Member Reviews
#TheOne #AudreyJCole #OrangeSkyAudio #RainierPublishing #NetGalley
This twisted tale is about Sloane, an ER doctor, her husband Ethan, who is a Seattle homicide detective, and a college friend Brody who got filthy rich with the dating app he had created called "The One" that was purported to be uncannily good at selecting the best match for a person.
The story details betrayal compounded by further betrayal, poor choices, and bad judgment, with each character following a selfish script leading to murder. Was a betrayal for a betrayal supposed to make things right? The story demonstrates the fallacy of this thought and is fast-paced, twisted, and suspenseful.
The narrators Nancy Wu and Kyle Tait do a great job, lending credence to the story. This ALC was an entertaining listen.
This book will make you lose your breath. It keeps you guessing and it’s so intense! In all the best ways. Read this asap!
I was drawn to this book in large part because of the cover. The storyline had promise, but the telling of it fell a little flat for me. There were a lot of suspenseful sections, but it felt disjointed somehow, perhaps because there was not enough character development, particularly for Brody. In addition, the audio version was difficult to listen to for me because the reading of the tale was almost robotic.
Loved the twists in this book! This was my first boo from this author and I’d definitely read more! I’d recommend this book to others!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
My thanks to Orange Sky Audio and Net Galley for allowing me to review this audio book.
Officer Ethan Marx has an affair with his partner Rachel. His wife Sloane finds our and to get back at him she has an affair with an old acquaintance Brody ,creator of an app called The One. Then Brodys wife dies in an alleged drowning accident and is brought into the ER where Sloane works and she pronounces her dead. What follows is one twisted mess!
Did like this. Only complaint it was slow building up. So so narration.
I requested this one on a whim, and boy am I glad I did. This is the perfect beach read, and I think it's something you could easily start and finish while laying out on vacation. Sloane starts off as someone who makes all the wrong (and stupid) decisions...but things are always what it seems. Ethics and morals are questioned every time I flipped the page.
It's a fast paced summer read, and I'd recommend it to someone looking for a quick book.
Just because it wasn't my favorite does not mean it won't be yours. I thoroughly enjoyed the first 3/4 quarters of this thrilling novel. Sloane's police officer husband Ethan cheated on her and in her warped mind the only way to get past this and "save their marriage" is to do the same. She has an affair with an old acquaintance, Brody, that she bumps into at the grocery store. Brody becomes obsessed and after his wife dies in an accident Sloane finds her life falling apart. The story that unfolds is one of deceit and manipulation. I would have enjoyed it more if the ending was different. I did not love Ethan and Sloane; in fact I would say I didn’t much like them at all. I think that might have been why this story fell flat for me. The author did a great Job building the suspense to a stealthy and startling conclusion.
When Dr. Sloan Marx finds out her husband detective Eathan cheated on her with a colleague she is devastated and she thinks a little retribution may be in order but after she spends a night in a weekend with Brody a college friend an app inventor in billionaire she realizes there’s no one she’ll ever love like she loves Eathan but unfortunately every action has consequences and it is a domino effect of bad things that follow in the wake of her tit for tat. When she was on her lavish weekend away with Brody they went free diving and she almost had a serious accident but when his wife succumbed to the same exact accident while free diving with him Sloan knows there’s more to the story but when he insinuates that if her husband accuses him she could go down as well she knows she has created more than just a disaster she is now in a nightmare but things are not going to end the way the billionaire thinks it will I did not expect this book to go where it did this was a thrill ride from beginning to end and I thought the narrators did a great job setting the tone with great affect and character distinction I especially loved the guy who did Eathan and Brody who was really good not to say the one who did Sloan was a slacker because she was stellar as well but OMG he sounded so hot! This was such a great book and a definite top-notch thriller. I received this book from Net Galley and orange sky audio but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review
2 out of 5 stars
Thank you to Netgalley and Orange Sky Audio
I was really hoping to love this book. When I read the description I just knew it would be for me but sadly it wasn't. I think I would more than likely enjoy other books by this author but for me Sloane and Ethan were not likable. Now don't get me wrong, I have read and enjoyed many a book where I didn't care for any of the characters but the two leads lacked passion. You would think that the reasons that they do the things they do would make them out all of their passions and energy into making their plans work. I also felt that nothing they did made much sense to me.
