This book is an example of a better performance for me in audio. I gave the actual book to 50% and I marked it as DNF. When I saw that the audio was available, I felt i needed to give it another chance. I still had issues with the way Beth behaved in general. For 17, and to have experienced a loss like she had, she was not most mature person. I realize everyone processes grief in their own way, but I just couldn't get on board for the way she and her parents weren't dealing with the loss of their family member. Chase/Charlie grew from his experience, as one would hope you would after going through what he did. Don't even get me started on Jeff, Rachel's "boyfriend" I knew something was up when lying came to him so easily, and people believed him. One lie after another. It all became crystal clear when he started dating Beth's best friend Scarlet. Jeff definitely had some control issues. This is the moment I pretty much figured out what happened to Rachel.

This book is a slow burn, and it takes a while for the pieces to come together. For me it was hard to read, and much easier to listen too.

Pros:
-Erin Watt is brilliant! Everything they have ever written has been absolutely wonderful. This is why this duo is an auto-buy author for me.
-I LOVED Beth and Chase. Their characters couldn’t have been more different but also the same? I feel like I saw so much of myself in Beth. I really connected with her. Chase is my baby. I want to hug him and show him all the love. If you don’t know by now I have a soft spot for tortured bad boys.
-The plot was always full of twists and turns. That is a specialty of Erin Watt. They’re the masters of cliffhangers.
-The ending was PERFECT. All the feels guys, all the feels.
-I loved the family dynamic in this. It was raw. I could feel the pain, the heartbreak, the overbearing parents, the reasoning for them being overbearing, and the learning from experience.
-It had less smut than their usual books. But that is a pro for me.

Cons:
-I am literally sitting here fumbling in my brain for any cons… I can’t think of any. I truly loved every aspect of this book. Even the things I didn’t like I ended up liking and understanding.

I’m a sucker for anything The Erin Watt duo write. This book was no different. The plot was very enjoyable and the story easy to follow. Beth and Chase are two excellent characters and I found myself rooting for them. Her “best friend” Scarlett was kind of a bitch. Wasn’t a huge fan of her at all. Over all the plot and story were excellent. A true YA by all standards. Very good one sit read. I would recommend this one for sure!

When I’m reading this story I’ll be honest I hesitate to finish the story. There’s something about it that makes me uncomfortable but I decided to continue and get over it.

I believe I made the right decision to read it until the end before I let my judgement get in the way. I felt like I’m being unfair for being close minded at first. I realize one small thing could make a difference if you allow yourself to possibilities and widen your perspective to everything.

I remember a saying that “your past doesn’t define who you really are right now.” It means don’t let anyone define for what you’ve done wrong in the past. I feel that this saying fits well to Chase.

He was a reform guy. He learn a lot from his mistakes and teaches him to be a better person. I’ll be honest at first I’m kinda judgmental towards him. Who wouldn’t be?

He accidentally killed someone before due to his recklessness but if you look passed behind his imperfections you’ll see how special he is. I’m hoping that there would be someone who would cheer him up and say “Take it easy, buddy. I’m here for you don’t be too hard to yourself.” You also want to shower him comforting hugs to atleast lessen the burden he’s feeling.

Beth, you’re one of a strong lady. Everyone have their way of coping up and moving on.
For me giving me a chance to someone who cause you great pain is a huge deal. I believe also that everything happens for a reason.

Maybe this is a way to make you realize you have to move forward. It doesn’t mean that when you let go of someone that person doesn’t hold a special place in your heart. It’s just a way of living. You need to move on from a life without that person and to keep on living. When a person passed away that person will always be alive in your heart and in your memory.

What I love about this story its speaks about forgiveness and learn to appreciate things that truly matters. One small thing that you’ve done to someone could create a big impact to that person’s life.

Always remember be kind and be a blessing to everyone.

I was excited by the synopsis of this book, and I can gladly say that I was not disappointed! Very well done and well written. So much emotion poured from this book. I will be recommending it!

A great title to be added to our New Adult section. Erin Watt has a huge following at our library, and this latest one won't disappoint!

