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Only You
Jane is divorced and the wrong side of thirty. It's definitely all over for her…isn't it?
Jane Hollinger is divorced and the wrong side of thirty – as she puts it. Her friends are pressuring her to dive back into London’s dating pool, but she’s content with her quiet life teaching family history evening classes.
Robert Armstrong is every woman’s fantasy: handsome, charming, rich and famous. When he asks her to meet him, she convinces herself it’s because he needs her help with a mystery in his family tree. Soon she realises he’s interested in more than her genealogy expertise. Now the paparazzi want a piece of Jane too.
Can Jane handle living – and loving – in the spotlight?
Jane Hollinger is divorced and the wrong side of thirty – as she puts it. Her friends are pressuring her to dive back into London’s dating pool, but she’s content with her quiet life teaching family history evening classes.
Robert Armstrong is every woman’s fantasy: handsome, charming, rich and famous. When he asks her to meet him, she convinces herself it’s because he needs her help with a mystery in his family tree. Soon she realises he’s interested in more than her genealogy expertise. Now the paparazzi want a piece of Jane too.
Can Jane handle living – and loving – in the spotlight?
253 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 24, 2019
18 people are currently reading
345 people want to read
About the author
Lorna Peel
21 books167 followersLorna Peel writes historical fiction and mystery romance novels set in Ireland and the UK. She is best known for The Fitzgeralds of Dublin Series, a gritty family saga set in 19th-century Ireland. Lorna worked as a professional genealogist and tour guide for many years but now writes full time. She is passionate about history and enjoys researching her family tree and disappearing down research rabbit holes.
Visit https://lornapeel.eo.page to sign up for Lorna's newsletter and get a FREE and exclusive Fitzgeralds of Dublin Series prequel novelette, and be the first to hear Lorna's news and updates.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
October 26, 2014
I enjoyed Lorna Peel's romantic take on a completely normal woman and the actor she ultimately falls in love with. This was a fast and easy read with very well developed characters. I was invested in the relationship between Jane Hollinger and Robert Armstrong within minutes of beginning the read.
These two main characters had their work cut out for them. Robert sought honesty and a normal relationship in his life. Jane sought life out of the public eye, and had had her trust abused by her first husband. It was a struggle for them to find a place in the middle where they could both feel safe and loved. Be that as it was, there was no doubt they both felt a deep bond for one another...one that would potentially be their saving grace in the years to come.
If you enjoy a fast read, a simple romantic tale with viable obstacles to be overcome, I would highly recommend this read.
These two main characters had their work cut out for them. Robert sought honesty and a normal relationship in his life. Jane sought life out of the public eye, and had had her trust abused by her first husband. It was a struggle for them to find a place in the middle where they could both feel safe and loved. Be that as it was, there was no doubt they both felt a deep bond for one another...one that would potentially be their saving grace in the years to come.
If you enjoy a fast read, a simple romantic tale with viable obstacles to be overcome, I would highly recommend this read.
June 19, 2022
This is not a grand passion story, but it is very English and very believable. At first I thought she was older than him, but his birth year is 1979 and given this book was published in 2019 he would seem to be forty. Which makes the falling out with his parents extremely long lasting. She’s thirty-one. I don’t actually remember his age anywhere. The heroine does say at one point she’s never been on a date with a man his age, but that’s it.
I don’t understand her reticence based on the opinions of others. He’s semi-famous, getting more so. But her worry is that women will hate her. Who the hell cares? After her husband cheated, she should be all “in your face, bitches!” - but nicer. It just doesn’t make sense. To that point, the scenes with her ex and his OW were good. Satisfying.
Ultimately, what really detracted for me was all the time apart. We got a relationship based on several weekly classes as teacher-student, a couple dates, and then months would go by where we were told only that months went by. But we got detailed girls’ nights and scenes with her sister “Mags” who was highly annoying.
The parts I liked I really liked, but it missed the mark in several ways. For example, she’s never actually in the spotlight. And there’s no epilogue.
I don’t understand her reticence based on the opinions of others. He’s semi-famous, getting more so. But her worry is that women will hate her. Who the hell cares? After her husband cheated, she should be all “in your face, bitches!” - but nicer. It just doesn’t make sense. To that point, the scenes with her ex and his OW were good. Satisfying.
Ultimately, what really detracted for me was all the time apart. We got a relationship based on several weekly classes as teacher-student, a couple dates, and then months would go by where we were told only that months went by. But we got detailed girls’ nights and scenes with her sister “Mags” who was highly annoying.
