Another solid read from Kara Isaac! This one read more like a general market fiction than a Christian fiction book. Not my favorite from this author, though I really enjoyed it. I just love the other ones more! I found the main characters to be interesting, but I was really hoping for more characters that I have loved from other books by this author, like usual. These characters were mostly lovable and worth the time to get to know. I just was really hoping for Allie, Paige, Josh, or Caleb to show up. This was a solid read, and well worth the time to read.

There are some authors I just love, and Kara is one of those. Her stories are so unique. I think I’ve read all her books, and this one is probably my favorite.Rachel Somers lives a lie. Her aunt is Dr. Donna, America’s #1 relationship guru. But Donna is just the face, Rachel has the degree, does the research and writes the books. It’s an arrangement that works for them.Rachel has no desire to be in the spotlight. After experiencing a terrible trauma while she was in college, she’d rather fade into the background and let someone else get the attention.And of course she has no love life.When she and Donna get an opportunity to work with sports radio star Lucas Grant, she’ll have work hard to conceal her secret—even as she’s falling for him.Lucas hates secrets. His world was shattered by one when his father left their family, and the one thing he can’t abide is a liar. He knows he’s developing feelings for Rachel, but when he finds out her secret, will he walk away?This novel is different from Kara’s other books. Most of them take place in New Zealand or Australia, and are loosely part of a series. This one stands alone.This is the story of a person who allowed a mistake in the past to haunt her present and keep her from happiness. I think that’s such a powerful message we all need. This is a story I would read again.

Title: One Thing I Know

Author: Kara Isaac

Pg:384

Genre: Contemporary

Rating: 3 stars



One Thing I know is the newest book by Kara Isaac and it also the first book of hers that I did not like. The book itself was well written but I found myself not being able to relate to any of the characters. However, that being said I do believe that there are other readers out there that will enjoy this novel. Not every book is for everyone. My reading experience with this book will not keep me from reading Kara’s next book. I still enjoyed her writing and I loved her previous books.

I have to start out by saying that I’m a huge fan of Kara Isaac, and I appreciate that she’s unafraid to tackle the real and messy parts of life. This story is full of those messes, and there is no sugarcoating here. I have a lot of thoughts about this book, and I’m having a hard time organizing them, so I’m just going to share my impressions of the characters in this story:

Rachel is an amazing daughter and niece who sometimes goes way above and beyond what her family deserves from her. She has a lot of guilt issues and has a hard time juggling all of the complicated parts of her life. I don’t envy her, and I love her willingness to change even if it’s somewhat begrudgingly.

Aunt Donna is adorable, encouraging, and very much what you expect from a meddling, matchmaking mother figure. I love her and her husband in this story.

Lucas is a tough nut to crack. On one hand I completely understand his frustration with the strange turns that his career has taken. I found that part of the story a little hard to believe, but it did serve as a great way to bring Rachel into his life. Due to his past, he has trust issues when it comes to letting people get close to him. Why he then accepts an assignment from a sleazy producer to dig into Rachel’s and Donna’s lives seems baffling unless you know his motives. It’s sometimes hard to write reviews without including spoilers, so I’ll just say that Lucas really is a good person, I promise. You’ll have to read the story to see what I mean.

I know that other readers have said that this story wasn’t at all what they expect out of Christian fiction, and I can understand how some people are uncomfortable with that. I occasionally read secular fiction so I found this book to be pretty mild and true to its characters. However, I really could do without the uses of the Lord’s name in vain. Even in a realistic portrayal of characters who are just starting their faith journey, I really prefer not to read those words and phrases.

I’m already looking forward to seeing more of Lucas and Rachel in the upcoming books in this series and seeing how they continue to grow in their spirituality! I received a copy of this book from the author and am under no obligation to provide a positive review. All opinions are my own.

When a romance author is recced by Ros Clarke, I seek her out. That’s how I came to new-to-me-inspirational-romance-author Kara Isaac’s One Thing I Know. It was like no inspirational romance I’d read. Hero and heroine, Lucas Grant and Rachel Somers, come with heavy baggage; how their paths cross and they fall in love is a fraught journey. Looking back, they’ve got things to work out, looking forward sometimes seems impossible. That’s the genre’s beauty: all things are possible even when they seem highly improbable.

