Review: The One You Want

 The One You Want

Jennifer Ryan

Blurb:

Sometimes weddings bring the worst surprises... Growing up, Rose fled her family home--and a dangerous father--vowing never to return. But Rose is back in Carmel, California, with two goals: to joyfully act as maid of honor for her best-friend-forever Maggie and to reunite and rebuild her relationships with her mother and sister. And she can't wait to finally meet the groom-to-be.

But when Maggie excitedly introduces her to Marc, Rose is horrified. He's the man Rose spent one lust-fueled but disastrous night with a year ago. Rose and Maggie have shared every secret...but Rose isn't sure she can reveal this one. To complicate the situation, Rose makes an instant connection with Gray, Marc's best man and cousin.

And as the big day approaches, the secret weighs heavy upon Rose. It was a whirlwind courtship, but Maggie seems so sure she's found the one she wants. Now Rose faces the biggest dilemma of her life: Should she tell Maggie and Gray the truth and risk losing them? What if it's best to leave things alone? Then again, what if her friend is making the biggest mistake of her life?

Themes:  Contemporary

Rating: 4.5 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

   “Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive”… I couldn’t have said it better myself and this new standalone novel by one of my favorite contemporary romance authors is the epitome of that phrase. Jennifer Ryan takes us on a heartbreaking and thoughtful journey through the dilemma of one woman as she begins a new world-wind relationship while facing the consequences of one of the worst decisions of her life. Rose has finally returned to her hometown after decades in order to be there for her best friend, Maggie’s wedding, but the pain of being back is compounded by the fact that the groom, Marc, happens to be the worst one-nightstand of her life.  On top of all that the best man, Gray, is the hottest and sweetest man she’s ever met and the chemistry between them is off the charts.  Rose and Gray want to pursue a relationship, but Rose is keeping a secret from him and Maggie, and as problems and grief heats up Rose has to convince Gray that what they’ve built is true and lasting, or they will lose it all. Man I just have to say that there was so much going on in this story that I could NOT put it down, for fear I would miss something.  Rose was not only dealing with the secret of her past with Marc but also the pain of reuniting with her mother and sister after a long separation, where they were all dealing with her bastard of a  father in different ways.  Her strength in the face of everything showed her backbone was titanium even as her willingness and ability to bend and make room in her heart for forgiveness and new love showed her to be the kind of woman I aspire to be.  She was smart, sassy, sweet, and cared about all those around her, trying so hard to do her best to protect everyone around her, not really thinking about herself until she had no choice.  Gray was and awesome hero, except for a moment or two when I really wanted to smack him upside the head for being an idiot.  He made sure that he knew Rose was his priority when they were together, giving her all his attention and offering her all the love and care he had.  He was resilient, intelligent, astute, and knew that Rose was a good woman, even as others tried to convince him otherwise.  I loved this story and the passionate and immediate connection that developed between Gray and Rose was beautiful to see.  One of my favorite traits of any Jennifer Ryan book is that she never shies away from serious issues—be it domestic violence, substance abuse, PTS. or other issues that so many romance authors gloss over.  Jennifer handles it beautifully in every books she writes and I applaud her for it in each story I read.  I enjoyed this story immensely and am glad that Gray and Rose found their HEA and will look back on this read with fond memories for many years to come.

*ebook provided by publisher (via NetGalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.