I received this book for free from the Author. This does not affect my views of the book or the content of my review.
I went into this story with a high level of expectation based on the blurb. I thought the story would be high on the emotional radar, but it was just a lukewarm read. Once in a Lifetime by Amanda Claire is the first book in the In a Lifetime series, but it can be read as a stand-alone.
How would you cope if you lost had lost half your family tragically? This happened to the heroine who proved to be an admirable character. Her strength and determination shined throughout the story. Not only did she lose half her family, she was uprooted from the only home she knew and thrust into a new environment. She however, proved she could handle the hand fate dealt her, and she did so beautifully and courageously. She was no walkover. She handled every contact she had with the school’s mean girl, well.
Riley, the hero and Alyssa’s love interest was sweet and adorable. Unlike most high school jocks, he was not self-centred. I loved the relationship he had with his family. He was a well-adjusted teen, but despite this, he had his share of struggles associated with him being an athlete.
Their relationship developed within days of them meeting each other. However, despite the fast development it did not feel rushed. I believe this was due to the pace at which the story moved. The events transpired over a few days, but it felt like the events were moving in slow motion. They worked well as a couple. Riley made her feel alive again and restored happiness in her life.
The secondary characters featured prominently in the story which is not necessarily a bad thing. However, in this case it took the spotlight away from the main characters. As the story is about high school, it was not without the typical teenage drama. It had all the angst that comes with being a teenager. It highlighted the struggles teenagers face when trying to fit in and dealing with bullies. I loved how the story tied up. My favourite part was the epilogue which was a good surprise. It whetted my appetite for the sequel.
As stated earlier, I expected this to be an emotional read throughout, but this was not the case. They were a few heart breaking moments, but not enough to put this story in the category of an emotional read. The writing was ok, but it needed improvement in the areas of sentence structure. The story was repetitive in some areas. This occurred when the same scene is given from the perspective of both protagonists. I believed this helped to make the story seem longer than it was and caused it to drag in some areas.
Conclusion/Recommendation
Overall, this was an average read for me. Not bad for the author’s first book
What do you do when, in an instant, your whole life changes?
For Alyssa McKay that instant came when more than half her family was killed in a horrible car accident. Up rooted from the only home she’s ever known and only remaining family, she is moved two thousands miles away when her father gets a job promotion.Thrust into a new town and a new school, with a father who is emotionally turned off. Can Alyssa open up and make new friends? Will the cute guy she met on the first day of school help her open herself back up and let others back in?
Riley Turner’s moment came while playing basketball. When a play went wrong and he injured his knee. After months of fighting the potential end of his dream to play college ball and keeping a secret from everyone.He meets the new girl in school, he can see in her eyes she’s lost and hurting like himself. Can he risk letting her in and possibly learning his horrible secret?
Or, can they heal each other and make each of them whole again?
Nadene's addiction to reading began at an early age, when a family friend gifted her a copy of Wuthering Heights. From that moment she was never without a book.She will read anything as long the material is compelling enough to hold her attention. She gained many experiences through the pages of the books she had the opportunity to read.She created this blog to share her love of books with like minded individuals hopes that in sharing reviews of the books read visitors to the blog will discover their next addictive read. When not reading, Nadene enjoys cooking, listening to music and watching television.
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The summary does make it sound like it would be super emotional but it does sound like something I might like anyway.
Karen @ For What It’s Worth