One and Only

I loved, loved, loved this book! I devoured it as quickly as possible and am so disappointed that I have to wait until June for the next title in the series. I'm thrilled to have discovered Jenny Holiday.

Jenny Holiday's ONE AND ONLY is one of those books that leaves you smiling at the end. It's full of elements that are delightful on their own, but combined make something full of hope and joy and laughter. And hot sex. That, too. Jane is a YA fantasy author who cosplays Xena at one point in the book. XENA. This line is what got me to pick up the book, but I stayed for a bunch of reasons.



The Wedding Hijinks and Female Friendships

I'll be honest, I usually hate Big Weddings in romance novels. I worked weddings for years as a banquet server and captain, so I've seen just about every way it can go wrong. This wasn't that, though. This is the first in the series, so Holiday has some work to do setting up the four friends at the center of it all. Wendy, Jane, and Gia are bridesmaids and Elise is the Pinterest-addicted Bride. I won't say she's a Bridezilla, since she's mostly nice through it all, but she is increasingly stressed out and channels her anxiety into a series of comedic craft projects that the bridesmaids have to help out with. One project, however, is "babysit the groom's brother." Jane, the responsible one, is tasked with the job.



Cameron

The groom's brother, Cameron, has a bad reputation. He's known for burning down a barn and getting a girl pregnant in high school. And that's all before he's dismissed from the army. Spoiler: there are good reasons for all of these stories and Cam is a really good guy. He's been trying to change his life for the better, but did spend some years living down to everyone's expectations of him. It's an interesting exploration of the assumptions we make and how they affect our relationships.

Cam has PTSD from two different events during his two tours, but it's handled with care and didn't feel like a plot device. Both of my brothers served in the US Marines, so I don't usually read military heroes for fear of fetishization. This wasn't that.



Jane

The biggest reason I stayed? Jane! She loves fantasy worlds, both writing them and playing in those written by others. She's practical and responsible, due in part to an alcoholic father who died when she was young. She's a little insecure, in the ways most of us are, but she's smart and kind and funny and awkward and I want her to be my best friend.



There's a lot to love in ONE AND ONLY, from exploring Toronto's landmarks to I-Don't-Have-A-Condom sexy creativity. The timeline of the book, starting just over a week before the wedding, gives a framework to the story that adds a little suspense and an expiration date you don't want to arrive. Jane and Cam are the sort of characters you can root for and I can't wait to see what Holiday does with the next two books!

One and Only was absolutely delightful! I'd never read any of Jenny Holiday's books prior to this one, but the cover drew me in and I was intrigued by the reviews I saw. Plus, I enjoy a good romance set around a wedding. This one was funny, sweet and a lot sexier than I anticipated (which is NOT a bad thing, just to be clear) and I loved it.

As much as I love the hate to love trope, I was a little put off by Cam's attitude in the beginning. He was actually pretty mean to Jane for awhile there, so I was side-eyeing him hard. I can't tell you exactly when that began to change, but it did. It wasn't all that long before I was singing his praises. Jane, I basically loved from the start. She was safe and sensible and while that's not exactly exciting, it is relatable. Of course, I loved even more when she started to come out of her shell and take risks with Cam. Watching them begin to tolerate each other then become friends and ultimately more was a lot of fun and came with a few feels along the way.

Despite my initial reservations, I became a huge Cam fan. There was so much more to him than what met the eye, what he allowed people to see. I won't get into spoilers, but he was a bit broken and misunderstood. He really was sweet and thoughtful and, of course, a little bit dirty which I really liked. He and Jane, despite all their differences, had oodles of chemistry and some really deep feelings. I loved watching them discover each other and help change each other. I also fell in deep like, if not love, with some of the secondary characters, so I can't wait to continue this series!

FAVORITE QUOTES
"You are a very bad girl masquerading as a good girl."

"I am completely, utterly, fiercely, surprisingly in love with you."

"Somehow, I can jump off buildings and be on the front lines of a war, but I don't know how to... I don't know how to let someone love me."

In Jenny Holiday's One and Only, babysitting has never been so sexy. Bridesmaid Jane Denning is stuck with the duty of keeping the groom's wayward brother out of trouble — after all, it's better than suffering through all the Pinterest-worthy craft projects the Bridezilla has planned. Cameron MacKinnon is a hot guy with a bad reputation (for reasons that include arson and a somewhat dishonorable discharge from the army) but gosh is he swoon-worthy — after some super hot sexy times, he spends the day doing odd jobs around Jane's house, just because. He is handy in many senses of the word.

At first, this "babysitting" just includes fun stuff like tourist attractions, theme parks and haunted houses. Before long, it's expanded to include some hot stuff between the sheets, and soon enough Jane and Cameron are baring both bodies and souls to each other. He learns what makes Jane, a successful young adult author, tick and she discovers Cameron is not the bad boy he's rumored to be. When the big day rolls around, the bride and groom aren't the only ones with happily-ever-after on their minds.

This was such a refreshing and fun read! I was initially hesitant to read because of the “bridezilla” theme mentioned in the cover copy, but given the enthusiastic recommendation from The Ripped Bodice, I gave it a try — and am very glad that I did. The wedding storyline is done in an endearing manner and was well balanced with Jane and Cam’s time apart from the wedding party. The story has a perfect blend of light-hearted humor and a bit of angst which make it hard to put down. Jane and Cam are somewhat unconventional protagonists, but they are written in such a lifelike and multi-faceted manner that they defy simple characterization. Jane’s friends and fellow bridesmaids/bride were also complex and intriguing characters, which makes me anxious to read their stories next in the series.

Thank you to Hachette/Forever and Netgalley for providing an ARC for review!