This book was heart-wrenchingly sweet. I absolutely adore the relationship between the two main characters and the pining and yearning that transpired over the years.

Back in November I read my first @mattcainwriter book and fell in love with his writing. I immediately read his other novel and was itching to get my hands on his upcoming book, #onelove And I am so incredibly excited that I was given a copy by @netgalley and @kensingtonbooks to review.
There are twenty years of friendship between Guy and Danny. When Danny arrived at Manchester university he was ready to stop trying to hide his identity and was ready and excited to embrace life as a gay man for the first time. When he meets Guy, an athlete who is not quite ready to come out yet, he falls in love. As the two become friends they start exploring their identities as gay men, while Danny continues to carry a torch for Guy but they never get the timing right. Twenty years later, attending Pride together, Danny is determined to finally have his happy ever after.
I am finding a competent review for this book hard to write because it feels like it encompasses so much and I don’t want to leave anything out or spoil the journey. Delving deep into love and what that means for members of the queer community is just one thing this books does masterfully. The relationship Danny has with the world around him, his friends, family, and himself is constantly being explored from new angles as he struggles to find out who he is. I really enjoyed getting to know Danny’s character and cheering him on as his story evolved.
This fabulous book was released on January 18 and if you need to read something that gives you some hope I definitely recommend this one.
#bookstagram #lgbtqauthors #readersofinstagram #bookrecommendations #bookreview #readers #booklover

This really hit me in the feels, and left me absolutely cathartically wrung out!

The story follows Danny and Guy as the attend Pride in Manchester, 20 years after they were there at University together, back to where it all began. Danny finally decides it’s finally time to let Guy know how he feels.

The changes of POV were really well done. Seeing inside the mind of both Guy and Danny and being able to hear their internal monologues about themselves, and each other, and how the viewed what was going on around them gave it really thorough picture of the story.

One of the story telling techniques that I loved was the bouncing back and forth in time. It kept my interest, built up intensity.
The city itself is also a pretty major player in the story, I haven’t been to Manchester myself, but feel that I could walk the streets and recognise significant landmarks now. Even having never been to Manchester, the feeling of being 20 yrs out of University, and seeing all the changes in the places where you used to go felt like a pretty universal experience.

If you are looking for a Rom-Com (which is what I expected from the Cover art of the US edition) this may not be it, but if you want to see life, love, accidental hurt and people in all their complexities, this might be for you. I basically have run out of nice things to say about it!

A story of twenty years of friendship and possibly unrequited love. But maybe that will change this weekend at Manchester Pride?

Danny and Guy have been best friends since meeting at Manchester University at the beginning of their first year. Their friendship has had its strengths and struggles over the past 20 years, but Danny is determined to finally tell Guy how he feels this weekend.

This was a decent book that I don’t have any strong feelings about one way or another. I don’t dislike the two main characters, however I don’t particularly love them either. The book jumped backward and forward in time quite a bit, telling the story of the two men over the twenty year timeframe.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher/author for this copy of the book.

I was really hoping to love this one but sadly that was not in the cards for me. The ending was quite abrupt, the perspective switching didn't quite work to me, and the characters weren't always super compelling. 3 stars. tysm for the arc.

One love by Matt Cian

4.5/5 Stars 🌟 *posting on Friday 14th March*

And here I thought this would be an easy read! Haha Thanks to NetGalley and Matt Cain and publisher for the eARC.

Where do I begin! This book was fantastic it pulled at my heart strings more than once, my heart broke for Danny throughout the book and was so proud of him in the outcome!

This book showed two very different aspects of young gay men’s lifestyles such as the ‘play around’ and the ‘settle down’. There was a very realistic view of what people thought of our community and how it’s slowly evolving as time passes us by.

Danny and Guys friendship from the very beginning was cute and honestly sometimes felt like there was more under the surface. To see this relationship evolve and develop into what it becomes was a life changing moment for many people in real life!

