3.5 stars
Elle Kennedy is an auto-buy author for me, I have loved everything I have read from this amazing writing duo.

This story is a bit different from the others…. It is a much more raw and emotional story, it elicits real feelings from its reader. It still carries plenty of angst and the trademark addictive quality I have come to love from this duo.

Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot. If you’re looking for a story of second chances that will hurt your heart, give this book a go.

Story of love, loss, and forgiveness. I was a little underwhelmed about the romance aspect but it was overall a good story.

I viscerally hated nearly every single character in this book - so much so that it was almost difficult to keep reading for a minute because I just couldn't stand what was going on with Beth, her family, and her school. That said... I'm glad I didn't put the book down, because I ended up really enjoying it. The vast majority of the characters still deserve to be yeeted into the sun, but I really liked the concept of "One Small Thing" each day, and how it related to the title and the story. Very enjoyable overall!

There’s always something to live for. Something to be thankful for. Something to look forward to.”
“What’s your small thing for today?”
“You.”
Honestly I would have rated this one higher but most of the characters were just jerks. Beth was a bit whiny and made some bad choices but she also had no support from her parents or her friends. I get that her parents had lost a child and I can’t even imagine the pain of what they went through but they cracked down on their remaining child, even before she made the bad choices. Beth’s dad came through eventually but he was so toxic. I felt horrible for Chase and how he felt like he didn’t deserve to ever be forgiven or have anything good in his life. Overall, I enjoyed the story. And the characters were well written. I just really didn’t like most of them. Beth really needed better friends. I’m glad that she was strong enough to stand up for herself though. I really wanted to enjoy this one more.

I was unable to complete this reading, but what I was able to read was enjoyable, so I'm giving it a four-start rating.

One thing Erin Watt delivers on time and time again is addictive books, and One Small Thing is no different. Once you start, you do not want to put it down!

One Small Thing stands apart from others with its plot filled with angst. Which sorry not sorry but I LOVE. Beth wants to live, rebel and make her own choices after losing her sister in a car accident, especially after her parents have gotten more and more protective. By happenstance she meets Chase, not knowing he is the one who took her sister away. How could this not be angst filled?!

I really liked the drama and reflection/forgiveness that this book explored, but it really was difficult at times with the amount of hate and anger towards Chase from it seemed every single character. There were even some circumstances where Beth was at the forefront. And while I felt that Beth’s character was often immature, the redeeming factor and savour to this couple really was Chase. When they were good, they were really good. You could see why they worked together.

Erin Watt will always be a power duo in my mind, and I’ll continue to read *ahem* everything they publish.

Erin Watt’s One Small Thing was most definitely not my cup of tea. Usually I am a sucker for a contemporary romance with heartfelt characters and sensitive issues, but this one felt so overly dramatic and full of angst with too many tropes to count.

The characters were all extremely unlikable to me, which was perpetuated by their lack of effective communication skills and ridiculous behavior. Beth’s parents were entirely too overbearing. I can see where they were coming from based on what happened to Beth’s sister, but their tactics were way too outlandish and screamed of people in desperate need of therapy and counseling.

Beth herself wasn’t very much of a wow factor for me either, and Chase ran from hot to cold, to hot again. His mood swings gave me whiplash.

I think this was meant to be a heartfelt story about coping in the aftermath of tragedy and learning how to forgive, but outside of Beth, the forgiveness aspect didn’t read that way at all to me. I’m sure this will appeal to a lot of people, but for me it was a dud.

This is not usually my genre (ya) but I enjoyed this read! Erin Watt did a great job developing the characters!

Truly such a compelling and fulfilling read. Love the way Chase and Beth managed to make me feel like I was rooting for something that felt like a slowburn but was so satisfying to see how these two characters had undeniable chemistry. Love the truly quotable lines and the message behind the title. It didn't feel super corny like some other YA books!

What a wonderful story about loss, forgiveness and rebuilding. I loved Beth and Chase, my heart broke for what they went through, but ultimately they find their way through. It's a powerful story, Erin Watt definitely delivers in the YA/NA emotions.