Rachel has a most unusual profession. She ghostwrites her aunt’s, Dr. Donna Summerville’s, advice-to-the-lovelorn books. Together, they make a lot of money, money that was once most necessary to Donna (when her husband left her to bring up their sons) and now is necessary to Rachel because she pays for her father’s care in a chronic-care facility. Though to all appearances Rachel and Donna are deceiving their vulnerable audience, their actions are understandable, even sympathetic, to the reader.

Lucas Grant came into their lives when “Dr. Donna” occasionally joined his late-night sports call-in show to dispense advice. When Donna’s publisher and Lucas’s producer propose that their mutual interest take the form of a “Feelings and Football Tour”, Rachel and Lucas meet, Rachel acting as Donna’s PA (while she spends hotel-room nights struggling with writer’s block to produce “Donna’s” final book).

Lucas and Rachel are diffident, circumspect, and cautious with their attention and affection. They’re serious people who take their love for their families and responsibilities as the centre of their lives. But their childhoods were difficult: their parents were absent, negligent, abandoned them, or were abusive. These details are not graphic, nor do they define them. Lucas and Rachel aren’t wallowers in misery, neither are they of the plucky, buck-up variety. I would have long-deserted them if they were.

Rachel wants to do right by everyone: her aunt, father, even though he doesn’t deserve loyalty and care, her readers. Her role as ghostwriter and assistant makes her fade into the background. Her constant worry about paying for her father’s care (and the guilt she carries about an incident that led him there) have left her without joy or life of her own. Until Lucas. Lucas is funny, affectionate, serious, and carries the same sense of love and care for his family. He’s close to his brother, sister-in-law, and nephew, who’s a hoot btw, Joey. He also carries high hopes for his show and half his wish for syndication is to help his brother and sister-in-law.

Two wonderful people meet and almost-woo. Lucas and Rachel go “on the road” together. Their slow-burn attraction is made of occasional touches, warm smiles, eyes only for the other, whispers of bodily awareness, and flashes of fierce physical need to experience physical closeness, intimacy, and tenderness. With characters in their 30s, this adds a lovely poignancy. But there is pain too, of their past, of the caution that makes them hesitant to get to know another person. There are also secrets that can and will explode. Rachel’s “double-life” to a man who makes deception his no-fly-relationship-zone is bound to bring up emotional and judgemental walls. A woman who’s lost confidence, who’s bowed down by obligation and a deep sense of not living an authentic life is bound to find a man’s anger and judgement insurmountable.

Lucas and Rachel arrive at each other and God with tiny, soft steps of possibility. What I loved about them is their journey to trust, especially for Rachel to trust she can love and deserves love in return. And for Lucas to learn to forgive and trust the other. Their conversion is a “still, small voice”, not a road to Damascus lightning bolt. Their HEA is confession and avowal. It reduced me to tears with its beauty and insight.

A few things about One Thing I Know jarred, struck wrong notes. When Lucas and Rachel are in LA, they attend parties and events. The women come onto Lucas and his judgement of them smacked too much of slut-shaming. At least to me. Lucas also has a possible syndication deal with a Hollywood producer, Brad Shipman, whose portrayal left me uncomfortable, not absolutely sure why, but I don’t want to ignore my spidey-sense.

What I couldn’t resist was Isaac’s writing, her sparkles of humour, her turn for gentle, droll banter, her characters’ humility, and her thematic love for the human potential in how the truth sets you free, the necessity for authenticity before love can flourish. I leave you with a few snippets of why I loved the writing: “Lucas looked down to see Brad ogling. He wanted to rip his eyes out and use them to play marbles … Who was this girl who scattered his senses like dandelion tufts on the wind? … his eyes. They crinkled at the corners, like messy sheets on an unmade bed … It was more nuts than a Snickers bar.” Kara Isaac’s One Thing I Know is better than a Snickers bar. It’s Lindt, sea salt for the tears, caramel for the sweetness of an HEA hard-earned, hard-won, well-deserved, most joyous. With Miss Austen, we say Isaac’s One Thing I Know is evidence of “a mind lively and at ease,” Emma.

