Sloane is portrayed as a strong woman fighting for what she wants- with two equally strong men orbiting around her. Her husband Ethan who is a detective; and Brody, the billionaire who just lost his wife. It’s a story of revenge - Ethan has an affair with his partner, Sloane seeks out Brody- and then his estranged wife dies and Ethan starts working the case.
All the characters in this book were unlikeable and spiteful; and I felt the relationships were unrealistic. Whilst the premise was intriguing, the story fell flat for me.

Wow! I don't know where to start- Brody and Ethan are both strong powerful men (one a billionaire and the other a detective). This could easily be a Lifetime Ripped from the Headlines movie. I thought of so many famous cases like this one (which if anyone needs a reminder on why not to go diving or any other extreme water sport with only one other man here it is). I wasn't a fan of Sloane and Ethan relationships because they're both clearly not into it with both of them cheating. Sloane is just desperate to love and have a family that she puts up with Ethan's bs and then falls for Brody's charm. It was a shocking ending and I can't wait to read more by this author!

Does ER doctor Sloane Marks forgive her husband's affair or does she get even?
Desperate for a family she feels she has to forgive Ethan but only after dating Brody Carr founder of dating app THE ONE.
This is an insidious book which has all the makings of a best seller.

I honestly don't know how I feel about this book. The characters are completely unlikable. The mystery is ridiculous. However I was completely sucked in. Overall it's a decent read..

The One – Audrey J. Cole

After her husband’s affair, Slone needs to make the decision to forgive her husband and move forward or get even. In her twisted mind, the only way to really move forward is for her husband Ethan to feel all the things she felt and feel the fear of possibly losing her.

When Sloane runs into an old friend Brody, who happens to be a billionaire from the creation of his dating app The One, Sloane does what she can to fuel their connection, knowing this is what will get under Ethan’s skin. She takes advantage of Ethan’s unavailability and takes off on a trip to go free diving with Brody.

When Brody’s wife dies in a free diving accident, Sloane knows she’s made a grave mistake. Her husband is given the case and Sloane must come clean about the affair. She ends up caught in the middle of trying to mend things with her husband and trying to ward off Brody’s threats.

The One was a slight let down for me. I went into it with such high hopes of intense revenge and drama, but it fell flat. The bones of the book were so good, the idea of it could have been executed in such a better way with a bit more depth. The characters were extremely unlikeable. I get that they were out to hurt each other, so no, they weren’t going to be the most likeable. But, I couldn’t get on board with rooting for any of them, and so many things felt unanswered. I wish so much I loved this, because I was so excited for it, but in the end I decided ⭐⭐⭐/5 was most fitting for my feelings towards this book.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

The description paints a pretty good glimpse into what the story offers, but I am a little bit disappointed about the execution.
We have 3 main characters- Sloane, Ethan and Brody. What I miss was their appearance, their charterism, what makes them so unique- since I feel this was left out I couldn't really understand their motives.
The chapters are short and they make for a great quick read. The problem I had was that the story also moved quite quickly and some parts, that could make this story more believable and gave the characters dimension they needed, were left out.


*Brody is pictured as a billionaire who after a long time meets Sloane, and they don't have the passion to make me buy into their infidelity. Why does he risk an affair with her? As the story progresses he wants them to be together, which based on what was previously described sounds far fetched. Also the part when he waits for her in the car and in the middle of the drive scares her, yeah, what was that? He was made into this crazy person without really having reasons for all that went down.
*Sloane, where do I start with her? The story is mainly about her yet I feel like I didn't get to know her. She went from devastated to manipulating, without any explanations for her plan. Which brings me to ask the question: what exactly was her plan?
Hers and Brody's story are deeply intertwined but I can't understand who's part was who', and the reasoning behind them.

In my opinion the story would benefit from glimpses into Brody characters, so readers can acknowledge his motivates. The same could be said for Sloane's.

All said, I still greatly enjoyed The One, and time spent reading just swam by, which for me is an indicator of a good thriller.

Thank you. for the arc.

Right off, I dislike every character, but I know that that's the author's plan. I enjoyed reading this, but I thought the twist was predictable and it just fell short for me.

**Thank you for NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for a review!**

This was a quick, but entertaining read. The twists and turns kept me interested, and although there were certain parts that were very predictable I was invested in the characters.

I really enjoyed this read , first time reading anything by the author. Fast paced and full of twists , none of the characters are likeable but that’s what makes it dark and delicious

The One by Audrey J. Cole is a fast-paced read that had me questioning the ethics of the protagonist at every turn, while at the same time finding empathy for her plight.

Sloane is a doctor whose husband Ethan has cheated on her. Longing for a family of her own and on the wrong side of forty, Sloane considers using a dating app, The One, but isn't expecting to become involved with the app's billionaire founder Brody Carr. When Brody's wife dies in a mysterious accident, Ethan becomes the lead investigator and Sloane finds herself in the fight of her life between two men who are differently motivated by the truth.