A captivating young adult read, filled with the complexities of real life. I've purchased a copy for my classroom to use within an identity/tough stuff unit. Thanks for the opportunity to review!

<I>“That’s what I need. A very bad boy to take me down a very bad path.”</I>

My god, I loved this so much. As soon as I started the book, I just knew it would be the one for me. Beth is so damn good—in the sense that she’s kind, beautiful, and shows a certain vulnerability that easily made me feel as if her pain was mine. Chase was just as good in my eyes. I honestly didn’t know how Watt would handle this type of situation because it’s complex and at times, messy. But they did; and this they did it with grace.

Ever since her sister died, Beth has lived a very confined and strict life at home with her parents. So what does she decide to do? Be a typical teenager and rebel. The night she meets the beautiful and mysterious Chase, is the night when her world implodes into a million pieces. She can’t stop thinking about him.

<I>“In the real world, bad boys are actually bad. They aren’t heroes.”</I>

Then fate intervenes and Chase is starting his senior year at the same school that Beth goes to. Therein starts the unnecessary bullying to a boy who already paid his dues. Right? That’s where everything gets a bit slippery and complex. Does Chase truly deserve the hate he’s getting? Is Beth justified in her easy forgiveness?

There were so many things running through my mind while I read. I really didn’t know how the authors would pull it off because I think it could be a touchy subject. I looked at the situation from all angles to see if everyone was justified in the way they felt. I came to the conclusion that yes, everyone is entitled to how they feel. It’s how they go about it that makes all the difference.

My only complaint is that I felt the story ended to abruptly. Some of the conclusion left much to be desired and I didn’t feel satisfied. Watt took the route of telling us what happens instead of showing. I felt like I needed closure or something to feel like it was a satisfying read. Other than that, I loved the book. I think older fans and newer fans alike will enjoy Beth’s story of love, hope, and ultimately forgiveness.

*Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy for an honest and unbiased review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I have so many conflicting feelings about this book, on the one hand I sort of enjoyed it and on the other I wanted to through it away so far far away.

I mean is just a freaking rollercoaster of emotions, like all the time, ALL THE TIME, I was upset and then happy and then angry and it just kept going on and on and on.

I love this couple’s writing, I really do, but I don’t know there was always something that didn’t let me get lost in the story.

Fantastic story about forgiveness and starting anew, this book was so compelling and suspenseful. The suspense is not of the criminal kind, but rather the suspense (or worry) about the events that will happen as the story unfolds, and its effects on the people involved. It kept me glued to my Kindle and that day there was no gym and no cooking.

It’s been three years since the death of Rachel, Beth’s sister. Her parents haven’t dealt well with their tragic loss and their response is to restrict Beth’s movements in an effort to protect her from harm. Their worry about something happening to their remaining daughter has succeeded in smothering Beth to the extent that she’s acting out and rebelling against her parent’s restrictions. In one such rebellion, she sneaked out to a party where she meets this guy she liked a lot and loses her virginity to him. That forges a bond that she needs to keep secret from her parents so they won’t ground her for eternity.

Beth is counting the days until she graduates from high school and can escape her town. Everybody looks at her with pity as the girl whose sister died in a car accident. When finally, her senior year starts, she meets the guy she had sex with, and to her horror, she learns he’s the person responsible for her sister’s death.

Beth is in a turmoil because she feels a bond with Chase, she understands her sister’s death was an accident and feels for Chase who is ridden with guilt. On top of that, the whole school and her parents are in an uproar and claiming for his expulsion from school, claiming Beth cannot be made to withstand attending school with a murderer.

We live Beth’s suffering from her lack of freedom, her confusion about her feelings for Chase, her desire to be with him but also hide her feelings so she won’t be rejected by her friends, and her rebellion about her life in general. Chase is anguished about his role in Rachel’s death, has been punished with three years in prison, but the prison of his soul is worse. He feels he deserves all the punishment he gets in school. There’s also Jeff, Rachel’s boyfriend, who comes back from two years abroad, where he was sent to get over his loss. He comes back revengeful and hostile against Chase and strangely possessive and overprotective with Beth.