The parts I liked I really liked, but it missed the mark in several ways. For example, she’s never actually in the spotlight. And there’s no epilogue.
April 6, 2013
Enjoyed this very much! Lorna Peel has a unique voice with the kind of humor I enjoy -- sarcasm! I also enjoyed the English colloquiums. Lots of fun.
May 2, 2013
I lived the trending use of a genealogy class. There are so many reasons to trace your family, many discussed here too. The live story was the overall draw, but the sub plot was better
April 13, 2019
cute contemporary - full review to come
June 7, 2019
Really cute romance. Great writing too! Filled with wittiness, humor, drama and romance, this was a quick and enjoyable read, and I will definately read more by this author.
May 24, 2020
An entertaining read with more substance than the cover might suggest.
January 9, 2022
DNF 30% in. Just wasn't grabbing me.
November 15, 2022
Enjoyed this - a nice escape of an evening (read in one sitting) and I got involved with the characters.
November 16, 2013
Only You is a chick-lit book that is an entertaining read with characters that slowly drew me in and piqued my interest to the point where I ended up caring about them.
First Line of Only You:
“Thirty-one, and reflected in the bathroom mirro, in the late evening twilight, didn’t she know it.”
My Recap of Only You:
Jane while teaching at her Genealogy night class meets with a famous, upcoming British actor. Together they have an instant spark but Jane is uncomfortable with all the attention from the press and public and this makes their relationship flounder.
My Thoughts on Only You:
I thought this book was a light, breezy, easy read and perfect for a few hours escapism. The characters were a slow burn for me but gradually I was pulled into their lives and gradually I grew to really like both Jane and Robert. They have an obvious connection and very quickly grew attached to each other.
What bothered me slightly was that I couldn’t see just why Robert was so attracted to Jane. I mean she was a lovely, warm, common sense character but with all the women throwing themselves at his feet, I wasn’t quite sure just want made Jane stand out for him. Even if had some clues as to what he really found so attractive, I would have believed in this more. We are lead to understand this is the case and eventually I did buy in to it but I would have bought in sooner if I knew what he fell so hard for. However, all that said, they are a strong couple together and they do seem to compliment each others personality really well.
I really enjoyed the humour in the book. It is very subtle humour and once you get used to the style, there is lots to smirk over. I also really like that the humour isn’t OTT, there is no over emphasising something funny. It’s there, it happens, you laugh and move on. I really like that as I hate when it all becomes ridiculous and goes down the comedy capers route.
The genealogy aspect is interesting and I'd like to have heard a bit more about it. The book has a habit of skipping chunks of time and this is a bit distracting at times. For example Robert found out what happened his twin brother (he only found out he had one when tracing his family tree) but it was only later in the book that we found out just how he found that out. I felt like the storyline was dropped and then reappeared. By the end of the book, all loose threads are tied up though so I don't have any complaints there.
Overall this was a chick-lit that sparkled at times and while it didn't sustain the sparkle throughout the whole book for me, it was still one I enjoyed reading.
Who should read Only You?
Fans of chick-lit books should enjoy this one. If you like London settings, subtle humour and characters that draw you in; give this a shot!
Thanks to Lorna Peel for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
First Line of Only You:
“Thirty-one, and reflected in the bathroom mirro, in the late evening twilight, didn’t she know it.”
My Recap of Only You:
Jane while teaching at her Genealogy night class meets with a famous, upcoming British actor. Together they have an instant spark but Jane is uncomfortable with all the attention from the press and public and this makes their relationship flounder.
My Thoughts on Only You:
I thought this book was a light, breezy, easy read and perfect for a few hours escapism. The characters were a slow burn for me but gradually I was pulled into their lives and gradually I grew to really like both Jane and Robert. They have an obvious connection and very quickly grew attached to each other.
What bothered me slightly was that I couldn’t see just why Robert was so attracted to Jane. I mean she was a lovely, warm, common sense character but with all the women throwing themselves at his feet, I wasn’t quite sure just want made Jane stand out for him. Even if had some clues as to what he really found so attractive, I would have believed in this more. We are lead to understand this is the case and eventually I did buy in to it but I would have bought in sooner if I knew what he fell so hard for. However, all that said, they are a strong couple together and they do seem to compliment each others personality really well.
I really enjoyed the humour in the book. It is very subtle humour and once you get used to the style, there is lots to smirk over. I also really like that the humour isn’t OTT, there is no over emphasising something funny. It’s there, it happens, you laugh and move on. I really like that as I hate when it all becomes ridiculous and goes down the comedy capers route.
