As a proud bookworm, I am honored to be one of the bloggers for the 2014 BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge! I will be reading and posting a review of a book a week through Labor Day, and you can see the full schedule for the program here. Plus, they are giving away some great prizes, like a $500 Visa Gift Card! Happy Reading! #SRC2014
Disclaimer: My son is named Dallas, my husband is from Texas, and we are huge Cowboys fans.
I try not to find out much about books I am planning to read so that I can just jump in with an open mind, but I did kind of geek out when I found out that Emily Giffin's latest, The One & Only, involved football and the Lone Star State. I have read everything she has ever written, usually staying up until the wee hours to see how they ended, and this book was no exception.
(cue the Friday Night Lights theme)
The One & Only tells the story of Shea, a thirtysomething football fanatic and sports writer who has started to wonder if her comfortable and familiar life might be a little too comfortable and familiar. I pictured her as a cross between Erin Andrews on Fox Sports and Diane Keaton in Something's Gotta Give, since Shea is hot but refuses to believe it, even while football players are falling at her feet and gifting her with diamonds. Her BFF since birth, Lucy, is the daughter of the superstar college football coach, Coach Carr, a man so handsome that a male sports writer once compared his looks to those of George Clooney. He also constantly calls Shea "girl," which brought to mind The Gos in Crazy Stupid Love. The story kicks off with the death of Coach Carr's wife, and while I am not going to give anything away here...I will say that certain things about the book are very predictable. But still enjoyable.
If I am remembering correctly, all of Emily's books have an element of a forbidden relationship in them (remember Rachel and Dex in Something Borrowed?), which I think is one reason why her stories connect so well with her audience. One of her books was called The Heart of the Matter, and that is exactly what she gets down to in The One & Only, in a way that would make Don Henley proud. If you have ever longed for someone that was out of reach or forbidden, or felt torn between two loves, or harbored a secret crush for years, this story will resonate with you. And beyond romance, the novel might make you consider if you are dreaming big enough and truly pursuing your passion, no matter what your age or stage in life.
If you are going anywhere near a beach or pool in the next few days, The One & Only belongs in your bag. It is a perfect summer read, and can easily be devoured in a few days or even one marathon reading session into the wee hours while the hubby and kids snooze. Even if you are not that into football and do not know a line of scrimmage from a coin toss, you can still enjoy the story, and you might even be inspired to check out SportsCenter or an actual game when the season starts.