This plot moved fast and was so riveting. I loved how Chase and Beth supported each other in the few moments they could steal together. Beth’s relation with her parents was stormy and fraught with yelling and fights, yet through it all you could feel their love, anguish and worry about their “surviving daughter”. Their life is strife in confusion and heartbreak. The road to redemption and forgiveness was very tumultuous, suspenseful and heart-breaking. Secrets come out that shed light on the events of three years ago and make forgiveness achievable. The meaning of the book’s title is a wonderful conversation between Chase and Beth, meaning that Chase looks for one small thing every day to make his life worth living, and thus gives Beth a great lesson in thankfulness and acceptance. Great story!

I legit binge read this book in a night. Beth is dealing with the aftermath of her sister dying while her parents become super controlling over her. From taking doors away, to monitoring her texts I cant believe Beth didnt go absolutely crazy on them. Seriously the parents in this killed me. It was a fantastic read though and I love how Beth's personality developed in the book.

**Review can be found at https://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/ **
Beth is tired of all the rules and restrictions her parents enforce on her since her sister's death years before. When she has the opportunity to go to an out of town party and just be herself, not the girl with the dead sister, she jumps at it. Deciding to go out of her comfort zone even more, she finds a cute boy at the party and decides to pursue him. Little does Beth know, the one boy she seems drawn to is the same boy responsible for her sister's death. As she asks herself what is wrong with her to feel drawn to this boy, everyone in her life and town want him gone.

I have been a sucker for the Erin Watt ladies since I read When It's Real the beginning of this year and then got the opportunity to meet them and entirely embarrass myself gushing about just how perfect that book was. Seriously, if you have not read When It's Real and you like contemporary romances, stop what you are doing and get a copy STAT! In case you can't tell, it was a fabulous book. Anyway, when I saw that they had a new standalone YA contemporary read coming out, I was ecstatic.

“You waiting for me is the one small thing that will keep me going.”

I love the idea of "one small thing", it is such a powerful concept and something I think everyone should do (and the most perfect use of a title if I have ever seen one!) . If we can find one thing every day to be happy about, that makes life worth while.

This was a hot mess of a book and I could not stop reading. I really had no idea what direction Beth was going to take next and I was on pins and needles to discover it. This was such a heartbreaking read, full of forbidden love, grief, forgiveness, personal growth, all kinds of love, hate, angst, assault, abuse and all other things in between- this was not an easy read and not a PG book, fyi. I feel like I was emotionally wrung out, but I would not change anything about it and I want to force all my friends to read it now. I am for sure on an emotional book hangover and I have no idea what to do with myself or what I want to read next.

If you want an emotional read in the best of ways, this should be your next book.

Ik heb een ARC gekregen van dit boek in ruil voor een eerlijke recensie.

Sinds The royals ben ik echt fan van dit schrijfduo, ik heb die serie verslonden, maar nog wel een deel dat op me staat te wachten. Dus toen ik hoorde dat ze nog een boek uit gingen geven, een stand alone wist ik dat ik hem wilde lezen! Ik heb me opgegeven voor een ARC en die kreeg ik ook. Inmiddels is het boek uit dus hier mijn recensie van het boek.

One small thing verteld het verhaal van Beth, haar zus is om het leven gekomen en het gezin worstelt met dit verlies. Haar ouders lossen dit vooral op door haar veelal binnen te houden en heel veel regels op te leggen. Waar Beth natuurlijk tegen vecht, ze is een tiener en ze wil vrijheid.

De andere hoofdpersoon uit dit boek is Chase en hij is nu juist net degene waarvan de ouders van Beth niet willen dat ze daar mee omgaat aangezien hij een rol heeft in de dood van haar zus.

Ik vond het echt een heel mooi boek, een boek waar je nadat je de laatste bladzijde hebt gelezen even bij stilstaat. Even bedenkt wat heb ik nu ook weer gelezen? Maar ook even bedenkt hoe raar het leven kan lopen uiteindelijk. Ik leefde in het begin zo mee met de frustraties van Beth als haar ouders weer eens met iets nieuws kwamen. Ik kon me niet voorstellen dat ouders dit zouden doen met hun kind en stiekem vind ik sommige dingen die ze deden nog steeds niet oké. Maar nadat ze praat met Chase en hij iets zegt tegen haar draait het om, ik snap een beetje waarom die ouders zo reageren zoals ze doen en dat had Beth ook. Ik vond dat heel mooi om te zien.