It took me a little while, but I really enjoyed this story immensely!

Beth and Chase were so perfect together. This book had me all up in my feels. Just when you think you had it all figured out the author throws in a curveball. I love those unexpected surprises. It ratchets up the excitement that much more!

I enjoyed Beth and Chase's chemistry and the forbidden aspect of their relationship. It made them coming together that much sweeter as we learned about that fateful day that irrevocably tied them together. I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The storyline and writing are so compellingly. I was glued to the pages the entire time I was reading!

4 stars!

This book had a little of everything I could want. It was sweet. Amd romantic. And had just enough drama.
I enjoyed this one so so much

This author never fails to write a truly fantastic story. I already knew I was going to love it going in, and I wasn’t wrong! These characters are fantastic! This story is truly unforgettable, and this plot a real gem! I highly recommend!

This is the first book I read by Erin Watt and I absolutely loved it. I don't think I've read any of the individual author's books (cause you know, Erin Watt is an author duo). Anywho, I'm so frustrated by the side characters a lot, especially Beth's parents. That's borderline abuse and invasion of privacy. Beth may be 17 but I'm pretty sure there's a law about what her parents were doing, most especially her dad. I'd call NSPCC asap. Her friends are really judgemental, Beth needs a new set of friends. But if she's keeping them, I do hope their attitudes change.

I just want to hug Chase. He has better friends than Beth. He was practically a kid when the accident happened. He should have known better but he didn't. Anyway, I ship them both but I really do wonder if this type of relationship could work out in real life. I guess it would just have to really depend on the circumstances.

ERIN WATT. WOW

This duo of writers always knows how to keep me coming back for more. My obsession with them started with Paper Princess. One Small Thing is another book that does not disappoint. The dynamic writing of these two in addition to how they manage to seamlessly intertwine their words makes for a great book. This book was full of heartache, love, second chances, and a beautiful friendship. Would recommend it to anyone.

I really enjoyed the mix of issues and romance here and truly felt the palpable tension between Beth and her parents -- at times I just desperately wanted her to escape, escape, escape! Chase was an interesting love interest and 3-dimensional character with problems of his own. While I wasn't expecting the thrilling climax, I did appreciate that the stakes in this book were real. I also liked that Beth grew over the course of the novel and that she wasn't demonized for having a sex life.

Co-written by Jen Fredrick and Elle Kennedy, this is a standalone story about a girl named Beth, who struggles to find her way after the death of her sister two years ago. Her overbearing, overprotective parents can't seem to move past the loss of one of their daughters and suffocate Beth in the name of protecting her. Beth's a senior in high school and can't wait to finally be away from the judgmental eyes of her parents, her friends and her classmates and basically the entire town.


She's always been obedient, gotten good grades, never getting into trouble. In her search for independence she decides to be a bit reckless for a change, first in sneaking out and going to a party in another town where she shouldn't know people. She wants to do things that her parents would never approve of just so that she can feel like she's making her own decisions about something. A chance meeting leads her to this attractive, somewhat older, mysterious guy at a party. He becomes her target of a wild night that she feels she deserves after constantly living in the shadow of her dead sister. A one night stand though becomes a much bigger surprise than what she had planned.


This is a wonderful story of forgiveness, of standing up for what's right, of communication in relationships, redemption, and my favorite, finding love where you least expect it. I thoroughly enjoyed another story by Erin Watt. I was even made teary eyed several times.


Favorite Quotes:

"No cage is forever, Beth. I tried to find one small thing that I could be grateful for each day."

..."you teach people how to treat you."

"You waiting for me is the one small thing that will keep me going."


Language Rating: 2 (medium)

Mature Content Rating: 2 (medium)

Final Rating: 4 stars

Excellent book.
I have since read most of Erin Watt's books.
If you enjoyed this or any of her other books you will enjoy this one just as much!!

I had high hopes for this one but it fell flat for me. I found it to be a bit too unbelievable and just couldn't get past that.

One Small Thing... find it everyday. That's the moral of this book. While, I enjoyed the message, I couldn't get past how mean the characters were. Beth and Chase were amazing together though.