Cover Image: The One

The One

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Member Reviews

This is an ARC received free from Netgalley.
I must say I really enjoyed this book. It is definitely different from other books I've read.
I had enough twists and turns to keep You interested. I found I could not put it down once I finally started reading it. I moved it up my reading list after reading some other reviews and I am glad I did.
The chapters read really fast which I like alot.
With all the advancements in the science field in today's world this book may just become a reality one day.

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Stand alone. I can see where the author got the idea mixing the popularity of dating/matching apps with "finding your DNA." This book speculates about some potential outcomes of participating in finding THE ONE that is matched to your DNA. I can also see where the author was playing with the ideas and outcomes with couples and couldn't just decide on one and made the daring move of following several. What would happen if your ONE match died? What is your ONE match was a serial killer? What if your ONE match really really wasn't who you expected? How could the system be manipulated? Do we have choice in who we love? Would you want to know if you're with the ONE that is perfectly right for you on the cellular level?
I liked it. The only negative I can think of is that we really didn't get spend much time with anyone. Overall, yes, there was a storyline for each but it jumped so quickly between them. And why wouldn't this be something just around the corner for us in reality. Interested in seeing more from this author.

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An explosive read from the beginning. What would you be willing to sacrifice to be with "the one". The love of your life. Match DNA could be the answer you've been looking for. Scientifically developed to match your "love" DNA to the 'one", how could it possibly go wrong. Unless, your already married. Maybe there isn't a match for you at all. Or, maybe you're matched to someone of the same sex.
This fast-paced story takes you through the lives of several couples looking for the ideal mate. What they are willing to put themselves through in order to attain love, is incomprehensible. Definitely a book with twist and turns galore!
5 Stars

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WOW. All I can really say upon finishing this is WOW.
This is the second book I've read lately with the idea of your one true love. This one was much more believable in how it worked.
What I loved: I loved how this story followed multiple couples as they dealt with/came to terms with their matchings.
What I liked: I felt like I really knew the various characters. The author did a great job building each unique character.
What I didn't like: I thought that the Jade/Kevin storyline was slightly off from the get-go. It made more sense in the end. It was the only storyline that didn't feel as cohesive as the rest. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed it...it just was harder for me to swallow.

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I requested this book based on the synopsis and my current obsession with psychological thrillers.

If you could send in a cheek swab and know who your soulmate is, would you do it? In Marrs' novel, the characters are given exactly that opportunity. One cheek swab reveals who your DNA Match is, which may or may not be the person you've chosen to live your life with so far.

Nick and Sally are engaged to be married and haven't taken the test. They are confident in their choice in each other and are determined to make it work. That is, until Sally convinces Nick to take the test, and he gets a major shock at who his Match is. How can they make a relationship work when they are not made for each other?

Christopher is a man who utilizes dating apps to find his victims. As a serial killer, his interest in taking the DNA test has nothing to do with finding love and is more an experiment in humanity. When he is matched with Amy, a police officer with no time for dating and who is just looking for love, his killing game is pushed to new limits.

Jade jumps on a plane and travels halfway across the world to meet her Match, only to find out he has terminal cancer and their time is limited. Even worse, she doesn't feel the explosions of love that she knows she should - not for her Match, anyway.

Ellie, the found of DNA Matches, takes the test and can hardly believe the joy she gets from her Match. Tim breaks down all of the walls she has built up in her climb to success and makes her rediscover the link between herself and her family. But is Tim everything he seems?

All of these lives are so greatly affected by the same DNA test, and Marrs weaves it all together into one un-put-downable novel. I loved this book and the way the pieces finally fall for all of the characters in the end. Definitely recommend!

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I found this book to be really unique, very well written and I liked that the suspense just kept building with each chapter. It was great from the beginning, but from the middle, was more than gripping......I could not put it down. A scientist discovers a DNA test which matches a person to another with a similar gene, so that you two are truly Matched, and that person is The One for you. Of course, everyone wants to take the test to find their Match. This is the story mostly of five people who have taken the Match test. The Match test is meant to simplify life, simplify finding a mate but in many cases life becomes more complicated as se

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Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to preview this book. Somewhat interesting, but it seemed like 4 concurrent stories loosely hung together with a central theme.