Hoewel ik gelukkig nooit een kind verloren heb, vond ik het naar mijn gevoel wel realistisch verwerkt in het boek. De reacties van haar ouders hoewel ik het er niet altijd mee eens was, snapte ik wel. Je wil je kind dat er nog is koste wat het kost beschermen. Ik als moeder weet dat maar al te goed en ik denk ook dat ik dit boek misschien daarom wel anders beleefd heb dan iemand zonder kinderen.

De romance tussen Beth en Chase is ook gewoon ontzettend leuk en ik heb ook vaak met een glimlach op mijn gezicht de interacties tussen die twee gelezen.

Hoewel dit boek is geschreven door twee auteurs merk je dit eigenlijk nergens! Het voelt alsof het door één iemand geschreven is. Ik vond ook dit boek weer echt genieten en ik ben blij dat ik hem heb mogen lezen. Inmiddels is het boek ook besteld en hoop ik hem binnenkort binnen te krijgen want ook dit pareltje hoort in de kast natuurlijk.

Good, but not as good as the Royal series. It definitely felt like it was dragging towards the middle. It was also kind of hard to understand the main character's main motivation.

I really enjoyed One Small Thing by the dynamic duo of Erin Watt. I thought it was well written and the story was very heart-wrenching but also uplifting. I lost my Dad August 2017 and I had no idea how horrible grief can be. Grief changes people and the one thing I have learned from losing my beloved Father, grief can tear a family apart; this is definitely the case for Beth and her parents. 

Beth is ready to start her Senior year of High School, finish and get out into the world to start her own life. However her parents have other plans to keep her home, since losing her sister they are afraid they will lose Beth too and Beth just wants to live. After quarreling with her parents, Beth sneaks out to a party and meets a boy that she instantly has a connection to. Things escalate between them and she goes to school the next day floating on a cloud until she sees the boy again, Chase. Unfortunately she comes to find out that Chase was the one who accidentally hit and killed his sister. 

One Small Thing is a story about two trouble, lonely, lost people finding and falling for each other during the most horrible of circumstances. But it's also a book about loss, forgiveness, dealing and going through grief and trying to find the good in every day life when things are awful. I really appreciated this book because Beth's parents are awful and for someone like me who is personally has seen grief firsthand...it was just so refreshing reading a story so close to my own. That's the great thing about Erin Watt books, they find someway to make you relate to their characters or stories, it makes you love the book even more. This is the case for me anyway! 

I'm usually not a big fan of "real life" books but Erin Watt continues to awe and surprise making a book genre I usually struggle reading about, fun and addictive. One Small Thing is definitely one of the best books of the summer and of all 2018!

This is an intense story focused on family issues, romantic relationships, the aftermath of a terrible loss, friendship, hatred and forgiveness. Forgiveness towards the one who hurt you, and atonement for your own fatal mistakes.

These topics made sure this book was filled with angst. The angst is what made this book a fast-paced read to me but I did feel like there was a bit too much drama sometimes, you know? It was almost non-stop present and I could’ve lived with some more mellowness in between too I guess haha.

But those remarks don’t mean I didn’t enjoy this book as well. On the contrary, since I finished it in two days, but I just had some remarks on the book that I couldn’t not ‘ overlook’ you know? But I did have some things I really liked as well like Chase, one of our lead characters. He is the no frills kind of guy. what you see is what you get type of character and I really liked that about him.

I especially love witnessing the sweet moments between Beth and Chase and I loved reading their healing process, first and foremost as individuals and then as a couple. Their romance was well developed and I devoured all of it.

