One True Thing

My 800th book!! I wanted it to be a good choice and I was not disappointed

Excuse me while I squee like a fan girl:



Piper Vaughn and M.J O'Shea go together like peanut butter and jelly. And I love PB & J. Something about there writing just...clicks.

Book # 2 of the One Thing series features the lovable Dusty getting his HEA (finally) with the also lovable Asher. And Asher has a twin - Archer who's a dick and not in the good way but I'll get to him later on. But the cute, insecure, real honest to goodness falling in love feeling made me smile throughout the entire story. The fact that these two let there relationship build, had morals and values...this is what I enjoy in a romance.

I am rejoicing in Dusty and Asher's sugar resplendence. show more Can't you see it? The happy-love-sweet rain drops from their HEA?



Oh...maybe it was me. But this book put me in such a great mood afterwards, I had the biggest grin. *smiles*

Sexfest this was not (though when both men finally come together...'twas quite steamy)

Unfortunately there were a few curve balls thrown Dusty and Asher's way: the twin mix up (I thought it was going to go another way -happily no cheating, don't despair). It was an honest mistake and was not dragged through out the story. And Archer. *heavy sigh*

Fucking Archer.



Archer is one shitty ass brother. He's irresponsible, immature, feels the worlds owes him for existing, a whore and extremely selfish. And why Asher put up with his crap only he knows. He's too nice.

But I think Archer can be redeemed (I do hope this writing team will do so in a future book - because some of the best heroes are the redeemable assholes- at least I believe so) Do I believe the price he pays is enough for the havoc he caused? Yes...but mostly no.

Asher and Dusty are perfect for each other. I am so happy he ended up with such a good guy after leaving his abuseive ex in book 1. And speaking of book 1, we get to revisit with the great Rue, sexy nerd Erik and baby Alice. We get a new setting (California), new cast of characters (great potential MC for future books *cough*Josh*cough*) and did I mention that HEA?

Makings of a great book, I say.

So why not 5 stars? Meh...Dusty and Asher were too nice at times. But I am happy the authors stayed true to their characters. Sometimes I did not agree with the choices the main characters made but I did believe that they would've reacted the way they did in those situations.

So I'm happy.

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This sequel to One Small Thing is sweet, enjoyable and well written. Arguably, a good portion of this story leans towards an unbelievable instant attraction, but there is more here to be discovered. A reality-check is dropped in the middle of the plot that snapped me out of fairyland and delivered on a more satisfying reality.


THE CHARACTERS

I was gone. So gone. It didn’t matter how soon it was, or how long we’d known each other. I recognized the feeling that washed over me just then, that pure, fierce ache.

Dusty - Light-hearted, good-natured, warm and loving despite having endured hardships, is what draws me to like him. He's uplifting, delightful and adorable. He deserves love and I can't help but want him to have someone that will show more cherish him, and all of his desirable qualities.

It was one of those moments, those rare, perfect moments, that are built for a kiss. That is, if you’re not a total chickenshit.

Asher – Artistic, handsome, gentle and honest, he seems to be the perfect boyfriend. But, his career could pose a real problem. I enjoyed Asher’s POV’s. His internal dialog is charming.

”No one likes a cock tease. You know why you’re here.”

Archer - The ultimate party-boy, player and user. He’s smooth and arrogant. It’s easy to “boo” Archer.


THE STORY

Dusty is beginning his new life, happily, in W. Hollywood. He's settled into a new job, comfortable with his living arrangements with his best friends, Rue and Erik. He's a romantic-realist that luckily, for us, recognizes a nearly electrical charge at the touch of a stranger. When he finds his "savior" again, he doesn't really get the tingle again, but he's willing to give this new relationship a chance. Unknowingly he has found the identical twin brother and learns how different two brothers can be.

In a funny twist this book went from almost fantasy-like romance, nearly too-good-to-be-true to real-life drama. I couldn't have been more surprised to go from giddily flying high to finding myself brought back down to earth by a shot of reality. The grounding experience really brought it all together, for me. It allowed the relationship to have much deeper meaning and generated a feeling of strength that was necessary for believability.


THE WRITING

The strength of Piper Vaughn and MJ O'Shea's writing is in it's concise and well paced story-telling. They are terrific at delivering emotion and charm while simultaneously moving the story forward.

Very enjoyable. Recommended.




Take a look at my Male/Male Romance Book Blog:


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Loved the first book. This one, in comparison, though not badly written, is surprisingly meh and predictable on top of that.

Dusty was my favorite character in the previous book, One Small Thing, so I was more than eager to read his story. It was like saying welcome back to a friend.

Dusty’s story is maybe less “exploit” than the one of Rue (for a totally gay boy ending up with a baby girl to raise alone can be a dream comes true but also a total shock), but it’s not less romantic and sweet. That is something that passed along from book 1 to book 2, the sweetness: Rue and Dusty are two sweet and cute gay boys, hair stylists and everything that implies, and they meet the perfect partners, completely different from each other, but all the same perfect.

Dusty’s one is Asher, a wanna-be artistic photographer who makes ends meet doing pornographic photo show more shoot. He doesn’t like to do that, and most of the time he ends doing almost a therapy session to the young and naïve porn stars more than a photo service, but all in all he is not bad. In his personal life, Asher is more the long-term relationship type, the one who brings his boyfriend home to meet the parents; exactly the opposite of his twin brother Archer, who is a manwhore.

There is a little play of mistaken identity, with Dusty going out with bad brother Archer believing he is the good one Asher, but in the end, the authors were not really interested in bringing along this plot and moved to the real deal, Dusty and Asher planning a future together, complete of little house with white picket fences and why not, 2.5 children (in the future and if they find a way to make one, being totally, completely gay).

Actually I wondered if the authors had in mind to put some obstacles in their way, and they did try, but I think even them didn’t really want to upset the happy couple, and every time they tried, the “trouble” lasted only few pages; nothing really huge is in the way of Dusty and Asher being together, the only little drama they managed to have is something outside their relationship, something they need to face together but that it will not loosened their bond.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1623800463/?tag=elimyrevandra-20 show less

This was just a nice, fairly angst free, feel good read. I think Dusty was, to quote Asher's mom, adorable, and the guy on the cover was perfect, he is totally how I see Dusty now.

Asher was sweet, Archer was a tool, but dare I hope for a redemption book about him in our future?

I fell in love with Erik and Rue, but Dusty was the sweetheart who helped bring it all together in One Small Thing and I was so excited to see Dustys HEA. Although no t a huge fan of instalove I think it worked with Ash and Dusty, but only just. I was kinda annoyed with all the misunderstandings these two went through in the beginning, and firmly believe a little t of it could have been avoided but I still loved watching the two of them fall in love and get their HEA. The fact Nancy thing tho is that while reading this book I had Rise of the Guardians playing and The Dusty in my head looked like Jack Frost. I am Sade that there are no more in the seri s cause I love these guys so much. However, I am excited to read the rest of pipers show more and m.j.s books! Highly recommend this book to everyone! show less

3 to 3,5 stars

Nice

The best is that the relationship between Dusty and Asher develops in a very natural and realistic way.

The downside, and weigh very much in my opinion, is that the villainy of the bad guys —Archer and Dusty's parents— is exaggerated until the caricatural.