Overall I enjoyed this book. You've got two characters who are both looking for a fresh start. Beth, who has always gone by Lizzie before, is trying to get out from under the shadow of her dead sister. Chase, is fresh out of juvie and looking to get on with his life. A few years earlier, Beth's sister was fatally hit by a car. Ever since then, Beth's parents have been crazy overprotective to the point of suffocation. Beth just wants to breathe. When she sneaks out to a party in a neighboring town, she meets Chase. Everyone seems to stay away from him, but she doesn't know why. The two are drawn together and feelings develop that shouldn't. When they realize who each other are, Lizzie and Charlie, they understand what a mistake they've made. Now Beth has to decide if she will stay away, or follow her heart. The world is telling her she should hate Chase, but her heart is telling her a different story entirely. This is a story about getting to the heart of people. Beth truly learns what kind of people her friends are and tries to get her parents to see beyond their grief. The school is awful to Chase. I don't see how he can continue to show up everyday. He is definitely strong. Beth is being torn in two as she tries to decide what kind of person she wants to be and who she wants to throw her lot in with. Overall, it is a love story about two people who have the deck stacked against them.

Teach people how to treat you.

I just read one of the BEST YA ROMANCES EVER!!! I’m so IN LOVE with Erin Watt’s ONE SMALL THING!!! A compelling and emotionally complex coming of age journey with an old-school vibe, One Small Thing is felt with the heart, and its underlying theme of being true to oneself strikes straight to the teenage soul. This story sparked something in me I can’t truly explain but it has THAT CLICK that radiated while I was reading. One Small Thing is one HEADY HIGH that hums with anticipation from the very first page to the last. The angst is so delicious that it’s decadent. One Small Thing is SO ADDICTING . . . SO ANGSTY . . . SO AMAZING that I literally devoured every word!!!

That’s how I feel right now, actually, like I’m nothing but scraps pasted together by my parents.

Told through a struggling but strong teen girl, Beth, who is beautiful inside out, One Small Thing shows the value of life and love, of family and true friends who become family, and what it means to be unconditionally loved. The characters are spirited and soulful, and so raw and relatable. I love this heroine who is her own kind of rebel. The hero, Chase, is somewhat of a anti-hero and I LOVE HIM! He’s edgy with a retro James Dean vibe and so imperfectly perfect. Broken sees broken, and Beth and Chase are two kindred spirits with beautiful hearts who are fated together in the most messy but meaningful of ways. Their story—this story is more of an evolution than a romance.

”I don’t hate you.”

“I know you don’t. But you should.”

This story touched my heart so hard that it brought tears to my eyes. As a mom of a teen and as a woman young enough to vividly remember my own teen years, this story struck a chord with me with parts so relatable—the drama, the sass, and the evolving parent relationship—they felt real. I felt that teen uncertainty and turmoil of trying to fit in, of trying to navigate the unchartered territory of the adult world by changing the course of one’s life.

”No one counts, Chase. No one but you and me.”

One Small Thing so ELECTRIFYING and ENTICING!!! It’s FIERCE and FORBIDDEN! I was so lost in this story that it UTTERLY CONSUMED ME! One Small Thing stole my breath, my thoughts, and my heart. It’s YA CRACK that I couldn’t put down! My only problem is that the story cut off when I wanted and NEEDED MORE. One Small Thing delivers big time. It’s YA at its best! One Small Thing is ONE BIG EVERYTHING!!!

We were each other’s one small thing and that will never change.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 big ‘one small thing’ stars

I started off enjoying this. However, I have to admit that the storyline sort of careened off for me and the story started going down hill about half way through. I wish this story held up for the enter book. Overall, I'd give this 3.5 stars.

4 Stars!

Different. Memorable. Thought-provoking. Erin Watt shines with this new standalone series that is going to literally sweep you off your feet! Not one to be missed!

I definitely recommend this book.

<i>One Small Thing</i> is the newest YA novel written by Erin Watt, who also wrote the addicting <i>Royals</i> series.

I am a huge fan of the <i>Royals</i> series, so when I heard about this new novel I couldn't wait to get my hands on it! It is just as addicting as this duo's previous work and just as twisted.

In the beginning I was just a tad nervous because I wasn't sure if I liked where the author was going with this story, but I was so happy with the turn of events! There is drama just like the <i>Royals</i> series, so if you liked that then this is a great book to read. It is quick, slightly addicting (as all their books are) and kept me on edge for most of it.

I recommend this book if you like any of the above!

O.M.G. you guys! This story was so, SO good! My heart is so happy right now. I just loved these characters... young, broken, and beautiful. My heart ached for Beth and Chase. They were both so lost and alone after that tragic night. I just wanted to hold them both! Beth struggled so much, but despite her pain, she fought so hard for her and Chase. I admired her strength and tenacity to keep fighting for them. She was everything Chase needed. Aw, Chase. He was such an amazing character. So mature for his age. A young guy forced to become a man overnight. I loved his perspective and how he taught Beth to see the beauty in the little things all the while still suffering himself. I felt so many emotions while reading their story. I loved every minute of it!