I have enjoyed Ms Cole's previous books and could not wait to get my hands on this one. Unfortunately, I felt this latest lacked the propulsive element of the others, though it is still a solid read. I look forward to whatever comes next from this talented author. 3.5 stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for an ARC.

I enjoyed a chance to read a new author.
Book was awesome, characters great and for sure will read other books by this author

This is the 2nd book I've read from this author. I have to admit I liked The Hunt better then this one. While this kept my interest I thought the characters as shallow and couldn't warm up to them.
I also thought the ending was far fetched in reality!
Overall it was ok but not the best!

Thank you to NetGalley; I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
A very well written & suspenseful book! 4 stars as there were some slow parts and predictable moments (although not many so still very suspenseful). I was fully invested in Sloane’s life and I think all you other thriller lovers out there will be too! Make sure to give it a try, publication date is June 27, 2023! Bonus: it’ll be on KU!

This sounded like such a great read, and so I jumped in.

Sloane is married to Ethan, and Ethan has been unfaithful. Sloane is told to join the dating apps. Sloane went to school with Brody Carr who is the creator of app The One. A day or so later she runs in to him.

From here we have a tale of a woman who wants revenge but instead just creates chaos in her life, no so much teaching her husband a lesson but ruining any hope of happiness. She then gets involved in a murder investigation and Ethan is in the investigating officer. It was absolutely ridiculously far fetched.

This book seems so confident in being clever that it embarrasses itself. Every single thing Sloane did I was shouting “Why?”

This was wild! My first Audrey J. Cole book, and it certainly won’t be my last!

A detective cheats on his wife. The wife—an ER doc—cheats back to make her husband feel what she felt. She cheats with a college friend-turned-tech-billionaire. And then the billionaire’s wife turns up in her ER, dead. Was it an accident? Are there an incredible number of conflicts of interest throughout the investigation? Who is the real villain? All good questions…read this to find out.

I love a book that involves remote islands. I love a book with a strong female MC. And I love reading about entitled rich people. This book hits all those notes and more.

The characters are both flawed and well-written. The plot is both chaotic and linear. And there’s even a mother-in-law who might be the best one ever written.

Highly recommend this fun thriller! Thank to NetGalley, the author, and BooksGoSocial for a review copy!

#TheOne #NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an E-Arc copy of this novel. It's a good, solid read and definitely worth it if you love a thriller.

I LOVED this book. I have never read a book by Audrey Cole and I’m glad this was my first book of hers to read.. Lots of twists, a little romance, great ending and stayed up late the finish it!

A thrilling tale of a marriage gone wrong following the husbands betrayal, topped by the wife’s attempt for revenge. This story becomes more complex when said wife becomes a murder suspect and the husband happens to be the investigating officer! So good!

hanks to Rainier Publishing & NetGalley for an ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion.

First and foremost the entire time I read this book, it appeared in my head like a Lifetime movie! So this is my official request to LMN to please make this book a movie!!

I haven’t devoured a thriller this quickly in a long time, I could not put this book down. It was fast paced and full of suspense, that kept me on the edge of my seat.

Ten years into their marriage, Ethan whose a detective, cheats on his wife Sloane with his partner. Sloane is an ER doctor who can’t move past her husbands infidelity, until a plan hatches in her mind. After bumping into an old college friend named Brody, Sloane decides she’s going to sleep with him so the playing field is even between her and her husband. But shortly after their affair begins, Brody’s wife tragically dies, and Sloane and Ethan both end up wrapped up in her death.

When I tell you this story was not only satisfying, it also had an amazing ending. A happily ever after, in a thriller is rare, and Audrey Cole knocked it out of the park with this one! I can’t wait to read more of her books!

To save their marriage, Sloane must forgive her husband’s affair. Instead, she tries a more tempting option—settling the score. But will it prove to be a deadly mistake?

ER doctor Sloane Marks is shattered when she learns her husband Ethan slept with his partner at Seattle Homicide. She considers leaving him and joining The One, having gone to college with the popular dating app’s billionaire founder, Brody Carr. But at forty-two, Sloane feels she has no choice but to forgive Ethan if she wants a chance at creating the family she never had.

Months later, Sloane bumps into Brody, who’s recently returned to Seattle. In due time, Ethan worries she’s cheating. His suspicions are confirmed when he learns the rich app founder took Sloane on a freediving excursion in the San Juan Islands. Soon after, Brody’s famous wife dies in an accident. Ethan becomes the lead investigator in her death, which he suspects wasn’t at accident at all.

Caught between a distrusting husband and a powerful billionaire who protects his secrets at all costs, Sloane is in a fight for her life. And the only way out is to take matters into her own hands.

Sheer perfection. Really enjoyed this story. Will recommend to others.