I love a good southern fiction book and Only One Life was amazing! I loved the different viewpoints and learning about Iris and Julia's stories, layer by layer. I read this captivating story in one sitting...unputdownable! Grab a glass of sweet tea, pull up a chair on the porch and settle in with this book!

Ashley Farley/Southern Fiction/Only One Life=a fantastic novel! I love Ms. Farley's books and had been looking forward to reading this, her newest novel, with great anticipation. It's a wonderful book that took me into the lives of Iris and her daughter, Julia. The story takes place in two time lines and works well to bring the broken pieces of their mother/daughter relationship together that should never have been torn apart.

My heart was so broken at the beginning of this book for Julia. Things happen that are so sudden and unexplainable. Why did it have to happen? What good could ever come from it? Ms. Farley drew me into this story and I became involved in Iris and Julia's lives. My heart felt broken with each and every situation that they were going through. I wanted them to be happy and feel loved and that they mattered. That there is a purpose for them and happiness. To rid themselves of burdens they carried that weren't theirs to begin with. I felt compelled to turn the pages and take that journey with them.

I loved the characters in this book....well almost all. I despised two but they made Iris and Julia stronger and more determined to overcome the past. I felt I was in my hometown with people I could be neighbors and friends with as I became acquainted with them.

This is a story of taking your life and making something great with it. This passage is one that speaks of getting up, wiping off the dust and taking steps forward: "Life deals us a hand, honey, and it's up to us to decide how we want to play our cards. You can either fold or you can put on your poker face and greet each day as it comes." Those are such wise words that things can be different if we take one step at a time and make the most of what we have. "......one second, moment, hour at a time." We have "ONLY ONE LIFE" and it's a life that is a gift.

This book is a family drama with all of its dysfunctions and hate but also forgiveness and healing that tugged at my heart and emotions. I could just scream at some of the characters and then I'd want to wrap my arms around others and let them know that they are loved and worthy.
This is another wonderfully written novel by Ms. Farley. I'm honored that I was given the opportunity to read an ARC copy of this book. Well done, Ms. Farley! Thank you so very much!
I also want to thank Lake Union and Netgalley for the ecopy and I freely share my honest review. This is another five star read by an amazing author.

Only One Life was a fairly easy read, with a few slow spots. There was lots of description, some might have been a bit unnecessary.
Julia Martin finds herself a very young widow with a baby to care for, and makes the decision to go home and take shelter with the family she has been estranged from since her marriage to Jack who her father deemed completely unsuitable. Being cut off form her dysfunctional wasn't that hard for Julia when she had Jack, but losing him the night she gave birth left her with nowhere else to turn.
The story is parallel with her mother Iris's, which is filled with sadness, lost love, and betrayals that shaped what she chose and became when she let Julia go for all those years.
Most of the issues get wrapped up neatly by the end of the story, and comeuppance is served to those that deserved it.

I received an ARC from NetGalley, and am sharing my opinion, I would have given it 3 1/2 stars if able, and think many will enjoy the book if it's their type of novel.

Such a charming, entertaining novel. The characters are well written and relatable. The story brings together mothers and daughters after lifetimes of secrets are finally shared. Story is full of heartbreak and even more hope. Wonderfully written!

I loved this book more than I can say. The southern setting was amazing, I could feel myself sitting on a wrap around porch sipping some sweet tea and just taking in the story! 

I loved how the story revolves around a mother and daughter whos relationship is estranged. 

Only One Life and Ashley W Farley are the reason why I love women's fiction! Ashley has set the bar real high and I look forward to read more from her!

In Only One Life, Ashley Farley weaves a beautiful and bittersweet tale of family and friendship over the years.
In this small southern town, there are secrets buried that could destroy several people. At the heart of the book is the recurring theme of love in all of its different shades. It can beautiful, encouraging and build people up or it can be dark, jealous and ultimately destructive. Sometimes love makes the hard decision to protect others when they don't even realize they need the protection. There were so many different relationships in this book. There was the sweetness that seemed to exist between Julia and Jack. Of course, Lily and Iris' lifetime friendship was also quite touching. Then later, Julia and Gus' evolving friendship made my heart squeeze. Naturally, there were also the dysfunctional relationships between Iris and Max, Iris and Alex and Alex and Julia and so on. Those were brutal and some of those people were downright hateful. Overall, the relationship between Iris and Julia - the mother and daughter relationship that was able to overcome years of being kept apart - - was by far the most spectacular one of all.