One Small Thing is a perfect young adult novel. There was angst, heartache, drama, a villain, and two incredibly endearing characters, all wrapped up in one amazing story about love, forgiveness and redemption. This is definitely an I Love Story Time Favorite!

♥ Review by Lys

I’m not normally a read of YA fiction but with being a bookseller I like to open my herizons.
This book wasn’t my favourite but I did enjoy Erin Watts writing style. I just had hoped for a bit more character development.

"One small thing, I tell myself. Concentrate on one small, good thing."

I want to point out all the bad things. All the abuse by crazy boyfriends and even crazier parents. I want to talk about the very bad BFF and all the other kids in this school. The bad teachers. I was so angry at this. BUT I read this one sitting and starving myself because I couldn’t get up. I’m literally going to eat cereal in a minute. It’s so late and I have work tomorrow. This was like reading a trashy soap opera. And I’m sorry, it was so good. Realistic, not so much. Entertaining, you bet!! Lizzie/Beth/Elizabeth (why do female MC’s have so many names?!?) and Chace/Charles (this book likes nicknames) were super cute together. They needed someone. I’m actually 100% positive that if she wasn’t so stubborn and he wasn’t so strong they’d be dead. They had very hard times. That’s why They’re little mantra was so helpful. They also protected each other.

I’m still mad at all the side characters. Especially Jeff. But whatever. It was still very fun to read.

Thank you Harlequin Teen for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

DNF @ 41%

I tried guys but this book isn't for me. One Small Thing is one of my highly anticipated books this year and sadly it turned out to be a disappointment. I rarely put a book in a DNF pile and as much as I hated a book, I'll finish it no matter what. However, all the characters in this book pissed me off and I ran out of patience.

The story centers on death and grief. It's about seventeen year old Beth Jones whose sister tragically passed away due to a car accident. Since her sister's death, her parents had an irrational fear of losing another child and became overprotective on her. No parent wants to outlive their child and I understand what they're going through but they've forgot paying attention to their remaining child. I swear Beth's parents are the most ridiculous parents EVER and they made me furious.

Beth feels suffocated by their strictness and disobeys them in every way she can. One night, she went to a party and meets Chase. Sparks fly between them but things turned complicated when she found out he's the reason why her sister died.

With a lot of teenage angst and migraine-inducing drama, I lost my interest. It was stressful to read this book and the townspeople are horrible. I don't want my hairline to recede by finishing this book. Will I give this another shot? Probably not. I'm so relieved but it doesn't mean I'll stop reading Erin Watt's books. I'm just not a fan of this one. I'm sorry.

I enjoyed this book. Young Adult is one of my favorite genres to read. I loved the message of finding one small thing a day that makes you happy. This writing duo works well together and spins a rather great story. I recommend this if you book, it was just what I needed at the time I read it.

"Everywhere I look, I see a closed door. A dark passage. Locked windows. If there’s a way out, I can’t visualize it."

My first Erin Watt novel after almost a year and I am just reminded of how I always end up with an overflow of emotions, pulling my hair out and cussing up a storm on every single character!

As is with any of this duo's novel it started with me wanting to smack the parents and that was when they hadn't even spoken. *shrugs*

The narrator of the story, 17-year-old Elizabeth Jones, a high school senior is now ruled by her parents and schoolmates' expectations after a tragedy struck the Jones Family.

Charles Donelly a.k.a Chase comes with more than his share of baggage to Darling High School where is treated like a pariah.

In true Erin Watt fashion after a momentum was set, threads started coming loose. Emotions were at its peak for almost the entire book. Truths were being revealed in chunks and dropped like little bombs. The frustration level was at new heights and the story was just me flipping page after page to know what was going to happen next.

One Small Thing in the last 10-20% was its pinnacle moment and then suddenly everything came tumbling down and the book ended on a flat note.

The story that was so engaging and gripping and with so much potential to end on a very high and satisfied note, failed to deliver that. It honestly felt rushed and I feel the parents, her friends, especially Scarlett were let off way too easily. I would have preferred Beth cutting ties with every single one of those friends because they are not friends, they are the kind of friends that are around only when it suits them.

The one thing I loved about the book was when the meaning behind the title came to fruition. That was such a beautiful thing to focus on and every "one small thing" just kept getting better and better.

The one thing that really bugged me apart from Beth's juvenile behaviour and the absolute idiocy of every single character in this book, excluding Chase, was grief.
I get it. What the Jones Family suffered was momentous and it was impossible not be changed after that but for Beth's parents to justify some of the really harsh things they did was not short of mental torture, in my opinion.

They — the parents, friends and schoolmates — needed to know that every person deals with grief differently. None of us gets to decide how an individual should grieve, except that person and for Beth's parents' to justify their actions to "protect" her was just a cop-out. Yes, Beth does take a semi-destructive path but rather than be smart about it and make her sit down and make a genuine effort, we had two parents who just went off the hook if she uttered something that didn't fall in line with their pre-conceived ideas. Oh and their incessant need to "speak" for Beth. I know she isn't smartest cookie and does go off the tangent but you've got to listen to her. Just because they weren't comfortable with a situation, you can't trust those decisions on anyone.
There is protective and then there is stifling and Beth's parents were firmly on the latter.

Another thing was the lack of any redeeming character. Except for Chase. There is not one character who I could sympathise or empathise with or is likeable enough.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes.
Would I recommend it? Since it's Erin Watt, yes and also because reading tastes differ.

I cannot say enough about this book. The story absolutely floored me. I was hooked from the first chapter. The emotional rollercoaster of grief, helplessness, forgiveness, love, hurt, anguish, and horror was almost too much for my brain to handle. In a good way! I can't believe I waited so long to read it. Elle and Jen did an amazing job with this book. 100% read it!!

This was a great book. The character development was fantastic, and I loved the ending ;) I will definitely be reading more of Erin Watt in the future--you have a devoted fan!

One Small Thing is a contemporary young adult romance novel that is sure to stay with you long after you finish reading. The setting is vividly realistic helping to make the characters relatable. A story that draws you into a world like no other full of twists and turns as you try to solve a mystery in the middle of an unexpected romance.

This is the fifth book I've read by Eric Watt, and weirdly I liked it the least. While the Paper Princess series and When It's Real were both wildly unrealistic tales of a poor, orphaned girl next door meets insanely hot, wildly rich playboy and falls insanely in lust, this one was a much more realistic tale. Maybe Eric Watts just writes the previous type of story better? Beth and Chase had a semi-believable plot line and the overprotective insane parents bit was a nice touch. The ending was 100% predictable, which isn't the worst thing in the world, but it just left the whole thing feeling a little underwhelming.

I will say that the side plot of Jeff and Scarlett was something I felt invested in though. Jeff was so obviously an abusive prick and while that was clearly meant to be a side plot, I do think it's good (especially for girls) to see that the way Jeff was treating Scarlett is never acceptable. I think it's so easy to see those warning signs in others but miss them when it's you. I also think in a way, it's awesome that it was a side story. Not that abusive relationships should never be the main story, because for many people they are and that's a really important story to tell, but because it might have opened up someone's eyes to those signs who wouldn't have read the book if it was a story focused on abuse. (less)

** I did not finish this book.

The first few pages of this book were interesting, and I wanted to find out more about Beth's story; however, once I kept reading her story didn't grab me in a way that made me want to finish this book.

I unfortunately abandoned the book after reading the first 75 pages. I feel the content is definitely more appropriate for high school and there is a reader out there who will love this book - it just wasn't me.

“There’s always something to live for. Something to be thankful for. Something to look forward to.”
~Erin Watt, One Small Thing

Wow. This book. I read this book in one night. It was moving, redemptive, romantic and captivating. I truly enjoyed it all. This was my first book by Erin Watt and it will not be my last.

I truly enjoyed the relationship between Beth & Chase, despite the fact that it seemed doomed before it really even got started. I loved the fight for peace, for forgiveness, for healing. I loved that both characters had a quiet strength that made me not only respect them, but love them.

This is a story of redemption and falling I love...with someone who may seem like they’re all wrong for you, but is actually what you’ve needed all along. A quick, but moving read, I recommend this book!

One Small Thing by Erin Watt is an excellent young adult romance with a lot of complications. I could not put this book down once I started to read it. I liked both of the main characters and struggled about how it could possibly work out. Elizabeth who use to go by Lizzy, now wants to be called Beth. She has struggled with her sister's death 3 years ago, and her parents are way beyond controlling. Beth feels no love from her parents, just control and the immortalizing of her sister. One night Beth sneaks out to a party and meets Chase. They instantly have a connection. Unfortunately they do not realize who each other are. I strongly recommend this book. I will be watching out for Ms. Watt's books to read.

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Once I started One Small Thing, I couldn’t put it down. In many books, I am disappointed by predictability but Erin Watt has a way of writing that draws me into an emotional investment of her main character and Beth was no exception. My heart hurt for her as she grappled with the grief of losing her sister & struggled to find her own identity in the wake of that tragedy. I loved this book and would highly recommend it!

Beth lost her sister 3 years ago. It was a car accident. She’s been the “leftover” sister for the past three years. The whole town knows her as Rachel’s sister. The tragedy shook the whole town and her school. She’s tired of being the poor girl and that her parents can’t seem to move on. During summer break, she sneaks out one night after fighting with her parents. She goes to a party in another town. There she wants to be the unknown girl. She sets her eyes on one guy. And gets him.
Her parents find out about the party. Beth’s grounded, the dad takes away her car and phone, quits her job and volunteer service.
She’s glad when her senior year in high school starts. Her sisters boyfriend came back after being in England for two years after the accident.. But he’s not the only one back. She recognizes him as her hookup. But he’s connected to her in another way...

This was a very good story. I liked Beth and Chase, they were good for each other. The little twist was a good one. The ending was a bit crammed together and I had to read it twice to see if I read it right. But other than that, I enjoyed this book!

Thank you for the free ebook copy from the publisher and NetGalley for an honest review.