Ashley Farley books never disappoint! Only One Life is a story of family drama, hidden secrets, and life long friendships. Within the pages there is a lot of pain and sorrow but there’s also beauty as a mother and daughter find their way back together after years of estrangement all due to the father. It’s a story of healing and forgiveness and learning to choose to live your life on your own terms. I would like to thank NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for allowing me the chance to read an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Read this book in a day!

Family secrets that have been stashed under the carpet is the theme of this wonderful novel by Ashley Farley.
How can Iris reconcile with her daughter when Julia has been disowned by her father for following her heart, finding love and happiness?
Will Iris ever find her own contentment or is she doomed to conceal her pain forever?
This is a beautiful story of redemption, love, family and strength that will grab your heart as read each word.
"True love is a rare gift. You only get one life. Live it."
Loved this book!

An awful book. Couldn’t finish it
Poorly written and rubbish story
Hated it. I wouldn’t recommend reading it. A total disappointment

Ashley Farley is a favorite of mine, however, this time she surpasses any expectations I might have had about this book. Only One Life is one of the best books I've ever read. I love how Farley writes about relationships - the challenges and the satisfaction that they can bring. This book starts in the present day with Julia, who is the estranged daughter of Max and Iris. She was kicked out of her home because she had chosen to marry a man her dad, Max felt was not good enough for her. The story jumps back a number of years to when Iris was a young woman who had been raised by a disagreeable aunt since she was 8 years old because her parents died. Iris met Max while working in a department store. Max came from a wealthy, prominent family, and his family felt Iris was quite beneath him, so they eloped. The story evolves through many challenging circumstances this family faces including dysfunction, secrets, illness as well as forgiveness. This is an absolute must read that you will not want to put down.

A very good book on love, loss and family drama. I was definitely rooting for the main character in the story and glad it turned out the way I had hoped. It goes to show sometimes family are the root of all evil. Read this book in about a day! Highly recommend. Well done Ashley Farley! Thank you netgalley for letting me give an honest review of this book.

I read this book this afternoon because it just captured me and I had to keep reading. Julia, fell in love and became pregnant when she was in college. Her father disowned her and forced her mother to do so too. As I read the book, I kept thinking you really don't know what goes on behind closed doors. Ashley Farley opened the doors and let us inside to see what does go on. Julia had many miscarriages before being able to carry a baby to term. The night that she went into labor there was a bad storm and a tree fell on their car. Her husband Jack didn't make it. Without Jack's income, their home was foreclosed and she was forced to eventually go back to her parent's house. Her father didn't want her and her son there but her mother stood up to him. After she moved back in she learned a lot about her family. There is what you think from the outside looking in and then there is what is really going on when the doors are open and the light is shed on it. It was an amazing book.