Kara Isaac’s One Thing I Know is published by Howard Books. It was released on February 19th and may be found at your preferred vendors. I received an e-galley from Howard Books, via Netgalley.

A fun Hallmark movie-esque story with a faith component. I really enjoyed this! The main characters were great. You know going in that the deception is going to blow up in their faces - it's just a matter of time. But the reasons for the deception were understandable and while I felt Lucas' reaction was pretty big for the circumstances, there were reasons for his sensitivity to any sort of deception. The faith pieces felt natural in the story, something that is important to me in Christian fiction. Overall, a great story!

Believe it or not, I was actually given the privilege of reading this book a couple months ago - and loved it! Then I completely forgot to write a review for it, so we’ll see if this makes any sense.
As already stated, I adored this book! I don’t know that I can say it was my absolute favorite of Ms. Isaac’s books (it may be tying with The There Was You), but if not the top, then definitely an extremely close second! As in all of her books, the characters just simply step off the pages! Within a couple turns, I felt as though I knew Rachel and Lucas almost as well as some of my real-life friends. I sat there, cheering them on, crying with them, and so wanting to give them a hug or Gibbs’ slap from time to time. I also couldn’t help but love Lacey, Donna, Anna, and little Joey and Libby.
This book is much more than a simple romance. It is a story of friends. Of advice, both good and bad. Of the wrestling of fear and guilt, faith and doubt, truth and lie. It’s a story of pain and struggle, but also joy and laughter. Of overcoming. And of course, love. Not just in a romantic sense, but also the love of friends that were thought to be long lost, of family, and of learning to love even those that have been deemed unlovable.
I’ll also go ahead and address a potential issue for some - the characters don’t automatically become Christians at the end of this story. Yes, it’s still Christian fiction. There is still a strong thread of faith woven throughout the story. But the author doesn’t wrap it up all nice and neat in a perfect little religious bow. And I applaud her for that. She stays true to the characters and the story. An instant conversion at the end wouldn’t have been realistic and you know what? Sometimes life doesn’t end like that either, regardless of how much we wish it would. I so appreciated the truth and transparency in even that aspect of this book.

Overall, I would recommend this book to any of my friends who enjoy reading! And it will definitely be making the list of one of my favorite books of 2019!

I found this story line completely refreshing. I don't think I've read anything quite like it before and that kept me interested from beginning to end. The way that Lucas and Rachel meet and how their lives intersect and intertwine was original to me. I've been feeling a bit overdone with Billionaires, so it was nice to read about two regular people with difficult life choices facing them.

Rachel is caught between a rock and a hard place. Secrets can be so heavy- pushing down on peace and joy. I really felt that with Rachel, especially as her friendship and then romance grew with Lucas. Rachel has made some hard choices, some good, some not so good. I loved the moments where she owned up to her choices, accepted accountability, and held her head up. She was vulnerable and raw but free of the burden of secrets.

The attraction between Rachel and Lucas felt real, the way they dealt with problems felt real, and I really enjoyed how my feelings grew right along with theirs. I actually think this story could be adapted into a Hallmark movie! It had me creating that sort of movie in my head.

Content: Mild Christian elements (talk of God, praying), kissing

- I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

"Forgiving him doesn't make what he did okay; it just means refusing to carry it any longer."

What an incredible journey of hope, forgiveness, love, and compassion swirled in with heart-breaking reality of life and beautifully packaged with an interesting premise, fun and witty writing with plenty of comedy, and great banter and dialogue! This book had me crying one minute with such devastating mistakes and tragedies and laughing out loud the next with some of the scenarios and conversations. This book exposes what makes us who we are - our past and present, our hopes and dreams, our faith or lack thereof - and asks what it all means in the end. If you enjoy a well-written contemporary romance novel that makes you think, you will absolutely love this newest offering from Kara Isaac.