I just don't know if my words can give proper credence to how lovely this book was. As one who has frequented the low country of South Carolina, I found it to feel quite authentic. Not only were the descriptions of the area spot on, some of the characterizations of the people were typical of southerners as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was one of the best books I’ve read in the last year. Farley does a great job of building characters and plot, and the story was a reliable and comfortable formula with a few twists. I will be looking for her books again.

Great Southern Fiction! This is the first book I have read by this author. I am now on a quest to find her other books. Colorful and masterful. This author gives us a nonstop memorable read. A great story about wealth, family, relationships, and secrets. Many thanks to Lake Union Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I have never read anything by Ashley Farley and now I want to read everything she writes! This story shows the unhappy life with family dysfunction and how truth and love can bring healing to those who are open to it. There will be the need for a few tissues for this beautiful story!

Another wonderful story from Ashley Farley! I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Julia, Jack, Iris, and little Jackson. Max and Alex were not at the top of my favorites list due to their similar disposition, but Ashley is able to make you feel strong emotions for every character she writes. Julia was like a sister to me that I was rooting for, and Iris was like a mother that you are just learning about how strong and resilient she truly is. I was disappointed that there was not more to Julia and Jacks story, however, I understand the circumstances. I was just hoping for more storyline regarding their relationship. Maybe that could become a novella from this book Ashley? ;o) Overall I found this book hard to put down until I finished and was completely in love with the ending. Ashley is one of my very favorite writers and always gets me right in the feels! Thank you for a lovely distraction from my everyday life!

Jack and Julia are awaiting the arrival of their sweet baby. Julia's mom has been popping up and checking on her. Her parents haven't spoken to her since she married Jack. They did not think he was good enough for her. She goes into labor during a horrible storm and Jack is taking her to the hospital when the worst happens. He is killed when a tree falls on their car. She is devastated.. With no family to help she depends on a neighbor. It takes her a bit to warm up to baby Jackson after the trauma of losing Jack. She stays in her house as long as she can before she has to go to her parents and ask for help. When she arrives her Dad (Max) is not happy to see her , neither is her sister Alex. Her Mom/ Iris is a little more understanding.. Her history with Max is not a great one. She understands more than Julia knows. Her marriage was greeted the same way. Max and his family did not approve of her either. When she was young she found a job with a friend Lily. They ran Lily's flower shop together. She left her husband and went home for a while. While she was gone Iris and lily's husband Wiley became very close. Max found out and Wiley mysteriously passed away. Max tormented Iris from then on. Alex and Max are as thick as thieves and are both out of control. Gus Lily's son has moved into the Inn his mother ran before her passing. Julia has to get out of her childhood home and stays with Gus. A short time later after all the years of silence Iris is going to the police to report Max in the death of Wiley. Before she can he dies and Alex makes her leave her home. She is left with nothing but her flower shop. Julia and her mom Iris live a happy life without all the things Alex keeps. Both of these strong women have second chances.

This is my third title by this author and I am not sure I would like to continue ahead.With all three my experience is like - great plot,scope of being a great story, but writing style is not captivating.It comes out just as description and no feelings.
Like there are a lot of things that are told regarding feelings,emotions instead of actually being shown through some scenes ,incidents and it bugged me a lot as I love to read stories based on emotional connect.

Slow burner, but a great story. Author is very talented and looking forward to reading more from them.

Awesome book with a very powerful storyline! This book really grabbed me and I just couldn't put it down. Ashley Farley is a wonderful author and every book I've read of hers is good. Grab this book, I promise if you love southern women's fiction you wont be disappointed !

Ashley Farley has written another wonderful book.Only One Life takes us behind the doors of a wealthy family a dysfunctional family full of hurt friendships romance difficulties.A book you don’t want to end .#netgalley#lakeunionpublishing

The first couple of pages of Only One Life by Ashley Farley immediately land you right in the middle of the action. The book focusses on two different stories. There’s Julia, the daughter, who loses her husband and has to move back home due to financial problems. And there’s Iris, the mother, who has been stuck in the same loveless marriage for 41 years. While resolving their own issues, mother and daughter manage to reconnect even after everything that went wrong in their relationship before Julia left home.

The stories of Julia and Iris were heart-breaking, and I couldn’t help but want the best for them. The solution to their problems in the end was therefore a little disappointing to me. Julia’s father, and Iris’s husband, Max, dies of a heart attack. I wish there would have been an ending with a little more justice. This seemed like the easy way out both for Max and for the author.

I don’t exactly know what it was, but this book just sucked me in and wouldn’t let me go anymore. If I had had the time, I would have finished it in one sitting. The writing style and type of story reminded me a bit of Nicholas Sparks, which is one of my favourite love and drama authors. The message that is presented to the reader throughout is a powerful one and I adored it: You only have one life, so you had better enjoy it!

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for gifting me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ashley Farley is one of my favorite authors and in picking up one of her books, I know I will have a winner. This one was no exception. With moments of sadness, joy, frustration and anger family members work to overcome their differences and reunite. I was very touched by the journey each one took in their life. Loved the rich characters the plot and the excellent writing. Strong 5🌟 rating for this one!

Only One Life is a wonderful book that shows that being wealthy isn't everything while it examines the rot at the heart of Iris and Max's marriage. This story is filled with sibling rivalry, best friends and their ups and downs and life in a smallish town.

This story is Ashley Farley displaying her talent for Southern fiction, much as she did with the Sweeney Sisters series. I'm assuming and hoping this is the start of another series, as there is certainly room for that in this story.

If you enjoy Southern fiction, small towns or family dramas, this book is definitely for you.

Many thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for approving me for an ARC. My thoughts in this review are my own and freely given.

Ashley Farley did it again with another best seller coming out.
Netgalley had given me the opportunity to discover this wonderful author with her last book ,Nell and LAdy.
I knew she would have another Woman's Fiction that can tell a story of love family and freindship, and have a romance involved as well.
I love the way Ashley can go back telling a life story's past, and bring it back into the present to hold a reader's interest .
We have women heroines who show their strength and will to hold up a survival.
A young Iris, who marries Max, and her marriage turns into a bitter relationship that she hangs unto for survival and finding a best friend in Lily, together they open up a flower shop and this is what keeps Iris alive and blooming in her own silent pain.
There is a mystery of broken loves and a crime that only Iris bears to stay alive,but when her daughter Julia is kicked out of the house by her father Max, due to an unplanned pregnancy, Iris still keeps tabs on Julia by sneaking to the town she is living in.
Julia's marriage is tore apart after 15 years, by a terrible circumstance that also brings a child into Julia's world.
Iris's best friend Lily,who has always been spoiled and stubborn, has her own marital issues and because of running away from it all, Iris finds a good freind in Lily's husband.
This novel is full of surprises, and heartaches,I couldnt put it down.
Ashley has the gift of feeling a woman's pain and happiness during their most crucial moments of life.
Owning Only One Life is a good title for this book., because when you have only one life, one has to make it happen for love and laughter and happiness.
Thank you NetGalley for giving me this book to read and look forward to catching up reading the rest of Ashley Farley's books.

Ashley Farley describes herself as writing books about women, for women, and this description certainly rings true. Not long ago, I may have described this particular type of novel as "chick-lit", but I have more recently come to understand that as a pejorative term. I honestly believe that authors of this genre deserve more respect than that. There is clearly an audience for this type of novel, where serious matters are discussed with a sense of levity that provides comfort and knowledge that ultimately everything will work out just fine. For me, personally, there is a bit too much serendipity in the story line, but sometimes, that's just what readers are looking for: the idea that despite unfortunate events in life, there is always hope for a brighter tomorrow. Ms. Farley has managed to accomplish just that, and I can tell that she cares about her characters and topics. Overall, the novel moved along at a good clip and certainly had enough family dysfunction to keep the reader curious and entertained.

Many thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for gifting me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This title will be released on April 23, 2019.