Sadly, I was also not a fan of Nancy Wu as the voice for Sloane. I just felt that her voice felt a bit old for the character. I did however really enjoy Kyle Tait. As I said though this was a misfire I do want to give more novels by Cole a read.
This is my first exposure to this author and I was not disappointed. The author has delivered a fast paced and deliciously wicked tale. The characters are well rounded and come across as believable, whether you love them or hate them. This is a taut, character-driven psychological thriller, filled with suspicion and tension.
Thank you to NetGalley and OrangeSky Audio who provided me with a copy of this book. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
Sloane Marks is a forty-two-year-old ER doctor. When her police detective husband, Ethan, cheats on her, she has two options: forgive and forget or get revenge. Sloane finds herself wanting to settle the score by getting with Brody Carr. However, things with Brody get more complicated than the simple affair Sloane planned. Can Sloane learn to forgive Ethan or will her need for revenge ruin their chance of ever having a family?
Audrey J. Cole is one of my favorite authors and she did not disappoint with this new thriller! She adds just the right mixture of suspense and twists, hooking you in from the start. This story is told from both Sloane’s and Ethan’s perspectives, each with a different narrator in the audiobook version. I enjoyed having those separate narrators, it really made it clear who was talking when. The audiobook version is short and the narrators talked slowly enough that I could listen to it at double speed without it garbling up the narrator’s voices. Thus, I finished the book in less than 24 hours and was left stunned. The ending was just perfect. Clear your schedule for this one, you won’t want to put it down! I highly recommend it to anyone that enjoys thrillers! I give it 4/5 stars.
Such a wicked read! The author Audrey J Cole has such a. Way of reeling you in the story line and then showing you how devious people can be. This one shocked me a few times. While I figured out one scene and how it would play it the end I was once again surprised. The narrators, Nancy Wu and Kyle Tait were great. I enjoyed the duo narration and it added another engaging element to the story. While I did yell at Sloane for her choices I very much enjoyed this one and the twist was just fantastic. If you’re a fan of mystery and romance suspense be sure to get this one.
A very special thanks to Netgalley, OrangeSky Audio and author for the gifted copy.
Thanks NetGalley for the arc of this audiobook. I thought that was a good suspense thriller. I would say the audio narration was not my favorite but it wasn’t bad. The story left a little choppy and had moments of suspense but felt cut short right when the story is getting intense.
Sloane is an ER doctor and her husband Ethan is a detective whose marriage has hit a rough patch after Ethan has an affair with his partner on the police force. Sloane finds solace in the arms of an old college classmate (now a billionaire app developer) named Brody Carr after bumping into him at the grocery store. When Brody’s estranged wife dies under suspicious circumstances, they all find themselves embroiled in the aftermath.
The One has a really intriguing premise. Sloane is the attending physician in her lover’s wife’s death. Ethan is investigating the man his wife had an affair with. It’s a moral quandary that could have been a great thriller, but it missed the mark for me. It reads like a romance until 30%, but even once the suspense got going, I never really felt engaged. All of the characters are unlikeable but not in a way that’s fun to read about. My biggest issue was that when all was finally revealed, it felt so over the top that I was shaking my head at the characters’ choices rather than nodding with satisfaction.
The audiobook was fairly short, clocking in at a little over 7 hours at standard speed, which meant I was able to listen to the whole thing over just a couple of days. The story is told from both Sloane’s and Ethan’s perspectives, and it was very nice to have a separate narrator for each section. The narrator for Ethan did a nice job, but I didn’t really care for the way Sloane was voiced. It frequently felt like the intonation and delivery didn’t match up with the action, often lacking gravitas or seeming overly breathless to the point of distraction.
Although this book wasn’t for me, I think fans of romantic suspense or medical thrillers may enjoy this one. Many thanks to NetGalley and OrangeSky Audio for providing me an advance copy of this book.