The genealogy aspect is interesting and I'd like to have heard a bit more about it. The book has a habit of skipping chunks of time and this is a bit distracting at times. For example Robert found out what happened his twin brother (he only found out he had one when tracing his family tree) but it was only later in the book that we found out just how he found that out. I felt like the storyline was dropped and then reappeared. By the end of the book, all loose threads are tied up though so I don't have any complaints there.
Overall this was a chick-lit that sparkled at times and while it didn't sustain the sparkle throughout the whole book for me, it was still one I enjoyed reading.
Who should read Only You?
Fans of chick-lit books should enjoy this one. If you like London settings, subtle humour and characters that draw you in; give this a shot!
Thanks to Lorna Peel for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
May 20, 2013
How much I enjoyed the book: 7/10
How good the book was: 6/10
Only You is a quick read, easily something you could finish in a matter of hours. The plot is light and overall the story is definitely something I’d class as chick lit.
The characters, including protagonist Jane and her love interest Robert are both lovely. Both characters act as adults and I thoroughly enjoyed reading an adult relationship that involved little mind games.
However, none of my appreciation for the book can overlook the fact that 3/4 of the book made no sense to me whatsoever.
Firstly, almost three-quarters of the book felt like it rushed through. I can deal with the ending being a little rushed, I can even cope with the second half being a little fast paced, but to suddenly begin sprinting after a nice and casual stroll was not my cup of tea at all.
It seems to me that in order to keep up with the sudden increase in pace, the book itself suffered a lot. Most importantly, a vital scene to the plot — a significant moment in Jane and Robert’s relationship — is for some reason excluded. For a book primarily focussed on contemporary romance, this was definitely not the way to go.
One minute I’m reading about a happy couple, the next she’s ignoring his calls. Then all of a sudden Jane and her sister are discussing the break up. WHAT?! Romance fiction is all about the ups, downs and the bit in between a couple faces in their relationship. To force us from high up in the sky back down to the ground with no idea of how we’d gotten there and what had happened is just absurd.
It frustrated me to no end that this was how we were told that our couple were no more. I eventually realised the scene in the book was left out entirely. I can’t tell you how astounded I was once I’d gotten over the confusion and frustration and we’d eventually been given the full details as to what had happened. It still makes little sense to me and I’m kind of still wondering if my copy of the book was perhaps corrupt; in which case I’d happily remove the above 2-3 paragraphs from my review!
On the other hand, the fast pace also meant that the misery and sadness, or the “down” side of the relationship, was short-lived. There’s nothing more in the world that I hate in literature (except probably naïve female protagonists with no character growth) than when misery out-stays its welcome. There’s only so long that I can empathise with a character before I begin to feel miserable about my life or eventually disgusted that they have yet to pull their self together. Delightfully, this is not the case (well, not for Jane anyway!) and we get to see the happiness again in no time.
Disclaimer: I received this book for free from the author, Lorna Peel, as a book review request. At no point did I receive any payment to express my opinions or to write this review.
How good the book was: 6/10
Only You is a quick read, easily something you could finish in a matter of hours. The plot is light and overall the story is definitely something I’d class as chick lit.
The characters, including protagonist Jane and her love interest Robert are both lovely. Both characters act as adults and I thoroughly enjoyed reading an adult relationship that involved little mind games.
However, none of my appreciation for the book can overlook the fact that 3/4 of the book made no sense to me whatsoever.
Firstly, almost three-quarters of the book felt like it rushed through. I can deal with the ending being a little rushed, I can even cope with the second half being a little fast paced, but to suddenly begin sprinting after a nice and casual stroll was not my cup of tea at all.
It seems to me that in order to keep up with the sudden increase in pace, the book itself suffered a lot. Most importantly, a vital scene to the plot — a significant moment in Jane and Robert’s relationship — is for some reason excluded. For a book primarily focussed on contemporary romance, this was definitely not the way to go.
One minute I’m reading about a happy couple, the next she’s ignoring his calls. Then all of a sudden Jane and her sister are discussing the break up. WHAT?! Romance fiction is all about the ups, downs and the bit in between a couple faces in their relationship. To force us from high up in the sky back down to the ground with no idea of how we’d gotten there and what had happened is just absurd.