This was really a difficult book to review I think because of all these contradictive and strong feelings I experienced while reading this book. I think this is one of those books that is so differently experienced by each reader. That’s the case with all books of course, but this one isn’t one I’d say for sure that certain readers I know who love YA contemporary would love you know? So I’d definitely recommend reading the book and find out for yourself if you love or hate it. It could really go either way haha. I know I’m just on the edge of toppling toward the hate but there was still enough present that made me enjoy the book as well. So yeah, a chaotic review on this one haha.

I normally don’t read YA but Erin Watt nows how to bring to life a wonderful story. Romantic and addicting.

Beth Jones lost her sister Rachel three years ago, and her life has never been the same. Her parents are insanely overprotective, making her feel like a prisoner in her own home. When Beth accidentally hooks up with the guy who is partly responsible for Rachel's death, she is ashamed at first. The more time she spends with Chase, the more they begin to fall in love. When Beth's parents find out she's spending time with Chase, they get upset and restrict her even more. Will Beth be able to overcome the shadow of her sister's death and finally find happiness, or will someone who has more sinister ideas ruin everything?
I have to admit, this was a hard book for me to read. The characters were realistic, yet kind of unlikable, and the storyline was just so sad. The writing was descriptive, and I was sympathetic towards Chase because he was treated so badly by everyone except Beth. Their plight was truly heartbreaking. I do think this book has an important message about toxic relationships and bullying, so I recommend it on that basis. I didn't like the excessive profanity and the nonexistent morals of many of the characters, but even though some of the ending was intense and disturbing, I was happy overall with the outcome of the book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. A positive review was not required, and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

This is a YA coming-of-age story featuring an unlikely friendship between 17 year-old Elizabeth "Beth" Jones and Chase Donnelly. They meet initially when Beth sneaks off to a party in a rebellious move against her parents' recent actions. She meets Chase and they have a semi-anonymous tryst thinking they would never see each other again.

Yet the community they live in is too small for that. When they cross paths again, identities get revealed, and Chase is the most unlikely of any person Beth, her friends, and her family would ever have expected her to talk to, much less be attracted to. I don't want elaborate too much more on how their pasts are intertwined to avoid spoilers. Yet, I can comment that it was a doosey of a surprise that I did not anticipate.

The rest of the story circles around peeling back the layers of the past and healing. Told primarily in Beth's POV, there is a lot of teenage angst and frustration embedded in the plot, particularly with the relationship Beth has with her parents as they all continue to heal in the aftermath of Beth's older sister's death 2 years prior. It spotlights an emotional growth in Beth as she navigates the hurdles of being a high school senior, particularly when she witnesses bullying and her friends start to act contrary to her beliefs and she must decide how to react.

Overall, One Small Thing does a good job in touching on themes of bullying, grief, heartache, sexual assault, first love, and responsibility. It tells of a dramatic year of events of a high-schooler growing into herself and how she pulls through it all.... one small thing at a time.

4 STARS
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An ARC was generously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Let me start by saying Erin Watt know how to make me pick up her books and suck me in right away and once I start reading her books? I just can't put them down. This one? Wow, the story line was freaking amazing and I was at the edge of my seat in some parts because I wanted to make some of the decisions for Beth and some of the decisions for Chase because they were went for each other. But then I would set back a little and I would want to make totally different decisions, I was just as confused as them, I was literally making my life crazy just by reading this book.

Okay, okay, backing up a little bit 'cause I just I just confused the heck of everybody. So, Beth's sister died from a tragic accident and her hasn't been the same since then. Why? Because her parents have become extra, extra careful with her and in order to keep safe they monitor her every single move, they know where she is at all times.

Then on night Beth sneaks out of her house to go to a party and there she meets the new guy in town, Chase, she has this thrill about it and it's just such a small thing, right?

But her little secret really isn't so small...Chase is fresh out of juvie and he just wants this chance to start his life over. But he has more demons to face than anyone realizes including what he did the night Beth's sister died.

Beth finds herself in a lifetime situation, forgive or not forgive. Give it someone another chance? Will she be able to give her heart to Chase knowing what role he played that night? Will she follow the rules or risk it all?

So many feelings reading this book but at the same time? So worth it too, it was a great roller coaster to in, I totally, totally recommend this one!!! 5 stars