Yes, the plot is well-knitted and the writing is flawless, but the characters - the characters - totally make this book outstanding. Rachel, with her secret past and present, is kind and practical but lives like a hermit to protect herself and those she loves. Lucas is loyal, kind, compassionate, honest, and noble. They both have tons of emotional baggage from losing their moms at an early age and having abusive or hypocritical fathers. Even the secondary characters are amazing. Anna, Rachel's college friend, and Scott, Lucas' older brother, are solid rocks of faith even in the midst of trials and tribulations and provide straight-forward questions for Rachel and Lucas (and the readers) to ponder. Rachel and Lucas' struggle to even be open-minded about God's love and Sovereignty is real and moving.

I'm hoping there will be another book where we can get a glimpse of Rachel and Lucas again! I was given a copy of the book by Howard Book via NetGalley and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.

I really struggled to connect with this one. Lucas and Rachel spent hardly any time together, yet they were madly in love? This was really about Rachel's struggle with the Dr. Donna deception and her past with her father. Also, reader be aware: IMO, this should have been tagged as Christian or Religious. Not my cup of tea.

This is one of those books that is so good it is hard to write a review. From the very first word the book had my attention. Loved the characters, very inspiring.

Loved Rachel, so caring about ones in her life, a good friend. She did have a lot to deal from her past. Lucas had a call in show for sports but women are always calling in with other questions. His show becomes a connection with Rachel. Of course there is lot more to the book. I definitely recommend reading it.

I received a advanced copy of the book from the author. I was not required to write an positive review. This is my own opinion.

2.5 stars.
The first 40% of the book was unbelievably slow. I wasn’t even sure if I was going to finish it. But part of me was intrigued and wanted to know more so I pushed through. It wasn’t until 60% of the book that things started moving and happening.

The plot of the book is actually pretty great. I loved the idea of it all. The characters were an amazing bonus to the story. Each one so intricate, with so many layers to them, and filled with secrets. The secrets were pretty much what kept me going. I just wanted to know what was going on with all of them.

I’m a sucker for a good slow-burn romance but this one was just too slow for my liking. I did like the fact that because it was super slow, Rachel and Lucas got to know one another more. Sure, the secrets were still there, but over looking that aspect, they really got to know one another very well, especially Rachel knowing Lucas, since they would talk through the years on his talk show (he didn’t know it was her, though).

Overall, it was a nice read with beautiful characters. I recommend it if you’re looking to take your time while reading. The romance was pretty cute and adorable once it developed.

A lovely and sweet story.This book not only examines Rachel and Lucas’s relationship, but Rachel’s relationship with her friends.I really loved the story and the characters.There's more depth to this story than one would think at first glance, it has a great premise from the beginning.

Thank you to Howard Books for the free review copy. All opinions are my own.

What a wonderful novel this was to start over Valentine's Day. I loved the romance. Isaac knows how to pull on the reader's heartstrings from beginning to end. 

One of the things I loved most about this book was the careers of the characters. I think that Rachel being a ghostwriter an Lucas being a radio host made the book so interesting. I liked how Isaac gave each of them different struggles that related to their jobs. This made the book so believable.

I really enjoyed the characters and their personalities, too. It was easy for me to envision these people working together for a common goal, even if they had to work through struggles. Rachel and Lucas both have to work through some big issues in this book, but it isn't anything that someone hasn't walked through. I like the support characters around these two when they were wading through their issues.

I’m always excited to read another Kara Isaac book, and I was so happy to get my hands on this one. I absolutely adore Isaac’s unique, attention-grabbing writing style, and One Thing I Know is another fantastic read. Her signature humor and wit are such fun. Main characters, Rachel and Grant, are endearing, lovable, and multi-layered. Their back stories bump into their relationship and cause major difficulties. Grant can’t abide secrets and Rachel has a big one! A stellar supporting cast of characters add color and interest and also conflict.