It frustrated me to no end that this was how we were told that our couple were no more. I eventually realised the scene in the book was left out entirely. I can’t tell you how astounded I was once I’d gotten over the confusion and frustration and we’d eventually been given the full details as to what had happened. It still makes little sense to me and I’m kind of still wondering if my copy of the book was perhaps corrupt; in which case I’d happily remove the above 2-3 paragraphs from my review!
On the other hand, the fast pace also meant that the misery and sadness, or the “down” side of the relationship, was short-lived. There’s nothing more in the world that I hate in literature (except probably naïve female protagonists with no character growth) than when misery out-stays its welcome. There’s only so long that I can empathise with a character before I begin to feel miserable about my life or eventually disgusted that they have yet to pull their self together. Delightfully, this is not the case (well, not for Jane anyway!) and we get to see the happiness again in no time.
Disclaimer: I received this book for free from the author, Lorna Peel, as a book review request. At no point did I receive any payment to express my opinions or to write this review.
March 1, 2015
Review first posted on my blog: http://spoonfulofhappyendings.blogspo...
Thirty-something Jane Hollinger is trying to pick up her life after her divorce. Her ex-husband has left her with some trust issues after he cheated on her, and a mortgage to pay. Jane tries to focus on making ends meet thanks to her job as a teacher at the local adult education centre. Her sister Mags and best friend Carol believe it's time for Jane to move on and find something new, so they get her to join a dating website. However, it is during one of her genealogy classes that Jane's attention is caught by a slightly strange guy; a guy who turns out to be famous film actor Robert Armstrong. Jane can't believe it's actually him and she's even more stunned when she realises Robert has feelings for her. But is she ready to start a new relationship, let alone one with an incredibly popular actor?
The storyline of 'Only You' is quite a classic one; a normal woman meets a famous and handsome actor who falls in love with her, which results in her suddenly being thrust into the spotlight. While the storyline is quite predictable, I am always interested in seeing how different authors deal with a classic storyline like this one. Lorna Peel managed to create two interesting main characters; both Jane and Robert were easy to like and had their own individual background stories. While Jane has trust issues, Robert is looking for an honest woman who can offer him some normality in his crazy film star life. I loved how Jane and Robert met and felt myself rooting for them from quite early on in the novel, which I personally think is crucial to any convincing romance story.
While the novel definitely has a good basis, I occasionally missed things to make the story more complete. For example, some of Jane's actions were quite sudden and unexplained, and I sometimes missed certain story details such as why exactly Robert falls in love with Jane. I would have loved to have read more about the genealogy aspect of the storyline and Robert's family history, and Jane's previous marriage; maybe if these items had been explored in more detail I would have been able to connect with both the characters and the storyline on a deeper level. Overall, 'Only You' is an enjoyable retelling of a classic storyline with interesting characters at its core; however, to me personally some elements seemed to be missing which prevented me from really diving into the story, which was a shame. I am curious to see what the author's other works are like, though, and will hopefully have the chance to read another one of her books in the future!
Thirty-something Jane Hollinger is trying to pick up her life after her divorce. Her ex-husband has left her with some trust issues after he cheated on her, and a mortgage to pay. Jane tries to focus on making ends meet thanks to her job as a teacher at the local adult education centre. Her sister Mags and best friend Carol believe it's time for Jane to move on and find something new, so they get her to join a dating website. However, it is during one of her genealogy classes that Jane's attention is caught by a slightly strange guy; a guy who turns out to be famous film actor Robert Armstrong. Jane can't believe it's actually him and she's even more stunned when she realises Robert has feelings for her. But is she ready to start a new relationship, let alone one with an incredibly popular actor?
The storyline of 'Only You' is quite a classic one; a normal woman meets a famous and handsome actor who falls in love with her, which results in her suddenly being thrust into the spotlight. While the storyline is quite predictable, I am always interested in seeing how different authors deal with a classic storyline like this one. Lorna Peel managed to create two interesting main characters; both Jane and Robert were easy to like and had their own individual background stories. While Jane has trust issues, Robert is looking for an honest woman who can offer him some normality in his crazy film star life. I loved how Jane and Robert met and felt myself rooting for them from quite early on in the novel, which I personally think is crucial to any convincing romance story.
While the novel definitely has a good basis, I occasionally missed things to make the story more complete. For example, some of Jane's actions were quite sudden and unexplained, and I sometimes missed certain story details such as why exactly Robert falls in love with Jane. I would have loved to have read more about the genealogy aspect of the storyline and Robert's family history, and Jane's previous marriage; maybe if these items had been explored in more detail I would have been able to connect with both the characters and the storyline on a deeper level. Overall, 'Only You' is an enjoyable retelling of a classic storyline with interesting characters at its core; however, to me personally some elements seemed to be missing which prevented me from really diving into the story, which was a shame. I am curious to see what the author's other works are like, though, and will hopefully have the chance to read another one of her books in the future!