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Wow. What a thrill ride. For a while there I was genuinely unsure what was going to happen; I almost thought every thread would end in tragedy.
I did have some trouble remembering who was who, but that's entirely me, I don't think that was about the book at all.
I can't decide if I'd take the test or not if it was real! I think not, but who knows? Maybe I'd take the chance...
Thanks for giving me the chance to read it.

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Nearly impossible to get into. Full of trite and overused phrases, the inundation of characters at the start of the novel does not give the reader a place or person to connect with. While in theory it's an interesting premise, I could not engage with the book and DNF. The ARC is also full of glitches and formatting errors, which makes it very difficult to read.

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I started this book and couldn't put it down! I had just finished John Marrs's book "The Good Samaritan" which I loved, and I felt like I needed to keep reading more books by this author. "The Good Samaritan" had two alternating narrators/perspectives, which I found very engaging. "The One" has 5 or 6 different narrators, all with different story lines. I think this is one aspect of the book that made me want to keep going--not only because each story line dropped off at a "cliffhanger" at the end of each chapter, but also so that I could keep everything straight in my head and not forget too much between sittings. Interestingly enough, even though each story line is pretty much separate from the others, there is a nice tied together ending (though not completely resolved for everybody). While it's very different, it reminded me a lot of the movie "Love Actually" in the structure of the book. I really enjoyed it--the way it was structured, and the questions it raises regarding the role of science in our society. We use scientific algorithms on online dating sites already--this book takes it a step further and proposes that you can be DNA matched to your perfect mate. You end up having to question whether you should or shouldn't take advantage of such technology, and the resulting consequences.

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The cover of the book and the description suggest a thrilling dystopian tale of what happens at the intersection of technology and love. What you get (at least in the first 10 percent before I lost total interest), was a contemporary tale of dating woes where everyone is obsessed with a new, rather creepy dating service (I would call it an alternative present, but with talk of designer nether regions and Jennifer Lawrence, it wasn't all that alternative from today other than the MatchYourDNA thing). Christopher, the one really bad character, seems a bit clichéd but at least he's interesting. I liked the British setting, but that's about it. The title is produced by Harlequin, which I did not realize before picking it up, so that may have been where the erroneous expectations arose. In short, the concept is good, but the execution was not on the level I was expecting.

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First sentence: Mandy stared at the photograph on her computer screen and held her breath.

Premise/plot: What if finding "the one" was as simple as taking a DNA test and waiting to be matched with your one and only perfect match? The premise of this one is simple: for the past ten to twelve years, people have been joining Match Your DNA. Some wait weeks to hear back about their match; for others the wait is longer--much longer, YEARS longer. Once your match has been found, you're emailed the results. But, of course, love is a business, and you have to pay for contact information. The One follows the lives of five characters: Mandy, Christopher, Jade, Nick, and Ellie. All have recently got that all-important email. But their results differ.

The One is supposed to eliminate the "prejudices" and "biases" of dating, changing your expectations if you will. You might be matched with a male or female. (The process never once asks you your sexual orientation.) You might be matched with someone (much) older or (much) younger. Your perfect match might be a different religion and live on the opposite side of the world. Your perfect match might be rich or poor. Love has no boundaries or limitations.

Who should read The One? Those that love HORROR just as much as SOAP OPERAS. It's melodramatic like a soap opera--with some near-graphic sexual scenes--but also GORY. It is not a suspense, in my opinion, because one of the main characters is up-front about being a serial killer. In that character's introductory chapter, readers learn this. And while other characters face dangers of their own, I personally saw most of the twists coming. The stories of these five characters do not really ever connect with one another.

My thoughts: Objectively, I suppose I don't have any problems with The One. The chapters are short; the action is well-paced. The narrators are unique enough that you can easily tell their voices--their stories--apart even if they weren't clearly marked. The characters, if not well-developed, are developed enough. What it lacks in suspense, it makes up for with some twists and turns.

Subjectively, I didn't care for it at all. I didn't realize it was published by Harlequin until I'd already said yes to reviewing it. I usually have a strict policy in terms of "adult" romance and a book's graphic-ness. I was looking for a suspense with plenty of action. But not Harlequin-type action. I also prefer less GORE.