Title: The One
Author: Audrey J Cole
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Anticipated publication date: June 27, 2023
📚Reflections:
The One, by author Audrey J Cole, is the first novel I’ve read from the author and I found it to be suspenseful, engaging, and unpredictable. Once again, I thought I was so clever and had the ending all figured out just to be proven wrong. Authors who can throw in marvelous twists and surprise me are always immediately added to my list of authors to recommend!
✨Synopsis:
Sloane is an ER doctor and her husband Ethan is an investigator with the Seattle Homicide Department. As the novel opens, readers learn that their marriage is on the rocks - during a time of personal hardship and after a few too many celebratory drinks with colleagues, Ethan found comfort and solace with his work partner. Despite time and therapy, Sloane can’t bring herself to fully forgive Ethan’s adultery. The more she thinks about it, the more she feels she shouldn’t have to forgive her husband until he knows what it feels like to be cheated on. Sloane contemplates joining a new app called The One to have an affair of her own.
Brody is the billionaire creator of the app known as The One and went to college with Sloane. When the two bump into one another at a local store, both are excited to catch up. Sloane learns Brody is separated from his wife and Brody learns Sloane is unhappy with her marriage. The two quickly connect and plan a relaxing weekend away at Brody’s waterside home.
Upon their return, things quickly spiral out of control when Brody’s wife, an experienced and record breaking deep diver, appears to have drown and Ethan is assigned to investigate her death as a possible homicide. Having learned of Sloane’s weekend away with Brody, Ethan is conflicted when he realizes the drowning victim is the estranged wife of Brody. Is Brody merely helping Sloane settle the score by making Ethan suspicious? Or does Brody have more sinister intentions? Will Ethan take his resentment out on Sloane and seek out revenge against her would-be lover? In this cat and mouse game of love and revenge, everyone is a suspect and no one should be trusted.
📚Thank you to NetGalley, Rainier Publishing, and Audrey J Cole for allowing me to listen to the audiobook ahead of the anticipated release date in exchange for candid feedback.
THE ONE, I don't think I knew what I was in for when I started this one. Pun intended! Sloane is a doctor whose husband cheated on her. Sloane considers leaving her husband and 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.
The One had a great premise and a fun story that kept me interested for the majority of the story. Sloan is an ER doctor and her husband Ethan is a Homicide detective. Ethan has an affair with his partner and Sloane is left wondering what she should do. She decides to get even and have her own affair. She has an affair with billionaire Brody Carr. Things take an interesting turn when Brody Carr’s wife dies. Sloane was the ER doctor who called her death and Ethan is the homicide detective investigating into Brody.
The idea that a cop got to investigate someone who had an affair with his wife was a crazy idea. This story had me feeling like I was spying on people I had no right to spy on. It was an interesting feeling.
This story started to lose me with some of the details towards the end and left me with a couple of questions but it never stopped my enjoyment of the book. This is one I definitely recommend.
Thank you OrangeSky Audio and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this audiobook.
I thought the narration was great - even pacing, easy to follow along. Words were enunciated well and they were not monotone at all!
I don’t know how Audrey Cole did it, but she wrote two selfish, narcissistic, flawed characters that I didn’t hate! Sloane’s husband has an affair and instead of moving on or our, she decides to get even. When her mister’s wife turns up dead - she’s the one to declare her dead and her detective husband leads the investigation into the death.
Things take a turn for the dangerous and you just don’t know what is coming next! The tension was coming off the pages in this one. Definitely a great read!
Sloane’s been cheated on by husband, Ethan. She runs into a guy she knew from college and plans to wreak revenge and even the score on her cheating spouse. It’s hard to understand why she just doesn’t leave him, until you do. Twists and turns galore! I ended up really enjoying this wild ride from @audreyjcole. Good narration by Nancy Wu and Kyle Tait.
Thank you to NetGalley and OrangeSky Audio for this complimentary ARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Once I started this one I could not stop listening until the end. It was disturbing and I could not understand the motivation for all the weird things our girl does. Why Sloan? Why?
It was weird and I loved it.