March 30, 2013
"Happy Birthday. Must meet for a drink and a chinwag sometime. Best wishes, Tom"
The book was written by an English author and I find the difference between our languages and "buzz words" fascinating, but at times, the difference makes the dialogue a little difficult to understand.
In this story, you have the protagonist, Jane Holliger, who having been through a marriage break up due to her husband's inability to stay faithful, trying to learn to trust in love again. In pops a dashing movie star who decides that she is the "only one". Add to the mix a fit-throwing, non-censoring mouth sister and a brother who is not afraid to tell her to "shut-up" and you get the gist of their family dynamics.
While I thought the characters were not quite as developed as they could have been and the story line a little weak, the author displayed a great sense of humor.
(After her sister and best friend put her profile on a dating site.) This is what we've said about you." "What?" She grabbed the sheet of paper, almost tearing it. There she was; Jane Hollinger, age thirty-one, divorced, five feed eight inches tall, blue eyes, brown. Like history, cinema, reading and socializing..." "Why didn't you just auction me off on eBay?"
"Jane began to eat, then put her knife and fork down and glanced at the waitress. Four sisters? Four Mags'? No. That didn't bear thinking about."
(And, after falling sick after Robert cooked for her.) "Well, I was just calling to find out if she's feeling okay." "Well, no, she isn't feeling okay," Mags told him. "She says that she will never eat anything ever again. Can I have your name so I can sue you on her behalf as she slowly starves to death?" "I'm sorry?" "Mags!" Jane hissed. Mags swatted her away as if she were an irritating fly. "I mean, what is it with you men? Her husband sumps her by Post-it note for the Ice Queen of Islington and you, whoever the hell you are, try your best to poison her." "Well, actually, I've been ill, too." "Oh, well, there is a God after all, then....Are you still there?" "Yes." "Good. You were the one, who tried to suck all the blood out of her through her neck, too, weren't you? You bloody vampire." Jane wrestled the handset from her and ended the call.
Overall, the book had a nice story-line and the humor kept the book interesting.
I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
For more visit http://mylife-in-stories.blogspot.com
The book was written by an English author and I find the difference between our languages and "buzz words" fascinating, but at times, the difference makes the dialogue a little difficult to understand.
In this story, you have the protagonist, Jane Holliger, who having been through a marriage break up due to her husband's inability to stay faithful, trying to learn to trust in love again. In pops a dashing movie star who decides that she is the "only one". Add to the mix a fit-throwing, non-censoring mouth sister and a brother who is not afraid to tell her to "shut-up" and you get the gist of their family dynamics.
While I thought the characters were not quite as developed as they could have been and the story line a little weak, the author displayed a great sense of humor.
(After her sister and best friend put her profile on a dating site.) This is what we've said about you." "What?" She grabbed the sheet of paper, almost tearing it. There she was; Jane Hollinger, age thirty-one, divorced, five feed eight inches tall, blue eyes, brown. Like history, cinema, reading and socializing..." "Why didn't you just auction me off on eBay?"
"Jane began to eat, then put her knife and fork down and glanced at the waitress. Four sisters? Four Mags'? No. That didn't bear thinking about."
(And, after falling sick after Robert cooked for her.) "Well, I was just calling to find out if she's feeling okay." "Well, no, she isn't feeling okay," Mags told him. "She says that she will never eat anything ever again. Can I have your name so I can sue you on her behalf as she slowly starves to death?" "I'm sorry?" "Mags!" Jane hissed. Mags swatted her away as if she were an irritating fly. "I mean, what is it with you men? Her husband sumps her by Post-it note for the Ice Queen of Islington and you, whoever the hell you are, try your best to poison her." "Well, actually, I've been ill, too." "Oh, well, there is a God after all, then....Are you still there?" "Yes." "Good. You were the one, who tried to suck all the blood out of her through her neck, too, weren't you? You bloody vampire." Jane wrestled the handset from her and ended the call.
Overall, the book had a nice story-line and the humor kept the book interesting.
I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
For more visit http://mylife-in-stories.blogspot.com
September 16, 2016
This story brought back good memories of my Mills & Boon days in the 80-90's.
March 18, 2020
I enjoyed reading this cute story.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews