4 Stars

One Small Thing is a young adult romance, it's a story of forgiveness, loss, hope and second chances. Strong themes of friendship, guilt and drama flow throughout this bittersweet title.

Beth and Chase are complex characters that develop over the course of this title.

Their story is emotional, raw, intense and thought provoking, it's quite a unique take on a forbidden romance.

It's quite different to the previous titles that I have read by this pair and as much as some characters were quite unlikable, I was quite captivated by this engaging read.

I have loved some Erin Watt books and some have fallen flat for me. This book sadly falls in the latter category.

I was vested in their story until I just wasn’t. Some parts I devoured, not able to get enough. Others I skimmed because it lost my interest. I just didn’t feel the characters connection at all :(

I didn’t love where the last 20% went unfortunately.

Overall this wasn’t one of my favorites though I did like Chase the hero a lot!

I was disappointed in this one. I’m giving it 2 out of 5 stars. This review is for an ARC, and reflects my honest opinion.

I didn’t really like any of the characters besides Chase. Without spoiling things, like every other character was awful at least half of the time, if not more often. One person I wanted to smack, punch, etc. Well I’d probably do those things to a few others, but one in particular made my blood boil.

One major thing (ha) that annoyed me was how predictable this book was. And the ending was wrapped up so neatly in the last 3-4% that it made me roll my eyes a little; it felt too choreographed to resemble real life.

This was pretty depressing to read at times. I mean it was a sad subject (obviously based on the summary), but there wasn’t really anything happy about it at all. It got a little overwhelming sometimes. But if you liked Pushing the Limits, or Say You’ll Remember Me by Katie McGarry, you’d probably like this one. It just wasn’t for me unfortunately.

One Small Thing by Erin Watt

What it’s about:

Beth’s life hasn’t been the same since her sister died. Her parents try to lock her down, believing they can keep her safe by monitoring her every move. When Beth sneaks out to a party one night and meets the new guy in town, Chase, she’s thrilled to make a secret friend. It seems like a small thing, just for her.

Only Beth doesn’t know how big her secret really is…

Fresh out of juvie and determined to start his life over, Chase has demons to face and much to atone for, including his part in the night Beth’s sister died. Beth, who has more reason than anyone to despise him, is willing to give him a second chance. A forbidden romance is the last thing either of them planned for senior year, but the more time they spend together, the deeper their feelings get.

Now Beth has a choice to make—follow the rules, or risk tearing everything apart…again.

My 411: Erin Watt always delivers a high-octane story with plenty of twists. One Small Thing is a journey of love and forgiveness and exploring the boundaries of life. You grow with these characters as they learn how beautiful and difficult life can be.

I really enjoy reading forbidden romances. This is one of the ultimate forbidden situations. I loved Beth and Chase.

Chase was so wise beyond his years. He has a real understanding of how rare true forgiveness is. He never dismissed other peoples' feelings instead trying to understand how other people feel.

Beth - Was like a flower trying to bloom. Trying to find her place and get out of the thumb of her helicopter parents. I adored her powers of empathy.

So many important ideas addressed in this book and it's a perfect one for teenagers to read.
Gosh, I am just having a hard time letting these two go. This story was riveting and I was glued to the pages. So good.

When I started to read this book I had no idea where the story would get me. It's cool sometimes to be surprised my an author, in this case by two of them, by the characters and how the story seems to be taking a way to suddenly take a turn. That happened to me, and despite my age difference with the main characters I also found this story close and entertaining.

In some books destiny can be awesome, leading the characters in a path of endless love and happiness. Some other times isn't that great. One Small Thing belongs to the second box. Beth and Chase, the main characters, are linked from the start even if they haven't idea. And the universe, being the big joker he is, won't let them forget that connection even for a minute.

At the beginning Beth seemed to be immature and infuriating, and it's precisely that immaturity that lead her to Chase for the first time. Little by little you'll fill in the blanks into Beth story, and realize she had a reason to act the way she does. But also you'll understand her parents. I reach the point, in some parts of the book, when I said "both of you are right, but also both of you are wrong" and wanted to slap some sense into them, lol.

Then Chase comes to Beth school... his past get exposed, and his future starts to blur.

Guilt is something powerful, but so is love. And while the characters are fighting the feelings they think they shouldn't have, their strength will be tested in more ways that they imagine. The ending wasn't that shocking, though. Despite the odds against Chase and Beth, they found a way to heal one another, and it was beautiful.

This book takes one for the team and talks about some sensible subjects like bullying, shaming, and the different forms of violence, so it's a great excuse to share it with the teens in your home. But it also talks about lost, grief, forgiveness, and friendship. I really loved this book and can't wait for you to read it!

This was a fab, angsty teen read dealing with grief, forgiveness, growing up and first love.

"No cage is forever, Beth. I tried to find one small thing that I could be grateful for each day."

Beth lives in a cage not of her choosing. Protected, restricted, and cosseted, her terrified parents keep her close for fear of losing their remaining daughter. They don't realise that their fears are slowly suffocating her to the extent that she's desperate to shrug off the invisible chains behave out of character. One night of liberty ends up with her meeting a gorgeous, mysterious boy.

"He's alive. I'm alive...And I have to let my broken heart heal instead of pretending I've been fine."

Chase has just been released from a cage also not of his choosing. One moment of acting out changed the course of his life and that of Beth's family. He's a pariah at his new school. When he comes face to face with the girl from the party, both realise that whatever was between them could never be. They are off limits to each other.

"I won't let us be wrong. I rise on my tiptoes and press my lips against his."

This was such an angsty read. Beth has had to deal with the fallout of being the only surviving child of her parents. Their controlling ways has her counting down the days to when she can escape to college. She struggles to even behave like a normal teenager when her parents are constantly monitoring her. I enjoyed her moment of liberty but her approach to enjoying the freedom was unfortunately not always successful.

Chase is a massively stoic character. My heart went out to him as we witness how he's treated by the kids at his school, and how he feels that it's part of his penance.

The connection between them was amazing and wholly forbidden. Beth knows that she should hate him but the chemistry between them, as well as Chase's wisdom, help her to see that she needed a different approach to dealing with her parents, and also to realise that her own happiness is in her own hands.

A fab YA read!

One Small thing is a young adult, forbidden romance novel. It’s chock full of angst and drama, a touch emotional, and overall an intense read; definitely not cutesy.

I volleyed between two different emotions while reading Beth and Chase’s story- anger and empathy. Beth’s parents made me mad as a hatter. As a parent myself, I can understand their grief and fear, and their need to protect the only child they have left… but these two were over the top with the levels they went to ‘protect’ their daughter. They were unreasonable and smothering. They were failing to let the child they still had actually breathe and LIVE. It wasn’t just them though, it seems most of the adults behavior was unreal. Teachers, parents, counsellors. I was constantly fuming with the adults.

Beth was a character I grew to like, but didn’t entirely connect with. She was young, naive, and sometimes hypocritical. I did empathise with her at times, I would likely act out too if I felt as though my parents were suffocating me. I liked that Chase was there to talk things through with her. He gave her sound advice and was a good listener.

Chase, he was definitely my favourite character. He was apologetic and remorseful, truly changed. Even though what he had done was an accident, he took responsibility and never made excuses. He was kind, logical, and sweet. He was treated harshly by everyone except Beth, and I couldn’t help but feel compassionate and empathetic towards him.

One thing I had trouble with was having Chase (and secondary character, Jeff) returning to highschool after having left three years ago. It was something that seemed pretty far-fetched...like it gave me slight Billy Madison feels. In the real world, someone who is returning to school at the age of 19/20 would likely be completing their GED in an Adult Education facility or training center. Plus, kids in juvie are provided their high school education and although it’s substandard it’s something; it isn’t likely that Chase would have had zero schooling in his three years away. I really had to ignore what would be realistic to accept some things in this novel. I was able to do that to a degree.

I did enjoy what happened at the big climax near the end, that was a cool revelation, but the closing of the story left something to be desired. It fell flat, was cut short, and I was very underwhelmed by how it wrapped up. I needed more, and this is one instance where I really wished there were some sort of epilogue.

So, there were elements of the story that I enjoyed and some that I didn’t. If you like young adult reads, give it a try. One Small Thing brings you on a journey of grief, forgiveness, and healing.

Oh, I loved this! It might just be my favorite Erin Watt title...so far!

Beth is in a prison of sorts.Her parents are ultra protective since the death of her sister, and Beth just wants to rebel against it -- so she does! She meets the sexy, mysterious Chase at a party she shouldn't be at. Like most young adults, it's more about rebellion than consequences. This story captures the impulsive nature and rebellion of a teenager quite nicely. Chase doesn't know who Beth is and vice versa.

When it turns out that Chase is going to Beth's school -- well, there's a whole lot of conflict going on. Everyone in school hates Chase for what he's done and the fact that he's been in jail. Everyone has a problem with their relationship, including Beth and Chase and their parents. (Personally, I can't conceive of any parent being happy about this budding relationship.) But as their classmates and friends get progressively mean toward Chase, it draws him and Beth together. Turns out they have something in common as they are both struggling to get past the tragedy that exploded their lives.

The story was very tight with excellent pacing, smooth writing, and the high drama that I've come to expect from these authors. Beth is an interesting and imperfect character and I liked that she was the narrator of the story. Chase was just right - and he was as good with Beth as she was with him.

It was very easy to get swept away in this story and while I figured out what had really happened that night well before the characters piece it together, it didn't impact the enjoyment of Beth and Chase's story in the least. I devoured this book in a day.

This is a very engaging young adult title that I really enjoyed. The characters are interesting, the plot is tense and I just liked everything about it, which is why I give One Small Thing 5 stars.

An ARC was provided for review

4 Small Thing Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟

The message of this book was perfect... find that one small thing every day that makes you happy.... if we all could prescribe to this school of thought, the world would be a happier place... and this book was the one small thing in my life today that put a smile on my face... this was a book filled with so much angst, heartbreak, frustration, but in the end hope!

It is Beth’s senior year and she wants to make the most of it, but this is not easy with her extremely over protective parents... Beth’s older sister Rachel died in a tragic accident a couple years ago and her parents are going to do everything to keep their surviving daughter safe.... this was tough! These parents were beyond overprotective... and it was really hard not to pass judgment because thank goodness I have never been in their situation, but they were just smothering their daughter.... Beth sneaks out one night to a party and meets Chase the bad boy new guy in school.... there is chemistry between them, however when they find out the true identity of one another they realize this relationship cannot happen.... so it is over before it starts, or is it?

I really liked Beth, I felt for her and my heart broke for her, what a hard place to be... how do you make your grieving parents see you and recognize your needs? Chase what a great guy... yes he did something he shouldn’t have, but at the core of it it was an accident.... an accident he will also have to live with for the rest of his life.... I really adored these two main characters, however every secondary character in this book was judgemental, irritating, and annoying.... I really cannot believe how ridiculous these kids were especially in regards to Chase.... I’m not sure why they didn’t take a cue as to how Beth was reacting??? My desire to reach through the pages and shake some people into reality, was quite overwhelming throughout most of this book!.... beth’s friends were so busy being righteous that they didn’t seem to care what her needs were?Ugh so annoying!

This was a quick enjoyable read filled with all the drama and angst you expect from a book set in high school... I really would love a follow up! I love to see what happens to Beth and Chase after high school and there are some characters I’d like to see get theirs, LOL 😝

Absolutely recommend to fans of contemporary young adult books with a lot of drama and angst... parents I’d recommend for your older teens, there is teenage drinking and sex....

*** many thanks to Harlequin Teen for my copy of this delightful book ***

3 Stars

This is a sweet,lovely,emotional and intense story,and I liked her, I just don't love it .It may sound cliche, but that's not just the book for me, I'm sure many people will love the story and be enchanted by these characters, what didn't happen to me.I loved the premise of the story, and don't get me wrong, it's still a beautiful story about forgiveness, personal growth and learn to move on, but I really miss the romance here.Some may think it had romance, but I couldn't feel it, and it frustrated me a little.

I really liked Chase and I think he had a potential unfortunately hasn't been well explored.Beth was a character where sometimes it was bearable and other she irritated me deeply.And the ending left a lot too, I mean I don't even know if I can call it.

But don't let my impressions prevent you to read this book, as I'm sure some people will love it and if you actually spend some annoying parts, The book brings a deep and emotional story that will raise your heart.

One Small Thing may be Erin Watt’s best work yet! Told exclusively from Beth’s point of view, this heart-breaking, forbidden love story isn’t one I will forget anytime soon.

At the opening, Beth is getting ready to start her senior year of high school. Feeling lost since her sister’s death two years earlier and smothered by her overbearing, protective parents, Beth begins acting out: going to parties, drinking to excess, sneaking around behind their backs. Their rules and presence in Beth’s life is smothering, she feels trapped. I hurt for her. She’s dealing with her own grief, and yet her parents aren’t dealing at all. Beth is just trying to find a new normal, one that doesn’t involve living under the shadow of her sister’s ghost.

Then enters Chase. Chase is the new boy in town, who doesn’t know Beth. She can be herself around him, instead of the dead girl’s sister. But Chase comes with his own demons, especially when his role in the night Beth’s sister died is revealed. I ached for him, as does Beth. This boy grew up too soon, and he carries his guilt with him everywhere he goes. But I love the glimpses of the carefree boy he was. He’s an intense character, and the author does a fantastic job of conveying his struggles and grief.

The plot is complex as Beth navigates her feelings for Chase, Chase denies his feelings for her, and literally everyone else bullies Chase to keep him away from Beth. It’s a sad story, one that left me with a heavy heart, but of course I was smiling in the end. Erin Watt’s portrayal of Chase is one I found true to life. People, like the characters in this book, can be prejudice of teens out of juvie. They make assumptions, and anything that happens is blamed on them, just like with Chase. Anything bad that happens in the school, anytime Beth doesn’t feel well or is acting strangely, the blame is laid at Chase’s feet.

In addition to the abuse Chase receives, Watt really does a fantastic job of conveying Beth’s grief and denial of her sister’s death. It’s depicted in detail, the parents’ grief, Beth’s, and how it affects their daily lives. Beth’s growth in this book is believable as she learns to live again.

Overall, One Small Thing pulled at my heart-strings. I didn’t want it to end! This is a sweeter story than most of Watt’s work, but I enjoyed it all the same. I highly recommend it to anyone that enjoys sweet, contemporary romance or to anyone that’s enjoyed Watt’s previous books.

While I enjoyed the story and finished it at break neck speed, it lacked a connection for me. Don't get my wrong though, I loved Beth's voice, I admired Chase, I wanted Beth to overcome her frustrations at home, I enjoyed Beth pursuing Chase (I mean, how often do we get that in today's YA?), and I adored the message that coincides with the title of the book itself - those are the things that stood out for me.

The biggest thing I could never grasp onto was chemistry between Beth and Chase. There were fleeting moments, but nothing solid for me and I really wanted to sail that ship!

While One Small Thing didn't meet my expectations and give me that rush (I blame ALLLLL the Royals ;)) I still enjoyed the overall story/message and of course, I will read whatever Erin Watt dishes out next! :)

*Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read and review.*

Erin Watt delivers a raw,emotional,intense and sweet story.I feel like it was a long time since I read a book from this author, I was super excited about One Small Thing I really enjoy it!
One of the best things in this story is Chase.He intrigued me and I wanted to know more about him.Beth was an ok character in my opinion.I can't say I loved her from the beginning.I didn't like her behavior in some parts, but while I continue reading I find myself liking her more.

Overall, it was a great story that make me think a lot.The story has some serious issues that will touch you! I'm always looking forward for what Erin Watt has for us next!

One Small Thing is a very clear case of just not for me. Because I know that the majority of people that read this book are going to fall in love, they're going to adore these characters, cry with and for these characters, and be captivated by their story. But for me that wasn't the case. And for my own reasons.

The main one being, the secondary characters frustrated the ever loving hell out of me. I've said it before and I will probably say it a million times more, I cannot stand overbearing parents. Like there is a special place in my reader-world hell for parents that control their kids. And also for characters that let their family control them. Now in Beth's case I could understand since she was seventeen and didn't really have a choice. But it didn't stop me from being frustrated, and especially since it wasn't even just the parents, it was most of the other characters as well. I honestly just wanted Beth to stand up and tell every secondary character to shut the fuck up.

I actually started this book, was only about 13% into it, and then stopped for over a day. That doesn't happen to me! Once I start a book I don't stop unless real life interferes and I'm forced to. But after the first interaction with the heroine and her parents I just knew that this book was going to have me extra frustrated. I wasn't wrong. But I continued on and tried to keep a positive vibe and not get too worked up over the secondary characters.

On top of the frustration though, I don't know if I can even consider this a true romance. It certainly had hints of romance but too much, and for me, unless it's a suspense, I need a heavy dose of romance in my books. This one mostly focused on Beth, and I do think that was an interesting plot, but since Chase was brought into it I would have liked to see more of them together. And it didn't help that their story ended in typical YA fashion where there's sort of an HEA but not enough of one for my liking.

I've read and loved Erin Watt's Royals series and it's one I have re-read, will continue to re-read in the future, and one that I recommend a ton, but that series was more of what I consider mature YA, while this was just straight YA. AKA not my favorite. So like I said, this was clearly my own issues and not any issues with the book. Because I think it was a really good story and really well written. Honestly the only complaints about the actual writing would be that I think there were a few things that needed to be expanded on more and given more page time, mostly the whole Rachel thing. But other than that there were no big issues and I think it's a book that many people will love. So if you're a fan of emotional YA, this is the book for you.

I loved (most) of the Royal series, and I really loved When It’s Real. I was looking for more fun, flirty feels and drama and angst when I picked this one up. I expected to be sucked right in like I was for the others. However Erin Watt lost me on this one. If I didn’t know better I would think this was their first (very amateur) book. The writing was extremely choppy and disorganized. There were huge time lapses and scene changes with literally zero transition. Just BOOM-try to figure out what scene you’re in now. Not fun, especially when large parts of the plot were skipped over and then reiterated as memory so the reader would have some clue what was happening.

I did not connect with or feel anything for the characters. Everything seemed way over the top and cliche. I wasn’t expecting great literature going in. But Erin Watt know how to write an engaging, witty, romantic novel, I knew they do. This was not it however. The plot twist wasn’t really a twist, you could see it coming from 8 miles away. I think I guessed it just reading the synopsis. Not the most creative or original plot. However, that would have been fine if the writing was tighter and the characters were engaging.

This was one of my most anticipated books this year. I’m pretty disappointed. I may read more from Erin Watt but I’ll be more cautious in the future, maybe wait for some reviews to come out first before I pick it up.

I have loved the writing duo Erin Watt, especially their book When It’s Real so I was excited for One Small Thing. Unfortunately, despite my best efforts, I couldn’t bring myself to finish it. I gave up at 45%, with no will left to go on.

Some blame can be placed on the formatting, due to it being an ARC. But it flowed together so terribly, that it made it difficult to follow. Paragraphs ran into the next, and made scene changes especially confusing. Eventually, I was able to mostly ignore it.

This book is the epitome of the reasons why I’m never drawn to YA novels. I’m usually turned off to them from the jump, just knowing that they’re YA, because I assume (incorrectly, in most cases) that the characters’ problems will be menial and difficult to relate to. In the past, it was never the case. YA books are some of the best written that I’ve ever read and almost always end up being a favorite. But this one was entirely different.

I felt like the storyline with Beth’s sister was trying too hard. It wasn’t at all heartbreaking the way that losing a sister should be. It was more of Beth acting like a spoiled brat, whining about how her parents just don’t understand! Oh, the drama.

And all of that drama aside, then there’s a ton more of it surrounding Chase’s character. It was all just so over-the-top. I didn’t emotionally connect to anyone in this story – in fact, they are all quite terrible. I didn’t like a single one of them.

Beth is annoying and spoiled and extremely whiney. Most of her “problems” are created by herself because she acts like a brat and goes behind her parents’ backs. Her parents were both appalling. Her “friends” were shitty, Chase had no redeemable qualities, and Jeff is a sleazy scumbag.

I just couldn’t take it anymore. I bailed before the halfway point, but I just wasn’t going to continue to put myself through it when redemption for any of the characters was so highly doubtful. I don’t really care what happens to any of them, and that’s when I know it’s time to give in. Maybe the next Erin Watt book and I will jive better.

This book made me vibrate to an unimaginable point, I don’t know why Beth’s suffering touches me so much but the fact that everyone gives her advice, tells her who to date, what to do and with whom, horrifies me to the highest point.

Beth’s parents are much too strict, I can understand that since they have already lost a daughter but unfortunately they are losing the second one by dint of bullying her. She can’t do anything, she even sent letters to universities but her mother went to the mailbox to get them so they wouldn’t leave. I find it rather ignoble to deprive her daughter of a private life, as they do when she is a responsible student.

Chase made a mistake, certainly fatal, but he paid his debt. I have a hard time understanding how people can be so vile with him. I understand if Beth is because after all she’s the victim, but the others just imagine things.

I enjoyed the relationship between Beth and Chase, everything starts at one party and after everything changes, unfortunately Beth falls in love with Chase despite everything, she will undergo all sorts of remarks from everyone and although I can understand that this shocks, I also totally understand the Beth point of view.

I was touched by this story, by the way it is treated and by the characters who are endearing. This book deals with forgiveness, hate, second chance, violence and also friendship and family relationships.

Like all Erin Watt’s books this one will not leave you indifferent and I hope you will like it as much as I do.

Quick Word: A book to read absolutely.

This was my first Erin Watt novel and I cannot wait to read more from them. I was hooked on the story from the beginning. I was so entranced that I finished it in a day. Not many books hold my attention so well that I'm sneaking in time to read them.
Beth or Lizzie is trying to find herself after the death of her sister. It's not really possible when it seems like no one else is healing either.
Chase or Charlie is figuring out how to survive his senior year. After some long thoughts maybe his school isn't right for him and won't help with his healing.
Chase and Beth had me on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would unfold next. They may be forbidden from each other but sometimes a connection is too strong to listen to those around you. You also need to find a way to heal and become who you want to be.

This book was so hard to read. Not because of the writing but because of the subject matter. There were so many issues going on, but most important were grief and forgiveness.

I found myself extremely conflicted with this book. There was a romance between Beth and Chase. Chase had played a role in Beth’s sister’s death. I loved their romance, but I was also cringing, just because of who they were to each other. And I also felt like how can this possibly end well. I was on edge the entire book, thinking what is going to happen next to these characters.

Beth is a really strong character, but she starts the beginning in a deep spiral over the loss of her sister, and her parents’ new strictness. You can totally understand why she was spiraling. Her parents were awful, but at the same time, you can kind of understand what they were trying to do. All they wanted to do was protect their daughter, but in reality, they were smothering her. I thought the Mom had a decent growth throughout the book, but I really can’t say the same about Beth’s Dad. But, everyone grieves differently.

Chase was a great character. I would have loved to know a bit more about him, but he had a really hard battle of forgiving himself for the death of Beth’s sister. You do get a touch of his backstory. I would have loved alternating chapters in his voice to get more inside his head.

I went into this book thinking that this would be a cute, young adult romance, and hoped that Chase didn’t hold as big of a role in the death as the blurb suggests. But, this book was neither of those things. It weighs heavy on me, and it is a book I cannot stop thinking about. I would highly recommend this book.

* ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!