Member Reviews
This was so much better than I was expecting. The blurb doesn't do it justice. Complex and interesting characters are the stars but it's the other plots that will suck you in. It's a story about relationships, triumphs and struggles, and timing. It's emotional and so well written. The ending was perfect.
This book smells like real life. Which is not something you can often say about a romance novel.
Sometimes you meet the right person too late, or too early. You click, still the relationship is not viable, due to external circumstances. This is the story of Ruby and Nic. It is cute and funny with lots of banter, perky dialogues and texting. The author has such a charming and easy-going style that I even forgive her that the main characters eat too much junk food. There are tough decision-making situations in the story (I liked these, they felt so real), however, I could do with less philosophical contemplation about love, life and what counts or almost counts, toward the end of the book.
Another great read from Laura Jane Williams. Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books for this Advance Review Copy.
Meet Ruby, fresh out of relationship and she’s decided to have a ‘year of me’. No men, no sex, in fact she’s moving and going back to college.
Ruby lives with some fabulous friends. Jackson and Candice are fun and they have such a great vibe together.
When Nic shows up on their doorstep, awkward and shy, to buy Ruby’s sofa, things shift for her. Nic is cute and besides what’s one last fling before her year of celibacy?!
Okay, the story line is cute. The characters are fun and quirky, but somewhere this one de-railed for me. It was slooowww. Ruby and Nic have so much going on in their lives. I just felt some of it could have been omitted and still been a great book.
Ruby is moving from London to Manchester and starting a Year Of Me after a bad break up. On her last night in the city she sells her sofa to Nic, who has just moved to London from Liverpool. Ruby and Nic instantly hit it off but say their goodbyes in the morning.
This book has it all: great dialogue, great friendships, and a storyline that really works even if in the beginning the main characters go their separate ways. If you like books by Jenny Bayliss, Abigail Mann or Beth O'Leary then this witty, heartfelt and charming book is the book for you!
I will write reviews of this wonderful, four-star book on Instagram and Goodreads this week.
I've had a bit of a mixed experience when reading Laura Jane Williams but this one sounded like it might be a good fit for me - and it was! This was a young (20s) romance that centers around love and losing love. As someone in my 20s I found the characters to be very relatable and I could understand the plot based on my own experiences. The development of the story and characters was great and thoroughly enjoyable. I wasn't knocked off my feet but I'm happy I picked it up and that is why I am settling on a 4 star rating.
The only thing that threw me off on this book was the insta love aspect. Two people who meet by chance, have an instant connection but find it hard to be with each other. I enjoyed the book, it was cutesy and fun.
A really sweet story - much more than just a love story - told from the alternating points of view of the two adorable main characters. The secondary characters were also well-crafted. I thought the pace dragged a little bit in the middle, but overall found it very enjoyable..
Another gorgeous read from one of my favourite authors.
Nic meets Ruby and her housemates by chance on Ruby's last night in London, just as Nic is newly arriving in the capital. Nic has recently split up with his long-term girlfriend, while Ruby is about to embark on a "year of me"; staying away from men, focussing on her university course and achieving her dreams. The chemistry (and sex) is unbelievable but they're both clear that this is a one night encounter with no strings attached. But with their pasts throwing them both curve balls, nothing is plain sailing.
Nic, Ruby and their friends are great characters with warm, genuine relationships. I loved reading about them venturing into their new lives, the networks of friendships they develop and how fate keeps bringing them together and tearing them apart. I just wanted to keep reading more.
As a fan of Laura Jane William's previous books, I was so excited to read this one! I love her writing style and the pacing of her novels which keep me engaged and hooked right from the first chapter.
I wasn't entirely convinced by the meet-cute in this novel, it felt slightly overplayed to me and this made the characters/first few chapters feel quite stereotypical and cliché but once I got past that, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and would definitely recommend it as a relaxing, romantic read.
Anyone else have the Elvis song One Night stuck in their head the whole time reading this?!
Anyways, to the book review. This was great! Super emotional and definitely made me tear up. Who can’t relate to right person, wrong time?!
I will say, I wasn’t a fan of a certain trope… but I won’t say what it was for spoilers (plenty of others have mentioned it). Definitely look up TW!
I enjoyed readying this book so much! This was the perfect balanced romance that I needed. This is the kind of book that is perfect for a raining day when you can curl up under a blanket with a cup of coffee. I enjoyed watching the relationship between Ruby and Nic develop.
This was a first for me by this author and I look forward to reading more of her in the future!
Mixed reactions...
The story line was beautiful and the writing was good - I was surprised at some of the twists! A different read for me.
Nic and Ruby - I liked them and then there were places where I couldn't understand/ connect with them. Some of their decisions felt very practical.
There were several interesting secondary characters too.
But... I read this book over a period of three weeks 🙈🙈 (I don't do this often but I kept getting distracted this time). Felt that the 'unputdownable' factor was missing (maybe it's only for me).
Overall - a different yet interesting book.
This book follows Ruby and Nic, she is leaving London and he has just arrived in London. The thing is that the two MCs had a lot of distance between each other so I wasn't sold on the romance. Their individual stories were great but this book as a romance was not believable. Overall, this would be called a fiction book with a touch of romance?