Matt’s use of past and present chapters was absolutely fantastic! You had little bit of the past blending into the current life of our characters, it built the story so well and kept you informed and ready to learn more!

I don’t want to put any spoilers into this as I honestly think it’s been one of my favourite books of the year so far! Please read and support Matt as this book was a must read!

3.5⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington's publishing for the opportunity to read this as an ARC.

This was my first read by the author and I was intrigued by the synopsis and the cover. I loved the idea of the story and it was executed well. I enjoyed the current and past time lines, it helps us get to know the main characters Danny and Guy individually and as friends. I felt sympathy for both characters and their identity, self/love struggles. I also immediately saw the friendship for what it was and my heart broke for Danny. The ending while should have been an happy, optimistic one…was frustrating. I feel Danny forgave to easily and deserved better. I’m torn because I don’t believe young Guy realized what he was doing but still…Danny deserved better. I do appreciate the self love reflection aspect of the story and wish we would have saw more of that journey. I do feel the story was longer than it needed to be and had a slow start but overall I’ll glad I stuck with it.

Multiple POVs, tenses, and the jumping between present days and scenes set in the past do not do this book any favors. Despite short chapters the pacing is super slow, almost as if the author had trouble drawing the plot out to make it fit into an entire weekend. I love the concept of old friends acknowledging their romantic feelings for one another, but unfortunately the execution was mid.

I loved the characters and character development of this book! I read "The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle" and "Becoming Ted" and enjoyed both so much for the exact same reasons! Matt Cain just knows how to write characters and stories that feel relatable and make you reflect on your own life! I did shed a couple tears as well!

I requested and received an eARC of One Love by Matt Cain. I was quite happy about because I really enjoyed the other novels I've read by Cain. One Love traces the friendship between Danny and Guy over the course of twenty years. In 2002, their friendship begins with a wink from Guy. Both first years at Manchester University, Danny and Guy come together as revel in their new found independence. In 2022, the pair come together again, both single for the first time in years, to attend Manchester Pride. Danny is finally ready to tell Guy that he has always been in love with him.

What I appreciated most about this story was that some of the big emotions involved felt entirely real to me. In the beginning of Guy and Danny's friendship they both experience certain levels of insecurity, uncertainty, and jealousy that I could absolutely identify with. I think this dynamic was definitely skewed and had the unfortunate effect of making Danny a bit exasperating, but to be entirely honest, I've been and felt like a Danny many times. More glimpses into Guy's mind earlier on would have given this story better symmetry, but I did appreciate those moments when I got them. One Love alternates throughout time which is always a plot structure that I seem to enjoy. It works especially well with Guy and Danny’s story, because we get to live in a state of nervous anticipation with them in their present while also slowly gaining understanding of their history and exactly what is at stake on this big weekend.

I can’t lie— this book nearly lost me, but I think that was because I was trying to impose my own vision of romance on the novel. One Love really creeps up on you and the characters inspire strong, dynamic reactions. There were moments when I couldn’t stand Danny or Guy, but would then come back around to really quite caring about them. I think that speaks to a certain kind of magic, the ability to make these two men feel so entirely real with their flaws and vulnerabilities. It enabled me as a reader to develop a strong relationship with Danny and Guy that cemented my investment in their stories. Like the other novels I’ve read by Cain, One Love genuinely brought both laughter and tears, but it also made me take a hard look at my own self. Strong supporting characters and heartfelt storytelling really made this a highlight for me. I can’t wait to add a physical copy of this book to my collection.

This book took me somewhere I wasn't expecting, but I really enjoyed. Reflected a lot of conversations I've had in recent years with queer friends, especially cis gay men, obviously. I feel like this was a wonderful way to explore this topic and think the author handled it incredibly well. Can't wait to read his other books.