That being said, the narrators alternate chapters. If this one was a book with five novellas, I definitely would have enjoyed some stories more. I preferred the stories of Mandy, Jade, and Ellie. Though there were elements within those stories that I didn't care for completely. And here's the thing: many of these elements weren't really all that necessary to the plot.

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This book was like an episode of Black Mirror for romance/thriller lovers, and I really enjoyed it! Although there are a lot of subplots to follow, the idea of finding a perfect genetic match that makes your whole brain go WHOOMP with attraction and love - and the necessary societal fallout of that discovery - is compelling. I really couldn't put this book down. If you like spec fic - even if you're not a romance reader - this book is worth your time. If you are a romance reader... imagine turning the premise of every romance novel on its head! No slow attractions, only guaranteed lifelong mates. And the resentments, and jealousies... Muahaha. Highly recommend.

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Simple concept. Use your DNA to find a love match.
Complicated results. What if your match is already taken? What if your match isn't what you expected? What if you don't have a match at all? Can the results be trusted?
Follow five matches as they navigate these questions and how it effects the people they love.

As a reader I have a hard time bouncing between several story lines but each of them included here is intriguing. This was hard to put down even at the end.

I would have gone 4 and a half stars if that had been an option.

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A really intriguing (and creepy) concept ... using DNA to match up those looking for their perfect mate. This book was just okay for me -- I didn't particularly like the characters and there were times when the story plodded along. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Fascinating, entertaining thriller . Fast paced, at times unsettling but exciting. Just who is THE ONE and will they be for happily ever after? Does have a bit more graphic language than I like in a book.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

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Our society is filled with formal and informal methods and systems set to introduce two people looking for someone to love and spend their lives with. These include special interest clubs, on line setups via filling out a background form family groups and match makers. John Marrs postulates a near term future when DNA testing will find one's perfect mate including all permutations and combinations of individuals. One company, whose founder developed the system of a quick swab in the mouth, will become one of the largest businesses in the world when they corner the market on this method.
Five couples are followed when the swab indicates that they are destined for each other. In addition Mr Marrs points out the very probable human reactions to the testing when couples married or together for many years begin to doubt their union when each of the two involved take the test and find that they are compatible with someone else.
Presented are a couple who are thousands of miles apart, another where after the test one partner dies, still another where a female police officer is matched with a serial killer who continues his murders while professing love for the cop. In addition, the question of a couple taking the test and finding that the male member has another male as his perfect love, and finally when the founder of the company that perfected the test finds a match via the system.
The author uses a method of going from one set of partners to another throughout the book allowing the reader to relate to the situations faced in this new world. What type of world would such a system create? Can matches crossing international boundaries bring the earth to a point where intentional conflict is passe? Would there be mass divorces due to being found by the test for the couple to be incompatible?
My reaction to this novel was simply that I couldn't put it down getting totally immersed from the git go. I do believe that most readers will have the same reaction and finish knowing that they have just read something completely different and completely well handled.

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I could not put this book down. I've heard it was a quick read, but wow, there were cliffhangers after every chapter (and there were over 100 of those). I was sucked into all 5 of the characters we follow after they learn of their Match - "The One" they are genetically paired up with to be their perfect partner. Of course, things go awry. I'd give a more detailed plot summary, but you should read about the shocking twists and turns for yourself. Highly recommend!

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Forget about online dating--thanks to a scientific breakthrough with Match Your DNA you can find the ONE person that is absolutely, physiologically right for you. Your true soul mate! This book alternates between a handful of matched couples--but will they all live that happily ever after dream????

I absolutely could not put this book down. Great premise, great suspense. Loved it!

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it

Everyone knows how internet dating works – you submit a profile of your likes and dislikes, your beliefs and your hopes for the future. Now there is s revolutionary service that promises to find your perfect match by using a sample of your DNA. This books follows five people who have found their ultimate “match” – even though that person could be living on the other side of the world, or mentally ill….or a killer. Marrs takes a sly and scary poke at online dating in this story that will have everyone reconsidering meeting Ms. or Mr. Right via technology

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