Before reading this book, I was unaware that Viv Daniels is the alias of Diana Peterfreund. I enjoyed Peterfreund's YA post-apocalyptic retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion (For Darkness Shows the Stars. I was a bit surprised to read that she labels this book “an adult romance novel,” but it does have a protagonist who starts out at age 18 and ends at 21, and does feature sex. (It seems to me it fits more in that new “in between” genre for older young adults called "New Adult" which roughly means YA but with explicit sex.)

One & Only is the story of Tess McMann, who, along with her mom, lives a life shrouded in lies. They are the second family of a rich married man who insists they tell no one about him. In spite of the struggles (especially financial) Tess and her mom have had, Tess is always generous in her judgment of her dad:

"As much as I hated to admit this, I understood why Dad had made the choices he did. I understood that he thought he could better provide for his families if he kept his reputation and his business intact.”

Tess is a science whiz, and wants to go to her dad’s alma mater, Canton University, because it has one of the best bioengineering departments in the country. But her dad insists she go to the state college, and refuses to pay for Canton. He has the money and he makes the rules, so she reluctantly agrees and heads off to a summer science camp at Cornell, for which she paid herself by winning a science prize. There she meets Dylan Kingsley, and they fall for each other. But he is going to Canton, three hours away, so Tess breaks it off.

Two years later, Tess wins a scholarship to transfer to Canton, and runs into Dylan again, but he has a girlfriend: Hannah. When Tess was six, she found out, by looking in her dad’s wallet, that she had a sister who looked about her own age. And of course, this sister is Hannah, and this is why her dad resisted her going to Canton. So Hannah not only has a “legitimate” family and the money to do what she wants and attend college without working, but now she also has the only boy Tess has ever loved.

Discussion: The mother, who puts up with a life for herself and her daughter of monetary deprivation, secrecy and isolation is portrayed as a sympathetic character who is just a reasonable victim of love. That’s very annoying. Tess also accepts her fate to a degree that doesn't ring true, especially since she is obsessed with not ending up like her mother. Dylan is perfect to a degree that seems unrealistic. The sex scenes are kind of hackneyed and insipid. Once again, I found myself making grocery lists while reading about sex...

Evaluation: I liked that the protagonist was a female who excelled at science, but otherwise, I wasn’t much taken with this book. But many reviewers disagree with my assessment. ( )

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.

Quick & Dirty: A wonderfully woven story about true love and growing up. Filled with sizzling chemistry, remarkable writing, and a cast of engaging of characters, New Adult Contemporary fans will be sure to love it.

Opening Sentence: I was six years old when I found out my father had another family.

The Review:

Tess McMann has always kept her family’s secrets. She is the illegitimate daughter of a very prominent businessman who happens to have another family. Her parents have had an ongoing affair for years now, but her father is married and has another daughter. He provides for them as long as no one ever finds out their secrets.

Tess wants more than anything to get out from underneath her father’s thumb. At 18 she saves up to attend a very prestigious summer program for science majors. There she meets the adorable Dylan Kingsley. They do a project together and fall in love over the summer. Once the summer ends, Tess ends their relationship. Dylan is attending Canton College and since Tess can’t afford private school, she is forced to go to the state university. Tess refuses to let a man dictate any decisions in her life. But she never fought that one hot night they shared together.

Two years later, Tess gets a scholarship that takes her to Canton College. She majors in bioengineering, which happens to be the same major as Dylan. When it comes to science, Tess and Dylan are the perfect team and they still are undeniably attracted to each other. But there is a small problem, Dylan has a girlfriend, a girl Tess is never suppose to ever meet, her half sister Hannah. If Tess isn’t careful the web of lies that she has kept her whole life is going to unravel and she may lose the only boy she has ever loved.

Tess is a wonderful protagonist. She is extremely smart and driven. Going to Canton was her dream, but she gave it up to please her father. So when she got a second chance at her dream she took it without hesitation. She obviously has some serious daddy issues, but it was interesting to see how she dealt with them. She is willing to work really hard to get what she wants in life, which made me respect her. I found it easy to sympathize with her situation, and I was really able to connect with her.

I absolutely adored Dylan. He totally rocked the nerdy hot guy persona. He is brilliant and brutally honest, which were some of his best traits. Dylan never beats around the bush, he will always tell you the truth, even if it’s awkward or hurtful. While growing up he was slightly chubby and not very popular. Once he left high school behind he was able to transform into the confidante smart guy he has become. Tess was the first girl he ever really cared about, and she really broke his heart that summer. Their romance is sweet and very well done. I loved Dylan, he reminds me of someone I would have wanted to date in college.

This was a great read for me. I loved how Daniels implemented the hot nerdy guy and girl, because being smart really is attractive. I also enjoyed the way she portrayed that college really is a whole different playing field than high school. You get a fresh start and you can make yourself whatever you want to be. I found the characters unique and very engaging. The plot was a little predictable, but still interesting. The pacing is really well done, and I honestly had a hard time putting the book down. Daniels has phenomenal writing that is easy to get lost in. This was a great start to a new series, and I am really looking forward to see what happens next for these loveable characters. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that is a fan of new adult contemporary novels.

Notable Scene:

“Tess? Tess McMann?”

I looked up to find Dylan Kingsley standing across the table from me. The glasses were gone, the hair was tamed, and whatever baby fat might have lingered on his eighteen-year-old features had disappeared entirely, leaving behind perfectly planed cheekbones and a sharp jawline. The slim teenage body I’d never quite managed to forget had matured too, and he nicely filled out the expensive-looking blue-gray sportscoat he wore over a close-cut button-down open at his neck. I was sure, if I’d been able to see, that his pants were just the right length.

I found my tongue. “Dylan. Hi.”

He blinked at me. “Did you transfer to Canton?”

I nodded. Algae. Biofuel. I should have guessed that the other student those two professors had been talking about was the one I’d once slept with. This wasn’t State, with its tens of thousands of science majors. “Are you a bioengineering major now?”

FTC Advisory: Viv Daniels graciously provided me with a copy of One & Only. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. ( )