One Love is at times a hard hitting, heartbreaking, eye opening book but also humorous and uplifting.
Danny and Guy start university in Manchester meeting on the first day of freshers week. Danny is gay and out and wants to fully mix with others, Guy also gay but completely opposite not wanting to come out from fear of how his family and straight friends will react.
Spanning over 20 years moving seamlessly from past to present day we follow these two wonderful characters on their journey through life with many ups and terrible lows.
Danny has always loved Guy almost from when they first met, Guy is completely unable to express how he feels. To be honest a lot of times through this book I really wanted to knock their heads together.
This is a wonderful written story, exploring how difficult it was to be basically out and proud and how homophobia impacted greatly on lives by truly awful ignorant people.
We take a very emotional journey with these two men, at times hard hitting but there’s a lot of funny moments as well as uplifting ones, I became very invested in both characters
I finished this book with a big sigh and wished nothing but the best for them as both seemed to have finally found inner peace.

Matt Cain is brilliant at writing characters we can all recognize ourselves in. Because what he truly gets is the human experience, the ups and downs we all face, and the growing up we all have to do. He gets the young university angst mindset as well as the forty-something sense of regret and renewal. Most of all, his books are about becoming our authentic selves - not the person we think others want to see, but the whole person we're meant to be, healed and healing.

"Happiness is an inside job. It can only come from ourselves."

One of my books of the year. Stunning doesn’t do this justice.
Danny and Guy have known each other for twenty years since they first met at university in Manchester. Danny was already out by this stage and supported by his mother. Guy however was terrified, knowing his parents wouldn't accept who their son is and so looked to Danny for support. Danny has always loved Guy from the first time they met but is scared of spoiling their friendship by risking anything more. Alternate chapters are when they are at university and in 2022 when they are visiting Manchester together for Pride when Danny is determined he will tell Guy how he has really felt all these years.

Oh boy! This is a tender, beautiful read with the care and attention only Matt can give such a wonderful story. I wanted to hug both Matt and Guy for different reasons. Anyone who knows not having parental support in life will understand some of the pain Guy goes through, and Danny for “ being different”. I truly felt for them both. I cried at the end. Although not the same journey but similar in varying ways this made me think of my own life and challenges and of not always loving myself. A life lesson in a book along with a great big hug. Thank you Matt from the bottom of my heart.
For more reviews please follow me on X (formerly Twitter) @nickisbookblog
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I did enjoy this book although I didn’t really like the format of it keep going backwards and forwards throughout the years but it was enjoyable all the same.
We have come a long way with the LGBT community since the 60s and 70s which is amazing and this story really portrays this
Thanks to net galley and the author for enabling me to read this novel.

I was really looking forward to reading this novel, but having finished it I was under whelmed.

Having read the story it obviously has lots of personnel elements from the author's own experience, however these by themselves, do not make this story compelling, or entirely realistic, the reasons for this being:

1} The format of the story, going backwards and forwards to tell the story from different perspectives, was jarring and at times annoying
2) Neither of the lead characters grabbed me
3) The story felt to be "trying to hard" on occasions

I have loved other novels by Matt Cain, this one was a disappointment.

This was a lovely exploration of friendship...and more. Guy and Danny met during a political time... a time when they were at two different points in their own journeys. Over time, Matt Cain explores the journeys they make parallel to one another, weaving in and out. It's sad a times, frustrating at other but I feel as though it ends hopeful.

Interesting in premise, I found the writing to be hard to follow and I was not a fan of the main character. there were one or two supporting characters that stood out to me but all in all, one that I will not revisit.

This was breathtakingly beautiful. We follow Danny and Guy during Manchester Pride weekend, as they celebrate the 30th anniversary of meeting during their first week of college. Simultaneously, we see key points in their journeys together and individually in the time since. Key to the story are the themes of love in all its forms, from self acceptance, friendship, family, sex and romantic love. It also give wonderful examples of what coming out looked like at the time. Both main characters were so lovingly written, and I felt connection to Danny especially from the very beginning. A great read.

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.