. It's obvious from the get-go that he's going to find out about it & it will result in their break up.
The setup is contrived. Their relationship is based on sex and I couldn't believe in their falling in love. The sex scenes aren't very erotic. Ash thinks about sex in graphic terms but Essie thinks of his penis as his 'manhood'. I don't know any young women who use that term. It's only used in historical romance or modern romances from 20+ years ago.
About 2/3 in, I gave up on this book. Neither of the MCs is likeable. She's flaky, he's angry. Essie picks up New Yorker Ash, thinking he's a tourist she'll never see again, in a London park for a ONS. She's come from a lousy relationship & wants to expand her sexual horizons. He's escaping scandal & heartache & is, of course, filthy rich. He thinks she's not a Londoner. Neither wants a relationship.
Next day, surprise surprise, they learn that they'll be working together in the club Ash owns with Essie's half-brother Ben. Now they find that they don't like each other but still feel red-hot lust. Both have trust issues & cheating fathers. We're supposed to believe that this shared background will bring them together.
Essie has just completed a Ph.D in Psychology. She has an anonymous blog on relationships. Until now it's been somewhat academic but now she discusses her interactions with Ash (giving him the pseudonym 'Irrestibly Hot') & attracts lots more followers. For a would-be relationship therapist, she lacks sensitivity towards the feelings of others. It's obvious from the get-go that he's going to find out about it & it will result in their break up.
The setup is contrived. Their relationship is based on sex and I couldn't believe in their falling in love. The sex scenes aren't very erotic. Ash thinks about sex in graphic terms but Essie thinks of his penis as his 'manhood'. I don't know any young women who use that term. It's only used in historical romance or modern romances from 20+ years ago.
June 29, 2019
A nouveau un schéma assez classique, mais franchement il fonctionne pas mal, alors pourquoi chercher plus loin !
Lorsque votre coup d’un soir fini par se compliquer lorsque vous vous rendez compte que vous allez devoir travailler avec cette personne… pas simple comme situation, et pourtant, c’est bien celle-ci que vont devoir affronter Ash et Essie. Honnêtement, ce schéma assez classique ne m’a pourtant pas gênée, alors qu’en général tout ce qui est cliché me fait lever les yeux au ciel. Je me suis moi aussi laissée prendre au jeu au premier abord sans conséquences, et j’ai adoré les voir se dépatouiller par la suite.
JC Harroway détient apparemment la recette pour me faire apprécier un déroulement d’intrigue où finalement rien n’est vraiment une surprise, que ce soit au niveau du déroulement que sur le final.
Mon seul petit bémol est que nous avons énormément le point de vue d’Essie, beaucoup moins celui de Ash, et j’aurais justement aimé passer un peu plus de temps dans son esprit, je pense que cela aurait pu donner plus d’addictivité au récit, tout comme peut-être, un peu plus d’imprévus. Mais honnêtement, cela fonctionne malgré tout, donc je ne me plains pas
Lorsque votre coup d’un soir fini par se compliquer lorsque vous vous rendez compte que vous allez devoir travailler avec cette personne… pas simple comme situation, et pourtant, c’est bien celle-ci que vont devoir affronter Ash et Essie. Honnêtement, ce schéma assez classique ne m’a pourtant pas gênée, alors qu’en général tout ce qui est cliché me fait lever les yeux au ciel. Je me suis moi aussi laissée prendre au jeu au premier abord sans conséquences, et j’ai adoré les voir se dépatouiller par la suite.
JC Harroway détient apparemment la recette pour me faire apprécier un déroulement d’intrigue où finalement rien n’est vraiment une surprise, que ce soit au niveau du déroulement que sur le final.
Mon seul petit bémol est que nous avons énormément le point de vue d’Essie, beaucoup moins celui de Ash, et j’aurais justement aimé passer un peu plus de temps dans son esprit, je pense que cela aurait pu donner plus d’addictivité au récit, tout comme peut-être, un peu plus d’imprévus. Mais honnêtement, cela fonctionne malgré tout, donc je ne me plains pas
March 17, 2024
Libro elegido para el reto literario del grupo musero de FB de Juani Hernández.
Un libro intenso, donde los sentimientos son el principal protagonista. Me ha gustado la historia y como se ha desarrollado, un encuentro fortuito que se convierte en algo más. A veces cuanto menos buscas, más encuentras y eso es lo que les pasa a los protagonistas, Ash es un abogado de éxito, solitario e introvertido, y Essie, es una joven que no sabe lo que quiere, recién licenciada en psicología esta buscando su sitio.
Me ha encantado Ash, por qué a pesar de todo es un trozo de pan, y se deja llevar aunque no lo quiera admitir. En cambio Essie, ha habido veces que le hubiese dado una colleja por dejarse arrastrar, esta bien experimentar pero sin cruzar ciertos límites.
Aunque el personaje que más me ha gustado es Ben, socio de Ash, y hermano de Essie, creo que es el pegamento de la historia, y aunque sale poco influye en ambos de manera positiva.
Un libro interesante, para pasar un buen rato.
Un libro intenso, donde los sentimientos son el principal protagonista. Me ha gustado la historia y como se ha desarrollado, un encuentro fortuito que se convierte en algo más. A veces cuanto menos buscas, más encuentras y eso es lo que les pasa a los protagonistas, Ash es un abogado de éxito, solitario e introvertido, y Essie, es una joven que no sabe lo que quiere, recién licenciada en psicología esta buscando su sitio.
Me ha encantado Ash, por qué a pesar de todo es un trozo de pan, y se deja llevar aunque no lo quiera admitir. En cambio Essie, ha habido veces que le hubiese dado una colleja por dejarse arrastrar, esta bien experimentar pero sin cruzar ciertos límites.
Aunque el personaje que más me ha gustado es Ben, socio de Ash, y hermano de Essie, creo que es el pegamento de la historia, y aunque sale poco influye en ambos de manera positiva.
Un libro interesante, para pasar un buen rato.
January 7, 2019
I thoroughly enjoyed One Night Only. It captures and brings everything you’d expect and hope for from both a work-place romance, and a best-friends-sibling romance too. With its unique storyline that kept me hooked, and characters that go through an obvious and applaud-worthy character development from both having daddy issues, to them then overcoming them in their own ways, this standalone is a story I devoured and only ever craved for more of every time I was forced to put it down. Ash and Essie’s story was sexy and sensual, and fun and enjoyable, and all in all it’s just everything you’d come to expect from Mills and Boon’s highly addictive DARE series.
February 11, 2019
A steamy romance featuring sexy, cynical Ash Jacob and delightfully optimistic Essie Newbold. The aptly named Ash has been burnt by a past relationship. He shuns commitment, preferring one night stands. While Essie is not usually into one night stands, she can't resist the sexy lawyer, and who can blame her? I loved the chemistry between these two, and the way they both came to terms with past hurts and overcame their demons. I highly recommend One Night Only.
August 8, 2019
Another great read by JC Harroway! The chemistry is off the charts and I love that they both suffered at the hands of their fathers and their exes so in effect they had similar hurdles to overcome. It’s such a vibrant tale, with the backdrops painted so vividly in my mind that I felt like I was there right alongside Ash and Essie ❤️ Hot, emotive and truly fabulous!
If steamy romance is your thing, snap this up, you won’t regret it!
If steamy romance is your thing, snap this up, you won’t regret it!
April 25, 2020
La novela me ha gustado mucho, es cortita y me la he terminado en un suspiro. No tiene una trama muy original pero tiene ese toque que te hace mantenerte pegado a sus páginas y deseas ver la evolución de los personajes. Además la autora ha sabido muy bien transmitir el deseo de ambos y me ha gustado mucho su pluma. Realmente la recomiendo.
July 21, 2020
3.75 stars
March 17, 2020
I think I was supposed to like both MCs, but I didn't. I was supposed to find Essie quirky and funny, while Ash was dark and broody and sexy. I didn't feel much of anything. Right from their "one night only", I just never felt chemistry...just insta-lust that needed to be fulfilled. I'm not quite sure who Essie was as a person...she's soon-to-graduate with a Ph.D. in Psychology and she wants a career as a relationship therapist. She also does this Anonymous blog where she genuinely wants to document an ANON-encounter with an ONS. This is where I am lost about who she is and why she does what she does or acts how she acts.
Essie and Ash meet in a London park where it may or may not be true that Essie pretended that her phone died and had Ash take her picture in front of the London EYE [she will use this pic on a later blog, she told us]...so she faked a dead cell phone to find a complete stranger to have an ONS with...and it happened to be Ash...oh-kay...
Ash is supposed to look like the asshole, which he is but Essie is just as bad because while she not only keeps having sex once finding out Ash is the business partner in a club with her half-bro, but they're good friends. I guess I'm supposed to see "kindred spirits" and "soulmates" in Ash & Essie because both have lying ,cheating fathers who hurt them and they also had massively disgusting Exes. Essie has some experience in the bar scene so her half-bro utilizes her "expertise" in a managerial situation, as Ash is co-owner of the bar/club.
Now, after their ONS, and they see each other at work...it's insta-HATE...or at least an annoying frustration with each other. I never felt it go away and switch over to love. Maybe with Essie it was a bit more substantial, with Ash it just seemed he would listen to his "D" because it wanted Essie and always seemed to react whenever she was around. Essie wasn't a great reactor around Ash, and she never made much sense. hehe, they even have a inner dialogue POV conversation about the other...each of them saying how Ash is 3-different types of people, don't fall in love with him...And Essie is 3-different types of people, stand clear of her. This almost felt close to a "hate-fuck" relationship, where they were just fuck buddies with neither of them having good intentions for themselves or each other. Essie had an experimental sex kick she wanted to try out...and Ash was willing.
Also, for some weird reason, they felt comfortable enough to word vomit all their personal bullshit at one another; I'm not sure if they were seeking sympathy or trying to one-up one another, but it got weird how much they opened up but never truly became "intimate" in a genuine and authentic way. And, I knew this would happen...Ash learns about Essie's ANON Blog [where she nicknames him "Irresistibly Hot"]...and here again, I'm sure this was meant to be some identifier on Essie's character, show her as imperfect and flawed. What it truly showed was how selfish and heartless and a creep she was. I understand she never named Ash outright, but once he was telling her private issues with personal pain attached...and if she truly loved him as much as she claimed...wouldn't she want to take all that ONS Blogging down? They had a creepy awkward break-up scene...a couple of times...to the point where Ash never wanted to hear any excuses from Essie, while she begged to be forgiven...and he hands her this envelope to claim he's SUING her to get her to take her blog about him down, which he faked...O_O I mean, these two...these people...they're damaged and they're toxic to others and themselves...it's chilling...
I mean, all thru their sexual relationship, she kept getting sound notifications of people replying or commenting to her posts, so it sounds like she not only did the first one, but then several more as she kept sleeping/fucking him. It was jarringly sickening, actually.
This is why it's so strange that he forgave her in the end and they got an HEA...so, I guess everything is fine?!
Essie and Ash meet in a London park where it may or may not be true that Essie pretended that her phone died and had Ash take her picture in front of the London EYE [she will use this pic on a later blog, she told us]...so she faked a dead cell phone to find a complete stranger to have an ONS with...and it happened to be Ash...oh-kay...
Ash is supposed to look like the asshole, which he is but Essie is just as bad because while she not only keeps having sex once finding out Ash is the business partner in a club with her half-bro, but they're good friends. I guess I'm supposed to see "kindred spirits" and "soulmates" in Ash & Essie because both have lying ,cheating fathers who hurt them and they also had massively disgusting Exes. Essie has some experience in the bar scene so her half-bro utilizes her "expertise" in a managerial situation, as Ash is co-owner of the bar/club.
Now, after their ONS, and they see each other at work...it's insta-HATE...or at least an annoying frustration with each other. I never felt it go away and switch over to love. Maybe with Essie it was a bit more substantial, with Ash it just seemed he would listen to his "D" because it wanted Essie and always seemed to react whenever she was around. Essie wasn't a great reactor around Ash, and she never made much sense. hehe, they even have a inner dialogue POV conversation about the other...each of them saying how Ash is 3-different types of people, don't fall in love with him...And Essie is 3-different types of people, stand clear of her. This almost felt close to a "hate-fuck" relationship, where they were just fuck buddies with neither of them having good intentions for themselves or each other. Essie had an experimental sex kick she wanted to try out...and Ash was willing.
Also, for some weird reason, they felt comfortable enough to word vomit all their personal bullshit at one another; I'm not sure if they were seeking sympathy or trying to one-up one another, but it got weird how much they opened up but never truly became "intimate" in a genuine and authentic way. And, I knew this would happen...Ash learns about Essie's ANON Blog [where she nicknames him "Irresistibly Hot"]...and here again, I'm sure this was meant to be some identifier on Essie's character, show her as imperfect and flawed. What it truly showed was how selfish and heartless and a creep she was. I understand she never named Ash outright, but once he was telling her private issues with personal pain attached...and if she truly loved him as much as she claimed...wouldn't she want to take all that ONS Blogging down? They had a creepy awkward break-up scene...a couple of times...to the point where Ash never wanted to hear any excuses from Essie, while she begged to be forgiven...and he hands her this envelope to claim he's SUING her to get her to take her blog about him down, which he faked...O_O I mean, these two...these people...they're damaged and they're toxic to others and themselves...it's chilling...
I mean, all thru their sexual relationship, she kept getting sound notifications of people replying or commenting to her posts, so it sounds like she not only did the first one, but then several more as she kept sleeping/fucking him. It was jarringly sickening, actually.
This is why it's so strange that he forgave her in the end and they got an HEA...so, I guess everything is fine?!
June 13, 2019
Mucha descripción totalmente absurda.
Lo dejo nada más empezar.
Lo dejo nada más empezar.
November 26, 2018
Two people disenchanted people due to their own fathers n exes who come together with powerful attraction n explosive chemistry
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