I loved the emotional connection between Rachel and Grant and the witty banter they engage in. I can always count on chuckles, giggles, and laugh-out-loud moments in Isaac’s books, and this one had many of those. There are also tender, uplifting messages of forgiveness, honesty, integrity, and healing that add emotional depth to the story. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy contemporary romance with wit and heart.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from the publisher/NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

For almost a decade, Rachel has been ghostwriting book after book for her aunt, the well-known Dr. Donna. Although this arrangement completely goes against Rachel’s moral compass, she depends on the hefty income from Dr. Donna’s books to pay for her dad’s expensive medical care. Rachel has devoted her entire life to writing these books and appearing as Dr. Donna’s assistant to the public. On several occasions, Rachel has even altered her voice to sound like Dr. Donna’s as she sits in on radio talk shows, answering fan questions. Most recently, Dr. Donna is set to go on tour with a late night talkshow host named Lucas and Rachel is tagging along for the ride—strictly as Dr. Donna’s assistant.

Lucas loves to talk about sports on his radio talk show, but it seems that he’s created a huge female fan base and all his late night calls on-air are from women seeking relationship advice. So when his boss signs him up to go on tour with a relationship expert and author, Dr. Donna, Lucas is less-than thrilled. Although he is working closest with Dr. Donna, it’s her assistant, Rachel that he can’t stop thinking about. They had a rocky start to their professional relationship, but ever since, there’s seemed to be sparks flying between them.

Rachel also feels the romantic tension between her and Lucas, but how could she date him while lying about who she actually is? Lucas has professed on-air that his most important qualities in a woman are honesty and integrity. And Rachel knows deep down she is nothing more than a fraud. She feels so guilty about the farce that she’s lost all inspiration to write another book for Dr. Donna. But even though she feels guilty, Rachel can’t help but develop feelings for Lucas and it appears he can’t help fall for her as well.

If Rachel isn’t careful, the career she’s built as Dr. Donna’s ghost writer will all come crashing down and the truth could not only cost her a lot of money, but her relationship with Lucas.

One Thing I Know by Kara Isaac her most recent contemporary romance publication. I haven’t heard much about this author, but I had high hopes for the storyline, as the synopsis sounded cute. Unfortunately, the story fell flat for me. I didn’t feel invested in any of the characters and I found myself getting confused by whose perspective I was reading, as Lucas and Rachel’s voices were similar. I have two other Kara Isaac books on my shelves and I hope I have better luck with them, as One Thing I Know struck out for me. 2/5 stars.

Thank you so NetGalley, Howard Books and Kara Isaac for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Readers who are already familiar with Kara Isaac’s writing will find this story has a slightly more serious tone than her previous novels, although it’s definitely not without the humour and wit that I love in her writing. Case in point: “There were some things that were sacred, and walking into Barnes & Noble without running into a cardboard version of yourself was one of them.” It’s also different in that the main characters aren’t believers; the spiritual input in this novel comes via secondary characters. Nevertheless, the themes of honesty, integrity, reconciliation, and forgiveness resound throughout the story as Rachel and Grant work through past pain and present choices.

Stories involving this kind of secret aren’t my favourite, simply because I’m always braced, waiting for the axe to fall—which is why I avoid similar situations in real life! That said, this story avoided the kind of contrivance that’s often employed to keep the story going. I could understand how the situation had arisen, and I could understand why Rachel felt backed into a corner. It wouldn’t have been as much of an issue if Rachel were only ghost-writing, but she also “appears” live on radio via phone as Donna—on Lucas’s show no less. And for a man who’s never forgiven his father for living a double life, that’s kind of going to be a big deal.

Where this novel really sparkled for me, though, was the banter and flirting between Rachel and Lucas. Kara Isaac knows exactly how to play her main characters’ personalities off each other, and she creates fantastic romantic tension (and swoony moments) without resorting to innuendo and clichés. And beneath it all, there’s a genuine emotional connection between her characters. It certainly helped me forget about my “I hate secrets” tension at times!

For those who are looking for something to tug at the heartstrings, you’ll get that here, too, with some of the secondary plots in the story. So while I can’t say this is my favourite of Kara Isaac’s novels, it has plenty to recommend it to contemporary romance readers—especially if you get less uptight about “secrets” plots than I do!