Thank you so much to Avon and Netgalley for this advance copy in exchange for my honest review!
This was a cute little romcom and one that I enjoyed, but I also was left scratching my head at times too. It was cute - I enjoyed it - it will make an excellent beach/pool read, but somewhere along the line it lost me. Like what was going on? The it course corrected and had a cute finish, but I don’t know I am left feeling a little meh about it.
This story started out with a bang and an unexpected twist. I was awkwardly on board and curious where the story was headed. However, about a third of the way, the story slowed down and was hard to push through. It picked up again after about two-thirds of the way, but by then, I was already soured by Ruby's himhawing around and Nic's unflawed patience for her.
I was never really invested in the characters. The best character was Ruby's roommate Jackson because he was unapologetically himself and a great friend to everyone.
There were some really sweet moments in this book that can't go unnoticed. I liked that Ruby and Nic were supportive and non-judgmental of each other. I mean, aren't two-minute dance parties, LARPing, and super cheesy text message exchanges kinda awesome? 🥰
This is a story about that awkward period in adulthood where everything's messy, sometimes overwhelming, or just really mundane while trying to figure out what to do with your life. I wanted to like this story more, but it just wasn't for me.
Thank you, NetGalley, Avon Books UK, and Laura Jane Williams, for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. 💕
I would have to give this book 3.75 stars
It's a really good slow burn .. will they or won't they get together. It's such a good story of the timing of love and when it work out for two people. I love how the author had each of the main charters grow into the people they were meant to become. That showing us that we can fall in love with someone and the time isn't right but if the love is truly there the universe has a way of bringing two people back again and again. I really enjoyed reading how this love story played out.
One Night With You by Laura Jane Williams filled the romance need for me but I feel there could have been more. This is a good book with a good story line about two people just missing it with eachother. I enjoyed reading the book from both main character perspectives and knowing what they were thinking as the different situations happened. However, somewhere in the middle of the book I got lost and wasn't sure what was going on but finally got back on track toward the end. I enjoy this author but it wasn't one of my favorites.
Laura Jane Williams, you sneaky genius, you’ve done it again. You’ve somehow created another beautifully-written romance with just the right doses of snark, wit, emotion, and wholesomeness.
Let me tell you that when I began this book, I was chortling. Yes, chortling. That’s not a word I use often. In fact, I might even go so far as to say that I let out a guffaw! The early moments between our protagonists were absolutely hilarious. From the best friend/roommate hijinks to the uncomfortable flirting to the admission of social media profile stalking, it was a mess of hilarity and adorableness that I will never forget. Those opening chapters drew me in so fast and I absolutely had to know what happened next for Ruby and Nic.
I was a little wary moving forward. There was an almost insta-love vibe to those first few chapters that had me worrying that the rest of the book would fall flat. I mean, how could the rest of the story live up to the cuteness held in the early moments? But I had absolutely nothing to worry about because the rest of the story was just as phenomenal – if not more so. That’s where the depth happened and it was more than I could have hoped for or expected.
There was no way I could have anticipated that I would adore these characters so much. Every single one of them, from Ruby’s gang of misfit roommates (I especially loved Jackson) and the pals she made during her video project (don’t even get me started on how badly I want to just sit and have a whisky with JP) to Nic and his brother Ollie. There was not a single member of this cast that went unnoticed or unappreciated. Every one of them made this story more enjoyable and emotional. Without giving any spoilers, just know that the final few chapters actually made me cry. Like legit crocodile tears!
The more challenging themes that were faced in this book were handled so well. They made me truly think long and hard about my own life. I absolutely love when a book can make me do that – especially an unsuspecting “rom-com,” you know? The entire phrase “almost doesn’t count” was on repeat in my head throughout the time I was reading this… and beyond. I’m still thinking about it on occasion. I love the realizations that Ruby came to about this phrase and how JP impacted her life so much.
If I look back at this, I’m slightly surprised to note that the romance wasn’t actually what stood out to me the most. While the book is titled One Night With You, it focuses on far more than just Ruby and Nic’s whirlwind one-night stand. I hope that those who choose to read this go into it with an open mind, willing to learn from it because there is so much to gain. Of course, the romance is adorable too and not to be forgotten, but I just love that there was such fantastic depth along with the swoony, steamy bedroom scenes.
This is another LJW book that I will be eagerly adding to my shelves! I’m so thankful that I got the chance to read it a little early because I loved every second of it and I’m thrilled to share it with all of you and tell you that you need to read it too!
[CW: (major) Grief, Infidelity, Injury/injury detail, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Death, and Sexual content, (moderate) Alcohol and Cursing]
Right person wrong timing. Ruby is heading off to Manchester and Ric has just arrived in London but .....They meet, they have electric chemistry, and they part. And then they can't forget each other. This is told by both of them, with their back stories spooling out until......To be honest, Ruby is not the most appealing person (scamming students? Not cool.) and Ric is perhaps too nice but that's actually part of the opposites attract vibe. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.
I was a fan of this author's other works such as The Lucky Escape. I was not however a big fan of this one. I am usually not a huge fan of the right person, wrong time trope as well as the one-night stand trope so this one was just a big of a miss for me. Not to say that I wouldn't recommend this book for other readers, it just is not something I would read again personally.