I received a copy of this novel from the author. This has not influenced the content of my review, which is my honest and unbiased opinion.

ONE THING I KNOW is the first book I’ve ever read by Kara Isaac. The twists and turns keep coming and I had to know how it was going to end! Every time I thought I knew where this story was going, a few pages later, Kara Isaac threw me for a loop and I knew I was wrong! I’m kicking myself for not reading this wonderful novel sooner.


ONE THING I KNOW is a quick read and unputdownable! There were quite a few times when reading it that I wanted to reach into the pages and slap a few of these people with their wishy washy ways of thinking. I found myself laughing one second and then tearing up the next. If you are looking for a beautiful story to pull you out of your book slump, you can’t go wrong with ONE THING I KNOW. Kara Isaac is now one of my auto buy authors.


The twists and turns in ONE THING I KNOW are going to keep you up late into the night trying to figure it out. One minute you believe you know where Rachel is going with her life and the next you are sitting there shaking your head, wondering what the heck just happened. I had my ideas, I had it all figured out, or so I thought, and BAM…….wrong again! Once you start reading, trust me, you aren’t going to be able to stop! When everything is finally revealed, well, you won’t believe it!


ONE THING I KNOW begins with Rachel keeping a big secret. She is writing the books that her aunt, Dr. Donna is supposed to be writing. I thoroughly enjoyed reading ONE THING I KNOW. I loved the banter between Lucas and Rachel. It is heart warming and filled with so many different emotions. There is so much going on in this story, but Kara Isaac does a wonderful job of weaving all the pieces together. All of the characters will have you feeling sad and then giggling on the same page. More than once I wanted to be there with my new found friends! Once you finish devouring this story, you are going to want to tell everyone you know about this awesome book.

One Thing I Know by Kara Isaac is a charming, chaste contemporary romance that is lightly sprinkled with a Christian message.

The story is about love, forgiveness, and second chances in the face of human imperfection. No one is perfect, least of all Ms. Isaac’s characters. Famed relationship advisor, Doctor Donna, and her assistant, Rachel, are down-to-Earth, relatable characters who I couldn’t help but love. Lucas Grant is a tell-it-like-it-is host of a radio sports talk show. His honesty and authenticity is charming, until he lets his sorrowful past turn him judgmental. His story in One Thing I Know is clearly a message of "those who live in glass houses should not throw stones". The handful of secondary characters deeply enhances the story, as well as play a significant role in the author’s underlying message.

Many of Ms. Isaac’s richly developed characters have losses and regrets that cast such a large shadow that their current lives are essentially stagnate. It is like a self-imposed emotional incarceration. The few characters who have been able to forgive, if not forget, provide Rachel and Lucas with much needed advice, which is somewhat ironic since those two are the self-proclaimed authorities on life and relationships.

The story develops in an organic fashion, and the plot is well paced. I truly enjoyed Ms. Isaac’s writing style and story telling. A story set in America with Midwestern characters could pose a colloquialism challenge to a Kiwi author, but there were a only few instances where her editors didn’t correct the phraseology. Overall, One Thing I Know is a delightful read. I enjoyed the charming Doctor Donna, the banter between Rachel and Lucas, and I greatly appreciated that the author’s message was not overpowering but well blended into the plot.

Kara Isaac's One Thing I Know was a delightful surprise, a story of two people with so much in common finding each other, and their need for forgiveness that tears them apart.

I'm not going to rehash the plot, as the book description does describe this book well. What I will say is that this story is sweet and touching, but tough in parts. It deals with the traumas of their childhoods and the forgiveness that has been lacking for both of them. It is about lies and hypocrisy and trust and friendship and love.

If you enjoy contemporary romance, with broken and breaking people who find a way to move toward being whole, then this just might be a book for you. If you enjoy a faith element, it is definitely there, but not so overwrought that it should put you off if you do not.

Having only read descriptions of Kara Isaac's previous books, I was expecting fun and quirky. And while at times it is that, there is also a depth to this story that caught me unawares. Kara Isaac is definitely an author I will be reading more from.

This review refers to a digital galley read courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.